The Pirate Prince

Chapters

Birth of the Black Rose Dragon
An Eye for an Eye, A Hand for a Hand
The HMS Pinafore Arrives
An Explanation (Retconned)
A Drive for Vengeance
Zecora's Funeral
The Hunt Begins
Mythic Jewel's Inner Conflict
Secrets Uncovered
The Island of the Undead
Suspicions
A Sexy Game of Poker
Split in the Crew
Punishment
Dinner With a Shark
New Orders
The Bounty: Tiny Tooth Ed
Apologies
Day at the Spa
The Bounty: Barry Cuda
Collecting the Bounty
Prince of the Sharks
One Long Night (Part 1: Twilight)
One Long Night (Part 2: Rarity and Applejack)
The Treasure Hunt (Part 1)
The Treasure Hunt (Part 2)
Spike Earns His Wings (Part 1)
Spike Earns His Wings (Part 2)
Back to the Skies
Skull Island's Deep Secrets
Sunken Siren Sisters
Sexy Siren Sisters
Starlight in the Crow's Nest
The Isle of Doom (Part 1)
The Isle of Doom (Part 2)
A Big Surprise
Stress Relief (Part 1)
Stress Relief (Part 2)
Breaking the Bat
The New Maid
Birth of an Heir
A New Ship
Interrogation
A Beginning and an End
Meeting Harry Trotter
Tea With The Dogs
The Key of Kings
Negotiations
The Duel
Selling the Goods
Can You Handle the Heat?
First Words & Strange Magic
Secrets of the Orichalcum
Off to Seaquestria
The Orichalcum Mine
Returning to the Surface
Early Parole
A Deal with the Skies
A Rose by Any Other Name
Cloak and Dagger (Part 1)
Cloak and Dagger (Part 2)
Chips on the Table
A Spectral Investigation
A Strange Peace Mission
Family History
Escape
The Treasure is a Test
Stranded in Flotsam Pt. 1
Stranded in Flotsam Pt. 2
One Long Night (Part 3: Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow)
Revolt in Puerto Mico
The Beginning of the Court

Birth of the Black Rose Dragon

Spike walked up from Skull Island's docks, and towards the main square. He saw an old cat and walked up to him asking, "Excuse me sir, do you know where Captain Avery's office is?" He then noticed that the old cat was blind. "Oh, I didn't realize you were blind. My apologies."

The cat coughed lightly, "Just because I'm blind doesn't mean I don't know my way around the island. Head through the shopping district and take the stairs up to the Skull Fort. Avery's office is up there."

Spike was surprised that the cat knew such directions, despite being blind. He thanked him and headed up the stairs the cat told him. When he saw Avery's office, he hurried in and asked a man in a fancy coat with a cockatoo on his shoulder, "Excuse me, but are you Captain Avery? The Moon Lily told me to come here."

The man looked over to Spike and when he mentioned the Moon Lilly, his eyes widened, "You know the Moon Lily? I'm surprised that she would associate with a child like you."

Spike growled lightly, "She's more than just an associate, she's my aunt."

The man seemed even more surprised, "Well, any family of the Moon Lily is welcome in Skull Island! I must say though, you look more like a royal than a pirate. If you're trying to escape something, you stick out like a sore thumb. I'll have the town tailor stitch you a proper outfit. The other pirates will never take someone like you seriously if you dress like a royal."

Spike smiled, "Thank you Captain Avery. I'll do what I can to earn my stay here."

Avery shook his head, "Don't worry about it child. I'm sure that you'll be a fine pirate, just like your aunt. I'll get in contact with the tailor in town. Head down there and tell him I sent you. Your outfit's on me, but after that you'll have to start paying your way."

Spike thanked Avery again and headed out of his office and to the tailor. When he got to the tailor's shop, he said, "Excuse me? Captain Avery sent me."

The tailor looked up from the cloth he was stitching, "Ah! So, you're the Moon Lily's nephew, eh? If you're anything like your aunt, you'll have a sense of fashion that's stylish but functional. Let me take some measurements and I'll get started on your clothing. But first, what kind of theme would you like?"

Spike thought for a moment and said, "I want to honor my aunt's pirate name. I'm going to take on the name "Black Rose Dragon." If you can design something that ties into that, I'd be happy with that."

The tailor nodded saying, "Of course! I'm the best tailor in the Spiral! I'll make you a great outfit!" The tailor took Spike's measurements, and then got to work cutting and stitching fabric. He covered the sleeves of the coat with pieces of black fabric that were cut into the shape of rose petals. When he finished the outfit, he gave it to Spike and led him to the changing room.

Spike got out of his royal clothing and changed into the new pirate outfit. As he looked at himself in the mirrors, he smiled, "This actually looks pretty good."

As he stepped out of the changing room, the tailor smiled, "A smashing outfit! But there's one last thing. This helmet was something your aunt plundered. She told us to hold on to it for a worthy pirate. I see what she meant now. She wanted you to have it."

Spike mounted the helmet on his head and smiled, "Thank you. The outfit is perfect, and the helmet means a lot." Spike went back towards Avery's office and told Avery, "Thank you for the outfit. Although I may be dressed to impress, I can't be a pirate without a crew and a ship."

Avery sighed, "Well, I can help you with getting a ship, but you'll need to prove yourself to me. As for your crew, you'll need to go to the tavern and see if anyone is interested. Don't be too obvious in looking for crew members though. Enthusiasm won't make you look like a good captain; it'll make you look like a want-to-be pirate who wants to run headfirst into battle."

Spike smiled, "Thanks. You've been a great help. Once I get a crew going, I'll come see you to earn my ship." Spike headed to the Kraken's Skull Tavern in town and sat up at the bar. When the bartender came over to him, he said, "Demon Rum." and the bartender poured him a shot of a red beverage. Spike paid for it with some gold Luna gave him and said, "Thanks."

When he looked around the Tavern, a young woman sat next to him and said, "Hey cutie. Buy me a drink?"

Spike blushed and turned around to the bartender, "A drink for the lady please."

The girl giggled and ran her fingers through her big orange hair. "Thanks. My name's Adagio, Adagio Dazzle. What's your name?"

Spike finished his drink before telling him, "My name's the Black Rose Dragon. My real name is not important."

Adagio smiled, "Ooh, a pirate, are you? I've been looking for a little excitement since me and my sisters got split up. Mind if I join your crew?"

Spike smiled, "Not at all. Welcome to the crew Adagio."

As they shook hands, a gruff voice called out to them, "Aye, so you're getting a crew together are ya? Well, count me in!" Spike looked over to see a very buff man dressed in heavy armor and carrying a large battle axe. He was obviously a Buccaneer. "Name's Biceps. Buff Biceps, at your command cap'n."

A third voice with a unique accent said, "If you are forming a crew, perhaps I could join the brew. My name is Zecora. I know much about magic and medicinal flora." The Zebra girl was obviously a Witchdoctor, considering the way she spoke in rhymes.

Spike chuckled, "Well, looks like this crew's getting pretty well off, we've got a Buccaneer, a Witchdoctor, a Privateer, and a Swashbuckler."

A voice from the back of the tavern said, "No crew is complete without a Musketeer." A man in a brown trench coat and fedora stepped out of the corner and said, "Cheers. My name is Time Turner. Most people just call me The Doctor though. I know enough about guns to take down a mosquito with a sniper rifle."

Spike smiled and said, "Well, a round of Yum for me and my new crew then!" Spike and his crew cheered and drank their drinks, Spike thought to himself, "These guys seem like a great crew. I'm glad I chose this life."

An Eye for an Eye, A Hand for a Hand

Spike and his new crew had gone back to Avery's Office. Avery explained, "Well, it seems your crew is together. Now, if you haven't noticed the explosions every few minutes, I'll explain. A crewman of mine, Finn Dorsal stole a Jade Amulet from me. He fled to Skull Mountain and roused the native Troggies. They stole a lot of powder kegs in a raid, and now their flinging it back at the town. If you can stop the Troggy bombardment and catch Finn, I'll give you a new ship. Do we have an agreement?"

Spike nodded, "Aye. We'll take care of those overgrown dart frogs and get your amulet back."

After they left his office, Spike's crew headed across a rope bridge to Skull Mountain. A fox woman saw them and called out, "Over here!" When Spike's crew approached them, she told them, "So yer the ones Avery sent to help with these blasted frogs. There's a lot of 'em out there, we're outnumbered. We've got reinforcements coming, but I could use some help. The Troggies are using slingshots to shoot the kegs they stole back at the town. Take this map and mark the first two slingshots. The farthest one is out of our cannons' range, so you'll need to take it out yourselves."

Spike smiled, "Not a problem, I've been waiting for some action." Spike and his crew snuck past the Troggies in order to mark the first two slingshots, and approached the third one. Spike snuck close and lit a trail of powder on fire to set off the kegs. However, the trail wasn't long enough for him to get to safety, and he got caught in the explosion.

Buff Biceps yelled out, "Cap'n!" and rushed to take out the confused Troggies before they saw Spike.

Zecora and Adagio rushed to get Spike to safety. Zecora sighed, "The captain is out cold. His idea was far too bold."

Adagio smacked Zecora over the head, "Enough with the damn rhymes woman! We need to get him back to the infirmary!"

Time Turner agreed with Adagio, "She's right, the captain's in bad shape. We'll retreat for now and return once he's better."

Buff Biceps had taken care of the Troggies near the slingshot and lifted Spike over his shoulder. The crew ran back towards Skull Island and went to the infirmary.

The medic sighed when they got there, "Well, he's not in as bad shape as you'd imagine for being that close to an explosion. His left hand's as good as gone though, not even Hoodoo can fix that. Let me patch him up first." As the crew sat down and waited for the medic to finish helping Spike, the medic stitched up Spike's minor injuries. Since Spike was still out could, he took his left arm and put the area his hand had been on a hot iron. It sealed up the wound, and he was done.

As his crew rushed to his side, Spike had started to wake up, and groggily said, "Good god, what happened?" He looked at his arm and saw that his hand was gone, "Wh-What the hell!?"

Time Turner explained, "You got caught in an explosion when you were destroying the third slingshot. You should count yourself lucky you only lost a hand; you could have lost a lot more than that."

Adagio rolled her eyes, "Lucky isn't exactly the word I'd use, a pirate with one hand isn't a very good one."

The medic came out from the back room, "Actually, I've done so many hand amputations, I always have something in store. I just got this." He pulled out a brass trident head from his bag and a carved piece of wood. He stuck the trident's small rod in a hole of the wood and welded it in place. After that he took the weapon and stitched the wood to the end of Spike's left arm. "It'll take some time, but you'll get used to it."

Spike sighed lightly, "Great, my first day as a pirate, and I've already screwed up."

Zecora put a hand on Spike's shoulder, "Do not feel bad cap'n. None of us could have known this would happen."

Adagio nodded, "As annoying as Zecora's rhyming is, she's right. Everyone makes mistakes, and there was no way to know the trail wasn't long enough."

Spike smiled and thanked his crew, "Well, we've gotten the slingshots taken care of, now let's go get Finn!"

Spike and his crew went back to Skull Mountain, and fought their way through Cutthroat Sharks. After a while, Spike had gotten used to fighting with his prosthetic.

Buff Biceps showed Spike a note he found while they were fighting the sharks. It said, "Our buyer won't be here for a while. When the buyer comes, bring him to me, I'll be waiting in the temple. The temple is in the Skull Cave."

Time Turner tipped his hat, "Seems we're going spelunking."

The crew made their way into the temple, but when they came to the throne room, the entrance was flood with deep, fast-moving water. A voice called them over "You there, come 'ere!" The Marleybonian pirate who called them over said, "That water's too rough to swim. But there's another way. At the other end of the temple, there's a shrine. If you activate the three keystones in the shrine, the water will drain. I was able to find a key, but there's too many Troggies in the shrine for me to deal with. Take the key."

Spike thanked the pirate and led his crew to the shrine. He unlocked the door and then his crew went in. Buff Biceps looked around and saw nothing, "Looks like the Troggies are gone. Let's activate those keystones before-"

As croaking could be heard, Time Turned sighed, taking his hat off and pulling out his sniper rifle from his jacket, "Seems like we jinxed it, didn't we?"

Adagio cracked her knuckles saying, "Wouldn't be any fun without a fight?"

Spike chuckled, "You've got a point. Let's give 'em hell!"

Spike and his crew fought through the Troggies, but they just kept coming, and they couldn't get close enough to activate the keystones.

Time Turner pulled something out of his jacket pocket and said, "I've got an idea cap'n! Take this, it's a miniature powder keg. Spread the powder around the drain, and I'll light it off."

As Spike spread the powder around the drain, Adagio growled as a Troggy broke her buckler shield. "Hurry cap'n! We can't hold them off forever!"

Spike finished spreading the powder and said, "Everyone take cover! Doctor, are you sure this will work!?"

As the rest of the crew got away from the drain, Time Turner chuckled, "I have no idea!" and fired off his weapon, lighting the gunpowder and causing it to explode, destroying the drain and opening it up.

As the water drained, the Troggies fled from the shrine. Spike sighed in relief. "Now we've got to go back to the throne room and take care of Finn. Let's go back to town and rest first. I need some disinfectant for the stitching on my hand, it's starting to burn a bit."

Spike and his crew headed back to the infirmary to get disinfectant and then went to the tavern for a drink. As his crew drank, Spike thought to himself, "This Finn bastard cost me my hand. I'm going all out when I fight him. An eye for an eye." It seems that Spike is out for blood against Finn Dorsal. Will he be able to get his payback?

The HMS Pinafore Arrives

Spike and his crew were still at the Kraken Skulls tavern drinking. Spike had gone outside for some fresh air, and to get away from the smell of passed out drunks. He looked at the emerald necklace his aunt gave him and rubbed the emerald. "Aunt Luna? Can you hear me?"

Meanwhile back in Canterlot, Luna was reading a book in her room when she saw her emerald necklace glow. She picked it up after she locked her bedroom door. "I'm here Spike, is something wrong?"

Spike explained, "There was a bit of an accident that cost me my left hand. I had to get it replaced with a blade."

Luna's eyes widened when she heard him say that "Faust damn it Spike! What happened!?"

Spike recoiled from his aunt's yell and said, "I was taking out a slingshot the Troggies were using to fling powder kegs back at the town, and I lit a powder keg using a trail of powder. The powder trail was too short, and I lost my hand in the explosion."

Luna took a pillow from her bed and put her face into it before screaming her lungs out. "Ok, now that that's out of the way, we need to talk. The HMS Pinafore has made port in Skull Island. Considering they don't know what's happened to you, and they wouldn't expect the prince to lose his own hand, they may not go on your trail. But one last thing. If you get in a situation like this again, I will come out to Skull Island and drag your ass back here myself. Twilight and her crew are good naval officers, but they don't know how to think like a pirate, I do. I'll be able to find you a lot easier than Twilight's crew. This is a warning, and it will be your last warning. Before I go, your mother has been grieving. She's blaming herself for you running away. I know I said you need to find out who you are, but if you love your mother the way I hope you do, you'll come back instead of me or the HMS Pinafore dragging you home."

Spike sighed, "I'm sorry Aunt Luna. I should have been more careful. And you know I love my mother. But... I don't know how she'll react to my injury. She's bound to be mad at me, and my injury will only make it worse. I'll talk about it later." Spike went back into the tavern and sat at the bar for a drink. He turned around when he heard some commotion as the door opened. His eyes widened as he saw six young women walk in. It was the crew of the HMS Pinafore.

A pirate with a scar over his eye said, "Holy shit... is that the HMS Pinafore's crew?"

Adagio drank some of her drink before saying, "What're they doing out this far from Equestria?"

Time Turner tipped his hat as to avoid eye contact with the officers, "Perhaps somebody angered the Royal family. Whoever they're looking for must have really pissed them off to send the HMS Pinafore."

One of the girls stood in the center of the tavern and asked aloud, "Greetings pirates. My name is Captain Twilight Sparkle, of the HMS Pinafore from Equestria. May I trouble any of you for a bit of your time?"

Spike's voice was deeper when he had his helmet on, so he answered, "What would a naval officer from such a high and mighty realm want with some lowly pirates like us?"

Twilight grumbled lightly, "We're looking for the Prince of Equestria, Spike. He fled here and his mother has asked us to bring him home safe and sound. Have you seen anyone who looks out of the ordinary lately?"

Spike chuckled, "Depends"

The rainbow haired girl growled, "On what?"

"How much you're willing to pay. I'm a pirate, not a charity. You want information, I'd like a bit of gold for me to finish repairs on me ship."

Before the rainbow haired girl could reply, Twilight stopped her, "That's enough Rainbow Dash. It's no surprise that a petty pirate would want to be paid for information. The drek that infests these skyways are only concerned with profit. Very well, name your price."

Spike was laughing internally, dumbfounded how the HMS Pinafore's crew would be gullible enough to pay him for false information, "50,000 gold pieces."

"I'll give you 20,000" Twilight said calmly, but with a stern glare on her face.

"You're in no position to negotiate. I have the information you want, and I'm not giving it up for anything less that 50K."

Twilight sighed, "Very well, on one condition. Information first, payment next. Not to be rude, but I couldn't trust a blackguard like you as far as I can throw you."

Spike chuckled, "I suppose that's fair enough. A few hours ago, a kid with green hair came into the Tavern. He asked me if I could offer him passage to Jonah Town. I told him my ship was being repaired, so he left. If he's not anywhere on the island, he must have found a captain willing to get him to Jonah Town."

The girl with yellow hair in a braid said, "Isn't Jonah Town where the Frogfather lives? We'd best search the island quickly to confirm that the prince has left, then make our way to Jonah Town if he isn't here."

Twilight nodded, "Right you are Applejack, but first, we hold up our end of the bargain. Rarity, if you would?"

The fourth girl, who had beautiful curled purple hair stepped forward and started to hand Spike a sack of gold, "50,000 gold pieces, as promised. Be grateful that we Equestrians keep our word, unlike your ruffian pirates." But before she handed over the gold, she stopped to look into the spot where she knew his eyes would be underneath that helmet and warned him, "A fair warning pirate, if we find out you've sent us on a wild goose chase, we will come back here, and take back more than our gold."

On the inside, Spike was sweating bullets, he knew how fierce the girls could be. However, he kept a calm demeanor and said, "I can't guarantee you'll find who you're looking for, but If you try to pick a fight with me, I'll be damn sure to go down swinging." before taking the gold from Rarity and going back to his drink as the crew left.

Before they left, Rarity said "For your sake, you better hope it doesn't come to that. Until then, have fun with the gold darling."

The girls headed back to their ship, and the one with pastel pink hair asked, "Captain, didn't something about that pirate strike you as odd?"

Twilight looked at her, "What do you mean Fluttershy?"

"The way he was dressed, it's a rather fancy suit for a pirate, don't you think?"

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah, I mean, it looked like he had rose petals on his sleeves. What kind of pirate wears that sort of stuff unless they're really successful and can afford the finer things?"

Rarity sighed, "Well, as much as I hate to say it, the ruffian does have good taste in fashion. If he wasn't a pirate, he might make a nice suitor, in that outfit he could easily pass for a gentleman. Although I doubt it."

It seems that young Captain Spike has eluded the famous crew of the HMS Pinafore. He was able to throw them off his trail, but how long will he be able to keep that up?

An Explanation (Retconned)

Spike sighed as his crew was still in the Tavern, "Ok guys, lets get to going for Finn."

Adagio nodded, "Right, if we spend too much time here, his buyer could come for the amulet."

As the crew went back towards Skull Mountain, they didn't know they were being followed. Two young women, one with light aquamarine and white hair, and one with pink and dark blue hair. The first girl asked her partner, "Are you sure the spell is working Bonbon? That guy looks nothing like the prince, I mean, did you see his hand? It's a blade for Faust's sake!"

Bonbon looked at the crystal orb she carried, "Yes Lyra, the spell is working. That's the prince. He fooled the HMS Pinafore, but he can't fool magic."

The two girls continued to follow Spike's crew. When they had their chance, they made their move. "Prince Spike! You may have fooled the HMS Pinafore's crew, but you can't fool us!"

Spike looked around him as if he was looking for someone, "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes, we are talking to you, young prince," responded Bonbon.

"And you can drop the act Spike, we know it's you," finished Lyra.

"Sorry, but I'm not the prince. Though I sure wish I was, because who wouldn't want to live that sweet carefree life of luxury and all," continued Spike.

"Well, Mr. Not Prince. We will just have to take you in to properly clear up this little misunderstanding." said Bonbon.

"Yeah, I don't think so," countered Spike, before he quickly threw a throwing knife towards Lyra and Bonbon.

Quickly dodging the knife, Lyra resounded with, "Ya missed."

Spike chuckled, "Wasn't aiming at you. Look below your feet."

"Wah-?" was all Bonbon got to say before the floor suddenly gave out beneath them, causing them to fall downwards into the secret tunnels located underneath.

"Rotted floors," shouted Spike. "You never know when they will just suddenly give out."

"Spike! You're gonna pay for that!" yelled Lyra.

"Uh Lyra, I think we have bigger things to worry about than the prince. Much bigger things."

As Lyra turned to Bonbon's direction, her eyes widened when she saw a massive crocigator, "Oh... shit..."

Spike chuckled as the two ran from the mutated crocigator, but when he looked at his crew, he gulped from their disgruntled looks.

"Hehe, mistaken identity," he laughed in a vain attempt to laugh off the incident.

"Once is an accident," said Time Turner.

"But twice is a coincidence," finished Adagio. "And this is twice now we have had people come looking for the prince since you arrived. "

"Not to mention these two thought you were the prince they're looking for." said Bulk Biceps.

"Coincidence indeed some might say, but for me I say no way," added Zecora.

"Ok, you deserve an explanation. Come in here," Spike sighed. They went into a small bunk room that Avery had given Spike earlier, where he started explaining. "Those two girls, they were Lyra and Bonbon, two of Celestia's top spies. The reason they're after me is because... I am the runaway Equestrian prince."

The crew looked very surprised, but Adagio sat next to Spike and asked, "Why didn't you tell us? You're our captain, through and through. Did you think we'd leave just because you're a royal?"

Spike sighed lightly, "Yes actually. I thought if anyone knew I was a runaway prince, nobody would want to be part of my crew."

Time Turner sighed, "Spike, I'll be honest. I knew you were the prince the whole time."

They all looked at Time Turner in shock and said, "You did!?"

Time Turner opened his trench coat, exposing an old Royal Navy uniform from almost fifteen years ago, adorned with medals and explained, "I served in the Royal Navy for eight years. Do you really think I don't know the Prince of Equestria when I see him?"

Adagio raised an eyebrow, "And you didn't tell us why?"

Time Turner closed his trench coat and said, "Because it's really none of my business. Spike, I didn't join the crew as a member of the Royal Navy protecting the Prince of Equestria, I joined the crew of the Black Rose Dragon, a pirate I saw promise in. I'm with you all the way, prince or pirate, you're my captain."

Adagio nodded, "That goes for all of us, we're not here because you're a prince, we're here because you're you."

Spike smiled, "Thanks you guys. But, even if we evaded Lyra and Bonbon, they'll always know where I am. My mother had a tracking spell placed on me years ago."

Zecora cracked her knuckles, "That is where I come in. With me Hoodoo, that spell will be trash in a bin."

"Wow, thanks you guys," said Spike, happily surprised.

"But don't you ever lie to us like again," warned Bulk Biceps.

"Hehe, wouldn't dream of it," laughed Spike.

Zecora took out some supplies and started mixing them. "This potion may taste like shellac, but with it, that orb won't be able to track."

Spike gulped as he smelled the potion, but started drinking it, forcing himself to swallow all of it without vomiting from the taste. "Thanks, Zecora, but how do we know it worked?"

Zecora chuckled, "Have faith in my ways, we shall not see those two for days."

Meanwhile in the tunnels underneath the island, Lyra and Bonbon were panting behind a wall. Lyra looked around the corner and sighed in relief, "I think we lost it."

As Bonbon took the crystal orb out again, "Good, we should get back to- Wh-What the!? The orb, it's not showing where Spike is!"

Lyra's eyes widened, "What!? B-But how could he have fooled the spell!?"

Bonbon sighed, "That zebra girl, she must be a Witchdoctor. While they're hard to make, there are potions that counter tracking spells. Without the spell, Spike's a leaf in the wind. I'd best report back to Celestia. Although I'm sure we're going to get yelled at."

Lyra gulped as Bonbon rubbed the orb to communicate with Celestia. As Celestia appeared in the orb, Lyra said, "A-Apologies Queen Celestia. The tracking spell... it's been canceled out with Hoodoo. We have no idea where the prince might be now."

Celestia's eye twitched as she screamed her lungs out into the orb. After she got done screaming, she sobbed loudly, "If only I could tell him how sorry I am! I just want my baby boy back!"

Bonbon tried to think of a way to console the queen and said, "Well, think of it this way, if he's smart enough to escape us, he's smart enough to stay safe even with all these pirates."

Celestia sniffled as she wiped a tear from her eye, "I-I suppose that's true. Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

Lyra gulped, "Um... well... when we found the prince... his left hand, it was replaced by a blade."

Celestia's eyes widened when she heard that her son had lost his hand and for a moment it looked like she'd lost her sanity. She calmly said, "Well, that's enough. I believe I'm going to go pass out in my bed for a while and cry myself to sleep."

As Celestia left, Lyra and Bonbon gulped and said, "This is bad... hopefully Spike's ok..."

After Spike had finished the potion, he smiled at his crew. "Thanks, you guys, you're the best crew a guy could ask for."

A Drive for Vengeance

Spike and his crew walked back towards the Temple of Gloom. While they were there earlier, they found a shortcut that they took advantage of on their way to confront Finn. Spike asked his crew "Do any of you have any advice on Finn?"

Adagio told Spike, "Cutthroats are bullies and cowards, so they'll turn tail if we beat Finn. It's best if we focus on fighting Finn instead of the rest of the Cutthroats."

Time Turner was loading his gun and said, "Adagio's right, but Finn is no ordinary Cutthroat, he's one of the best fighters on Skull Island. And he's not above fighting dirty."

Bulk Biceps grumbled, "A fight against a thief is fine, but I find no challenge against a thief with no sense of honor. You should understand being a royal, right Spike?"

Spike nodded, "I may be a pirate, but I still have my pride and sense of honor."

As they entered, Finn looked at them and asked, "You're not the buyer, who the hell are you?"

"I am the Black Rose Dragon and I challenge you for Avery's Jade Amulet!"

Frowning in utter annoyance at this kid's brazen call to challenge him, Finn shook his head at the kid's complete stupidity and lack of respect before turning to one of his men and silently mouthing something to him.

"Turning your back to-" Spike froze right in the middle of his witty remark as a loud bang suddenly echoed across the temple. Instinctively his hand flew right to his chest see if he was alright, until he would receive his answer to what had just happened a second later when a loud thud sounded to the right of him.

Looking down, he would see an image that he would never forget as there laid the body of Zecora. Shot straight through the heart and dead before she even hit the ground.

"That ought to teach you some respect boy," Finn replied.

Though such a reply was met with deaf ears as Spike was hearing nothing but white noise, before being broken in a cry of pure rage as he blindly charged at Finn.

Meanwhile in Jonah Town...

Applejack sighed, "I think that pirate sent us on a wild goose chase, no surprise there."

Rarity growled, "And here I thought he could pass for a gentleman, that lying ruffian!"

As Twilight was about to respond, her crystal ball started glowing, "It's from Lyra and Bonbon. What's up you two? Have you found the prince?"

Lyra sighed, "Yes, but there's been a problem. Spike is here in Skull Island, but he managed to have his Witchdoctor crewmate make a potion to counteract the tracking spell."

Twilight's eyes widened, "The Prince is still on Skull Island!? We looked everywhere for him and didn't see a sign of him!"

Bonbon explained, "He's disguised himself as a pirate called the Black Rose Dragon, he's got a dragon helmet and a suit that looks like it's made of rose petals."

Twilight's eye started twitching, "The pirate who we paid for information on the prince's whereabouts was the prince himself!?" They started heading back to Skull Island, full speed to find the prince.

Back at the throne room...

As Spike clashed swords with Finn, it didn't take long before he was shown just how outclassed he was. With Finn easily dodging and parrying every single swing and job of the sword he did, smiling and laughing all the while. With the only reason he knew that Finn didn't just cut him down with every opportunity he was given was because he was toying with him. Which only drove to further drive Spike deeper into his blind rage of the man and become increasingly reckless.

"Enough of this," yawned Finn as he sidestepped Spikes sword arm in his latest failed jab, where he proceeded to hit Spike hard in the back with the hilt of his blade, causing Spike to cry out in pain and knocking the raging prince to the ground.

"It's truly pathetic when young ones like you come around and act like you are one of the big boys. After all, just look at what your stupidity has gotten you," Finn said as he outstretched his arms to emphasize all that had just happened around them.

Looking around from where Spike lay upon the ground, he could see all of his motley crew were defeated. Bulk Biceps laid bruised and battered not too far from him, only saved by his insanely huge and durable body. Time Turner was stuck inside a magic barrier he had created that at any moment would break from the continuous onslaught of shark men battering at the barrier. While Adagio laid pinned down to the ground as several pirates stood over her grinning maliciously.

"The world is truly better offer without such stupidity," he finished as he raised his blade high into the air before swinging it downward to end the pathetic brat's life. Yet just as the blade was about to descend upon Spikes neck, a new shot rang throughout the temple and landed right against Finn's blade. Knocking it out of his hand and saving the young prince's life.

"Twilight," Spike groaned, not expecting to see them again.

"Gahh!" gasped Finn. "The HMS Pinafore, retreat! We aren't prepared to face them in this condition." Causing all the shark men to forget about Spike and his beaten crew as they all jumped into the nearby water and quickly swim away. Where Spike unable to do anything but watch, is made to growl as he sees Finn get away.

"My Prince," shouted Twilight in worry and relieve as she ran over to Spike and immediately started using healing magic on him. "Thank Celestia you're alright."

"No Twilight, I'm not alright. I'm not alright at all," he growls as he immediately moves over to Zecora's dead body thanks to the healing magic. Where he kneels in front of her, tears streaming down his mask and cried, "I'm sorry Zecora. If I hadn't been so cocky, none of this would have happened... I promise I'll avenge you... I swear it!"

Following him, Twilight knelt down beside Spike and said, "My Prince, you are already injured enough with the loss of your hand. As our orders were to bring you home safely, we have already failed. I will not allow you to injure yourself further by avenging someone you barely know. Her death is insignificant to your safety."

Causing Spike to shout at them and say "Shut up! She trusted me as her captain, and it's my fault she's dead! My pride as a pirate, no, my pride as a man instructs me to avenge her! You of all people should understand! If somebody killed one of your crewmates, you would go to the end of the Spiral to find them!"

"Personally, yes Spike," she answered. "But as someone who has sworn service to your mother and to protect Equestria, such duties are far more important than personal vendettas. And you too, My Prince have a-"

"Silence!" Spike shouting, cutting off whatever it was Twilight was going to say. "I will not be returning to the castle with you. I will avenge my crewmen and you will not prevent me from doing so!"

"I'm sorry my Prince," Twilight sighed. "But we are under direct orders from your mother to bring you home and there's just no way we are letting put yourself in harm's way for the sake of avenging someone you barely knew," she says as she walks up to Spike to apprehend him.

Spike growled as Twilight approached him, but he had an ace up his sleeve. As a young dragon still, he may not be able to breath great fire just yet, but he could create great clouds of smoke. In the confusion, Spike yelled, "Bulk Biceps, you carry Zecora's body, let's go!" and they fled with their crewman's corpse in tow. Since they still had a job, Spike was able to snatch Avery's Jade Amulet as they made their getaway.

As the smoke cleared, Twilight sighed, "The prince has no idea what he's doing... Come, the search continues."

Zecora's Funeral

After escaping Twilight and co., Spike and what remained of his battered crew sped towards Avery. Where upon arrival, Spike rushed towards him and "Here's your amulet," he said while quickly shoving it into Avery's chest. "Now quickly give me the reward you promised because we have to get out of here NOW." he shouted at the end.

"Ok, here you-" he didn't even get to finish as Spike instantly snatched the bag of gold out of Avery's hands and immediately jumped onto the nearest ship right afterward.

"Hey!" shouted the owner of the ship as Spike and his crew were preparing to set sail.

"Here you go," said Time Turner who quickly divided the gold up and threw half of it at the owner.

"Hope that pays for the ship," shouted Spike as they were setting sail.

As they set sail and finally got away from Skull Island, Spike sighed in relief. He steered the ship around the skyway and asked his crew, "Any ideas on where we should go next?"

Adagio looked up to her captain and said, "Perhaps we should head to Tapu Rui. It's the place where all Zebra Witchdoctors are given their final trial before becoming a true Witchdoctor. I think it's the best place to lay Zecora to rest."

Spike smiled lightly, "Tapu Rui it is." before taking his magical map out. The map told them how far they were from the island, and which way to go.

He told his crew, "Doctor, you're on the rigging, Adagio, make sure the cannons are loaded and ready to fire in case we run into trouble and Bulk Biceps, go to the lower deck to check if we have all the supplies we need for this trip."

His crew answered in union, "Aye Captain!" before running off to their assigned duties.

A little while after Spike had been steering the ship towards Tapu Rui and losing himself in the calmness of the sea, he heard Bulk Biceps call out in his usual loud voice down below before what sounded like a scuffle could be heard.

"Looks like we might have some trouble," he said, coming back up to the deck and caring a struggling fox girl in his musclebound grip.

"Oh man," groaned Spike, already wondering if this unknown individual was an unlucky member of the previous ship owner's crew. Someone who had stayed down below on the ship for whatever reason while it was docked, until the ship's unexpected departure.

"Let me go you muscle bound freak," she cursed while futilely trying to escape Bulk's grip.

"Sorry ma'am," he politely refused. "But I can't do that until the Cap'n says so."

"The captain?" she said, looking up at Spike, confused. "Where's Captain Benjamin, did you steal his ship?"

"Steal is a bit of a harsh way of describing things," chuckled Spike. "Bought is a better term for what we did," he smiled, albeit strained.

"Uh huh," she said, not buying it. "Eh, not like it matters," she shrugged.

"And why is that?" asked Spike, curious at her seemingly disinterest at the unfortunate situation her captain now found himself in.

"Because Benjamin did steal the ship himself, so fair is fair," she hummed.

"Ahaha," Spike laughed.

"So, you the new captain of the ship I presume?" she asked, taking things like it was any other day.

"Yes," he answered. "Spike, Captain of the Black Rose Dragon. SOON TO BE THE MOST FEARED PIRATES... ever," he said with great gusto, though deflated at the end upon remembering where they were heading and why.

"We'll see about that," she sighed, shaking her head at Spike's bravado, though curious at why he stopped near the end.

"I have to ask," said Adagio who had returned from checking the cannons. "You seem to be taking things remarkably well."

"I have been around long enough to have gone through several captains," she said. "And most of their ends weren't pretty let me tell you. Having another one, that's part of the pirate's life."

"Anyway," she continued, seeing the solemn look on Spikes face. "The name's Bonnie Anne. So how about letting me go so I can properly get to know the crew?"

After a brief pause, Spike nodded his head to give the go ahead to let her go but didn't say anything on the matter. Now focused completely on the task at hand.

"Well, he sure looks to be in a pleasant mood," Bonnie remarked after being let go. "I take it something happened recently?"

"Yes, one of our crew members died recently," answered Adagio in a sad tone while pointing towards Time Turner who was now at the nose of the ship watching over Zecora's body.

"Pfft, that's all?" she laughed, not getting the gravity of the situation. "We're pirates, members of the crew die all the time."

"HOW DARE YOU," yelled Bulk Biceps, who considering his naturally loud voice, caused the fox girls hair to spike up in complete fear.

"WE MAY BE PIRATES, BUT WE CARE ABOUT OUR COMRADES," he continued.

"I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "I didn't know she meant that much to you. I just thought-"

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT," he said, who disappeared using her fox magic.

"We're almost there," shouted Time Turner, seeing Tapu Rui coming into view.

"So how do you want to handle this, Captain?" questioned Adagio.

"As much as I would prefer to sneak aboard the island under the cover of the night. We just don't have the luxury as of now to be staying in one place for longer than necessary," he answered, causing the rest of the crew to nod their heads in agreement.

"We'll just have to risk it, no time to delay," he said as he steered the ship towards the island, where they soon made port to a most unwelcoming looking set of armed hosts.

"Why are you here? Our home is not for you to commandeer," said the one who looked to be the Elder of the tribe.

Spike spoke calmly saying, "I apologize if we startled you. We mean no harm; we just wish for a funeral for our crewmate Zecora."

The Zebras muttered to each other when Spike told them that Zecora was dead. The elder sighed, "Zecora was born to live a life in the skies. Her death is heartbreaking, but not a surprise. Pirates know that death will knock on their door one day, I just never thought her spirit would leave us this way. You may have your funeral here in our home, hopefully Zecora's spirit will no longer roam. After your funeral is at an end, we ask that on your way, you must send."

Spike smiled lightly, "Thank you sir. We promise, once we've given Zecora a proper burial, we'll be on our way." before having the Doctor and Bulk Biceps take the casket, they'd built out of spare wood with Zecora's remains in it off the ship. The elder Zebra led them to a small cemetery and while two other Zebras dug a hole for the grave, Spike said, "I see you are loyal to your own kind. I appreciate your help in giving Zecora a proper burial."

The elder smiled lightly and said, "You have the compassion to bring Zecora home, that is enough to show me that your heart does not roam." before helping the crew lift Zecora's casket, which the Zebras decorated in flowers and tribal patterns, into the grave. He spoke as everyone went silent and bowed their heads, "In the memory of Zecora, we wish for her spirit to fly in the aurora. She was young, brave, and had a smart brain. Let us hope that her death will not be in vain."

Spike finished the prayer saying, "In the name of the Raven, the Tree, and the Spider, in holy honor amen." before falling silent again as the casket was buried. When the funeral was finished, Spike told the elder, "A deal is a deal, we'll be on our way now." Before walking back to the ship where Bonnie Anne was waiting. It didn't surprise him that she didn't attend the funeral, considering it was for somebody she never met, so she had not personal attachments to Zecora. As they left the docks at Tapu Rui, Spike felt at peace with Zecora's death, knowing that she was now in a better place, and that they gave her a proper burial in a place that she would want herself to be buried.

The Hunt Begins

As Spike and his crew left Tapu Rui, Spike asked his crew, "So, where should we go next? We can't avenge Zecora with such a small crew. As much as I hate to say it, Finn was right, we're rookies trying to fight the big players."

Bulk Biceps sighed, "You've got a point. Maybe we could use some of the gold we got from Avery and the HMS Pinafore to hire some more crewmates."

The Doctor tipped his hat in agreement saying, "A good idea, but in a place like Skull Island, we have no idea what people will want for their service, and we only have about 60 grand after buying the ship."

