Rainbow is Magic S2: Treasures of the Deep Blue

by aceotaku

Rating: teen
Tags: Alternate Universe, Other, Original Character, Comedy, Rarity, Adventure, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 24595

Twilight and Rarity go on an adventure on the open seas, encountering a band of cut throat pirates seeking treasure!

Twilight and Rarity have decided to try the sea faring life, and trying a spot of fishing. However, their down time may be cut short as they find themselves embroiled in the hunt for a mysterious treasure of Equestria's past and the vile crew of pirates seeking it. As the pair make a new friend during these dangerous times, they find they must both help their friend turn away from a dark path while also thwarting the plans of the villainous Captain Squirk.

Published 2017-06-03 19:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2018-02-14 18:01:35 UTC

Chapter 1: To the Sea

A figure walked into a dark room, looking at a series of murals set high above.

“They’re coming!” a figure called out from outside.

The frowned and grimly drifted further into its home, beginning to sing a grim tune as they pulled a trident out from a locker.

“Shiver my timbers
Shiver my soul
Yo ho heave ho
There are creatures whose hearts
Are as black as coal
Yo ho heave ho”
They began to sharpen each point of the three pronged trident as they sang.

“And they sail their ship
Across the ocean blue
A blood thirsty captain
and a cut-throat crew
It’s as dark a tale
as was ever told
Of the lust for treasure
and a love of gold!”

They hefted the trident, throwing it aside as they began bang a hammer against several pieces of metal.

“Shiver my timbers
Shiver my sides
Yo ho heave ho
There are hungers as strong
as the winds and tides
Yo ho heave ho
And the buccaneers
Drown their sins in rum
The Jester himself
Would have to call them scum
Every man aboard
Would have killed his mate
for a bag of pennies
Or a piece of eight
A piece of eight
A PIECE OF EIGHT!”

They began to affix each piece to a larger frame of metal, hammer banging away far more furiously and quickly. Elsewhere, a horde of figures stomped across a wooden deck, singing their own part to the grim song.

“5!
6!
7!
8!
HULA WOKA
HULA WOKA
SOMETHING NOT RIGHT!
MANY WICKED ICKY THINGS
GONNA HAPPEN TONIGHT
HULA WOKA
HULA WOKA
SAILOR MARES BEWARE!
When there’s money in the ground
There’s murder in the air!
Murder in the air!”

“ONE MORE TIME NOW!”

The figure in the dark room tightened many screws, bolts and straps as they worked, expression growing darker as they heard the voices outside.

“Shiver my timbers
Shiver my bones
Yo Ho Heave Ho
There are secrets that sleep
With ole Davy Jones
Yo Ho Heave Ho
With the main sails set
And the anchors weigh
There’s no turning back
From a course that’s laid
And when greed
and felony sail the sea
You can bet your boots
There’ll be treachery!
Treachery!
TREACHERY!”

The moment their work was completed, they quickly dashed into the massive suit of armour they had repaired, closing it around themself and grabbing their weapon.

“Shiver my timbers
Shiver my sails
DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES!”

Twilight walked through town, a large bag slung over her back, the Stetson she got from the head of the Apple clan sitting comfortably atop her head. She hummed a cheerful tune as somepony came trotting over to her. She turned to see it was Rarity.
“Hey Twi!” The flight-obsessed unicorn greeted, her mane styled in a short, messy, spiky style, a black bruise around one of her eyes. “Goin’ somewhere?”
Twilight nodded. “Yeah, I’m heading to Shetland Shore!”
Rarity tilted her head. “Umm why? It’s not too far from here, I know, but they don’t really have a lot going on for them over there.”

The purple unicorn raised a hoof to her mouth conspiratorily. “Well, I had an idea to help get the farm more revenue and bigger business, and provide more products for a wider variety of customers, so while mom and dad think I’m visiting Rainbow Dash for the weekend, I’m heading to Shetland Shore to investigate their fishing trade.”

“Fishing!? But we’re ponies, we don’t eat fish! And last I checked, farms don’t really sell fish either.”

“Some farms might!” Twilight exclaimed defensively. “Besides, while historically they weren’t able to in the past, nowadays ponies CAN eat meat and some consider fish a delicacy....it’s just the majority simply don’t due to tradition and the like. However, I want to both broaden our town’s horizons AND provide services for those who do have a greater palate, griffons for example.”

Rarity put a hoof to her chin in thought. “Hmmm....” She shrugged, raising her hooves in the air. “You know what, forget it. I’m not gonna question it anymore, and I won’t tell anypony....on one condition.”

“What will it be?”

“I come with.” Rarity grinned. “I bet a lot of the sailors and fishermares there have tons of awesome stories plus I kinda wanna expand my horizons a bit, y’know? Explore someplace outside of Ponyville.” She nudged her leg against Twilight, winking. “Besides, we don’t really hang much, and I think this’d be a good bonding experience.”

Twilight smiled, shaking the mare’s hoof. “Sure, it’s a deal. I’ll buy you some supplies and some lunch too.”

“You don’t have to, Twi, I can fend for myself.”

“Nonsense, I insist!”

After having a simple, quick bite to eat, the pair had begun their journey to Shetland Shores. The trip was actually rather uneventful, and the pair soon found themselves at the famous docks of Equestria.

Rarity grinned as she looked around herself, spying the various fisherponies and seamares walking around.”Oh! Let’s go to the pub, everypony knows that’s where all the toughest seadogs and pirates hang out and share wild stories!”

Twilight chuckled. “Rarity, pirates aren’t actually a thing anymore, and they are not as fun as they are in fiction.”

Rarity scoffed, rolling her eyes. “yeah, yeah, Rainbow Dash, sure. Look, just let me have some fun, alright?”

Twilight shrugged and walked with the other mare to the local pub, a large wooden building filled with ponies, minotaurs, griffons, donkeys even a yak or two. Rarity smiled wide, stars in her eyes.

“Oh wow! A real live pirate pub!” The mare squeed.

This statement caused most of the patrons of the bar to turn to her direction, eyes wide.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Um we’re looking for a boat, we’re rather curious about the fishing industry here....”

The crowd whispered among themselves as a grizzled yak trotted over, sporting three wooden legs, an eyepatch over his left eye and three scars over his face.

“Lassie, you have no idea of what yer getting yerself into.” The yak gravely intoned. “The seas are CURSED, cursed with a vile, dangerous creatures that destroys boats and tears men of the sea to SHREDS. If ya need any proof, look at ME! My ship was torn to pieces, and when I was the only survivor, clutching a piece of driftwood...and then...I saw IT! Its hide was solid metal but it glided through the waters at an unnatural speed! It held its weapon aloft...and slashed me face and took me eye! I managed to survive and drift back to safety, but now none are crave enough to go out to sea lest they face the wrath...of the Sea Slasher!”

An earth pony mare, coat brown and mane and tail bright red, shook her head. “Oh you daft, simple old yak, there’s far worse out there than your monster story. I saw a massive ship rise up from the waters, broken and derelict, as if it had sunk in REVERSE...but more shockingly of all, it had a crew! A crew of hideous monsters and savages, worse than pirates! A strange, round-headed creature that stood like a minotaur but with the height of a pony! A massive creature with eight mishappen, mismatched limbs! And many more besides! And their vile laughter filling the skies as they sunk as many surrounding ships as they could!”

The bartender sighed, a brown-faced griffon. “No, no, you’re doing it all wrong! FIRST you entice them with tales of treasure and mystery, and THEN you try and scare them with the tales of monsters and pirates and ghosts and whatnot! Now they’ll be too scared to overcome the dangers in search of dreams and treasure, like the legendary Moonstone!”

The yak and mare looked down at the floor. “Oh, aye, sorry there, we’re rusty at this, been a while since fresh blood came by.” The yak grinned, showing many missing teeth. “Oh pay no mind to us, it’s jus’ seafarer tradition to trade stories to inspire the adventurous spirit in newcomers!”

Twilight chuckled. “well that was quite impressive, I almost started believing that stuff.”

The yak laughed. “Oh, but it’s all true! I DID see the Sea Slasher!”

“And a sunken ship did rise from the depths!” The earth mare added. “I saw it with my own two eyes!”

Twilight’s irises shrunk at this, face paling. Rarity however, felt differently.

The white unicorn hopped onto the bar counter, grinning wide. “Oooh this sounds exciting! What’s this ‘legendary Moonstone’ you mentioned?”

The bartender smirked knowingly. “Oh it’s a very famous story around these parts. Legend goes that Luna, as Princess of the Moon, was also protector of the seas of Equestria, so she gave 1000 volunteers an enchantment that allowed them to breathe underwater and protect the Moonstone, a powerful artefact that granted whoever held complete mastery over water. However 1 year after Nightmare Moon was sealed into the moon, calamity struck the town and it collapsed into the ocean, and the townsfolk and the Moonstone with it, likely as a form of last minute revenge from the Queen of Darkness. However, legend says the Moonstone is still around, hidden in the ruins of the old town, protected by the lost spirits of the villagers, ensuring it was always safe.”

Rarity grinned wide, stars in her eyes. “ooooh~! So the Moonstone is still somewhere in the ocean!?”

“So the legend goes.”

Twilight grabbed Rarity by the tail, pulling her over to her. “Alright, but seriously, I just want to see how the fishing business works here. Can you show us where we can learn more?”

“But Twi!” Rarity complained. “I want to hunt for treasure!”

The earth pony from early sauntered over, grinning wide. “I have a fair bit of knowhow there; we’ll just need some supplies and prepare the ship. You’re gonna love it!”

“Thank you miss, and we’re always willing to help on our end too.” Twilight smiled. “We’d be grateful for your help.”

The mare soon gathered some equipment and several bags of food, leading to the pair to her ship as she gave them advice on how to fish, how equipment works, how to work different parts of the ship and several other key knowhow. The pair were flabbergasted by how much they didn’t know and just how much work and knowledge was needed, but were ready to learn.

“And that’s not getting into the dangers of the sea.” The mare said.

“What like monster and ghost pirates?” Twilight said with a light chuckle.

“No, though those are a big deal, I mean stuff like sharks, mishandling of boat equipment, heatstroke, storms, tidal waves, coral reefs, scurvy, you name it.” The seafarer smirked. “One mate even lost a hoof to a swordfish. Impaled straight through.”

Twilight gulped as Rarity chuckled, patting her own bag filled with medial kits and supplies. “We I got us covered in case something bad happens.”

“And remember to supplie plenty of citrus fruits like oranges. Scurvy’s a nasty disease and you need a LOT of Vitamin C to combat it. Now, as for storms...”

After the lecture and the group spent a fair bit getting prepared, they finally headed to the ship, a small little vessel with a large, mechanical crane on the back. Twilight was enamoured.

“A real J.H.Irons XX07 original!? They don’t make THESE babies anymore, and not in such good condition!”

The mare chuckled. “Thanks, ma’am, it was my pappy’s, he was a scavenger, using that beaut to dig any lost ships or treasures lost at sea, and he always come back with a story or two to tell.”

“So it’s not used for fishing?” Rarity asked.

Twilight laughed. “Even I know that’s a terrible idea! The hydarlics in this thing are WAY to strong, it’d crush the fish to bits! Plus they’d be way to fast for such a slow, methodical machine to grab anway.” The purple mare slid a hoof along the metal. “But just because it’s old and slow doesn’t mean it isn’t beautiful and useful.”

“yeah, yeah, come ON I wanna find some treasure!” The white mare argued.

“Hey, this is about learning how the fishing industry works so we can expand our farm’s services!” Twilight responded sternly. “Not indulge in some need-in-the-haystack search for a treasure that may not even exist!”

Rarity pouted as she trotted onto the ships’ deck. “You don’t gotta shout at me...”

Twilight sighed. “I’m not shouting I just...don’t wanna waste our time right now. If I spedn too much time from my family they might worry...”
“you didn’t tell them ANYTHING? Not even make up some story or excuse?”

“Hey I’m not good at lying to my family, okay!?” Twilight cried defensively. “besides, it’ll be fine, look, we can go search for ‘buried treasure’ later, right now we shouldn’t waste this nice mare’s time as much as we have already.”

“Not a waste at all.” The sea mare said as she hopped on board beside them. “I’d love to dig up something exciting on this trip, you never know what you could find out there. Let’s sail off girls!”

The group sailed a fair distance from the shores, heading towards a largely unexplored area of the sea. Along the way, Twilight caught a fair couple of fish with her new fishing rod, while Rarity caught...an old boot. She glared at the piece of rubbish with sheer disdain.

“You’ll get something eventually Rarity...” Twilight said optimistically, giving her friend a smile.

“That’s not soon enough.” Rarity pouted. “Fishing’s boring, it’s so darn slow. Can’t believe you roped me into this...”

“Hey this is my first time at this too...”

“Yeah, but you’re having fun! You like doing slow, boring stuff!”

Twilight frowned, glaring steely. “And what, pray tell, is so boring about the stuff I enjoy and work hard on?”

“Ummm like a lot!?” Rarity answered, scoffing as if it should be obvious.

“Now see here, my work is very important at the farm, and you don’t see me complaining about you not even managing to hold down a job, or being so reckless you hurt yourself!”

Rarity butted her muzzle against Twilight’s. “You dissing my lifestyle, farmgirl!?”

“You dissing mine, Brickbutt!?”

The two growled, templars flaring without warning or reason, their escort too busy maintaining the engines to break up the fight. Surely nothing could stop this fledgling friendship from breaking.

And that’s when the ship exploded.

Author's Note

Here we go! A seafaring adventure!

I figured I should start off with something a bit...different, so I picked our first ever Rarity and Twilight adventure!

I may have rushed through a bit, as my initial ideas originally mean the pair would explore the town of Shetland Shores a bit more but...honesty it would’ve been a bit like padding anyway, I think. Not to mention I got impatien to reach the stuff I actually planned, so here we are!

I hope you all enjoyed it, and please comment!

Chapter 3: Storytime

15 years ago

Ponies ran in terror, screaming as buildings exploded around them. It was a coastal town, facing towards the sea, upon which now sailed a foreboding ship, black sails raised high marked with a terrifying skull around which numerous tentacles wrapped around almost possessively.

It was a telltale sign, a warning and a promise. Pirates.

The captain sat upon the crow’s nest, laughing as his ship fired upon the town. “That’s it, me hearties, fire! Burn it all down and whatever’s left well be ours for the taking! KISHISHISHISHI!”

He frowned as his crew murmured nervously with each other, causing the captain to look ahead as a long figure fly through the skies towards them.

Princess Celestia gazed coldly upon the ship. “NOW HEAR ME, PIRATES!” She called out in what had over years become dubbed ‘The Royal Canterlot Voice’, one used for grand proclamations and announcements to be heard over a large group of ponies across a wide area. “YOU SHALL NOT BE ATTACKING MY PONIES, NOT WHILE I RULE! I AM PRINCESS CELESTIA OF EQUESTRIA, AND I HEREBY DEMAND THAT YOU CEASE YOUR TERRORISM OF MY PEOPLE, OR I SHALL BE FORCED TO DEAL WITH YOU AS I HAVE COUNTLESS ENEMIES FAR MORE POWERFUL AND DANGEROUS THAN YOURSELVES! I AM GIVING YOU ONLY ONE CHANCE!”

The captain smirked and then began laughing. “SHASHASHASHASHA! You think we’re scared of some tall Pegasus!? I AM CAPTAIN ‘GREEDY’ SQUIRK, I FEAR NO MAN, NO CREATURE AND CERTAINLY NO PONY! FIRE UPON HER MEN, BLAST HER OUT THE SKY, AND THEN STRENGTHEN YOUR ATTACK ON THE TOWN!”

Celestia’s lips thinned as she frowned icily. “So be it.” Her horn glowed, a bright golden aura, summoning forth a ball of flame so intense it was if a miniature, secondary sun was forming.

