Barnacle's Adventure: Pony Pirates on the High Seas

Chapters

A Chance Meeting
Setting Sail
A Storm is Brewing
The Voyage Begins
First Port of Call
Arrival in Abyssinia
A Tale of Treasure
Making a Good Impression
Adventure in Abyssnia
The Haunted Mine
Ghosts of Felines Past
Farewell to Abyssina!
Back on the open ocean!
Hostile Reception
Blood on the Water
The weeping of the trees
Hippogriff liberation
The Storm Rises

A Chance Meeting

The golden sunset was so beautiful.....

It was a very quiet evening, the kind you see in those watercolor paintings many like to hang in their living rooms; A golden sunset, the last rays of light shimmering on the surface of the river, a soft wind blowing through the gently-swaying trees. Such a scene was a rarity in a place as chaotic and brutal as Dream Valley normally was. But there were a few ponies who were too busy with their own concerns to enjoy this rare moment of tranquility, missing out on one of the rare tranquil moments fate allowed for the inhabitants of this land.

One such Pegasus was currently making her way along the river, quietly following the current downstream towards the sea. The young pink mare flew uncertainly towards her goal, the wind gently blowing through her purple mane, and tangling the strands of her long hair. She had come this way many a time before, but she always felt nervous coming to a place she never felt quite welcome. Finally approaching her destination, the mare landed in front a pony tavern that stood by the sea. Looking up at a rusty old sign that read the Howling Hippogriff, the Pegasus pushed the rickety old wooden door open with her free wing, and taking a deep breath, trotted inside the dilapidated old building made from the rotten planks of a hundred wrecked ships.

"Why, if it isn't North Star! So glad to see you here, lassie!" The barkeep called out, as the mare came trotting through the door. "Look, everyone! Little North Star has come ta pay another visit on us!"

A cheer went up from the crowd, as a swarthy-looking assortment of ponies raised their mugs to her in greeting. Most of the sailors- old stallions who had spent years beyond counting at sea- had known North Star since she was a little filly. For she had been sneaking down here since the days of her earliest childhood, listening to their stories of the open sea, tales of adventure on the waves. Perhaps that was why the young mare had a compass rose cutie mark, like a map on her flank that pointed towards the north star; her heart was filled with a thirst for adventure, that could never seem to be quelled.

"Arrr, North Star, good to see ye again!" A stallion in a tricorner hat called out, as the Pegasus mare took a seat near the center of the room. "How have ye been?"

"Ahoy, lassie! Good to see ye again!" Another stallion with a peg leg agreed. "Come ta here more of our stories, have ye?"

"Blimey, tis' really good to see all of you again, it 'tis!" North Star replied, speaking in the accent she had copied from these sailor ponies, trying desperately to capture some of their spirit of adventure. "I trust ye all have some jolly good new stories about yer time on the open sea?"

"Aye lass, I always have a yarn fer a pretty little thing like ye." The first stallion bragged. "Did I ever tell ye about the time me ship sank? I was stranded on a capsized rowboat, with no fresh food or water, and six hungry sharks a 'circlin around a watin' for a taste on me hide..."

"...Lassie, did I ever tell you about the time we were ran aground by pirates, off the coast of Blarkland?" The second stallion bragged. "There we were, only six of us left standin' and a hundred griffin pirates, with cutlasses in their teeth, ready to cut us to ribbons..."

And so the stories went on and on. Tales of tropical islands and shipwrecks, of buccaneers and cannon fire. Old memories poured from the mouths of these old scurvy sea dogs, emptying their minds as they filled their bellies with rum. North Star loved these tales of faraway lands and adventure, tales of places and things the nineteen-year-old mare wasn't very likely to ever see. So lost in her thoughts was North Star, that she failed to notice another pink Pegasus with a green and white-striped mane come up and sit next to her.

"Getting enough of these old scalawags' fish tales, are ye?" The sailor with four seahorses as her cutie mark greeted North Star. "Personally, I've seen adventures on the briny blue on one voyage, than these old windbags have seen in an entire lifetime!"

"Oh my word! You're... a girl sailor?!" North Star noticed the other Pegasus was wearing a gigantic bow on her tail, a piece of clothing worn by both law and custom by every mare in Ponyland. "Dear goodness, I had no idea there were mares sailing on the open sea!"

"Aye, there are a few of us... nothing in Ponyland culture prevents a mare from becoming a sailor. Though most ponies of our gender have the good sense ta stay on dry land, where is is safer." The other mare laughed. "So you're name's North Star, if I heard correctly? I'm Wave Runner, professional boatswain and scout for any ship that will hire me... though I happen to be between jobs, at the moment."

"A pleasure to meet you, miss Runner, and I'd love to hear your tales of the open sea." North Star muttered, looking down at the table. "I had always heard it was hard for a mare to become a sailor, being at sea for months with an entire shipload of stallions, who have no other mares around ..." She shivered at the thought.

"Are you kidding me?! Why do you think those beautiful merpony herds always follow Ponyland ships?" Wave Runner burst out laughing. "With those girls always around, our stallion shipmates barely notice we're there." She looked away, grumbling. "Though sometimes, I wish they would..."

"But even if a mare can go to sea, what good is a Pegasus aboard a ship?" North star asked, looking back at her own wings. "Only earth ponies have the strength to move cargo, and flying seems rather useless on a long voyage."

"Oh, you don't think flight isn't a useful ability for a scout, so she can fly short distances away from the ship?" Wave Runner smirked. "Or being able to fly up to work on the sails and rigging?"

"Blimey, I guess I could take meself for an adventure at sea, after all." North Star realized. "But I don't know the first thing about sailing, what an absolute rotter!"

"Hey, you want to go to sea, kid?" The mare asked with a nod. "Stick with me, and I'll show you the ropes of sailing."

North Star laughed, and the two mares continued to talk for awhile , until one of the younger stallion sailors came trotting up to the table, a toothy pirate's smile upon his face. The two mares paid him little notice, until the swarthy sailor finally spoke up.

"Avast thar, me pretty ladies." The earth pony greeted them, performing a small but polite bow. "I couldn't help but notice the two of ye over here by yerselves, and I thought you might be interested in some company."

The two mares looked the stallion over; turquoise body, with a long red mane flowing down over his head. A muscular flank was graced with a tug boat cutie mark, telling North star and Wave Runner that this was a pony of the sea.

"Well blimey, that's awfully nice of you and all..." North Star replied nervously. "B-but I'm not so sure about-"

"Sure, we'd be happy ta have you join us!" Wave Runner interrupted her new friend, moving over for the stallion to sit down. "What's your name sailor, and where have ye come in from?"

"Nyarr, I be Salty, a quartermaster aboard many a pony vessel." Her replied, taking a seat beside the two Pegasus "I just returned from a tour of duty on the Maretonian main, and I can think of nothing better than to spend my time on land with such two lovely angels."

North Star merely rolled her eyes, as the two sailors began to chatter and flirt with one another. North Star was considering excusing herself and heading for the door... when something totally unexpected happened.

The door to the tavern was blasted open by a chilly sea wind, causing everyone in the Howling Hippogriff to shield their eyes. When all the ponies looked back, they saw the most fierce sailor North Star had ever laid eyes upon standing in the doorway. Every sea dog and scalawag immediately fell silent, as the Blue stallion with a fiery orange mane walked across the creaking floor on his two back hooves.

As he came up to the bar, the earth pony threw a gold coin on the counter, and the bartender immediately filled a glass of rum for him, slightly shaking with fear as he served the intimidating seafarer. Downing the tankard with a single gulp, the sailor with a treasure chest cutie mark held a crumpled scrap of cloth in the air with his hoof, and turned to face the tavern full of seaworthy ponies.

"My name is Barnacle, and I am captain of a vessel." He spoke bluntly, his eyes sweeping the crowd with an intense gaze that made several sailors hide beneath their tables. "I have found a treasure map, and I need a crew to get me to it's hiding place. If any of ye have the courage to make a dangerous journey, I shall be a watin' for ye aboard the Celestia's Revenge. We set sail at sunrise."

The stallion turned stormed out of the tavern, and chatter and whispers sprung up among all the sailors who had witnessed barnacle's arrival. Some expressed an interest in his offer, while others muttered about having other voyages that needed crews, possibly out of fear of the terrifying captain. As to North Star, she could not get the fiery stallion out of her mind; especially those eyes, those blazing eyes that had seemed to burn their way into her mind. The only thing she could think of was following those burning eyes, and going wherever across this wide and dangerous world they went.

So lost in her thoughts of barnacle, that the pink mare barely heard the conspiring of her two new companions.

"Ladies, I've never seen that fellow before, but a ship's captain don't just trot in here and announce he has a map to a fabulous treasure, unless he's dead serious!" Salty whispered to the two Pegasus. "If you two want to join me, we could get aboard the ship, and earn ourselves a share of that fortune!"

"Aye, this is just the kind of adventure I've been lookin' for." Wave Runner agreed. "So we'd better head out, make our preparations, and all meet back at Barnacle's ship by sunrise. Are we in agreement?"

"....Great B'zekre, I'd follow that stallion to tartarus and back..." Was all North Star could manage, which caused caused Wave Runner to giggle. The three were just heading towards the door, when the pink mare accidentally tripped over a drunk stallion's hoof that had been sticking out from beneath the table.

"Ouch!" North Star cried out, stumbling over, and landing with her face on the floor. "Watch it, you stupid tosser! That bloody hurt!"

"Oops, sorry about that, Lassie." The drunk mumbled, barely looking up from his drink. "Didn't mean to hurt ye."

"Why, how are you hurt the little lassie like that!" Another drunk sailor yelled, rushing over, and punching the other pony out with his hoof. "That'll teach you to assault a lady, ye worthless git!"

Almost at once, other drunk sailors jumped to the defense of either one of their friends, and a gigantic fight broke out in the tavern. One stallion broke a chair over his opponent's head, while another shattered a mug on a sailor's head. Punches, kicks, biting, and general chaos spread through the the Howling Hippogriff, as several sailors smashed each other through tables.

"Oh no, not another fight in here!" The barkeep lamented, as several stallions began throwing each other through the tavern's windows, sending shards of shattered glass everywhere. "Why does this place every Friday night by these stupid seafaring drunks!?"

Caught in the middle of the brawl, Salty headbutted several of the angry pirates to the floor, before turning to the two Pegasus. "Fly your way out of here, girls! I'll hold these scurvy Scalawags off!"

Wave Runner and North Star nodded, and zipped out the door as the stallion spun around and back kicked another earth pony back into a stack of rum kegs. Lowing his head, Salty charged towards the doorway, knocking several sailors out of the way, as he galloped out the door to freedom.

Seeing that Salty had gotten out of the tavern safely, the two mares both turned in a different direction to fly home. As each of the three ponies headed off in a different direction, North Star thought about how she had unexpectedly gone from a life of hearing about adventures, to actually living one. The young mare did not know what tomorrow would bring, but she was most certain that life would never be the same again...

Setting Sail

Situated near the mouth of the Rainbow River, the docks of Dream Valley were an impressive sight. Over a hundred vessels of pony make were tethered at their moorings, floating in the shallow water, while their captains and crew were ashore for business and pleasure. Several cranes were busy loading and unloading cargoes from the larger ships, while the dockworker ponies went from ship to ship making repairs, so that each vessel would be ready for it's next voyage at sea. The salty smell of sea air filled the nostrils of every pony working along the docks. filling their minds with the promise of a thousand adventures upon the open waves.

in the pony community of Dream Valley, one particular mare woke up long before the other equines of this town even had begun to stir. North Star had woken early that crystal-clear morning, and proceeded to groom herself, pack, and sneak out before anyone else had awoken. But the mare had barely stepped out of her door, when a quiet form trotted silently up behind the Pegasus, catching her completely by surprise.

"Hello, North Star." A mare's voice asked her, causing the Pegasus to nearly jump out of her pink coat in shock. "Where are you headed off to this time?"

North Star spun around, to find a unicorn with an aqua-colored coat, with a blue, pink, and white colored mane. A five-milkshake cutie mark decorated the unicorn's flank, and a pair of disinterested blue eyes staring at the nervous pink Pegasus.

"Oh, Fizzy Pop. 'tis only you." North Star sighed with relief. "blimey, what in the world are you doing out 'ere, girl?"

"Oh, I was just out watering the deadly nightshade in my flower box, when I noticed Dream Valley's mare-with-her-head-in-the-clouds trying to sneak away without being spotted." The unicorn with dark mascara around her eyes replied. "Come on, North! Did you really think nobody would notice your departure?"

"Of course my head's in the clouds, Fizzy! I'm a Pegasus!" North Star laughed nervously, as the other mare continued to glare at her. "Oh, very well, very well, I'll tell you! I'm going out for an adventure at sea, and I didn't want any of my worried friends to try to talk me out of it."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that, North. I don't give a flying fig about what happens to you." Fizzy sighed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "But, I suppose I'd better tag along- y'know, in order to see you off on your journey... not that I really care."