Adagio suggested, "Perhaps we should hunt for treasure?"

Suddenly, in a cloud of purple smoke, Bonnie Anne appeared and said, "Treasure you say? Well, I think I have something to help." Before taking out a bottle with some paper in it, "This here is Captain Gunn's last will and testament. I was in charge of keeping watch on it, since I was the coin master of the ship. Thus, all things treasure related went to me. I'll give it to you as an apology for my rudeness about Zecora's death."

Bulk Biceps growled lightly before Spike interrupted him, "Hmm, why though?" questioned Spike.

"Why what?" she smiled innocently.

"Why give this to us when you could have taken the treasure for yourself and run?" he shot back, not buying this innocent little act.

"I just want to apologize for my actions earlier and earn your trust. Is that really so hard to believe?" she said, giving a little pout at the end.

"...Very well," Spike growled, knowing that he really didn't have any other choice in the matter. He was desperate for some much need cash and this being the only option presented to him, he had no choice but to trust her.

"So, where do we start?"

Bonnie smiled nervously, "Well, that's the bit of bad news. We have to go back to Skull Island. Ben and my old crew were there to talk to Morgan Laffite. She's fluent in Valencian, that's what the will is written in, so Ben and crew were heading to convince her to help us with the hunt."

Spike thought for a moment, "Well, at this point, the HMS Pinafore has probably left Skull Island by now, since they know I wouldn't stay in one place for too long with them on my tail. What about Ben though? Don't you think he'd want the will back?"

Bonnie chuckled, "Well, that is true, but it's not like he has the guts to take it back. Besides, him and his crew are nothing but a bunch of drunk thugs. If they tried to force us to give the will back while they're drunk, it wouldn't go very well for them."

Spike chuckled lightly, "Well, let's get back to Skull Island then." before steering the ship back towards the Skull Island docks

As the ship headed back to Skull Island, Adagio was talking with Bonnie Anne and asked her, "So, can you keep a secret, girl to girl?"

Bonnie nodded, "Yeah, you can trust me."

Adagio blushed as she whispered, "This is embarrassing, but I think that Spike is kind of cute. I feel that I'm punching above my weight class though."

Bonnie giggled lightly, "Well, he's certainly better looking than any of the men on my old crew, and much more of a gentleman too."

As they continued to talk about girl things, Spike sighed as it got dark and stormy. "Well, I'm not steering through a storm like this in the dark. The closest dock is over at Blood Shoals. We'll go there and rest for the night." before steering the ship towards the closest docks, which was only a half hour away from where they were. Spike lowered the anchor with the help of Bulk Biceps and watched the rain come in. He never fully understood how anchors really held a ship in place, since there was no bottom of the skies. All his life he'd questioned why the islands of the Spiral floated, and how anchors could stop a ship from moving in midair, but he'd never been able to get a straight answer, so it seemed as though nobody actually knew the answer. He looked to Bulk Biceps and asked, "When you were below deck, did you find anything we could cook up for dinner?"

Bulk Biceps face palmed, "I completely forgot to go back and check with Bonnie Anne and all. I'll go see what we've got Cap'n." before heading back down below deck into the cargo hold. When Spike came to check on him, he held a crate on his shoulder saying, "We've got some Batacuda steaks we could cook up, plus a lot of Buffaloon hides, some exotic spices, and three barrels of rum."

Spike smiled and said, "Well, I've never had Batacuda before, let's give it a go. Grab some spices so we can have a decent dinner."

When Bulk Biceps and Spike walked into the galley, Time Turner could smell the spices and smiled, "Ooh, is that Rivia Nut I smell? With that and a bit of Swamp Saffron, I can make a great meal!" As Bulk Biceps set the crates down, Time Turner took out some Batacuda Steaks and the spices he needed before starting to cook.

As the Batacuda cooked, Spike could smell the mix of spices and smiled, "Smells great Doc. I can't wait to try some of this."

Time Turner smiled, "Wait no longer, grilled Batacuda with Rivia Nut and Swamp Saffron, with a side of steamed Blood Moss." as he brought a plate to each of the waiting pirates and himself.

Spike licked his lips as the seasoned Batacuda steak was placed in front of him and thanked Time Turner, "Looks delicious Doctor, thanks for cooking this up."

Time Turner smiled, "It's nothing, there's two things I'm an expert in, guns and cooking." before sitting down and cutting into his own Batacuda steak.

Spike cut into his steak and took a bite. His taste buds were overflowing with the sweet flavor from the Rivia Nut and the heat of the Swamp Saffron. The steamed Blood Moss was creamy and smooth, going down his throat like a smooth drink. "This is the best meal I've had in a long time Doctor; you really are a great cook."

After dinner, most of the crew had gone to sleep, whereas Spike stood at the nose of the bow, looking out to the stars, and more importantly, an aurora. It put Spike's heart at ease, the way that the Zebra elder had said that Zecora's spirit would be flying in the aurora. If he didn't know any better, he'd have sworn he saw her stripes flowing in the lights. He smiled lightly, before heading to the captain's quarters and heading to bed.

The next morning...

Spike awoke in his quarters before heading up to the deck to find his crew getting ready to sail back to Skull Island. Spike smiled, but then asked, "Did I oversleep or something?"

Adagio shook her head, "No, it's just that Blood Shoals isn't a very great place to stay, it's an absolute rat hole, so we want to get out of here as fast as we can.

Spike nodded, getting up to the wheel as his crew lifted the anchor and got the sails ready. As they headed back to Skull Island, Spike wondered how'd they deal with Ben if they ran into conflict with him. Then again, it wouldn't be hard to deal with a man who was either drunk or had a horrible hangover. As they docked, Spike asked Bonnie Anne, "So where is this Morgan Lafitte character?"

Bonnie told him, "She's up in the Skull Fort, in Swashbuckler's Hall. Just a warning, she romanticizes piracy, so she may be a bit unusual."

"I'll keep that in mind," he nodded.

Yet as Spike and his crew were walking up to the Swashbuckler's Hall to meet Morgan Lafitte, they soon ran into a drunken looking figure.

"Aye ya bastards! I want my ship and Gunn's will back!" said the man they presumed to be Captain Benjamin.

Spike knew there was no reasoning with this drunkard and walked up to him before drawing his sword and holding it up to Ben's neck. "You have two choices, either you can fight us so you can get your ship and treasure map back, or you can leave immediately-" before shouting in his natural rough Equestrian accent, "-because I will rip your spine out of your arse if you pick option one!"

His crew, even Bulk Biceps was surprised by their captain's outburst and Time Turner whispered to Adagio, "What's gotten into the captain? He's never been this aggressive before."

Adagio whispered back, "How should I know? Maybe he just doesn't want to deal with a drunk idiot."

When Ben smashed his beer bottle against Spike's helmet, which probably saved Spike a lot of pain from the broken glass, he said, "Thank you for picking option one. Now prepare for Equestrian justice!" before sheathing his sword and delivering a swift uppercut to Ben's jaw.

As Ben tried to swing at Spike, he dodged and grabbed his arm, to which Ben replied with slurred speech, "Please don't break my arm."

Spike smirked and said, "No" before slamming Ben's arm between the armored kneecaps of his suit and his elbow, the sound of breaking bones could be clearly heard.

After having his arm broken, Ben screamed, "All right, all right, you win! Just let me live and get my arm in a cast!"

Spike thought he'd had enough punishment and throwing his arm over his shoulder said, "All right, get out of here." as Benjamin stumbled off, holding his broken arm in pain.

Bonnie chuckled, "Gotta say, that was satisfying to watch the old bastard get what's been coming to him for the past three years."

Spike smiled and acted as though nothing big had happened, "Well, let's get going to Morgan Laffite then." before continuing to walk towards Swashbuckler's Hall.

Mythic Jewel's Inner Conflict

As Spike was steering his ship towards Flotsam skies, he watched as Rainbow Dash talked with Morgan Laffite, doing just as he had asked of her, gaining her trust.

As Rainbow Dash made conversation, she asked Morgan, "So, why exactly have you been seducing the captain?" This was a more personal question, since it really irritated her that this slut of a pirate kept making passes at the prince. Although Spike was old enough to have sex and make his own decisions, she didn't want him getting hurt in case this woman was trying to seduce him and sneak off with the treasure.

Morgan raised an eyebrow with a smirk, "Jealous, are we? Well, if you must know, I simply have a thing for younger men. Honestly, Avery was a good boss when I was training Swashbucklers to fight with finesse and grace, but I've been wanting to leave Skull Island for a long time."

Rainbow Dash growled lowly, but restrained herself from punching Morgan in the face and forced a smile, "Well, I will say the captain is quite the gentleman when he wants to be, but he doesn't seem to appreciate your advances."

Morgan giggled, "Yes, I know, but what can I say? I'm a tease. That doesn't mean I don't care about his safety. I'll be brutally honest, Captain Avery asked me to join his crew to pay back a debt he owes to the Moon Lily."

Rainbow Dash was shocked when she heard Morgan mention Princess Luna's pirate identity. She'd heard that Luna had run away to become a pirate, but she thought it was just gossip and slander. She now had an idea in her head that Luna might have given Spike the idea to run off. But Morgan seemed to be telling the truth, she wasn't trying to scam Spike out of the treasure, she was just a slutty flirt who was trying to get Spike in bed with her. That didn't make her like Morgan any more though.

As Adagio was keeping watch up in the crow's nest, she saw a ship coming towards them and said, "Cap'n! There's a Cutthroat ship heading our way, approximately ten clicks of the port stern!"

Spike growled, more of those annoying Cutthroats. If he wanted to send Finn a message, maybe making a necklace out of shark teeth would be a good message. He yelled to his crew, "Battle stations everyone! We're taking that ship down!"

As the crew ran to their assigned stations, Time Turner climbed to the crow's nest as Adagio made her way down. The crow's nest was the best place for him to snipe at the incoming ship. He looked through his scope and could see a strange looking shark that wasn't Finn, but it wasn't one of the normal Cutthroats either. "Cap'n! One of the sharks on that ship isn't a Cutthroat! I think he's from the Hammerhead Clan!"

Spike had heard about the Hammerhead Clan, they were honorable warriors, nothing like the Cutthroats. He looked through his telescope that Luna had given him and said, "What would a Hammerhead be doing on a Cutthroat ship?"

As the ship came into firing range, Spike yelled, "Fire!" before the cannons went off. The mast of the ship had been shattered by one of the cannonballs, but it still kept coming, albeit slower than if the mast was intact. As it came in to range, Spike yelled, "Bonnie Anne, you're on the wheel! Doctor, stay alert and snipe anyone if you think you should! And Bulk Biceps, keep the cannons loaded and wait for my signal! Adagio, Morgan, Jewel, you're with me!"

As Bonnie Anne ran up to the steering wheel and took control, Spike ran down and threw a grappling hook on to the Cutthroat ship's rigging, before jumping over.

As Adagio, Morgan, and Rainbow Dash followed Spike's actions, a Hammerhead shark came down from the nose of the ship and said, "I believe you are the one I'm hunting for."

Spike growled, "Hunting me? Damn, the girls must have put a bounty on me. Well, I'm not going back to Equestria without a fight! You have no idea what that life is like! I wouldn't wish the frivolous and boring life of a royal on my worst enemy!"

The hammerhead raised an eyebrow, "Royal, you? Finn said nothing about the target being a royal. That makes you even more valuable as a hostage then what Finn could possibly have paid me," he gleefully said.

Spike growled even more, "Finn, eh? So, Finn sent you... well, that makes this personal!" before dashing at the Hammerhead with his sword ready. When the hammerhead parried with his own sword, Spike smirked, "Finn hasn't been keeping tabs on me if he thinks I don't have more tricks up my sleeves." before shooting out his blade hand, which he'd had equipped with a spring-loaded launch mechanism, digging it deep into the hammerhead's shoulder, causing him to stumble back in pain.

As his blade returned to his arm, Spike kicked the off-balance hammerhead to the ground before pressing the tip of his sword to where his heart lay, putting enough pressure that anymore would pierce his body. "So, Finn really is nothing but a coward. But dead man tells no tales, so I'm forced to let you live. Just let Finn Dorsal know that if he wants me, that he should fight me like a man, instead of cowering behind his lackeys."

The hammerhead groaned in pain as Spike kept his blade against his chest, and grunted the words, "Fine, fine! I was just trying to make ends meet! I have to put meat on the table you know!"

Spike growled but pulled back the blade off of the hammerhead's chest, but not before punching his two front teeth out and picking them up and saying, "That smile will serve as a warning to Finn." before walking back to his ship looking up at Time Turner, who was looking down in his scope, targeting anyone who would be stupid enough to go after Spike.

Rainbow Dash was shocked at how brutal the prince had just been. Losing Zecora must have meant more to him than she realized. She headed back to their ship along with Adagio and Morgan, wondering if the prince was really the same boy she knew.

Spike sighed as they got away from the ship and was relieved, they got the message and went the other way. "Bonnie, steer us towards the closest port. I need to rest after that."

Bonnie nodded, "Aye, aye, captain."

As Spike returned to his quarters, Rainbow Dash looked at her pocket which held the orb she used to communicate with Twilight. She walked down to the lower decks while the rest of the crew was getting calmed down from the incident with the sharks. She contacted Twilight and said, "Twilight, we're about to dock at the Ruined Lighthouse and head to sleep. But I should warn you, Spike's become much more brutal towards his enemies. He nearly killed one of our attackers, only to let him live to relay a message to Finn Dorsal, that shark Spike was fighting back on Skull Island.

Twilight nodded, "Consider me warned. The prince seems very determined to stay with this life... I'm beginning to consider keeping you on his ship more as a guard than as a spy, but I'll need approval from the Queen before that becomes the plan. Just keep to your assignment for now. Is there anything else you'd like to report?"

Rainbow Dash nodded, "One of his crewmates, a raccoon named Morgan Laffite mentioned the Moon Lily, Princess Luna's alleged pirate name. I have a feeling Spike may have been encouraged by his aunt to flee and become a pirate like she did at his age."

Twilight sighed, "I never believed those rumors that Luna was a pirate in her youth, but I suppose I'll have to relay to the Queen just in case they're true. For now, the HMS Pinafore will operate out of the prince's locations. If we head straight to the Ruined Lighthouse, he may become suspicious of you, so we'll keep away for a while and wait for the opportunity to take the prince back. Get a good night's sleep."

Rainbow Dash saluted and said, "Aye captain." before placing the orb in her pocket and thinking to herself, "What compelled me to tell her we made port by the Ruined Lighthouse when we're on our way to Jonah Town for the night? Spike... he really loves this life of adventure... Is it my place to take him back to the life of a royal? Maybe he's right, I've never seen him this happy before, never as a royal... Twilight's always told me to follow my heart, and my heart feels as though it belongs with the prince, at his side, not as a spy, or as a duty-bound warrior, but as his crewmate..."

Secrets Uncovered

At the HMS Pinafore, Twilight was about to connect to Celestia for her third daily report. As Celestia appeared on the crystal orb, Twilight started, "I'm pleased to report that Rainbow Dash has infiltrated Spike's crew as a spy. With her relaying information to us, we can plan ahead and wait for the right moment to return the prince to Equestria, your Majesty." She gulped when she started to say, "Also, in Rainbow Dash's last report, she said one of Spike's crew members mentioned Luna's alleged pirate alter-ego, the Moon Lily. I hate to pry, but was Luna really a pirate in her youth and if so, it sounded like she may have encouraged Spike to pursue this path?" When she saw Celestia's figure momentarily set ablaze, she nervously said, "Well, I must be going, got to get some sleep to chase the prince down." before disconnecting.

Celestia yelled at the top of her lungs "LUNA!" before storming off to her sister's room.

As Luna heard her sister's scream, she realized that somehow, the HMS Pinafore must have realized that she encouraged Spike to flee and become a pirate. She picked up a book and pretended to be reading it as she entered. She looked up to her sister and asked, "Doesn't anyone knock anymore?"

Celestia angrily knocked on the door to her side, punching a hole through it with the second knock, and with a death glare asked her sister, "Did you tell Spike he should become a pirate?"

Luna went back to pretending to read her book saying, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Spike running away has nothing to do with me."

Celestia growled, "Don't play stupid with me! Twilight reported that one of Spike's crew members mentioned the Moon Lily, you!"

Luna raised an eyebrow and retorted, "And that proves what? That people remember my name nearly 20 years after I retired? That doesn't mean anything."

Celestia growled, but she was right, Luna was a well-known pirate, and Twilight had never mentioned what context the name Moon Lily was used, so while she may have suspicions, she has no concrete proof, but that didn't make her leave her sister alone. "Tell me this sister. If Spike did, hypothetically speaking, come to you with the suggestion that he wanted to be a pirate, would you have encouraged him?"

Luna's brow furrowed, but she kept her nose in her book, "Hypothetically you say, well sister the answer is yes."

"And why is that?" she seethed as the room got noticeably hotter.

"Because Spike was miserable here sister, you may not have seen it, but I did. I saw how unhappy Spike was being trapped virtually his whole life inside the palace walls, never being able to experience the outside world. Always being monitored by others because he is too important to be left to his own devices, etc. etc. sister. Need I go on."

"Spike is the heir to the Equestrian throne sister, it is his duty to one day lead this kingdom. Thus yes, certain things whether he likes them or not have to be the way they are, same with me. Do you think I was so blind as too not notice these things myself, because I did sister, and it tore me up inside seeing it every time I did."

"Well clearly you didn't notice how deep it went as Spike chose to run away rather than live one more day within these walls."

"Don't you dare lecture me Luna, you who never had to deal with the burden of leadership like I had too. You who shrugged off your responsibility for years and instead chose to be a self-serving pirate while I was left to carry the burden you left for me in your absence. And much more, you who have never known the love of a mate as I have, as well as a child," she spat.

"That's low, Celestia, and you know it," Luna whispered, deeply hurt.

"But it is the truth, and you know it," she shot back.

"No," she said as she shook her head. "What I know is that Spike's a grown adult who has never been able to experience the freedom he so rightfully deserves because you kept him locked away in here. You who out of love and fear, smothered him to the point of suffocation all because you were afraid of losing him like you did your husband."

This causing Celestia to run up to Luna and slap her across the face, "You do not get to speak of him," she cried. "You who were not even here for his funeral because you chose to play pirate rather than be with your family."

"And I will always regret I wasn't able to be here for you in your time of grief sister. I wished I had known what had transpired during my voyage, but you know as well as I that I only found out after the fact. That if I had known sooner that I would have come rushing home the moment it happened."

"And is that what it will take Luna, for me to die for my beloved son to return home? My death. Just as it did you," she hissed.

"That's not what I meant Celestia," she said shocked that her sister would even suggest such a thing.

"Then what did you mean? That Spike has no responsibility as the Prince of Equestria?"

"No! Would you shut up and listen to me for a minute! I'm in contact with Spike!"

Celestia's eyes widened and calmly said, "What? You're in contact with Spike? Are you pulling my leg sister? How would you have contact with him?"

Luna sighed and walked over to her jewelry box and as she looked through it, she asked Celestia, "Do you remember those emerald necklaces I got from my first mate before I returned home? Those emeralds weren't emeralds, they were green idrningite. I gave one to Spike."

Celestia's scowl was slowly turning into a grin as Luna explained herself, "Idrningite, as in the same ore that our crystal balls are made of?"

Luna nodded, "The very same sister. If you really want to talk to Spike, I'll let you, but don't yell at me or him if you don't like what he has to say." before finally finding the idrningite necklace and handing it to her sister.

Celestia looked at the idrningite, seeing her sad reflection staring back at her. Telling her what she knew a part of her wanted, which was to let Spike enjoy his freedom out in the world. To let him fully enjoy himself, despite the worry it caused her. To not have to bear the weight of his crown.

Luna raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you going to contact him or not?"

Celestia sighed, "Sister, I can forgive you helping him, and even though I don't like to admit it, it is because a part of me would have liked to do the same."

"I sense there's a but though," Luna remarked.

"Yes, and it harkens back to something our father once said."

Luna chuckled lightly, "Father's advice was always very cryptic. What did he say?"

"That everyone has two lives. The life they wish they had, and the life they actually have. If I could, I'd try my hardest to let Spike have a more fun life, while still helping him become king. Yet such a thing is not possible sister. To bare the weight of the crown is no easy responsibility, despite what the general public thinks. It is not a world of just luxury. To make decisions every day that affect the lives of millions of people across the kingdom and the wider world. To know when to be benevolent and when to be harsh. To know who to trust and who not to trust," she said with an icy tone, yet pain filled eyes. Something Luna wasn't given even a second to absorb before a collar was suddenly placed around her neck by one of the royal guards.

"Sister," Luna cried in complete shock and pain as she fell to the ground from the sudden blockage of her magic.

"I'm sorry sister," Celestia apologized, genuinely meaning it. "I know that your heart was in the right place when you did what you did. That it wasn't some bid to get rid of Spike so you would be closer to claiming the throne or anything like that," she said as she knelt down and forced Luna to look her in the eyes.

"And that is the problem, you thought with your heart once again. Just like you did when you ran off and forsook your responsibilities. And that is something that can't be allowed."

"Sister," Luna wheezed out, feeling so incredibly weak from being cut off from her magic.

"Save your energy sister," Celestia commented. "You're going to be locked up here in your room until I get my son back. After all, I can't have you interfering in the efforts of bringing my son home," were her last words to Luna as she left the room with the idrningite necklace in hand.

The Island of the Undead

Celestia was in her room pacing around, briefly pausing to gaze one more into the idrningite necklace, before returning to pacing. "Come on Celestia, you aren't going to get Spike back by hesitating." She took a deep breath and exhaled before finally trying to communicate with Spike through the necklace.

Spike saw his necklace glowing while he was steering the ship towards the Ruined Lighthouse and called out, "Bonnie Anne, take the wheel, I've got a call to take."

Bonnie Anne raised an eyebrow, "A call?" before noticing her captain's glowing necklace and saying, "Ah, idrningite, I get it." before taking the wheel to continue to the Ruined Lighthouse.

Spike looked at the necklace and his eyes widened when he realized who was using the other necklace, "M-Mother!? How did you get aunt Luna's necklace!?"

Celestia sighed, "I'm not at liberty to reveal that, but know that we talked me and her in-depth about the pain you're going through. With it all culminating in you suffering from gilded cage syndrome and I'm sorry son. But listen to me my son, I understand you want to have some fun in life, and you have every right to be happy. The life of a royal was never an easy one, both Luna and I know that very well, but running away from your problems never solved anything. Please, is there anything I can do or say to convince you to come back home?" she pleaded as tears streamed down her face.

Spike started tearing up, taking his helmet off to reveal his face, "Mother... I must admit, I do feel homesick, but something happened to one of my crewmates... she died, no, she was murdered. I can't come back until I avenge her death... Please, let me do this, it's important to me."

Celestia wiped the tears from her face, "I see that this crewmate was important to you, and I can understand your desire to administer justice to her killer better then anyone. I told you of the things I did after your late father was killed by the pirate Pontius while protecting the kingdom as head of the royal navy. But please, you must understand that this drive for vengeance will do you no good as it did me. You've already lost your hand and I can't bare you getting even more injured or worse. So please, please come home son..."

Spike sighed and said to his mother, with tears in his eyes. "I promise mother, I promise I'll come home safe when the time is right."

"Spike," was the last word she got out as she was cut off from Spike using a dragon smoke spell to disconnect them. Celestia sighed, "I just hope that time is soon..."

As Spike started to leave his quarters, he put his necklace in his sea chest. He didn't want to completely cut off contact from his mother, but he still needed some time to himself. As he went back up to the deck, Bonnie Anne had docked by the Ruined Lighthouse. Spike asked Morgan, "Ok, where to now?"

Morgan read the will and explained the first test, "It says we have to find the grave of Captain Gunn's first mate, Honest Ned, and there'll be more there."

Spike groaned, "Great, we've gone from a treasure hunt to defiling graves. Gunn couldn't have made it any easier?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged, "I've heard Gunn was a tricky pirate."

Spike sighed, "Well, let's get to it." yet upon exiting the ship and even getting a few steps on the island, a rotting undead ran through the bushes and lunged at Spike.

"Captain!" shouted Bonnie as she immediately cast her signature fox fire upon the zombie, turning it into char.

"Dear Auntie," Spike gasped, his only hand on his rapidly beating heart. "What was that?"

"I-I-It looked like one of the undead," answered Time Turner in horror and disgust.

"By Celestia," cried Adagio. "We can't stay here. What if this was just a lone straggler and this entire island is full of them?"

"Then its a risk we'll have to take," steeled Spike. "We need that treasure if we're going to be able to avenge Zecora."

"And just how do you expect us to get through what could be zombie island?" questioned a bewildered Rainbow Dash.

"I DON'T KNOW," yelled Spike, his voice full of anger and rage that it would have scared away the nearby birds had the island had any to speak of.

Bonnie Anne shushed Spike, "The undead might not be the sharpest knives in the drawer, but they can still hear. Listen, I know a cloaking spell that might help, but it won't stop us from being heard, so if I cast it, everyone needs to be quiet as a mouse."

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Good, that should help us get past these freaks."

Bonnie Anne snapped her fingers and a cloud of purple smoke enveloped them. At first, it looked like nothing happened, and Spike said, "Are you sure it worked?"

Bonnie nodded, "We can see each other, but nobody else can. Now let's get moving." before the group headed deeper into the graveyard, looking at tombstones, but to no avail.

After what must have been hours of searching, they hadn't found Honest Ned's grave, and there was only one more place to look, a strange hollow that led deeper into the graveyard.

Spike sighed, "We've got no choice, it's the last place left." before walking into the hollow. As he entered, they were attacked by more undead pirates, which Bonnie Anne quickly dealt with, with her signature Foxfire spell.

"So, you be the ones who are destroying me children will you!" said an unknown voice from seemingly everywhere. "Now, I an' ! show you why you afraid of the dark!"

As the voice spoke, a giant skeletal bull was formed out of scattered bones and Spike growled, "Shit, a necromancer!"

As the skeletal bull charged and trashed at them, destroying everything in the process and almost stomping or impaling one of them on its horns. Bulk Biceps managed to halt its rampage by tanking its latest charge and grabbing ahold its horns.

"Captain, find the guy controlling this thing, I can't hold it for long," he said through gritted as his feet dug into the ground from the skeletal bull's immense strength.

Spike nodded his head as he immediately looked around to try and find where the one controlling this monstrosity was, to no avail.

"Screw this," he spat in exasperation. "Bonnie," he shouted to her, getting the fox girls attention. "Burn this entire hollow to the ground," he ordered.

"But captain," said Rainbow Dash. "That's-"

"We have no time, just do it," he shouted over her.

"Take cover everyone," Bonnie immediately warned a few seconds ahead of time as she unleashed a great surge of fox fire while everyone scrambled for cover.

"GAHHHHHHH," cried Bulk Biceps as his entire back was singed from the fox fire while he was still wrestling with the bull.

"By Celestia," said Rainbow Dash as poor Bulk Biceps was forced to endure such pain and at the whole place being suddenly set ablaze. All of the dead trees and other such plants making it easy for the fire to spread throughout the place. Yet in the midst of it all, a new figure was soon seen scurrying about the place.

"There he is!" spotted Adagio from behind the cover of a toppled statue.

"I've got him," answered Spike as he leapt towards the necromancer, immune to the flames that now surrounded them. "Take this you bastard," he roared as he swung his blade at the individual in midair. Only to be shocked as his blade ricocheted off the necromancer's upheld arm.

"Not too bright," hissed the necromancer as his hood burned away to reveal nothing but a skull.

"Shit," Spike said as the necromancer swiftly grabbed ahold of Spikes neck in retaliation, where he began to feel his lifeforce being drained away from him.

"Captain," cried Rainbow Dash, as she lost herself in reckless abandon upon seeing her Prince in mortal danger. Causing her to dash and leap towards the necromancer to save Spike, not caring as the flames caught onto her and licked at her wings. Making her appear as a fiery angel in the process, which caused the necromancer to become momentarily stunned in complete shock. Something that would cost him his life as Rainbow Dash swiftly used her built up momentum to deliver a powerful kick to the necromancer's skull, shattering it upon impact. Which caused the skeletal bull to instantly fall apart without its master's magic.

"Woah," whispered Morgan as she watched the scene unfold. Not understanding why this newcomer would put herself through such an ordeal to save Spike. Though wasn't given much time to ponder of it as the place all around them continued to burn and the creaking and snapping of the trees soon started.

"WE'VE GOT TO GET OUTTA HERE," yelled Time Turner over the roaring of the flames.

"I'LL CREATE A PATH," said Adagio as she used her Siren powers to blow a path through the flames.

"QUICKLY EVERYONE, MOVE," said Bonnie as they all quickly ran through the rapidly closing pathway Adagio created, while Rainbow Dash carried the unconscious Spike.

Suspicions

As the crew made it out of the burning hollow, they panted in exhaustion, and Bulk Biceps collapsed from his wounds given to him more so from the fire then anything the skeletal bull did to him. Adagio panted, saying, "Ok, so now we have another problem, we're sitting out in the open while the undead are still running riot here!"

Bonnie wiped the sweat from her brow, "I don't think we have to worry about the undead anymore." before pointing to the piles of bones and rotted flesh that had fallen apart. "That necromancer must have been what was causing the undead to come out of their graves. Without his magic, they can't sustain themselves."

Time Turner marched up to Rainbow Dash who was still carrying the unconscious Spike and yelled, "What the hell was he thinking telling Anne to light the place on fire!? We nearly got burned alive, and your wings got badly burned while risking your life to save his! Hell, I doubt you can even fly for a good while thanks to the severity of the damage!" he pointed at Rainbows black charred wings.

Rainbow Dash growled, "Just shut up! Even if the place wasn't being burnt to the ground, I still would have done what I did if it meant saving Spike's life!"

Adagio took out her canteen and drank some water, "She's got a point TT, Spike's our captain, we would have done the same thing and you know it."

Time Turner looked at them like they were both completely insane before saying, "You do not speak for all of us Adagio. We don't all share your primordial desire to fuck the captain as you do," he spat, causing Adagio to look at him in pure rage and embarrassment.

"What," he sneered back at her. "It's true and it's not like it was a well-hidden secret. Anyone who paid even a modicum of attention could see you staring at the captain with lust filled eyes a good number of times. So don't think even for a second that we all would have done the same as you in order to fulfill some hidden lust filled desire."

"Why you," she screeched as she leapt at Timer Turner and tackled him to the ground.

"Can't...handle the...truth," he said in between pauses as he wrestled with Adagio.

"ENOUGH," yelled Morgan as she separated the two. "Is this going to help us? Fighting amongst ourselves?" she questioned the two of them.

"No, but it certainly can't be any worse than burning your crewmates alive," answered Time Turner in a venomous tone.

Bonnie Anne growled, "Hey, enough! I'm to blame too. If I had refused Spike's orders, we wouldn't be in this situation! I'm sure I could have thought of a better way than burning the whole place down if I had given it some thought!"

Rainbow Dash yelled, "ENOUGH! Listen, Time Turner, would you really have let that necromancer kill Spike? What if it wasn't me who could save him, but you? What would you have done!?"

Time Turner growled back, "Don't patronize me! Of course, I would have tried to save Spike, but with that fire, how would I have been able to!? None of us are immortal, if any of us tried to face that fire head on and get Spike out, we would have been roasted alive! You're lucky you only burned your wings! And what about Bulk Biceps!? Spike's not the only one unconscious here!" before storming away and over to Bulk Biceps and checking his wounds.

Rainbow Dash was going to yell back at Time Turner, but then remembered that when they made port on the island, she had grabbed some Mojo Potions from the cargo hold. She took one out of her coat pocket and tossed it to Time Turner, "Here, it's a Mojo Potion. There was a crate of them in the cargo hold. I grabbed a few just in case we ran into some trouble."

Time Turner grumbled as he caught the Mojo Potion and gave it to Bulk Biceps. His wounds started healing, but he was still unconscious from exhaustion. Time Turner looked over to Rainbow Dash and said, "Why don't you take one? You don't want those burns on your wings to get worse."

Rainbow Dash nodded, taking out another potion and drinking it herself.

As the fire burned out, Bonnie told the rest of the crew, "I think some of us should go look for the clue while the others take Spike and BB back to the ship to rest."

Rainbow Dash didn't even hesitate on deciding that she was staying with Spike, before saying, "I'll head back with Spike and Bulk Biceps."

As Rainbow Dash got up, holding Spike, Morgan stopped her, "Before you go, you owe us some answers. Ever since you joined this crew, you've been acting extremely protective of the captain. What's your angle?"

Rainbow Dash restrained herself from punching Morgan and growled, "I don't owe you anything, you slut."

Time Turner responded, "As much as I hate to say it, Morgan has a good point. You've been really protective of Spike since you joined us. Plus, he trusts you as if he's known you for a long time, I find that odd."

Rainbow Dash gulped mentally and said, "My reasons for watching out for Spike are mine and mine alone. They're none of your concern. Now, unless one of you wants to help me get Spike and Bulk Biceps back to the ship, I'm leaving." before getting up with Spike in her arms and walking back to the ship.

Adagio started trying to help Bulk Biceps get to the ship as well, she was still upset at Time Turner for his remarks about her wanting to have sex with Spike. As she and Rainbow Dash got back to the ship, she asked Rainbow, "Not to pry, but why are you so protective of Spike? Do you know him from back home?"

Rainbow Dash glared at Adagio, "I told you, it's none of your concern why I care for Spike." she sighed, this was getting tedious, trying not to be caught as a spy. The others were getting to the point where they were suspicious of her, but she didn't care right now. All she cared about was Spike recovering from the necromancer draining the life out of him.

Back at the hollow, Time Turner found a grave that said, "Here lies Edward 'Honest Ned' Hofstadter, he fought with a blade, but a gun would have been better." and the grave right next to it said, "I'm with stupid."

As Time Turner started digging into Ned's grave, he found another note, which of course, was written in Valencian. He handed it to Morgan, and she read the note, "Here lies Honest Ned, the finest officer I ever had. Without him, I'd have never amounted to anything. This is my second lesson; a pirate is nothing without his crew. Go to Flotsam and seek out my old cabin boy, One Eyed Jack. I entrusted him with the next test all those years ago when he was still a young boy."

Time Turner sighed, "Well, that's where we should head, but I don't think we should go until Spike and Bulk Biceps wake up." before heading back to the ship with Bonnie Anne and Morgan. When they got back, Time Turner asked Rainbow Dash, "So, how are Spike and BB doing?"

Rainbow Dash looked up to him as she was getting some more medical supplies, "Bulk Biceps just woke up a little while ago. Spike's still out like a light though."

Time Turner sighed, "Well, at least they're still ok. The next stop on the hunt is Flotsam. Should we wait for Spike to wake up though?"

Morgan nodded, "I think we should, the captain is in charge of this hunt."

Rainbow Dash responded, "For once, the slut and I agree on something."

Before Morgan could slap Rainbow Dash, Time Turner stopped her saying, "Enough. You were the one who said fighting amongst ourselves wouldn't do any good, let it go."

As night fell, Spike still hadn't woken up, much to Rainbow Dash's worry. She was feeling very conflicted after watching Spike almost die. She knew he was happy in this life, but the life was still dangerous. She didn't know whether to take him home or let him continue on his life as a pirate. She was determined to keep him safe, but she still wasn't sure about returning him to Equestria. With the others getting suspicious, she had to be careful about how protective she was of Spike.

A Sexy Game of Poker

As the sun started to rise, Spike finally awoke from his sleep. Where the first thing he noticed, was how cripplingly weak he felt. 'Jeez, I feel like I've had the life drained from me,' he thought to himself, before remembering that was the very thing that happened. Making him remember everything up to the point the necromancer got ahold of him and began to drain the lifeforce from him, causing him to black out.

In response to this sudden resurgence of forgotten memories, Spike tried to force himself to get up. Yet he was only able to meekly summon enough energy to turn his head to the side, where he saw the sleeping form of Rainbow Dash sleeping in a chair right beside his bed. He woke her up and asked, "Mythic Jewel, have you been here all night?"

Rainbow Dash stretched her arms as she yawned and said, "Yeah, I was going to see if you had woken up after I woke up."

Spike noticed the burns on Rainbow Dash's wings and asked, "What happened back there?"

Rainbow Dash started explaining, "When you went unconscious, I flew into the fire to stop that necromancer from killing you. Of course, I got some bad burns on my wings from the fire, but the Mojo Potions from the cargo hold are helping with that. I brought you back to the ship while Time Turner, Morgan, and Bonnie looked for the next clue." she answered, leaving out the part about the fallout that happened afterward. Just wanting him to rest and not be concerned about the state of the crew at the moment.

Spike smiled lightly, and said, "Thanks for saving me. But why-"

Rainbow Dash interrupted him saying, "That's enough for now Spike, you should still be resting. You still haven't fully recovered. Just lay back down and get some more rest." before leaving back for the deck.

Spike sighed, but she was right, he still felt weak, so he laid back down in his bed. He thought to himself, "Something's up with Mythic Jewel, she's always more than willing to do whatever it takes to keep me safe..."

As Rainbow Dash walked back up to the deck, they had just made port at Flotsam. She asked her crewmates, "Any ideas on what we can do while we're waiting for the captain to recover?"

Bonnie Anne pulled out a deck of cards, "Poker?"

Morgan smirked and said, "What if we make it a little more interesting?" as she tugged at her corset.

Rainbow Dash blushed, "Are you suggesting we play strip poker?"

Adagio shrugged, "Well, we're all girls here, unless Time Turner and Bulk Biceps decide to join in."

The two men had already left, so Morgan said, "One more thing. We play in Spike's quarters."

A vein was throbbing on Rainbow Dash's head when Morgan suggested they play strip poker in Spike's room, but considering she had to act less protective, she faked a smile and said, "I'm game."

The girls agreed on the game and headed to Spike's quarters. When they arrived, Spike looked up from his bed and asked, "What are you guys doing in here?"

Morgan smiled and said, "Just sit back and enjoy the show." before sitting down with the other girls in a circle.

When she said, "Enjoy the show." Spike grew worried the four of them were going to do a striptease, but when they sat in a circle and pulled out a deck of cards, he asked, "Are you playing poker? What kind of sh- oh Faust, you're going to play strip poker right in front of me aren't you?"

Bonnie Anne shuffled her deck of cards and dealt the cards, while Morgan simply winked at Spike in response to his question. Each girl looked at her cards, Rainbow Dash had the Ace and King of Spades, Morgan had a pair of twos, Adagio had a pair of nines, and Bonnie had a 3 and 4 of Clubs.

As Morgan looked at the other's faces, trying to read them, she sighed and put her cards down, "Pair of deuces, I fold this round." before taking off her shirt to reveal her corset. She looked over to Spike and purred seductively, "Enjoying the show so far captain?"

Spike said nothing as he barely had the energy to move, so he just stayed silent.