Squirk merely laughed, ignoring the danger even as he crew began their attempt to flee the ship.

Only about half made it off-board before Celestia fired the ball upon the ship, burning the ship with heat and tearing it apart with incredible force, with Captain Squirk caught right in the middle, screaming in pain and fear as his ship sank below the waves.

The Captain was never seen on the surface again.

Twilight Sparkle got to work repairing the intricate machine before her. On the surface level, it resembled a suit of armour in terms of look and function, though with some aesthetics that were odd to her eyes, but underneath it was much more complex. The armour hid an intricate combination of mechanisms, designed to allow a seapony to manipulate the limbs as easily as if they were a part of a body, as well as control the various rotors that allowed it to move in the water at incredible speed. She grinned to herself as she set to work, her mind easily allowing her to fill in the blanks and correct any damage done to the inner mechanisms.

Behind her, Rarity sat with a smile as she looked at their host, the scarred seapony Bubble Burst.

“So go on, tell us your story.” Rarity said.

Bubble Burst sighed in released reluctance, nodding to herself. “Many years ago....we were not always living in the sea, nor were we seaponies.”

Twilight yelped as her body twitched in shock, hooves flying back to ensure she didn’t ruin the inner workings of the armour. “W-what!?”

Rarity raised her eyebrows in surprise but kept quiet, deciding not to doubt or question the seapony’s claim as Bubble Burst nodded and spoke again. “Yes, it is true. Long ago, our kind were ponies just like you two; we lived on the coastline acting under the princesses’ will, protecting our lands from foreign threats travelling the seas. To aid us, and to ensure it didn’t fall into the wrong hands, Princess Luna gave us one of her most valuable treasures....a powerful magical artefact imbued with a portion of magical force originating from the moon: the Moonstone.”

Rarity’s eyes lit up. “Oh!? I think someone up at the town mentioned that! What does it do?”

Bubble Burst gave her a questioning gaze before shrugging. “Many miraculous things. Whosever held it could heal wounds, cure diseases and even control water as a unicorn would their magic.”

“What happened to your city though?” Twilight asked. “I’ve certainly never heard of you or the moonstone, and how the hay did you guys become...seaponies?”

Bubble Burst looked down. “A great and terrible storm came suddenly, we’re not too sure how it happened or why it was so much more terrible than what we had experienced in the past...regardless, it raged for several days and caused our city to become separated from the mainland and sink into the ocean...at that moment, the Moonstone reacted and sent out a wave of magic, causing the nearby coral to grow massive around our borders, create a bubble around us and change us into aquatic creatures, all to protect us and ensure our safety and prosperity. That’s how my grandmother spoke of it, at least.”

The seapony looked upwards as she continued. “That machine you are repairing has been in my family line for generations, though there used to be far more. Once upon a time, everyone in this city was a powerful warrior, fighting to protect the Moonstone and our city’s other treasure, but over the centuries the others lost sight of their sacred duty, becoming complacent with the seeming safety of our new home, and later generations simply...forgot, their armour and weapons rusted to uselessness. Only my family line remained vigilant, and now I am the last.” She frowned grimly. “And as you can see, I am needed more than ever now, what with these pirates attacking us.”

“....You mentioned another treasure?” Twilight asked suddenly.

Bubble Burst blinked in surprise. “You are actually listening to me?”

Twilight nodded. “Of course I am! It would be rude not to. Besides, I find having something in the background helps me work.”

AT that, everyone’s stomachs growled simoultaneously.

Bubble Burst tried to stop herself from smiling in amusement...and failed miserably. “Very well, I shall continue after I prepare us some food, seeing as your big ‘celebration’ was interrupted. I shall introduce you ponies to a loal delicacy: sushi. We shall continue our discussion while we eat.”

A figure swam through the darkness beneath the ocean, sand and debris splashing up as they moved along the ocean floor, near the large coral structure.

When Bubble Burst returned, she carried a large wooden block lined with lined with various plates sporting small bits of rice and fish wrapped in seaweed. She laid it down on the floor as she sat beside Rarity, Twilight stopping her work to trot over and join them.

“They hay are these...?” Rarity grimaced, looking over the meal.

“Sushi.” Bubble Burst replied simply. “Way back when our town rice farms and the magic that affected us also affected the rice, allowing us to farm it under the sea. This is an old recipe using rice, raw fish and pressed seaweed to hold it together.”

Twilight shrugged and took a bite, shivering in delight. “ooooh this tastes great!”

Rarity, face slightly green, slowly reached out a hoof to grab a piece, taking it to her mouth....her eyes widening. “I...I LIKE this!”

“I told you it would be fine!” Twilight said as she ate away, quickly turning to Bubble Burst. “You mentioned another treasure you were protecting here, something separate from the Moonstone.”

Bubble Burst nodded, blinking in surprise. “Indeed. You are quite attentive.”

“So what is it!?” Rarity exclaimed excitedly. “Gold? Doubloons? GEMS!?”

Bubble Burst merely pointed upwards. “That.”

The two mares looked up, rarity frowning in disappointment. “All I see is a bunch weird pictures...”

Indeed, along the walls of the room was painted a mural depicting various strange creatures that stood on two limbs, with two more limbs at their sides.

“They may seem strange, but they are our city’s other greatest treasure.” Bubble Burst explained. “They are a telling of a time long since past, from before the Princesses were born, before ponies or even dragons ruled the land, before magic even existed.”

Rarity gasped. “Excuse- what- BEFORE MAGIC!? WHAT!? Now I KNOW you’re messing with us, there’s no way that’s possible!”

Bubble Burst nodded. “Indeed, magic may have existed back then, but it was fundamentally different from how we perceive it.”

Twilight scooted closer. “Can you tell us more?”

The seapony nodded, taking a bite of sushi. “indeed, I can.” She pointed to the mural closest to them, depicting a large castle standing under the stand, beneath the castle were grassy fields where the two legged creatures frolicked. “Long ago, before ponies, before dragons, before MAGIC...there was another race of creatures who ruled the land. Unlike ponies they stood on two legs, and used their forelimbs to manufacture mechanisms and tools to help them with tasks, and built large shelters to live within.”

“What were these creatures called?” Twilight asked.

“Noone remembers.” Bubble Burst said solemnly, moving her tail to point at the next mural from the left of the first, this one depicting a larger, more detailed by still stylised image of a bipedal creature. It was large, stocky and had a gold crown upon its head, and stood before a group of smaller bipeds as larger ones loomed threateningly from behind the crowned creature. “These creatures were separated into many tribes, with many beliefs and appearances, and in one such tribe there ruled a king. He was fair and benevolent, but was always tied back by his duties as king, which forced him to make tough decisions, but he tried his best to strive for the peace, happiness and prosperity of his people above all else. Another tribe who loved nearby were a constant threat, but the king had managed to convince them to make peace, and would hold a great feast to celebrate. The populace would fast and not eat anything before then, to prove they were taking the event seriously.”

“So they were like the tribes of ponies before the Princesses came.” Twilight muttered to herself aloud.

Bubble Burst pointed to the next mural, depicting a goofy looking biped in a jester’s outfit, grinning as it lay in the middle of a vast spread of food. “However, just as they were ready to begin the feast and feed the tribe, they made a terrible discovery: the king’s court jester, whose job was to entertain, had found his way into where the food for the feast was being held and ate every single last piece himself.” The other half of the image showed the jester in the same pose, this time held in stocks, with the same grin on his face. “The people were furious, the foreign tribe were furious, and everyone was starving. The king was given no choice but to execute the Jester to placate everyone. Before he was beheaded, the king asked the Jester ‘Are you satisfied now? Have you eaten your fill?’ to which the Jester responded, with a mocking grin, ‘No, I have not.’”

Rarity paled at that, feeling sorry for the Jester’s fate. “What happened then?”

Bubble Burst pointed to another mural, depicting an immense inferno surrounding the kingdom, the king standing on a hell and watching as several buildings were drawn to be collapsing among the flames, a massive, dark figure looming high above, wearing a Jester’s hat and a familiar grin. “The Jester returned, his spirit having become powerful and vengeful. He destroyed the kingdom and cursed the king, cursed to watch the world while the Jester destroyed it all. However....”

The next mural portrayed an image similar to last one, but with much larger, boxy looking buildings rising high to a blue sky, a sun shining ahead as the king was shown in the same positon on the hill. “For reasons unknown, the Jester vanished, and the King watched his race grow. There was turmoil, war and terrible things, but there was also progress, change and prosperity as his kind took steps to rise from the darkness and help each other and improve. The King was happy, for his kind had grown so much beyond his primitive system that he maintained, happy that, slowly but surely, his kind would face none of the necessary cruelties he once inflicted....”

Twilight smiled. “Wow, that’s a lovely sentiment...”

Rarity frowned however. “But...why do we not know anything about these people...?”

Bubble burst sighed and pointed to the second to last mural, depicting the Jester standing triumphant over a foreboding, darkly coloured scene of destruction as people tried to flee, many being devoured wholesale into the Jester’s cruel grin. “The Jester returned, once more, and made good on his promise. He came just as the people were finally putting their darkness behind them and reaching a form of peace and understanding...and destroying it all. He feed on their fear, their hatred and their despair, stoking these emotions into all out conflict until he personally came and destroyed all their progress, devoured them all to feed his gluttonous desires and ambitions...and set about trying to alter the world to his wishes, and removed all but the barest traces of the race he once was a part of. The King watched as all hope was destroyd was quickly, so simple, and fled.”

She pointed upwards, to the wall directly behind the trio, depicting the Old King sitting alone, painting on a wall. “The Old King found refuge in where our city now stands and painted these murals, as both a chronicle of his kind, a final refuge of their memory, and a warning to all should the jester one day return.”

“It’s...just a story...right?” Rarity quavered.

“perhaps...but does it not seem strange, ponies using so many tools that seemed ill designed for them? And so many buildings and structures they simply ‘found’, with no question as to where they came from?” Bubble Burst shook her head. “No, I and my forbearers have spent our whole lives believing in these murals and ensuring they survive so that the princesses and future generations can learn from them...and so that these forgotten people can be remembered, even if only in some small way.”

Twilight put a hoof to her chin in thought. “how do you know these stories so well?”

Bubble Burst pointed to a stone plaque, each at the foot of each mural, in varying states of ill repair and wear, most of them broken with their text faded. “Those detail the individual story of each mural, though they’re much harder to read now, and thus the details remain passed down from generation to generation of my family.”

Rarity got up, staring up at the disturbing image of the smiling Jester who destroyed an entire race. “I...I think I’ll go head outside...clear my head.” The unicorn quickly ran out the main door.

Twilight frowned. “Doesn’t even offer a hoof to help me out....just runs off on her own all willy nilly....”

Bubble Burst nodded. “Indeed, while I do appreciate her dressing my wounds, as insubstantial as they are, she’s much too much like the other people in this town: flighty, carefree and short sighted.”

Twilight rolled her shoulders and got up, heading back to complete her repair work. “If you’re feeling better, would consider helping me fix this? You probably understand its mechanisms a lot better than I could.”

Bubble Burst nodded and swam to the unicorn’s side. “indeed, though you are doing remarkably well despite never having seen it before.”

“Oh invention and machines are my special talent, and I always do my best to make sure t help anypony in need...even the ones who aren’t ponies in the strictest sense.” Her smile shrank as her tone grew serious. “I was wondering though...what happened to the King, the one who made these murals?”

“He died.” The seapony said simply. “The curse kept him alive far past his years, but eventually even he had run out of time, and he died here, alone. My ancestors found his bounds and gave him a decent burial, as I was told.”

Twilight frowned. “That’s too sad...”

“Indeed... I hope we can return to the surface one day and share his story, so that his fate is not our own...”

Rarity walked down through the town, toward the coral wall, thinking about Bubble Burst’s story, how she couldn’t believe someone would be...executed (she grew green just thinking the word) for such a silly reason..or that he’d come back and destroy his own people just out spite towards a single person. Rarity felt bad for both the King and the Jester, but most especially for the people caught in between. She wondered how the King felt, being alone for so long, the last of his kind.

She was broken out of her melancholy by a voice.

“Help me.”

The unicorn turned and saw a pale green mare with sea-green mane that drifted lazily in the water, covering one of her eyes, a faded yellow dress hung around her waist as she swam through an opening near the bottom of the coral barrier, looking extremely weak.

“oh goodness!” Rarity walked over.”are you okay?”

“P-Pirates attacked me, I managed to swim away and found myself here...please...I think I won’t make it much longer...please help me...”

Rarity’s eyes widened, immediately remembering what Bubble Burst said about the Moonstone. “Come with me! We’ll help you right away!” She grabbed the pony’s hoof, dragging her alonge, noting how oddly soft and cold the mare’s hoof felt, but shrugged it off as just being stuck underwater for so long. “What’s your name?”

“Angle.” The mare coughed. “Angle Mare....”

Rarity nodded and lead the mare up to Bubble Burst’s home, not noticing the large trench of earth being dug up from under Angle Glow as they moved.

Rarity soon reached the building, knocking rapidly on the metal door. “Bubble Burst!”

The seapony wearily opened the door. “What is it?”

“The Moonstone! You have it, right!?”

Bubble Burst glared. “Why do you want that information...? I thought I told you enough to slake your curiosity...”

“I found a mare, the pirates hurt her! She needs the Moonstone or she’ll die!”

“A mare...?” The seapony narrowed her eyes suspiciously, on edge despite her earlier candour. “What is this mare’s name...?”

“Angel something or other, I’m in too much of a panic too remember right! Just help her, she’ll die!”

“I believe I said my name was ‘Angle Glow’.” The mare in question said.

Something about the mare’s tone set a warning sign in the seapony’s head as Bubble Burst opened the door, trident in her tail.

Rarity turned to Angle Glow, blinking as she noticed the mare was now standing far more strongly and confidently, with a large, cold grin on her features. “Angel...? You seem much better all of a sudden...”

“How very astute.” Angle chuckled. “Honestly, I don’t know why the captain didn’t think of doing this before, not like the other chuckleheads here would be that much smarter....”

Rarity was feeling very confused. “Captain...?”

Angle clapped her hooves together, her smile becoming far more mockingly joking and neighbourly. “Oh I’m sorry! Did I ruin the surprise a bit early! Not like I could’ve gone in without revealing myself anyway...so let’s cut the nonsense!”

Suddenly the floor around Angle exploded, sand and debris drifting in the water around them as Rarity yelped and Bubble Burst growled...the pair’s eyes widening and drawing upwards as a massive figure was soon revealed under the green mare.

Angle Glow stood atop a massive, warty fish with blank, blind eyes and massive, curved teeth in an equally massive mouth, a large stalk trailing from under the mare’s skirt and into the forehead of the massive fish.

“Name’s Angle Glow, scouting party for Captain Squirk’s Fishy Pirates!” Angle Glow sneered, her face literally glowing softly. “I’m a magically altered angler fish, and the Captain sent me to find where, exactly, the Moonstone was...and I figure YOU’RE the infamous Sea Slasher!”

“Get away from us, pirate!” Bubble Burst spat, swimming upwards to attack.

However, without the suit, she was still too slow, as the mutant angler fish flopped down onto her and crushed the seapony’s home merely with its massive girth...and everything else within the building as well.

Author's Note

There we are! The continuation of this story!

The story about the Jester is VERY important about the ongong myth arc of this universe, and serves to give the seaponies greater significance within the narrative.

I didn’t come up with Angle Glow until a few days while writing this story, but her/his (not too sure honestly) involvement is now so obvious in hindsight I don’t know why I didn’t think of it.

Also, forgot to include a gag referencing it, but the sushi Rarity and Twilight are so happily enjoying is made from...the swordfish and saw-nosed shark Bubble Burst killed in the previous chapter. Have fun knowing that!

apologise if not a whole lot happened here and it may be too short, but eh I kept you guys waiting long enough.