Blimey, you really don't care about anything, Fizz-brain. North Star thought to herself, looking the apathetic mare over. Ever since they were both fillies, the Pegasus had always been unnerved by the goth filly who had grown up in their community. It was bad enough how obnoxious North Star found her rude and apathetic attitude whenever she was around. But those eyes, those blasted, creepy eyes... Fizzy was a Twinkle-eyed pony, meaning her pupils, irises, and whites resembled sparkling gemstones. It was enough to seriously unnerve the pink Pegasus , to the point she wanted to get away from the grumpy goth as quickly as possible.

"So finally taking off on that adventure you always wanted to go on, huh?" Fizzy asked, as the two trotted along the old stone path that led to the sea. "Took you long enough. You've been listening to those old sailors and adventurers who come through Dream Valley all the time."

"Blast it all, Fizzy! I liked hearing about all of their adventures as a filly, I was just too scared to go on them me own self." North Star replied defensively. "Last night, I met a few new friends down at the dockside tavern, and they invited me along on an adventure."

"And you're just going to go off onto the open ocean, without the first bit of knowledge of how to sail, or even how to survive at sea?" The unicorn rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm so sure you'll survive, and make it home with a whole load of treasure in your hooves."

"Hey, me dad showed me how to work a compass when I was a lass, and how to read charts." North Star looked over at her unwanted companion. "And what do you care anyway, Fizzy? You never liked me when we were growing up. Why are you even here, if you don't bloomin' care about anything?"

"See there, listen to you... you've been trying to sound just like those sappy sailors since you were a foal, but you're not like them." Fizzy teleported right in front of North Star, angrily staring her in the eyes. "I'm here to try and keep you from getting killed, because your head has always been in the clouds. You'd probably get yourself killed on the first ten minutes of some stupid sea adventure."

North Star glared at her 'friend' angrily for a few minutes, before taking to the sky, and flying over the next hill.

"You stupid little filly." Fizzy shook her head, and galloped over the final hill, and down the cobblestone path towards the tethered below. Following after the angry Pegasus overhead, the unicorn found herself heading towards a rougher-looking ship moored father away from all the others. As she drew near, Fizzy was shocked to see what exactly her friend was going to be traveling on.

The vessel was a rickety old clipper, with planks and boards missing all over the hull. As she drew closer, Fizzy thought she saw several rodents and various other species of vermin climbing up and down the ropes and gangplank, as if they were tiny passengers and crew embarking and disembarking. A large faded figurehead of an alicorn princess was affixed to the bow, and the sails were covered in patches that were shoddily sown on.

Stepping down onto the dock where the ship was moored, and saw North Star talking to a blue earth pony stallion in front of the gangplank. As soon as the sailor laid eyes on Fizzy, he trotted over to the surprised unicorn, and smiled.

"Ahoy there, little lassie. Welcome to the Celstia's revenge." He greeted her, staring at the goth mare longingly. "I be Salty, first mate of this fine vessel. If ye had come ta join our crew, I'd be more than happy ta show ye around the-"

"Yeah.. name's Fizzy, nice to meet ya." The unicorn waved a hoof dismissively, trotting over towards North Star. "Okay, you mean to tell me you're going to be traveling aboard this leaky tub, with such a mangy-looking crew of ruffians." She looked back at Salty. "Who don't look like they practice any manners... or hygiene."

"Hey! I'll have ye know, lassie, that I took a bath just last week!" Salty snorted, sniffing his own coat. "Ye must be the friend North Star was talking about, nice to have such a pretty little filly join our crew."

"Hey, I'm getting out of here just as soon as I make sure North is all right." Fizzy snapped at him. "I don't exactly trust her traveling aboard this rotting pile of driftwood.

"Hey! This ship may be a little old and worn, but it'll be in much better once I get a chance to repair it." Wave Runner snapped, as she flapped down from the ship's deck. "Barnacle told me th' ship was an old Equestrian wreck, that he had the sea ponies to pull in from the coastal rocks. The cap'n has been slowly having the dockyard ponies slowly patch up and restore the ship, preparing it for his first voyage at sea as Cap'n." Wave Runner glanced back at the ship. "This might be the ship's first voyage since restoration, but I'm sure she'll survive out there on the open sea."

"Huh, so there is another mare along on this disaster of a sea voyage. That at least fills me with a little confidence." Fizzy snorted. "Still if the rest of the crew are like this moron-" she glanced at Salty again. "-this voyage is in for a whole lot of serious trouble."

"Hey now! Would ye please stop insulting me, lassie?" Salty protested. "The cap'n and I be the only stallions upon this voyage, and we are both capable and sturdy sailors!"

"So there's only four of you altogether? Great, just great!" fizzy put a hoof to her forehead in frustration. "I'm just soooo sure you'll all be able to survive under the leadership of this oh-so-great captain you all speak of, even though he's probably just another thimble-brained sailor, without an ounce of-"

"Who are ye, lassie, and what are doing on me ship?" Barnacle came trotting down the gangplank, coming to stand in front of the surprised Fizzy. "Are ye North star's friend, come ta join the crew?"

Fizzy was dumbstruck, staring at the Stallion who stood on his two hind legs, towering over her. The captain's long shadow eclipsed the little pony, who seemed to shrink before the colossal figure of the pirate captain before her.

"Um, I, well, that is..." The intimidated Fizzy stumbled over her own words. "...I guess so?"

"Excellent. We can use a fifth crew member." Barnacle replied thoughtfully, scratching his chin with his hoof. "Now what can ye do, that would be helpful on our voyage?"

"Oh! well, ummm... I d-do know a thing or two about w-working in the kitchen." She muttered, looking away from the captain's iron gaze. "A-and I can cook.... maybe?"

"So be it, then. Ye shall be our ship's cook!" barnacle declared, trotting back up the gangplank. "Welcome to the crew, Lassie! I'm sure you'll fit in just fine, Nyarr!"

The other three ponies stared at the previously-aggressive mare, smiles spreading across their faces at what had just happened. Seeing their reaction, the embarrassed Fizzy turned towards them and yelled;

"What?! I didn't join your stupid crew because of anything he said!" The unicorn protested, an embarrassed look spreading across her face. "I just decided to come along and make sure you idiots don't get yourselves killed!"

And so, preparations for the voyage continued. Supplies were loaded into the cargo hold, and messages were relayed to family and friends back on land. It was about nine o' clock when Salty and Wave runner finally had the sails unfurled, and everything was ready to go.

"Mister Salty, is everything in readiness?" Barnacle called out, as he took his position behind the helm. "Do all the provisions be loaded, and the entire crew be aboard?"

"Aye, cap'n!" The stallion replied, standing on the forward deck. "All is in readiness!"

"Then set the Mainsail! Weigh anchor!" Barnacle took the wheel with his front hooves. "Let's cast off, and go find that treasure, Nyarr!"

The Celestia's Revenge slowly pulled out of the dock, and began to sail out of the harbor. And the ship headed out into the open sea, North Star took one last look back at the shore, and remembered the mostly quiet life she had always known in Dream Valley. But now, the kind of adventure so many had talked about, wild tales of the oceans and all of their mysteries, were finally going to be hers. And as she looked back at the only home she had ever known, she told herself again that she was doing the right thing and taking the right path...

...the compass on her cutie mark her heart's only guide.

A Storm is Brewing

Far, far out at sea, half a world away from Barnacle and the crew heading out onto the open ocean, there were many dangers and hidden perils. Hidden forces, which would threaten any sailor foolish enough to venture into these treacherous waters. Possibly the worst of these threats, however, lie on an island situated in the waters of the southernmost ocean. There, on a hidden island near the very bottom of the world, the threat that drove fear into the heart of even the bravest of adventurers was stirring.

This far-away island was surrounded by a great storm. Known to most sailors as the Malestrom. It surrounded the island on all sides, protecting it like an impenetrable wall that reached from the ocean's surface, to high in the atmosphere. Beneath the water's surface, the maelstrom became a mighty whirlpool, sucking in everything that drew too close into a shadowy abyss in the deep. This great storm seemed like an impassable obstacle to most who saw it... but there were those few who were able to pass through the barrier unharmed.

"T-the ponies, going for the treasure!" A small, flying creature heading for the barrier called out. "Must tell the king! Must tell the king!"

The tiny figure was Skyhook, a red cloud gremlin, with bat like wings, and a small, gargoyle-like body. Approaching the maelstrom from the north, he immediately flew into the cloud wall, and soared through the mighty storm as if it were nothing. Whizzing past lighting bolts and gliding through gale force winds and powerful rain, Skyhook pushed onward though to the eye of the storm, where the dark and ominous island awaited him.

Tempest island, a wondrous place, that experienced all the season at once. The south side of the island was covered in a blanket of of ice and snow, while the north side burned like a scorching desert. The eastern end was covered in an eternal bed of falling leaves, while flowers bloomed endlessly on the western quarter. But it was the towering castle at the very center of the island, that was the cloud gremlin's destination at the moment.

"Sire! Sire! I bring news from the north!" Skyhook called out, as he entered the throne room, which stood high in the icy spire atop the great tower. "It's about Ponyland, and the ponies who live there!"

"Did you say... ponies?" The shadowy figure replied, rising from his throne. "Report what you have learned, Skyhook, and how it may benefit me."

The shadowy figure, known to ponies as the storm king, was a fierce-looking creature. The lord of all storms and atmospheric weather on the world's southern ocean, the Storm King sank ships and flooded whole islands on a whim. Somewhat resembling an ogre in ragged clothing, the haggard wizard-king glared angrily at the minion in front of him. As he listened to the cloud gremlin give his report, the Storm King began to conjure up a rain cloud and small winds with his hands.

"My lord, the east wind has told us, that a pony named Barnacle has discovered the map to the treasure of the golden moonstar!" The cloud gremlin explained. "He as assembled a crew to go and retrieve it, and they have departed from the port of Rainbow's End this very day!"

"The moonstar?! That's what the pony are after?!" The storm King raged in anger, finishing his storm cloud, and sending out the window. "The ponies must not have it! Equine possession of the Moonstar treasure would threaten our kind's dominion over the weather of this world!"

Lightning and wind swirled around the fairy lord, reflecting his anger and rage at the mention of the ponies. The Storm King's family well knew how dangerous the magical talking equines could be. A thousand years ago, his own ancestor- the original Storm King, had been defeated by these ponies when they had attempted to invade the kingdom of Equestria. The ponies had slain the original Storm King, and caused his great empire of the southern seas to collapse. His bloodline had spent generations rebuilding their empire after that, and the current Storm King was not about to let those ponies destroy his family's conquests a second time!

"Inform my royal navy- as well as my loyal subjects throughout the islands- to be on the lookout for those damned pony pirates." The storm king told his minion. "The moment they are captured, I want that map brought to me."

"As you wish, my king." Skyhook bowed to the Storm King obediently. "Should I also inform your fellow fairy lords, the winter wizard and the flame wizard? Surely they would also assist in preventing the treasure from falling into pony hands?"

"Good idea, my loyal imbecile." The Storm King nodded, dismissing his servant with a gesture. "Journey to the two wizards islands, and inform them of the danger to fairy rule over the oceans."

The cloud gremlin departed, and the Storm King returned to his pondering. Sitting back upon his throne, the fairy lord conjured up another cloud, deeply gazed into it's depths.

"Show me this 'Barnacle', and his crew." The Storm King commanded. The cloud complied, an image of the Celestia's Revenge and it's crew appeared before his eyes. The demonic fairy lord grinned, his teeth shining like sharpened yellow daggers. "So these are the ponies who are a danger to my rule? Pah, these five are not but a trifle, barely worth my notice! Though that captain looks like he might be a worthy opponent."

But as he looked the crew over, the Storm King noticed North Star.

"No! This cannot be!" The dark tyrant's eyes went wide, as he noticed her cutie mark. "That cannot be Main Sail's daughter! How can she, of all ponies, be after the treasure?!"

And as he made the dark cloud dissipate, a shred of worry began to form in the Storm King's heart. And as he rembered his first encounter with ponies, the dark lord of foul weather wondered if the pst was returning to haunt him...

The Voyage Begins

The first few days of the voyage were exhilarating for For North Star-;the smell of the salty sea air, the fresh sea breeze whipping through her mane, and the splashing of the white-capped waves against the ship. It was like something out of her wildest dreams, finally leaving Ponyland behind, and exploring the world around her. All of the excitement seemed to make her cutie mark tingle, as if this were what she had always been meant to do.

"Blimey, I can't believe how wonderful it is out here." The pink Pegasus whispered in awe. "Isn't this totally incredible, Fizzy?"

But when the Pegasus looked over, she noticed her unicorn friend's face had turned green, and she had her head over the rail.

"Oh yeah... all this 'up and down' motion on the waves is really great." Fizzy replied, in a nauseated voice. Putting her hoof to her mouth, the blue unicorn put her head over the rail again, and let it all out. "BLEEECCCCH!"

"Oh dear... I never thought about you getting seasick." North Star added sympathetically, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "Well, I'm terribly sorry I got you along on this adventure, then. Maybe we should see about getting you back to land, somehow."

"What? You don't think I can take it?!" Fizzy sputtered angrily, looking back up at her. "No way, I'm staying right here, I'll get used to the motion of- the-the- BLEEEECCCH!"