Rainbow Dash looked at one of the community cards and saw that one of them was the Queen of Spades and took it into her hand. She was only two cards from having a Royal Flush, the best hand you could get in a game of poker, besides five aces, if you used multiple decks. She kept a straight face as she came closer to winning this round. She was very nervous of Spike seeing her naked, especially because she like all ponies had a signature cutie mark on her butt. If he saw that cutie mark, she was busted.

Bonnie drew her next card and her eyes widened, throwing her cards down, "Dammit! I drew a Joker!" before taking off her shirt to reveal she didn't have a corset, but a leopard print lingerie top.

Spike blushed as Bonnie Anne took off her shirt, he hated to admit it, but the lingerie she was wearing was hot.

A few hours later...

As the girls continued to play their poker game, Rainbow Dash had taken off her shirt and bra, revealing her C-cup rack. Morgan was completely naked, and she continued to tease Spike with her body. Bonnie was down to nothing but her panties, which matched her leopard print lingerie top. Finally, Adagio was also down to her panties, which was surprisingly a G-string.

Spike was blushing like crazy, and it was obvious he had a boner from the girls. He gulped and said, "O-Okay girls, I think that's enough. Just let me get some rest in peace."

Morgan pouted, but said, "Ok girls, I think that's enough." before getting her cloths back on.

The other girls got their cloths back on, and Rainbow Dash said to herself, 'Thank Celestia, this was ridiculous. I can't believe I had to agree to this.' before waiting for the other girls to leave to walk over to Spike.

Spike gulped and said, "Mythic Jewel, please, no more."

Rainbow Dash shook her head, "Don't worry Spike, the others pressured me into doing this, though I'd be lying if I said I had no interest at all in showing you my naked body. I'm sorry though if we made you uncomfortable."

Spike blushed and said, "Well, to be honest... I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it a bit."

Rainbow Dash blushed as well and said, "Well, you just get some rest." before kissing Spike on the lips and leaving.

Spike blushed even harder when Rainbow Dash kissed him and sighed contently before falling back to sleep.

Split in the Crew

Spike had finally woken up again, now with his strength returned to nearly full. He climbed out of his bed and walked up to the deck. He saw they were in Flotsam, and went over to Rainbow Dash to ask, "Forget about earlier today, what are we doing in Flotsam?"

Rainbow Dash explained, "Well, the next clue said we needed to find Gunn's old cabin boy, One Eyed Jack. Apparently he's the owner of the tavern here in Flotsam these days, a place called The Black Spot."

Spike nodded, "Let's get going then, get Time Turner and Morgan, I'm taking the three of you with me."

Rainbow Dash bit her bottom lip at the mention of the former name, earning a confused expression from Spike.

"Mythic Jewel, is something wrong?" Spike asked, concerned.

"It's just..." Rainbow Dash paused, wondering if now was the right time to tell Spike the full story or wait until later.

"Mythic Jewel, what's wrong?" Spike asked, hearing the concern in her voice and seeing the hesitation written on her face.

Taking a deep breath, Rainbow Dash told Spike about what had happened after they escaped the raging inferno. Causing Spikes face too morph into an expression of shock, concern, and then finally anger. Anger directed at Rainbow Dash for keeping this information from him.

"Captain-" Rainbow Dash said, easily seeing the anger etched across his face, but being cutoff immediately.

"Save it," he said a cold hard tone. "I must go to deal with this immediately," he said before storming off. When he found Time Turner, he said, "So, you think I'm a bad captain?"

Time Turner raised an eyebrow, "Who gave you that impression?"

Spike growled, "Don't fuck with me! Mythic Jewel told me what you thought of my decision! You don't like the way I'm running this ship; you can stay here in Flotsam!"

Time Turner growled back, "I have my reasons for thinking you were crazy! You nearly got all of us burned alive! If you hadn't told Anne to set the place ablaze, Bulk Biceps and Mythic Jewel wouldn't have needed those Mojo Potions!"

Morgan watched the fight from afar and whispered to Bonnie Anne, standing right next to her, "Should we intervene? The captain's temper often gets him into trouble."

Bonnie Anne responded, "Let's just keep our distance for now. If we need to act, we will."

Time Turner continued to yell, "Spike, I never said you're a bad captain! You're one of the best captains I've sailed with, but you don't think things through all the way! That's what cost you your hand, and what got Zecora killed!"

Spike's eyes widened in rage when Time Turner mentioned Zecora, and punched Time Turner in the face with his good hand.

Rainbow Dash could see Spike's eyes turning into cat-like slits. This was a byproduct of his Dragon heritage, when they get too angry, they go on a rampage. She'd seen one of those rampages when he was younger, and it terrified her. She never wanted Spike to act out of anger like that again, but she didn't know if there was anything she could do to calm him down at this point.

Adagio was in shock at the look of Spike's eyes, 'Nice going TT, you've sent him into a fury state!'

As Time Turner rubbed his face in pain, he noticed Spike's eyes, 'So this is the rumored fury state... This would be truly terrifying if he were a stronger dragon. Thankfully he's still young and fairly manageable. Now to just get him under control.' he thought as he tried to restrain Spike in a barrier of magic.

Spike hissed and battered at the magical barrier surrounding himself, easily causing cracks to form upon it thanks to his increased strength from his rage infilled state of mind.

"Shit, somebody give me a hand," Time Turner called out as Spike began tearing through the barrier.

"On it," said Adagio as she entered the fray and started using her siren powers to try and hypnotize Spike into a state of calmness.

Yet she didn't get more than a few seconds to try and calm him before he broke though the barrier with a newfound depth of strength and slashed at Adagio with his claws.

"Woah there, Captain." said Morgan, who leapt in and blocked Spike's attack with her sword. "You wouldn't want to hurt such a pretty lady," she halfheartedly joked. Hoping that her attempt at humor would reach his buried sanity and cause him to cease this rampage.

"Grrrrr," was the response she got as he then tried stabbing her with his sword hand. Forcing her to quickly shove herself and Adagio out of the way. Yet thankfully, as he tried moving to attack his two closest targets once more. He was stopped by his sword hand being deeply impeded in the floor of the ship thanks to the sheer force he put into his previous thrust.

"There's no way that will hold him for long," Time Turner warned as he watched Spike pull at his trapped arm, already hearing the groaning of the wood as the floorboard struggled to stay together.

"We have no choice. We've got to knock him out," Rainbow Dash ordered to everyone, though with pain evidently filling her tone of voice.

"Maybe I can try lulling him to a state of calmness again," responded Adagio, not wanting to hurt Spike.

"That won't work," Rainbow Dash said as she sadly shook her head. " He's too far into his rage now for that. We have to use force."

"I'll do it," said the booming voice of Bulk Biceps.

"Bulk, what are you doing up here? You're supposed to be in the hull resting," shouted a surprised Time Turner.

"Hard to do that with all the noise being made up here and it looks like you need all the help you can get."

"No, my friend," countered Time Turner. "You're still not fully healed from your previous injuries. You can't do this."

"We really don't have a choice right now," was his response as he dashed towards the still struggling Spike and threw a punch towards Spike's head. Yet it didn't work as Spike quickly refocused his attention on the new threat right in front of caught the attack with his free hand, despite the clear difference in size and supposed strength.

"By Celestia," Bonnie whispered in absolute terror as she watched Spike's form begin to grow.

"RRRRGGHHHH," Spike roared as his body began to change, his once average looking body expanding that he inadvertently freed himself as the clasps holding his sword hand to the stump of his arm shattered. No longer able to accommodate his new and imposing size, nor his clothes for that matter. Much to the blushing faces of the girls who saw his exposed and ripped new form.

"I'd be all for this in any other situation," whistled Morgan. "But not here," she finished as she saw Bulk Biceps being pushed back.

"This is for your own good Spike," said Rainbow as she emphasized her statement by delivering a quick and powerful upper kick to Spikes head. Causing him to release his hold on Bulk Biceps and stagger backwards, which was quickly followed with a powerful punch to his stomach from Bulk Biceps. Sending Spike flying back into the main mast of the ship, snapping it upon impact. Forcing everyone save the dazed Spike to jump ship as the mast and sails fell, where it created a thunderous clap upon impact.

As the crew got up on the docks as the mast fell, Rainbow Dash yelled, "Spike!" hoping the mast didn't fall on him and crush him. She walked back towards the ship and heard light moaning.

Bulk Biceps got back onto the ship and used what strength he had left to lift the mast and sails so they could see Spike. He was unconscious, but thankfully he'd returned to his normal size.

Time Turner walked over to Spike's unconscious body and kneeled down, "I have never seen, read, nor heard of such a young dragon having that sort of power in their fury state! Whatever the reason for this insane level of power at such a young age, this only confirms my fears that he is dangerous."

"Save it," snapped Rainbow Dash as she carried the unconscious prince. "We have more important things to worry about right now then your personal issues."

Time Turner growled, "You and I both know I speak the truth. Spike's actions have nearly gotten us all killed multiple times."

Rainbow Dash set Spike down on a barrel, leaning up against the wall, and walked over to Time Turner, before glaring at him eye to eye. "Shut up! If you hadn't brought up Zecora, this situation would have never happened! You're treating Spike like he's a monster, and you have absolutely no compassion for him! He's young, he's new to piracy, and everyone makes mistakes, get used to it! If you don't feel safe around Spike, then just get the hell of this ship and find a new captain!"

Time Turner growled and looked to the rest of the crew saying, "I can't be the only one who feels this way, can I!?"

Bulk Biceps walked over to Time Turner, "I've got to side with TT on this one. I understand Spike's trying his hardest, but he's making too many hasty choices, and they never end well. I'm not saying he's a bad captain, but he's made a lot of choices that have put us and himself at risk."

Adagio walked over to Rainbow Dash, "I'm with Mythic. Spike's still young, and he has a flawed view of piracy. He needs more help learning how to be a true pirate without being too rash."

Morgan joined in with Rainbow Dash and Adagio, "Agreed Adagio, part of why I joined Spike's crew is because I saw potential in him as a duelist. I still see that potential, but he needs to unlock it properly, and we're supposed to be here to help him, we're not just here for the ride or to ditch Spike, we're crewmates, we need to help each other."

As the rest of the crew looked at Bonnie, she scratched her chin, "You both make compelling arguments. Spike's still young, and he's bound to makes mistakes, especially considering what fuels him is a thirst for vengeance. On the other hand, these mistakes keep happening, and they've been getting more and more threatening to our safety."

"So... that's what you think of me," Spike suddenly said to the surprise of everyone. "I was never knocked out, I just wanted to know what all you think of me without me interrupting." before being set down by Rainbow Dash and saying, "Time Turner, you're right, I've been putting us all in danger too often, and if you don't want to be on my crew anymore, you're free to leave. If you do agree to stay though, I'll make it so that we all have a vote in what we do next."

Time Turner sighed, "That's all well and good Cap- Spike. It's just... while you're not a bad captain per say, you're just too rash for my taste. Thus, I feel I must leave. Perhaps our paths will cross again one day." Before walking off the ship and waving goodbye.

Spike sighed in disappointment, he knew Time Turner was right about him, but that didn't make it any easier to say goodbye to him. "Mythic Jewel, Morgan, you're with me, we're going to go see Jack. Bonnie, Adagio, go into town and see if you can find somebody to fix the mast. Bulk, I'm sorry for interrupting your rest, go back to the cabin and get some more."

All the crew nodded saying, "Aye" before going to their assigned stations.

Punishment

While Spike and Rainbow Dash walked down to the shipyard, Time Turner was wondering what to do, since he didn't know Spike was still in town. He went down to the shipyard to see if he could find another ship to get him out of Flotsam.

Spike and Rainbow Dash were able to find somebody to fix the mast for 10,000 gold pieces, which Spike was willing to pay. The repairman told them it would take about three hours after seeing the damage.

When Spike and Rainbow Dash walked up onto the deck of the ship, Adagio and Bulk Biceps noticed Rainbow Dash wasn't disguised, and got ready to attack her, for Spike to say, "Stop. Rainbow Dash is with us now. She's proven that her loyalty to me outweighs her loyalty to the HMS Pinafore. Get ready to leave once the mast is fixed. It's sad, but Time Turner made his choice, and I don't blame him. My recklessness got Zecora killed, and I'll live with that, but the past is the past. We need to move on."

Adagio sighed, "Yes captain, whatever you say." before going back to her duties."

Bulk Biceps nodded, "I trust your judgement, but I'll be keeping an eye on her." and walking off.

Spike nodded and led Rainbow Dash into his quarters, "Time for that punishment I was talking about. Strip."

Rainbow Dash giggled lightly, "Of course captain, I deserve to be punished for spying." before taking her cloths off. When she was fully naked, she asked, "So captain, am I getting a spanking?"

Spike smiled, "Well, that's a good idea, but I've got big plans for your punishment." before pulling Rainbow Dash into a kiss and pulling her to the bed. "First rule, you don't get to cum until I say so, and if you do, you have to start all over again. You and I both know you're famous for your endurance in battle, let's see how good your endurance in bed is."

Spike started by spanking Rainbow Dash's ass, and with every spank, she moaned with pleasure. She asked him, "Captain, please, give me a taste of your cock."

Spike smiled and took his pants off, to reveal a 14 inch cock, "Surprised?"

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened and she smiled, "What a glorious royal cock." before starting to lick it in order to get it hard. As she got it hard, she started sucking it.

Spike moaned in pleasure, "You're good at this Dash. This obviously isn't your first time. Keep it up and maybe I'll let you cum earlier than I planned." before pushing Dash's head back and forth on his cock.

Rainbow Dash mumbled while she was sucking his cock, thinking to herself, "I'm going to suck you dry my sweet prince. Nobody beats me in battle, or in bed. Not even you."

Spike pulled his cock out of her mouth and said, "Lay down on your back." When Rainbow Dash did, he stuck his cock between her C-cup breasts, "Squeeze your beautiful tits while you suck." before shoving his cock back into her mouth as she did.

Rainbow Dash continued sucking his cock and massaging it with her breasts.

As Spike began to climax, he said, "That's it!" before shoving his cock all the way down Rainbow Dash's throat and cumming inside her throat. As he pulled his cock out, he smiled, "Looks like I've got you nice and wet. Time for the main event. Remember the rules though, you don't get to cum until I've said so."

Rainbow Dash coughed and gagged on Spike's cock, swallowing all the cum he unloaded in her throat, "Damn Spike, I never expected you to be such a fierce lover."

Spike smiled and lifted Rainbow Dash onto his cock, slamming it into her as he lifted her up and down on it.

Rainbow Dash screamed out in ecstasy and yelled, "My prince, no, master, please let me cum, I'm begging you!"

Spike smiled at the face of pleasure he saw on Rainbow Dash and said, "Admit defeat first."

Rainbow Dash couldn't hold her orgasm back much longer, but she hated to admit defeat, she moaned out the words, "Y-You win master! Oh fuck, please master, let me cum, I want your seed deep in my womb! I want to be your first bitch in the harem you deserve!"

Spike smiled, "Alright then, you surrendered, so I'll let you cum." before slamming his cock into her one last time before both of them screamed out, "I'm cumming!" and the two orgasmed in union.

As Rainbow Dash fell into Spike's arms, panting, she said, "You know, I wasn't kidding when I said you deserve a harem. Morgan might be a slut, but any girl would be lucky to be able to get in bed with you."

Spike kissed her cheek and said, "Well, if you're willing to share, I wouldn't mind having a harem."

Rainbow Dash kissed Spike on the cheek and cuddled up, "Of course I'm willing to share you, my sweet prince." before falling to sleep in Spike's arms.

Spike kissed her forehead as he fell asleep

Outside Spike's Quarters...

Morgan had been watching through the keyhole of Spike's door the whole time, fingering herself as she did, and trying her hardest not to scream as she came all over her hand. "She may be your first harem member, but I'm still going to rock your world like nobody else can." before walking away to see the mast fixed. She told the others, "Spike and Rainbow Dash aren't answering at the door, should we prepare to ship off?"

A voice said, "Not without me I hope." And the voice was Time Turner, who said, "Yeah, I know it's weird to see me here again, but Spike was my first captain, plus all these other captains are a bunch of drunks, so if Spike will have me back, I'm back.

Morgan nodded, "I'd ask Spike if he would answer his door, but considering how upset he was with himself, I think he'd be grateful to have you back.

Three Hours Later...

As Spike woke up and put his pants back on, he noticed Rainbow Dash was still sleeping. He pulled his cover over her and kissed her forehead before going up to the main deck to see they were sailing. He asked, "Who's steering?"

"That would be me captain." Time Turner said to get Spike's attention. "Yep, I'm back if you'll have me back. I'm sorry about what I said. You're a new pirate, and everyone makes mistakes. But you're still the best captain I've sailed with after I retired from the navy."

Spike smiled, "Good to have you back Doc."

And with that, Spike has regained the trust and respect of Time Turner, as well as starting a harem, with Rainbow Dash as his first member. Who will be his next lover, Morgan, Bonnie, or Adagio? Or will he find somebody new to put on his crew?

Dinner With a Shark

As Spike and his crew sailed away from Flotsam, not knowing where they could be going, Spike noticed a raven circling the crow's nest of the ship before landing down near the stern of the ship. He walked over to the raven and saw that it had a message tied to its foot. After he took the message off, the raven flew away.

Adagio walked up to him and asked, "What does it say?"

Spike read the note aloud, "If you're receiving this message, my raven must have found the right ship. You and I have a common enemy, Finn Dorsal. I want him to pay for what he did to me, and you want revenge against him for killing your crewmate. If you want to form an alliance with me, meet me in Gullet. Tell the pelican at the Jonah Town whale's blowhole that Queenfish Penelope wants to talk to you, and show him this letter. I'll see you there."

Spike thought for a moment, and nodded, "Doc, we're heading to Jonah Town!"

Doc nodded, "Aye, aye, captain!" before turning the ship in the direction of the giant sky whale.

Rainbow Dash walked over to Spike and asked, "Are you sure about this my prince? I've heard Gullet is a bad place."

Spike sighed, "First, you don't need to address me so formally. Second, I don't know. But if someone has a grudge with Finn, I'm willing to try."

As they docked their ship in Jonah Town, Spike said, "Rainbow Dash, you're with me." before stepping off the boat and showing the pelican the letter.

The pelican nodded, "Can't see why Penelope would want to talk to you, but I'm not one to ask questions." before leading them to the barrel and lowering them into Gullet.

When they arrived in Gullet, Spike and Rainbow Dash both gagged from the smell, but moved on to the room in the letter. When he knocked on the door, a voice said, "Come in." and when they went in, they saw a shark girl with green scales and amber yellow eyes. She spoke up, "You must be the Black Rose Dragon. Take a seat."

Spike and Rainbow Dash sat down, and Spike asked, "Why are you so eager to help me? You're a Cutthroat, just like Finn."

Penelope held back a snarl and talked calmly, "Finn was my ex-boyfriend, until he left me to die in a Aztecasaur burial site to save his own scales. And that was simply the straw that broke the camel's back. For the past three years I've been putting up with him pushing me around, shaking me like a ragdoll, and forcing me into sex just because he's bored. I've got no quarrel with you captain, but I do have friends in important places. I can help you lure Finn out of hiding, on one condition."

Spike raised an eyebrow and asked, "What condition?"

Penelope made a grin exposing her teeth, one of which had been knocked out and the area was still bleeding a bit, "I get to rip him limb from limb when we find him."

Rainbow Dash whispered to Spike, "I'm not sure having such a violent crew mate is a good idea."

Spike shook his head, "You've got a deal Penelope, I'll take you on my crew to catch Finn. As for what you do to him, I don't care, as long as he suffers."

Penelope smiled without showing her teeth and said, "It's a deal captain." before following them back to their ship. "Now, Finn's not easy to find, he has secret stash houses all over the Skull Island Skyways. We'll need to lure him out. The Cutthroat, Hammerhead, and Thresher clans are in a civil war right now, that's our ticket to find Finn. We need to team up with the Threshers, they hate Finn more than us because of how he treated them when they were allies. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Threshers will bring Finn out of hiding, and when they do, we'll pounce."

Spike smiled, "That's not a bad idea, if that's what we need to do, I'm in."

Penelope chuckled, "First, we have to show the Threshers we're willing to help. There's three Cutthroat Captains who have prices on their heads from the Thresher clan. If we can find them and take them out, we'll gain points with the Threshers. The Hammerhead clan isn't of any concern, at least not yet. For now, we find Ol' Chum, Barry Cuda, and Tiny Tooth Ed, they're the ones who have a price on their head."

"And how do we find them?" Spike asked.

"Leave that to me, I've got spies in the Cutthroats, they'll report when they get the chance."

As the three pirates returned to the ship in Jonah Town, Morgan frowned when she saw the well-endowed shark girl and said to herself, "I'm never going to get him in bed if he keeps bringing more girls onto the crew. Oh well, no matter how big Spike's harem is, I'm still going to be the best."

Spike explained the situation to the others, and Bulk Biceps said, "Good idea captain, we'll crush that coward Finn and make him pay for what he did."

Spike nodded, "That we will."

Suddenly, Penelope saw her necklace shining, "Good, it's one of my boys." before answering the message. When she was done, she said, "Tiny Tooth Ed is heading towards Devilfish Hollow. He's looking for some sort of potion to fix his fang problem. We can get there from here before he shows up and ambush him."

Spike nodded, "You heard the lady Doc, set sail for Devilfish Hollow!"

"We'll be there in no time captain!" Time Turner yelled back as he steered the ship towards Corsair's Cove, which is where Devilfish Hollow was located.

Spike stood at the stern of the ship and said, "You're going to pay Finn, I'll make sure of it."

In the crew's quarters...

Morgan was helping Penelope get settled into her quarters and asked her, "So, you're Finn's ex? Why are you helping us, to get under Finn's scales?"

Penelope nodded, "That's part of the reason, but I've also heard that Spike is a caring captain, I'd much rather be on his crew than Finn's. I feel you have your own reasons for this though."

Morgan nodded and whispered to her about what she saw while spying on Spike and Rainbow Dash and asked, "How does Finn compare to Spike below the belt?"

Penelope laughed lightly, making a small sign with her hand, "I can barely even feel him. Maybe we could share Spike, if you're ok with that?"

Morgan grumbled, "Yes, I'm fine with sharing him, but I'm still going to be the best lover he'll have. Count on it."

Penelope smiled, "If you say so."

And so, Spike has gained a new ally in Finn's ex-girlfriend Penelope. They set off to Devilfish Hollow to find Tiny Tooth Ed in order to collect the bounty set on him by the Threshers in order to gain the Thresher's help in finding Finn. Although it seems like Penelope is just as interested in Spike's cock as Morgan is...

New Orders

It had been about a month since Spike ran away from home. Celestia had finally taken the collar off her sister, and actually felt bad about putting it on her in the first place. Luna walked up to her and said, "Dear sister, I'm very sorry for telling Spike he should run and become a pirate. I-"

Celestia stopped her, "Don't worry about it Luna. I admit, ever since Spike's father died in the war, I've been far too overprotective of him. I just don't want to lose him like I lost the love of my life. And I'm sorry about the collar, that was uncalled for"

Luna nodded, "I understand that dear sister, but Spike is a grown adult, it's his right to decide what he does with his life. Even if that means he doesn't want to be King." when her sister apologized for the magic restricting collar, she rubbed the back of her neck and nodded, "Apology accepted."

Celestia sighed, she knew what her sister said was true. The more she tried to tighten her grip on Spike, the more likely he would slip through her fingers for good. She pulled out her crystal orb and contacted the HMS Pinafore.

When Twilight saw the communication orb glowing, she answered and saluted, "Your majesty, to what do I owe for this unexpected call?"

Celestia took a long, deep breath and said, "I have new orders for the HMS Pinafore. If you are able to find Spike, the next time you see him, I want you to be with him to keep him safe."

Twilight's eyes widened when she realized her orders to return the prince to Equestria were replaced with joining Spike's pirate crew. She cleared her throat and said, "If that is what you wish my queen, so shall it be." Before the communication ended.

Back on Spike's Ship...

Spike was in his quarters getting ready to head off into Devilfish Hollow, only to see the necklace glowing from inside his drawers. He gulped and took the necklace and answered the message, "Mother... I didn't expect you to call me again."

Celestia put on a light smile and said, "Spike... I'm so sorry about how strict I've been with you. You'll always be my baby boy, but you're still a grown adult now. I realize that the more I try to control you, the more and more I push you away. I've given the HMS Pinafore new orders. They are to join your crew instead of taking you back home."

Spike's eyes widened when his mother told him about the HMS Pinafore's new order, a tear shedding, "Thank you mother, this means a lot. I promised I'd be home one day, and I'll keep that promise, no matter what." before walking out to the deck and said, "Everyone just wait a minute. Penelope, how long do we have before Tiny Tooth Ed gets here?"

Penelope checked her pocket watch, "With his crappy ship, he should be here in about 6 hours."

Spike nodded, "Good. Dash, my mother just contacted me, she's given the Pinafore new orders, to join the crew."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened when he told her that, "Then I sent the girls to Puerto Mico for nothing?"

Spike shook his head and took out his necklace before blowing some smoke on it, turning the gem from emerald green to sapphire blue and activating it, "Twilight, do you copy?"

Back at the HMS Pinafore...

Twilight was shocked when she got a message from the prince, "My prince, we've been given new-"

Spike nodded, "I already know, mother told me through the necklace I'm using to contact you. We're at Devilfish Hollow, meet us there as soon as you can."

Twilight nodded, saluting Spike, "As you say my prince!" before cutting off communication and having her ship turn away from Puerto Mico and towards Devilfish Hollow to meet with the prince.

Back in Equestria...

Celestia sighed, "I hope I'm doing the right thing."

Luna placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, "Trust me, you are."

And now, Celestia realizes how controlling she's been, and calls off the manhunt for her son, instead telling the HMS Pinafore to join Spike's crew and serve with him as pirates. Spike knows this as well, and awaits his new crew mates to arrive at Devilfish Hollow

The Bounty: Tiny Tooth Ed

Spike awaited the HMS Pinafore's arrival, and when he saw them pulling up to the dock, he smiled lightly. He looked to Rainbow Dash and said, "If they ask, I let you out of the brig when my mother contacted me. I don't want them thinking of you as a traitor."

Rainbow Dash smiled, "Thank you Spike." before greeting her fellow naval officers as they stepped onto Spike's ship.

Twilight put the HMS Pinafore back into its bottle, anyone could recognize the ship as a royal navy ship in Skull Island, so it would attract too much attention.

After Spike explained their plan, Rarity said, "That's quite the plan my prince. How do we even know this Tiny Tooth Ed is going to show up?"

As she said this, a small rickety boat made land on the dock. A Cutthroat stepped off, and sighed, "If this doesn't make my teeth bigger, I'm screwed." before heading into the jungle.

Before he could though, Rainbow Dash and Twilight flew into the entrance, while the rest of the crew ran out and surrounded him. Spike went over to him and said, "You must be Tiny Tooth Ed."

Ed growled, "Don't you dare call me Tiny Tooth!" before noticing Penelope with the pirate crew, "Ah crap..." before putting his hands up in surrender, "I know when I'm beat, turn me into the Threshers if you want."

Spike took out some rope and tied Ed's hands together, although he said, "This feels too easy. Twilight, keep an eye around this place. This just feels way too easy."

Twilight nodded, "I agree captain, no arrest goes this easy." before scouting the nearby area to find a group of Cutthroats waiting in the hollow. She returned to the others and reported, "Seems there's some more Cutthroats awaiting Ed's arrival. What should we do captain?"

Spike thought for a moment, "Let's take Ed and put him in the brig and get the hell out of here. We'll destroy Ed's ship to make sure they don't know he's been captured."

As they returned to the ship, Spike fired the cannons to destroy Ed's ship. He brought Ed into the brig and said, "Just keep quiet, I don't want to hear any complaining or lip." before slamming the cell shut and heading back up to the deck and asking Penelope, "Penny, any word on Barry Cuda and Ol' Chum?"

Penelope shook her head, "No captain, nothing yet."

Spike sighed, "Well, let's just try to relax for a little while. I'll be in my quarters." before passing by Morgan and slipping her a note without anyone noticing.

Morgan read the note that said, "My quarters, 10 minutes." and smiled full of glee, she was finally getting in bed with Spike. When she entered Spike's quarters, she didn't see him at first, only for him to jump out from behind her and using a cloth to make her pass out.

Spike chuckled as Morgan fell into his arms out cold. He placed a sock on the other side of his door, which was a universal sign that meant do not disturb. He placed Morgan on his bed and started binding her arms together and to the bed. As she woke up, Spike said, "Glad to see you awake. I know you were spying on me with Rainbow Dash. Spies get punished if they get caught."

Morgan giggled, "I'm not one to turn away a bit of punishment, use me as you wish captain. I'm still going to be the best lover you've had."

Spike smiled, "Let's put that to the test." before pulling out an old riding crop from back home. He felt Morgan's ass with his hand and stroked her pussy a bit, "Got to admit, your ass is perfectly round and fluffy. I'm going to enjoy this. Just like I said to Rainbow Dash, you don't get to cum until I say you can." before striking her ass with the riding crop.

Morgan cried out, "Oh yes, I'm a naughty girl, hit me harder captain!"

Spike smiled, "If you insist, but remember, you have to start all over if you cum." before smacking her wet pussy with the crop."

Morgan cried out loudly, "Oh fuck! Captain, please, I want to please you as well, use my tits and shove that monster down my throat!" She thought to herself, "It's a good thing he doesn't know I can cum on demand. I want to suck him dry of every last drop of seed."

Spike turned her over and placed his cock in between her furry breasts, chuckling a bit, "Your tits are heavenly, they actually tickle a bit." before shoving his cock into Morgan's mouth. It wasn't long before he came in her mouth and said, "Damn, I didn't think I'd cum that early." before noticing the stain on his bedsheets and saying, "But it looks like I'm not the only one who came. What did I say would happen if you came without permission?"

Morgan panted as she swallowed Spike's cum and said, "Yes captain, I'm such a naughty girl who can't follow orders. Punish me more."

Spike smiled, "At least you know your place when you disobey orders." before lifting her up and positioning her ass above his cock and pushing into her ass, hard."

Morgan cried out "YES! OH FUCK!" in ecstasy as Spike's cock entered her ass, which surprisingly, was still a virgin, "Yes captain, taking my anal virginity is the perfect punishment for a naughty slutty spy like me!"

Spike grunted as he shoved his cock in and out of Morgan's ass, "That explains why you're so tight. Your ass is clenching on my dick so hard; I won't last much longer."

One hour later...

Spike was panting as he let off his 7th load, "Good lord, I'm drained. You surprised me, Morgan." before untying the rope.

Morgan giggled, "Of course I did, I promised you I'd rock your world like nobody else. Would you say I kept that promise?"

Spike was still panting, "Yes, by far you did. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were cumming on purpose to keep me going."

Morgan rolled her eyes giggling, "Don't be silly captain, I may be a bit slutty, but nobody can cum that many times on purpose." before kissing Spike and asking, "If you're tired, would you like to use these tits you enjoyed so much as a pillow?"

Spike kissed her back smiling, "Don't mind if I do." before kissing each of Morgan's nipples and falling asleep on her fluffy D-cup rack for a bit.

Apologies

After Spike woke up from his night with Morgan, he dressed himself and went out to the deck to see Twilight waiting for him. She walked up to him and said, "My prince, I-"

Spike interrupted Twilight saying, "Please, there's no need to be so formal."

Twilight nodded, "Very well, Spike, I wanted to apologize about how insensitive I was when Zecora died. You were right, if I had lost one of the girls, I would go to the ends of the Spiral for revenge. I understand now that trying to force you to go home was unfair."

Spike smiled, "Thank you Twilight, that means a lot." All of a sudden, Spike realized that Twilight wasn't wearing her naval uniform and said, "Where'd you get those clothes from? You actually look like a pirate instead of a naval officer."

Twilight nodded, "Yes, Rarity made them for us, we figured six naval officers in a pirate crew would draw too much attention, so Rarity made all of us these clothes. What do you think?" blushing a bit as she asked, knowing that her cleavage was heavily exposed."

Spike blushed when he noticed Twilight's cleavage and gulped saying, "You look great."

Twilight smiled, "Thank you captain. Oh, one more thing, Applejack and I built this for you." before removing a mechanical hand from her pocket, "It's made with Valencian technology and was specially designed for you. It's more than just a hand, it's a multipurpose tool. The index finger can be used as a pistol, a lighter, a knife, and much more, while still being usable as an actual hand."

Spike was shocked that Twilight and Applejack had built such a device and smiled, "Thanks." before undoing the stitching on his blade hand and letting Twilight place the new hand on his arm and fitting it in place. He moved the hand, clenching and unclenching it into and out of a fist, "Feels good, much better than that blade. Thanks Twilight."

Twilight nodded, "It was nothing captain."

Spike made a slight grin, "Imagine how my mother would react if she knew you threatened me once."

Twilight stammered, "Th-That's not fair! We didn't even know it was you until- SHIT! I forgot to get in contact with Lyra and Bonbon!"

Spike snickered, "It's not like the captain of the Royal Navy's greatest ship to be so inattentive."

Twilight growled lightly before contacting Lyra and Bonbon with her crystal. "Girls, can you hear me?"

Lyra answered the call, and squealed when she saw it was Twilight, rubbing the mud mask and cucumbers off her face, and smiling nervously, "Wh-What can I do Captain? I swear Bonbon and I haven't been slacking off trying to cast a new tracking spell on Spike!"

Twilight rolled her eyes, "Skip the excuses, the queen has given us new orders. We're coming into Skull Island, on the prince's ship. Our new orders are to accompany Spike as members of his pirate crew."

Lyra jumped up when she heard they found Spike and nodded, saluting, "Y-Yes ma'am! Understood, Bonbon and I will meet you at the docks when you arrive." Before hanging up, just after she yelled, "Bonbon, stop hogging the jacuzzi, we need to go!"

Spike was laughing as he overheard the conversation and said, "You have to admit, they do deserve a little R&R. Maybe we should go to whatever spa they're at. My scales are getting chapped anyway."

Twilight raised an eyebrow at Spike and said, "I thought we were trying to hunt down that Cutthroat who killed Zecora?"

Spike chuckled and rubbed the back of his hand, "Haven't you ever heard the old saying, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?"

Twilight rolled her eyes, "It's your choice captain. I won't complain to a little free time."

Spike chuckled, "I didn't think you would. Let's get going, we should get to Skull Island."

Twilight nodded, "Aye, aye captain." before running to the ship's steering wheel and turned the ship around towards the Skull Island docks.

At the entrance of the docks...

Lyra and Bonbon were waiting for Spike's ship to come into the docks, and Lyra said to Bonbon, "You don't think we'll get in trouble for that little spa trip, do you?"

Bonbon gulped, "I'm not sure. If Twilight were in charge, I'd say yes, but you heard her, she and the rest of the HMS Pinafore are part of the prince's crew, he decides our punishment if any."

As Spike and his crew stepped off the ship, they saw the two spies at the top of the docks. They walked over to them, and Spike said, "So, I see you two enjoyed a nice relaxing day at a spa."

Lyra gulped hard and said, "Y-Yes my prince, please for-"

Spike held his hand up, quieting her, "First, you don't need to be formal. Second, you don't need my forgiveness, because I'd like you to lead us to this spa. The girls and my crew have been stressed out, and we could use a bit of the R&R you two were able to get."

Bonbon's eyes widened, but smiled, "Of course captain! It's a great spa, we'd love to show you the place!"

Lyra sighed in relief before nodding, "Of course captain, follow us." before leading them to the spa they were at when Twilight called them.

Spike and some of his other crewmates made an impressed whistle and Spike said, "Good taste you two, good taste. If you don't mind, why don't the two of you join me in the jacuzzi, I want to talk in private."

Bonbon and Lyra both gulped, but nodded, "Yes captain."

And so, Spike has forgiven Twilight for her disrespect of Zecora's death and has gained a much more functional prosthetic hand. Lyra and Bonbon have also joined the crew, but it seems Spike wants to talk to them in private while the others are enjoying a well-deserved break. What could he want to talk to them about?

"You should know by now! More sex!"

Day at the Spa

As Lyra and Bonbon led Spike to the room with the jacuzzi, a young woman was there and asked, "Is there anything I can get you?"

Spike nodded, "A few towels, some good Champaign, and a tie on the door."

The woman smiled lightly, "Of course, I'll have them brought in right away."

Bonbon and Lyra were confused about why Spike wanted the spa worker to put a tie over the doorknob but smiled lightly. They took their clothes off, revealing the swimsuits they had been in before Spike's crew arrived.

Spike took off his shirt and pants but kept his boxers on. As he got into the jacuzzi, he heard the knock at the door and said, "Come in" before another spa worker came in with the towels and Champaign before tying the tie around the other side of the doorknob. Spike poured each of them some Champaign and said, "Come girls, let's relax a bit."

Lyra nodded and slipped into the jacuzzi, followed by Bonbon. She asked, "S-So, what did you want to talk to us about?"

Spike smirked, "Well, I can't abide by the two of you going to a spa while you were supposed to be looking for me. I do need to punish you." before taking his boxers off and throwing them out of the jacuzzi and revealed his cock to the two spies. "Your punishment, is a relaxing jacuzzi fuck."

Lyra and Bonbon both blushed as Spike took off his boxers, and looked to each other before nodding and saying, "We'll take our punishment like the naughty girls we've been."

Spike smiled, "Perfect." before helping the two spies out of their swimsuits. "Why don't we start with a double boobjob/blowjob?"

The girls nodded and wrapped Spike's cock in between their breasts, trading every once in a while, as to who was sucking it.

Spike moaned in pleasure and smiled, "You two will make great additions to my growing harem."

Lyra was quite surprised when Spike mentioned a harem, "Harem? You mean you've already got other lovers? Not that it matters, this cock is big enough to go around." before shoving all 14 inches of Spike's cock down her throat.

"F-Fuck!" before cumming in Lyra's mouth, and when she swallowed, he said, "That wasn't fair, Bonbon deserves some fun too. Just for that, Bonbon will be getting the first ride."

Bonbon smiled, "Thank you Spike." before climbing up and lowering herself onto Spike's cock, moaning as he penetrated her pussy. When Spike groped her ass and licked and sucked on her nipples, she moaned even more, "Oh fuck, you're great at this! Your cock is throbbing inside me, it feels great!"

Lyra pouted a bit, until Spike laid down on his back with Bonbon still on his cock and said, "Lyra, come over here and I'll give you a nice licking."

Lyra smiled, "Thank you captain." before positioning herself over Spike's head. She lowered herself to feel Spike's tongue touch her pussy, "Oh dear Celestia! I never knew a dragon's tongue was so thick and rough! It feels so good!"

Spike's tongue flicked back and forth on Lyra's clit, when Bonbon moaned in pleasure saying, "I'm cumming!" before being filled with Spike's seed as she panted in pleasure.