Thanks for reading, and please comment! 0TS(��5

Chapter 4: The Divide

Bubble Burst stared, frozen as her home, as well as the most precious things in the world to her that lay within those walls, crumbled under the weight of the massive angler fish.

Angle Glow laughed and sneered. “Seriously our Captain is such an idiot; this would’ve been over much sooner if we just did this in the beginning!”

Bubble Burst watched, frozen in disbelief and horror at the wreckage of what was once both her home and her biggest responsibility....her face quickly contorting in rage. “I’ll kill you!” she swam upwards, ready to tear the massive angler fish apart with her bare hooves if necessary.

Angle Glow rolled its mare-shaped lure’s eyes and sneered, moving at an incredible speed that outmatched the seapony’s own meagre attempt, using the girth of its main body to knock drifting back towards the ground, the mare regaining her ‘footing’ and swimming in place. Rarity looked between the two, completely lost.

“W-what the hay’s going on!?” The unicorn blurted out.

Bubble Burst, remembering the pony, snarled and turned to her. “This is your fault! I KNEW you were on their side, just like all those other ships I sunk before you! If only those IDIOTS from town didn’t bring you in here, we wouldn’t be in this mess! Why couldn’t you have just died like those other pirates!”

“We are not pirates!” Rarity countered, tearfully. “I just wanted to help a poor, injured mare! I didn’t know she was one of those mean pirates!”

“Don’t lie to me!” Bubble Burst shouted. “You were on the pirate ship I sunk earlier today! I can’t believe I let you trick me like that, I even told you some of my deepest secrets...”

“YOU sunk the ship?” Twilight’s voice broke out.

The seapony, the unicorn and even the angler fish all turned to the source of the voice. At the centre of the rubble, of the ruined building, was Twilight Sparkle, standing near the restored armour and trident under a sphere of pure magic, grunting with effort as she shielded herself. She gave the seapony a hard stare, a sight Rarity found very strange and unusual.

“YOU’RE the Sea Slasher?” Twilight continued. “The jerkface who’s been swimming around, sinking ships so much that a lot of fishermen are scared to go to sea? A lot of folks who did nothing wrong but do their jobs!”

“If by jobs you mean piracy...” Bubble Burst growled. “And don’t think I’m not lumping you in with your idiot friend, either!”

“NONE OF THEM WERE PIRATES YOU MORON!!” Twilight yelled out. “They were all fishers and salvagers! WE were just TOURISTS! You attacked innocent people and could have potentially KILLED a few ON A BASELESS ASSUMPTION!”

“LIES!” Bubble Burst interjected, and was about to add more but was distracted by Angle Glow, who floated above them laughing its head(s?) off.

Angle Glow smirked at them. “Well since you’re not friends, why don’ you ponies help me get the Moonstone? Surely you must know where it is, the white unicorn certainly seemed to think so.”

Twilight glared. “You...you horrible creature! You and those other pirates have been terrorising these poor seaponies long enough! Why do you even want the Moonstone anyway!?”

Rarity gasped as Angle Glow wrapped its lure around her body, lifting over its mouth, which opened wide to frame the array of gnarly, curved teeth surrounding his cavernous maw. “Okay, better incentive, DON’T give me the Moonstone, and I’ll swallow your friend here whole AND every seapony in this city!”

Bubble Burst snarled and swam towards the creature, only to be knocked back as it struck her with its tail. Rarity screamed in pain, releasing an air bubble as the angler fish tightened its grip around her threateningly.

Twilight paled. “W-wait! I...I don’t know EXACTLY where it is but...I...I think I can make a good guess! Just...just let her go!”

“Oh no.” Angle Glow refused. “Not until AFTER you give it to me.”

Twilight frowned and startedlooking around...only for Bubble Burst to scream out in desperation and swim towards a portion of the floor three feet to the south from her armour. Twilight’s horn glowed as she frowned guiltily, ripping off a piece of the floorand pulling out a large, glittering blue sphere, the size of a basketball. She pulled it close to her as Bubble Burst swam towards her, murder in her eyes....only for the seapony to be pinned under the weight of the giant anglerfish.

“I did your dirty work now let her go!” Twilight shouted.

“Very well.” Angle Glow sneered and tossed Rarity at the other unicorn, who quickly tossed the stone at the anglerfish to free up her magic to catch Rarity. Angle Glow caught the Moonstone in its hooves, grinning wide.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” The anglerfish chuckled mockingly and swam up. “I’ll leave you mares alone, it seems you got a lot to....discuss among yourselves.”

Angle glow dived back under the seafloor, its lure peering above it and moving past the massive coral that was supposed to deter against creatures like it. Meanwhile, Bubble Burst got up, shooting a glance towards her broken home and heritage before glaring hatefully at the two mares.

“I knew I was right to be suspscious of you two...” She growled. “You were here helping them! Gaining my trust just so you could lead them here and steal the moonstone!”

“I did what I had to, I had no idea how serious that....monster was about its threat and I had to make a decision that wouldn’t result in anyone getting hurt or KILLED!” Twilight shot back, eyes narrowing. “Not that you care! The only reason we’re here in the first place was because you sunk our ship!”

“Well, technically, it wasn’t OUR ship.” Rarity pointed out. “We were ON it and were making use of being ABOARD it, but we didn’t technically own it, it belonged to that nice mare who was helping us out and I hope she’s okay.”

Twilight spun to face the white unicorn. “And YOU! None of this would’ve happened if you didn’t thoughtlessly lead one of the pirates over here! Did you even THINK for one second that MAYBE there was someone weird about a pony breathing underwater before they came into this place!?”

“Hey!” Rarity sat back, folding her forelegs. “You’ve been all mad at me all day for no reason! Are you saying that I should’ve let a pony drown on the off chance she was a pirate? I’m sorry, I messed up, but I didn’t intend for this to happen and it’s not fair to just blame me outright without thinking about things!”

Bubble Burst snorted and rolled her eyes, swimming past them to slip into her armour, Twilight’s shield having kept all the rubble off it. As she fastened the armour and its helmet around herself, a bubble of water being locked in around her, she lifted her trident and spoke to the pair. “I care not about your lies. I’m getting the Moonstone back and then I’ll be back to deal with the two of you.” Her motors whirred as she sped off, dashing through the water and an opening in the coral to give chase.

Rarity frowned, her ears folding back as she turned to Twilight in concern. “We should go help her...I’m worried she’ll get herself hurt...”

Twilight growled. “Who cares anyway? She’s a violent jerk who attacked us for no reason. Who knows how we’ll get back to the surface.” Even as she spoke, her horn glowed and she began lifting up the rubble one piece at a time. “Just....just stay out of my hair before you cause more trouble, you lazy good for nothing dolt!”

Rarity flinched at the venom in her friend’s words, biting her lip as she fought back tears. “You’re right...I...I need to make things right!” She turned and ran off, the water around her slowing her pace even as she ran down to follow Bubble Burst’s lead.

A few seaponies turned to Rarity as she passed them. “What’s going on!? W-We saw a big scary monster and heard a loud noise a-and Bubble Burst just LEFT THE CITY!”

“A pirate attacked and destroyed her home and it’s all my fault!” Rarity hurriedly explained as she ran. “I need follow her and make sure she doesn’t get hurt and I have to apologise!”

As she ran past the buildings and out through a gap in the coral, the sea ponies turned to each other with pale faces.

“B-Bubble Burst lost her HOUSE!?”

“Sh-she left us! W-w-what do we do if a pirate attacks!?”

One of the seaponies, a bright red one with a long flowing mane that danced around her in the water like several ribbons swam before everyone else. “One of the other ponies we rescued is still here! Maybe we can ask her for help on what to do!”

“Yeah!” The others agreed, the group turning to swim over to where Bubble Burst’s house once stood.

Angle Glow smirked as it neared the massive pirate ship that floated beneath the ocean. The derelict ship was practically falling to pieces, the front half of its bows torn enough to resemble a horrific maw of sharp fangs and cruel eyes. Hanging from the main mast was a slightly torn flag bearing a jolly roger in the form of a skull gripped by several grasping tentacles. Holding the ship up was an especially large, scarred orca.

The mare-shaped lure of the angler fish ducked in close to the ship, handing it to a large tentacle. “Here you go, Captain. It was easy.”

The captain ignored that potentially mutinous comment as he grasped the Moonstone in his tentacles, his large, serrated beak grinning wide at the sight. He was a massive, burgundy coloured octopus with a few large, long tentacles; many however were reduced to stumps offset with wooden peg legs and a massive, serrated metal hook. Burn scars marred much of his body, particularly over the left side of his body, where an eyepatch covered where an eye used to be. His appearance was completed by a large pirate hat marked with a skull and crossbones.

“Excellent work, Angle.” Captain Squirk commended. “You make a wonderful lookout.”

Angle smirked. “Think the rest of the crew should be called up and join in celebration?”

“Hmmm I don’t see why not. We haven’t had a good party in a good long while.” The captain grinned widely. “Mates! Come aboard!”

As he called out, several of his crew members climbed up from below deck. Among them were: the bipedal crab, Crabnasty, who had fought Bubble Burst earlier, alongside the diving suit clad Murray, who held in his arms a small accordion; a large shrimp the size of a basketball with an enlarged, pistol-like limb; and finally a jellyfish with large eyes wearing a chef’s hat and apron.

Squirk frowned. “Where are the Doc and his nurse?”

“Th-they’re still below deck Captain, cleaning equipment.” The jellyfish said timidly. “Plus you know Helmut doesn’t like being all alone down there, so Nancy keeps him company.”

Squirk rolled his eyes. “Ugh...fine, Jerry.” He sighed then grinned, holding up the Moonstone aloft. “Look what Angle Glow managed to accomplish in mere hours what you lot took YEARS to fail at!”

Crabnasty’s eyes widened. “Is that...?”

“That’s right! The fabled Moonstone, right in our clutches!” Squirk grinned widely. “It’s time to celebrate!” He laughed, pulling out a second, larger eyepatch from under his hat, placing the moonstone in a large hole in the middle as he swapped it with his original eyepatch. “With this, the power of the oceans are ours!”

“Captain...” Crabnasty began. “Are you sure it’s wise to...wear the Moonstone like that? We don’t want to do anything to offend the Princess before we negotiate with her in return for handing it to her...”

Captain Squirk’s eye gazed icily at his crewmate, eye wide and bloodshot with rage. “WHAT. DID YOU. SAY.”

“We’ve....we’ve been after the Moonstone for so long Captain...” Crabnasty gulped, sensing something...untoward in the atmosphere. “Wasn’t the reason so we could try and find a way out of this piratical lifestyle by making a deal with her...? So we could find a real home for us, where we didn’t need to hurt anyone anymore...?”

Squirk shook with anger. “Are...are you AN IDIOT!?” He screeched angrily. “The Moonstone is MINE! What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is ALSO mine! That is our motto, our CREED! We’ve been after the Moonstone for one reason and one reason only: so I can finally get revenge on Celestia after she scarred my body so many years ago! With the Moonstone’s power, I need no longer fear the Sun and the surface world EVER AGAIN!” He pointed a hook out to the where a large coral reef could be seen in the distance. “And we’re going to celebrate by making those seaponies pay for keeping it out of our reach for so long!”

“W-what...!?” Crabnasty sounded confused, uncertain. “Th-that’s insane! If we do something like that the Princess will surely not help us! W-we need her influence, resources and money to form a better life for ourselves, to give us a real home to live in...!”

“MONEY!? You think we need MONEY!?” Squirk laughed, many of the other crew members joining in. “Why spend when we can TAKE!? EVERYTHING under the sea belongs to ME, and I won’t part with a single coin! All our treasure stays with me!”

“But that’s no way to live!” Crabnasty argued, pleading. “Captain please, you took us all in, gave us a home, a family, after we had nowehere else to go! But what you’re saying is...madness!”

“The only madness I’m hearing is from you!” Squirk contested, pointing his sharp hook at the crab. “You were one of my strongest, most reliable shipmates, but under it all you were just a softhearted IDIOT! Only an idiot would serve me and assume such WEAK HEARTED GARBAGE!”

Crabnasty cried out in pain as the statement was puncatuated by a strong slash from the Captain’s hook, knocking him back and shattering parts of his shell. His crewmates parted away from him as the Captain closed in.

“You MUTINOUS TRASH!” Squirk snarled, a mad look in his eyes. “You want to STEAL from me, take what is MINE, after EVERYTHING i’v done for ya! I gave you a home! I gave you FOOD! I gave you a place to belong! We’re OUTCASTS! PIRATES! We belong on the sea with all it has to offer! If ANYONE on my crew says otherwise, THEY DON’T BELONG ON MY SHIP OR IN MY CREW!”

Crabnasty screamed out as he was slashed several times by his Captain, someone he saw as a father. Squirk merely sneered, his blows knocking the crab against the railing.

“Ca...Captain...” Crabnasty wheezed out, tearfully, looking to the other crewmembers. “H-Help me....”

Jerry the jellyfish looked nervously and pale as the other crew members merely glared disdainfully at the crab. The large shrimp, Pistolero, held up her arm.

“Those who defy the Captain are mutineers.” She said coldly. “And mutineers are no longer part of our crew.”

She fired a shot of pure, kinetic magic from her arm, hitting the crab square in chest and knocking him overboard, his eyes wide in disbelief and pain.

The crew turned away as their former friend was cast aside, jerry sweating and heading below deck as the others turned to their captain who wiped his hook clean.

Squirk grinned to the crew, spreading his tentacles wide. “Okay, crew, that’s it! Let’s celebrate and lift our spirits with a song! Murray, hit it!”

I’ve fought across seas
Beneath the salty brine
Laying claim to all I see
Anyone who defies
Shall surely find
The bitter taste of steel
Celestia I no longer fear!
Her sun will never hurt me!
NEVER AGAIN! NEVER AGAIN!
All her treasure
All her trinkets
ALL WILL BELONG TO ME! ALL WILL BE MINE!
OVER THE WAVES
BELOW THE SKY
ALL IS MINE TO TAKE
I AM CAPTAIN OF ALL I SURVEY
BE IT GOLD
BE IT JEWELS
BE IT RUSTY SILVER SWORDS!
IT ALL BELONGS TO ME!
CAPTAIN SQUIRK! SQUIRK!
UNDEFEATED!
EVERYTHING MY HANDS GET!

I have waited so many years
For this fated day
For the day the Moonstone is mine
The oceans themselves
Will follow my whim
And crush all foes beneath my path
Celestia I no longer fear!
Her sun will never hurt me!
NEVER AGAIN! NEVER AGAIN!
All her treasure
All her trinkets
ALL WILL BELONG TO ME! ALL WILL BE MINE!
OVER THE WAVES
BELOW THE SKY
ALL IS MINE TO TAKE
I AM CAPTAIN OF ALL I SURVEY
BE IT MIRRORS
BE IT TOYS
BE IT LITTLE WOODEN SHIPS!
IT ALL BELONGS TO ME!
CAPTAIN SQUIRK! SQUIRK!
THE FEARED!
EVERYTHING MY HANDS GET!”

“What did ya say captain!?” Angle Glow called out, swaying with the music.

“OVER THE WAVES
BELOW THE SKY
ALL IS MINE TO TAKE
I AM CAPTAIN OF ALL I SURVEY
BE IT THE SUN
BE IT THE MOON
BE IT EQUESTRIA ITSELF!
ALL IS MINE TO TAKE
CAPTAIN SQUIRK! SQUIRK!
THE GREATES!
EVERYTHING MY HANDS GET!”

He and his crew laughed as they finished their song, hearing a noise.

“YOU DARN PIRATES!” Bubble Burst screamed out as she swam towards the ship before her.

“Her again.” Squirk grumbled in annoyance. “Take her down.”