"Hm, sounds like yer pretty little friend thar is having a wee bit o' trouble dealing with the waves on the open sea." Salty laughed, pulling up and tying some of the rigging. "She shouldn't be ashamed of getting seasick, aye lost me lunch on me first voyage, as well."

"You got sick on your first voyage?!" North Star replied in disbelief, trotting over to the earth pony. "Crikey, I can't believe a sea dog like you, ever had a problem with the sea."

"Aye, lassie, 'tis true." Salty replied with a sigh, finishing up with the ropes, and pulling out his sextant. "When I was a lad, me dad owned a fishing boat on the rainbow river. I so wanted ta go with him on him on his craft. But when we first pulled out o' the dock, I got sick and lost me lunch o'er the side."

"But you did get over your seasickness eventually, right?" North Star asked hopefully, looking back at her seasick friend. "I mean, you're a sailor and all now, after all..."

"Aye lassie, I so wanted to be a stallion of the sea like me dad, so I made meself get use to the motion of the ocean." Salty agreed, studying his nautical instrument. "Then, I grew to become the scurvy sailor ye see before ye today."

"Oh great, I just have to wait several years to adjust to the waves?" Fizzy grumbled, keeping her head over the side. "This is going to be a really horrible voyage, isn't it?"

North Star tried to comfort her friend, when Wave Runner called out to her from the crow's nest high above. "Hey, North Star! Mind giving me a hoof up here?"

"Coming!" The pink Pegasus called back, flapping her way up to the crow's nest. There, she found her fellow winged pony gazing out at the sea through her telescope, scanning the horizon for any other ships or island. "Wotcha, Wave Runner, what can I do for you?"

"I heard you and your friend talking to Salty down there, and I was hoping that you don't get seasick, too." Wave Runner commented, putting her telescope down. "I'd hate to think we have two land lubbers along on this voyage."

"Me? Golly no! I do just spiffing at sea!" North Star replied. "Why, did you ever honk your lunch at sea as a wee lass?"

"Me? Oh, no! I've never gotten seasick." Wave admitted. "But I was originally a little frightened of the ocean. When I was little, my friends always used to tell me stories that the mer-mares would get me; it was what made me afraid to go to sea, and become a sailor like my mother."

"Really? How cruel of those little twits to say something like that!" North Star shook her head. "How did you finally get over your fear, and follow in yer mum's hoofsteps?"

"My mother threatened ta make me walk the plank, if I didn't go on a voyage with her." The other Pegasus laughed. "I've been a child o' the sea ever since."

"Well, that's one way to get over your fears. Though I find it bloomin' hilarious a pony with a seahorse cutie mark was afraid 'o mer-mares." North Star replied with a smile. "In all seriousness though, I'm guessing you wanted me up here, so you could take a jolly good break from the crow's nest, eh?"

"Aye, I'm going to go down to the hold, and get me some grog." The other mare agreed, flapping her way down towards the deck. "Just keep an eye out for any trouble, and try not to get into any yerself!"

North Star nodded, and picked up the telescope to gaze out upon the open ocean once more. But it wasn't long before she noticed the sound of hooves trotting across the deck. And looking down, she once again laid eyes on the mysterious captain who had captured her imagination in the first place. Barnacle had come out of his private quarters, and was currently standing on the starboard deck, starting to light his pipe.

"Just who are you, my dashing captain?" The pink Pegasus thought to herself, gazing down at the handsome figure. "And why do you haunt my dreams so?"

It seemed nobody in the crew knew much about the mysterious pony, though Salty had been able to piece together rumors and tall tales he had heard from the other sailors back at the tavern. Some old sea dogs claimed Barnacle was the son of old King Leo, the alicorn of the sea, and was born to a Ponyland mare who had washed ashore in neighboring Equsetria after a shipwreck. The wounded mare gave birth to Barnacle before she died, and he was raised in an orphanage in Baltimare.

The story's Salty had heard claimed the Equestrian orphans treated the Ponyland colt, who was slightly shorter and stockier than they, with cruelty and contempt. Barnacle came to despise them, and spent all his free time gazing longingly out at the sea. When he reached adulthood, Barnacle had left the orphanage, and started his life as a sailor on various pony ships, working his way up from Cabin boy, to Swabbie, to deck hand, before finally striking out on his own. Barnacle was after the treasure to prove his worth, the fantastical stories said, by finding a lost treasure, and proving himself both the Equestrians who bullied him, and to the alicorn father who was not even aware he existed.

North Star didn't know if she believed a word of these fish stories. But as the mare was lost in her thought, the voice of the stallion she had just been thinking about suddenly filled her ears.

"Avast thar, Miss North Star! Keep a sharp lookout!" Barnacle called up to her in the crow's nest. "There are many unseen dangers ahead, and I'd like to avoid them, if we can!"

"Aye aye, cap'n!" She replied proudly, looking back out at the ocean again through the telescope. "Don't you worry! I promise you nothing on these seven seas can possibly get by me!"

First Port of Call

The voyage continued for several days, as each of the crew settled into their daily routines. The exciting life at sea that North Star had hoped for, dissolved into an endless tapestry of on-ship chores. Deck swabbing, flying over the side with tools to help Wave Runner make repairs on the ship and spending the evening shift in the crow's nest; the Pegasus was greatly disappointed that sailing seemed nowhere near as adventurous as her father had made it sound.

Fizzy learned her way around the kitchen, and began to prepare dishes for her shipmates. The others, however, didn't exactly taker well to her cooking.

"All right, everybody eat up." Fizzy growled, doling out bowls of hot porridge with a ladle."I slaved over a hot oven for three hours to make this, so you all better like it!"

Tho other four ponies gathered in the ship's tiny kitchen each took a bite, and the two other mares among the group contorted their faces into looks of sheer agony.

"So? What do you all think?" Fizzy demanded, looking back and forth between all of them. "How is it? What do you think of my cooking?"

"Um, it was, very.... strong!" North Star replied, trying to hide the fact her face was turning green. "Blimey, I've never tasted a meal that powerful!"

"Aye, 'tis a feast I'll never forget!" Wave Runner agreed, trying to keep from crawling under the table blowing chunks. "A delicacy that defies description."

"Hmph, I know you're both being sarcastic." The unicorn rolled her eyes, before trotting over to ladle out more of her cooking for the two stallions. "Oh well, at least two ponies appreciates my cooking on this ship."

"Appreciate your cooking?! I absolutely LOVE it, lass!" Salty replied, slurping down the swill like there was no tomorrow. "I'd come aboard ANY voyage you were cooking for, just to get some more of this tasty stew!"

"Aye, yer cooking tis' decent." Barnacle admitted, quietly spooning his bowl into his mouth with a free hoof. "I'd be extremely pleased if ye could join us on more voyages at cook fer us."

"Leave it to the bloomin' stallions to have no sense o' taste." North Star sighed, as she and Wave Runner shook their heads sadly. "Those two are gulpin' that nasty broth down like it was candy, they are."

Later, North Star was Helping Wave Runner scrub the sides of the ship, scraping the barnacles off as Star flew along the port side, and Wave flew along the Starboard side.

"Ewww, these things are bloomin' gross!" The pink Pegasus gagged, sticking out her tongue in disgust at one-eyed, clam-like creatures she broke off the boat side with her scraper. "I can't believe our great and heroic captain is named after there disgusting little buggers!"

"Aye, these nasty little parasites attach themselves to ships on the open ocean." Wave Runner agreed, scraping hard to get the ones on her side off. "It's a serious pain in the flank to get these annoying little creeps off."

But as they were finishing up, one of the barnacles extended it's feelers, and grabbed the end of North Star's hoof.

"EWWW! Wave, it's got me!" North Star shrieked, her eyes going wide in a panic. "I think it's bloody trying ta eat me!"

"Good grief, just calm down, North." Wave replied, rolling her eyes. "These things only eat plankton, you have nothing to worry about."

"I don't care!" North Star shrieked, pulling her hoof back in horror shaking it around wildly. "Those things are icky! Ew ew ew ew GET THEM BLOOMIN OFFA ME!"

"Oh come on, they're just barnacles." The other Pegasus sighed. "You're a grown mare, stop acting like such a sissy!"

And when North Star was helping Salty swab the deck, she mopped right where he was about to trot... and sent the poor stallion slipping and sliding across the deck.

"Hey, North! You forgot to mop up the- woooahh-oooooah!" The stallion went sliding across the deck, spinning out of control as he went sliding over the edge, and landed in the water with a loud SPLASH! "North Star! Why didn't you tell me you mopped- glub glub glub...."

"Oh no, Salty!" The pink mare wailed, flying overboard to pull him back onto deck. "I-I'm sorry I didn't warn you!"

"Arrrr! Nice going, you scurvy scalawag!" The dripping wet stallion snorted, shaking the water out of his coat. "I knew having a mare along on a sea voyage would be bad luck!"

And the poor mare experienced all sorts of other problems on the trip, not taking very well to the sailing life. But things were about to change for the poor beleaguered mare... and perhaps not for the better.

As the Celestia's Revenge sailed on through the southern sea, the five ponies were going about their business of running the ship. It was North Star, high up in the Crow's nest, who spotted the distant outline of a shore through her blurry telescope, and yelled down to the other members of the crew;

"LAND HO!"

The call from about immediately set Salty and Wave Runner in motion, altering the sails so as to head towards the nearby landmass. Barnacle steered the ship towards the shadowy continent, bringing the ship within sight of the mysterious landmass.

"Avast there, I can make out the tops of towers in the distance!" Salty called out, gazing through the telescope as the fog around the shore cleared. "Huh, that's strange... the buildings and towers resemble the architecture of Zebrica."

"But that's impossible!" Barnacle exclaimed, taking the spyglass from him. "We are thousands of nautical miles from Zebrica! The only nation that could have a similar culture around here would be...."

The earth pony's words were cut off, as the last of the fog lifted, and the sailors saw a grand city of towers, palaces and temples. As the ship drew closer, the pony crew then saw several humanoid cat folk walking along the shore, and the three sailors suddenly knew where they were.

"....the kingdom of Abyssinia."

Arrival in Abyssinia

It was a warm and windy day in the kingdom of Abyssinia, which was normal for this tropical southern land. But today, something seemed off. The cat-folk farmers and ranchers looked up from their fields, sensing the odd feeling in the air, and the merchants looked up from their stalls. A strong wind was blowing in from the island's eastern shore, a wind that spoke of new arrivals... of strangers from the north...

...of ponies.

In Panthera, the capital of the great kingdom, the cats could see the newcomers for themselves. The white sails billowed high over the skies over the city's harbor, drawing the attention of all the felines in the city's streets, who pointed at started at the unusual sight. The Abyssinians stood on the rooftops of the capital's stone houses, shielding their eyes from the sun as they watched the vessel draw closer and closer. But in one of the houses, one cat woman was very busy at her own work, paying no attention to the 'great event' that drew the attention of her fellow felines.

"Catrina! Oh, Catrina!" A young tomcat called out, running up the carved stone stairs to his sister's chambers on the upper floor. "What are you doing up here? Don't you know what's going on outside?"

"Mwrrrooowwwrr! Why is it that you bother me, Fasilides?" The red feline humanoid with long blond hair hissed. "There had better be a good reason you have come to disrupt my work."

The angry cat-woman glared at her brother, a gray feline dressed in white robes, sandals, and a turban. The tomcat looked away from his older sister, speaking nervously as he replied;

"I thought you might want to know, sister, that we have a ship full of strangers in Panthera's harbor." He replied glumly. "The elders say it is a pony vessel from the lands of the north."

"Ponies? But that's impossible!" Catrina gasped, nearly dropping the beakers and test tubes she was holding. "There hasn't been a pony vessel- or any kind of vessel- in our waters for nearly a century!"

"Well, that's what the big news is!" Fasil replied, motioning with his paw for his sister to follow him. "The negus- the king- has called all of the nobles of the city to the royal palace. I, myself, am a Mesafint of the noble blood. I came to get you, because I figured the royal alchemist would wish to be there, as well."

Catrina rolled her eyes, and followed her brother out of the house, and down the cobblestone road of the city. She saw many of the other felines of the city's population were making their way towards the jubilee palace. Katrina and Fasil made their way into the castle large sandstone archway, covered with symbols carved in Ge'ez, the language of Abyssinia. They entered the large, circular castle, walking into a colorful throne room filled with oriental splendor.

"Wow, looks like his highness has really decided to pull out the fancy decorations." Fasil commented, noticing the multicolored banners on the walls and sweetly-scented, smoke filled braziers hanging from the ceiling. "I wonder if he's rolling out the red carpet for our guests."

The two siblings noticed every major noble-cat in the capital was present, when the king emerged from a chamber behind the royal throne. The obsidian-furred tomcat was covered in thick robes of colorful patterns, with a tall golden crown with hanging bead strings adorned his head. As the monarch approached his throne, the other cats bowed to the sovereign, as the royal herald announced his presence.