Spike smiled, "Last part of this, I want the two of you on top of each other, tits touching."

The girls nodded and got in the position Spike asked them to be in, their nipples touching against each other with them moving them back and forth.

Spike smirked and shoved his cock in between both dripping wet pussies, moaning out, "Damn, your cunts complement each other so well. Lyra's is soaked to the core, and Bonbon's is as warm as a cool summer day in Saddle Arabia."

The two girls moaned as they both felt Spike's cock pushing in and out of their pussies, as the two of them kissed one another, they said, "Spike, fill us with your seed!"

Spike smiled, "With pleasure girls" before increasing the speed at which he was thrusting and letting his seed cover both their pussies. He panted and chuckled, "Not bad girls, not bad at all."

Lyra rubbed her finger in a circle on Spike's chest and said, "You were the one who impressed us, I'd love to go another round with you Captain."

Bonbon panted and said, "You can stay, I'm exhausted. I need some rest." before getting out of the jacuzzi and wrapping herself in a towel."

Spike smiled, "I'm not against a second round Lyra, let's get it on!" before lifting her ass onto his cock.

Lyra yelped, "S-Spike, wrong hole, wrong hole!"

Spike kissed her saying, "Trust me, you'll love it."

As Spike continued to thrust in and out of her ass, Lyra moaned, "You were right! Your cock feels great up my tight little ass! I can't hold back much longer!"

Spike pulled her into one last kiss before cumming in Lyra's ass. "So, how was your punishment?"

Lyra giggled, "If this is how you punish people on your crew, I might be a bit of a troublemaker." as she kissed him back. "We should get cleaned up and back in our clothes. Why don't we go get a nice mud bath or a seaweed wrap?"

Spike smiled, "Sounds good."

Three hours later...

As the entire crew walked out of the spa and back to the ship, they all were talking about how good of a time they had. Spike agreed with them and said, "Maybe we should come back when we take care of Finn."

Rainbow Dash smiled, "I'm going to hold you to that."

Spike chuckled, "Of course you are."

And this time, Spike has doubled his harem, with Bonbon and Lyra being his newest members. Along with that, his crew gained some much-needed rest and relaxation from the hunt for Finn.

The Bounty: Barry Cuda

Spike walked out of his quarters on the ship to think for a moment, until Penelope came over to him saying, "Captain, I've got a lead on Barry Cuda. He's making a spice deal with the Red Claw Gang, if we leave for Red Hook now, we can get there to talk with the crabs before Barry shows up."

Spike smiled, "Good lead, let's get going." before helping to raise the anchor and started steering to Red Hook. When they arrived, he decided to take Rainbow Dash, Morgan, and Penelope with him to see the crabs.

The first crab they saw said, "Hey, you ain't Cuda! Who are ya mugs, walking into our place?"

Spike said, "I'm here on business. There's a bounty on Barry Cuda, if you let me wait for him to show up for your spice deal, I'll share the bounty with you."

The crab asked, "How much is this bounty?"

Spike looked to Penelope, who said, "175,000 gold pieces."

Spike was surprised the bounty was that high, but cleared his throat and said, "How does a 60/40 split sound?"

The crab thought for a minute and said, "I'm personally fine with it, but you've got to talk to Buster Crab, come with me." before walking farther into the cave and introducing the head of the Red Claw Gang to the pirates and told him the offer.

Buster Crab looked at Spike and said, "Wait a minute, you're the one who stopped the Troggies from blowing up the island, ain't you? If that's the case, I'm in. Barry should be here in an hour or so, so you've got time to prepare for when he shows up. Just be warned, Barry ain't like other Cutthroats, he's never willing to go down without a fight."

Spike nodded, "Consider me warned." before getting ready for the upcoming fight.

One hour later...

A shark came into the cave with a large sack of gold. He yelled out, "Alright crabs, I've got the money, so come out with the spices.

Spike stepped out of the darkness of the cave and said, "Sorry Cuda, but there's a new deal." before Penelope, Rainbow Dash, and Morgan also came out of the darkness to surround Barry.

Barry laughed, "Oi, you're those chumps who lost to Finn. If you can't beat Finn-" before he could go on, Spike held out his mechanical hand and fired a bullet into the shark's chest.

Spike walked up to the injured shark and said, "A bit of advice, don't ramble on when you're outnumbered in a fight, just act." before placing his heavy boot on his chest and pushing down. When he heard a crack, he asked, "Oh, was that your rib? That was your rib wasn't it? Well, the Threshers will pay more money for you alive than dead, so I suppose that's good. Other than this of course." before crushing Barry's hands under his boot.

As the shark screamed in pain with his broken rib and crushed hands, he begged, "Please! Don't turn me into the Threshers! They're insanely brutal, please, give me a warrior's death! I beg you!"

Spike glared at him, "I learned this phrase from a much more powerful pirate. Lie, steal, cheat, but never beg. Besides, you and I both know you don't deserve a warrior's death, you're no warrior." before getting off him and letting Rainbow Dash and Penelope restrain Barry as they got him up. Spike looked to Buster Crab and said, "If you're willing, I'd be more than happy to trade the gold Cuda came here with for those spices of yours."

Buster Crab laughed heartily, "You may be a runt, but you certainly think like a pirate! It's a deal kid. My boys will deliver the spices to your cargo hold."

Spike chuckled, "I appreciate that." before handing over the gold to the crab. When they returned to their ship, a crab was waiting for them and Spike asked, "I assume the spices are in my cargo hold?"

The crab nodded, "Yep, just as Buster told me to. Good luck out there, pirate." before walking back to Red Hook Cave.

Rainbow Dash walked over to Spike after taking Barry Cuda down to the brig and said, "Don't you think that was a little bit of overkill, crushing his hands like that?"

Spike sighed, "Perhaps, but in this life, you need to do anything to win, including playing dirty. I still have some honor as a prince, but said honor has little place in the life of a pirate. Zecora's death taught me that."

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Aye, aye captain. Should we get going to deliver these two to the Threshers, or should we wait until we've got Ol' Chum too?"

Spike thought for a moment, "I think we should just deliver them now, the long they're in the brig, the longer we have to put up with them."

Rainbow Dash laughed, "Good point. Alright, I'll get us set up to sail to Sharkfang Bluff."

Spike smiled, "Good." before kissing Rainbow Dash's cheek and climbing up into the crow's nest of the ship. He always enjoyed being up there when he needed time to think. As he looked down to his crew he wondered, "Which girl should I add next?"

Meanwhile at Sharkfang Bluff...

The Thresher Clan's leaders were discussing the new up and coming pirate known as the Black Rose Dragon. The main leader said, "Word has it he's caught Tiny Tooth Ed and Barry Cuda. He certainly has a grudge against Finn and the Cutthroats, just like us and the Hammerheads. Perhaps we should discuss adding a few of our forces to his crew, in conjuncture with the Hammerhead Clan. All three of us working in union would easily crush the Cutthroats."

The other leaders voiced their opinions and when it came to a vote, it was agreed that they would seek an alliance with Spike and the Hammerhead Clan to destroy the Cutthroats.

And so, with the cooperation of the Red Hook Gang, Spike's crew has caught Barry Cuda, and are heading to deliver him and Tiny Tooth Ed to the Threshers. Spike is also contemplating who to add to his harem next. While this takes place, the leaders of the Thresher family are discussing their clan's stand with Spike and his crew as to they are ally or enemy, and thankfully for Spike, they've declared him an ally.

Collecting the Bounty

Spike's ship had come into Thresher Bay, and strangely enough, the ships that were blocking the bay moved aside, "I guess they knew we were coming... Be on guard."

The crew nodded, and Penelope said, "We've got Tiny Tooth Ed and Barry Cuda in shackles, we're ready to deliver them."

Spike smiled, "Good, the faster I've got these idiots off my ship, the better."

As the ship docked, a Thresher came out to meet them, along with a Hammerhead. The Thresher greeted Spike, "You must be the Black Rose Dragon I've heard so much about. I see you've brought in two of the bounties we put up. I'll get you paid, but we have business to discuss. Follow me." before leading Spike into a fortress.

Spike thought for a moment, "Let me guess, you want to team up with my crew in order to take down Finn?"

The Thresher nodded, "That's right. My name's Tauro. This is Rakeki." as they sat at a table, Tauro explained his offer, "We all have a common enemy with the Cutthroats. I have no problems teaming up with the Hammerhead Clan, but you are the key piece in this little war of ours. Finn wants you bad, he's paranoid. When people are paranoid, they make mistakes."

Spike nodded, "You want me to push him far enough until he slips up and we can capture him. I'll agree to that."

Tauro smiled, "Good, it's a deal then. We'll bring Finn to his knees with the three of us working together. And when he finally messes up, we'll pounce."

Rakeki nodded, "Indeed, and considering we've already caught two of his goons, it won't be long before he slips up."

Spike smiled, "Right. Now, we need to get going, do you have the bounty money?"

Tauro snapped his fingers, and a shark came out with the money for the bounties Spike had claimed, handing him the bags of gold. "Good luck out there, pirate."

Spike chuckled, "Thanks." before heading back to his ship. "Now, we have to go give the crabs their share of Barry's bounty, so set sail for Red Hook."

After giving the crabs their share of the bounty, Spike went up to the crow's nest to think. "I wonder... Finn's tricky, he won't fall right into our hands, we'll have to do more than just capturing his goons. Perhaps cutting his business from under him would help..." before climbing back down to the deck and telling the crew, "We're going to target Finn's business, anything that makes him money, we target. That's the best way to draw him out and get him to make mistakes."

Twilight suggested, "Perhaps attacking some Cutthroat ships would cause a decline in business. If Finn can't protect his ships and cargo, nobody will want to do business with him."

Spike nodded, "A good idea, let's get to it then." before moving to the stern of the ship in order to get a good view of any ships they could plunder.

Three hours later...

As the 12th ship they'd plundered sank, Spike made his way back to his ship laughing, "I haven't had this much fun in a long time!"

Twilight lifted a pint of cider, "I'll drink to that, this is much more fun than I thought it'd be."

Everyone lifted a glass of Applejack's fresh cider, before a raven landed on the side of the ship, dropped an envelope, and flew off.

Spike picked up the envelope and opened it to smirk, "It's Finn, he's challenging me."

Bulk Biceps smiled, "Finally! This is our chance to avenge Zecora!"

The Doctor tipped his hat up, "I'd say it sounds like a trap, but with the HMS Pinafore's crew part of the crew, I don't think we have anything to worry about, even if it is a trap."

Spike nodded, "Right, especially considering he wants me to come alone. I'm not as naïve as I was the first time. We have to prepare for this." Before putting his good hand into a circle, "No retreat, no surrender." before the others joined in.

And so, with the help of the Thresher and Hammerhead Clans, Spike has drawn out Finn, who demands a duel with him. Knowing it's a trap, Spike takes time to prepare so that he doesn't make the same mistake twice. It's only a matter of time before Spike gives Finn what he believes he deserves, a bullet to the head.

Prince of the Sharks

As Spike made his way to the meeting point, the rest of the crew was making their way into the temple to ambush Finn. As Spike entered the Throne Room, he saw Finn and a bunch of other Cutthroats. "Shouldn't say I'm surprised you didn't come alone Finn."

Finn laughed, "You're even stupider than I thought if you-" suddenly, the other Cutthroats were on the ground, with Spike's crew having done their job. "What!? The HMS Pinafore is helping you!?"

Spike chuckled, "Of course they are. You really didn't know? I'm the Prince of Equestria."

Finn shuddered, shaking in his boots as he realized he'd been played, "You little brat! First you ruin my business, then you play me like I'm some kid!? I'm going to-" before stopping in his tracks as he got shot by an electro-bullet, falling to the ground, not dead, just unconscious.

Spike blew into his artificial hand's finger pistol and walked up to the unconscious shark. "As much as I wanted to kill him, I proved I'm strong enough that I didn't have to kill to win.

The Cutthroats had been released be Spike's crew, and Twilight told them, "You have two choices, leave and never get involved in piracy again, get a job or live like a hermit, I don't care. Your other option is handing over Finn's assets to the Pirate Prince and swearing loyalty to him."

Spike was shocked by Twilight's words, but he had to admit, the title Pirate Prince had a nice ring to it. The sharks looked at each other and nodded, getting down on their knee to swear loyalty to him, as he said, "Just remember this, turn on me and I'll throw you in a pit of manticores. As of now, I run the Cutthroat Clan. If you're smart enough to remain loyal to me, I can make you richer than your wildest dreams."

As they returned to the ship, Twilight and Applejack put Finn in shackles while he was still out cold. By the time he had woken up, he was in the brig of Spike's ship. He snarled as he saw Spike waiting for him to wake up, "You little brat! Let me out of here, and I'll let you keep both of your arms!"

Spike pointed his finger pistol at Finn and said, "You should consider yourself lucky, I chose not to kill you, but I don't think the Threshers and Hammerheads would care if I brought you to them dead."

Finn growled, but submitted to his fate, "Spare me the damn speech, and get it over with."

Spike rolled his eyes, "Not a chance. Killing you would be good revenge for what you did to Zecora, but you don't deserve a quick and painless death. I'm handing you over to the other Shark Clans." before walking away.

Finn yelled, punching at the bars, "Let me out of here! I'm the future of the Shark Clans, I'm Finn Dorsal!"

Spike took off his helmet and said, "Boys, set sail to Tapu Rui. I want to pay my final respects to Zecora."

The crew nodded before heading to Zecora's burial site. The Zebra chief growled, "You promised you would not return. Have you come for your word to burn?"

Spike shook his head, "No, I'm not looking for trouble. I just wanted to let you know that Zecora can rest in peace. We caught him, the one who killed her."

The Zebra chief chuckled, "You have honor and skill. You may come and go at will."

Spike smiled, "Thank you." before going to Zecora's grave, laying a carnation on it, "Rest well my friend, I've done what I thought you'd want. I resisted the urge to kill, I like to believe that's what you would have wanted me to do." before standing up and looking at his crew, smiling.

Twilight broke the silence and asked, "Not to be rude captain, but what do we do now? You've avenged Zecora's death, what do you have to do now?"

Spike took out the map that Bonnie had given him and said, "We've still got a treasure hunt to get on with."

Twilight smiled, "I already know that I shouldn't try to stop you. Let's get going." before walking back to the ship with the rest of the crew.

After delivering Finn to the Threshers, Spike was finally at peace, and headed back on the trail of the treasure that he'd gotten from Bonnie when they first met.

Meanwhile in the crew quarters...

Twilight was shocked as Rainbow told them the story about her night with Spike, "You're kidding, right? He's that big!?

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Oh yeah, best lay of my life. He's even been building a harem; what do you think he was doing with Lyra and Bonbon back at the spa?"

Twilight licked her lips and whispered a plan to the girls; they were going to have one big night together with Spike.

One Long Night (Part 1: Twilight)

The crew had just finished their dinner, which was cooked by Pinkie Pie. Spike stretched his arms yawning, "I'm getting tired. I'm going to hit the hay early." before heading to his quarters.

Twilight smiled as Spike left and whispered to Pinkie, "You put in the special ingredient in Spike's drink, right?"

Pinkie nodded, "You bet your sweet bippy I did!"

Rainbow smiled, "I guess it's time for my part then." before walking down to Spike's quarters and stripping down and entering his quarters, tiptoeing, "Oh captain, how about a quickie before bed?"

Spike yawned, but smiled, "I won't say no to that, I'm just a bit tired."

Rainbow Dash giggled, "Don't worry captain, leave it to us."

Spike sighed in pleasure as he felt Rainbow's tongue licking his cock, before realizing what she said, "Wait, us?" before reaching for his lamp and turning it on to see the rest of the girls naked around him, "What the!?" before being pulled into a kiss by Twilight.

As Twilight pulled from the kiss, "This is going to be a long night captain, we all want a piece of you, and we're not stopping until we've all had that monster cock of yours in us."

Spike chuckled, "I guess I can't complain. In that case, I'd like to get a taste of your pussy Twilight. In the meantime, why don't the rest of you get my cock hard and lubed?"

Twilight smiled and positioned herself over Spike's face, while the rest of the girls took turns licking and sucking on Spike's cock. As Spike plunged his tongue into Twilight, she gave a short moan, "Oh fuck! I never knew dragon tongues were so thick and rough! It feels so good!" before moving her head and chest down to join in with the girls.

As Twilight wrapped her tits around Spike's cock, he moaned out, "F-Fuck! I'm cumming!" before erupting with cum, covering the girls' tits and faces in his thick seed. Spike panted as he finished unloading and took a stamina potion out of his nightstand before drinking it and saying, "You know, I don't know how much you girls know about dragon anatomy, but my species of dragon is known for this." moving his hand to his cock and showing that he in fact had a hemipenes.

The girls' eyes widened from this, and Fluttershy completely passed out, before being woken up by Applejack. Fluttershy gasped for air and said, "S-Sorry, it just took me completely by surprise."

Twilight nodded, "You're not the only one Fluttershy. I never imagined Spike would have two cocks disguised as one. Did you know about this Dash?"

Rainbow shook her head, her eyes still wide, "No, but I wish I'd known sooner, that would have been a hell of a time."

Spike chuckled, "Well, who's first? Or should we do two at a time?"

Twilight spoke, "I wouldn't mind being double fucked if it's ok with the girls."

The other girls nodded, and voiced opinions on what they each could do with Spike. As Twilight moved herself from Spike's face to his cocks, she smiled, "Don't be afraid to get rough Spike."

Spike smirked, "If you insist." before grabbing Twilight's hips and slamming her down onto his cocks.

Twilight cried out in ecstasy, "H-Holy shit! It feels even bigger inside!"

Spike pulled Twilight down to him as he continued to lift and slam her hips against his cocks, "So, would you say I'm better than that lousy ex-boyfriend of yours?"

Twilight kissed Spike as her nails dug into his back, not even hurting Spike because of his scales, "You beat Flash in so many ways Spike. You're incredible! Don't stop until you make me cum, I love your thick dragon cock!"

Spike smiled as he kissed Twilight back, thinking to himself, "If I had known she would react like this, I would have nailed her the minute she broke up with Flash." before moving his hands from Twilight's hips to her tits, licking and fondling them.

Twilight continued to moan as she continued to lift herself up and down Spike's cocks as he played with her tits. "F-Fuck... I don't think I can last much longer, Spike, please, cum inside me."

Spike panted as he managed to get words out, "I have no problem with that, here it comes!"

Both Spike and Twilight cried out in ecstasy as they came together, before Twilight fell off his cocks and was saved from falling off the bed by Spike grabbing her as she did. "Get some rest Twilight." Before looking to the rest of the girls. "Who's next then?"

Rarity swayed her hips as she walked up to him and said, "I hope you don't mind having me next Spikey-wikey."

Spike smiled, this was certainly a dream come true, considering he'd had a crush on the beautiful naval officer since he was young, "I don't mind at all Rare-bear. Let me get another stamina potion though."

One Long Night (Part 2: Rarity and Applejack)

Rarity smiled as Spike drank another stamina potion, before pulling him to sit up and kissing him, wrapping her legs around his back, "I won't lie Spike, I've always liked you more than just a little brother, but I never knew how things would go with your mother if I told her about my feelings."

Spike smiled back as he kissed Rarity, "So, now that my mother's not here, should we have some fun with those feelings?"

Rarity nodded, before positioning both of Spike's cocks near her pussy, "I want every inch of you inside of my pussy, I want you Spike." before kissing him again as she lowered herself down onto his cocks, fitting both of them into her soaking wet pussy.

Spike moaned as both his cocks penetrated the love of his life and smiled, "I hope you can keep up, because I never go slow." before standing up with Rarity still on his cocks, plunging into her harder and faster with every thrust. He looked to the rest of the girls and said, "You know, you can join in if you want to, I'm sure Rarity would appreciate some more teasing."

As he said this, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash moved to lick and squeeze Rarity's breasts, while Applejack moved down to lick up her pussy juices as Spike pounded her. Meanwhile, Pinkie made out with Rarity.

Applejack suddenly pushed Spike and Rarity back onto the bed and jumped up, "Hope you don't mind Rarity, but it's just so hard to wait my turn." before pulling one of Spike's cocks out of Rarity's cunt and slipping it into her ass.

Rarity rolled her eyes, "That's so rude Applejack, but I'm having too much of a good time to complain." before moving herself to face Applejack, while keeping Spike's cock in her cunt.

Spike moaned as Rarity moved herself, "F-Fuck! I never knew twisting a cunt around my cock would feel so good!"

Rarity giggled lightly, "In that case." before grinding her pussy around on Spike's cock.

As she did this, Applejack slammed her ass against Spike's second cock harder and harder every time.

Spike moaned, partially from pain, "Applejack, I know you're trying to enjoy yourself, but you're going to end up breaking my pelvis if you're that rough."

Applejack slowed down as Spike said this, "Sorry 'bout that Cap'n." before pulling Rarity into a deep kiss.

As the two girls kissed, Spike motioned his tail into Rarity's ass, causing her to yelp, but moan shortly afterwards, "Oh Spikey-wikey, your tail feels so good up my ass!"

Applejack panted as she came close to her own orgasm, but said, "Hey Rarity, think you can outlast me? How about a little bet? Whoever goes the longest without cumming gets to have both of Spike's cocks and his tail."

Rarity was also panting, but managed to say, "You and I both know we can't last much longer, even if one of us wins, we won't have the strength to go another round. Besides, while I could just as easily drink one of Spike's stamina potions, you have that personal rule that you never use potions to help with things that require good old hard work."

Applejack sighed as she panted, "Good point, but can we at least try to cum together?"

Spike continued to moan, "Don't think that's far from happening."

Rarity giggled, "Well, you heard him Applejack, let's both make our delightful captain cum." before kissing Applejack as the two of them sped up their thrusts as they rode Spike's cocks.

"F-Fuck! I'm cumming!" Spike yelled out before unleashing his third load of the night. He fell down on the bed exhausted, "You girls are really wearing me out. And I'm loving it!"

Rainbow Dash pulled a stamina potion out of Spike's nightstand, "You're not done yet, me and Fluttershy are next, right Flutters?" looking to her long-time friend.

Fluttershy said, "Well... what about Pinkie? She doesn't deserve to be the last one to have a turn."

Pinkie hugged Fluttershy, "Thanks Fluttershy, that's really nice of you. But can you keep up with all three of us Spike?"

Spike chuckled, "We'll just have to test my stamina and find out, won't we?"

The Treasure Hunt (Part 1)

After Spike had recovered his stamina from the night with the girls, he stepped out of his quarters to see Bonnie Anne waiting for him. He raised an eyebrow, "Bonnie? How long have you been out here? Were you spying on me last night?"

Bonnie shook her head, "No, I've only been here for a few minutes. I wanted to show you the map that you got when you took over the ship. The map is magical, and as I said, we'll need Morgan to translate since Valencian is a dead language."

Spike nodded, "Right, let's get everyone together to see where the map leads." Before walking towards the main deck. He believed that Bonnie was telling the truth about not spying on what happened last night, she would have been found out by the girls if she was.

As Spike walked to the deck, he assembled his crew and showed them the map. Morgan looked at the map first and said, "This map isn't easy to translate, but I can try my best..." before reading the map intently and translating, "If you're reading this, you're either a cunning pirate or a lucky punk. Either way, you must find my treasure by testing your skills. First, head to island with two palm trees, the next clue lies there."

Spike sighed, "I had a feeling there would be some sort of test. But where's the island the map is talking about?"

Twilight spoke up, "Captain, I believe I know where the island is. When we were leaving Puerto Mico, we saw a small island with nothing on it but two palm trees. I remember where it was, so perhaps that's the next place to go?"

Spike nodded, "That sounds about right, you know how to get there, so you're on the wheel."

As Twilight steered them into Tradewind Skyways, she docked them at a small island and as she helped lower the anchor, she said, "This is the place captain."

Spike stepped off his ship and looked around, the island did indeed only have two palm trees on it, nothing else. He thought for a moment before noticing there was something in one of the trees. He climbed the tree and came down with what looked like a lens. As he brought it down, he looked into it and could see into the sand, noticing that he was seeing right through it and the bottom of the island. He told the crew, "This is a magical crystal lens! These things are extremely rare..."

Suddenly, the map started glowing and Morgan took a look at it again and said, "There's new information!" taking her time to translate again, "It seems you've found my old crystal lens. Go to the old fortress behind Skull Mountain. That's where you'll need the lens most to pass my next test."

Spike smiled lightly, "Well then, let's get going." before steering the ship back to Skull Island, and as he stepped off the boat, a Hammerhead Shark walked up to them and asked, "You are the Black Rose Dragon, correct?"

Spike nodded, noticing that the shark in front of him was the head of security here on Skull Island, "I am, and you're Mordekai, aren't you?"

The shark nodded, "Indeed. I hate to pull you away from your treasure hunt, but Avery would like to speak to you. The recent events with the war between the Shark Clans have gained his attention, and he'd like to talk to you about it."

Spike nodded, "Tell Avery I'll be there." before looking to his crew saying, "It's not like anyone else knows how to find this treasure, even if they had the map. Avery's a good man, I have a feeling he has something important to tell me. You guys go get something to eat in the tavern, I'll come meet up with you when I'm done talking to Avery."

His crew nodded and headed over to the Kraken's Skull Tavern, while Spike headed up the stairs towards Avery's office. When he arrived, Avery smiled, "Spike! Or should I say Black Rose Dragon? Either way, I heard that you took Finn into custody and handed him over to the Threshers. Good on you, I should have listened to Mordekai when he told me not to trust him."

Spike nodded, "Yes, but that isn't what you had me come here for. What's up?"

Avery cleared his throat, "Yes, of course. We've been having a big problem with ships from the Valencian Navy causing illegal blockades and attacking fair traders, even going as far as to kidnap men and women to force them into their navy to regain numbers. How much do you know about the Pirate/Armada Wars?"

Spike sighed, "Enough to know that the Valencians are sore about the fact that their so-called perfect Armada was taken down by a kid who was only 12 years old."

Avery nodded, "Yes, that. The Valencians are getting ready to reignite a war that they lost over 20 years ago. I'd like your help, as well as the help of the HMS Pinafore, who I've heard have joined your crew."

Spike nodded, "Since you know who I really am, you know I can try to convince my mother to send in the Equestrian Navy to help. If you want me to, I'll gladly do whatever I can to help."

Avery smiled, "Thank you Spike, you have no idea how much you're doing for the people of Skull Island. Hopefully we can stop the Valencians from making the mistake of reigniting the war that their mechanical puppets lost."

Spike nodded and shook Avery's hand, "I'll get in contact with my mother as soon as I can. We'll show the Valencians that they lost the war, and they'll lose again if they try to finish what the Armada started." before walking back out of Avery's office and heading towards the tavern.

And so, Spike is on his first treasure hunt, but dark forces are attacking Skull Island. The Valencians are trying to finish what their Clockwork Armada started. Spike has agreed to help in the matter and has also agreed to get the Equestrian Navy involved as well. Will Spike be able to help stop a new Valencian War?

The Treasure Hunt (Part 2)

Spike returned to the tavern and ordered himself a drink before sitting down with his crew. "So, I've got good news, bad news, and worse news, what would you like to hear first?"

Rainbow Dash told him, "Just a sec" before chugging down the rest of her drink, "Ok, I say bad news first."

Spike rolled his eyes, "We have to put a halt on our treasure hunt for some time."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, "I have a feeling the good news isn't that you've decided to go back to Equestria, so what could the good news be?"

Spike took some of his drink and said, "Actually, the good news is we'll be taking a little trip back to Equestria. The worse news... we're getting involved with angry Valencians who want to finish what the Armada started."

Adagio nearly choked on her drink and said, "What!? Are you talking about the Pirate/Valencia War? They're seriously still sore about that?"

Time Turner sighed, "It makes sense, the Valencian Royals had no idea what the Armada was really doing, they think they lost the war that was being waged for the good of Valencia, the stupid bastards. No offense Captain."

Spike nodded, "None taken. I made a bit of a bargain with Avery. I told him I'd try to get my mother to involve the Equestrian Navy.

Twilight, who was sitting next to Spike, put a hand on his shoulder and said, "You don't need to head back to Equestria just to ask your mother to do the right thing."

Spike sighed, "I know I don't have to... I guess... I guess I'm just a bit homesick. I'd like to see my mother and Aunt Luna. It would mean a lot to my mom if I at least visited her every once in a while. Even if I don't take the throne, she's my mother. She deserves to see her only son once in a while."

Rarity nodded, "He's right Twilight. The six of us are the best Naval Officers in Equestria, but we always make time for our families."

Applejack voiced agreement, "Rarity's right, if we needed help from our family, we'd go and ask in person, especially if it's been a long time since we saw them."

Twilight sighed, "You're right. If you want us to head back to Equestria, so be it. You're my captain, and I'll stay loyal to you as much as I am loyal to your mother."

As Spike and his crew returned to their ship, Spike gulped and embarrassedly told Twilight, "Um... I honestly don't know the way back to Equestria, I came to Skull Island in a dingy, not a proper ship. You'll have to pilot us home."

Twilight giggled and said, "Don't worry, I will. Get some rest, it's getting dark, I don't mind staying up."

Spike kissed her cheek and said, "Thanks Twilight." before heading into his quarters to head to bed.

The next morning...

Spike woke up to head out of his room and up to the deck, seeing Canterlot on the horizon. "It feels weird to be back after only two months.

As Twilight docked Spike's ship in the castle's private docks, a few guards came out with their guns drawn, and one of them said, "Hey, this dock is private to the Royal Family of Equestria, state your name, rank, and intention!"

Spike jumped onto the dock and took off his helmet, "Spike Drake, Prince of Equestria, visiting my mother."

The guards lowered their guns and saluted Spike as he came to the dock, the commander saying, "Apologies your majesty! We were not informed that you would be gracing us with your return!"

Spike chuckled, "At ease. Just get me and the members of the HMS Pinafore in to see my mother. As for the rest of my crew, I'd appreciate it if you can get them something to eat and drink."

The guard captain lowered his salute and said, "Yes your majesty. I will alert the queen to your arrival, and your crew is welcome here. If they have your trust, they have the trust of the Royal Guard." before taking Spike and the girls to see Celestia.

When Celestia saw Spike in the throne room, she ran over to him and hugged him, crying from joy, "Oh Spike, I'm so happy you're home!"

Spike hugged his mother back, "I'm sorry to say this is a temporary visit. But I promise, I'll visit more often."

Luna walked down the stairs and smiled, "Well, this certainly is a surprise."

Celestia released Spike from her hug and said, "Well, what's the reason for this visit?"

Spike explained the problem with Valencia, and Luna nodded, "They've been getting ambitious lately. They think they're entitled to compensation from that kid who destroyed the Armada. The royals worshiped the clockworks as saviors, they had no idea what they were really doing. Now they think everyone else betrayed the ally that helped win the Polarian War. All in all, I'm not surprised they're doing this."

Celestia nodded, "We weren't involved in the Polarian War, but I never liked those mechanical monsters." before looking to her son and saying, "You can tell Avery that he has the support of the Equestrian Navy. I wouldn't be surprised if some genius would be stupid enough to try remaking the Armada, and that's something nobody wants. But while you're here, would you like to stay a bit?"

Spike smiled, hugging his mother, "Yes, I'd like that. I'll admit, I'm a bit homesick, so I promise I'll visit every once in a while."

Celestia hugged her son back and kissed his forehead, "Just this visit touches my heart darling." before looking up to the crew of the HMS Pinafore, confused by their clothing, "Is that the normal attire for female pirates?"

Spike gulped, if his mother knew that the girls and him had sex together, she'd be furious, so he said, "N-No! Women wear much less revealing clothing, but we got in a scuffle, and we haven't been able to get our cloths fixed yet."

Celestia nodded, "Ah, that makes sense. I'll have the tailors get to work on that, let's go join your crew for dinner."

Spike sighed in relief, he didn't mind if the girls had less revealing clothing, and he knew they would understand why he lied. He headed out with his mother and the girls to see that Starlight Glimmer and Sunset Shimmer were there to meet him. Starlight and Sunset were more than just Spike's fencing instructors, they were his personal guards from before he ran away.

As the others enter the room, Starlight asked, "Your majesty, a word if we could?"

Spike sighed, "Let me guess, my mom chewed you out for not noticing me when I escaped?"

Sunset nodded, "That's part of it, but you're more than just a student or a prince we're honor-bound to protect. You're our friend. We would have gone with you if you explained the situation to us."

Starlight nodded, "She's right, we would have. Friends stick together, and when we make mistakes, we help each other."

Spike sighed, "You're right, I'm sorry if I worried you. If you'd like, I'll let you on my crew."

Starlight and Sunset smiled and each kissed one of Spike's cheek, saying in union, "Deal."

Spike blushed heavily, but shook it off, and headed into the dining hall with his crew and family.

And so, Spike has returned to Equestria to visit his mother, and ask her for the Equestrian Royal Navy's help with Avery's situation. His mother is overjoyed and has agreed to lend the help of her navy to prevent a war with the Valencians.

Spike Earns His Wings (Part 1)

As Spike woke up in his old bedroom, having stayed the night in the castle he called home, he was met by Ember as he exited his room. Ember was the captain of Equestria's Order of the Dragoons, which meant she she was in command of all the dragon soldiers of the Royal Navy and Army. She saluted him and said, "Greetings my prince. I was made aware of your arrival last night, but I didn't want to disturb you at the time."

Spike stretched his arms yawning, "And you thought disturbing me as I just woke up would be a better idea?"

Ember flinched lightly and cleared her throat, "I just wanted to inform you that the time has come for the test."

Spike's eyes widened, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was about to earn his wings, an old dragon tradition to celebrate a young dragon's coming of age by testing the dragon to see if their wings will grow or if they are still too young to grow their wings. He smiled, "I suppose that's enough to be woken up so early. I suppose we'll be going to The Forge?"

Ember nodded, "Yes, right after you've had breakfast, I've assembled a squad of my best Dragoons to accompany you to the Forge to oversee your trials."

Spike smiled, "Thank you Ember. I assume my mother and crew have been notified?"

Ember nodded, "Yes, I've informed your family as well as the crew of the HMS Pinafore. The pirates you recruited in Skull Island seem to be avoiding the guard. Are they perhaps criminals? I mean, other than piracy of course."

Spike shook his head, "No, they're not wanted criminals, the guards are just making them a bit uncomfortable, watching them as if they're waiting for them to screw up so they can arrest them."

Ember sighed, "I suppose we have been suspicious of our guests. I will inform the Dragoons to be more polite to them. I will see you at the private docks when you are ready to head to The Forge. I'll be off." before leaving.

Spike went down to the dining hall and saw his crew eating breakfast, and asked, "Have you guys been being hassled with the guards?"

Time Turner took a bite of his bacon and said, "I know royal guards are supposed to protect the royal family, but they're being terrible hosts. Your family is much different though, I'll say that."

Spike sighed, "Yeah, I'll have my mother talk to them. Ember just met me upstairs, and I need to tell you guys something. I'm going to be going away for a few days, on my own."

Adagio raised an eyebrow, "What's this about? Is it some sort of royal thing?"

Morgan thought for a moment before saying, "If I remember my lessons on Equestrian traditions, I believe the captain might be going to a place called 'The Forge.' It's a place in Equestria where all dragons go to earn their wings, a sign of maturity within dragon culture."

Spike was surprised at how much Morgan knew about Equestrian traditions, but nodded, "She's right. I'm heading out to The Forge after breakfast. My family and the girls are already aware of this, but Ember said it'd be best if I tell you because of how uncomfortable you are with the guards."

The crew nodded in agreement, and Morgan said, "I completely understand, The Forge is restricted to dragons only by some sort of magic, even if Spike wants us to come, we can't, it's taboo to bring outsiders to The Forge. Even the Queen herself isn't allowed."

Spike nodded, "She's right, I have to do this on my own. I'll be back in about a week, and hopefully when I'm back, I'll have earned my wings."

Bulk Biceps raised his glass and said, "A toast for good luck to you captain."

Spike smiled and rose his own glass to clink with his crew's glasses and then sat down to eat his breakfast. When he was finished, he headed out to the Royal Family's private dock to meet Ember and the other Dragoons.

As Spike arrived, some of the older Dragoons gave their words of encouragement, as well as retelling their own trip to The Forge to earn their own wings.

Ember smiled as Spike made his way onto the boat, only for her to frown when another Dragoon, easily the most annoying and cocky of them, Garble, laughed and said, "We're taking the runt to The Forge? What a joke!" before being surrounded by other Dragoons

Ember walked up on to the ship and said, "Don't forget Garble, you've been to The Forge three times now, and you still don't have your wings." before moving behind the disrespectful Dragoon and ripping off his fake wings, causing everyone, including Spike, to laugh. "Now, if you're going to be like this during Spike's first trip to The Forge, you can stay home."

Garble gulped and looked down as the others laughed, "Screw you guys! I don't need my wings to be a good Dragoon!"

One of the Dragoons rolled his eyes, "Don't forget, you're still at the bottom of the totem pole, and that's because you've failed your trials three times. Honestly, you're a disgrace to the Dragoons."

Garble growled and before he could punch the other Dragoon, Spike intervened and said, "That's enough out of you, Garble. I should have done this a long time ago." before ripping the Dragoon Emblem from Garble's uniform, "You're relieved of your status as a Dragoon, so get the hell out of here. You've been bullying me since I was young, you have no respect for the royal family or anyone other than yourself. Get out, before I throw you off this ship myself."

Garble growled, and yelled, "You can't relieve me of duty, you little runt! What sort of prince gets rid of his best Dragoon!?"

Spike rolled his eyes, "I'm not getting rid of Ember, I'm getting rid of you, now piss off and leave or I'll throw you off myself."

Garble laughed, "I'd like to see you-" before Spike walked up to him, grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and flipped him over his back and off the ship. Garble stood up and said, "Ah to Tartarus with this! I took an oath to protect the Royal Family, not some little brat! If Queen Celestia wasn't your mother, I'd-" When he saw the other Dragoons salute, he looked behind him to see that the Queen was standing right behind him.

Celestia said, "At ease Dragoons. As for you Garble, my son's decision stands, you are disrespectful not only to the royal family, but to your commanding officers, and the people you also serve to protect. You are no longer a member of the Royal Dragoons. You're lucky, because one of the butlers retired and you'll make a fine replacement."

Garble gulped and bowed, "Y-Yes my queen... I... I understand." before walking back into the castle, sniffling and shedding a few tears.

Ember smiled, "Thank you my queen, Garble has been getting on my last nerves, so it's much better we don't have him on our trip to The Forge."

Celestia nodded, "Even as a butler, he probably won't learn his lesson. At this rate, I'll have to send him to the dungeons one of these days." She walked up and kissed Spike's forehead, "I know I'm not allowed to go to The Forge with you, but I wanted to give you this, your father's old amulet. I like to think that your father would be overjoyed to see you heading to The Forge, so take it with you." before putting a necklace with a dragon charm hanging from it around her son's neck. "Good luck Spike, I can't wait to see you pass your trials and earn your wings."