Pistolero fired a shot towards her...along with several cannonballs. She grunted, struggling to move, but her body soon went still and began to sink, only to be caught up in a net that dragged her slowly up above the sea.

Squirk laughed. “She’s surface food now! How poetic! This is a good omen, men! Let’s go show those seaponies what for! ZEHAHAHAHA!”

The crew members got to work hoisting the sails, as useless it was, as their ship began to move forward, onward toward the Seapony city.

Author's Note

sorry for the sudden ending, kinda rushed it to get the chapter done. Hope ya'll liked it though!

Chapter 5: High Tide

Rarity trotted along the sandy sea floor, her hooves feeling like they were forcing themselves through pudding as the water around her weighed her down, slowing her movements and make her feel weighted down from all sides. She looked around desperately for Bubble Burst, hoping she’d find her before the pirates hurt her.

She was also finding it hard to breathe, as there was no magical air bubble around her. She didn’t really think about it when she left, and now kinda wished she knew some magic that’d help. Though the fact the magic air bubble couldn’t have broke off a piece for her head so she could travel freely also annoyed her.

Suddenly, air greeted her and she open her mouth wide, gasping for air. She found she could also move at a much faster pace. She looked around herself in bewilderment, eyes widening as she found the ocean had vanished around her.

“Well that’s convenient!” She exclaimd cheerfully and trotted off, then gasped as she saw a figure lying ahead. “Bubble Burst!” She cried out as she ran over to the figure.

She blinked as she approached, the figure lying still and heavily injured. Rarity grabbed them in her hooves and started dragging them away, back towards the direction she remembered the seapony city being.

“Don’t worry!” She assured them. “I’m gonna get you help!”

Bubble Burt groaned, opening her eyes.

“Ah, yer awake.” The old, bearded yak grinned. “Good on ye.”

Bubble Burst gasped and jumped back, holding her trident out threateningly. “Stay back!”

The yak held up his hooves, several other of the townsfolk or Shetland Shore with him, everyone standing upon the deck of a rather sizeable fishing vessel. “Whoah whoah, easy lass we mean ye no harm! We managed to drag you up from under the waves, we were worried ya drowned!”

“You...I won’t do whatever you tell me to, pirates!” She declared harshly.

A familiar mare frowned. “Who are you calling pirates!? We’re just fisherponies! We’ve lived here all our lives minding our business until you just came up and smashed our ships! My ship especially!”

The yak patted the mare’s back. “Ey now, lass, sure she looks like the Slasher but we can’t just assume things...besides we couldn’t just leave her there, especially when...”

Bubble Burst got up, standing threateningly with her weapon outstretched. “Enough of your lies, pirate scum! Where have you taken me!? What are your plans?”

The yak shrugged. “Well we thought ya could be drownin’, plus well...” He pointed a hoof out past her. “Look fer yerself.”

Bubble Burst turned to look, eyes widening under the visor of her armour. The ocean....was gone, the seafloor exposed to the air with numerous fish and previously sunken artefacts for all to see. No, the ocean wasn’t gone, she and the others were standing upon a boat which in turn floated upon the surface of the se, it was just that a significant portion had been removed, as if scooped out like icecream. In the distance she saw a large ball of water, drifting ahead.

“W-what the heck!?” She exclaimed, shocked. “What is happening here!?”

“We don’t rightly know...” The yak said. “We came out here to rescue some mares who were lost at sea, and then we fished you out...and then suddenly the sea moved from under us and we barely managed to sail to safety before we were scooped up into that ball there!” He shook his head gravely. “This is the strangest sight I’ve seen in all my years of fishin’.”

The salvage mare tutted and trotted off, eyes grim with determination.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Bubble Burst asked, still suspicious. “I’m not letting a single one of you pirates leave my sight without good reason.

“be tough all you want,” the mare countered, “but if we don’t do something, those mares we’re looking for could be in a heap of trouble. There’ssomething in that...bubble or whatever, moving it around. I for one am not going to stand around while something is out there...STEALING the ocean!” She stomped her hoof. “Now you’re scared, you’re angry, you’re confused, but you can either stand around being angry and useless, or you could use those legs of yours and HELP so we can try to stop whatever it is doing anything bad!”

“I don’t need anybody!” Bubble Burst retorted and turned to leave...only for her suit’s legs to buckle, the yak catching her.

“Easy now, you’re still pretty banged up, lass.” He smiled. “Grabber there may be a lil rough, but she means well and more importantly knows her way around machines. I can sail us and follow that...whatever it is while she fixes ya up.” He gave her astern look. “An’ no stabbin’ anyone, get me?”

Bubble Burst glared but turned her head. She could fix her suit herself...except the only thing keeping her alive right now was the bubble of water inside her suit, and she had no idea if she could breathe on the surface, let alone survive long enough to fix her suit. The situation just...never came up.

“Fine.” She sighed, glaring at the fisheryak. “But anything suspicious and you’re shish kebab.”

“Very well lass.” The yak nodded, carrying her to the resting quarters as he called out to everyone aboard. “All hands on deck! Send word to the other ships and get to work! We’re followin’ that giant ball o’ water and makin’ sure those mares are alive! We’re the people of Shetland Shore! We leave no stone unturned, no pony behind!”

Twilight grunted as she set to work fixing up Bubble Burst’s home. She wondered to herself why she was going to so much trouble? That mare was crazy, not to mention violent! Twilight and Rarity wouldn’t be involved in this mess at all if it wasn’t for her!

But.

But this wasn’t about how Twilight felt about a single pony, or what said pony had done. This building held a lost history important to Equestria, but more than that...Twilight couldn’t bear to help somepony if she was able to help them, even if she DID dislike them right now.

She heard noises approaching and she turned her head, seeing several seaponies swimming over. They looked worried and unsure, though a few were forcing smiles on their faces.

“What brings you all over here?” The unicorn asked, a little more annoyed than she intended to sound.

One of the seaponies swam over. “I-is it true Bubble Burst...left...?”

Twilight sighed and nodded. “Yeah...she went to retrieve the Moonstone...”

“But...but she’ll be back...right...?” One of the Seaponies asked hopefully.

“I dunno...I have no idea how dangerous those pirates are...” Twilight said quietly. “I don’t even know why I’m bothering to fox this place...it’s not like she’ll appreciate it or learn to I dunno care about anyone...”

The other seaponies looked over the wreckage. “This...was her house?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you...do you think if she has a place to return to...she’ll come back?” One of the seaponies asked.

“It can’t hurt to try!” Another affirmed.

Twilight blinked as suddenly what seemed to be the entire city’s populaced swam over and started lifting up what they could.

“Hey! Purple pony!” A seapony called out. “Just tell us where everything goes and we’ll do the rest!”

Twilight blinked in surprise, nodding dumbfoundedly. “Yeah...sure I can do that...”

“Great!” The seaponies cheered and set upon to their work.

Crabnasty remembered the Abyss. It was a dark mass leading to the depths of the ocean, but the area was filled with powerful, ambient magic for some strange reason.

The magic had given form to the being that would become the pirate Crabnasty, giving him an unnatural form and thoughts he never had before. He was filled with a strong need to belong, to have someone to command him, otherwise an emptiness would be with him forever. He knew not why he felt this way, but it was too powerful to ignore, so he travelled from the Abyss across the vastness of the ocean, seeking a place to belong. He came across a town on the surface, and attempted to make contact. Maybe these creatures, these...ponies would give him a home.

But that was not to be. They instead look upon him in fear and revulsion, and drove him away. He searched and searched, but now he was more wary...scared. And even worse, the emptiness within him became stronger, almost painful.

And then he found the captain, or more appropriately the captain found him. Squirk was another creature born of the Abyss, and had built a family out of others of their kind to travel the seas and find treasure. Crabnasty gratefully accepted the name the Captain gave him and his placement in the crew. Finally, he belonged somewhere.

But he had betrayed that same crew and misunderstood his Captain’s own motives, merely projecting his own desires onto the crew’s quest. And now, he was alone again.

Crabnasty opened his eyes, gasping as he saw a white unicorn looking over him in concern.

He attempted to jump back from her in surprise, but the mare held him down. “Hold still! You’re very injured! Let me finish up bandaging you up at least!”

The pirate froze and looked down over himself. Scars lined his carapace from his former Captain’s brutal attacks, and bandages covered a decent portion of his body.

“You...you are mending my wounds...?” He asked, uncertain. “Why...? I am your enemy...”

The mare shook her head. “You’re injured and in need of help, and I was the only one around who could help you. I don’t see why we have to be enemies. Sure, you attacking the seaponies isn’t very cool but I don’t see that as any reason to leave you to die.”

Crabnasty stared at her, tears falling from his eyes.

Rarity gasped and started attempting to wipe the tears from his eyes. “Ah! W-what’s wrong!? D-did I hurt something!?”

The crab creature chuckled. “No, no. I just...never met one of your people who was so kind...” He frowned, staring down at his claw. “I...I haven’t really known much kindness in my life, to be quite honest...I doubt I can just ask for forgiveness for my part in...well, in everything...”

Rarity smiled and helped him up, carrying him on her back, the pair of them on the sandy bank of seafloor exposed to the air. “I’m sure if we just talk to the seaponies, they’ll forgive you, as long as you’re genuinely sorry.”

“Right, the seaponies...” Crabnasty’s eyes widened as he jolted. “We must make haste! We don’t have much time!”

Rarity blinked, tilting her head in confusion. “Huh?”

“These injuries...even my remorse...they are all he product of my Captain!” He continued. “He plans to use the Moonstone to destroy the seaponies! He is mad, insane! If we can take the Moonstone from him though, we might be able to fix things, or at least stop him from harming too many innocents!”

Rarity gasped and started trotting rapidly forth. “I don’t think we’re that far! If we warn everyone, I think we can do it!”

Crabnasty looked ahead at the wall of ocean still standing in the distance. “I pray we haven’t wasted much time...I may have done some terrible things to them, but I NEVER wanted to take their homes and lives from them! Not a one!”

Twilight smiled appreciatively at the seaponies as they set to work helping her rebuild Bubble Burst home. In fact, they had managed to make some decent progress, rebuilding one of the right most walls. She was positive they’d have least a day or two if they kept it up at a good pace.

Her attention however was drawn to the dark shade sliding across the city. She was surprised the sun was setting already, though a lot DID happen. She looked upwards, eyes narrowing and frown deepening as she gazed up at a large object she could barely make out through the water above.

She screamed out as a cannonball fired through the water and struck just inches away from her. She looked around to make sure everyone else was alright, only to gasp as the ground rumbled around them.

“W-What the hay is happening!?” She exclaimed in disbelief and shock.

One of the seaponies, a red one with a pink mane, stared up at the dark shadow above. “No way...it’s...it’s the pirates! A-and Bubble Burst isn’t here!!”

“W-what do we do!?” Another, a blue seapony with a green mane, cried out.

Another cannonball rocketed directly toward them, but it was stopped as Twilight erected a shield around herself and the group. “Well we ccan’t just let them have their way! I don’t really know or understand what’s going on here, not really, but I do know that unless you want these pirates to have their way, we gotta fight back! Or do you want Bubble Burst’s efforts to save you all go to waste, and in turn your attempts to pay her back!?”

The seaponies looked uncertain, looking at each other in silent debate, yelping in fright as one of their homes is destroyed by errant cannonfire.

“You better make a decision quickly!” Twilight yelled urgently. “I can’t keep this shield up forever, and your home is gonna be completely ruined at this rate!”

“AND WHO SAID ANY OF YOU GOT A SAY IN THIS!?”

Twilight looked up and gasped, barely managing to leap aside in time to dodge the massive jaws of a humongous angler fish chew into the ground she stood upon, the seaponies screaming in fright and scaterring to their homes.

Angle Glow chuckled, smirking with his feminine lure as he gazed down at the unicorn. “It was a noble effort, trying to convince them to ‘save themselves’ rather than rely on some dingus all the time, but let’s be reallllll here, unicorn. Those seaponies are idiotic, cowardly layabouts. They would never do anything if there was no benefit to them.” The angler fish sneered with both of its faces. “It’s just how the sea works here: friendship, togetherness, compassion, all those nice, friendly, happy little words you...surface dwellers love spewing are trash here! All that matters is survival of the fittest! Only the strong, the smart and the ruthless survive and anything weaker is food!”

Twilight frowned, ready to fight, only to stumble as the ground rumbled and shifted beneath her, and she gasped as she looked up and saw portions of the city being pulled out and dragged towards the dark mass above.

Angle Glow laughed. “As our captain always said: what’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is ALSO mine! Everything that so much as touches water belongs to us and our mighty captain! INCLUDING THIS STUPID LITTLE CITY AND ITS INHABITANTS!”

“Nopony has the right to say that, especially not about a group of innocent creatures!” Twilight cried out, firing a bolt of magic, but Angle Glow was much too vast underwater compared to her and simply dodged it, who then began swimming rapidly towards her, mouth open wide, much too close for her to dodge this time.

“What did I say!?” Angle Glow spoke through his lure. “Anything that’s too weak is food, and GUESS WHAT THAT MAKES YOU!?”

Suddenly he screamed out in pain and lurched back, squirming in the water as blood spilled from his eye and oozed out into the water around them. The angler fish snarled and looked around himself, seeing a figure swim near him. The figure was a crab-like vaguely bipedal creature, bandages covering its body, particularly around the stump at the end of its right arm.

“No harm shall come to this city, or to its inhabitants!” Crabnasty called out. “Our captain does not own their lives!”

“How DARE you continue to live, you TRAITOR!” Angle Glow roared, charging over at the crab. “If our captain wants it, then it’s HIS property! Gold, relics, ships, food, toys, clothes, cities, people, his own crew; it makes no difference what it is! As long as it exists, it belongs to the Captain and by extension his crew!” He opened his jaws wide, biting at his opponent.

“Why!?” Crabnasty shouted, easily dodging past the attack. “Why do you serve him!? He doesn’t care about you, I can see that now! You’re just PROPERTY to him!”

“I serve him because it’s fun, because HE’S fun, I don’t need a deeper reason!” The angler fish crowed with pride, slapping Crabnasty with his massive tail and flinging him back, charging after him to take another bite.

That was when a massive claw fell upon him, squeezing into his back, causing him to scream out in pain, as unaccustomed to the sensation as he was. His lure falied around, eyes drawn to the figure that swam from the metal darted around him even more rapidly than Crabnasty had done before.

“Get out of my city, pirate scum!” Bubble Burst cried out slashing at the angler fish’s side.

As the battle raged above, Twiligth stared dumbfounded. “Wh-what they hay...?”

Rarity ran up to her. “Hey Twi!”

“R-rarity!?” Twilight gasped. “Where did you come from!?”

“Outside the city!” Rarity answered, as if it was obvious. “I wanted to make sure Bubble Burst didn’t get hurt, so I went after her.”

“W-WHAT!?” Twilight cried out in shock. “W-why!?”

Rarity frowned, looking down. “You both were so mad at me, I wanted to make things right and help...”

“Y-you could’ve been killed or drowned or something!” Twilight pointed out.

The other unicorn blinked. “Well, when you put it like that, maybe you’re right...but why should that matter to you, you were so mad at me all day!”

Twilight stared at her. “W...what is WRONG with you? Sure, I...I was not happy with you because you called my hardwork boring and pointless and then when we woke up here you acted like nothing happened! And then you helped that pirate and....but still! That doesn’t mean I want you hurt! You’re still Rainbow Dash’s friend!”

Rarity frowned. “But not yours....”

“Of course not!” Twilight cried out in exasperation. “We don’t share any common interests at all, and we don’t even do the same things or go the same places! Hay, I barely knew you before we befriended Rainbow Dash and only really hung together because of her!”