"Behold, his royal highness, King Sahama the third!" The herald declared loudly, spilling out all of the king's royal titles. "Negus of Abyssnia, Lion of Axum, holy descendant of King Menelik and his mother, Queen Makeda! The representative of the great deity Mahrem, shall now speak to his nobles!"

"Thank you, loyal herald." King Sahama thanked the servant, before turning back to the nobles. "My loyal subjects, we have had a unique and extraordinary event happen to our kingdom. For the first time in a hundred years, we have been graced with a visit by foreigners from another land." He looked out the window, towards the ship which was now simply floating in the harbor. "I have called all of you here, in order to decide how to react to our new arrivals."

"But, how were they able to get here?" One of the Mesafint nobles inquired, thrashing his tail in anxiety. "No ship, pony or otherwise, has been able to get past the storm king's violent weather for a century. How were this vessel able to get through?"

"More importantly... what exactly are they doing here?" Another of the nobles asked. "Are they here to trade? Or are they here for some... other, less-than-noble purpose?"

"That does raise the question... how exactly DID they get through the storm king's weather wall?" Fasil questioned, stroking his whiskers with his free paw. "It's seems a little suspicious, if you ask me."

"My brother is right, it seems a little strange this are the first visitors our lands have gotten in three generations... unless one counts that rumored incursion up north at Axum a decade ago." Catrina purred thoughtfully. "It is possible they are spies sent by the storm king, trying to learn our secrets, after all those failed attempts to conquer our kingdom."

"Then I believe it would be best to have two cats, to keep an eye on our visitors." The king replied, giving the siblings a stare that made them turn pale. "We shall give our guests the royal treatment, and Catrina and Fasil shall follow them everywhere they decide to go."

"Wait... us?" Fasil asked in shock. "But... what are we supposed to do?"

"Oh... well, begin the first guests we've had in a century, we need to treat them like honored guests." King Sahama replied. "So I want you to let them stay at your estate, and be their guides here in Abyssinia." The monarch smiled. "You'll be compensated out of the royal treasury, or course."

And as the monarch dismissed the royal court, the feline brother and sister wondered what exactly they had gotten themselves into...

A Tale of Treasure

As the Celestia's Revenge sat floating in the city of Panthera's harbor, Barnacle had called a meeting of the entire crew. They had all gathered at a table in the ship's cargo hold, at the good captain's request, so that he could discuss more about the purpose of the voyage. And that was a question Wave Runner was VERY eager to ask.

"Okay, Barnacle... you've been keeping the details of this treasure hush hush, and we've blindly gone along with you thus far." The Pegasus mare stated, her face illuminated in the darkened hold by the light of the kerosene lamp. "But it's time you show us the map, and explain what this treasure is all about."

As if in response, Barnacle lit his pipe, and looked around the table at all of the others. Setting the map he carried on the table and unrolling it, the other four gathered around close to take a look and the mysterious map's contents.

"Aye, we're all in this together, so I'll be honest with all 'o ye." Barnacle exhaled a puff of smoke. "Have any o' ye evar heard of an enchanted artifact, called the pearl of change?"

"The pearl!? You mean that magical thingy that could change creatures from one thing, into something else?" Wave Runner asked thoughtfully. "I've heard that nobody knows whatever happened to it, nor does anybody remember the full extent of it's powers."

"Blimey, but I heard the pearl was lost after the Grogar wars." North Star added. "How could you have possibly have found a map to something that just disappeared?"

"Actually, in one of that is entirely true. It didn't really disappear... in truth, it was actually hidden away." Barnacle explained. "Ya see, according to the pearl originally created by the Penna, the ancient bird-race who ruled this world long before any of the other animals came along. Back when the Penna first made friends with the first ponies, they felt sorry for them because they were all earth ponies had so few abilities." The captain continued, reading from the ancient script on the map. "So, the penna used the power of the pearls to give some ponies wings, and other ponies horns, and grant the earth ponies that remained powers over growing things in the soil."

Everybody in the cargo hold fell silent for a moment, fully absorbing what Barnacle had just said... and what it's ramifications were for all of ponykind.

"Wait a second... you mean to tell me, that this pearl is the very reason Pegasus and unicorns even exist?" Fizzy asked in disbelief, vocalizing what the other three were thinking. "That the Penna actually used the pearl to give us our flight and magical powers?"

"Aye, that's exactly what I'm sayin', lass." The captain nodded. "Anyway, after the fall of the penna civilization, the pearl fell into the hooves of a tribe of ponies who lived among these islands, and they used it's power to transform themselves into hippogriffs to become stronger. After a millennium in their possession, the hippogriffs were threatened by an invading enemy, who desired to capture the artifact." He looked back down at the writing on the back of the map again. "So in order to escape their invaders, they transformed themselves into sea ponies, and established an undersea kingdom."

"Oh, wait cap'n! I think I've heard this story from me mum before!" Salty added proudly. "Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends had an adventure in the seapony kingdom, and managed to get the pearl from them!"

"That's right, Mister Salty. She then gave the pearl to princess Luna, who then used it to turn several hundred pony volunteers the freshwater sea ponies." Barnacle replied, reading from the story on the back of the map again. "Eventually, the alicorn princesses decided the pearl was too dangerous, and decided to seal it away in a temple hidden here on the great southern sea."

"And this map leads to the island where this temple is located, correct?" Wave Runner pointed out. "Then what are we doing here off the coast of Abyssinia, instead of following the map straight to the treasure?"

"That's because the princesses didn't want the pearl to fall into evil hands- or hooves, as the case may be." Barnacle explained. "So they crafted an enchanted door, and sealed it with five keys that they gave to five kingdoms spread out over the southern ocean."

"And let me guess... she gave the first key to the royal family of the kingdom of Abyssnia?" Fizzy asked, rolling her eyes. "Why do these crazy treasure hunts ALWAYS involve going around and collecting stuff you need to get before you can collect the treasure?! That is soooo STUPID!"

"So, we have to convince the royal family to just hand over the key, one of their greatest treasures in their possession, and not let them know we're after the pearl for selfish purposes, correct?" North Star shook her head. "Oh yeah, this is going to be a jolly good fun time, isn't it?"

"Would you please stop being so cynical, North?" Wave Runner snapped defensively. "I'm sure that Barnacle has a plan to get the key from the king!"

"Yeah, the Cap'n would never throw us up the creek, without a paddle! He's gotta have a plan!" Salty looked back at his captain. "Uhhhh, you do have a plan, don't you, cap'n?"

"Oh, of course I do, Laddie." Barnacle smiled, puffing on his pipe. "Did ya see how empty the harbor is out there? Abyssinia doesn't get many visitors these days."

"Probably because of all those big, ugly storms out there." Fizzy pointed her hoof towards the porthole facing the open sea. "I still don't' understand how we avoided those storms on the way to the island."

"Those typhoons are created by the Storm King, who sees himself as the ruler of this whole ocean." Barnacle explained, leaning back in his chair smugly. "And he uses those nasty storms to force the inhabitants of the various islands to bend to his will, and obey him."

"So, you're going to promise to use the pearl to take down the Storm King, in order to get their trust!" North Star exclaimed, realizing his plan. "But... do you actually plan to help them with the pearl, or is it just a ruse?"

But Barnacle simply stood up and walked away from the worried ponies at the table, leaving the question hanging in the air, unanswered.

Making a Good Impression

The Abyssinian delegation rowed out to the vessel, putting on their best faces to greet the strange new arrivals. As the rowboat approached the ship, the five pony crew came up from below decks to greet them. The small craft came up to dock next to the Celestia's revenge, and Salty threw a rope ladder over the side for their feline guests. A trio of humanoid cats climbed up the ladder, and came aboard the ship.

"Ahoy thar, my honorable Abyssinian guests." Barnacle bowed to to them, his smile widening into a great big grin as all of the ponies bowed to the three cats. "I am captain Horatio J. Barnacle, and me crew and I humbly welcome you aboard our vessel, and thank ye for gracing us with your presence."

"Thank you for your warm welcome, Captain Barnacle." The lone tomcat of the three greeted them, returning the bow. "I am Mesafint Fasilides, noble of the royal court, and representative of the crown to your and your gallant crew." He motioned a paw behind him. "This is my sister, the lady Katrina, the court's royal alchemist. And the tigress beside her is the Lady Kyarr, representative of the capital's merchant guilds."

"Blimey, we are really pleased to meet all of you." North Star greeted them, approaching the tigress. "My name is North Star, I can't wait to go and shop in your fair city's shop's and businesses."

"Why, thank you, Miss Star!" The striped orange tiger smiled, brushing the wrinkles out of her blue shemma gown. "They will be pleased to have a foreign customer again, after all this time."

"Speaking of which, that brings up a few curiosities our kingdom has about your voyage." Katrina asked, her voice dripping with skepticism. "Such as why you are here, and and how you got through the Storm King's barrier?"

""Wow, getting a bit nosy there, aren't you, lady?" Fizzy asked, annoyed. "Isn't that a violation of the laws of hospitality?"

"Fizzy! That's enough!" Wave Runner snapped at her crew mate. "I've very, very sorry about that, honorable guests. Our cook can be a bit... abrasive, at times."

"Oh, don't worry about it." Fasilides laughed nervously. "My sister can be stubborn and troublesome at times. I'm certain we can work things out in these matters."

"Perhaps we should board our rowboats, and make our way into the city." Salty suggested. "We'd have much more space on land, and I'm sure you have a better place for us to sit down and talk ashore. Everything here on the ship is far too tight and cramped."

"Of course, we'd be happy to have all of you come ashore!" Lady Kyarr replied, as the three felines returned to the boat. "Follow us back towards the shore, and we'll take you to the palace for negotiations."

Barnacle nodded, and ordered his crew to board one of the rowboats, and they followed the welcoming committee back to the shore. And when the five ponies set hoof on the shore once more, they were amazed by what they saw. Tents and stalls lined the main road, with cats of every shape, size, and color selling their wares. Pottery and furniture, clothing and tools... the bazaar had everything a feline... or a pony... could possibly ask for. As they passed a food vendor, the cook doled up a bowl of soup, and handed it to Salty.

"Here you go, young man." The tomcat smiled. "Enjoy."

"Mmmmm, this is really good!" Salty exclaimed, taking a bite. "What is this stuff?"

"We call it wat stew, a mix of lamb, and vegetables!" The chef replied. "I am very pleased that you enjoyed it. And do not worry, you owe me nothing."

"Ohhh, I think these shawls look simply lovely!" Wave runner exclaimed, pulling one of the long white scarves off of one of the clothing stalls, and holding it in her hooves. "The cloth is so thin and delicate!"

"That is the Netela; it is a favored piece of clothing here in Abyssinia." The cat woman explained, wrapping the shawl over the pony's head. "And it is a free gift to you, honored guest."

"Oh, I couldn't accept this!" The Pegasus protested. "Here, let me give you a few coins for this."

"Oh, no no no! I insist!" the tabby cat shop keep raised a paw. "It is our way of saying thanks to you, for bringing trade back to this island!"

Both Katrina and Barnacle took note of these exchanges, and both harbored their suspicions about what it's true purpose was. Meanwhile, one of the Pegasus was staring at the whole bazaar in disbelief.

"Blimey, I never thought this place would be so colorful!" North Star exclaimed. "I mean, it looks incredible compared to Dream Valley's tiny little marketplace! I've never seen so many things for sale!"

"But of course, we have one of the most extensive selection among the southern islands." Kyarr bragged, pleased that the ponies had taken notice. "Even though we have been cut off from overseas markets, our merchants still maintain the finest stalls in this part of the world!"

They passed several stalls, where merchants held up all sorts of jewelry and trinkets, which sparkled in the eyes of the three mares in the group, before they forced themselves to continue on through the crowd. As they passed by the last of the merchant stalls, they came to a large building of mud and adobe. As they entered the great hall, the five ponies simply couldn't believe how large a structure made out of the simplest materials was.

"This is our guild hall, where the merchants discuss matters of business." Lady Kyaa explained. "We can carry out our negotiations here, where you may enjoy our most generous hospitality."

"Your generous hospitality is exactly what I'd like to discuss." Barnacle replied, and they all sat down to the massive wooden table in front of them. "Particularly, why your merchants are being so nice to me crew."

"And we'd be happy to answer your question," Katrina replied, putting a claw on the table. "As soon as you address our suspicions about you mysterious and sudden arrival."

Both parties stared across the table, waiting for the other side to be the first to speak up....

Adventure in Abyssnia

Having been accepted by the cats of Abyssinia, the five ponies tried to get along with their hosts. But things weren't easy for the crew of pirate ponies, who were having an unusual time of it in an entirely strange culture. And while one or two of them had managed to get along well with the felines, the rest were trying to avoid wearing out their welcome.

For Salty, it was a nightmare among the food vendors in the marketplace. He was really excited to finally get the chance to eat something besides Fizzy's cooking. But sometimes, too much choice was an even worse thing than no choice...

"Come here, good pony, and try some of my soup." One of the felines called to the sailor, ladling out a bowl. "This brew will be all that you desire."