Spike smiled, "Thanks mom, this means a lot." before heading onto the ship and having them set sail.

And so, Spike sets off on a journey to The Forge in order to earn his wings, a sign of maturity within dragon culture. Said culture forbids bringing anyone who is not a Dragon to The Forge, so Spike must complete his trials without the help of his crew if he wishes to earn his wings. Will he earn his wings and prove himself worthy of being called a true Dragon? Only time will tell...

Spike Earns His Wings (Part 2)

As the ship made port in The Forge, Spike was already awake before the rest of the Dragoons. Ember walked up onto the main deck to see him and asked, "Are you ready for this Spike? The trials aren't easy."

Spike nodded, "I know, and if I weren't ready, I wouldn't have come here."

Ember smiled, "You're right. I'm sure you'll pass your trials."

As the ship made port, Spike left the ship, followed by Ember and the other Dragoons. Spike looked up to the amazing size of The Forge. He'd never seen it in person, so he was surprised at how large it was, "Well, this is where I go on my own."

Ember nodded, "Yes, you must pass the three trials of Power, Courage, and Wisdom. After that, you must pass the final test, and only then will you earn your wings."

Spike smiled, "Thank you Ember." before heading into The Forge. As he headed in, his first test was the Test of Wisdom.

An ancient statue in the shape of Bahamut, the First Dragon, spoke, "He who has come to The Forge, you must pass the Trial of Wisdom. Your test is a simple question. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?"

Spike thought for a moment, many answers in his head, but they all seemed wrong until he came upon one that made sense and spoke to the statue, "They surrender."

The statue smiled, and said, "That is indeed the answer. You show the Wisdom of a True Dragon, now your next test will be the Trial of Power. The Trial of Power is a fight with the most feared enemy of all Dragons, a fairy. More specifically, a Cornish Fairy."

Spike gulped, he'd heard terrible rumors about how dangerous Cornish Fairies were, especially towards Dragons. He drew his daggers and said, "I'm ready."

The statue nodded before opening its mouth and releasing a medium sized fairy, which immediately shot lightning at Spike.

Spike jumped out of the way of the lightning, and continued to dodge, trying to think of a way to get close enough to slay the fairy. He saw an old mirror nearby and dashed for it, avoiding the fairy's attacks all the while. When he clutched the mirror in his hands, the fairy sent out one last bolt of lightning, only for it to be deflected by the mirror and sent back at the fairy, who was electrocuted while screaming in pain, eventually escaping and heading back into the mouth of the statue.

The statue smiled, "You have proven that you have both the Wisdom and Power of a True Dragon. Your final test is the Trial of Courage. You must confront your greatest fear."

Spike gulped; his greatest fear was his mother dying disappointed in him. He sheathed his daggers and stood proud, "I will face my greatest fear." before smoke came out of the statue, changing the scenery into a funerary ceremony at the castle. He walked past the illusions of the people who he loved and cared for, all of them blaming him for his mother's death.

As he fought back tears, he was able to make his way to the illusion of his aunt standing beside his mother's coffin, and she said, "You are such a disappointment. You ran away, broke your mother's heart, and so much more. Do you really consider yourself worthy of becoming King of Equestria? I don't think your mother would feel that way..."

Spike gulped and said, "My mother will always be proud of me for being who I am. She has loved me since the day I was born, and nothing will destroy the love between my mother and I, nothing!"

Luna smiled, "Spoken like a True Dragon. You've completed your final test." before the illusion faded back into smoke.

The statue of Bahamut had come to life and said, "Spike, Prince of Equestria, blood of The First Dragon. You have passed your trials, without fear or hesitation. You are worthy of being called a True Dragon. I grant you your wings." before the giant dragon snapped his fingers, and smoke gathered around Spike's body.

As the smoke covered his body, Spike could feel the slight pain of his wings protruding out of his back and growing to full size. As the smoke cleared, he felt born anew, and bowed to the statue of Bahamut, "Thank you great one. It is an honor to have been given these Trials."

The statue smiled, "It has been a pleasure to see the young prince pass his trials. Go forth with pride my child."

As Spike exited The Forge, he held his wings cleverly held behind his back, causing the Dragoons to show worry and shock, believing Spike had not earned his wings. Only for Spike to reveal his wings and said, "Gotcha!" and as he laughed, the other Dragoons laughed and cheered as well.

On the trip back to the castle, Ember had asked to see Spike in her quarters on the ship while the crew was asleep. As Spike walked into her quarters, she laid on her bed, completely naked and legs spread. She told him, "My young prince, I've been in love with you since the day I met you as a recruit in the Dragoons. I want you inside of me, I want you as my one and only mate."

Spike blushed as he saw Ember naked and gulped, "Um... Ember... I don't mean to be rude, but-"

Ember shushed him, "I already know about your harem, and I want to be part of it."

Spike walked over to her and kissed her, "Well, that spared a lot of awkward silence." before taking off his cloths and moving into the bed with Ember. "Shall we get each other a little excited?" before moving Ember's pussy over his mouth and licking her.

Ember giggled and said, "Indeed my sweet prince." before licking and sucking on his cock while it was in between her breasts. "I'll always love you Spike, that's a promise."

Spike smiled, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a crush on you since we were little." before being squirted on by her sensitive pussy. "I think it's time for the main event, don't you?"

Ember nodded, "Yes my love, you're nice and hard, now stick both those glorious cocks all the way in my tight virgin pussy."

Spike pulled Ember into a kiss as he slammed his cocks into her, asking, "I hope it doesn't hurt..."

Ember giggled, "You and I are of the same breed of dragon, we grow stronger from every injury sustained, that includes loss of virginity." before slamming her hips up and down on Spike's cocks as they kissed.

Spike kissed her back as he could feel both his cocks pulsing in Ember's pussy. She was even tighter than Fluttershy, and her boobs were softer than Morgan's, he couldn't help but fondle with them. As they both reached their climax, he said, "I love you Ember, do you want to bear my children?"

Ember panted and said, "I do my prince, I want to be yours forever. I'll even go with you and your crew when you head back to Skull Island."

Spike smiled and kissed her again as they both came, moaning out in ecstasy as their lips were locked. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

A few days later...

As the ship approached the royal docks at the castle, Spike jumped off the bow of the ship and used his new wings to fly to the dock as the ship came to port. Spike smiled, "These new wings work great!" before looking to the sky and held his father's amulet in his hand, "Thank you father, I know you're in a better place, but I'll never forget you."

And so, Spike has not only earned his wings, but has gained a new member of his harem within Ember, a girl he has known since childhood and has always had a crush on. With this, he has returned to his friends and family to show them his wings.

Back to the Skies

Spike had stayed with his mother for the past month, and as he woke up in the morning, he went to see his mother. He hoped that she wouldn't freak out, but he was going to tell her the truth about his relationship with the HMS Pinafore. As he met with his mother in the study, he gulped and said, "Mom, promise not to get mad when I say this?"

Celestia looked up from her book with a look of concern, "What could make me mad at my only son?"

Spike took a deep breath and said, "I had sexual relations with-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Celestia interrupted him saying, "Honey, you're an adult now. I may be your mother, but your sex life is not any of my business."

Spike sighed in relief, "Thank you, mother, this was getting me anxious. But there is something else I need to tell you. As much as I've enjoyed this visit, I have to return to the skyways. I promised I'd visit, and I will, but I need to get back to Skull Island. Like I told you, the Valencians are stepping on a lot of toes, and I need to help Avery with it."

Celestia smiled lightly, "It's fine, I understand. I heard that Ember, Starlight Glimmer, and Sunset Shimmer are joining your crew, so I have no reason to worry about you. I know you'll be safe with some of Equestria's best military on your side." before kissing him on his forehead and returning to her book.

Spike smiled as his mother spoke, saying, "I love you mom, I'll be sure to visit again." before leaving the study to head downstairs. When he got there, he saw his crew getting to know their new members, "Everyone, I hope you guys are ready, we're heading back to Skull Island."

The crew nodded and followed Spike back to the ship. As the ship left the docks, Spike sighed as he watched the castle grow smaller in the distance, when Ember came up to him and said, "It must be hard coming back only to have to leave so soon."

Spike nodded, "Yeah, but this doesn't mean I'm not coming back again. The Valencians are a top priority, but family is family."

Ember smiled, "Well put Spike. We're about to head through the stormgate to Skull Island. We should be through in about an hour."

Spike smiled, "Thanks Ember. That'll be all." before kissing her cheek.

As the ship passed through the stormgate to Skull Island, the sounds of cannons could be heard from the other side. When they made it into Skull Island skies, they saw a group of Valencian ships attacking a group of Cutthroat ships. Penelope rushed over to Spike and asked, "Captain, shall we engage? The Cutthroats are in trouble, and as their leader, I highly recommend we assist them!"

Spike nodded, "Everyone, get to the cannons! Sunset, Starlight, prepare to board the Valencian ships! Rarity, Fluttershy, get to the Cutthroat ships and give aid to anyone who's injured. Ember, you're with me! We're taking these bastards down!" before running to the side of the ship and jumping off as he took flight along with Ember at his side.

As Sunset, Starlight, Spike, and Ember distracted the Valencians, Rarity and Fluttershy were able to tend to the wounds of the injured Cutthroats. One of the Cutthroats managed to tell them, "The Valencians aren't alone this time, they've got a new Armada! One of Kane's inner circle survived the war and she started building new clockworks in secret!"

As Spike landed on one of the Cutthroat ships, his eyes widened when he heard what the Cutthroat said, "What!? But there's not a single clockwork on that ship!"

Another Cutthroat told him, "Spike, man are we glad you're here. The new clockworks have some sort of crazy disguising tech. They have some sort of earpiece that disguises them as living, breathing people, but they're nothing more than gears and wires."

Spike growled, "Let's take care of them then." before flying back to an Armada ship and slashing at the ear of one of the Valencians, to reveal that what the Cutthroat had said was true. "Wait, if they're clockworks..." before grinning lightly, "Then we don't have to hold back! Everyone, the soldiers are clockworks, hold nothing back!"

As the crew realized Spike was right, they kicked their attack plan into high gear, destroying all the clockworks before looting and sinking their ships.

The leader of the Cutthroats that had been attacked was able to get onto Spike's ship and said, "Thanks for the help captain. We couldn't have done this without you and your crew. Whatever troubles you had with Finn, they don't matter to me, you've proved yourself a worthy leader."

Spike smiled lightly, "Thank you, but we have more important matters to attend to. For all we know, there could be dozens of disguised clockworks on Skull Island as we speak, we need to warn Avery and Mordekai."

The Cutthroat nodded, "Right sir." before heading back to his own ship and following Spike's ship to the Skull Island docks to have their ship repaired.

As they made it to port, Twilight was worried, "You made a good point Spike, and with everyone already on edge, we don't know who we can trust around here anymore."

Spike sighed, "We can't just go around not trusting anyone, but we do need to be careful of any clockworks in disguise."

And so, Spike has returned to Skull Island, only to learn that not only have the Valencians started their war campaign, but that the clockworks are being rebuilt with dangerously powerful upgrades, being able to disguise themselves as real people. With this threat, nobody knows who to trust, and the possibility of Armada troops having infiltrated Skull Island is at a high risk. Will Spike and his crew be able to defeat the New Armada? Only time will tell.

Skull Island's Deep Secrets

As Spike and his crew headed to the top of Skull Mountain, they saw an ancient temple, and Spike said, "I never knew this was here. But this is where the map leads, so let's get going."

As they entered the temple, they saw a shrimp-like creature who said, "Ah, you've come. I assume if you've made it this far that you have Captain Gunn's magic lens?"

Spike nodded and pulled it out, asking the creature, "And who are you?"

The creature said, "I am Salaza. A long time ago, I used to be part of Captain Gunn's crew. Those were the days, back in my youth. Then again, we Prawn live for several hundred years." before clearing his throat and continuing, "Since you have the lens, I'll take it." After Spike handed him the lens, Salaza put it in a slot and said, "The first true test is nigh. Within this temple is Captain Gunn's pet Cryptling. This is the Test of Strength. Defeat the Cryptling and the next clue will appear. Are you ready?"

Spike nodded, drawing his sword and readying his pistol hand, "Bring it on!" He had to admit, this reminded him of his Trials at the Forge, it was spot on to the traditions, facing a strong creature as a test of his strength. The only difference, the Forge trials were on his own, he had his crew with him in this fight.

As the Cryptling emerged from the temple, it was well beyond the normal size of its species. Normally, Cryptlings were only about the size of a lion, this one was the size of an elephant. Spike gulped and asked Twilight, "Any ideas Twi?"

Twilight nodded, "Its legs are its weakness, if those legs give out, it won't be able to keep up with us. But we also outnumber it, so a full-on battle should be easy enough to take care of it."

Spike smiled, he was getting used to shooting his hand pistol, and with the Doctor's naval experience, this wouldn't take long. As he shot off a bullet towards its leg, the Cryptling did nothing, and the bullet ricocheted off its leg, "Crap, it must have been trained to be bullet resistant! Well, tactics like that won't work, so I guess it's the old-fashioned way." before the crew charged at it.

As the crew attacked, the Cryptling thrashed around, until it suddenly stopped from a slap from Fluttershy, and she stared into its eyes.

Spike wondered what she was doing, just looking it in the eyes, when he realized she was using 'the stare,' her signature technique for dealing with unruly animals. It may be big, but there was no animal who could resist her stare, not even cockatrice could resist it. He sheathed his sword and yelled, "Everyone, stand down, let Fluttershy take care of this!"

The crew did as they were ordered, but some of them wondered if this was safe, letting Fluttershy take on the beast herself.

Soon enough, the Cryptling rolled over like a puppy who wanted his belly rubbed, and Fluttershy did just that while saying, "Who's a good big scary monster? You are! Yes, you are!"

Salaza's eyes widened, and he rubbed his eyes to make sure he was really seeing this and said, "While highly unusual, you did technically defeat Captain Gunn's pet Cryptling, so you've passed this test. Let me see the map for a minute." when Spike handed him the map, he spoke, "Rejuviortis Spiritiato!" and the map gave off a bright glow before turning back to normal, showing the next clue.

When Salaza gave him the map back, Spike thanked him, "Thank you for your help. Considering that we've come, I suspect you have no other purpose here, do you?"

Salaza shook his head, "Other than keeping Spot here fed, there's no reason for me to stay."

Spike thought for a moment and said, "I know a great place where we can take Spot to be taken care of, and if you'd like, you can join my crew."

Salaza smiled and said, "Thank you, that's a kind offer. That I will accept. If you have a place where Spot will be well taken care of, I'll gladly join your crew."

As the spoke, Twilight was contacting a friend of hers who could take care of the Cryptling, and sent it via a teleportation spell and told him, "He's safe and sound with A.K. Yearling, he'll be well fed and have his fill of excitement."

As they headed back to the ship, Spike asked Salaza, "If you don't mind me asking, did Captain Gunn study the ancient traditions of dragons? This test reminded me of my trials at the Forge, which is off limits to anyone who isn't a dragon."

Salaza nodded, "While Captain Gunn wasn't a dragon, he was fascinated with their culture, and many of his exploits were similar to dragon culture."

Spike smiled, "Impressive. It would have been nice to meet him."

And so, Spike and his crew have come one step closer to finding Captain Gunn's lost treasure, but there are still dark things brewing in the Spiral. Will Spike be able to take on the coming darkness? Find out next time!

"What is it with these cliffhanger endings!?"

Sunken Siren Sisters

Spike was climbing up the mast of the ship to sit in the crow's nest, only to hear Adagio singing a soft song and seeing her in the crow's nest. "That's a beautiful song you're singing."

Adagio blushed when she realized Spike was there, but smiled, "Thanks... I used to sing it as a lullaby to my little sister Sonata Dusk."

"I didn't know you had a sister."

Adagio sighed, "I actually have two, but we got separated in a big storm before I met you. I just hope they're ok. Sonata could never survive on her own, and Aria rarely had the patience to deal with her."

Spike thought for a moment, before saying, "We'll find them. We'll put the treasure hunt on hold for a while. Family is more important than money."

Adagio grew a big smile on her face and she pulled Spike into a big kiss, not even realizing what she was doing, "Thank you so much captain!" continuing to kiss his cheeks before realizing what she was doing and blushed even more, "S-Sorry."

Spike smiled and kissed her on the lips, "Don't be."

Adagio's blush grew deeper, "You're terrible Spike." she giggled and climbed down the mast, not really caring that Spike was under her and he could see her panties.

Spike tried to look away from her panties, but he couldn't resist looking. As they climbed down, he called out, "Everyone, new orders, we're going to look for Adagio's sisters."

Adagio explained, "I have two younger sisters, Aria Blaze and Sonata Dusk. We got separated in a bad storm before I met Spike. Spike is willing to help me find them. I'm very grateful."

Twilight nodded, "We all know that family comes first, so we're with you all the way."

As the rest of the crew voiced their agreement, Spike asked Adagio, "So what was the closest town when you got caught in the storm?"

Adagio told him, "We were actually in Monquista, and we were heading towards Skull Island. The storm hit us right before we got through the Stormgate."

Spike nodded, "Twilight, you have a keystone to Monquista, don't you?"

Twilight took out the keystone and said, "Right here captain."

Spike smiled, "Let's get going then." before sailing towards the Tradewind Skyways and showing the guards of the Stormgate the papers that allowed them to go through. As they crossed between the Stormgate, Spike was freaked out by what he was seeing, he'd never been through a Stormgate before, and it was beautiful yet terrifying.

Soon enough, Adagio, looking through a telescope, yelled out, "Captain! My sister Sonata is on that little dingy! I don't see Aria though..."

Spike slowed the ship down and lowered the anchor, before tossing a rope to the dingy, "Hey, down there, climb up!"

The girl in the dingy noticed Adagio in the ship above her and squealed as she climbed up, hugging Adagio as she came on deck, "Big sis! I'm so glad to see you! It was so scary in Monquista, I barely got to the Stormgate!"

Adagio smiled and comforted her little sister and asked, "Sonata, where's Aria? She's not with you, where do you think she is?"

Sonata sniffled, "She got arrested... Monquista is in the middle of a civil war, and she was arrested as an enemy of the Crown."

Spike grumbled and put a hand on Sonata's shoulder, "We'll get her back, I promise. I'm Spike, Adagio's captain. You're welcome on my ship."

Sonata smiled and hugged Spike saying, "Thank you so much! It's just not the same without all three of us being together!"

As they continued through the Stormgate, there was a naval battle going on as they exited. Spike could tell which ships were from the Royal Monquistan Navy, and fired upon those ships, since they were the ones who imprisoned his friend's sister.

As the fight ended, the resistance ships boarded and asked, "You're not a resistance member, but you're also not with the Crown. Why are you here?" As Spike explained their situation, the captain said, "Ah yes, the prison ship escaped before you got here. I can show you the way there if you're interested in freeing your friend."

Spike thanked the captain and followed him to a small prison island, attacking the guards and pulling the switch to unlock the cells.

As the prisoners escaped, a young girl with purple hair saw them and said, "Adagio! Sonata!" before running over to them and hugging them, "Thanks so much sis! But how'd you do this on your own?"

Adagio explained, "I didn't, my new captain agreed to help me find the two of you."

Aria looked at Spike and smiled, "Thanks, but we should probably get going before we have more guards arriving."

Spike nodded and the crew ran out towards the docks, only to see more guards and Spike grumbled, changing the attachment on his gun hand, shooting a scattershot, electrocuting them all for long enough to get back to their ship and set sail, heading back to Skull Island.

Adagio came up to Spike in the crow's nest and kissed his cheek, "Thanks for helping me find my sisters. We want to make it up to you, so why don't we talk in your quarters tomorrow night?"

Spike smiled, "I'm fine with that." before kissing her cheek back. As Adagio climbed down, he sighed in relief, "So many girls want me, but I only have so much stamina. At least it's three and not six like with the HMS Pinafore."

The next night...

"Sorry folks, the author is having a sexual block! Hopefully we'll get a steamy scene in the next chapter."

Sexy Siren Sisters

It was the night after Spike had rescued Adagio's sisters and brought them upon his crew. He was about to rest his head in his quarters, when he turned the light on and saw the three naked sisters on his bed. He smiled and said, "I guess this is what you meant when you said you wanted to reward me? I've got no objections." before stripping down himself and revealing his two 14-inch cocks.

Adagio licked her lips and said, "Since I'm the oldest, I hope you two don't mind me going first."

Sonata pouted, until Aria said, "Well, why don't we give him a taste of our Special Siren Blowjob?"

As Spike laid down on the bed, he kissed Adagio as her sisters enveloped his cocks in their breasts. He told Adagio, "Why don't I get a taste of you?" before pulling her and putting her crotch over his face and plunging his tongue into her dripping wet cunt.

Adagio screamed out in pleasure as Spike plunged his tongue into her, "Oh fuck! It feels so good! It's so thick and rough! I'm going crazy!"

Sonata and Aria each swallowed a cock into their mouths and used their Siren powers to sing while his cock was in their mouth, causing him to tremble in pleasure and say, "F-Fuck! I never knew a siren could do that, with your tits and this, I'm not gonna last-" before blowing his load into the two sisters' mouths.

Sonata swallowed all of Spike's cum while Aria gagged a bit as she pulled off and said, "A bit rude, don't you think? You could have warned us."

As Sonata pulled back, she giggled, "You have to admit though, he lasted longer than I thought he would." before pushing her sister to the side saying, "Dibs!" and lowing her pussy onto both of Spike's cocks.

Adagio grumbled, but it was overshadowed by her moans as Spike continued to eat her out, "S-Sonata, I told you... ahh... I told you I'd be going-" before yelling out, "Fuck! I'm cumming!" and squirting her juices all over Spike's face.

Spike licked up all her juices up saying, "Well, you were occupied at the moment, so I'd say fair is fair."

Sonata moaned as she lowered herself onto Spike's cocks, yelping a bit as she could feel her hymen breaking, "Oh Goddesses yes! This is beyond my wildest dreams of losing my virginity! I'm so glad it was a dragon!"

Aria rolled her eyes and said to Spike as she moved Adagio to the side, "Why don't you get a taste of my pussy too cap?" When she felt his tongue penetrate her ass, she moaned out, "Such a dirty boy captain! I've never felt so good back there!"

As Adagio got herself together, she pulled herself up to suckle on Sonata's breasts and pinching her nipples, "Hope I'm not hurting you too much Sonata, but you did steal Spike's cocks from me when I specifically told you I'd be going first."

Sonata moaned in pleasure as her sister nibbled on her nipples and said, "I don't mind at all big sis! Punish me like the naughty girl I am!"

Spike continued eating out Aria's ass and said, "I'm getting close again, I hope you're ok with that Sonata."

Sonata moaned, "Yes master, fuck me up, I want your thick dragon seed in my tight siren pussy!" before feeling Spike unload his cum into her pussy, collapsing and falling off his cocks as she did, with Adagio laying her down on the bed.

Adagio kissed her youngest sister on her forehead, "I guess your first time was overwhelming for you Sonata. Rest up and maybe you'll get enough stamina to last longer next time." before moving herself and Aria to Spike's cocks, "I'll be the nice sister and share Spike this time."

Aria rolled her eyes, "Yeah, you're the best older sister I've ever had."

Spike chuckled, "Technically she's the only older sister you've had."

Aria groaned from the bad joke, "Spare us the comedy captain and help us settle a bet, who has the better ass." before the two sisters put one of Spike's cocks into each of their asses.

Spike moaned and said, "Well, it's a close call, but keep going and I might be able to decide. On second thought, I'll help you with that." before wrapping his tail around the two sisters, pushing them into a kiss while he lifted and slammed both girls onto his cocks.

Adagio and Aria both yelped as he did this, and Aria said, "You found a pretty dominant captain Adagio, it's been too long since I've gotten treated a bit rough."

Spike continued to moan as he lifted the sisters up and down on his cocks and said, "Well, so far, Adagio's in the lead, but whoever can keep the most of my load in their ass is going to be the winner. Here it comes!" before blowing his third and final load into both girls' asses.

The two sisters moaned in ecstasy as he came in their asses and fell into his arms as he released his tail around them. Aria kept her eyes open long enough to see that Adagio had released more cum from her ass than she did and weakly said, "I win, suck it Adagio." before falling to sleep in Spike's arms.

"S-Shut up..." Adagio could barely keep her eyes open and fell asleep into Spike's arms as well.

Spike pulled Sonata into his arms as well and fell asleep with the three beautiful siren sisters in his arms.

The next morning...

Spike woke up, cleaned up and dressed, with the three sisters no longer in his bed, and his memory was hazy, "Was that just a dream?" before noticing a note from the three sisters that said, "We came to before you did, and needed a nice shower. We got you cleaned up too, but you were out like a light. Thanks for a great night captain." along with three kiss marks with different lipstick colors and he chuckled, "Guess it wasn't just a dream. Man, I'm getting too weak to keep up with these girls. We really need more men on this crew."

Starlight in the Crow's Nest

Spike was studying the map after Salaza had unlocked the next clue after they had defeated Captain Gunn's pet cryptling. When Twilight came up behind him, she asked, "Any leads as to where we should be heading next?"

Spike looked over his shoulder to tell Twilight, "No, not yet. But from what I can make of the map's clues, we'll be heading into Monquistan ruled colonies. That's all I've got so far, other than that, nothing."

Morgan came over and looked at the map and was frightened by what she read, "Captain, I don't think this is a good idea. The map says that the next clue is on the Isle of Doom."

Spike's eyes widened, "Shit... going to a place called the Isle of Doom definitely sounds like a bad idea. But we are pirates, danger is part of the job."

Morgan sighed, "How did I not expect you to say that? Very well, I'll tell the others and get us on our way there."

As she left, Twilight asked Spike, "You've been in bed with her, haven't you?"

Spike raised an eyebrow looking at her, "And does that bother you? You didn't seem to be arguing with the rest of the girls during that night we had together."

Twilight blushed, "N-No! That's not- I just-"

Spike snickered, "Trust me, envy doesn't look good on you. But in answer to your question, yes, I've slept with her. Dash was my first time though. Do you really think I'm gullible enough to lose my virginity to her? And besides, even with her slutty nature, she's still a very sweet girl. Plus, she's the only one on this ship who can read Valencian."

Twilight grumbled before sighing, "Fine, I did agree to being part of your harem, which means I'll have to get along with the others. I'll do my best." before walking back to the deck.

Spike climbed up to the crow's nest with a telescope. As he took the telescope out of his pocket, he looked through it, but not at the coming skies, he was secretly watching Starlight and Sunset. They were good friends of his, besides being his personal guards back home. In his telescope, he could see Sunset's ass jiggling as she walked.

As he stared at her ass, Spike said to himself, "Damn, I never noticed how thick she was."

Meanwhile on the deck, Sunset was practicing her fencing on a dummy. She took a moment to stop and catch her breath before she felt something. Spike could read her lips as she said, "I feel like I'm being watched..." As Spike ducked out of sight, she looked around and shook her head, "I must be imagining things." before returning to her practice.

Spike sighed in relief, "Ok, that was nerve wracking. She always did have that sixth sense during fencing practice. Maybe Starlight will be-"

Before being interrupted by a voice, and a shiver went down his spine, "Starlight will be what?"

Spike turned around to see Starlight right behind him and asked, "How long have you been there?"

Starlight smirked, "Long enough to know you were staring at Sunset's ass."

Spike blushed as Starlight got closer to him and as he looked down, he could not only see her cleavage, but also the fact she wasn't wearing a bra, "And you trying to get me to stare at your tits is better? Also, do you mind explaining why you're not wearing a bra?"

Starlight giggled, "What a naughty boy you are my prince." before pulling him into a passionate kiss, closing her eyes as she did.

Spike fell into the kiss fast, but he didn't resist. He wrapped his arms around Starlight, and moved his hand down to her ass, "Gotta say, your ass is nice and plush."

Starlight pulled away from the kiss, biting Spike's bottom lip lightly as she did, "You think so? Well, let's see just how much you like it." before pulling her skirt down, followed by her panties.

Spike blushed as she took off her clothes and asked her, "Don't you think it's a bit risky to do this up here?" of course his dick didn't care about the risk, it was hard as steel, and Spike said to himself, "Oh screw it, but let's make this quick." before pulling his pants down and grabbing Starlight's ass and rubbing his cocks between her ass cheeks. "Damn, you really are plush."

Starlight moaned in pleasure as Spike started hotdogging her and said, "You're more than hard enough, so let's skip the foreplay and get to the main event before we run out of time."

Spike rolled his eyes, "Fine, but I'll have to be a bit rough with the time limit." before picking her up and shoving both of his cocks into her ass, and considering how tight she was, he asked her, "It doesn't hurt too much, does it? I know I said I'd be rough, but I don't want to hurt you."

Starlight kissed Spike as she said, "You're sweet Spike, but this is the best time of my life. I want to be in that harem of yours, you've got more than enough stamina to share with the others."

Spike smiled and continued pounding Starlight's ass, squeezing her cheeks as he did, "Even Morgan's ass wasn't this tight, and it's great. But at this rate, I'm not going to last long."

Starlight panted as she kept riding Spike, and told him, "We can finish together, but we need to hold back the screaming in ecstasy." before pulling Spike into another long kiss as the two of them came in union so that the rest of the crew couldn't hear them. "That was amazing Spike."

Spike chuckled, "You're telling me Starlight. I lasted longer than I thought I would. Come on, let's get back to the deck." before putting his pants back on and climbing down, not hesitating to look at Starlight's panties as she climbed down above him, "Sequined panties? That's a new one."

Starlight rolled her eyes, but giggled, "Would you rather I go commando? I do pretty well without a bra, I don't think losing my panties would be a problem."

Spike blushed, "Don't tease me like that. Besides, we're still on a treasure hunt."

Starlight smiled, "Right, I forgot about that. We can talk about that later; we'll focus on the treasure hunt for now."

As the two of them returned to the deck, Sunset noticed Starlight was above Spike and thought to herself, "Was Spike peeping at me up there? And why would Starlight give him the opportunity to look up underneath her skirt? I'll talk to her about it later..."

To be continued...

The Isle of Doom (Part 1)

As Spike's ship was steered towards an island that was called "The Isle of Doom" Spike was training with Starlight and Sunset, at the same time. While he was outnumbered, he still had the upper hand. When the ship made landfall, he told them, "Alright, that's it for now, we've reached the Isle of Doom."

Sunset sheathed her sword and asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Rainbow Dash walked over and said, "He's had worse ideas before. Remember burning that grotto to the ground while we were still in it?"

Spike rolled his eyes, "Don't remind me. Anyway, it's not like we have a choice if we want Gunn's treasure."

As Spike disembarked the ship, he realized having his entire crew going everywhere with him attracted too much attention. So, he decided to bring Dash, Morgan, Time Turner, and Ember. When they went into the jungle, they could see a small camp set up by Monquistans.

One of them called them, "You there! Over here!" as the five of them came over, the monkey said, "Thank goodness, trained fighters. All the soldiers with us are simply here to ensure we don't steal anything from the Crown's power. They do absolutely nothing to help with the revolting Water Moles."

Time Turner raised an eyebrow and asked, "Water Moles aren't all that bad, despite the fact they usually smell like a wet dog."

The monkey shook his head, "No, no, you misunderstand. The laborers are in revolt!"

Spike was about to answer before Dash asked the monkey, "Is it a worker's strike, or is it a slave revolt?"

Spike didn't think of that. If the Water Moles were slaves that were revolting against their captors, he would fully support the revolt. There are very few things that he utterly despised, and slavery was one of them. "Answer the question. Are the Water Moles leading a slave revolt?"

The monkey gulped, but told the truth, "Y-Yes, they are. But you have to understand, the Crown says-"

Spike growled and told him, "The Crown can kiss my scaly dragon ass, I don't support slavery. In fact, I might support this revolt."

When Spike spoke in such an offensive manner towards the Crown of Monquista, they found themselves surrounded by guards, the captain of which told them, "Do you truly wish to become enemies of the Crown?"

Spike laughed, "Please, making an enemy of me is a big mistake. If you make an enemy of me, you make an enemy of Equestria."

The guard captain laughed back, "And why would the Crown of Equestria care about a lowly pirate? Men, take them away!"

Spike swung his tail, knocking the guard behind him to the ground and told the captain, "I may be a lowly pirate by your standards, but to Equestria, there's more to me than a pirate." before taking off his helmet, "To Queen Celestia, I am her beloved son. You're already dealing with a Civil War back in Monquista. Do you truly wish to wage war with Equestria?"

The other guards murmured to each other, there had been rumors spreading about a Pirate Prince, but they didn't think that the person who held that title was actually royalty. The captain stood strong and said, "You're bluffing! What sort of royal heir runs off to be a petty thug?"

Spike walked up to the captain and stared him dead in the eyes, giving a look meant to intimidate. "Try me. I won't be the one explaining to your superiors that Equestria has declared war on Monquista."

The guard captain was shaking, before saying, "F-Fine! Leave us be, but if you support this revolt, you'll regret it!"

Spike frowned, "That was your last chance. Just remember, I gave you the chance to walk away." before spewing fire, not enough to kill, but leave 2nd degree burns. As the captain was trying to get his metal armor off while screaming in pain, the other guards ran off screaming.

As the guards left the civilians defenseless, the rebel Water Moles ran out into the camp and chased them off as well. A Water Mole, who was obviously a Witchdoctor, came up to Spike and his group and asked them, "You don't side with the monkeys. We thank you for helping us drive them away. For too long they oppressed us. One of them was different though. Big monkey, he went deep into the jungle, never returned. It is sad, he was respected by the others. Perhaps he could have talked to other monkeys."

Spike bowed in respect, "It was nothing. There's nothing I despise more than slavery. Everyone should have the right to live their lives in peace and freedom."

The Water Mole smiled, "You are a good person. What do you call yourself? We wish to know your name so we can remember you."

Spike smiled lightly, "My name is Spike, but my pirate name is the Black Rose Dragon. I'm here for Gunn's treasure, and I have no quarrel with you or your people. You may do as you wish."

The Water Mole told them, "Gunn... the big monkey mentioned treasure before going into the Dark Jungle. I wish you luck on your journey. I hope we meet again one day." before leaving and returning to the injured Water Moles to heal them.

And so, Spike has chased off the Monquistans from the Isle of Doom, freeing a tribe of enslaved Water Moles in the process. One of them has told Spike that a Monquistan went into the jungle in search of a treasure. Is it Captain Gunn's treasure? Does Spike have a competitor for the treasure? And what will become of the Monquistans who fled the camp? Will Spike be declared an enemy of the Crown? Or will the risk of waging war with Equestria scare the monkeys out of the idea?

Find out next time!

The Isle of Doom (Part 2)

After Spike and the crew he'd brought with him finished helping treat the injured Water Moles from the revolt, Spike heard a deep voice, and looked over to see a Water Mole Sumo. Spike asked him, "Are you injured? We still have plenty of supplies to get you up and running again."

The Water Mole shook his head and said, "No, I am fine. I saw you fight monkeys; you are mighty warrior. I challenge you to honorable combat!"

The leader of the Water Moles came up, "Ordaz, this is not the time for that, our guests-"

Spike smiled and replied, "I'm in. It's not every day I get to fight someone who has some sense of honor. I assume this is one on one?"

The Water Mole leader nodded, "I won't stop you if you wish to challenge Ordaz, but let me warn you, very few people have beaten Ordaz, it will not be an easy fight."

Spike nodded, "Then it's my kind of thing." As they were led to the battle arena, Spike stretched his arms to get ready for the fight.

As the fight began, Spike took to the skies, using his wings to give him an advantage. Ordaz tried to ground him by throwing some decently sized rocks.

Ember watched as Spike avoided the rocks being thrown at him, and whispered to Rainbow Dash, "He's getting better at flight, even though we've only trained for about a week."

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah, I'm impressed with how fast of a learner he is. Plus, his wings haven't grown to full size like yours, he certainly has a lot of stamina."

Ember snickered, "Ok, I know that wasn't supposed to sound sexual, but..."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, "Grow up Ember."

As Spike came diving down and delivered non-fatal blows to Ordaz, the Water Mole finally fell to the ground, laughing heartily, "Ordaz was right, you are mighty warrior! If you have room, I will follow you. My strength will be yours to command."

Spike smiled lightly, "It would be an honor to have you on my crew Ordaz. Why don't you go get some medicine and meet us back at the ship, I'll let my crew know to expect you."

Ordaz nodded and bowed in respect before heading to get his wounds tended to, as Spike and the others headed towards the thick jungle.

Soon enough as they continued to cut through the thick brush, they saw a campfire in front of a cave with Monquistans gathered around it. The first one looked up to see them, "Thank the stars, a rescue party!"

Spike shook his head, "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not a rescue party, I'm here looking for Captain Gunn's treasure."

The monkey sighed, "I see, I suppose that means nobody is coming to rescue us. Goronado went through the forest towards the ruins, he doesn't have to worry about the swarms of carnivorous bees. Unlike him, we aren't as strong. If you're not here to rescue us, then I know what that means. The Crown has abandoned us, and left us to die here."

Spike sighed, thinking. He chased of the other Monquistans, and while he felt bad for these ones, there wasn't much he could do now that the guards and miners had left the island, even if he did get them out of the jungle, there wasn't anything else he could do. Except one thing. He spoke, "Look, I'm not going to lie, the Water Moles led a slave revolt, and they chased off the guards and civilians. So yeah, chances are, nobody will be coming to rescue you. But I have a heart. You can join my crew if you want."

The captain of the Monquistans perked up and said, "You're serious? We are soldiers, not pirates."

Spike chuckled, "Yes, I'm serious, and don't worry, I have plenty of naval officers on my crew. There is one condition though. Abandon your loyalty to the Crown of Monquista and swear loyalty to me, and by extension, the Crown of Equestria. I have no need for disloyal crew mates, it's just business. If you won't swear loyalty, I'll just take you back to Puerto Mico and we part ways."

The Monquistans conversed between themselves and when they made a decision, the captain stood in front of Spike, with the other three lined up behind him. The captain said, "My captain, you have shown mercy to us, and you show compassion to those who serve your crown, and those who don't. The Crown of Monquista has abandoned us and left us to die. We hold no loyalty to a nation that cares nothing for the men and women who risk their lives to protect that nation. We accept your offer, we swear our loyalty to our new captain and the Crown of Equestria." before all four of the monkeys saluted Spike.

Spike smiled, "Welcome to the crew you four. What are your names?"

The captain introduced himself, "My name is Ponce Duarte, these are my men, Don Fernan Chavez, Marquis Antonio Catallo, and Cornelius. It is an honor to serve you my lord. You mentioned looking for treasure, correct? Goronado went towards the Ancient Ruins, but we couldn't get through the bees, last time we tried, we lost three men, there used to be seven of us."