“Exactly!” Rarity moved close to Twilight, placing her hooves on the farmer’s shoulders. “I barely know a thing about you except you work on a farm and your family were framed by Grand Heist for some crime! That’s why I came here with you in first place! I wanted to get to know you better, find out what drives you, what motivates you beyond your generosity and your farm! I wanted to help you out sure, but I also wanted us to be proper friends too!”

Twilight stared, but frowned angrily. “You still belittled my work.”

“yeah, I did, and I’m sorry about, but you called me lazy!” Rarity pointed out. “It might not seem much to you, but all these injuries on my body are the result of hard work! I am TRYING to get enough skills to join the Wonderbolts, and if I used magic it would be cheating! It wouldn’t be fair if I could just....imagine up some wings while the ACTUAL PEGASI had to train their butts off!”

“You still make like little gadgets and stuff...” the other unicorn replied.

“Yeah, and you know how hard it is to work on that stuff, AND memorise what went wrong with them so I can make something else to fix that? And on top of taking on whatever available jobs there are in Ponyville so I can afford food for me and Sweetie Belle and pops AND build more flying contraptions!? Not to mention how I had to learn first aid and medical skills just so we didn’t have to pay medical bills all the time!?”

“okay, maybe I misjudged you...” Twilight sighed, looking ashamed, only to look back up with a quizzical look. “But still! Isn’t your flying devices cheating too?”

“The only difference is the system and methods used for flight, but when you boil it down it still comes down to the same things: knowledge, skill and strength.”

Twilight blinked, lowering her head in shame. “I guess...I guess I never really thought about it, or about you...I...I really should’ve gotten to know you better...I feel like such a heel...”

Rarity smiled. “Come now, you’re the most generous pony I know! You even stayed to help fix Bubble Burst’s house even though you were mad at her too!”

“The seaponies mostly did the work, I just supervised. I was the only one who remembered the details of how it looked.”

“Whoah really!?” Rarity grinned. “That’s amazing!”

“well what about that crab guy!?” Twilight replied. “Don’t think I don’t recognise those bandages!”

“He was hurt, he needed help.” Rarity grinned. “Even if he tried to hurt me, I still had to make sure he was alright, and look how it turned out! He saved your bacon!”

Twilight smirked. “It IS impressive you were able to treat a creature’s injuries even though he had a completely different physiology from you.”

“Physio what?” Rarity tiled her head in confusion.

“I’m saying you did something surprisingly skilled.” Twilight chuckled at her friend’s foolishness. “Do you...forgive me?”

“I didn’t pay our arguement any mind in the first place, it happens and I knewit wasn’t a big deal, so I just put it behind me...guess I should’ve made sure how you felt too...” Rarity gave her a hopeful look. “forgive me for messing up with the Moonstone?”

“Hey that was my fault too, I shouldn’t have given in so easily either.” The pair shared a laugh together.

“Did you two forget how grave the situation is!?” Crabnasty cried out in disbelief.

The two unicorns blinked and looked up as the water around them spun into a large funnel leading towards the large bubble surrounding the pirate ship above.

“I’ll kill you all!” Angle Glow screamed out twisting his body to wrap the chain connected to the claw on its back into a knot, pulled to break the chain to pieces. The angler fish still had a large hunk of metal in its back, but is was not able to move more freely. “I’ll eat you! I’ll tear you apart! I’ll listen to your screams for WEEKS!”

The angler fish charged after the two ponies, only for a large anchor to fall upon its head and shatter most of its teeth.

“there are some pi...fishermen above us.” Bubble Burst spoke as she swam over, trident outstretched. “Your size and speed is a problem, but with me signalling them while you’re distracted, your size and speed mean nothing!”

She slashed at the angler fish’s lure, sending it drifting off as it was severed. Angle Glow roared as several large ships sank under the water, pushed along by Bubble Burst to bury themselves into the angler fish’s body, several anchores following as the pain was too much and pushed the monster down into unconsciousness.

Bubble Burst panted, gazing down at her fallen foe, getting ready to strike a finishing blow...only to be pulled upwards, along with the ponies, Crabnasty and several buildings containing seaponies.

Atop his ship, Captain Squirk grinned as he and his crew stood at attention, ready to fight.

“What’s mine is mine!” The magically mutated cephalopod intoned, grinning wide. “And what’s yours is also mine! GURARARA!!”

“Seriously, Captain,” his musician, Murray, said, “Pick a ‘signature laugh’ and stick with it!”

“WHAT WAS THAT.” Squirk glared.

“...is what a foolish mutineer would say, Captain, but I only said that as a way of boosting your anger at our enemies!” Murrary said hastily.

“Good idea!” Squirk grinned. “Now men, let’s avenge our lookout and get the treasures of the world!”

Author's Note

I apologise for the delay, but finally, I have updated it.

We’re nearing the end of this adventure. I hope you all enjoyed it and please comment!

Also, originally I had Squirk’s ship being sunk to squash and defeat Angle Glow, but I decided that would make no sense. (plus it’d leave Squirk in a much weaker position than he honestly should be), so i changed it.(and in turn shortened the fight)

Chapter 6: Battle for the Booty

A bright pink Nurse Shark with a nurse’s cap on her head swam through the depths of Captain Squirk’s pirate ship, peeking into a room. A purple jellyfish held an assortment of scalpels, forceps, syringes and other medical tools in its spear-like tentacles, standing over a huge, hulking mass.

“D-doctor...” The nurse said nervously.

“Vat is it!?” The doctor turned, the top of its round head sporting a translucent, almost ghostly single eye. “Can’t you see I am viz a patient!?”

“W-well...I-I have another patient for you...”

“VAT!? WHO!? What ze hay is happening out zhere!?”

The nurse bit her lip, looking aside. “w-well...about that...”

Several Minutes Earlier

Captain Squirk laughed in triumph as he stood on the deck of his ship; tentacles raised high in the air as water swirled around him and his crew, as he set to work attempting to steal an entire city beneath him through a large water funnel connecting his sphere of liquid to the ocean surface below.

“What’s mine is mine!” He cackled. “And what’s yours is ALSO mine! Feh heh heh heh!”

One the surface of the ocean proper, several ships of varying sizes, types and levels of sea-worthiness floated, several having been outfitted with salvaged cannons found on the ocean floor, firing upon the pirate ship ahead. The yak leading the charge turned to the armoured seapony at his side as a pony put the finishing touches onto the metal.

“Keep those pirates busy! Fire all ye got!” The yak said before turning to the seapony. “We’ll help as best we can up here, so ye best focus on helping yer people, lass.”

The seapony glared, still suspicious and wary, but lacking any real options nodded and dived down, having seen the battle taking place beneath the seas.

“Okay ya lubbers!” The yak called out to the other ships. “Dump anything big and heavy ye got! That beastie down below looks like a real piece of work!”

The pony nearby smirked and trotted off, manning a large mechanism that launched a large metal claw down below the water’s surface at breakneck speed.

Captain Squirk yelped as an errant cannon managed to get through the shield of water and strike near where he stood.

“Pistolerro!” He bellowed, looking over the side of his ship. “Show those scallywags not to mess with us!”

Looking out through a porthole of the ship, an enlarged pistol shrimp with an oversized claw nodded, reaching a smaller claw to tug on several strings at once, causing several cannons to fire upon the fishers and salvagers outside. The fishers cried out as they did their best to dodge the attack, several ships being struck and sinking as their occupants either try to move to another ship or swim away.

The yak winced and started to shout an order...only for a blast of pressurised water to strike him in the shoulder. The yak grunted, his kind’s natural strength giving him the ability to not be as damaged as any other citizen of equestria, he gazed out to see Pistolerro pointing her oversized claw outwards.

The yak growled and lifted a large harpoon. “Give it yer best shot, ya cretin! I’ve faced FAR worse than you on these seas, so don’t think I’m scared of a few measly drizzles!”

Pistolerro rolled her eyes and started firing, knocking the yak back with sheer force, the cannon being torn asunder.

The yak however smirked defiantly. “Hey, what do you think is happenin’ down there, while ye’re busy dealin’ with some old fisherponies?” He chuckled sardonically, lighting a pipe even as his wounds bled.

Pistolerro blinked and gazed down, eyes widening as she spied the battered form of her comrade, Angle Glow, as he lay unconscious on the sea floor in the middle of the city, a few figures gathered around his body as several bits of debris lay atop him.

The armoured seapony turned to face the pirate ship, eyes blazing with fury as she suddenly charged, screaming in rage as her home was being devastated and she and the others were being pulled upwards.

“I won’t let you lay a single slimy appendage on my home or my people!” she roared.

However, she pushed back as a suddenly burst of water pressure struck her at high speed, causing a loud bang and superficial damage to her armour. Crabnasty swam to her to grab her, arching back and crying out in pain as he too was shot in the back. Twilight’s horn glowed as she summoned a shield around herself, Rarity and the two sea dwellers, grunting as the shield reverberated from the shots striking it.

“W-what is it now!?” Rarity exclaimed in shock.

Crabnasty groaned in pain. “It’s one of the crew...Pistolerro...a magically enhanced, enlarged pistol shrimp, her right pincer is now a dangerous projectile firing weapon, especially underwater...”

Bubble Burst groaned, reorienting herself. “If you have time to be spouting exposition, you have time to get up and fight!”

Rarity swam over to the seapony, gripping her shoulders. “That’s crazy! One shot FLOORED you; I doubt she wouldn’t stop at just one! If you try to fight that pirate directly, you’re just going to get yourself killed!”

“What do you expect me to do!?” Bubble Burst snapped. “Stand here and WAIT in this BUBBLE!? How is THAT going to solve anything!?”

Twilight groaned. “We’ll need to think of something fast anyway, I can’t hold this up for much longer...”

As their homes were lifted up high, the various seaponies began to flee and fight against the currents. One by one, each saw a large metal object fall out from a hidden space in their homes as they torn off. Seeking refuge, and said objects looking like they’d protect them, most seaponies hurriedly put them on, while others continued their futile attempts to swim by themselves, only to be pulled up to the ship above.

However, those who had managed to put on their newfound armoured suits found they could swim freely. They could escape from the scary pirates!

Something above caught their attention however. Their homes. The unlucky seaponies who were their friends who were being pulled towards the pirate ship. And finally, a large glowing bubble being attacked, which held four figures within it.

A strange crab creature that was fighting hard to protect everyone.

The two ponies who came to their city and helped fight off the pirate, one of whom even tried to repair Bubble Burst’s home by herself.

Bubble Burst, who looked so hurt and vulnerable, who fought so hard for everyone all the time even when she hated everyone.

Most importantly, they saw these peple, their protectors, were in trouble and very desperately needed help.

The seaponies gulped fearfully but gripped the aged tridents in their hooves. They knew what had to do be done now.

The armoured seaponies, inspired by the brave bravery and selflessness of others, swam upwards, their armour giving them an incredible burst of speed. Noone was around to help, so they had to finally step up and help out.

Twilight groaned, cracks forming in magical shield under the onslaught being laid upon her and the others.

Pistolerro sneered, aiming both her claw and several cannons at the group, ready to finish them off.

“Stop hurting our friends!” a voice cried out from beneath them.

Pistolerro blinked in surprise as several armoured seaponies, much like Bubble Burst, swam upwards and flung their tridents towards her, striking into the cannons just as the pistol shrimp fired them...causing a massive explosion to tear a large into the ship’s hull.

“W...what the hay just happened?” Rarity queried.

Bubble Burst looked around, seeing the many seaponies around her, suited up and ready for action. “I thought...I thought their armour was all rusted away...”

Twilight sighed as the shield around the group dissipated, letting the unicorn relax, Rarity wrapping more bandages around Crabnasty as the two ponies carried him, Bubble Burst swimming in front.

“At least we’ll have an easier way to get in now without having to worry about getting attacked...” The seapony remarked, looking around at the other remaining seaponies. “I still can’t believe they’re here...fighting alongside us...”

“WHO SAID YOU COULD BUST OPEN MY SHIP LIKE THAT, YOU LUBBERS!?” Squirk’s voice roared out over them. “I’LL KEELHAUL THE LOT OF YA! AND THE ONES I DON’T WILL WORK THEMSELVES TO THE BONE FIXING WHAT THEY BROKE!”

The seaponies cried out in fear as the water around them pushed them away, sending Rarity and Twilight back too as they carried Crabnasty. Bubble Burst’s armour moved much faster than it had before as she swam past the current and got up behind the three, pushing them forwards towards the large hole in the side of the massive pirate ship. The other seaponies fled as torrents of swirling water tried to pull them in to smash at them like tentacles.

Bubble Burst however managed to get herself and her three compatriots into the ship, the group looking around. Before them was a lengthy wooden hallway leading to various rooms blow the deck. However, Pistolerro was nowehere to be found.

“Ummm...” Rarity began. “Shouldn’t there be a pirate unconscious here?”

“Well either she got better and got up without trying to attack us...” Crabnasty replied, wheezing softly. “Or Nancy picked her up to get her treated by Doc.”

“Doc?” Twilight asked.

The former pirate nodded. “No crew sails the seas without a doctor, and Doc is the best there is. We’re gonna have to take him out or else the others will just keep comin’ back up.”

Bubble Burst growled in irritation as the moved down along the hallway. “Fantastic...”

“Why would we be fighting EVERYONE, though?” Rarity said. “Arent at least some of them your friends...?”

“Maybe...” Crabnasty admitted grimly. “However, none of them are gonna side against the Captain, especially not now he has the Moonstone...”

“HALT!”

The group froze, looking up at the large mass standing before them. It was a massive hermit crab, his ‘shell’ composed of metal and machinery, topped with several large, heavy cannons pointed at them.

“You are not going anywhere!” The hermit crab stated. “You hurt my friends, broke our ship and made the cap’n angry! And for that you’ll pay!”

Bubble Burst lifted her trident, ready for a fight, and Twilight steeled herself...but Rarity pushed Crabnasty in front instead, the crab gazing up at the hermit crab.

“Helmut...” The smaller crab said pleadingly, tears in his eyes.

The larger crab openly began crying. “B-big bro!? B-but the cap’n said you was dead! Th-that the seaponies k-k-k-k-k-KILT ya!”

Crabnasty sighed and looked down. “He...he lied, Helmut. He...he was the one who tried to have me killed...”

“W-why would he do that!?”

“Because...because i turned against him...” Crabnasty sighed, suddenly coughing and groaning in pain. “And what you see before you...is the result of my attempted mutiny...”

“B-but why would you mutiny!?” Helmut exclaimed, crying and confused.

Rarity trotted over, extending a hoof. “Your Captain...is not a very nice person. Does he make you wear that heavy pile of scrap?”

Helmut nodded. “Uh-huh, cap’n said I need to be able to fight and looks scary...”

“But isn’t really heavy and painful?”

He nodded again. “Yeah. Especially when it gets hot after I fire it a few times.”

The unicorn smiled. “Crabnasty here is your friend right? Well I’m his friend too. If you help us you can take that thing off and no longer have to worry about fighting.”

Helmut shook and shivered. “I..I dunno...the...the Cap’n...”

Rarity held out her hoof, smiling. “It’s okay; I won’t force you to do anything you don’t wish to....though it may mean you’ll have to fight us.” The unicorn frowned softly.

Helmut looked at Crabnasty, tears falling as the hermit crab moved aside. “I could never hurt my Bro! Fine I’ll help you if it means helping my Bro!”

“Helmut.” A new voice said icily. “You traitor.”

Helmut jumped aside as Pistolerro crawled into view from a door on the left wall beside everyone, covered in bandages and shaking, her larger claw pointing at Helmut.

Twilight moved as best she could in the water filling the hull, slamming both her hooves down onto the pistol shrimp’s weaponised arm, and via utilising hitherto unseen strength, shattered the arm and rendering Pistolerro harmless.

“Oh!” Twilight gasped, eyes wide. “I-I didn’t mean to do that!”