"Nyarrr, sounds great!" The sailor replied, smiling as he trotted over towards the vendor's booth. But just before he got there, another chef jumped in front of Salty, presenting a dish of cooked fava beans, that caught the stallion's eye. "Ahoy there, what be this tasty-looking unusual meal?"

"It is called Ful medames, a dish native to Abyssinia, and is fava beans, cooked in parsley, onion, and lemon juice." THe cook purred. "Why don't you try some?"

"Arrr, that sounds lovely." Salty replied, trotting around the feline. "But first, I've agreed to try the other cooks meal."

"Now, wait just a moment!" The other cook demanded. "Are you saying my food isn't good enough for pony consumption?!"

"N-no, I never said that!" The sailor protested, putting his hooves up. "I only meant-"

"How dare you try to steal my customer!" The one chef accused, pulling out her claws. "I am determined to show the pony visitors how amazing my cooking is!"

"Well, I am determined to do the same thing!" The tomcat snapped back unsheathing his claws. "And I am willing to fight for the success of my business!"

"MWROWR!"

"HISSS!"

As the two cooks descended into a cat fight, Salty quietly slunk away from the chaos, figuring he'd just make himself a sandwich back on the ship.

Meanwhile, Wave Runner was looking around the jewelry stalls at the marketplace with Lady Kyarr, checking out all sorts of necklaces and earrings.

"Wow, the purple sapphires look really beautiful!" The Pegasus exclaimed. "I've never seen such finely crafted gemstones before!"

"Would you like to have them?" The tigress asked, paying the jeweler for the trinkets. "Then as before, they are yours, my friend."

"Thank you, Kyarr! That's very generous of you!" Wave Runner smiled, putting the earrings on. "All of these rubies and diamonds, emeralds and sapphires.... where does an isolated island get all of these gemstones?"

"Why, we have vast deep gemstone mines, that go deep into the caverns of the island." Kyarr explained, gesturing towards the treasure trove of jewels. "Our first king discovered these rich veins of gemstones, and gave our island a bounty of treasure."
"Is that why the original storm king conquered your island?" Wave Runner asked. "In order to get access to the gem mines?"

"No, he invaded our island to take a cursed stone, one which we sought to use against his enemies." Kyarr sighed. "Fortunately, your harmony bearers managed to slay the first Storm King, and restore our freedom after his empire collapsed."

"But his descendant has managed to trap you all here, with his storm blockade." The Pegasus shook her head. "No wonder you were all so happy to see us."

"Exactly! If you ponies have found a way through the barrier, it could mean everything to us!" Lady Kyarr exclaimed. "Trade could begin again, and our island could prosper once more!"

"Well, I hope this works out for the best for all of us." Wave runner lied, feeling guilty knowing Barnacle's true intentions. "Let's hope the storm king is brought down soon, and Abyssinia can resume it's contact with the outside world."

At that same moment, Fasilides was taking to barnacle, in the privacy of the tomcat's study at home. The feline nobleman revealed to the pirate, that he knew exactly why he and the others had come.

"You and you're crew are here for the key, aren't you?" Fasilides asked, sitting back in his cushioned couch, and smiling. "Don't try to deny it, the look on your face at the mention of the key, tells me all I need to know."

"So it's that obvious, eh?" Barnacle replied nervously, scratching the back of his neck with his hoof. "Shiver me timbers, what tipped ye off?"

"The only way you could've made it through the storms that surround the island, was if you had the map of Captain Celaeno." The tomcat explained. "So you must have the map if you found the hidden route through the storms."

"So, it was the legendary airship pirate who created the map!" Barnacle replied with awe, quietly admiring the humanoid parrot who had been a pirate more than a thousand years ago. "But why did Celaeno create the map in the first place?"

"That wily air pirate didn't like the fact that the alicorns hid a treasure like the pearl away, so she secretly created a map with all of the info on the locations of the keys and traps." Fasilides explained. "But Celaeno died before she and her crew could go after the treasure, and Princess Luna had the map hidden in her sister's tomb; where you or the pirate you stole it from found it, no doubt."

"Well then, since ye know why we're here, perhaps ye can get us the key from yer king?" Barnacle asked hopefully. "If we get the pearl, we can use it's power ta bring down the storm king for ye."

"I suppose so, but I just don't know..." The noble tomcat replied thoughtfully. But before the two could discuss the matter further, Katrina came barging into the room.

"I knew you were here for more than trade, you treacherous ponies!" Katrina hissed. "You are after the sacred key Princess Celestia entrusted to us!"

"Katrina, have you been listening in on our conversation?!" Fasilides hissed. "That is very dishonorable for a feline of your noble standing!"

"What these pirates were trying to do was dishonorable, as well." Katrina countered. "But the good captain is correct, we do stand to benefit from the storm king's fall. Therefore, we will give you the key.... if you cant pass our trials."

"Trials?" Barnacle asked suspiciously. "What kind of trials?"

"I think I'm going to send your two mare friends to the Zolomon diamond mines, on the north tip of the island." The cat woman's smile expanded into a toothy grin. "The mine is infested with the storm king's monsters, and they might just be the two ponies to clear those beasts out."

The Haunted Mine

"Blimey, are you sure this is the right way to go?" North Star asked, as she and Fizzy trotted towards the mine entrance. "I mean this place looks so bloomin' dark and creepy, maybe it was some other dark, shadowy hole in the ground that we were supposed to enter?"

"Aww, quit your complaining, North! This is the kind of adventure you wanted when we first signed up for this crazy cruise!" Fizzy growled, shoving the other mare deeper into the mine entrance. "This is the mine the cat lady told us was haunted, and the Abyssinians will be totally grateful if we can get rid of the ghosts and ghoulies haunting this place for them!"

Fizzy magically lit her horn like a torch, and the two entered the mine shaft, cut high into the face of a towering mountain on the southern tip of the island. The two past old broken wooden beams that barely held up the cavern's ceiling, and descended deeper and deeper into the unknown depths. The seemed to grow colder the farther they went into the earth, and a chill that had started to form in the pit of North Star's stomach only seemed to grow with each step.

" Odds bodkins, this place gives me the willies!" North Star commented, shivering as she flapped though the tunnel. "Fizzy, how can you possibly not be bothered by any of this at all!?"

"Are you kidding me, North? We live in dream Valley, we see worse than this on a daily basis." The unicorn chuckled, her twinkle eyes flashing in the glow of her horn. "Besides, I'm not the type to let my emotions get the better, like the rest of you silly fillies back at the castle."

"Well, you'd better be careful down in the dark of these caves, or you could lose those shiny eyes of yours." North Star warned the unicorn. "Remember, you're a twinkle-eyed pony. Your eyes are fragile enchanted gemstones, that permit you to see without real eyes. If those things fall out and break, you won't be able to see anything!"

"Oh, quit being such a worrywart, North!" Fizzy sapped back, holding her head up high. "I'm not as air-headed as you and Wave Runner are! I'm not going to bump into something, and lose my eyes right out of my head!"

The two continued their trek though the ancient mine, finding an old mine cart tack from ages before. The two followed the rusty old metal tracks, until they came to a large cavern, filled with ancient mining tools like broken carts and pickaxes. The two ponies looked around in awe at all of the signs of mining and excavation, trying to comprehend the vast scope of the Abyssinian cat's work.

"My word, can you believe how deep these cats have dug?" North Star muttered in wonder. "They must have been mining down here for centuries, I've never seen an operation this big or well-coordinated before!"

"Whoa, you're not kidding about that!" Fizzy exclaimed, looking around at all the ancient gear. "From the looks of all stuff, it looks like they were ready to dig to the center of the earth!"

"From what Katrina told me, these mines were the economic heart of the Abyssinian civilization." North Star replied, looking around with a shudder. "Many miners supposedly died down here in accidents, too. Some of the cats actually believe the spirits of the deceased miners still haunt this place, troubling the living who dare enter their domain..."

It was at that precise moment, that Fizzy tripped, and and fell over on her face. Her twinkle eyes popped out of her head, rolling across the cavern floor, and falling through a crevice deep into the earth.

"Ouch! That hurt!" Fizzy whined, picking herself up off of the cavern floor, and stumbling around. "Oh, this is just great! Now I can't see anything!"

As the unicorn stumbled around in the dim light, everything in the mine chamber suddenly sprung to life. Shovels lifted into the air, and began to dance around the chamber as if they were alive. The pickaxes began to rock back and forth where they hung on the walls, and the mine cart began to slide down the tracks on it's own. Suddenly, a phantom-like blob appeared above the two ponies, a pair of two glowing red eyes in the center. North Star took one look, and began to scream in terror.

"Aieeee! Fizzy, it's a ghost!" North Star cried out, clutching the unicorn mare in terror. "The ghosts of the mine have come back to haunt us!"

"What?! What ghosts? I don't see any ghosts!" Fizzy called out, as the terrified pink Pegasus dragged her along. "Slow down, North Star! I can't see where I'm going without my eyes! Are you sure there are ghosts down here?!"

The two ponies raced down the shaft, chased by a bunch of shovels and pickaxes flying through the air. Fizzy felt helpless as she was dragged along, the unicorn was uncertain about what was actually going on. Finally, the two ponies hit a portion of the tunnel that shot straight downward. Caught totally off guard, the two ponies plunged deep into the abyss, tumbling downward into the murky blackness.

"AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" *CRASH!*

"Blimey, that fall really hurt me bum!" North Star muttered, rubbing her bruised flank with her hoof. "Are ye all right, Fizzy?"

"Ouch! Damn it, North Star, that really hurt!" The unicorn snapped back. "You big idiot, why did you pull me along when you panicked and imagined a ghost! Now my eyes are probably back farther up the shaft, and I can't see a darned thing down here!"

Fizzy stumbled forward, and put her hoof into a pile of cold, ice-like crystal scattered all over the floor. After feeling around with their hooves, the two ponies quickly realized what the huge pile of shiny rocked beneath them actually were.

North Star's eyes went wide. "Good gracious, Fizzy! I think these crystals actually are-"

Fizzy whispered in disbelief. "North Star, I think we landed on a big pile of-"

"-Diamonds!" The two exclaimed in unison.

"Golly Fizzy, we must have stumbled onto the Abyssinian's lost diamond treasure!" The Pegasus yelled excitedly. "We'd better not touch these diamonds, though. If what Katrina told me was true, these diamonds are crused, and we don't want to-"

"Forget it, North! I'm tired of all the stupid you've gotten me into these past few weeks!" Fizzy snapped, levitating two of the emerald-cut gemstones up in front of her. "First roping me into joining this stupid voyage, then having to deal with that moron Barnacle and his obnoxious crew! And finally having to deal with those smelly cats! Well, I'm sick of it! I am sick of getting pulled along when trying to save your sorry flank from your own reckless decisions!"

"But Fizzy, that's not fair...." North Star protested, stung by her friend's harsh words. "Blimey, why do you always have to be so bloody mean?"

"Oh, you think I'm mean now?! I'm gonna be downright CRUEL to you losers once I get my eyesight back!" Fizzy growled, levitating the two gemstones up to her eye sockets. "With these new eyes, I'm finally gonna stop playing nice, and deal with stupid ponies the way they should be dealt with! I won't be some dumb, giggling bimbo who just goes along with everything you say, North Star! From now on, I'm gonna be the cruelest mare who ever lived!"

"Fizzy, No!" The Pegasus pleaded, racing over to try and stop the unicorn. "Those cursed diamonds could-"

ZAP! "EEEEEEEEEEEK!" Fizzy cried out, as she set the gemstones into her empty eye sockets, and a magical electric shock passed through her body. The unicorn seemed to light up like a firecracker for a moment, screaming in pain as her body shone like the sun. Then she fell back to the ground, lying there still and silent, as the magical shock from the cursed gems had rendered her unconscious.

"Oh my word, I KNEW those gemstones were bloody cursed!" North Star ran up to her friend, turning the unconscious unicorn over to see if she was still alive. "Fizzy are you all right?"

Suddenly, the unicorn's eyes fluttered open, and she stared at her friend with her now-pink gemstone eyes. With a look in her eye that North Star could only call 'blissful ignorance', the unicorn finally spoke;

"Tee-hee! hat do ya mean, North Star? Of course I'm okay!" Fizzy giggled in a ditzy voice. "You're such a silly Pegasus, you know that?"

Ghosts of Felines Past

"Blimey, Fizzy! What the heck's gotten into you!" North Star asked in shock, not believing what was coming out of her friend's mouth. "You're talkin' like a bloomin' air-headed bimbo!"

"Oh, North Star! There you go, being silly again!" The unicorn giggled, having suddenly had her IQ drop by fifty points. "I so totally sound like I always have, silly!"

All around the two fillies, misty clouds began to swirl, and the shadowy forms of several cats began to appear all over the chamber.

"Holy smokes... all these ghosts, they must be the spirits of the miners who died in accidents here." The Pegasus realized, as she and Fizzy took a step back from the eerie spirits. "I wonder if they have anything to do with what's come over you?"

"Indeed it does, my good little filly. Though we didn't do this to her ourselves." One of the cat spirits, a Siamese tomcat in a long coat, addressed them. "It the curse, placed on this cavern by the storm king. It holds our spirits here, and affects the gems here in the mine."