Spike thought for a moment on how to get past a swarm of carnivorous bees. His scales would protect him and Ember, but not the others. Sadly, he only had one idea. And given past experience, it was a risky move, "Ember and I have our scales to protect us, but as for the others... and before you two say anything, I know this is risky, but I've learned my lesson, I'm not as reckless as I used to be."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow before realizing what Spike was suggesting, "Seriously? You're going to set the bees on fire? Are you sure that's a good idea? Did you forget the last time we set something on fire?"

Time Turner nodded, "I'm with Dash on this one, we barely made it out alive last time, and that was just a small grotto, imagine what could happen if the whole jungle gets set ablaze."

Spike sighed, "I know it's risky... which is why Ember will be helping. Between the two of us, her training will be able to tell us when we need to stop before something catches on fire."

Ember nodded, "He's right. I didn't become Captain of the Dragoons because of my looks."

Time Turner thought for a moment, "Well, I suppose that is true, plus there's nobody trying to kill us right now, so fine. But if I die in a fire, I'm going to haunt your nightmares."

And so, Spike has recruited a Water Mole sumo, and a group of Monquistans who had been abandoned by the Crown of Monquista, who have sworn their loyalty to Spike and the Crown of Equestria. But now, they face a new challenge on their hunt for Gunn's treasure, carnivorous bees. Spike's only plan to get past them it by burning them to death. But with past experience, Rainbow Dash and Time Turner are worried, but they know it is the only way to continue. Will Spike's plan, along with Ember's assistance be enough to get past the bees without setting the jungle on fire?

Find Out Next Time!

A Big Surprise

As Spike and his crew, including the new Monquistadors who joined his crew headed towards the path to the ruins, Ember was panting and said, "Spike, let's take a rest. I don't feel that well."

Spike nodded, "We're in a jungle, I'm certain we've been bitten by something."

As they sat down to rest, Ember ran over to the nearby river and started puking. "I think I might have caught some sort of stomach bug. Or the plague!" before continuing to throw up.

Spike was incredibly worried about her and said, "That's enough, we're heading back to the ship. Treasure can wait, I'm more concerned with the health and well-being of my crew."

As they made their way back to the ship, they had to stop every once in a while, to let Ember empty her stomach.

When they made their way to the Water Moles, the witchdoctor from earlier gave Ember a once over and asked Spike, "My friend, may I have a word with you in private?"

Spike was concerned when the witchdoctor asked to speak in private, and nodded, following him to a private area, "Give me the truth, is she sick?"

The witchdoctor shook his head, "In a way, yes, but also no. She's pregnant, it's just morning sickness."

Spike's eyes widened when the Water Mole told him Ember was pregnant. He ran over to Ember hugging and kissing her, "We're becoming parents!" he yelled happily, kissing Ember on the lips over and over.

Ember's eyes widened just as much as Spike's did, and squealed in excitement, of course taking a break to puke again. "Oh Spike, I'm so happy! Even though I feel sick to my stomach, I've never been happier!"

Rainbow Dash smiled and hugged Ember, "Congrats you two, you'll be fine parents."

Twilight had been notified by Time Turner and came to check on them and when she heard Ember was pregnant, she spoke, "Spike, I believe it's best if we return to Equestria. The open skyways are no place for a pregnant woman, let alone her child."

Spike nodded, "Of course, I completely agree. The treasure won't be going anywhere without a map. Let's get going." before shaking the Water Mole witchdoctor's hand, "Thank you for letting us know what's happened to Ember. We're very grateful." before returning to the ship with his crew. "Ember, you can stay in my quarters, you'll need some privacy between the morning sickness and cramps."

Ember kissed Spike's cheek, "Thank you my love, it'll be great to be with you and our child."

Spike went to get his idrningite necklace, and immediately contacted his aunt Luna, "Auntie, can you get mother on the line? I have news I want to share with both of you."

Luna nodded, and called her sister into the room. When Celestia saw her son, she smiled, "Hello dearie. To what do I owe this call? You've only been away for a few weeks, I'm surprised to hear from you so soon."

Spike couldn't stop smiling as he said, "Mother, you're going to be a grandmother! Ember and I are expecting a child!"

Celestia's eyes widened before she squealed in excitement, "Oh my darling son, I'm so happy for you! You'll be a great father, I know it, I just know it!"

Luna winced from her sister's loud squeal and said, "Congratulations Spike. I assume you're contacting us to tell us you're returning to Equestria to make Ember's next nine months a bit more comfortable?"

Spike nodded, "Yes, I don't want Ember or our unborn child getting hurt in a life of piracy, so I'm coming home for a good while. I do need to request that you send some ships from the navy to Skull Island to deal with the clockworks. Any Valencian ship that has living beings are really clockworks with disguising technology."

Celestia nodded, "Of course. I hope to see you soon." before disconnecting the call.

Spike told Twilight, "Twilight, you know the drill, get us back to Canterlot. For now, I'm staying with Ember in my quarters. Don't interrupt me until we reach the castle's private docks."

Twilight nodded, "Of course Spike." before going back to the wheel and going towards the Stormgate back to Equestria.

Three weeks later...

Spike's ship had made it to the royal docks, and Rainbow Dash knocked on Spike's door saying, "Spike, we've arrived at the castle's private docks, and the castle matrons have arrived to help Ember get to the infirmary."

Spike got up from his bed while Ember was still sleeping, holding her bridal style and walking onto the docks with her in his arms. He followed the castle matrons to the infirmary and laid her down gently on one of the beds. As he walked back to the docks, his mother came running up to him and hugged him, "Oh my sweet little boy! Your father would be so overjoyed, even more than he would be with you earning your wings! I'm so happy!"

Spike was caught off guard by his mother and said, "Mom, choking, not breathing!" before muttering to himself, "And she wonders why I ran off..." before catching his breath as she released him, "I must admit, I'm happy, but I'm also terrified. I'm not even 30 and I'm becoming a father. How did father react when you told him you were pregnant?"

Celestia giggled, "He suffered three heart attacks that day, but it was the best day of his life."

Spike chuckled at the thought of his late father having three heart attacks when his mother told him she was pregnant and was slightly glad that he hadn't had a single heart attack, yet at least. "Well, I hope I don't keel over, I'm excited to be a father, but in a way, I'm still a kid myself."

Celestia kissed her son's forehead, "I know it's frightening, but having you was the best day of my life since I met your father. I just wish he was here to celebrate with us. He would be so happy to be a grandfather."

Spike smiled, "Yeah, he would. Even though he's not with us, he'll always be here in spirit and love."

Celestia nodded, "Indeed he is. I do miss him, but the memories will never fade away."

And so, Spike has put off his treasure hunt once more, but for an extremely great reason. Ember's apparent stomach bug is actually morning sickness from being pregnant with Spike's child. Returning to Equestria, Spike and Ember are excited yet terrified of becoming parents. Celestia is overjoyed at becoming a grandmother, and she knows her late husband would be just as happy. But with a growing war with the Valencians, will Spike be able to keep his child safe and sound?

To be continued...

Stress Relief (Part 1)

It had been about a month since Spike returned to Equestria for the sake of Ember and their unborn child. Of course, he had been on edge, nervous about Ember and their child, so he needed to get some stress relief. Normally, that would include some sex with some of his other harem members, but he already got Ember pregnant, and that was their first time, when he also took her virginity. Even though he'd admitted his harem to his mother, and she wasn't against it, he felt he needed a different form of stress relief than sex.

As he left his room, he wondered, "There has to be something I can do to blow off some steam... I'm not going to the strip club in town, Faust knows what kind of scandal that would cause. I don't even know why Doc and BB even went there, but it was nice of them to suggest something. Staring at the girls is a no go too, too damn sexy. Man, I've only been home a month and I'm already dying of boredom."

Luna walked by him in one of her nice dresses, and asked him, "Getting bored Spike? Would you like to accompany me to the theatre? There's a new show I've been meaning to see, Lords of Sin."

Spike looked to his aunt and told her, "Are you serious? The reviews for that show were terrible."

"Call me a glutton for punishment. Besides, the critics these days don't value the classics."

Spike thought for a moment and realized, "Wait, doesn't Jade Jester play Lucifer in that show?" It was no secret that Luna was a huge fan of Jade Jester, hell, she probably had a crush on him.

Luna blushed heavily, and stammered, "Well, yes, but what does that have to do with the price of tea in Mooshu?"

Spike rolled his eyes, "Auntie, you're a diehard fan of Jade Jester, your study has a bust of him from when he portrayed Sherlock Holmes in Moriarty's Crowned Heist."

Luna huffed, "And your mother has a bust of Chocolate Harmony from her portrayal as Juliet."

"Romeo and Juliet is a classic, Moriarty's Crowned Heist was a live adaptation of a Tom and Jerry movie."

"Ugh! Why do I even bother?" Luna stormed off huffing

Spike rolled his eyes as he continued down the hallway and went to the kitchen to make himself a sandwich. He grabbed a newspaper that had been set down by one of the guards and read about an incident at the Equestrian Museum of Art. It seemed there was a break-in, and a priceless necklace had been stolen. In the article, there was a picture of the thief's calling card, a white heart with a smaller pink heart inside of it with bat wings.

The guard who set the newspaper down came back into the room and spoke to Spike, "Your majesty, it's truly a shame that the Eye of Bahamut was stolen."

Spike nearly spit out his drink, "The Eye of Bahamut!? That necklace is a priceless treasure to my family! It's been passed down from heir to heir for nearly 200 years!" before standing up and storming off in anger, but he was grinning lightly, he'd found something to relieve some stress. Find the thief and kick their ass to Tartarus and back. It would attract too much attention to try to do this as the Prince of Equestria, but the only people in Equestria who knew the true identity of the Black Rose Dragon was his family and crew. He could easily pull this off if he kept his identity a secret.

And so, Spike, needing a non-lewd way to relieve some stress, has found out that a priceless family treasure had been stolen from the Equestrian Museum of Art. Nobody knows who the Black Rose Dragon really is, so now he's going from pirate to crime fighter, not only to have some fun, but to reclaim a family heirloom from the hands of a thief. But obviously angered by the theft of that heirloom, will his temper get the best of him?

Find out-

"Oh, Hell no! You are not doing another cliffhanger chapter!"

Fine, fine, take out all the fun of screwing with my readers. But you're getting a tragedy when you get pregnant. (Don't worry people, it's an empty threat)

Back to the point, let's get on with the chapter.

Spike made his way back to his tower and put on his pirate garb and his helmet. He walked back down to meet Starlight and Sunset, and he told them, "You two, get disguised, I need help with a mission that requires stealth. We're going to recover the Eye of Bahamut."

Sunset's eyes widened, "That's what was stolen from the art museum!? That's property of the Crown!"

Spike nodded, "Exactly why we're going after the thief."

Starlight smiled, "Well, I'm in, it's not every day we get to bring down a high-level criminal. I'll see what we can find that goes with your pirate garb, we can't risk being identified." before going off with Sunset to get ready to help Spike with his crusade to recover his family treasure.

The royal tailors were extremely skilled, and within an hour or two, they came up with costumes for Starlight and Sunset. Starlight introduced herself to Spike, "Greeting Black Rose Dragon, I am Lady Blackwing." her costume was black with purple feathers, and decorative wings.

Sunset grumbled, "The whole superhero thing is idiotic, just call me Solar Flare." Sunset's costume looked more like a monk's attire, but with what appeared to look like monkey fur. Spike knew she was a fan of Journey to the West and Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

Spike rolled his eyes, but smiled, the costumes went very well with the theme, and while Starlight was showboating with the introduction, he still liked her costume, "Let's get this mission started."

All right, that's all I've got Pinkie, so screw you, we're doing a find out next time.

"Fine, this is good enough, at least you did a decent description of Starlight's and Sunset's costumes."

Stress Relief (Part 2)

Spike had donned his pirate garb, and Starlight and Sunset got their own costumes, telling the royal tailors they were going to a costume party to get them done quickly. As Starlight saw the calling card in the newspaper, her eyes widened, "Wait a minute, I recognize that calling card!"

Sunset, currently going by the alias Solar Flare, asked her, "From where?"

Lady Blackwing, as Starlight called herself, explained, "Before I joined the royal guard, I was a detective with the Canterlot PD, and I came across an old cold case with this calling card. She got away from me, but I knew her alias, The Queen of Bats. I remember her old hideout, but it's been abandoned since the last time we met."

Spike nodded, "Then that's where we start." before following Starlight to the Queen of Bats' old hideout.

Meanwhile at the hideout...

The Queen of Bats was taking care of getting ready for the law to arrive. She was rich beyond all reason, she had no need to steal the Eye of Bahamut, she just stole it as bait. She knew it belonged to the Crown of Equestria, and with her connections in Skull Island, she'd heard rumors about the prince's pirate crew. And more importantly, his reputation as a lover. That was the real reason she stole the Eye of Bahamut, to lure Spike in to test his skill, both in battle and bed.

As Starlight brought them to the Queen of Bats' old hideout, Spike told them, "Lady Blackwing, you take the back, I'll fly up to the roof, Solar Flare, you man the front, just in case."

The girls nodded and got into position. As Spike flew up to the roof, he was met by a well-endowed woman who told him, "Well, well, well, if it isn't the Black Rose Dragon himself. Surprised to meet the beautiful and skilled cat burglar the Queen of Bats? You really are naive kid." Before taking out the Eye of Bahamut from within her cleavage and tossing it to him, "Keep it, I've got no use for it."

Spike was shocked, not only that the Queen of Bats met him face to face, but the fact she gave him the stolen Eye of Bahamut. He examined it closely and determined it was the real thing, before putting it away in his pocket. Something was up, and he knew it, "Ok, this is way too convenient, you didn't even swap the Eye out with a fake."

The bat girl giggled, "Well, you're not the only one who's a runaway royal. Name's Rouge, Dutchess of Everfree. I fled an arranged marriage and got addicted to the thrill of a life of crime. I don't do this for the money, I do it for the excitement." before lighting a cigarette.

Spike was wary, he'd heard of the Dutchess of Everfree, but he though she was a myth. "Ok, so say I believe you, why would you even want to lure me out?"

"Because rumor has it, you're a stud."

Spike blushed and stammered, "You're saying you broke into the art museum, stole a priceless family heirloom, and set this up just to set up a booty call?"

Rouge nodded as she walked up to him and kissed him, grabbing his crotch at the same time, "That's exactly what I'm saying. Believe it or not, I love being dominated. So, here's a deal, I'll let you arrest me, and I become your love slave."

Spike's eyes widened when she kissed him, only to melt into the kiss and tell her, "You're a nutjob, albeit a hot one. Fine, I'll play along. Before punching her, "We have to make this look real before my crewmates arrive."

As the two feigned a fight, both of them tore at each other's clothing, before Spike pinned her to the ground as Sunset and Starlight arrived. They blushed heavily when they saw Rouge's exposed breasts., "Sir, are you ok?"

Spike got up, holding Rouge like he was arresting her and said, "Yeah, I'm fine, she's tough though. Let's get her back to the castle dungeons. I'll interrogate her on my own."

Sunset was suspicious, especially because their wounds looked too minor to be real, but nodded, "Yes sir." before helping chain Rouge up and sneaking her back to the castle.

And so, the Queen of Bats has been captured by the Black Rose Dragon, only to reveal she set the whole thing up. While Sunset is suspicious of their fight, she said nothing, not questioning her prince. Spike has brought her to the castle dungeons to 'interrogate' her, which is the real reason she wanted to lure him to her.

And so, the booty call begins...

To be continued...

Breaking the Bat

As Spike returned to the castle with Sunset and Starlight, he took Rouge to the dungeons and placed her in a cell saying, "Don't worry, I'll be back after I relieve the guards of their posts." before walking to the entry of the dungeons, only to see Garble in a cell. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

Garble grumbled, "I got put in here for punching another butler, he's in the infirmary."

Spike sighed, "Of course, mother was right." as he started to walk away, he had an idea. He looked back to Garble and thought to himself, "This could be a good time to teach him a lesson. Normally I don't swing both ways, but what the hell?" and speaking aloud, "You know, I could cut you loose, but what would be the fun in that? I already have plans for that slutty thief who stole the Eye of Bahamut, and once I'm done breaking her, you're next."

Garble's eyes widened, "F-Fuck you! I ain't no fairy!"

Spike chuckled, "Too bad, you've got this coming. I'll see you later." before walking back to the entry and telling the guards to go on break, but not to bring other guards back here.

As he returned to Rouge's cell, he smiled, "Well little slut, are you ready to be broken in?"

Rouge feigned backing into a corner of the cell as Spike approached her, but she was excited, "Please, don't hurt me! I just needed the money, I have a little-" before Spike rammed his cock into her mouth.

"That mouth of yours makes a much better cock sleeve. You stole the crown's property. You don't get off so easily." before moving her mouth up and down his cock. As she gagged on his cock a few times, he said, "Why don't you choke on my seed?" before pushing himself down her throat and unloading a lot of pent-up stress down her throat. As he pulled his cock out of her mouth, he continued to cum on her tongue and tits.

Garble could hear the moans of the thief, and gulped, praying to Faust that he was bluffing when he threatened him.

Back in Rouge's cell, Spike went over to the chest nearby and pulled out some handcuffs. He hung Rouge up using them and the ceiling grate before grabbing a riding crop. He continued going through the chest and pulled out some clothespins, putting one on each of Rouge's nipples and her swollen clit.

Even though Rouge was enjoying being dominated, she kept up her act as Spike struck her tits and ass with the riding crop, "Please! No more!"

Spike also kept up the act by saying, "Trust me, by the time I'm done with you, you'll be craving more." This felt way too weird for him, he wasn't a violent person, but he had to admit, being dominant was turning him on. When Rouge's ass was shining like his favorite Fire Rubies. He put on two cock sleeves and told her, "This won't hurt a bit. It'll hurt a lot!" before shoving his cocks, now with cock sleeves that simulated the barbs of a feline dick, into her ass and pussy.

As Spike fucked her, Rouge screamed out in ecstasy, which wasn't an act, she was in a world of heaven right now. When Spike stopped for a moment, she begged him, somewhat faking, "Please, no, don't stop!"

Spike told her, "You'll have to speak louder slut."

Rouge started begging for real, "Please, master! I'll devote my life to being your private cum dumpster! I'll never fuck another man without your permission! Please, break me body, I'm craving your cock, I want more!"

Garble was terrified when he heard Rouge screaming for more, he knew Spike had broken her will, and he knew he was next, the prince wasn't bluffing.

Spike smiled, "That's a good little slut, you're right, you're my personal toy now. And you'll help me with that disrespectful prick after this." before ravaging her pussy and ass with all his might, before unloading buckets worth of cum into her, right after he slipped a pill into her mouth and whispered to her, "I don't need another pregnant lover right now, you understand."

As Rouge screamed in ecstasy, Spike released her from the cuffs and said, "Looks like I overdid it. Sorry my little toy, but I'll have to deal with Garble myself." That wasn't an act, Rouge currently looked like she could barely stand up, let alone help him break Garble.

Garble growled, although it was hardly intimidating as Spike entered his cell, "Stay away from me you pervert! I'm not going to-"

Spike didn't let Garble finish his sentence before shoving both cocks into his mouth and told him, "You never know when to shut up. Make yourself useful and clean my dick of that bat's juices. And if you even think of biting me, I'll fuck your ass, raw, no lube, with the same sleeves I used on the bat."

Garble choked and gagged as Spike forced his dicks into his mouth, tears welling up in his eyes, but thinking to himself, "Wh-what's going on!? I'm getting hard!? I'm not some slut for this brat!" before biting, even though he knew what would happen.

Spike felt a pinch at his dicks and yawned, "That's it? You couldn't even cause any pain? Too bad, I warned you." before pulling his cocks out of Garble's mouth and forcing him to the ground with his ass in the air. He ripped Garble's pants off and put on the sleeves he used with Rouge before saying, "Get ready for a world of pain." before shoving his cocks into Garble's virgin bussy.

Garble screamed out in pain, but also pleasure, and said, "Y-You pervert! This is cruel and-!" before being gagged by the prince.

Spike moaned in pleasure, "Who ever knew a boy's ass would feel like a nice wet cunt? It's official, I'm bisexual, and you're lucky, I'm not letting any other prisoners fuck you. I'm taking you in as my personal butt-slut."

Garble moaned through the gag and was thinking to himself, "I-I can't hold out much longer, I'm ready to collapse..."

As Spike continued to ram his cock in and out of Garble's ass, he held his new boy-toy close and said, "Here! It! Comes!" pulling off the gag and unloading his load into Garble's ass, even kissing him as he did.

As Garble's ass was dripping with cum, he collapsed to the floor, twitching and moaning, barely able to speak, but worked out the word, "M-master..."

Spike was pleased when he heard Garble submit, "Finally, something good came out of that little whore's mouth. I quite enjoyed that Garble, and it looks like you did too. Don't worry my pet, I'll get the guards to clean you up, and you'll be coming with me."

And so, Spike has not added one, but two sluts to his harem, and shockingly, even to him, he's broken Garble's will. Now his long-time bully was practically begging to be fucked by the prince. All in all, Spike learned more about himself, enjoying himself as he ravaged his new pet's ass and turned him into his newest bitch.

The New Maid

Laughter was filling the castle, and Celestia was wondering what was so funny, to exit her study to ask around. She went to her sister's room and asked her, "Luna, do you have any idea what everyone is laughing about? It's almost as if Cheese Sandwich is doing a private show at the castle."

Luna looked up from her book and giggled, "Garble was released from the dungeons this morning, and he's been doing his job in a maid's uniform."

Celestia stiffened a laugh, but asked, "Why was Garble released from the dungeon? He assaulted another butler, you don't get out of the dungeons that easily with such an offense."

Luna shrugged, "Heck if I know, rumor has it he reached an agreement with Spike. Nothing else though."

As Celestia exited her sister's room, she headed for her son's tower, asking herself, "I wonder what Garble could have possible done to get Spike release him from the dungeons." before knocking on his door.

Spike answered the door and said, "Let me guess, you're wondering how I forced Garble into a maid's uniform?"

Celestia nodded, "I must say, the idea is hilarious, especially because of how humiliating it must be for him."

Spike explained, "Let's just say I'm a good negotiator. He's joining my crew." he didn't want to admit that he'd broken his former bully's will and turned him into his personal butt slut. He had no idea how his mother would react to that truth.

Celestia was surprised, "You're letting your bully on your crew?"

Spike returned to his book, telling his mother, "Trust me, if I was able to get him to agree to wearing a maid's outfit, I can control him on my ship."

Celestia had to admit, the idea made sense, before heading off to see if the rumors were true. When she saw him in a maid's outfit, she giggled and walked up to him and asked, "Garble, you realize you were being punished by being placed in the dungeons, right?"

Garble blushed, but nodded, "Yes my queen. The prince made me realize how lucky I am to work for the royal family. I would like to apologize for my disrespectful behavior leading up to my discharge from the Dragoons."

Celestia smiled, "Well, whatever my son did seems to have knocked some sense into that thick skull of yours. All is forgiven." before walking off.

Garble sighed in relief as he returned to his duties. Of course, that wasn't as easy as it seemed, considering his new master had forced him to have a vibrator in his ass. Not that he cared.

Meanwhile, Ember was taking a stroll around the castle. She was 4 months into her pregnancy and saw Garble in a maid's outfit and started laughing, "What the hell happened to you!? You have way too much pride for this!"

Garble didn't growl and said, "The young prince has... he is my master, it's a privilege to serve. Congratulations my lady." before returning to cleaning the table he was working on.

Ember walked up to Spike's tower and asked him, "Ok, what did you do to Garble? He's in a maid's outfit, he called you his master, and he's actually well mannered."

Spike looked up from his book and asked, "Do you really want to know?" giving a bit of a devilish grin.

Ember's eyes widened, "Oh my God, you broke him into a butt slut!? Damn, that's hot!"

Spike laughed, "Believe it or not, I enjoyed it, and so did he."

"Obviously it worked, he hasn't been so well mannered as long as I've known him."

Spike chuckled, "Well, back to less personal matters, have they given any news about our child?"

Ember nodded, "It's a girl, and I have a name in mind. Aurora."

Spike stood up from his bed and kissed her before saying, "That's a beautiful name Ember. Our daughter will be just as beautiful as her mother."

"You're such a flatterer. You always know what to say. Well, I'm heading back to my bedchambers to eat some chocolates, cravings are driving me crazy."

As Ember left his room, Spike left to find Garble and told him, "All right Garble, that's enough punishment for now, you can go change into men's clothing, and the vibrator can be removed."

Garble bowed in respect, "Thank you your majesty." before walking off to change and thought to himself, "I can't believe how well the prince is treating me. I've been a jerk to him for years, yet he hasn't even taken any opportunity since the other night for revenge. He truly is sweet."

Spike walked to the library to see if there were any new books for him to read. Seeing Garble like this was actually pleasing, especially with how he'd treated him over the years, he was no longer a bully, he was a loyal servant. And with a daughter on her way, he had no complaints about his life right now.

Twilight saw Spike in the library and asked him, "Is it true you were able to get Garble to wear a maid's outfit?"

Spike sighed, "Yes, I did, can people stop asking about it?"

"Sorry, I was just curious. You seem stressed, want to talk about it?"

Spike shook his head, "I'm fine Twilight, and I know when you say talk about it, you mean fuck."

Twilight rolled her eyes, "You know me so well. But ok, I'll drop it." before kissing her lover's cheek and walking off.

And so, Spike has asserted his authority over Garble the day after breaking him, partially to teach him a lesson, but also to test his loyalty. Humiliating his former bully felt good, but with his daughter getting ever closer to being born, he was getting more and more stressed. Can he find an outlet without losing it?

Birth of an Heir

Spike, as well as most of the castle guard, was woken shockingly from a scream. It came from the infirmary, and Spike knew what that meant. Ember was in labor. He ran to the infirmary as fast as he could and pushed his way through the guards. The head matron stopped him saying, "Your majesty, I understand you want to be here, but we've got a lot on our hands."

Spike didn't want to make things worse, but he refused to leave, saying, "I promise, I'll stay out of the way. This is my daughter we're talking about."

Ember told them, "Let him in, I want him to be here." before the matron led him to her side, letting him hold her hand.

Spike held her hand and said, "Just breathe Ember, just breathe."

The matron nodded, "That's right my lady, just take deep breaths."

Ember inhaled and exhaled and pushed as the matrons told her to, "Oh God, I just tore from my v to my a!"

The doctor calmed her, "That's normal. Just stay calm."

Ember screamed out and continued pushing and as she heard crying, she took a sigh of relief and told Spike, "Never put me through this again." almost crushing his hand in her grip.

As the baby girl cried, the doctor handed her to her mother and said, "Congratulations my lady, your daughter is very healthy."

Spike recoiled from Ember's tight grip but kissed her as the doctor handed Ember their daughter. "She's beautiful, just like her mother."

Over the next few weeks, Ember and Aurora was confined to the infirmary, and news of the prince's child being born spread through Canterlot like wildfire. A festival had started taking form in the town square

When she was released from the infirmary with Aurora in her arms, Ember came to Spike's tower and asked him, "Are you ready for the festival? The town's been preparing for weeks."

Spike was adjusting his cuffs and finished dressing himself. "Yes, I'm ready. Didn't think I'd be willing to dress like this again after I ran off, but this is special, it's not every day I'm celebrating my daughter's birth." before walking to the balcony with Ember.

As Spike and Ember came up to the balcony, the people cheered as Ember held Aurora as she cooed.

Celestia spoke to the people, "Citizens of Equestria, today is a momentous occasion. My son, Spike, Prince of Equestria has sired a beautiful daughter with Ember, Captain of the Royal Dragoons. My granddaughter's name is Aurora."

One festivalgoer yelled out, "Speech, speech, speech!"

As the whole crowd started yelling in union with the first festivalgoer, Spike gulped. His mother knew of his harem, and polygamy was legal in Equestria, but the royal family was held to a higher standard, but spoke, "My citizens, I am hardly a speaker, I'm a simple royal who has very little experience in politics. I'm a man of few words, but I believe in the wholesome values of family, love of country, and honesty. I've had my adventures over the past two years, and none of them have been as exciting as becoming a father to a beautiful baby girl."

The crowd cheered as Spike spoke, but suddenly, a voice from a cloaked man asked, "Adventures? Are you referring to your piracy runaway?"

People wondered who the voice came from, only for Spike to say, "As I said, I'm an honest man, and I will not lie about my life. The rumors of me running away from Equestria and fleeing to Skull Island are not rumors. They are true. I am still a fairly young man, I am in my prime, and I am old enough to make my own decisions. Whoever asked that question, I have nothing to say to a man trying to scandalize me. If you do not wish to enjoy the festival without trying to ruin the day for everyone else, leave now before I alert the guard and have you arrested." as he saw the cloaked man fleeing from the crowd and people yelling and attempting to throw things, he roared loudly, gathering the crowd's attention, "My people, do not let this man ruin the celebration. For Equestria, today is a glorious day. I know we usually say this at Christmas, but for the sake of enjoyment, eat, drink and be merry!"

The crowd cheered, regaining their joy from the momentary annoyance. As the festival continued, Spike was enjoying the company of his people, even introducing Aurora and Ember to people he was friends with within the town.

And so, Spike's firstborn has come into the world, and Equestria is overjoyed. The Royal Family has held a huge festival, and Spike has come clean about being a notorious pirate, which nobody holds against him, except some grumpy bastard who got arrested. For the rest of the people who came from far and wide of Equestria to celebrate Aurora's birth, it was a glorious day.

Meanwhile...

The cloaked man who had been arrested yelled as the guards handled him, "Get off of me! That idiot Spike is unfit to be king, I'm the true royal heir! My uncle was just as stupid as my cousin to omit me from his will!"

The guard removed the man's hood and shocked, said, "Blueblood!? Ugh, I should have known, ever since Queen Celestria's husband died, you've been worse than ever. You can't even be happy for your own family. Queen Celestia will hear of this." before shoving him into a cell. "I'm not bothering the queen right now, so you'll be spending the night with Big Dave."

Blueblood looked behind him to see a man who smelled of alcohol and had a goofy grin, and yelled, "Get me out of this filthy cell with this drunk! I am Equestrian royalty!"

The man chuckled, "Royalty, eh? Enjoy the night handsome..."

You don't want to know what happens next...

A New Ship

Spike was sleeping in his bed, with Ember by his side, and Aurora in a crib next to them. Suddenly, he was shocked awake, by the sound of both explosions, and Aurora crying. He looked out his tower window and saw a Monquistan ship fleeing from the docks, with two Equestrian ships following it. "Ember, try to calm Aurora down." before grabbing his pirate garb and running to the docks.

As Ember got out of the bed and caressed her daughter to calm her down, Spike stepped out to the private docks and yelled out, "What happened to my fucking ship!?" seeing the mast snapped in two, multiple holes in the hull, and the sails on fire.

As the crew also awoke, joining Spike on the docks, they were just as shocked as he was. Pinkie's eyes were welling up with tears, "That ship was like home to us..."

As the guards came out and tried putting the fires out, one of them said, "I'm terribly sorry about your ship your majesty, a Monquistan ship was seen fleeing soon after the first shots were fired. The navy is already on the hunt for the ship."

Spike was enraged when he heard the Monquistans attacked his ship. He knew the monkeys from the mine had been angry about his support of the slave revolt. The guards stepped away from Spike, seeing just how angry he was had actually startled them.

Twilight placed a hand on Spike's shoulder, "Spike, calm down. We'll get revenge, just like we did with Finn."

"That ship was more than a ship to me Twilight, it was a home, we had good times there." and he wasn't talking about his sexual relationships on the ship, there were good times from before Twilight and the girls joined the crew. Before taking a deep breath and attempting to calm down.

As Celestia ran out onto the docks, her eyes widened when she saw her son's destroyed ship, "My god..." before her shocked face turned to an angry one, "This. Means. War! Guards, contact the Monquistan Revolutionaries, we're sending in our ships to overthrow the crown!"

The guards saluted, "Yes your majesty!" before heading off to get the formal Declaration of War started.

As the Monquistans on Spike's crew came to the docks, a guard attempted to arrest them, before Spike said, "No, they're not with the Crown, they had nothing to do with this. The Crown left them to die, and I took them in on my crew. Leave them be."

The guard bowed and apologized before going to join the others.

Spike had calmed down by breakfast, but unrest was growing in the town. It had been only a week since the festival celebrating Aurora's birth, and then this happens? Needless to say, people were angry.

As Spike walked to the balcony, Luna stopped him, "Spike, let your mother handle this. You're in no condition to give this announcement, you're still furious."

Spike said calmly, "Auntie, I'm fine. I've accepted that these sorts of things are going to become common for me one day. The Monquistans didn't declare war on my mother, they declared war on me. The crown had nothing to do with this, I did. I'm the one who helped the slave revolt, not mother."

Luna sighed, "Fine, just keep it clean."

Spike walked out to the balcony overlooking the crowd and cleared his throat before speaking, "My loyal subjects, as I announced during the festival celebrating my daughter's birthday, I have spent the last two years in Skull Island as a pirate. During my adventures, I came across a slave revolt. Monquistan gold miners were dealing with their enslaved Water Mole workers leading a revolt. As you know, Equestria outlawed slavery following the Crystal Uprising and the execution of the tyrant King Sombra. I expressed my support of the slave revolt, and the Monquistans attempted to arrest my crew and I. They failed and were chased off the island. I warned them of the consequences of becoming my enemy, and it seems they believed I could not be taken seriously. They will regret that mistake."

The crowd cheered as their prince spoke of supporting a slave revolt, chasing slave masters away, and freeing their captive slaves. Spike continued, "As many of you may know, Monquista is dealing with a Civil War in their own realm. As of today, the Royal Navy is aiding the rebels in their war against the Crown of Monquista. The attack on the royal docks had no loss of life or military value, but the ship they destroyed was my personal ship, the one that was my home for the past two years. It may not have been a military ship, or my family's private yacht, but the attack will not be tolerated. My ship is... damaged beyond repair, as heartbreaking as it is to admit. I do not wish to raise my daughter in a time of war, but it seems I have no choice because of the actions of the Crown of Monquista."

The crowd continued to cheer, and one man yelled out, "Remember the HMS Black Rose!" and the people cheered even louder.

Spike was surprised by the man calling his ship the HMS Black Rose, smiling and saying, "Well said, well said indeed."

And so, Spike's actions on the Isle of Doom have followed him home to Equestria. The Crown of Monquista has destroyed his ship, obviously not taking his threat seriously, and now, they have made an enemy of not just Spike, but the Crown of Equestria. Celestia has had an official Declaration of War against the Crown of Monquista drafted, and Spike has rallied his people into the war effort. With a nation rallied behind him, Spike feels more confident in his abilities as a politician and formal leader. But does he have what it takes to lead a full-scale war?

Only time will tell...

Interrogation

Spike gained word that the Monquistans who destroyed his ship had been captured. Of course, he was angry, but he was calm enough to simply watch the interrogations from behind a one-way mirror.

The HMS Pinafore, Celestia, and Luna joined him behind the one-way mirror and watched alongside him. The guard in the interrogation room asked, "Were you aware that the ship you destroyed belonged to the Prince of Equestria?"

The monkey told him, "No, I was not. I was told by my employer that the ship belonged to a pirate who told bold lies."

"Well, your employer is an idiot. Think about it, why would a pirate ship be docked at the private dock at the castle of the Royal Family of Equestria?"

The monkey yawned, "I get by on not judging my clients. If the job pays well enough, I'd assassinate the Queen of Marleybone."

Spike's eye twitched in anger as he heard this. He might as well have threatened his daughter when the monkey said he'd assassinate the Queen of Marleybone. He looked to his mother and asked, "Please tell me he's committed a capital crime."

Celestia sighed, "I wish, war crimes are close enough though. They attacked a docked, unarmed ship. Such things have been illegal since the Polarian War."

Spike grumbled as he continued to watch the interrogation. The guard said, "I assume you won't identify your employers, so what if we make an agreement?"

The monkey thought about it for a while and said, "What kind of agreement?"

Spike was a bit upset that the guards were willing to offer him a deal, but kept himself calm as the guard said, "For starters, we don't execute you. You serve three years in the royal dungeons, parole in 18 months, and you become a Mariner for the Royal Navy."

The monkey yawned, "You realize that if I accept, the Crown will have my head? I need more than just avoiding the death penalty. Get me an audience with a royal."

Spike didn't wait for the guard to reply before entering the room, "You want a royal, you have him. Guards, leave us be." before the guards left the room and Spike adjusted his tie and told him, "You got the angriest royal you could possibly get. The ship you destroyed was mine."

The Monquistan gulped and asked, "What are you going to do, break my arms?"

Spike rolled his eyes but kept his calmness, "Don't give me ideas. Tell me more about your employers. Proper information will result in a payday."

"Pardon my French, but I call bullshit. If I destroyed the Prince's ship, and he offers me money for information, you have to understand why I'm suspicious."

Spike nodded, "Fair enough, but think of the alternative, I could send your head in a box to the Crown of Monquista."

"Ok, ok, you win. I may be a criminal, but I have a survival instinct. I was hired by Baron Ferdinand von Doom. He's a low ranking royal, Govenor of Puerto Mico, but his cousin was the captain of the guard on the Isle of Doom, so it became personal. The King and Queen had no knowledge of my attack on your ship, it was purely the Baron's doing."

Spike thought for a moment, he could easily have Puerto Mico burned to the ground in an instant with only two royal ships. And while the war had been made official, he preferred not to take innocent lives. He asked, "Did the Baron know the ship he paid you to attack was owned by royalty?"

The monkey shook his head, "No, he believed that was a bold-faced lie. I was told the ship belonged to a disrespectful pirate who told blasphemous lies, disrespected the Crown of Monquista, and assaulted a guard captain."

"Two out of three's not bad. Still, it won't be forgiven. We'll talk about a deal once we are able to tell how the Crown will react to our Declaration of War and what they will do when they learn of the Baron's actions." before leaving the interrogation room.

Applejack asked him, "You think he's telling the truth?"

Spike nodded, "I have a good sense of smell, I can smell a lie off a drunk man's breath. The worst smell from him I could find was the stench of Polarian vodka."

Celestia thought, before saying, "If the information he provided is true, we might be able to avoid a full-scale war, if the Crown offers to hand over the Baron, they'd much rather hang him out to dry over us supporting the rebels in the Monquistan Civil War. It will take time, but we'll see what happens. For now however, he'll be sent to the dungeons until we receive word from Monquista."

The Guards saluted saying, "As you say milady." before taking the Monquistan to the dungeons.

And while the Monquistans who attacked Spike's ship have been arrested, they admit they were hired by a low-ranking Baron who was simply angry that Spike left 2nd degree burns on his cousin. Will this stop a war with Monquista?

Not likely, but who knows...?