“Die!” Pistolerro screeched, swinging her remaining pincer to slash at Twilight’s throat, only for a massive array of bandages to be tied around her in a massive cacoon, rendering her immobile and squirming futilely. From behind her a pink nurse shark waded into view.

“See what happens when you don’t wait for the healing process, Pisty?” The shark tsked, looking at the group, eyes falling sadly upon Crabnasty. “So...I guess that makes me a mutineer too...”

“The pirate life never suited you one bit, Pansy.” Crabnasty replied, smiling wryly. “Unlike the rest of us your were never onboard with the Captain’s orders...I should’ve listened to you sooner...”

The shark sighed and smiled kindly. “You, Helmut, Jerry and I all stuck around for the same reasons, Crabby...” She gazed down at the ponies and seapony. “I see you made some new friends too...”

Bubble Burst huffed, turning aside as she swam ahead of the group. “speak for yourselves, I’m not going to suddenly start treating you nicely just because you turned against your ‘captain’. You’re all pirates and even if indirectly helped attack us and steal our most prized treasure. You cannot expect for me to let go of that quickly.”

The pirate mutineers looked down guiltily as Rarity frowned sadly but understandingly. “Of course, noone’s expecting you to either Bubble Burst, but you must understand all these guys helping us who know the layout best can help us find the Captain and end this faster.”

Bubble Burst was silent for some time. “You’re still at fault here, too, unicorn, even if it was born of foolishness rather than malice as I initially assumed. None of this would have come about if it weren’t for your intervention, if you had just stayed out of it.”

Twilight frowned in annoyance, rubbing her hoof idly. “yeah, but don’t forget we’re only here in the first place because of your paranoia. If you had learned the difference between a pirate and seafarer we wouldn’t have gotten involved.”

“I think the point is,” Crabnasty said, “is that we ALL have a role in these turn of events; Pony, pirate, seapony. Our best bet at fixing things is setting aside our differences and working together. I am not asking for forgiveness, but you can’t let hatred and anger guide you. It will not help you in the long run, nor will it help you now.”

The seapony shook under her armour, gripping her trident tightly. “...why? Why did you protect me from your crewmate’s attack out there? You wouldn’t be injured if you had simply let it hit me instead.”

Crabnasty looked down. “I..I respected you for always fighting to protect your people, and I felt terrible for helping hurt them. I...I had assumed we would use the Moonstone to ask the princesses for help. Look at us, no matter how you slice it, we’re monsters, and Equestria is not forgiving towards non-ponies. But with the Moonstone, we could’ve gotten at least a chance...” He started crying. “But our Captain was not at all who I thought he was! He’s greedy and selfish and thoughtless! He stole and plundered because he ENJOYS it, not because he needs to! And fool as I was, I was too blind to see it till I was forced to! I DESERVE to punish myself in the name of a beautiful creature like you! You are worthy of being protected, that’s all there is to it!”

Bubble Burst stared up at him, eyes wide behind her concealing visor, struggling to say something in the face of his earnestness. But before she could, an arm wrapped around her and pulled her through the wooden wall, tearing it to pieces.

“Bubble Burst!” Rarity cried, turning to the others. “the rest of you go find that moonstone, I’ll help her! And don’t try to stop me, I’m the medic here, She’ll need me if she gets hurt!”

Twilight frowned but nodded. “Be careful.”

Rarity smirked and saluted. “Hey, don’t worry; I know plenty about being careful.”

Pansy the shark tilted her head, frowning. “You have several bruises and I think your left hip has a minor fracture.”

“Had. It got better. Eventually.” Rarity chuckled and swam off, ignoring any further arguement.

Crabnasty silently fllowed after her, moving quickly.

“Wait come back!” Twilight cried out, only to sigh. “And then there were three...”

“You know, I’m know a fair bit about medical skills too..” Pansy said quietly.

“It’ll be okay!” Helmut piped up cheerfully. “Big Bro’s strong! He’ll make sure the pretty seapony’s safe!”

“...How do you know she’s pretty?” Twilight asked.

“She sounded like she was!”

Bubble Burst struggled, flailing her trident around as multiple leathery limbs wrapped around her. The dome-shaped head of Murry pressed against the side of her helmet as her held her arms and tail in place with all four of his limbs.

“The Captain is VERY annoyed, right now! As his personal musician, I will make sure you’re properly punished!”

“Your skin’s getting caught up in the gears of my armour, you idiot!” Bubble Burst argued. “You’re as stuck as me!”

“Hah! I did it on purpose, to immobilise you and leave you vulnerable to my next attack!”

She rolled her eyes, spinning her tail rotor and tearing the weird creature’s legs apart...who surprisingly didn’t even scream in pain.

“Hah! It’ll take more than that to dislodge me!” The pirate taunted.

“GET OFF OF HER!” Crabnasty shouted angrily, slashing at Murray’s arms with his lone claw, tearing enough to free the seapony.

The strange creature laughed as his torn and tattered drifted in front of the pair, Bubble Burst backing away quickly to put some distance between her and the pirate who laughed mockingly. “You fools! You have fallen into my trap! I have sacrificed my suit’s limbs to bring you both close so I can finish you both!”

Crabnasty rolled his eyes. “Don’t listen to him! He’s an idiot who refuses to admit even the smallest mistake or problem! I don’t know WHAT he is, exactly, but I do know no matter as injured as he is he cannot possibly fight us both!”

“Injured!?” Murrary laughed. “Do I look injured to you, you fools!? I am the most noble pirate on this ship, careful to ensure no one other than the captain and Angle Glow know my identity! You know nothing!”

Bubble Burst charge, spearing her trident through the creatures chest, twisting and pulling back to tear its body in half, its round head falling off from the force. “I know enough to make sure you’re dead”

However, rather than falling silent, Murray’s laugh instead grew louder as his head drifted towards Crabnasty, a long, serpentine tail wrapping around the reformed crustacean’s neck, squeezing tighter and tighter as the crab choked and struggled, more of the appendage’s absurd length wrapping around Crabnasty’s uninjured arm and pulling it close to his body.

Finally, the round opening of the helmet sprung open, revealing a sneering moray eel. “You fools, you fools! I told you, I told you! That suit was perfect! With it I fooled EVERYONE into thinking I was a biped, making it easy to dodge your attacks! Sure I had to sacrifice it in the end, but I’m sure Doc can patch it up or maybe we’ll find a brand new one!”

Bubble Burst glared, drawing her trident to attack.

“Uh-uh-uuhhhh!” Murrary taunted, moving himself behind Crabnasty deftly. “If you want to hurt me, you’ll need to go through my former comrade!” naturally, he had ensured to fight them both in a narrow enough hallway that Bubble Burst simply couldn’t get behind him.

“Like I care!” Bubble Burst retorted, getting into a striking stance. “A pirate’s a pirate, no matter what! I’ll kill the both of you if I have to!”

“Go ahead!” Murrary challenged. “Show me how tough you are, seapony!”

Crabnasty merely bowed his head and closed his eyes in calm acceptance as Bubble Burst charged forward, screaming in rage.

Only to freeze, her trident’s points inches from Crabnasty’s face. The crab opened his eyes, gasping in surprise at seeing the mare stall her attack, her suit’s arm’s shaking.

“Why...” The seapony muttered, sounding on the verge of tears. “why...why can’t you just let me hate you!?”

“Oh look crabnasty!” Murrary cackled as he rapidly wrapped himself around the pair, pulling them close together as he started tighten around them both, his head still behind his former friend’s back. “Seems your girlfriend isn’t as cold as she acts! Shame that just means you’ll BOTH die together! JUST AS I PLANNED!”

That was when Rarity grabbed the large helmet and headbutted it, hard enough to make a dent and slam hard into Murrary’s head as he was distracted. The eel groaned in pain, his seven foot long body falling limp as he fell unconscious, his coils loosening and freeing the seapony and the crab.

Rarity grinned at the pair as they turned to look at her. “I spent years hitting the ground, of course the first thing to harden was my head!” She laughed cockily.

Bubble Burst glared in disbelief. “I don’t think bones work like that...”

“Sure they do!” Rarity beamed, patting the pair of them on the shoulder with her hooves. “But we really gotta rejoin the others! We’ll be able to beat these pirates easily if we work together!”

Bubble Burst sighed and swam past the pony. “Very well...at the very least, it seems the pirates aren’t ready to deal with ALL of us, and I am willing to accept your help...but once this is over, we will discuss what happens after...”

“Aye aye!” Rarity saluted, with a grin. “I’m sure everything will be smooth sailing from here on!”

Doc the jellyfish swam above deck, carrying a bag of his medical supplies.

“Zis is getting far too dangerous!” He muttered to himself. “Ze ship’s getting wrecked, half ze crew is down und out, ze ozer half is turning traitor and ze captain’s losing it more zan he has before! Time to put zis behind me and find somewhere else to put my skills to use...perhaps with ze master...”

“Where are YOU going, Doc?” A voice growled.

Doc froze and turned, seeing his Captain slither out of the shadows, moving slowly towards him.

“G-going?” Doc shook, sweating. “I-I’m not going anyvhere! I-I’m just...helping make sure you’re all patched up! I-It’s time to abandon ship Captain! B-Better to r-run and live anozer day...”

“Abandon ship? Abandon MY ship!?” Squirk snarled, moving closer and closer. “You lily livered coward, what’s mine is mine! My crew, my ship, EVERYTHING! That includes you...but if my crew turn coward and try to abandon me, then they lose their worth. DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?“

“V-VAIT! VAIT! CAPTAIN! H-He made us for a purpose! Captain, be reasonable!”

“REASON WITH THIS!” Squirk shouted.

Doc’s screams were silenced as the water around him sliced him to tiny pieces, boiling around him under his remains dissolved and disintergrated.

Jerry, the ship’s cook, watched this unfold with terrified eyes before diving back below deck.

Pansy, Twilight and Helmut moved along the hallway of the ship’s surprisingly large hull, looking for an exit or better yet the Captain’s Quarters.

“I hope the other three are alright...” Pansy said in concern.

Twilight smiled reassuringly at the shark. “I’m sure they’re fine. Bubble Burst is a very strong...seapony, and that ‘Crabnasty’ fella seems pretty tough too and Rarity is...resourceful.”

Helmut looked ahead, blinking. “Hey there’s someone coming over!”

The other two looked ahead to where Helmut was looking as a large Jellysifh wearing a chef’s hat came swimming towards them at a rapid pace. “H-H-Helmut! P-P-Pansy!” He froze suddenly, seeing the unicorn. “O-Oh no a-a-an intruder!”

Pansy glided over to the jellyfish, tenderly placing a comforting fin on top of his head. “It’s okay Jerry, she’s a friend. Now calm down, tell us what’s wrong.”

Jerry shivered and shook, his blue face pale. “Th-the captain...THE CAPTAIN KILLED DOC! I SAW I RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES!”

Pansy and Helmut both stared, paling, while Twilight looked between them, puzzled. “Doc?” She asked.

Pansy bit her lip. “He was our crew’s doctor, and my teacher. He...he did not have the best bedside manner but still...” She started crying. “Why would the Captain...?”

“D-Doc...Doc was scared. H-He was trying to run, t-told me to come with him before things got dire.” Jerry shivered. “I-I couldn’t decide, s-so I just hid out of sight...b-but then the Captain saw him and got r-real mad a-and then...”

Twilight waded over, looking grim but focused. “I know this may be asking too much of you, especially after what happened to your friend, but I think you can agree you can’t stay here, you’re coming with us, we’ll help you find a new home away from this...craziness.”

Jerry nodded, still pale.

“But you need to tell me something.” Twilight said firmly. “Do you know where the moonstone is? I think we can all agree that it should not be in his...clutches, right?”

Jerry looked up at him. “Th-The Captain hasn’t let the Moonstone ut of his sight since h-he...u-um...got rid of Crabnasty...” He wrapped his tentacles around himself in fear. “I-it’s in his eyepatch...i-it’s how he’s able to control the water.”

Twilight frowned. “That’s...not good. That means we’ll have to fight him...”

“F-Fight him!?” Jerry screeched.

“F-Fight the C-Captain...!?” Pansy gasped, shocked.

“ARE YOU CRAZY!?” Helmut wailed. “H-He’s our Captain! N-No matter what he did o-or does, h-he’s still Captain! He took us in, a-a bunch of dumb, scared, lonely freaks and gave us a home a-and a family! I-I wouldn’t have known bro if not for the Captain!”

Twilight nodded. “It’s admirable you still care about him...but you heard what Jerry said, he killed one of you already and tried to kill your bro. He doesn’t care one bit about you...you’re just...THINGS to him.” Her hoof shook with anger. “He’s...he’s a MONSTER and doesn’t deserve you...how could...how could someone who kills you at the slightest moment EVER claim to be your friend, let alone your family!? He’s a murderer!”

“E-even so...” Jerry looked away from the unicorn as he spoke. “Even so...even if we tried to fight him, there’s no way! H-he’s too strong, and that was BEFORE he had the Moonstone!”

Twilight shook her head. “There’s plenty of us and only one of him. As long as we fight smart and work together, we can beat him, no matter what magic he has.” She smiled reassuringly. “Besides, I’ll protect you, all of you, even if I have to give my all.”

The three pirates gazed down at her, wide eyed. “Y-you...you would do that...f-for us?” Jerry asked, confused. “B-But why...?”

Twilight smiled. “I strive to give what I can. If all I can give you is a promise and my life, then that’s what I’ll do. But most of all, you deserve a chance and a future, and I’d be happy to fight to make sure you had one.”

The three stared down at her in awe, each one crying at the generosity she offered them.

“Y-You...” Pansy said softly. “You really are different from the Captain...” She calmed herself with a sigh and then nodded. “You’re...you’re right. This madness must end now. I’ll...I’ll do what I can.”

“M-me t-t-too!” Jerry saluted. “I-I’m just the cook b-but I couldn’t live with myself if I let you sacrifice so much for us without doing anything in r-r-return!”

“Y-You’re so nice to us, purple lady! Just like Bro!” Helmut cried, pulling Twilight in a crushing hug. “Big Sis! Big Sis!”

“O-Okay!” Twilight gasped out, struggling against the large creature. “I-I appreciate it! You can let go!”

“Oh no, do go on.” A voice said icily from above them. “I’d love to hear more talk about how you intend to betray me just cause some pony said nice things to you.”

The four of them gasped, Helmut letting go of Twilight as they all gazed upwards, seeing the furious look on the face of Captain Squirk peering down from them from a hole in the ceiling.

“Oh, but where are my manners?” Squirk sneered. “Do come up where we can discuss this manner like civilised folk.”

They group cried out as the water around them pulled them upwards and threw them onto the deck of the ship. The water dissipated, leaving Jerry and Pansy helplessly flopping on the deck unable to move properly. Twilight ran to look them over to make sure the pair were okay, while Helmut stood and stared at his Captain in fear.

Squirk chuckled, gazing down at Twilight as a seagull landed on the cephalopod’s shoulder. “Oh don’t worry, the magic that made them what they are made them able to survive on both land and sea, though it could’ve at least given them some legs to make them more useful.” His tentacles coiled and squirmed as he pulled himself closer to the group, his beak pulled into a cold grin. “Now I already killed one of you already, though to be fair it should’ve been two, but let’s not fuss with the details, the POINT is I don’t want to lose more of my property. I own ALL of you, you are all MINE to do with, and if I say you stay with me for life, then you STAY with me! Now, howsabout you RETHINK your position, step away from the mare, and maybe, JUST MAYBE, I’ll forgive you.”

Twilight stood in front of the helpless nurse shark and jellyfish, horn glowing. “I won’t let you hurt them! You killed their friend!”

Squirk shrugged. “I don’t need cowards in my crew, and I can ALWAYS get another doctor somewhere down the line. Plus all this talk about masters this and purpose that just really...IRRITATED me. He should’ve remembered who owned him.”