"Holey Moley, a ghostly kitty cat in a pirate coat!" Fizzy exclaimed. "But... how did a pirate cat die down in this mine?"

"Well, little filly, I'm not exactly a pirate, though I may have have the same morals as one." The spectral feline laughed. "But this is very strange; why don't you not flee in terror from me and the other ghosts? Do you not fear the dead, little one?"

"Golly, when you live in Dream Valley, you see far scarier things than ghosts." North Star replied, staring at the ghost curiously. "But who are you spirit? What's your name, and how did you end up haunting this mine?"

"Ah, that is indeed a sad tale, my little filly. My name is Capper, and I come from the time of the harmony bearers of Equestria, ponies I knew all too well, in life." The ghostly tomcat sighed. "I perished as an elderly feline in this mine, when I came down here to purchase a fine gemstone for a lady fair." The ghost remembered a white unicorn with a diamond cuite mark from long ago. "A poison wind from deep within the earth filled the mine, and killed all of the miners, and yours truly. But we are all trapped here, due to a terrible curse. A feline witch on the island has used her terrible magic to trap our spirits in this place, so that our presence will scare away any workers who would come to the mine."

"Really? But that's just awful!" Fizzy exclaimed. "But why would a mean ol' Abyssinian witch wanna scare everybody away? Does she want all of the diamonds for herself?"

"Hah! I wish!" Capper rolled his incorporeal eyes. "She is trying to keep everybody away from the mines, so that Abyssinia's economy will suffer without the diamonds. That old witch wants to make the kingdom's economy to collapse, so that the cats will overthrow the royal family, and then the Storm King will help her attain the throne, and make the cat witch queen."

"Blimey, she's working with the Storm King!?" North Star asked in shock. "Then... that storm system out there around the island, that's all part of the witch's evil plan?"

"We gotta stop that mean old witch and the Storm King from carrying out their evil plan!" Fizzy added, trotting back towards the entrance. "Come on, North Star! We gotta get back, and warn Catrina about this nasty villian's scheme!"

"Warn.... Katrina?" Capper stared at them for a moment, then he slowly began to chuckle. "Heh, heh heh hee hee hee..." Capper's chuckle turned into a loud, almost insane laugh. "Ha ha ha HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAA!"

"Wait, why are you laughing?!" The bewildered North Star asked, not believing what she was hearing. "Whaty's so funny about what Fizzy said?"

"Oh, you silly little fillies... don't you get it!?" Capper asked, shaking his spectral head. "Katrina is the witch that trapped us down here! She commanded us to scare you two senseless when you both came down here, or she would never let us have our eternal rest!"

"Katrina's a traitor!? Oh, bloody hell!" The Pegasus cried out in shock, realization dawning on her. "No wonder she's being so hostile to Barnacle, and didn't want us on the island!"

"That meanie mean pants must've sent us down here, so the ghosts would scare us to death, or at least scare us away from the island!" Fizzy looked back at Capper suspiciously. "But why are you warning us about this?! Wouldn't it be better for you to scare us, so you guys can be set free?"

"Because I'm not going to see my homeland betrayed to that monster, especially after the original Storm King invaded and devastated Abyssinia in my time." Capper sighed. "Besides, you and your Pegasus friend, remind me of some ponies who taught me a lesson about friendship and trust a long, long time ago."

"Wait a minute, Capper. Before we go..." North Star looked over at her now-ditzy friend. "Is there noting you or the other spirits can do for my friend here? what exactly happened to her, anyway?"

"Alas, the gemstones she used as twinkle eyes were cursed as well, to keep the Abyssinian cats from trying to take them, even if they got past us ghosts. I'm afraid your little friend there is stuck with her decreased intelligence, and I'm truly sorry about that."

"Awww, don't be sorry, mister ghost! I'm so happy to not be an' old grumpy-pants any more!" Fizzy giggled, hopping her way towards the mine's exit. "C'mon, NorthStar! Let's get outta here, and stop the bad guys!"

As Fizzy hopped away, her Pegasus friend looked back towards the ghostly cats.

"Goodbye Capper, and thank you for all your help." North Star told him, as she flapped her way out of the cave. "And I hope you and the other ghosts find peace."

"Goodbye, little fillies..." Capper replied, as he and the other ghosts faded away. "...and good luck to the both of you."

Farewell to Abyssina!

After the girls returned from the haunted mine, Barnacle went to the royal throne room to report what they had discovered. Needless to say, The Abyssinian emperor was not amused...

"What!? You dare to betray your own country?! Your own tribe?!" The emperor growled at the terrified Katrina in anger, slamming his fist on the arm rest of his throne. "For this crime, you shall be banished from our island altogether!" He pointed a claw at the feline sorceress. "Guards, remove this traitor from my sight, and get her on a boat off of my island!"

"You old fool, I was doing what was necessary for our kingdom!" Katrina cussed, as two leopard knights dragged her away. "You can't fight the storm king, no one can! Abyssinia needs a ruler like me, not your backwards, benevolent rule! You're weak bloodline will destroy the feline kingdom, MROWR!"

After the guards had carted Katrina away, the emperor turned to barnacle apologetically. "Good captain, I must thank your two crew members for traveling into the mine, and learning the truth about Katrina's treachery." The emperor shook his head sadly. "I am only sorry the poor mare in your crew, paid the price with her intellect."

"Nyarrr, don't worry about it, your highness." Barnacle replied, bowing to the emperor of Abyssinia. "She actually seems happier, without all of that troubling intelligence bothering her." He looked up at the monarch. "But there is still the matter of the storm king, who me crew and I intend to take down." He looked up at the feline ruler. "So, about that key ye be holdin'..."

"Here, take it with our royal blessing." The grateful emperor replied, handing over the keys. "And good luck in taking him down, all of the nations of the great sea are counting on you, and your valiant crew!"

There was a great feast and celebration in the crew's honor that night, and the crew was loading the ship down with provisions the next day. Katrina's brother was there to see them off, and was slaying his goodbyes to North Star and Fizzy.

"Thank you, ladies, for everything you've done for us." The tomcat replied, bowing to the two mares. "I hope you will all be okay in your dangerous journey through the rough seas ahead of you!"

"Wheeee, bubbles!" Fizzy giggled, playing with the bubbles she had made. "This is soooo much fun!"

"Uh oh, seems that curse has affected Miss Fizzy permanently." Katrina brother sighed. "I don't think she'll ever return to normal, now!"

"Blimey, don't worry about Fizzy 'ere, she seems to enjoy being an airhead!" North Star laughed nervously. "At least we made it out of that dreadful cave alive!"

"Well, good luck to you both!" The tomcat replied, departing the ship down the gangplank. "I hope fortune brings all of you to our island again someday!"

The ship set sail, and the ponies found themselves upon the open ocean once more. As Barnacle stood at the helm, Wave Runner approached him, an angry look on her face.

"Well, cap'n? What do oyu have to say for yourself!?" She snapped angrily. "Look at what your obsessed treasure hunt has done to poor miss Fizzy?"

The two ponies looked down at Fizzy, who was bonking her head into the mast repeatedly

"Wheeee, this is so much fun!" The jewel-eyed filly giggled. "And it doesn't hurt at all, 'cause I don't have a brain at all!"

"The lass will be all right, I wouldn't worry too much about it." Barnacle replied, checking his compass as he steered the ship. "I didn't get anyone killed, now did I? Don't worry, lass. I won't let anything else happen ta ye, or any of the other ponies in me crew, I promise ye."

"Oh, really? I'm sure Fizzy would argue with that... if she could still argue anything, at all." Wave Runner snapped. "What's next, Salty in a wheel chair? Or maybe North Star with broken wings?"

"I'd never let ether of those things happen!" Barnacle snapped back, losing his cool... a rarity for the rugged sea captain. "I've never let a crew die under me leadership."

"You've never led a crew before, Captain Barnacle." She sneered at the earth pony stallion. "I've head the scuttlebutt about you around the port. You may be a brilliant bosun, and a decent first mate, but you're an untested captain. For all we know, you might sail all of off the ends of the earth!"

"For yer information, lassie, there is no ends of the earth! This world is round!" Barnacle growled back, stating the obvious. "And I promise you, I won't let anything like that happen to me crew again! Not fer the rest of this voyage, not ever!"

"Uh huh, we'll just see about that, cap'n." Wave Runner snapped, flapping her way back up to the crow's nest. "I'll remember you said those words, and hold you to them for the rest of this journey. I don't want to see my new friends fall victims to your recklessness!"

After she was gone, Captain Barnacle turned his attention back to the open ocean. Okay, he had made a mistake, he told himself, but everyone made it out alive. Besides, Fizzy was much nicer to everybody now,. even if her brains had degenerated into tapioca pudding. But they were after a treasure, damn it! They had to take risks, if they wanted to collect the keys, and retrieve the pearl. Then, all of the crew would be fabulously wealthy, and that should easily make up for a loss of intellect to poor Fizzy!

Still, he promised himself, he would be more careful with his crew from now on. If there was a risk to be taken, then by B'zekre, we would be right there with the others, taking that risk! If all five ponies would share in the treasure, then all five ponies would equally share in the danger! One pony for all, and all ponies for one!

Those thoughts went through the pony captains head, as dark storm clouds again began to form on the horizon ahead of the ship....

Back on the open ocean!

"Wheeeee, this is soooo much fun!" Fizzy giggled, standing with her front hooves outstretched on the mast. "I love sailing on the big blue ocean!"

The great vessel sailed across the mighty ocean, crashing up and down upon the mighty waves. Once again, the sea ponies were swimming around down by the ship's hull, singing and calling to the stallion sailors on the vessel. Barnacle and Salty were prepared, however, and they had their ears stuffed with wax. And while Salty worked on the rigging, and Barnacle was looking over the map in his private quarters, Wave Runner and North Star at the helm, guiding the vessel.

"Wow, Fizzy has sure taken well to her drop in intelligence, hasn't she?" Wave Runner noted, turning the wheel slightly. "I know she used to be the meanest mare on this ship, but now..."

"Like I said before, I actually think she's happier this way." North Star replied, watching her unicorn friend acting like a silly goofball. "She was always so upset about everything all of the time, but now she seems to so the brighter side of everything."

"Well, I wish I could be as blissfully happy as Fizzy, considering where we are headed next." Wave Runner Sighed. "The captain is insane to be taking us to our next destination."

"Blimey, Wave Runner! Salty and I noticed how hard you came down on the cap'n!" North Star noted, flapping her wings. "Where could we possibly be possibly be heading, that would upset you so much?"

"To the kingdom of the hippogriffs, North. To the kingdom of the pony/eagle hybrids." Wave Runner replied. "They have the second key, and getting it from not be as easy as it was getting the one the cats had in their possession."

"Wait, why should we be worried about the hippogriffs?" North Star asked, puzzled. "I've never heard of those creatures being very hostile or aggressive to visitors or outsiders."

"Yeah, but that's not the problem, North." Wave Runner explained. "The hippogriffs were the original race who possessed the enchanted pearl. In fact, it was the pearl that brought their species into existence, by giving ponies eagle traits."

"Just like how the griffins were created, by fusing other kinds of birds with ponies." North Star finished. "Crikey, the hippogriffs must believe the pearl to be sacred! They might not exactly be happy we're trying to retrieve the pearl, and might actually try and stop us!"

"Exactly, and they might not be exactly happy to have us show up." The helmsmare explained. "If we want to get that key they posses, we might just have to break down, and actually act like pirates."

North Star nodded, and the two mares stood there silently for several minutes. Then, trying to change the subject, North Star looked down into the water around the boat, at the mermares singing at the stallions aboard alluringly.

"Blimey, those girls sure don't give up easily, do they?" North shook her head. "I've heard stories about mermares luring land stallions to their doom by drowning, but that doesn't sound like something mermares would actually do."

"Those aren't regular mermares, North." Wave Runner spun the wheel in a hard right. "Those are creatures called Sirens. They hypnotize stallions with their songs, and feed off of the emotions of their victims as they die."

"That's horrible!" North Star whinnied, staring down at the sirens in disgust. "I've heard stories from old sailors about those horrid creatures, but I've never actually seen them before now." The Pegasus narrowed her eyes. "Now, I wish those buggers actually were only an old sailor's tale."

"Don't worry, the boys are safe." Wave Runner reassured her, pointing a hoof up towards Salty in the crow's nest. "The cap'n was smart enough to prepare for these creatures, and picked up some wax in the port of Abysinnia. Barnacle seems to always be prepared for any situation that we might encounter on the open ocean, I'll give him that much."

"Well then, if you trust him to deal with any problem we might run into while sailing," North Star asked. "Don't you think we can trust him to have planned how to deal with the hippogriffs?"

Wave Runner thoguht for a moment, then shook her head. "Yes, I suppose you're right." She looked back towards Barnacle's quarters. "The cap'n has proven that he knows what he's doing on this voyage, I guess I shouldn't be so hard on him about the whole thing."

"I understand why you were so apprehensive about him, though." North Star replied dreamily. "There's something incredible about that stallion, though I can't quite put my hoof on it..."