A Beginning and an End

Spike was watching the soldiers of the Royal Navy training. They were all promising recruits, and that was exactly what he needed. The Monquistans had gotten in touch with his mother, and it was official, Equestria was now at war with Monquista. The sound of cannons had become so common recently, that Aurora had almost grown used to it interrupting her naps.

Suddenly, Penelope ran out to meet Spike and said, "Spike, we've got a problem, there's an entire fleet heading this way, but it's not the Monquistans! It's the Valencians!"

Spike's eyes widened when Penelope told him the Valencians were coming this way and yelled to the troops, "Men, battle stations! Show no mercy, there's not a single living being on those ships! Get ready to turn those clockworks into scrap metal!"

The men and women cheered a battle cry that had become popular since Spike's announcement, "Remember the Black Rose!" and headed out to their positions.

Spike went and changed into his pirate garb before running to the dock and getting onto the HMS Pinafore, which had been reinstated as his main ship since the destruction of his ship. Twilight stood by his side and sighed, "The Monquistans have no idea they're dealing with the Devil."

Spike nodded, "We've slayed worse demons before. My father was an important piece in defeating the Soul of Sombra. He gave his life to protecting his people, and I'm willing to do the same. I won't let Monquista or Valencia destroy our spirit."

Twilight smiled, "Well put. I best get to the guns." before returning to her post. As the ships came into firing range, the sound of cannons filled the air.

Spike flew off the ship and took to the skies, dodging bullets and cannonballs before landing on the flagship, which had the same Monquistan from the Isle of Doom that he set ablaze. Spike spoke, "You again? I shouldn't be surprised you're here for revenge. At least your fur is growing back, or I wouldn't even recognize you."

The Monquistan growled, "Silence heathen! You will pay for your insolence! If you have no honor, then I will fight without honor!" before throwing a knife with his tail.

The knife wasn't an ordinary knife, since it cut through his helmet and dug into his right eye. He screamed in pain from the knife, and while he was temporarily blinded, he was able to get two shots in from his mechanical hand's pistol finger, each one hitting the Monquistan in each eye.

Twilight saw Spike collapse onto the deck of the ship and quickly went in to save him from the disguised clockworks. As she carried him back to the HMS Pinafore she yelled out in anger, "Men, fall back, stay off the enemy ships! Dragoons, incinerate them!"

At first, the soldiers were confused as to why Twilight order them to fall back, only to see the injured prince in her arms, and followed her order, returning to their ships.

As the disguised clockworks expressed confusion to the retreating Equestrians, the ships that had both the Equestrian and Dragoon flags came closer to the Valencian ships, and the crests of Bahamut's head on the bow of the ship released massive flames, burning every ship to ashes.

As the Valencian ships were destroyed, the others retreated to the castle, to get Spike medical attention.

Spike's entire crew and family arrived in the med bay, seeing Spike's right eye bleeding and swollen shut. Celestia had tears of anger and sadness streaming down her face, her son lost his hand, and now he may lose an eye.

The head matron forced everyone out saying, "Please, please! I know you're worried about the prince, but we can't do our jobs with an entire ship's worth of people in the way!" before slamming the door shut.

Three hours later...

The door opened and the matron came out and told them, "I'm so sorry, the prince's eye was badly damaged, we couldn't do anything-" before being interrupted by Celestia's screaming sobbing, "Your majesty wait! We were able to give him an Orichalcum eye! He'll need a few days' rest, once the eye settles, his vision will be even better than before."

Twilight sighed in relief, and as her queen sobbed on her shoulder, she comforted her, "Madame matron, I hardly think that Spike's recovery makes his injury any less horrible."

The matron nodded, "I'm terribly sorry milady, that's true. I'll keep you updated on Spike's condition."

Penelope felt worst of all, she was the one who reported the attack to Spike, so she blamed herself. As they were each allowed five minutes with Spike, when it was her turn, she cried as she hugged her captain, "Captain, I'm so sorry!"

Spike held his friend close, "You have nothing to be sorry about, a Monquistan took my eye, not you. You were just doing your job, you have nothing to regret." before the matron forced her out, he kissed her and told her, "I'll see you in my tower when I recover." before falling to sleep.

As the days went by, Spike's vision steadily improved and grew greater than before his eye was slashed. Of course, the scars remained, and while his helmet had been damaged, he was able to have it repaired. When he was released from the med bay, he walked through the castle towards the balcony where his mother waited for him.

Celestia held back tears as she hugged her son, "I'm so happy you're all right my son. I know the Monquistans did this to you, but I still blame myself. The same way I blamed myself for you running away."

Spike shook his head, "No mother, this isn't your fault, it's mine. The Monquistan targeted me, not you. You didn't set him on fire, I did. Let's focus on making sure nothing else like this happens again."

As he stepped out onto the balcony, the people cheered for him, seeing he had survived the battle, and he smiled, "People of Equestria, I see now that I have an important role in the wellbeing of Equestria and her people. It is for that reason, I am retiring from piracy to pursue raising my daughter and lead us through this Faust forsaken war."

The crowd gasped when Spike said he was retiring from piracy, not knowing how to react to the idea. As he turned away and returned to the castle, they were muttering and some were crying.

Twilight came up to him as he sat in a chair and said, "Spike, are you really going through with this? Retiring?"

Spike sighed, "I don't know. I've lost my hand, I've lost a friend, and now an eye. I'm realizing now that I'm too important to be risking my life like this. Once the war is over, I'm fully retired."

And so, now with the loss of his right eye, despite having it replaced with an Orichalcum Eye, the Black Rose Dragon is considering retiring from piracy all together. Is this the proper choice, returning to the life he once loathed, for the sake of his growing family? Will he think this over for a while, or is this the end of the Black Rose Dragon?

Meeting Harry Trotter

Spike had been getting stressed with campaigning a war against Valencia and Monquista. He was taking a bit of a vacation to Panethos, childhood home to folk legend Harry Trotter. The area was considered lawless, there weren't too many guards in the area, and that was a problem long before Spike was even born. This wasn't just a vacation, he was on a bit of a business trip. He was seeking people who would be willing to fight for the Crown in the war. Places like this were the most vulnerable to enemy attacks because of the lack of guards.

As Spike stepped off his ship with Twilight by his side, he said to himself, "Dear lord, I'd heard the rumors of how bad Panethos is, but I didn't think those rumors were such an understatement."

Suddenly, gunshots could be heard, and a unicorn was seen running out of a saloon, with a bartender coming out yelling half-heartedly, "Help, thief, thief... oh why do I even bother?"

Spike shot the fleeing unicorn in the knee, sending him to the ground, and actually surprising the nearby people. As Spike walked up to the injured unicorn, he offered a hand saying, "Normally I'd send you to prison, but I have more important priorities. With how fast you run, you could make a decent scout."

The unicorn was holding his knee in pain, "Freakin' psycho! Who the hell are you!?"

Spike introduced himself, "Spike Drake, Prince of Equestria, at your service."

As people heard him introduce himself, they murmured to each other, the unicorn saying, "What would a royal be doing in Panethos? You don't give a shit about us!"

Spike retracted his hand and said, "I care for the safety of all Equestrians. We are in the middle of a war with Valencia and Monquista." before looking to see a poster hung up about it, "And it seems that even in this lawless section of the realm, the war is public knowledge. We need men and women fighting for our way of life, and if needed, I will pardon a few petty criminals. Including pay."

The unicorn stood up slowly and asked, "You're serious? I thought those posters were just false rumors."

The paper-colt came out of the paper company and said, "It's true! The Monquistans attacked a docked ship on the castle's docks! I just got back from an internship in Canterlot, it was all over the news!"

The people muttered, the paper-colt had nothing to gain from lying, before cheering to Spike and Twilight, "Long live the crown!"

Spike smiled lightly, happy that people were supportive even though they had little knowledge of the war. Spike mingled with the townsfolk, but Twilight saw a man watching them from an alley, only for him to completely disappear as a tumbleweed blew by.

She whispered to Spike, "I think we might be being watched Spike." before pointing to the same man who appeared in front of the clocktower.

As Spike walked towards the man, another tumbleweed went by and he was gone. He asked around, "Has anyone seen a man in a black cloak who appears and disappears?"

The priest from the church walked over to them, and told them, "I believe that may have been Old Man Trotter. He comes to the church to donate fairly often, but he rarely does anything else in town. If you're interested, he lives in the mansion up at Boot Hill."

Spike was shocked to hear the name 'Old Man Trotter'. He thought Harry Trotter was just a folk tale, he never thought he was real. He thanked the priest and headed to Boot Hill, which he assumed was a graveyard based on the name, but it was a very nice house with a well-kept garden, blooming with beautiful flowers, even in this dry, arid atmosphere.

The man from town walked out of the front door of the mansion and chuckled lightly, "It seems I drew your attention in town."

Spike nodded, "It's hard to miss a man like yourself in such a lawless part of Equestria."

The man chuckled again, with a bit of a cough, "I suppose that's true. But an old man like me prefers to keep to himself. Yet, it's not every day I see the royal family in my hometown."

Spike smiled likely, "Fair enough old man. You must be Old Man Trotter. I never thought you were real, you were just a character in my favorite book as a child."

The man lowered his hood, "Yes, many people say that. My name is Harry Trotter. I once attended the Canterlot Magic Academy, but in my age, I'm little more than a hermit."

"With an incredibly well-kept garden at that. Why were you trying to gain my attention? Were you hoping to tell me something?"

Old Man Trotter nodded, "Indeed, I don't go out into town very often, I'm seen as an old coot who holds fast to the traditions of old."

Spike smiled, "Such a man isn't common in this day and age. It's an honor to meet you."

"The honor is all mine. I wish to give you something. Please, follow me." before returning to his house.

Spike and Twilight followed him, and Twilight whistled impressively when she saw all the magic artifacts that hung in Mr. Trotter's house. "This place is like a private museum; you could charge admission in a place like this."

Old Man Trotter chuckled, "You're not the first person to say that. Anyway, here it is. This artifact was entrusted to me by Starswirl the Bearded." before picking up a crystal rod and handing it to Spike, "Starswirl was my mentor, he gave me this and told me to give it to the dragon with an Orichalcum Eye, who came in a time of crisis. You came to Panethos to inspire the people here to fight for their realm. I can think of none other who deserves this."

As Spike touched the rod when it was handed to him, he saw visions of the future and smiled, "Well, I know one thing for certain..."

Old Man Trotter winked, "You're not retiring any time soon?" and chuckled as Spike stood shocked, and told him, "Don't worry, I don't invade peoples' minds."

Spike smiled, "Thank you Mr. Trotter. It would be an honor if you were to join us as the Court Mage."

Trotter smiled back, "I appreciate the offer, but I'm too old to teach magic these days. But it's a good thing to have met the man who Starswirl told me about. Go forth with pride and wisdom." before returning to a rocking chair and dozing off a bit.

As Spike left Old Man Trotter's house, he saw people lining up in front of the docks, many with a bag of gold to get a stagecoach to Canterlot. He spoke, "To those wishing to support the war effort, keep your gold, the royal family will pay your expenses to get to the capital."

The people cheered and threw their hats in the air. As Spike returned to his ship, Twilight asked him, "Spike, may I ask what you saw when you touched that rod?"

Spike chuckled, "I would tell you, but where's the fun in that? I will tell you this, I'll be in this live for a long time to come. I'm not retiring for a long, long time."

And so, in an attempt to inspire the common people in the war effort, Spike has met the fabled Harry Trotter. A vision was given to him of his future, and while he will not share what he saw, he knows now that retirement is not in his future, for a long time.

Tea With The Dogs

Spike had been visiting Puerto Mico for about a month, and now that he'd gained allies against both Valencia and Monquista, he'd ordered the blockade to cease and return to the war front. But now, he needed to keep gathering allies. Equestria may have one of the most powerful navies in all the Spiral, but clockworks can keep being built, no matter how many he destroyed, more would be built.

Twilight stepped off the HMS Pinafore to greet Spike and told him, "Spike, I'm glad to report we've received the proper papers to get to Port Regal. We already are in contact with the Governor of the town, and she's eagerly awaiting your arrival." She didn't want to admit it, but she had the feeling that the Govenor was romantically attracted to Spike. She had no problems with that, she was more than willing to share, but she doubted a Govenor would agree to become a pirate, let alone be part of a harem.

Spike nodded, "Let's be off then." before stepping onto the powerful Equestrian Navy ship. As the ship headed to Port Regal, he wondered, "The Governor of Port Regal is eager to see me? How odd... There aren't a lot of people eager to get involved in a full-scale war... I suppose I'll have to wait and see."

As the ship made port, two guards came over to the ship, and one of them said, "Prince Spike of Equestria, it's an honor to have you in our humble colony. The Governor's mansion is at the top of the hill. She and her daughter are expecting your arrival."

Spike stepped off the ship and was surprised that the guard mentioned the Governor's daughter waiting to meet him along with her mother. He replied, "Thank you, I'll be able to get there myself." before taking a nice stroll towards the mansion.

As he looked around the town, it reminded him of home, when he got to go into town during the festival when Aurora was born. As he stepped up to the mansion, the door opened and behind it was a young Cavalier King Charles Spaniel woman, about Spike's age, in a blue dress with her hair tired in pigtails, who said, "You must be Spike, I'm Lucy. My mother is waiting upstairs for us." before walking up the stairs followed by Spike.

Spike asked as they walked up the stairs, "May I ask why you're accompanying this meeting?"

Lucy admitted, "My mother is trying to find me a husband. It's so embarrassing..."

Spike blushed when she told him this, "You think that's embarrassing? Try telling your mother she's going to be a grandmother when her son is halfway across the Spiral and she tells you to give her lots of grandchildren."

Lucy giggled at the idea of Spike's situation, "I have to admit, that is pretty embarrassing." before knocking on her mother's office door, "Mother, Spike has arrived for the discussion regarding the war."

Her mother said, "Come in." before the two entered and she continued, "Spike, Lucy, have a seat. I've just finished brewing a cup of tea, have some."

Spike shook his head, "It's appreciated, but I prefer a glass of Scotch. Marleybone makes the best whiskey in the Spiral."

The Govenor smiled, "Think nothing of it." before pouring Spike a glass of Scotch and continued, "So, your ambassador told me that the Valencians are making clockworks again and that Monquista has allied with them against your home realm of Equestria. I can completely understand your interest in Marleybone's help. But the Minister of War is very ill, we can do nothing about discussions until he recovers or is given a proper replacement."

Lucy took a sip of her tea and asked, "I hope that doesn't discourage you from exploring our great city. Port Regal is a beautiful place."

Spike drank a bit of Scotch and told the Govenor, "Of course, I enjoy exploring the Spiral. However... your daughter told me of your... situation. I must admit, Lucy is a beautiful girl, and it would be nice to get to know her. There is one slight problem though. You're aware of Equestrian laws? Polygamy is legal, and I've recently sired a daughter."

Lucy blushed when Spike called her beautiful, and was surprised when Spike mentioned he had a daughter. She didn't expect his little story to be true, but spoke, "Thank you Spike. I would love to show you the sights here in Port Regal and get to know you better, if my mother allows it?" before looking to her mother.

The Govenor smiled, "Of course, I'm well aware of Equestria's views on marriage, and as long as my daughter is treated fairly, I have nothing against it. And I must say congratulations for your little miracle young prince. It's a great day to be blessed with your firstborn child."

Spike smiled back and said, "Thank you. I believe I will stay here in Port Regal for a while, at least until the Minister of War is able to discuss the possibility of a treaty between Equestria and Marleybone. It's been a pleasure to meet you." before looking to Lucy and kissing her hand and asked, "I believe I'd like to take you up on that offer to show me around Port Regal."

As the two walked out of the mansion, Lucy blushed as she held Spike's hand, "Thank you Spike, for what you said back with my mother. It must be nice to be a father. I hope one day I'll find the right man for me. Even though I think I already have..."

Spike smiled, "Yes, it's really an amazing feeling when you find the love of your life. And becoming a father was both exciting and terrifying. It's also why I went back to Equestria after I had been here in Skull Island for the past two years."

Lucy was surprised when Spike said he'd been in Skull Island for two years and asked, "Why have you been away from your home for so long? This war is fairly recent, isn't it?"

Spike nodded, "Yes, but I'm not just the Prince of Equestria, I'm the Black Rose Dragon. Some people call me the Pirate Prince though."

Lucy's eyes widened when she heard Spike tell her he was the Pirate Prince, "I thought that man was just a myth. My, my, I'm a lucky girl to be meeting such a handsome and capable young man."

Spike blushed, but smiled, "Thank you for that Lucy, that's very nice of you."

And so, Spike has left Puerto Mico and arrived in Port Regal. With the Minister of War sick, he is unable to progress with an alliance with Marleybone. However, he's met a beautiful young woman, the daughter of the Governor of Port Regal, Lucy. She has offered to show him the sights while he stays in Port Regal and is charmed by his demeanor and the thought of him being a pirate. Where will this new friendship lead?

Need I Say More?

The Key of Kings

Spike had been in Port Regal for about a week, and he had become affectionate towards Lucy. Even though they weren't properly married, or even engaged, Lucy agreed to go with Spike after the treaty with Marleybone was finalized.

Spike had just awoken in the quarters of the HMS Pinafore that Twilight had let him use. He walked out into town, heading to the local library, which was a favorite place of his, he enjoyed reading.

As Spike walked through town, his Orichalcum eye glowed for a moment, and as it did, he heard a faint but familiar voice, "Son... hear me..." The voice who he heard wasn't his mother, it was his father, Braveheart.

Spike was shocked that he was hearing his late father's voice, but he shook his head and said to himself, "I must be imagining things..."

Braveheart's voice spoke again, "My son... find me... find my grave... El Dorado... Bahamut's legend..." before fading completely.

Spike shook his head again, until he heard the voice say "El Dorado... Bahamut's legend..." He headed back to the docks, looking for Twilight. When he couldn't find her on the ship, he assumed she was at the library. He headed back to the library to see Twilight sitting in a chair reading, "Of Rats and Apes" He went over to her and whispered, "We need to get back to the ship. We're not leaving, I just need to ask you something without prying ears."

Before Twilight could answer, Spike grabbed her arm and pulled her to the ship, after returning the book of course. When Twilight pulled her arm back and said, "For Faust's sake Spike, if you're that horny, I-"

Spike interrupted her, "First of all, it's not that. Second, why do you think I brought Morgan on this trip?"

Morgan yelled out from one of the nearby quarters, "I heard that!"

Twilight sighed, "Ok, then why did you drag me back to the ship?"

Spike explained, "I heard my father's voice, he told me to find him... and he mentioned Bahamut's legend, El Dorado, the lost city of gold."

Twilight was shocked to hear that Spike heard the voice of his late father. She couldn't think of a way to explain it, before noticing that Spike's Orichalcum was red instead of the standard green ones. "Spike, did you ever notice your eye? I always remember Orichalcum eyes being green, not red."

Spike raised an eyebrow before looking in a mirror and noticing it was true. Orichalcum Eyes are made from a magic crystal called the Orichalcum Stones. They were more than just eyes, they enhanced one's natural vision, and through an Orichalcum Eye, you could even see things nobody else can. But Orichalcum Stones were always green, nobody had ever reported about seeing other colors in the mines.

Twilight thought for a moment, "Maybe the reason you heard your father's voice has to do with your unorthodox Orichalcum Eye."

"That would explain it, but not to a full degree." before taking out his necklace and contacting his mother, "Mother, I was wondering, is there anything in the Royal Archives regarding Orichalcum Eyes? I've only just noticed that mine is red instead of the green we're used to seeing."

Luna had heard the conversation and walked over, "The Archives aren't exactly the Ponyville library, it could take us weeks, if not months to find information on the existence of a red Orichalcum Stone."

Celestia nodded, sighing. She then thought of an idea and said, "I'll be back in a moment, I'm going to ask the matron that did the surgery, maybe she knows." before going to the castle's infirmary and asking the matron she recognized as the one from when Spike lost his eye, "Do you know anything about the Orichalcum Eye you gave my son? The stone is red, not green. I've never heard of red Orichalcum Stones."

The matron seemed just as confused and replied, "Your majesty, I'm afraid I don't understand either. I just grabbed an Orichalcum Eye from our storage, I was paying more attention to properly getting it into place than I was to the color of the Orichalcum Stone."

Celestia nodded, but she still seemed a bit upset, "I understand. Forgive me if I came off as disgruntled." Before returning to her crystal ball and telling Spike and Twilight, "The matron says she was more focused on properly getting the eye into place than she was at the eye itself. I'll be having some of our researchers and alchemists look into the possibility of a red Orichalcum Stone. If anything else happens with the effects of the eye, let me know."

Spike nodded, "Yes mother." He didn't have the heart to tell her that he heard his father's voice and disconnected the call. As the call ended, Spike sighed. "Now I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place."

Twilight smiled, "I have the perfect way to relieve some stress. Morgan, you in?"

Morgan stepped out of her quarters and smiled, "Merci Twilight, I would love to help the Captain relieve some stress."

One Sex Scene Later...

"Hey, wait a minute! Why are you just doing a time jump? No detail on the sex? Explain!"

What, do you expect me to write out an entire sex scene for something as simple as stress relief? I have more important things than that.

"Like what?"

Coming up with a way to introduce Penelope into the harem, brainstorming what happens when the Monquistans realize that their Valencian allies are really clockworks in disguise, coming up with an extension that picks up from when Blueblood was arrested. Need I say more?

"..."

That's what I thought. Now, where were we? Ah, yes.

Spike, Twilight, and Morgan were laying next to each other in the bed with the sheets covering most of their bodies. They each got dressed and shared a passionate kiss before returning to the deck of the ship. Spike headed back into town to take a look at things he hadn't gotten to see while he was with Lucy.

Lucy was walking out of a shop when she saw Spike and waved to him, "Spike!" before walking over to him, "It's nice to see you again. I was wondering if you'd like to see the design I sketched for the tailors. If I'm going to be one of your wives and crewmates, I thought I should look the part."

Spike kissed Lucy's cheek and said, "That sounds great, I'd love to see what you came up with." He looked through Lucy's sketchbook and saw the design and smiled, "I think you'll look great in that Lucy."

Lucy blushed but smiled, "Thank you Spike. You really know how to charm a girl." before kissing his cheek and saying, "I must be going, my mother get upset when I miss supper. Would you like to join us?"

Spike shook his head, "I'd love to, but I've recently been expecting a message from a liaison to the Minster of War, so I have to get back to my ship."

Lucy was a bit upset she wasn't able to spend a bit more time with Spike, but smiled anyway, "That's fine, we can schedule something that doesn't get in the way of our daily lives. I hope the Minister's liaison has good news." before heading back to the Govenor's mansion as Spike went towards the docks.

And so, Spike has received a cryptic message from his father. But his father is dead, isn't he? How can you get a message from a dead person? Spike's uniquely colored Orichalcum Eye may have something to do with it, but nobody has ever seen an Orichalcum Eye, nor the Orichalcum Stones they are made from, in any color but green. Does his red Orichalcum Eye have different powers?

Find out next time!

Negotiations

The liaison to the Minister of War had arrived in Port Regal, and met with Spike in the Govenor's mansion. He sat down in the chair before him and asked, "So, you claim that the Valencians are making those mechanical monstrosities again?"

Spike took a sip of his drink and said, "Indeed. I lost my eye because of an attack on Canterlot by the Valencians, and when you hit them on the ear, the Valencian naval officers are disguised Clockworks."

The liaison almost spit out his drink, but calmed himself, "And how does Monquista fit into this?"

"The Monquistans waged war with Equestria because of a personal beef between me and a Monquistan Guard Captain stationed here in Skull Island. I do not know if the Monquistans know that their Valencian allies are actually clockworks."

The liaison thought for a moment, "Monquista has so many problems with their civil war... You really must have angered someone for them to risk a war with Equestria."

Spike cleared his throat and said, "Let's just say things got pretty heated while discussing my views on slavery." The heated part was him trying to hide the fact that he set the captain on fire. "Things got so bad that the Governor of Puerto Rico, the captain's cousin, ordered an attack on my personal ship. That's what started the war."

"I see, I've met with the Puerto Rican Governor, and I must say, he was an absolute nightmare to talk with."

Spike nodded, "Which is why we set up a blockade. You can't even imagine how far South that went. My soldiers were helping the civilians, who were forced to ration everything, even water. Then all of a sudden, I get a report that somebody stole powder kegs from one of the ships and blew the Governor's mansion to kingdom come."

The Marleybonian sounded a bit concerned, what Spike described was terrorism. He could tell Spike had nothing to do with the explosion, and that the people of Puerto Mico were angry at the Governor, but that didn't make it ok to blow up a building. He spoke, "Interesting. Well, I believe Equestria and Marleybone will be powerful allies. I do have one thing I should mention. The treaty between Valencia and Mooshu was never truly absolved. Marleybone was caught off guard by an attack from Hamamitsu instead of Valencia. The delegates of Mooshu haven't been able to talk to officials about ending the treaty."

"And I believe you see why the Valencians avoided repealing the treaty, the war was far from over in the eyes of the remaining clockworks."

The liaison nodded, "Right you are your majesty. I believe this talk has gone on long enough. I've been given temporary permissions, so in place of the Minister of War, Marleybone is now an ally of Equestria and the Monquistan Civil War."

Spike smiled, "Thank you, I pay my dues, and I never leave an ally defenseless. If I can't do something about Mooshu revoking their treaty with Valencia, I'll send ships to protect and blockade the storm gate between Marleybone and Mooshu. Next to pre-war Polaris, Equestria has the strongest navy in the spiral."

The liaison opened his mouth to speak, but then took his pocket watch out and said, "Oh my, look at the time, I'm late for the cricket match! I'm terribly sorry young prince, but I must be going. I'll relay our meeting to the Minister of War to make things official." before leaving the mansion.

Lucy came out from her mother's office and walked down to the ground floor to see Spike, she kissed him on the cheek and asked, "Hello my darling prince. I assume the negotiations went well?"

Spike smiled, "Yes, Marleybone and Equestria are allies now. Although, I don't know what to do next... before we figured out I was going to be a father, my crew and I were on a treasure hunt, and the war is going slowly right now, so perhaps we could return to that."

Lucy's eyes sparkled when Spike mentioned a treasure hunt and said, "That sounds so exciting! Fighting off enemies, the sounds of cannons and guns!"

Spike told her, "I wouldn't get too cheery. Arrogance cost me my hand two years ago, when I first came to Skull Island."

Lucy calmed down a bit and said, "Oh, I didn't know. I think I get the idea, that pirates in real life are nothing like the ones you read about in fictional works."

Spike nodded, "Right, it's not a glamorous job, but I will admit it's the most fun I've had in the past years, even though I lost my hand, if I had to do it again, I wouldn't change a thing."

Lucy giggled, "I'm glad to hear that, since if you decided not to be a pirate, we'd have never met each other." before kissing Spike on the lips, "I'll be getting some cloths ready before I head to your ship." and leaving

"I am one lucky man..."

In Equestria...

The Canterlot PD was in a stir. Blueblood had escaped from his cell by faking a heart attack, and then stealing a guard's gun and shooting him before running off. When Celestia was told about this, she asked the warden, "Why was my nephew in prison in the first place?"

The warden gulped, "With all due respect my queen, we didn't realize who we had arrested until after we were at the precinct. During the festival celebrating the birth of the prince's daughter, we arrested a man for disturbing the peace, the one who was trying to make the prince look bad. We didn't realize it was Blueblood until we'd already put him in jail."

Celestia sighed and thought for a moment, saying to herself, "Blueblood was always jealous of Spike, he won't even accept the fact that he's not royalty, he never was. He believes because his uncle married the queen means he's automatically royalty. Still, I can't have him going after Spike and ruining the war campaign..." and then spoke out loud, "Station officers at every dock and train station in Canterlot, even the castle docks. Hang wanted posters with a reward of 500,000 gold pieces for information that leads to his arrest."

The warden nodded, "Yes your majesty!" before leaving to relay the information to the rest of the Canterlot PD.

And so, Spike has made an alliance with Marleybone, and he is truly considering returning to his treasure hunt, since the war is going smoothly in the favor of Equestria. Will Spike be able to return to the Isle of Doom, or is he still needed in the war effort?

Meanwhile, following his arrest during the festival to celebrate Aurora's birth, Blueblood has escaped from prison. Celestia is setting up guards at every dock and train station in Canterlot, and is offering a massive reward in order to capture him before he does something reckless, or worse, try to harm Spike. Will half a million pieces of gold be enough to get him arrested again?

Only time will tell...

The Duel

Spike was in his quarters of the HMS Pinafore, when he saw his necklace glowing and picked it up to see his mother, "Mom, I suppose you heard that Marleybone is our ally now."

Celestia nodded, "Yes, but that's not why I'm calling. Do you remember the man who was arrested during Aurora's festival?"

Spike nodded back, "Yes, some grumpy bastard trying to scandalize me."

Celestia explained, "It turns out that man was your cousin Blueblood."

Spike's eyes widened, "Ugh, great, the prodigal asshole. But that's beside the point, you wouldn't be calling me about this if it wasn't important. Let me guess, he escaped prison?"

"Yes, I've placed guards at every dock and train station in Canterlot, plus I put out a 500,000 reward for any information that leads to his arrest."

Spike thought for a moment. He didn't need the money, but he knew his cousin was smart. He told his mother, "I'll return to help look for him. Knowing him, he'll bribe somebody to get him out of Canterlot."

Celestia raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you're not just trying to claim that reward I put out?"

Spike chuckled, "Trust me mother, people can be gullible. When the HMS Pinafore's crew arrived in Skull Island, I tricked them into giving me 50K in exchange for information of my whereabouts."

Celestia giggled, "I have to admit, that is pretty funny. But if you want to join in the hunt, I won't stop you. Just be careful."

"Always am mother, always am." before heading up to the decks and telling Twilight, "Twilight, we're returning to Equestria. My royal asshole of a cousin escaped prison, and my mother has put out a reward for information leading to his arrest."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, "Is this like the time you tricked us out of 50K for information of your whereabouts?"

"Not in the slightest. I may be a pirate, but I'm not low enough to trick money out of my own mother."

"Fair enough, next question, what was your cousin Blueblood doing in prison? He may be a jealous prick, but he's hardly a criminal." When Spike explained the situation, she grumbled, "That's low, even for him. He can't even be happy for his family."

Spike nodded, "Why do you think my father wrote him out of the will?"

And so, Twilight steered the ship back to Equestria. Lucy walked up to Spike on the deck of the ship, "So, I heard we're going back to Equestria? What happened to that treasure hunt of yours?"

Spike explained, "My cousin escaped from prison recently, and we're joining the hunt before he escapes Canterlot. I'd like it if you stay back at the castle. I'm going to need to use some shady connections to help find my cousin, and I don't want you getting hurt."

Lucy smiled, "That's very sweet of you, but I know how to protect myself. Despite my mother's protests, my father taught me how to fire a pistol when I was 14. I can stay safe with you by my side."

Spike smiled lightly, but didn't argue, "Ok, you can come with me."

Meanwhile in Equestria...

Blueblood was hiding in a small tavern, "Unbelievable, auntie Celestia put out a reward for my capture... I'm not going back to that filthy prison! They have no idea how horrible it was! Especially with that drunk!" shivering just from the thought.

Celestia had sent out Garble, to act like his former self before his discharge from the Dragoons. Her plan was to try to see if Blueblood would seek out Garble in an attempt to trick him into talking about his plans to another person who supposedly disliked Spike as much as he did.

Garble walked into the tavern and sat at the bar, "Give me a scorpion shot." before being handed a shot glass of tequila with a dead scorpion in it, which was a common drink in dragon culture.

Blueblood noticed Garble and recognized him from his childhood when he bullied his cousin Spike. He sat in the stool next to him and asked, "What's a Dragoon doing in a shallow place like this?"

Garble chugged his shot down and crunched the scorpion in his teeth before saying, "I ain't a Dragoon no more, since the brat discharged me."

Blueblood smiled lightly, "So, the royal family betrayed you too?"

Garble nodded, "Yeah, and I'm willing to do what I need to do to teach the runt a lesson."

Blueblood took a sip of his drink and said, "In that case, perhaps we can come up with a deal. My idiot of a cousin is unworthy of the crown. He's gone low enough to become a lowly pirate instead of a classy sophisticate."

"I'm not exactly the classy type either, but I think I can help. The brat is coming home for a while. I can talk to the guards, they're good friends, I can sneak you to the royal docks."

Blueblood smiled, "Deal. We'll be in contact." before stepping off his stool, raising his hood, and leaving the tavern.

When he left, Garble contacted Celestia with his necklace and told her, "It's set up, he'll be at the royal docks by the time the prince returns from Port Regal."

Celestia smiled, "Good job Garble. You've really redeemed yourself. Perhaps I'll consider reinstating you as a Dragoon, perhaps even a promotion."

Garble smiled back, "Thank you your majesty."

Later that night...

Blueblood had been sneaked onto the private docks to see Spike's ship just arriving. As Spike disembarked the HMS Pinafore, he feigned tiredness, trying to trick his cousin into believing he was easily beatable. Blueblood took his glove off and slapped his cousin across the face with it, "I challenge you cousin! You're not fit to be king!"

Spike growled, but kept up the tired act, "Fine, it's your funeral. But you know I've trained with the best since I was a toddler."

The two stepped away from each other and Blueblood thought to himself, "What a fool, he's too tired to defeat me in a proper duel."

Spike chuckled to himself as he stepped away from his cousin, ready to duel. When they had made their final steps, Blueblood drew his fencing sword and Spike said, "For the record, this is how a pirate fights. Auntie Luna's lessons taught me this." before using his pistol hand to knock Blueblood's sword out of his hand. "We fight with our fists, no weapons, and I won't use my artificial hand."

Blueblood was shocked, not only was his cousin fully rested, but he also had a built-in pistol in his hand. He straightened his tie and said, "Very well, let's settle this like gentleman!" before walking up to his cousin and shadowboxing, trying to frighten his cousin, "Have at thee!"

Spike was getting annoyed by his cousin, "Ok, this has gone on long enough." before kicking his cousin in the groin, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

Blueblood fell to the ground, screaming in pain and holding his groin in pain, "For the love of Faust! You're no gentleman, you're just a mindless brute!"

Spike rolled his eyes, "I am no brute, you're just a stuck-up prick. You don't even understand you were never royalty. My father wasn't king, he was the husband of the Queen, you being his nephew meant nothing. Guards!"

The guards came out and arrested Blueblood once more, the captain saying, "This time, we're not taking you to the local prison, you're heading to the castle dungeons."

Blueblood was unable to fight back, still in pain from Spike's kick. "I'll get you for this cousin, if it's the last thing I do!"

Spike grumbled, "Well now that that's out of the way." before walking to his tower, and on the way, he smiled as Garble came up to him. He told him, "Thank you for your help, Garble. We couldn't have done this without you."

Garble smiled back, "Thank you your majesty, it was a privilege to help arrest Blueblood."

And so, with the help of Garble, Spike has brought his cousin back into custody, but this time he's heading to the castle dungeons, from where nobody has ever escaped. With Spike's bothersome cousin out of the way, he can return to his own life, not just the war, but his adventures as a pirate as well. What will his next adventure be?

Find out next time!

Selling the Goods

Spike had just gone to the royal docks, going into the storeroom to check on something. When his ship was destroyed, the guards not only hunted down the attacker, but they also risked their lives to recover as much of his cargo as they could. He was taking inventory to see how much they were able to save. "Looks like all the spices from the crabs are here... The Buffaloon hides are still in decent condition." after a while, he was finished with inventory, "Not bad, I still can make some money on this stuff. That is if I can find somebody who wants to buy my goods."

Luna walked in and heard her nephew, "You're starting to think like a pirate. But just like me, you don't let profit become the only thing you care about. I have some friends who might be willing to do some business with you."

Spike looked over his shoulder and smiled, "Thanks auntie, that's nice. I'm more than willing to deal with people you know. Heck, I'll deal this stuff with the black market if I need to."

Luna nodded, "I'll get in touch with some of my contacts and see who's willing to do business." before heading back to her room and using her crystal ball to get in contact with her former first mate, Astral Shadow.

When he answered, Astral Shadow chuckled, "If it isn't old Looney Luna."

Luna growled, "You know I hate it when you call me that. I'M. NOT. CRAZY!"

"Well, for starters, you chose me as your first mate." before laughing in union with his former captain, "Alright Luna, what's up? You retired 20 years ago, so I doubt you're getting back in the business. Is this one of those 'offers' you make?"

Luna blushed, "N-No! And if I recall, you were the one begging me not to go home after I retired! Anyway, my nephew is in possession of some cargo he's looking to sell. You interested?"

Astral Shadow rolled his eyes at Luna's blush, but replied, "Depends on what he's got. Also, did you ever think to tell me your nephew is following in his aunt's shoes? Seems like a big deal that the prince who's actually in line for the throne to run away from home."

Luna nodded, "You might have heard of him, people are calling him the Pirate Prince."

"Aye, I've heard of him, didn't think he was really royalty, let alone my captain's nephew. If you're vouching for him, I'll gladly do business with him."

Luna smiled, "Thanks, I'll set up a rendezvous point. Our old stomping ground?"

Astral raised an eyebrow, "You mean that old Italian place?"

Luna grumbled, "Not that stomping ground! The Eclipse Tavern."

"Oh, right, my bad. I'll be there as soon as I can. You still remember the password, right?"

Luna rolled her eyes, "Of course I do, I was the one who helped fund the place. Everyone who knows about the place knows about the strict rules about picking fights. It's one of the safest places for us to do business without too many prying ears."

"I'll see you then, Looney Luna" before hanging up before she could yell at him.

Luna huffed, "He knows I hate it when he calls me that!" before calming down and heading back to look for Spike. When she found him, she told him, "I've got a good friend who's interested in buying some goods. For the sake of secrecy, it's just you and I, the HMS Pinafore and the rest of your crew can't know about this place."

Spike raised an eyebrow and asked, "We're not going to get killed there, are we? Forgive me for being suspicious, but thinking of a place that the girls and my crew can't know about, yet my retired pirate aunt knows about, you have to admit it's a bit fishy."

Luna sighed, "Look, we won't be in any danger. This place has rules, no fighting being one of them. Nobody breaks these rules, not me, not you, not anyone. Those rules are absolute, nobody's broken them in over 20 years, not even the worst pirates who have ever lived."

Spike nodded, "Fine, if you think we'll be safe, I believe you. Let's get this cargo onto the ship." before helping his aunt load the cargo onto the HMS Pinafore, after checking that the ship was empty, and Luna got to the wheel and started steering to towards a rock formation called "Tirek's Claw."

Spike's eyes widened when he noticed the were headed towards Tirek's Claw and asked his aunt, "Auntie Luna, are you sure about this? I've heard nobody who goes to Tirek's Claw ever returns."

Luna explained, "Those are just rumors to scare people away from where we're going. As far as most of Equestria knows, this place doesn't exist, and we want to keep it that way."