Twilight snarled, shaking in rage. “You don’tOWN them! They’re living people, they’re not things!”

“I OWN EVERYTHING!” Squirk roared.”I was born knowing this one truth! I own This SHIP! I own my CREW! I own the Moonstone! I own the ocean! AND I OWN YOU!” He grinned giddily, madly, the moonstone glowing in the eyepatch covering his right eyesocket, pointing his large hook upwards. “Now, quick question, what do you suppose I DID with all that water around you?”

Twilight blinked and looked up, eyes widening as she saw dozens of thin, sharp spears made of water, hovering in the air above her.

“And there’s the punchline.” Squirked swung his hook down and the water flew down towards Twilight.

However, before they struck, Helmut jumped in front of her, back facing upwards as it took the brunt of the attack, clumps metal falling from his back.

“HELMUT!” Twilight cried out, along with Jerry and Pansy.

Helmut cried out in pain but stood firm over the unicorn. “Y-you said...you’d give your life for us...b-but you never said we couldn’t do the same for you, Big Sis!” He turned and fired the cannons on his back upon his captain, only for Squirk to strike at him with his hook and shatter the hermit crab’s weapon and push him hard into ship’s mast, causing it to splinter a little as hunks of metal scattered across the deck.

Twilight stared at the battered form of Helmut as the crab struggled to his feet, step by step trying to approach the cephalopod.

“I see you need some more disciplining, Helmut.” Squirk snarled and lifted a tentacle that ended in a large cannon, firing upon Helmut’s unprotected stomach and knocking him down.

Twilight shouted fired a blast of magic at the pirate captain, but Squirk easily blocked it by pulling a wall of water in front of his body.

“You don’t get it, do you!?” Squirk mocked, grinning wide. “As long as I have the Moonstone, I own the entire ocean itself! No! I own all the water in the ENTIRE WORLD! And as such, I OWN THE ENTIRE WORLD ITSELF!”

Pansy leapt as best she could, biting at her former Captain’s limb. “G-get away from her!”

Jerry struck at another tentacle with his stingining tentacles. “t-t-t-take th-th-that...!”

Squirk merely glared at them and summoned two pillars of water that pushed the pair in far opposite directions from him, the pirate barely even inconvenienced. “A jellyfish who lacks any venom to harm prey with and a toothless little medic in training think they can stop their owner...that Crabnasty really made a MESS of things.”

Twilight frowned, ready to fight, using her magic to pull some of the trashed metal that was from Helmut’s weapon to use as potential weapons. However, before the unicorn could do much else, a voice called out.

“SQUIRK!” Bubble Burst and Crabnasty shouted together as they both tore a hole in the deck, causing Twilight and Squirk to fall down to the room below, Rarity catching the unicorn n her hooves, water flooding the room around them, the metal scraps falling around them.

“Squirk!” Bubble Burst shouted angrily. “For YEARS you have tormented my people, and for what!? Just so you can claim to own the ocean itself!? Return the moonstone back at once!” She started charging through the water, trident in hand.

Squirk sneered wickedly, draining around them and causing Bubble Burst to collapse to the floor. She gasps, dropping her trident as she reached for her helmet, struggling in sudden discomfort.

“You REALLY underestimate me, Seapony, AND the Moonstone.” The cephalopod chuckled grimly. “Right now that water helping you breathe is boiling all around you...now, let see water happens when I make it evaporate all at once...”

“NO!” Crabnasty shouted, leaping forth to attack, grunting in pain and gritting his ‘teeth’ as Squirk’s hook grazed along his stomach, the crustacean barely dodging. Crabnasty gasped as water wrapped around his damaged midsection, crushing upon him like a weight.

Rarity watched the battle, beginning to trot over and help, only to stop when Twilight grabbed her shoulder.

“He can’t make use of the stone’s power fully, see? He can’t focus on them both at the same time.” She frowned in shame and determination. “As much as I don’t want to take advantage, I have an idea. Help me while he’s distracted...trust me.”

Rarity nodded, smiling confidently and trustingly.

Squirk, meanwhile, grinned widely and menacingly at Crabnasty. “Your weaksauce can’t do SQUAT against me, neither of you, not while I have the Moonstone!”

“Then we simply have to remove the stone from the equation.” Bubble Burst stated grimly. The seapony pressed a button within her suit, turning its lower half into a pair of bipedal legs before getting up and running up, slashing at squirk with her trident. The pirate captain laughed responded with a strong swipe of his hook, cutting the trident in half and tearing a hole in the seapony’s suit, water spilling out from the opening.

Under her suit, through the crack revealing her face, Bubble Burst smirked as, due to the distraction, the water around Crabnasty dissipated, the crab quickly grabbing the prongs of the broken trident in his claw and striking true, shattering the Moonstone with and leaving a nasty trio of cuts down along Squirk’s face.

“You idiots!” The cephalopod screamed out. “What have you done!? Now NOONE can use it!!”

“Better it be destroyed than in your clutches.” Bubble Burst said, panting while water begin to flood back into the room. “As much good as it could’ve done in the future, here and now it was a danger that had to be removed...by our own hooves and claws.”

“It’s over Captain.” Crabnasty added, glaring at his former leader. “Give up now, there’s no reason to fight anymore.”

Squirk’s eye glared at the pair, fully focused upon them in bloodshot fury. “you...you STUPID SACKS OF GARBAGE!” he snarled, wrapping them both in his tentacles, choking them both as he squeezed tightly to choke the life out of them both. “You cost me my one chance at fighting back against Celestia! You cost me EVERYTHING!” he sneered as he tightened further, opening his mouth wide to reveal an active cannon aimed squarely at their faces, ready to end them both.

“Hey Squirk, over here!”

“Huh?” The pirate blinked and turned, seeing Twilight and Rarity smirking at him, a strange machine armed with a propeller and a pair of old rockets on its side held under them...and aimed directly at him.

“Up, up and away!” Rarity shouted with a grin, pulling a cord and sending the device flying at the pirate, slamming hard into his gut, not only making him release his grip on their friends, but also making him spill out various valuables and random objects out of his mouth.

He screamed as the machine sent him flying up, tearing through the deck of his ship and through his mast, his ship starting to sink as it split in half from the sheer damage the battle had brought upon. The pirate’s face was frozen in pure horror and disbelief as the machine went further and higher, sending up through the water...and past it. He gazed upwards as he was sent closer and closer to the sun that shone high in the sky.

“No! No!” He pleaded desperately. “Not again! Not again! Not the blasted sun! What about my dream!? What about my treasure!? What about ME!?”

As the machine reached the peak of its ascent, close enough to the sun to make Squirk believe he was going to be burned alive....it exploded, sending his flaming body far into the distance, screaming bloody murder all the while.

Down below, the pirate ship and the stolen buildings of the seapony city drifted back down slowly, crumbling under their own weight as the seaponies watched in awe, many clad in their suits still.

And swimming towards them from above were Crabnasty and Bubble Burst, holding onto Twilight and Rarity while Jerry, Helmut and Pansy followed from behind.

“Bubble Burst!” A seapony cried out.

“The ponies!” Another added.

“And some other weirdos!” Cheered a third.

The entire crowd cheered in jubilation, thinking the battle was over.

And they were right, for the most part.

Epilogue

Crabnasty, Jerry, Pansy and Helmut solemnly stood over the makeshift gravesite over their fallen comrades. Doc, Angle Glow, Pistolerro and many others from years of pointless fighting.

After several minutes had passed in silence, Crabnasty got up groaning as he was still injured, bandages covering most of his body. “I’m sorry you weren’t able to see past the Captain’s madness, or join us on this day, my fallen friends...your names shall be in our hearts always, but we must continue onward. No more shall we hurt and take, well shall instead work alongside the seaponies and the people of Shetland Shore, as the protectors of this sea!”

His remaining crewmates cheered in acknowledgement, while south from the memorial stood what remained of the seapony city, ruined from several buildings and whole ships crashing down into the square, but many seaponies, as well as their allies above water, working to restore it to what it once was. One such seapony, Bubble Burst, stood before the assembled seaponies who retained their armour after the battle. Bubble Burst herself stood unarmoured as her suit was currently waiting for repair.

“Now listen up!” She called out. “The battle may be won, but don’t rest on your laurels just yet! There are still dangerous things in the seas, and those above water will need our protection! I...admit I was wrong about many things and had done some wrongs that probably can never be righted...so that’s why I’ll work you extra hard! I need to be sure you can protect our home and our...friends, and be willing to do it! We need to be ready for when the Princesses visit us and show that Luna’s knights are still able to fight!”

“Yeah!” The seaponies before her cheered.

Bubble Burst allowed herself a small smile before beginning to swim over them. “let get my practice trident and give you your first combat drills.”

As she swam past them to her home, she ruminated. She had fought for so long and so hard for her people who had never thanked or tried to help her, and now that things were changing she realised she needed to. Crabnasty and the others had proven their trustworthiness, her fellow seaponies had for the most part decided to help out from now on and take things a LITTLE more seriously and even the surface dwellers had pitched in to help.

Most of all, she realised she had done little to actually fix things, content with the status quo as much as her own compatriots had been. The one mistake she was thankful for making was in getting those two ponies involved, for without them none of this would have been possible. Even the Princesses may visit with their assistance, a dream she had idly thought would never come to pass.

Finally, her family’s long vigil could be fulfilled, though even then her defence of her homelands and her newly adopted friends would mean she would never stop fighting. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

The loss of the Moonstone was lamentable, but a small price to pay in the face of everything.

She froze as she swam into her home, eyes widening as she spotted an unfamiliar figure. He was tall, taller than even the Princesses, his entire being dark...in fact, she realised he looked more like a shadow than a person, to the point she couldn’t make out any details of his form. She could however tell his general body shape made it appear he was wearing a large cape of cloak over his body, with the shape of a pointed crown atop his head. She could also see his eyes, large and brightly white and full of knowledge, with lines going down from them in the same bright white, resembling tears of sadness.

“Who...who are you!?” She questioned him, wishing to Tartarus she still held her actual trident, foolishly having left it behind thinking she wouldn’t need it.

The figure, looking up at one of the murals that still bore damage from the battle, turned to face her, his voice deep but gentle as he spoke. “Oh, no one, just an Old King from a time and people long forgotten. You are the one who has been taking care of these murals.”

“I..to the best of my ability, yeah.” Bubble Burst replied, taken aback, not expecting this conversation, let alone for the figure to actually speak. “W-why do you care about that?”

The Old King knelt, bowing his head as he grovelled, tears falling from his eyes and falling to the floor despite the water making that impossible. “I had feared it would be for naught, that we would be forgotten, that HE would be forgotten. Thank you, thank you so much, Bubble Burst!”

“You...don’t need to thank...” Her eyes widened as something struck her as odd...no, very creepy. “H-how did you know my name?”

The Old King stood, looking solemn. “Oh, I have been watching over all of you for such a long, long time...I have been able to only do very little for you, much to my self-loathing, but I suppose it is best for someone like myself to not be too involved in the lives of you wonderful creatures.”

“What..what are you talking about!? Wh-who ARE you!? WHAT are you!?”

The Old King sighed, disappointed in himself for making her feel such fear and confusion. “As I said, an Old King, who merely stands here to admire the work of those I have sworn to protect...but I may as well warn you while I am here.”

Bubble Burst frowned. “Warn me?”

The Old King nodded, tears falling anew. “Something very terrible is coming. Piece by piece he is restoring himself with the aid of a traitor. Train your warriors well, prepare yourselves, strengthen your hearts and feel no hatred, harden your minds and feel no fear, look to others so as to find hope from despair. I pray that will be enough. The Jester is coming, child, and he will devour us all to sate his hunger...and it is all my fault. I am so very sorry.”

And with that, he was suddenly gone, his warning ringing in the seaponies mind.

“The Jester...” He repeated, face pale.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Yo! It’s Rarity here! Twilight’d be writing but she’s too ‘nervous’ to talk to you, so I figured hey, I can do it instead! So, long story short, we visited Shetland Shore, met some seaponies who if I remember right from what Bubble Burst told us were some like wicked awesome underwater knights that worked for Princess Luna and we fought some pirates! Some of the pirates are good now, some are missing presumed dead and I think the Captain blew up or something? Anyway, long story short, again, Twilight’s gonna branch her family out in the fishing trade, and the people of Shetland Shore have ‘formed an alliance’ with the good pirates and the seaponies, and they kind want you guys’ help with some stuff. Also Bubble Burst, the seapony we’re now buds with, really wants to show you guys something, so yeah, if you can come visit maybe see about making them less...stuck underwater, that’d be sweet.

Also, Twilight says I need to tell you that we learned to accept both our differences and our similarities, and that you need to reach out to someone cause sometimes they surprise ya with how much you share with each other without realising.

So yeah, peace princess!

-Rarity and Twilight Sparkle

Captain Squirk fumed, lightly rubbing his stinging flesh, sitting in a shallow pond in a wilderness somewhere in Equestria, far from civilisation, lamenting the loss of all his treasures. The Moonstone, his crew, his ship, everything.

Images burned in his mind, the faces of his mortal enemies who shall taste his wrath. The mutineers who defied him, the seaponies who fought against him and the two ponies who sent him flying into the hated sun and losing his precious treasure hoard.

He looked up, broken from his thoughts, gazing up at a few figures who approached.

A sea-green mare with long, shimmering mane stood before him, beside her was a bipedal figure in an old diving suit, and a foal-sized pistol shrimp with am incredibly enlarged claw. The three were familiar to him, though the mare was a giant angler fish last he checked.

“Angle! Murray! Pistolerro!” Squirk cried out happily, tears falling from his eye. “What are you doing here!?”

Angle sneered, her pony form featuring razor sharp teeth. “Someone helped hide us from the traitors and the seaponies, Captain, and helped us find you!”

“Whuh? Who would do that?” Squirk frowned, puzzled.

A fourth figure trotted over from behind the three pirates, hooves crunching into the ground, magic emanating from their mere presence, even Squirk shivered from feeling the raw power before him.

“The one who created you, naturally.” Tirek spoke. “Captain Squirk, will you join me as the Corruption of Greed to stand against the Elements of Harmony.Together, we will overthrow Princess Celestia and bring ruin to the ponies of Equestria.”

Chapter 2: Call Upon the Seaponies

As the various seadogs of the town chatted, drank and ate in the local bar of Shetland Shore, the door burst open as a mare trotted in, looking pale and wide-eyed, body utterly drenched.

“Ey lass, what ‘appened to ye?” The yak sailor asked as he and the other patrons walked over. “And why ain’t those mares ye took on with ye?”

The mare stared wide eyed, still shellshocked. “We were attacked! Our boat was sunk and I barely escaped with my life...but I couldn’t find hide nor hair of those mares....”

The yak sighed mournfully. “....such a shame, they were such pretty mares too...what attacked ye anyway? What ‘appened?”

“I saw a pirate ship in the distance, but before I could make preparations...something struck us from below...I saw a huge, green....THING tear through the ship like it was nothing!”

The yak gasped, frowning grimly. “The slasher...those poor mares...I’m afraid they may have been dragged down to the depths, to a hellish fate we dare not contemplate...”

Twilight groaned in her sleep. The air around her felt weird and everything smelt weirdly salty. As she started to drift in and out of consciousness, memories drifted...Shetland Shore...the boat...arguing with Rarity...the boat exploding.

The mare quickly shot up, looking around herself as she panted heavily in fright. After looking over herself to ensure she was, in fact, not exploded, she sighed to herself as she tried to relax and gather her thoughts and then began to look around her surroundings.

She lay on a bed made of several long strips of a strange, black plant-like substance. Around her were several large structures and she could hear voices and music. She turned to the noise, seeing several figures dancing around a fire. Judging from one voice in particular, one of them was Rarity. She frowned as she forced herself onto her hooves, groaning in pain, noticing a few bandages around her left hoof, barrel and over one of her shoulders.