"Oh my, it sounds like a certain mare has a crush on our dashing young captain." Wave Dancer teased her.

"Well.... I ... that is...." North Star stuttered, her face turning a deep red. "I just... I don't.... I couldn't..."

"Don't worry about it, honey. You're not the first mare to fall head- over- hooves for a dashing stallion sailor." Wave Dancer laughed. "Just be careful with Barnacle, North Star. A pirate captain can be a whole lot of fun, but in the end, he'll break your heart."

North Star merely nodded, and looked silently back towards the churning ocean.

Far down in the water below, the sirens looked up at Salty in the crow's nest longingly, and sang sweet songs of longing to him.

"Come away with us, handsome stallion..." Their sweet voices sang in unison. "You have been sailing for so long, and your heart is so burdened with the troubles of the world." They stared at him with lust-filled eyes. "Come over the deck, and join us in the water. It's so very warm. Join us, and we'll make all of the the pain and bad memories that are troubling you alllll go away, forever..."

Seeing the mares swimming around down there, Fizzy picked up a cannonball off the deck, and chucked it into the water, crushing the one of the sirens, and causing both the corpse of the mermare and the cannonball to slowly sink beneath the waves.

"Awww, shut up, you stupid sea floozies!" Fizzy yelled down, as the rest of the sirens scattered. "Your singing is terrible, and you all smell like fish!"

As the ponies sailed on towards the hippogriff kingdom, no other sirens bothered them for the remainder of the journey there.

Hostile Reception

It was nearly evening when the ship passed through the straits of Maregellian, and Salty saw the towering form of Mount Aris off in the distance. When the lookout yelled to the other ponies on the ship that he had spotted their destination. North Star and the others ran to the ship's bow, and stared at the approaching island. The whole island was a giant spire, sticking out of the middle of the ocean. Surrounding the central spire was a flat, circular island covered with palm trees and ferns.

"Oh, wow! It's so pretty!" Fizzy laughed, staring at the towering island in awe. "Do you think all of those hippos live up at the tippy top of that mountain?"

"Nah, the hippogriffs have their kingdom on the base of the island." Wave Runner replied. "The top of the spire holds a shrine that is sacred to the hippogriffs. They fly up there for there ceremonies and rituals."

"And that's where I'm betting we'll find the key that we are looking for, I'd wager." Barnacle spoke up, looking up from his place at the helm. "I'm already tryin' ta cook up a plan on we might acquire the key, and-"

"Uh, cap'n? " Salty called out from the crow's nest, a nervous tone in his voice. "I hate ta interrupt ye, but we have incoming off the starboard bow!"

All of the other ponies looked up, and saw what looked like several bird-like forms flying towards the vessel at a great speed.

"Blimey, it looks like they have spotted us," North Star noted, squinting her eyes. "I guess the hippogriffs are really eager to greet us!"

"Uhhhhh, Barnacle? I don't think those are hippogriffs!" Wave Runner muttered, looking through her telescope. "They look a heck of a lot bigger.... and meaner!"

Barnacle looked to the skies for another minute, before his eyes went wide.

"GRIFFONS!" Barnacle cried out, jumping away from the helm, and pulling out his cutlass and pistol. "Ponies, battle positions!"

All of the ponies on deck ran towards the cannons, while Salty stood firm in the crow's nest, drawing his cutlass. As the flock of nearly forty griffons came racing towards the boat, all of the pony crew aboard stood ready to repel them.

"Pony pirates!" The griffin squad's leader roared, pointing a claw towards the deck. "Destroy the invaders!"

Two of the fliers dove towards the deck, talon unsheathed, and slashed towards North Star and Wave dancer, who both rolled out of the way, before taking to the skies after their attackers. Another one dove at Fizzy, who tried to dodge the attack, but was brutally slashed along the flanks, by the griffon's sharp talons.

"Aieeeee!" The twinkle-eyed pony cried out, before glaring angrily back up at the flying attackers. "Oh no, you are NOT gettign away with hurting me!" Using her unicorn magic, she aimed the ship's cannons, and opened fire on the griffins. The cannonballs stuck four or five of the beasts, sending the griffin attackers plummeting into the water, where the merponies and sirens who had been following the ship tore the griffins to pieces and devoured them.

Meanwhile, Salty slashed away at the griffins attacking the crow's nest, blocking the claw slashes and beak pecks of his attackers with his cutlass. One managed to get behind the stallion during the fight, and grabbed Salty's tail in his beak. The griffin tried to pull the earth pony out of the crow's nest, but Salty slashed one of his attackers wing's off, sending him tumbling into the water below.

"Arrrr!" The sailor growled gruffly. "No bridie or beastie will be having me fer a meal this day!"

High above, the two Pegasus were locked in an aerial dogfight with the griffins. Wave runner swung away with her cutlass, slashing her attackers one by one, and sending them tumbling into the ocean. One griffin got above her, and tried to drop down on her from above mid flight. But the Pegasus flipped upside down in midair, thrusting her cutlass upward, and speared the griffin who had tried to pounce on her.

"Trying to sneak up on me, eh?" the cavalier mare laughed, pulling her sword out, as the griffin's corpse tumbled into the water. "How are you doing over there, North?"

"Oh, just trying to stay alive, here!" North Star replied sarcastically, just trying to dodge and avoid the griffin attacks. "I say, you really need to teach me some combat skills, it would be rather spiffing if I could defend myself!"

"Lure them into the cannon's line of fire!" Wave Runner called back. "Let Fizzy take these beasties out!"

North Star swung around in several graceful loops, which the griffins couldn't keep up with in flight. The cannonballs whizzed in just behind her, smacking into the five or six griffins, and sending them tumbling into the ocean.

"Blimey, it worked!" North Star beamed. "I bet Barnacle is kicking their tail feathers in, too!"

And as North Star looked back down at the ship, she was surprised to see Barnacle kicking, slashing, and shooting at the intruders, picking off griffins with his cutlass and flintlock. When two griffins attacked, diving at him from each side, the earth pony shot one and decapitated the other. The two lifeless bodies fell in front of the captain, as he blew the smoke from his flintlock pistol.

"Shiver me timbers!" he exclaimed reloading his flintlock. "No mangy birds are goign to take me ship, while I have anything to say about it!"

The defenders fought long and hard against the invaders, killing nearly thirty of the griffins. But soon they were exhausted, and the remaining dozen soon had the pony pirates surrounded on the deck, with the ponies barely able to stand.

"Surrender now, pony buccaneers." one of the griffins snarled, as the surviving attackers stared the ponies down. "Or we'll be tossing all of YOU into into the ocean!"

Staring into each of the griffin's eyes, Barnacle looked to the frightened but determined ponies surrounding him, and looked back at the cruel and merciless griffins threatening them. The captain's mind raced, trying to decide what to do next in this terrible standoff...

Blood on the Water

As the griffins stood over them menacingly, Salty noticed a barrel of flour that Fizzy had left up on the deck. leaping over to the barrel, the stallion sailor smashed the flour container with a swift kick. As he smashed the barrel open, the flour filled the air, clouding the vision of everyone in the battle."

"Hey, who turned out the lights?"

"Why's it so dark?"

"I can't see anything!"

Barnacle and Salty rushed to the side of the deck and gazed over the vessel's rail. As he looked down into the water, and noticed all of the sea creatures who had been following the boat. Leaning over the side of the ship, the pirate stallion spoke to the sirens who were still present;

"Arrrr, me lovely ladies of the deep, it pleases me that ye are still a followin' us." Barnacle spoke to the sea pony-like aquatic monsters, who stared up at the stallion with desire. "If ye desire to sing several poor fools to their doom, why not try the griffins who are even now attacking my crew and my ship?"

"Yes, that griffins are a far tastier treat than we ponies are." Salty agreed quickly. "Wouldn't ye ladies be perferrin' some fine chicken meat, instead of two scrawny stallions?"

The sirens smiled, eager to follow the pony captain's suggestion; a meal was a meal, wither it was pony or not. Barnacle and Salty stuffed their ears full of wax, as the siren's eerie song started up once more. Their beautiful song filled the ears of everyone else that was on the ship. And while the mares and female griffin were unaffected, the males began to behave in a most peculiar manner.

"Those voices, so beautiful..."

"They sound like angels in the sea."

As the misty cloud around the ship began to clear, the griffins all stopped fighting with the ship's crew, and stared blankly as if in a trance. The all blindly turned their heads towards the water, completely ignoring the pony pirate crew all around them.

"We are coming to you, our little lovely little angels."

With that, the male griffins all began jumping off the boat, and diving into the water. The sirens instantly dove towards the mesmerized males, baring their fangs, and leaping onto their willing prey. The mares looked down in horror and disgust, as the sirens ripped the males to shreds. Gory chunks and feathers were sent flying in every direction, and the water was filled with a wash of blood.

"Ewww, that is, like, sooo gross!" Fizzy called out, as the all of the mares rushed to the side of the boat to view the gory spectacle. "Can't they be less messy when they eat? The sirens sure could use some better manners."

"Great B'zekre... I thought I had seen the most horrific things on the seven seas." Wave Runner muttered, turning pale. "But this has got to be the must appalling thing I have ever witnessed."

"Was... was that one of the griffin's eyeballs floatin' in the water?" North Star almost gagged. "Ugh, I think I'm going to bloody chunder all over the bloomin' deck!"

The other crew members watched the carnage with morbid curiosity, until the feeding frenzy had come to an end. When Barnacle and the others looked back up, they noticed the female griffins had all fled while the ponies had been distracted by the carnage.

"Blimey, everyone! Have a gander at the horizon! " North Star declared, flying up onto the ship's rigging to watch the fleeing griffins. "It looks like those feather brains flew the coop. We should all be feeling proper chuffed we won that battle!"

"Those females will be returning to the inland, ta inform the other griffins we be here." Salty added grimly, watching as the females disappeared over the horizon. "Which means we should get goin', before those terrible beasts come a-flin' back, nyarr!"

"But I got to wonder, cap'n, why were there griffins in the hippogriff kingdom?" Wave Runner asked, flapping up to Barnacle. "Do ye think they could have allied with the natives?"

"I really don't believe that is the case, lassie." Captain Barnacle replied ominously. "Rather, I think it's quite possible that the griffins have invaded the noble kingdom of the hippogriffs, and they may have even managed to take over the island for themselves."

"Oh my goodness, that's just terrible!" Fizzy replied in shock, looking over towards the island. "If those mean old griffins have conquered their home, then we gotta do something, and help the hippos!"

"Blimey, your absolutely right, Fizzy!" North Star agreed. "T'would only be right an' proper to help these poor hippogriffs out, and drive these mean and horrible blaggards!"

"Aye, and if we help them, it may also allow us to retrieve the next key." Barnacle added, as Salty lowered the gang plank, and they began trotting off the ship."If we help the hippogriffs, they will surely reward us by offering the treasures that we seek."

"There you go again, thinking about the treasure rather than the fellows we are trying to help." Wave Runner sighed, as she trotted down the gang plank. "We should be more concerned about the hippogroffs, rather than the latest item on our little fetch quest."

"Nyarr, don't worry, lassie... I be worried about those hippogriffs, too." The captain replied, as they all set hoof upon the sandy shore of the island. "But I'm also a thinkin' about the treasure we seek... we are pirates, after all."

"Yeah, but we don't have to be mean pirates, right?" Fizzy asked curiously, happily hopping along after the others. "I mean, couldn't we be the happy singing- and dancing type pirates, rather than the angry and viscous stealing- type pirates?"

And as the crew of ponies trotted away from the shore, and trekked into the dense and humid jungle, none of them even bothered to answer Fizzy seemingly pointless and obvious question, leaving the air- headed twinkle-eyed pony even more perplexed and confused.

The weeping of the trees

The ponies made their way through the deep undergrowth of the island, Barnacle and Salty hacking away at the undergrowth with their sharpened cutlasses. The crew's pair of Pegasus all flew above the treeline, scouting ahead as the earth ponies and unicorn followed along on the ground. The tropical heat and humidity bore down on the pirates, who ignored their discomfort, as they trotted along towards the towering spire in the middle of the island.

"Blimey, everyone! Don't let all this dreary trudging through the swamp lands get you down!" North Star encouraged the others, flying down through the foliage, and pointing ahead with her hoof. "It's not very far to the spire, and Wave Runner and I can fly all of you to the top!"

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, lassie! Me hooves are a killin' me!" Salty grumbled. "But isn't anybody worried that all of those griffins will attack us down here?"

"From what I can see up above, it seems the griffins are avoiding these low swampy areas like the plague." Wave Runner called down, flapping above them, and gazing up at the spire. "It's almost like... they seem to be afraid of this place."

"Gee, I really don't see why they find this swamp so scary." Fizzy giggled, leaping from branch to branch through the strange flowering trees. "There's nothing down here but these green trees with the pretty, polka dotted flowers, all over the island!"

"Yeah, I know, but... I swear I've seen these kind of trees before, somewhere else in the world." Barnacle muttered, studying the strange spotted leaves carefully. "There is something that is really, really... eerie about them."

"Arrr, I'm more worried about what those griffins did with the island's hippogriffs." Wave Runner added, flapping aorund over their heads. "Do the rest of you think they have them on the island somewhere? Or do oyu believe the griffins wiped them out"

"Awww the griffins are mean, but they aren't that cruel." Fizzy pointed out, her crystal eyes glittering in the soft light. "They might have chased the hippogriffs off or locked them up or something. But, I really actually don't think they wouldn't really hurt the hippos... I mean, would they?"

"I say, it's not like the Griffins to kill or enslave other races to take over their territory, at all." North Star added, flapping around overhead. "It's more like them to move in, and take over an area that had already been abandoned. You know kind of like squatters."

"Then... if the griffins didn't destroy the hippogriffs, and just moved in an' took over their abandoned home," Salty asked, looking up at the spire. "then, what in the name of the briny blue happened to the original inhabitants?"

None of the others had an answer to this question, as they continued along through the swampy jungle that surrounded the spire. But as they trotted along, North Star gazed down at the flowered trees that were below her. And as she stared at the spotted flowers on the trees, the pink Pegasus remembered what these plants the other ponies were brushing up against actually were.

"Hey everybody, hurry! You've got to get away from those trees!" The Pegasus cried out from above, flapping around in a crazed frenzy. "Those blossoms are cursed swamp flowers! They'll give you swamp fever!"

The ponies looked around themselves in total horror, before rushing out into the clearing. The twinkle-eyed Fizzy whimpered in fear, as she used her magic to draw water from a nearby spring, and try and clean everyone off in a hurry.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!" The panicking unicorn cried, as she tried to clean Salty's coat of all the cursed flower's pollen. "That's the disease that turns ponies into trees! I don't wanna end up as a flowering bush!"

""Arrrr, we were walking right through those trees, and got the pollen all over our coats and manes." Salty replied, looking over his coat, and expecting the worst. "It won't be long, before we break out into spots. And then, leaves will start to sprout from our bodies."

"Our coats will become as hard as bark, and our hooves to take root." Fizzy starts to sob. "We've been exposed to the pollen, and now we'll become trees, too."

"Arrrr, now calm yerself down, lad. Since ya all didn't know it, we Ponyland ponies are immune to swamp fever." Barnacle reassured him. "Just like humans, elves, gnomes, and other races, these flowers can't turn us into trees."

"He's right, the worst swamp fever ever gave us Ponylanders was a bad rash, spots, and an itchy coat." Wave Runner agreed, flapping around overhead. "Let's just hurry up, and get up on top of the spire."

But as the ponies trotted their way up the pathway on the side of the spire, Salty looked back down at the trees. As an earth pony, he was in tune with the plants of the island. The sailor pony could almost feel a... sadness coming from the trees, as if they were crying, mourning for something they had once had, but now lost. And as he looked over the endless sea of flowering trees, the stallion could almost swear he saw a vision of all the hippogriffs who had inhabited this island, all staring at him sadly. The hippogriffs were trying to tell him something important, Salty felt, trying to send him a message without words. But the stallion couldn't understand what they were trying to say. The eerie vision only for a moment longer, before the hippogriffs all faded away, and Salty was left staring at the endless sea of flowing trees.

"Arrrr, that certainly was a creepy moment." The sailor muttered under his breath, before turning to follow his friends up the path that led top the top of the spire. "I really need ta stop listening ta strange plants, it's really messing with me head."

But as the earth pony trotted after the other pirates, he could almost swear he could hear the weeping of the trees behind him....

Hippogriff liberation

The five ponies finally made it to the top of the mountain, and were totally shocked by the sight that greeted them.

The beautiful homes of the griffins; magnificent structures, clean streets and pathways, and an overall colorful atmosphere. But while the magnificence of the city still shined through... but the stain of the griffins tainted the entire landscape. Animal bones and garbage were scattered everywhere. dirt and filth caked the streets of a once-beautiful city. Griffins lay all about the city, lazily laying about, throwing dice, and haggling and fighting over scraps of gold. Here and there, North Star could see Hippogriffs in chains; either being dragged along by griffins, of being forced to do manual labor. It made the ponies realize exactly what had happened to the griffins who remained;

"Arrrr, these bird brains have enslaved the hippogriffs." Barnacle snorted angrily. "We gotta save those laddies and lasses who are left!"

"Yeah, but I only see a few hippogriffs out there." Wave Runner replied, flapping around overhead. "What happened to all of the others?"

"Nyar, best not ta think about it, lassie." Salty replied, shivering as he thought about the trees in the valley below. "We should be concentrating on rescuing the ones we can see, then worry about the others."

""Okie, that sounds like a really cool idea!" Fizzy grinned, looking down at the city. "But it looks like there are a lot of guards patrolling the city. We need to take them out, before we can do anything else."

"Blimey, we need to be careful, then." North Star whispered. "We gotta get in and free the blokes, without the griffins seeing us."

The others all nodded, and barnacle whispered a plan to the rest of the crew. The whole group split up, spreading out to different points of the hippogriff capital, and each assaulted a different perimeter guard.

Fizzy quietly trotted up behind one of the guards, and used her bubble magic to create oxygen bubbles in the griffin's blood. The surprised brute rolled his eyes back into his head, and silently collapsed onto the ground. Then, one of the griffin guards flew up high enough, and Wave Runner tackled him to the ground, kicking him several times with her back legs, and beating him unconscious. After that, Salty and North star sneaked up on two guards throwing dice, and North snapped one's neck, while Salty skewered the other with his cutlass.

After the other had cleared a path to the center of town, Barnacle made his way to the center of town, where he began to free the captive hippogriffs one by one.

"Who are you, stranger?" One of the female hippogriffs asked, surprised at the sight of her pony rescuer. "And why are you rescuing us from the griffins?"

"Arrrr, don't be afraid, little missy." The captain replied, cutting the hippogriffs manacles off. "We are here to save all of the hippogriffs the griffins have enslaved." Barnacle then raised his hoof to his mouth in a shushing motion. "But try to keep quiet, we can't let them know we're here, until all of your tribe are free."

Barnacle quickly moved throughout the city, cutting each griffins loose, and motioning them back towards where the other pony pirates were waiting. But after all of the hippogriffs had been freed and gathered in one place, something totally unexpected happened.

"All right, my good hippos," North Star told the hippogriffs they had rescued. "now we need to get out of they- wait, what are all of you doing?! Don't go back into the city!"

Without warning, the hipporgiffs all took to the air in a large swarm, and dove down into the city, attacking the griffins with a ferocity that was uncharacteristic of the pony/griffin hybrid species. As the pirates watched in shock, the hippogriffs managed to completely subdue all of the griffins in the city, giving the feathered invaders a serious beat-down. The feathers literally flew, as the surprised griffins were pecked, clawed, and slashed by those they had enslaved. The griffins managed to put up a decent fight against the hippogriffs, even slashing and clawing their faces. But the hippogriffs soon overwhelmed the invaders, and the griffins were soon all tied up together, in the center of town.

"I-I don't believe it!" Wave Runner stared in disbelief, as the ponies trotted down towards the center of town. "They actually managed to take down their attackers! All on their own!"

"Arrr, I've never heard of Hippogriffs managing to overpower warriors like the griffins before!" Salty noted, clearly impressed by what the pony-birds had done. "They are certainly tougher then the other hippos I've met before!"

"Noble ponies, we are eternally grateful that you have freed us from the terrible enslavement of the griffins." One of the griffins smiled, bowing to Barnacle and his crew. "It would please our town greatly, if all of you could join us for dinner this night."

"Oh, neat! We'd love to stay and eat!" Fizzy replied enthusiastically, elated that she wouldn't have to cook this night. "I'm sure your chefs will cook up something really yummy!"

"Oh, we have something very special in mind for the feast." The griffin smiled, looking the ponies up and down. "I am certain will be a dish that is very close to your pony hearts..."

But as the pony pirates followed the hippogriffs away, North Star turned back when she heard one of the griffins laugh.

"You stupid ponies, you have no idea what you've done!" The griffin laughed darkly, glaring at North Star with hate. "The moment you freed those beasts, all of your fates were sealed!"

"Blimey, w-what do you mean?" North Star asked nervously, giving the griffin with a worried look. "What are the hippogriffs going to do that is so terrible?"

But the griffin only shook his head, looking away from the curious Pegasus. "It really doesn't matter. By the time you stupid Ponylanders find out... it'll be far, faaar to late!"

The Storm Rises

In the heart of the Storm King's palace, the dark old weather wizard watched the pony pirates in his magic viewing pool. As Barnacle and his crew liberated the island of the Hippogriffs, the Storm King couldn't help but smile at the foolish Equines' actions. These stupid little ponies were constantly getting themselves into trouble, yet somehow managed to easily get themselves out again. It was no wonder his ancestor had lost his empire to these accursed creatures- who could have possibly thought a few simple equines could pull through all of the traps he had so carefully prepared for them!

Gazing down into the cauldron, he watched Barnacle and his crew 'liberate' the Hippogriffs from the island's griffon marauders. As one of the griffons had warned the ponies, they had no idea what they had done in freeing the island's native inhabitants. The fools had no idea just how sinister the creatures they had liberated actually were, or why the storm king had first sent his marauders in to subdue the hippogriffs in the first place. The ponies would soon be joining their hosts for supper... and equine sailor was the next thing on the dinner menu.

But still... Barnacle and his crew had pulled out of bad situations like this before, so there was a chance they would get out of this little pickle. The storm King decided he would have to take some extra steps, so as to ensure these pirates would not obtain the other keys. Looking up from his storm cauldron, the angry weather fey called out to his minions.

"Skyhook! Airwinch! Get your worthless hides in here!" The storm king snarled, thunder booming out of his voice. "I have an assignment for two little cretins!"

"Coming, oh stormy one!" The two small cloud gremlins replied, as the pair came flapping into the room. "What can we do for you?"

"Those foolish pony pirates may be approaching the third key soon, and we cannot allow them to get any farther on their quest." The Storm King bellowed, conjuring up an image of the location of the next key. "I want you two dimwits to go ahead to blissful Island, and do what you can to hamper the pony pirates efforts."

"Blissful island? You mean the home of those kirin ponies?" Airwinch asked, looking down at the image of the island in the storm cauldron. "Oh boy, those things give me nightmares."

"They're not the worst thing on the island, if you can believe it." Skyhook added with a chuckle. "There are fouler monsters, guarding the ancient temple."

"Yeah, there no way the pirate ponies will get past all that stuff on the island to get the third key! ." Airwinch grinned. "We shouldn't even have to go there and get involved ourselves, at all!"

"Indeed, but you must go there, if I am to posses the third key." The storm king explained. "I want the two of you to the kirin ponies, and convince them that Barnacle is coming to her island to rob their island blind."

"But your excellency, those kirin ponies weren't born yesterday." Skyhook protested. "Won't they easily see through our ruse?"

"We shall deceive them, by mixing some of the truth in with our deceptions." The storm king smiled at his two lackeys. "You two will point out how Barnacle and his crew have been sailing all over the great sea, and gathering all sorts of treasures. I am certain you imbeciles can convince them the mysterious strangers who fly a pirate flag, are not coming to their island in peace."

"We'll do our best, boss... I promise you that we won't let you down." Skyhook saluted, before a puzzled look crossed his face. "Uhhhhhh, by the way... what does 'imbecile' mean, boss?"

"JUST GET OUT OF HERE, YOU IDIOTS!" The storm king roared in anger, as lightning shot out of his cauldron in every direction. "And don't come back until the stitch ponies been tricked into greeting Barnacle as an enemy! NOW GET OUT OF MY SIGHT, THIS INSTANT!"

The two cloud gremlins when rushing out of the Storm King's audience chamber, rushing out to try and complete their task, and to set up a trap meant to ensnare Barnacle and his merry band of pirates. Meanwhile, the storm king looked back into his orb, and watched the ponies go about their business. The old ogre's eyes settled on North Star, as he thought back to another pony.

"You bother me even more then the others, foolish little mare." The villain said aloud, to no one in particular. "I remember all of the grief your father gave me, and how much trouble you ponies were."

The storm king remembered another group of pony pirates, who raided his palace for treasure all those years ago. He remembered one extremely defiant and stubborn Pegasus stallion, who laughed like a daredevil caviler as he plowed through the storm king's minions with his rapier. The villain remembered the terrible battle with the buccaneer stallion, which almost destroyed his castle. And he remembered the arrogant pony sailing away, leaving the storm king's palace- and schemes- in both literal and figurative flames.

No, that would not happen again with the daughter, the Storm King decided. North Star and the rest of these pathetic pirate ponies would never even get the chance to set hoof on his island. The evil ogre would throw every soldier, minion, and servant at the ponies, in order to prevent the pirates from collecting the remaining keys, and recovering the pearl of transformation. He was the storm king, master of the southern seas! And he would send this audacious captain Barnacle to the bottom of the ocean for thinking he could steal from the lord of all storms! This arrogant pony captain would pay for that error with his life!

And maybe, he could get a little revenge on North Star, the daughter of the stallion who humiliated him, in the process...