She looked up, seeing several large bubbles floating in the air. And then she saw the figures ahead more clearly.

They resembled ponies, at least their heads did, but from the neck down they had small bodies that resembled seahorses, the ends of their ‘tails’ curling inwards in a spiral, floating in mid air. Rarity danced around with them like she didn’t have a care. They floated in the middle of a large clearing, tables set up and lined with food. Along with several ruined buildings of various shapes and sizes, the large village was surrounded by a massive coral reef, the coral reaching several feet high above them in a perfect circle around the town.

Twilight however began hyperventilating as she realised the creatures weren’t floating in air, no more than the bubbles above were.

They were underwater.

Twilight struggled for air as several of the strange ponylike creatures giggled at her.

“What is wrong with you!?” Twilight screamed in horror. “We’re gonna drown!”

Rarity laughed as she trotted over. “Twi, relax it’s fine, if we were drowning we would’ve done so by now, let alone even be talking.”

Twilight blinked, taking several gulps of air despite clearly being underwater. “It’s been a while since I’ve read up on physics so I could be wrong, but shouldn’t we be...drowning? Or at least, not be able to talk or breathe, not to mention feel water in our throats?!” Twilight frowned. “In fact...where the hay are we? Who are these strange...creatures and why are you being so familiar with them?”

One of the creatures drifted over, sporting a long red mane, her body and head a soft, warm yellow. “Do not worry, traveller, we saw you drifting in the ocean and brought you here. The reef surrounding us generates a magical bubble allowing us to breathe, swim and walk without feeling water pressure around us or impeding the lungs of surface dwellers like you.”

Twilight tilted her head. “What are you...um...people, anyway?”

“We’re the seaponies!” Every single one of them shouted gleefully. “Now that you’re awake, come join us for food and celebration! It will be so fun!”

Twilight stared in amazement. “Oh my gosh...seaponies ARE real...”

Rarity grinned and draped a hoof over Twilight’s shoulder, pulling the mare out of her stupor. “Come on, Twi, it’s the least we can do in return for them saving our lives.”

Twilight pulled away from the other mare hurriedly, looking to their hosts. “Yeah...sure we can spend some time with you folks. Maybe you can explain what happened to us exactly?”

The red haired seapony grinned and turned to look over at a dark shadow by some of the large coral structures surrounding the area. “Bubble Burst, you should join too!”

A seapony drifted into view from the shadows, glaring at everypony dismissively. She had a turquoise body and short cropped light blue mane, but most strikingly of all were the various scars across her belly, chest, sides and most especially over her face, three scars going vertically down over her mouth, a couple across the bridge of her muzzle, and a large one going diagonally across her left eye with a thinner scar under her right eye. “These...creatures are outsiders. I don’t trust them, and neither should you. Enough of your parties and frivolity, when are you idiots going to take things seriously!?”

The other seapony giggled. “Oh Bubble, you’re so silly! Just relax and have fun like the rest of us, you don’t have to be a Grumpy Gus all the time!”

Bubble Burst grunted in exasperation and swam off, heading towards a large, dark ruin at the edge of the area, near the largest bunch of massive corals.

Twilight and rarity blinked in confusion as the seaponies giggled obliviously.

“What the hay was her problem?” Rarity wondered aloud.

“Oh that’s just Bubble Burst!” one of the seaponies replied. “She’s just a grumpy fuddy duddy, don’t mind her! Come party, eat!” The seaponies lead the pair of ponies to the tables laden with plates of fish and kelp, fish eggs and even a plate of something weird and squirming that neither Twilight nor Rarity could identify.

Rarity blanched, grimacing. “Um, don’t you guys have anything more...I dunno, pony-friendly?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Rarity, we’re guests in a foreign land, in fact I think we’re probably the first ponies EVER to see real live seaponies up close like this. It’s common courtesy to accept the local cuisine. Besides, trying out seafood was part of the whole point of our whole trip.” The purple unicorn leaned in, taking a huge bite of some small pieces fish meat wrapped in seaweed...and her eyes widened as she swallowed. “This...this is...delicious!”

“Mhmm that’s an old recipe of ours from the old times! It’s called sushi!”

Twilight looked at the seaponies thoughtfully. “Honestly...I’m rather curious about your history...how long have you been down here? Why haven’t you made yourselves known to the surface world? Where did this ruins come from, and how did you find such a convenient place to live in?”

The seaponies shrugged. “Dunno! It’s just always been that way!”

Twilight furrowed her brow in annoyance. “You mean...you seriously don’t know ANYTHING about your history aside from some recipe?”

“Well Bubble Burst might know, but I dunno why you care about that sorta stuff. Look, you’re all better now so just have fun with us! We can sing and dance and play and eat and all sorts of stuff!”

Rarity chuckled. “See, now food aside, this is my kind of place!”

“Rarity are you serious!?” Twilight growled. “We can’t just mess around all day, everypony on the surface will get worried, we need to at least make sure we tell somepony we’re fine. Besides, you can’t just play all day you’ll get fat.” She nodded to herself. “These seaponies are too carefree, surely they have jobs they should be worrying about right now?”

“What’s a job?” A seapony asked.

Twilight’s brow twitched. “You...none of you WORK at ALL!?”

“Oh yeah I’m definitely gonna like this place.” Rarity chuckled. “No work means more time to myself and learning to fly and spend time with my friends.” She gave a cool gaze to Twilight. “Some of them, at least.”

Twilight glared at her friend, lips thin, eyes narrow...however the argument was once more interrupted, this time from a large crash as a pair of large, wagon sized harpoons tore through a couple of the large coral structures, sending them floating gently to the ground, a dark shape loomed from behind the newly formed holes.”

The seaponies gasped. “Oh no! PIRATES!” The sea dwellers scrambled, hurriedly swimming blindly in a panic as several figures swam through the holes in the coral to enter the area.

A massive, blue creature resembling a crab landed in the middle of the square, though it stood upwards like a minotaur, sporting a strong muscular looking frame, two arms each ended end a serated claw (though his right claw was far larger and thicker), and sporting a multitude of long, spindly legs supporting his frame. He looked around at the panicking seaponies morosely but determinedly as a saw nose shark and a sword fish swam up from behind him.

“The pirates are here!” The seaponies screamed as they swam to their homes to hide, the pirates in question scanning the city as if searching for something...the massive crab grunting in mild annoyance as a pair of hooves slammed into his chest and pushed him back about an inch.

Twilight fell onto her hooves after her attack, gazing up at the pirates. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I won’t let you hurt these ponies!”

The crab gazed down at her evenly. “Stay out of this surface dweller, this conflict does not involve you. Go back to where you came from and forget about this.”

“Sorry, but I can’t just forget about these ponies after they gave us some hospitality, I always pay back others what I owe them!” Twilight leapt up to strike again. “And a good friend of mine taught how you need to fight back to protect others, sometimes! Prepare for a generous beating!”

She slowly floated through the water, her hooves gently slapping against the crab man, who merely grabbed her in his large claw, frowning.

“Your surface combat doesn’t work here, surface dweller. Your movements are slowed, the water cushions your strikes. You will not be winning the day. So please, stay out of this matter.” He casually threw her away, causing her to hit one of the ruined buildings at a substantial velocity, hurting her back.

“Twilight!” Rarity gasped and hurriedly ran to her friend, her speed slowed by the water around them. The mare looked around, frowning softly as all of the seaponies had gone into hiding, leaving her to tend to Twilight by herself.

“I’m fine, get off me!” Twilight coughed out as she got up to her hooves, pushing the other unicorn away from her. “Where are they?” As the purple unicorn looked around herself, she spied the strange pirates walking around the seemingly now deserted town.

“FILTHY PIRATES!” A new voice shouted, something moving at incredibly fast speeds through the water around them.

The saw nose shark and swordfish swam towards the newcomer at fast past, flanking towards them in a wide arc, as they came close enough they slashed together at the figure simoultaenously in an crossing motion...only for their weaponised snouts to be sliced in half and they themselves were slashed across their bellies. The figure resumed their previous speed, slashing at the crab-like creature who caught the attack in his massive claw.

“You again.” The crab glared angrily at the figure, who was now revealed fully: a massive metallic figure, its metallic frame largely a dark green with traces of darkened bronze, it had two strong arms holding a three-pronged trident, a strong looking torso and large, squat head with several thin rectangular openings where it’s face would be, its upper body reminding Twilight of a minotaur’s vaguely, while it’s lower half resembled a fish’s, though the tailfin was instead a whirring rotor, a pair of secondary rotors on the back of its upper body. A pair of bright lights shone above its ‘face’, making it look like it had large, glowing eyes.

“You will NEVER get the Moonstone!” The figure cried out, their voice low and tinny, distorted slightly from the metal surrounding it. “I will kill every single pirate that approaches us to ensure that NONE OF YOU bother us again!”

“Not if we kill you first!” a new voice called out as something leapt up from the ground, wrapping itself around the metal figure.

Twilight leapt in, horn glowing as she shot a blast of the most concentrated amount of magic she could muster, knocking the pirate off the metal figure and tumbling onto the ground.

“Murray!” The crab person gasped and ran to his fallen comrade, helping him up. “Are you alright?”

“Y...yes!” The pirate wheezed, pride in his voice. He was a strangely bipedal creature with a round, metallic head with a round, glass-like face behind which lied only a veil of darkness, his rubbery yellow body standing on two legs in a vaguely upright position with his arms hanging loosely by his sides, his body moving in an awkward, unnatural manner. “I...I allowed myself to get hit by the attack to gauge the enemy’s strength! I threw myself off the enemy to catch them off-guard!”

The crab man shook his head. “You and your ‘noble pride’...” he turned to the ponies and metal figure, lifting his massive dominant claw to them. “Look, we need that stone more than you do! Our livelihoods depend on it! We can settle this peacefully, even after you coldly killed our comrades! If this keeps up both us AND your precious seaponies could pay the price!”

The metal figure drifted over, trident held in one, large, metallic hand. “The Moonstone shall never leave this place...it shall remain here forever, and it shall NOT be given to worthless, greedy pirates who have no idea of its true value!” They charged suddenly, swinging their trident.

The crab man leapt aside, grabbing the figure’s head in his claw, glaring grimly as he squeezed and crushed the metal with effort.

Twilight ran, pushing the crab off towards a large stone nearby, snarling angrily. “You maniac! You KILLED them!”

With a ‘shunk’ sound, the mare froze, turning her head to gaze at the trident that now impaled the crab’s claw holding it in place against the rock. The metal figure stood, sans head, a pair of eyes glaring from just above the neckline.

“Die.” The deep, feminine voice stated coldly, only to be held back by Rarity.

“Don’t!” The unicorn protested. “I won’t let you hurt a helpless creature!”

As the metal figure struggled to push Rarity off and twilight tried to throw in her two cents on the matter, the crab man yanked his arm off, grunting as his claw was torn off and he quickly hurried away and leapt off, swimming back to the massive structure lying in the darkness beyond the coral, his strange companion following suit.

The metal figure spat in annoyance as she pushed Rarity off of herself. “They got away...look what you’ve done, Whitey.”

“Name’s Rarity.” The unicorn replied. “And I’m sorry, but even if he’s a bad guy, I’m not going to let you MURDER someone in cold blood like that! That’d be no better than letting the pirates have their way!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Rarity, I think things aren’t as simple as that! It may not have been exactly nice, but we don’t understand the situation at all, for all we know those pirates have killed a lot of ponies so far!”

Rarity shrugged. “Nevermind all that!” She looked up at the trident wielding figure. “Are you injured? That creature really did a number on you.”

“Not really, I’ve dealt with worse.” Her metal body whirred as she began to drift off, several seaponies swimming out from their hiding places.

“Mean old pirates, messing up our celebration.”One of them pouted, then shrugged with a grin. “Oh well! Let’s get back to the party!”

“Are you crazy?” twilight stared, flabbergasted. “A bunch of monstrous pirates attacked your town, scared you witless and caused who knows how much damage...and you’re just gonna forget about it and party!?”

“Yeah, shouldn’t you guys, yknow, try and do something about it?” Rarity added. “I mean, I’m all for having fun and not worry about stuff, but you guys kinda need to strategise some sort of, I dunno, long term plan here.”

The seaponies shrugged. “Bubble Burst will take care of it if they come back, she doesn’t seem to care about doing much else anyway, so why do we need to bother?”

Twilight rubbed her head. “Look, can we get an explanation for what’s going on here?”

“Ask Bubble Burst, she’ll tell you, we don’t really wanna bother with that boring stuff right now” One of the seaponies pointed at the structure the more anti-social seapony swam to earlier. “She’s right there, can’t miss it!”

Rarity trotted off as the seapony finished speaking. “Sure! Come Twi, we really need to see if she’s okay anyway!”

Twilight shrugged and trotted after her, glaring at the careless seaponies in annoyance. “No wonder that one was so grumpy...”

There was a knock at Bubble Burst’s door. The seapony growled to herself as she swam over and opened the door, blinking in surprise as the two ponies stood before her.

“Hi!” Rarity greeted, raising her hoof. “I wanted to make sure you really weren’t hurt at all in the fight.”

Twilight stepped over. “We were told you could tell us about what’s going on here. I want to help, however I can, but knowing a little more about what’s going on would be helpful.

Bubble Burst blinked, raising a brow in suspicion. “You...really wish to help me? Are you trying to me you aren’t with those pirates...?”

“Of course not!” Twilight replied, stepping over. “And even if you don’t want any help, I’m not taking no for an answer! If I see somepony in need of something, I always give my best to give 110% of whatever I can offer in return!” suddenly she pushed past her, drifting into the room. “Now, let’s start with that wonderful machine you were wearing before! I’m guessing you keep it here too, along with all your tools!”

Bubble Burst gasped. “You knew I was the one fighting the pirates!?”

Rarity laughed. “Come on, it’s pretty obvious. We DID hear you speak. What, did you think everyone was as.....thoughtless as those other seaponies?”

Bubble Burst looked away bashfully. “I...It’s been a while since I’ve spoken to anypony from the surface...hey wait a minute don’t mess with that suit! It’s precious to me and my work!”

Twilight grinned as she spied the massive metal suit that Bubble Burst wore earlier to fight the pirates, standing in the middle of the room. A simple metal desk stood next to it with various tools used for maintenance, the remains of the helmet Twilight initially mistook for a ‘head’ sitting on the desk to be repaired. “Excellent! You can tell me all about it while I work! Don’t worry, I’m an expert with machines!”

“But...” Bubble Burst lamel raised her tail to try and gain control over the situation, only for Rarity to put a hoof over her mouth in a shushing gesture as the white unicorn looked the seapony over for injuries. Bubble Burst sighed and relented, realising there was no stopping these strangers.

“Very well, I will explain...everything...”

The crab man kneeled in supplication, the stump that was his claw wrapped in a bandage.

“Forgive me captain...we’ve lost two more loyal crew members...Saw and Pierce were taken down by that selfish witch...and we have nothing to show for it...”

A voice called out from the darkness of the room the crab sat in, a hook glinting in the sunlight. “Oh don’t worry about it, Crabnasty, all that matters is that we get the Moonstone...all our troubles will be over... Don’t lose heart now, we’re so close, I can FEEL it.”

“As you say, Captain Squirk.”

Author's Note

That's that chapter done finally!

Not too much to say here, except 'Murray' is very specifically a homage to a character from the anime/manga One Piece. Specifically, Zeo of the New Fishman Pirates. Google him, he's excellent.

Also om case you're curious, Bubble Burst was the one who took the dead bodies of Saw and Pierce after dealing with them for....reasons I'll get to later. (also, yes, she did kill those two)

Hope you all enjoyed, and please comment.