Spike gulped, but nodded, "Ok, I trust you with this." As they made land, the only sign of living beings was a few docked ships, and a tavern.

As the two pirates stepped off their ship, and headed towards the tavern, a bouncer stopped them and asked, "You got the password?"

Luna nodded, "Neigh" and headed inside of the tavern after the bouncer moved aside

A pirate waved to them in the corner, calling them over. As they sat down, the pirate spoke, "Good to see you again Looney Luna." Before looking to Spike and saying, "And you must be the Pirate Prince I've heard about."

Luna's eye twitched in anger. She knew Astral Shadow well enough to know that he would tease her in a place where she can't get into a brawl with him. She calmed down and said, "We're here to do business, remember? We've got plenty of spices, some Buffaloon hides, and 20 cases of Yum. Are you interested or not?"

Astral Shadow chuckled, "Well, I'd hate to anger my captain by declining to do business with her nephew. I've got some clients who need some Buffaloon hides, but they're picky. Are the hides from Silver Buffaloons?"

Spike nodded, "I've got twenty hides from silver Buffaloons, the other thirty are brown. 50K for the silver hides, 65 if you want all of them."

Astral Shadow chuckled, "You may be tough in a fight, but you're not good at this negotiating business. Normal Buffaloons aren't that rare, but the silver ones, they're worth a fortune. I'll give you 10,000 gold a hide for the silvers, 3,500 a hide for the plain ones. All together that's 305,000. Do we have a deal?"

Spike was shocked that the man was offering over six times he originally wanted, and looked to his aunt, who told her former first mate, "It's a deal, you're no crook Astral."

Astral Shadow shook Spike's hand and said, "As for the spices, I've got nothing for them, I don't have the connections to make money in the spice trade. I do know one guy, but I don't do business with him. He's a chef who owns a restaurant in Canterlot. His name's Mr. Le Schnook, and he's a no-nonsense kind of guy. Price is no object for him, so you can easily sell those spices to him. For please, don't go dressed like that, it'll be much easier to deal with him if you're in your royal attire."

Spike had been to the restaurant Astral Shadow mentioned, it was one of the best restaurants in Canterlot, if not all of Equestria. Even the royal chefs couldn't make such a perfect plate of Beef Wellington. "And the Yum?"

Astral Shadow thought for a moment, "Twenty cases of Yum eh... Well, how about this? I have a friend in Skull Island - Tommy Tin - who's started a business as a Yum bottler. Tell him I sent you, and he'll pay well for the Yum, and we'll be in business with him, sharing the profits equally."

Spike nodded, "It's a deal. Let's get your Buffaloon hides onto your ship."

The three pirates went back to their ships and Astral Shadow gave Spike a bag of gold in exchange for the Buffaloon hides on his ship, "Pleasure doing business with you kid. Any time you need some help, come back any time." before looking to Luna, "It's been a while since we've seen each other. Maybe we could go to our other stomping ground."

Luna rolled her eyes, "Maybe, if you're lucky." before stepping onto the ship.

As they sailed back to Canterlot, Spike asked his aunt, "Is there something I'm missing between you and that man?"

Luna growled, "Absolutely nothing. He was my first mate, nothing more."

Spike rolled his eyes, "Denial is just as good as a confession. You blushed every time he called you-"

"Call me that nickname and I will haunt your nightmares until the end of time!" Luna made it obvious that she hated the nickname, possibly more than she hated the nickname Lulu, which his mother called her on occasion, and it obviously annoyed her.

Spike gulped, he'd never seen his aunt that angry, but nodded, "Sorry auntie, won't slip out of my mouth again."

Luna sighed in relief, "Good, I hate that name. Astral Shadow knew that the Eclipse Tavern was the only place he could call me that without me being able to kick his ass."

And so, Luna has helped Spike sell some of his pirate cargo and has gotten into business with both a chef who would buy the spices, and a lucrative business opportunity to off load his cases of Yum. And now Spike questions the relationship between his aunt and her former first mate, especially with the way he teased her while they were in a tavern where she couldn't lash out at him. Is there more to their relationship? Or is Spike looking for something that's just not there?

Can You Handle the Heat?

Lucy was roaming the castle, trying to find Spike. Despite not being married, she was more than willing to get in bed with him. She was in heat right now, and it was getting unbearable, so she hoped she could find Spike quickly. When she saw Twilight, she ran up to her and asked, "Um, Twilight? I don't mean to be rude, but do you know where Spike is?" she was trying her hardest to hide her heat, hoping Twilight wouldn't notice.

Twilight raised an eyebrow and told her, "He's in the library. May I-" before she could finish her sentence, Lucy suddenly ran right past her as a speed that made her stumble a bit. Twilight said to herself, "What's gotten into her?" before looking to the floor and seeing a small puddle, "Ah, she must be in heat. Spike may have a lot of stamina, but I don't know if he can handle a dog in heat. Well, it's not really my business as long as they don't get hurt." before continuing her walk.

When she burst into the library, the door slammed open, startling Spike out of his chair and going to see who barged in. "Lucy? Are you ok? I didn't take you for the kind who would be loud in a library."

Lucy gulped, "I-I'm not... but... can we go somewhere private?"

Spike nodded, "Sure, Ember is out with Aurora to make some friends, so-" suddenly, Lucy grabbed his arm and dragged him quickly to his tower. As he caught his breath, he asked, "What's with-" only to see that Lucy was taking off her clothes.

When Lucy was fully naked, she pulled Spike into a kiss, "I'm sorry I'm being so forceful, but I'm burning up, and the only thing that can help cool me down is a big thick cock."

Spike melted into the kiss as Lucy explained the situation. He took a tie out of his drawer and tied it around the doorknob outside his room and locking it shut. He took off his clothes as well and picked up Lucy bridal style and took her to his bed, kissing her again as he laid her down.

Lucy started panting as Spike pulled away from the kiss, and spread her legs, "Please Spike, I'm burning up, please take me" before rolling over and giggling, "I may be a dog, but I still love doggy style. Pound me hard my prince."

Spike blushed; she was really into this. His cocks were both already hard from the way she was acting and said, "With pleasure." he slipped one cock into her pussy and the other in her ass. "How does my double dragon dick feel?"

Lucy cried out in ecstasy, "Oh God! It feels so good! I didn't even know dragons had more than one dick, but I know I love it already! Spike, don't be afraid to get rough, pound me hard and fuck me silly!"

Spike smiled and said, "If that's what you want, I won't hold back." before grabbing Lucy's tail and pulling on it to keep her hips slamming on his cock.

Lucy moaned in pleasure, "Oh Spike, you know how to please a girl! I'm so happy I met you!"

"So am I Lucy, so am I." before pulling her up as he laid down and lifted her up and down his cocks. "Your tits look amazing bouncing like that. I wonder what they taste like." before groping her breasts and suckling and licking her nipples.

"Oh god, oh fuck! You're making me cum Spike!" before screaming out as she reached her orgasm. "Oh, that's no fair, you didn't get to cum. Let me fix that!" before lunging to put Spike's cocks in between her breasts and rubbing against them.

Spike moaned as Lucy started rubbing her tits against his cocks, "You're really getting into the mood, but let me pleasure you more." before moving her crotch to his face and licking her pussy and suckling and nibbling on her clit. He continued to moan as Lucy sucked his cocks and told her, "I'm getting close Lucy..."

Lucy said with his cocks in her mouth, "In that case..." before positioning herself on top of Spike again, lifting herself up and down on both cocks, both in her pussy, "Oh God! It's even better with them both in my wet virgin pussy! Spike, don't stop, I want every drop of seed in my slutty holes!"

Spike lifted Lucy once more as he said, "Here. It. Comes!" before the two of them came again, Spike's cum overflowing and leaking out from Lucy's pussy. But they weren't done yet. Spike then picked her up and said, "Let me know if this hurts too much." before lowering her ass on his cocks.

Lucy let out a squeal of pain and pleasure, "Oh fuck yes! Stretch my ass until it fits your cocks like a glove. I'm your personal bitch, literally and metaphorically!"

Spike pulled Lucy into a kiss while her hips continued slamming into his, "Lucy, this is the best sex I've ever had, not even Morgan could compare to this. It's like our bodies are in control, and I don't care, as long as I have you, I can keep this up all night."

As Lucy kissed him, "I was thinking the same thing my prince. You're my first and only, and nothing will ever change that. I don't even care if I have to share you, being with you makes me feel like there's nothing else that matters."

As the hours passed, they continued at it, not tiring or passing out. Meanwhile, Sunset and Starlight were standing outside the door to his room on guard. Both of them were blushing as they could hear just about every dirty moan and screams of ecstasy. Sunset whispered to Starlight, "We don't get paid enough for this. This is just so awkward."

Starlight nodded, "Don't blame me, I've been trying to get a raise for three weeks!"

"Hopefully asking Spike will be a better idea, although at this point, I don't think the prince will get a wink of sleep tonight."

Twelve o'clock, Midnight...

Spike and Lucy collapsed onto the bed, panting from exhaustion. Lucy was completely covered in Spike's cum, and as she panted, she worked out the words, "I didn't think one night of sex would snap me out of my heat cycle. It's a good thing I'm on the pill, I'd love to have your child, but I wanted this to be special."

Spike also panted, "Yeah. Honestly, I don't know how the two of us were able to go that long. We've been fucking like rabbits since lunch time. And if it weren't for the fact that I don't have the energy to stand up, I'd go get us something to eat."

Lucy nodded, "There's still nothing I would change about tonight. But it's late, let's just... get... some rest..." before dozing off in Spike's embrace.

Spike kissed her forehead and also fell asleep with her in his arms.

The next morning...

Spike and Lucy were both taking a shower in Spike's bathroom. Not having sex, just showering together. Lucy hummed as she washed Spike's cum out of her fur and said, "It's amazing, one night of sex and I'm not in heat anymore. I hope that doesn't mean the pill isn't working."

Spike chuckled, "You and me both, I have one newborn daughter to deal with, a second child is a bit too early right now."

And so, Lucy, under the influence of her heat cycle, has lost her virginity to Spike. After going for hours, they finally got some rest and were able to wash up after waking up. And now, Spike has added another bitch to his harem, literally, not figuratively.

First Words & Strange Magic

Aurora was almost a year old now, and Spike was spending every moment he could with her. He'd recorded her first steps along with Celestia. He was lifting her up and down as if she was flying and smiled, "I don't know if you can understand what I'm saying yet, but you're the best thing that ever happened to me Aurora. I love you so much." hugging his daughter.

As she hugged her father back, the young princess, "Daddy" and cooed as Spike released her from the hug.

Spike's eyes widened when he heard his daughter say her first words, and smiled widely, "Your first word... your first word was daddy!" before pulling her into another hug. He picked her up and held her in his arms as he looked for Ember to tell her. When he found her, he told her, "Ember, you missed it!"

Ember raised an eyebrow, "What did I miss?"

Aurora cooed again before saying, "Mama! Daddy!"

Ember's eyes widened, "She talked! She's said her first words!"

Spike smiled, "Technically, her first word was daddy while we were playing."

Ember rolled her eyes, "Way to rub it in my face." before kissing Spike's cheek and then kissing Aurora's forehead.

Aurora giggled as her mother kissed her forehead and held onto her finger as she touched her nose, sneezing a small flame. When she yawned, she started closing her eyes, "Night-night daddy..." before falling asleep in Spike's arms.

Ember smiled, "Our little girl has been playing with her daddy so long she's gotten tired. It's getting late anyway, why don't we get ready for bed?"

Spike nodded as the two of them went to their bedroom and placed Aurora in her crib.

Later that night...

Spike was dreaming, and while he didn't know it, the magic of his Orichalcum Eye was affected by his dreams. In his dreams, Spike was training a 10-year-old Aurora in swordplay while being observed by Ember, Celestia, and Luna. Of course, that was far off at this point, right?

The Orichalcum Eye glowed a dark red, even though Spike was asleep, you couldn't close an Orichalcum Eye the same way you could with a normal eye. For a minute, Aurora started glowing the same dark red.

The next morning...

Spike woke up groggily chuckling, "What a weird dream. Ember would never let me train Aurora like that. Felt a bit too real to be a-" before being snapped out of his drowsiness by a scream from Ember. He looked to Ember and said, "Ember, what's-" before seeing Aurora sleeping in their bed, at the age of ten.

Starlight and Sunset were startled by the scream and entered the room, seeing Aurora in their bed as a ten-year-old shocked them as much as it did Spike and Ember. When Celestia saw her granddaughter in her son's bed, not as a baby, but a young child, she fainted, being caught by Starlight.

Luna yawned as she entered the room with a cup of coffee, "What's with all the noise-?" before seeing her grand-niece, and spitting out her coffee, "What the holy heck!?"

Aurora mumbled, trying to close out the noise, causing Spike to shush everyone and force everyone out of the room. "Ok, we're all... ok, confused is an understatement, this is just straight up weird. But it's obvious Aurora is still sleeping. First, Starlight, take my mother back to her room, I'm going to the archives to see if the researchers will be of any help. Ember, stay by Aurora's side until she wakes up. Sunset, you're with me, the archives will take time. Auntie Luna..." he looked at her, noticing she was still in her nightgown, "Um... maybe brew the rest of us some coffee? And maybe put on some clothes?"

Luna grumbled as she walked back towards her room. Believe it or not, Luna was not a morning person. In fact, to get her awake enough to care about the day, she had to drink at least a gallon's worth of coffee before noon.

Spike and Sunset headed towards the Royal Archives and Spike started looking through the crystal ball that was centered in the room. He couldn't find anything when he searched for age acceleration, but then he noticed an old record that was badly damaged, but he could make out the words, "Red Orichalcum." Spike called out, "Sunset, come here for a minute!"

Sunset walked over to Spike and asked him, "Find anything?"

Spike showed her the damaged records and told her, "It seems this record has some information about a red Orichalcum stone, just like the one in my Orichalcum Eye. It's badly damaged, but it's better than nothing..."

Sunset squinted her eyes and what she noticed caused her eyes to go wide, "Spike, this record shouldn't even exist! It's from the reign of King Sombra! During the Crystal Uprising, the rebellion set the archives on fire, they wanted everything in Sombra's collection of knowledge to be destroyed! I can't believe this survived!"

Spike was just as shocked as Sunset was when she told him the record was from King Sombra's rule, she was right, it shouldn't exist, after King Sombra was overthrown and executed, most of his archives went up in flames. "I'm going to talk to my mother and Ember, go get Twilight and Starlight and see what you can make out of the damaged records. I can't be 100% sure, but finding out more about my eye might have something to do with this."

Sunset nodded, "Right, I'll get on it." before going off to find Starlight and Twilight.

Spike went to his room to see Ember playing with their now ten-year-old daughter, who looked up to him and ran over, "Daddy!" before hugging him, and looking up at him with puppy dog eyes, "Daddy, when I grow up, I want to be a pirate! Just like you and great-auntie Luna!"

Spike's heart melted when his daughter gave him the look of an adorable begging puppy. He smiled, "Maybe, just maybe, you can come with us when we return to the skyways. But if you want to do that, you'll need training."

Ember sighed, "I had a feeling this would happen, I told her if you were ok with it, we'd take her with us when we go back to Skull Island."

Spike chuckled, "I don't blame you. Who can resist these beautiful puppy dog eyes?" before picking his daughter up and placing her on his back and running around the room playing with her and Ember.

And so, through some unknown magic, Aurora is now a ten-year-old girl, even though she was born less than a year ago. But what kind of magic could do this? Spike also found a record in the archives, and while it was badly damaged, it mentioned the existence of red Orichalcum stones. Are these two things connected? Or do they have nothing to do with each other? And what of Aurora, who now wants to be a pirate and has used her adorability to get her mother and father to allow this?

Find Out Next Time...

Secrets of the Orichalcum

It had been about a week since Aurora's 'growth spurt' and Twilight, along with Sunset and Starlight, were still making out what they could from the damaged record. Twilight sighed, "It's a miracle this record survived, but most of it is too damaged to make out."

Sunset stepped into the room with a notepad and told Twilight, "I think I've found something useful from what I could piece together. Here's what I've got so far, 'The Stones of the Orichalcum come in three colors. Green is the most common, but the least powerful, they have very limited magical powers. Red stones appear to have the ability to warp reality and turn dreams into reality. Of the rarest Orichalcum, black seems to have the strongest powers. It is for this reason, that I, the glorious King Sombra, have had both my eyes removed and replaced with black Orichalcum eyes. The power is hard to control, but nothing is impossible when you are a master of magic such as I.' That's the best I could get, the damage is too severe to make out anything else on the subject of black Orichalcum Stones. I can say this though, if Sombra was willing to risk complete blindness in exchange for the power they grant, it makes sense that the records were destroyed."

Starlight opened a text about the Soul of Sombra and questioned, "Maybe the black Orichalcum is what allowed him to return in his spiritual form before he was defeated permanently by Spike's father? There's nothing in the records about such a thing though. The records show that in his final moments, King Sombra sold his soul to an evil being from the Before Time in order to live on as The Soul of Sombra. It was only when the Queen's husband used blessed silver in the form of a silver sword that the Soul of Sombra was defeated once and for all. But the Crystal Uprising took place over 100 years ago, so maybe he didn't have enough energy to enact his vengeance right away?"

Twilight thought for a moment and nodded, "That would make sense, his powers were crippled before his execution, so perhaps that would explain why it took him another 100 years to come back in his spiritual form. But that's beside the point. Sunset, you said that red Orichalcum have the ability to warp reality and turn fantasies into reality... perhaps that explains what happened. If the red Orichalcum can turn dreams into reality, perhaps Spike was having a dream of Aurora as a bit older, and the stone in his Orichalcum Eye reacted to his dreams and warped reality in order to turn Aurora into a ten-year-old..."

Sunset nodded, but expressed a bit of concern, "You do realize all of this evidence is highly circumstantial, right? If Sombra knew of the existence of red and black Orichalcum Stones, all that knowledge, including the locations of any Orichalcum mines that produced the stones, should have been completely destroyed. You said it yourself Twilight, it's a miracle these records survived. It would be an even greater miracle for us to find a location of an Orichalcum mine where we could find them."

As Spike entered the room, he heard part of what the three were talking about and said, "You are aware making miracles is something I specialize in, right? I did trick Twilight and her crew out of 50K in exchange for false information about my own whereabouts."

Twilight rolled her eyes, "I'd hardly call that a miracle Spike."

Starlight cleared her throat and said, "You do have to admit that it sounds extremely uncharacteristically gullible of you to not even know the prince was standing right in front of you and lying about where he was, and that you paid him for the lies he told."

Sunset nodded, "I'm with Starlight on this one, especially with Applejack there at the time, you'd think she'd be able to tell that Spike was lying through his teeth."

Twilight's eye twitched in anger from being reminded of her spectacular embarrassment at the prince's hands and cleared her throat, "Perhaps we should stop revisiting past events and focus on the matter at hand?" before looking to Spike and telling him, "We were able to find a few records that mentioned a red Orichalcum stone, and it seems they have the ability to warp reality and turn dreams into reality."

Spike nodded, "That would make sense, on the night before Aurora's growth spurt, I was dreaming of training her in swordplay, so perhaps my Orichalcum Eye turned my dreams into reality in the form of Aurora's physical and mental age being altered."

"As I said before, this evidence is highly circumstantial, we have nothing concrete other than a few badly damaged records that proves the existence of red Orichalcum Stones."

Spike pointed to his right eye where the Orichalcum Eye was placed after his injury, "I think that between those records and the fact that my eye is obviously made from a red Orichalcum stone, that's more than enough proof that red Orichalcum stones exist. Now we just need to put our heads together and try to work another miracle and find more information about a mine where we can find such stones."

Twilight nodded, "The prince is right, between the records and his Orichalcum Eye, I believe it's safe to say that we are 99% certain that red Orichalcum stones exist. Now we need to focus on finding a mine where we can find a red Orichalcum stone in order to analyze it."

And so, through damaged records dating back to the Crystal Uprising from over 100 years ago, Spike and his crewmates have found evidence of the existence of red Orichalcum stones and are now focused on finding a mine where they can collect and analyze one. Is Spike's Orichalcum Eye truly the cause of Aurora's sudden change in age? And if so, are there more powers that his eye has yet to reveal? And what of the power of black Orichalcum, which the tyrant King Sombra risked going blind in exchange for the power they grant? It seems there are many more mysteries to be uncovered. But where will these mysteries lead the young prince and his crew?

Find out next time!

Off to Seaquestria

Twilight, Sunset, and Starlight continued to try to find anything on the subject of the red and black Orichalcum Stones, when Spike walked into the room and said, "I believe I have an idea on where we can try to find a red Orichalcum Stone. Originally, even the green ones came from Seaquestria. Orichalcum is an ancient metal used back before the hippogriffs retreated to the seas to escape the Storm King. Maybe they know something about it?"

Twilight thought for a moment, "That is true, but how are we supposed to get there? I don't think I need to remind you that Penelope is the only member of the crew who can breathe underwater."

Spike cleared his throat and told her, "Not exactly. I can breathe underwater too. I've got gills and lungs."

Starlight Glimmer looked at Spike and asked, "Since when do you have gills? Did that witchdoctor you had on your crew experiment on you?" As Twilight stomped on her foot, she cried out in pain and asked, "What was that for!?"

Twilight glared at her, "Spike lost Zecora in battle, show respect for the dead."

Starlight gulped and bowed in apology, "I'm very sorry Spike, that was rude of me to imply someone you cared about would do such a thing."

Spike's eye twitched when Starlight suggested that Zecora experimented on him, but stayed calm, "I've had gills since the day I was born Starlight. My grandfather on my father's side was a sea dragon, I inherited gills from him, as did my father. Hell, my idiot cousin's side of the family might have gills." When Starlight apologized for her rude remark, he sighed, "Apology accepted. The only thing Zecora ever did to me was making a potion to nullify the tracking spell I had placed on me."

Sunset Shimmer nodded, "He's right, Celestia's husband was an Olympic swimmer before he married the Queen, it's no surprise he was part sea dragon."

Twilight sighed, "That's nice, but is a two-person party really efficient?"

Spike chuckled, "You don't think I thought of that?" before sitting down and closing his eyes and drifting off into a light sleep, light enough to dream a dream.

Starlight questioned what the prince was doing, falling asleep at a crucial moment, before she saw his Orichalcum Eye glowing, followed by the three of them glowing and gills started to form.

As Spike woke up, he smiled and said, "I had a dream of me and my whole crew swimming to Seaquestria, and now with my Orichalcum Eye's magic, all of us can breathe underwater."

Before any of the girls could respond, Pinkie burst into the room yelling, "Oh come on! That's the best the writer could come up with!? Just using a magic dream to give us all gills!? That's just so-" before a lightning bolt struck her, "Yowza! I don't understand why Rainbow gets off on that! How is that arousing!?"

As thunder rumbled again, Spike said, "Pinkie, just calm down. I have no idea who this writer you're talking about is, but whoever he is, it seems weird shit happens when you get into it with him. Just calm down."

Pinkie stood up and said, "Fine, it's just so annoying with his lack of-" before being quieted by Spike placing his hand over her mouth and muffled said, "Ok, I get it."

As the crew gathered and Spike explained why they now all had gills, and were heading to Seaquestria, they were a bit put off that they magically had gills but understood the situation. Spike told them, "Morgan, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Penelope are coming with me to Seaquestria. I just made sure that we all can if given the need."

Spike and the girls he'd chosen to take with him headed to the train station and bought tickets to the beach closest to Seaquestria.

Two hours later...

As they got off the train, Penelope took in the salty sea air, "Well, let's get going!" before jumping into the water.

As the five of them went into the water, they felt naturally attuned to the new gills they had. Twilight spoke, "This certainly is a new experience, but it's not that hard."

Spike nodded, "Come on, let's get to Seaquestria and ask around." before swimming towards deeper waters.

As they approached the city, they were stopped by Queen Novo's guards, who said, "Halt! No outsiders are allowed in Seaquestria!"

Spike explained, "I don't intend to cause any trouble. My name is Spike Drake, I'm the Prince of Equestria. My reason for coming here is to learn about the Orichalcum Stones. My Orichalcum Eye is made with a red Orichalcum Stone, which none of us on the surface have ever seen before."

The guard thought for a moment and said, "Very well, accompany us to Queen Novo's castle." before leading them to the castle.

As they arrived, Princess Skystar was looking out her window and her eyes widened when she saw Spike approaching and headed down to meet them alongside her mother. Before Spike and his friends entered, she squealed, "Mother! It's him! The one from the vision the Grand Pearl gave us! He's here!"

Queen Novo's eyes widened and as they entered, she saw Spike, and immediately smiled, "Welcome friends. I have been told of your quest by my guards. May I ask you something though? To you, the Prince of Equestria. I wish to speak in private with you and my daughter, Princess Skystar."

Spike nodded before motioning to the girls to leave the room, along with the guards. He swam over to a table and sat down, "Your majesty, I'm honored, but may I ask why you wish to speak in private when we're just here for research?"

Novo giggled, "Well, we've been waiting for you. The Grand Pearl predicted your arrival a few years ago. It showed you were the one who would marry my daughter."

Spike sighed and said to himself, "Why are so many people looking for a suitor in me?" before clearing his throat and saying, "I assume not a lot of news from the surface gets down here. I've sired a daughter, her name is Aurora. Not only that, I have multiple wives as polygamy is legal in Equestria."

Skystar's eyes started tearing up, "Does that mean you don't like me?"

Spike shook his head, "I never said I wouldn't agree, but I have a life on the surface, with multiple wives. I simply wish to inform you of the conditions of my life."

Skystar wiped her tears away and smiled, "Thank you Spike. Seaquestria doesn't have laws against polygamy, and I'd be honored to share such a man from the surface. The Grand Pearl told us your arrival would be the first step to bridging the gap between us and surface dwellers."

Spike smiled lightly, "That sounds like a great idea, connecting worlds as friends and allies is a welcome idea to me."

And so, Spike has arrived in Seaquestria, and while at first it was an unwarm welcome, he now seems to be part of a prophecy in connecting the sea-ponies with the surface dwellers. Once again, much like with Lucy, he must add a girl to his harem in order to gain allies. With Princess Skystar now agreeing to go with him when he leaves Seaquestria, she offers her help in assisting Spike and his crew learning more about the Orichalcum Stones. Under the sea, what new adventures await Spike and his comrades?

Only time will tell...

The Orichalcum Mine

Spike was swimming through the seas with Skystar, following her to where she said the nearest Orichalcum mine was. He asked her, "Do you have any idea if there are any of these mines on the surface?"

Skystar shook her head, "Not that I know of. The Crystal Uprising is part of what caused the Storm King to attack us, which is why we retreated to the seas. The Orichalcum mines were above ground, but the oceans rose and flooded the mines that were still above water."

Spike nodded, "Interesting. I never knew the Crystal Uprising motivated the Storm King to attack the hippogriffs. Although I suppose the chaos did leave the kingdom vulnerable."

"Yes, it did." As they continued swimming, she asked, "Spike, if you don't mind me asking, do you have gills or did you use magic to get here?"

Spike smiled lightly, "I have gills. My grandfather on my father's side was a sea dragon, so my father and I were both born with gills. My daughter Aurora has gills too. For my crew, other than Penelope, I gave them gills using the magic of my Orichalcum Eye."

"I bet you're very proud to be a father. My mother told me my father suffered three heart attacks when she told him she was pregnant, but it was the happiest day of his life."

Spike smiled, "Yes, I was overjoyed to hear Ember was pregnant. Terrified, but overjoyed. And when Aurora had her growth spurt, it was certainly an interesting experience." When Skystar mentioned her father having three heart attacks when he found out her mother was pregnant, he chuckled, "Trust me, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack when I learned Ember was pregnant."

Skystar giggled, "Sounds like being a parent is a fun but scary experience."

Spike nodded, "Yes, yes, it is. How much farther until the mine?"

"Right up ahead, not much farther."

Spike nodded, but then noticed his necklace was glowing, and said, "Just a minute, I've got a call." before answering the crystal, "Lucy, what's up?" when she showed him a positive pregnancy test, his eyes widened, "Ah shit, I should have known when that single night broke your heat cycle..."

Lucy nodded, "Yeah, I know you're busy, but I hope you'll be home soon."

"I'll do my best to get home as soon as I can, we're still looking for the Orichalcum mine."

Lucy smiled, "Thanks dear, I hope you find what you're looking for." before ending the communication.

Spike sighed, "Well, looks like I'm having another kid."

Skystar giggled, "Ironic when we were just talking about kids. Maybe we jinxed it."

Spike rolled his eyes, "Anyway, let's get to the mines." before continuing to swim to the nearest mine.

As they made their way into the mine, Skystar stopped Spike for a moment, telling him, "Wait... we're not alone in here. There's something else in the mines, but it's not a person."

Spike nodded, "My heat pits are telling me the same thing. And there's a lot of them. I can't fire my pistol hand underwater, the mechanism won't work properly. And it goes without saying that my flame breath won't do shit."

Skystar thought for a moment, before saying, "Let's get out of here, it's probably a tribe of Sahagin. The guards warned me of them when I was little. I always thought it was just a story to scare me into staying in the castle, but when I saw them with my own eyes, I was terrified of them."

"I've heard rumors about them, savage creatures that hunt anything that moves."

Skystar nodded, "Yeah, let's get out of here before they-" before hearing growling, "Oh crap..."

Spike pushed Skystar out of the path of a Sahagin hunter as it sped out of the mine. The crocodile-like creature slashed at Spike's armor, leaving a scar, bleeding lightly. The blood attracted more of them, and he said, "Skystar, get out of here! I've fought worse creatures than these freaks! Get my crew and some of your guards!"

Skystar screamed as Spike pushed her out of the way, and when Spike told her to leave she stuttered, "I-I can't! You'll get yourself killed before I get back!"

"Just do it!" before crunching down on a Sahagin's neck, showing Skystar that he was more than capable of holding his own.

"O-Ok! I'll go het help, just promise me you'll be careful!" before swimming back towards the city.

Fifteen minutes later...

Morgan, Penelope, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash were swimming towards the mine to help Spike, followed by about ten of Queen Novo's guards. But by the time they got there, they only saw Spike and scattered bodies of Sahagin. Spike was panting, and while his wounds weren't severe, it was obvious that he needed medical attention.

The captain of the guards was shocked, "My God... he slaughtered them in such a short time... I've never seen such carnage..."

Spike worked out words as he panted, "I went into a frenzy state. The tribe's leader threatened to rape Skystar after they killed me, and I sort of lost it."

Rainbow Dash remembered the last time she saw Spike in a frenzy state, and it wasn't a memory she liked thinking about. She didn't blame him though, the Sahagin did threaten to rape Skystar, and she said, "I think that's reason enough to get angry, don't you?" She continued as she looked to the guards, "If we had captured him, he would have been executed, wouldn't he?"

The guards nodded, and the captain said, "That is true, it would have been reason enough to warrant execution. Still, it looks like there was a shark attack here. No offense." saying to Penelope.

Penelope nodded, "None taken, this is unlike anything I've seen. But that's beside the point, let's get Spike some medical attention. Morgan and I will explore the mines with a few more guards, just in case there's more of these things."

The guards nodded and swam into the mines with Penelope and Morgan, while Twilight and Rainbow Dash took Spike back to Seaquestria and got him to the infirmary in the castle. Skystar came in and saw Spike's wounds, rushing over to him, "Spike! Are you ok!? I knew I shouldn't have let you face them alone!"

Spike smiled, "Don't worry, I'm fine, nothing serious. I got angry with them, and it's probably best that you weren't there to see me tear them apart." before sitting up and kissing her cheek. "Let me get some rest, the guards and some of my crew are in the mines to clear out any remaining Sahagin and collect some Orichalcum Stones."

Queen Novo entered the room and said, "Thank you for what you did Spike. My guards told me what happened, I'm thankful for you protecting my daughter. Take as much time as you need to heal."

"Thank you, your majesty, that's kind of you. Once we have the stones and my wounds have healed, we'll be returning to the surface. I'll come visit you every once in a while, for Skystar to be close to her mother, I'll gladly return."

And so, Spike has found the Orichalcum Mine, but it was filled with Sahagin. He was able to hold his own against them, slaughtering them in a frenzy state after one of them threatened to rape Skystar. When his wounds heal, he and his crew will be returning to the surface, bringing Skystar with them. And not only that, but Lucy is also pregnant, giving Spike another child to get ready for. What adventures await Spike and his crew, and how many new harem members await him?

Find Out Next Time!

Returning to the Surface

It had been about a week since the incident with the Sahagin, and Spike had fully recovered from his injuries. Not only that, but Morgan and Penelope had gathered some red and black Orichalcum Stones. It was about time for them to return to Equestria, not only to research the stones, but to tend to Lucy, who was pregnant with Spike's second child.

As Spike exited his room in the Seaquestrian castle, Skystar swam up to him, "So, I guess we're leaving for the surface?"

Spike nodded, "Yeah, I do need to return to the surface. I've got a daughter to take care of and another child coming on the way."

Skystar smiled, "It'll be interesting for me to return to the surface, it's been years since I've been there."

Spike smiled back, "Then it should be fun to see new world."

As they surfaced, Skystar transformed into a hippogriff as she stepped onto dry land. Looking around at the beach around her, stricken by the sights she saw, "Wow, it's nothing like back home."

"Yeah, the surface is different. It took me some time to get used to it." Penelope explained, since she too was born under the sea.

As they talked, they walked back to the train and headed back to Equestria. As the train went down the tracks, Spike thought to himself. He knew Aurora wanted to take after him, but he also knew she deserved grow up with a normal childhood. Growing up was nothing to miss, something he was well aware of.

As he fell asleep, he whispered to himself, "Forgive me Aurora, but you deserve a true childhood." before dozing off and dreaming of Aurora as a baby again, with his Orichalcum Eye glowing once more. When they reached the station in Canterlot, Ember was waiting for them.

Ember was carrying their baby girl in her arms, once again turned into her natural age, "So, you made up your mind? I support you with any choice you make Spike."

Spike smiled, "Thank you Ember, I know Aurora wanted to follow in my footsteps, but she deserves an actual childhood."

"I completely agree Spike, it wouldn't be the same without true childhood memories."

As they returned to the castle, Celestia came up to them and said, "Spike, Ember informed me about Aurora, and I think you made the right choice. But I have one major concern. You ran away from home because of the boring life of royalty. Are you truly ready to come back, even if it is as a father and not a prince?"

Spike spoke, "To be honest, I'm not sure. I know my heart is happiest in the skies, but I can't risk Aurora's safety by taking her with me, and I don't want her to resent me for not being around while she grows up."

Celestia kissed her son's forehead and said, "Exactly what I thought you would say. Which is why I've ordered an upgrade to your new ship. I've outfitted it with a Chrono-Emerald. They're very rare, and it cost nearly a million bits to have it outfitted to your new ship, but when it comes to family, price is no object."

Spike's eyes widened when his mother told him she not only got him a new ship, but that it was outfitted with a Chrono-Emerald. The Chrono-Emerald would allow his ship to literally teleport from place to place, which meant he could still be a pirate while being heavily involved in Aurora's childhood, "Thank you so much, mother, that means more to me than anything."

Ember giggled, "Well then, why don't we get our little girl, and ourselves, something to eat? Lucy is waiting for you too. I assume she already told you she's pregnant."

Spike nodded, "Yes, she did. I should have known she was when she snapped out of her heat cycle after that single night."

They returned to the castle, with Ember giving Aurora her bottle to drink from and the others sat down to eat their meals.

As the day went on, Spike played with Aurora, introducing her to other children to help her make friends.

Later that night...

Spike stood on the balcony of the castle's highest tower, wondering about his next move. He knew he could visit Aurora any time he wished, but still wasn't sure about leaving Ember and Lucy behind at the castle without him. "My heart belongs to many women, but I've never felt freer than I do when I'm at the skies..."

Suddenly, Luna spoke from behind him and said, "Perhaps that is where you truly belong. We all have a place in the world, and perhaps your place is out in the open skies."

Spike smiled, "Thank you auntie Luna. I do have a question. Have you ever considered coming out of retirement?"

Luna chuckled, "There are days where I wonder what my life would be like if I didn't retire. Perhaps I could have pursued a relationship with Astral Shadow, or maybe I could have found an ancient relic of importance to history. There were so many things I wondered about. But when I learned your father died, I felt like I betrayed my family. I wasn't there for my sister in her time of grief, and I never forgave myself for that. But these days, I think retirement is where I belong."

Spike smiled with his eyes closed, "Thank you auntie. I think you've helped me make up my mind. I'm not retiring, not yet. I've discovered a lot about myself, my strengths and weaknesses, my fears and hopes, but there's so much more to discover. I don't think I've discovered who I truly am, not yet. When I retire, I want to know for sure who I really am."

Luna ruffled her nephew's hair and said, "Spoken like a wise man, you've made your mother so proud, and I know your father would be even more proud than the day you were born. I'm going to sleep. I would suggest you get some rest. Being tired when you head back to the skies won't be healthy. Good night, Spike." before heading back towards her room."

Spike smiled at his aunt before making his way back to his own room to get some sleep, thinking to himself, "I may not have discovered everything about myself, but I do know this, I'm my father's son, a prince of Equestria, a famed pirate, and a proud man. I am Spike, the Black Rose Dragon Prince."

Early Parole

In the castle dungeons...

A known criminal who was placed in the dungeons five years ago was sucking off a guard, as well as letting him fuck her. When the guard grew exhausted, he said, "All right, a deal's a deal. I'll get the paperwork started and you'll be out by morning." before walking towards the offices in the castle.

The woman cleaned herself up and laughed, talking to the person in the adjacent cell, "Too bad you're a guy, the guards would never do this for a pathetic prick like you."

The other cell was occupied by Blueblood, who grumbled, "I've got too much pride to allow myself to be sullied by a common guard. A wench like you wouldn't understand."

The woman rolled her eyes as she filed her nails, "And yet the prodigal prince is still in chains while the Changeling Queen is being given parole, I think that speaks for itself to who's the better royal."

"Oh, shut up!"

A guard came back and unlocked the door to Chrysalis's cell and escorted her upstairs telling her, "As the terms of your parole, you will be serving as a cabin girl on a royal family ship. Any use of your abilities that is not sanctioned by the ship's captain will result in you returning to prison."

Chrysalis nodded, "Understood. So who's the captain I'm working for?" As they made their way to the docks, they saw Spike and Twilight waiting for them, Chrysalis groaning, "Ah shit!"

Spike rolled his eyes, "Don't forget Chrysalis, you work for me now. It's either that or get thrown back into the castle dungeons."

Chrysalis held her hands up, "Alright, alright, you win, I'm your cabin girl, I'll do it."

Spike nodded, "Come on then, we're getting ready to head back to Skull Island."

As Chrysalis boarded the ship with the rest of Spike's crew, minus Lucy and Ember, she noticed the ship was in good shape, and it was huge, it was almost as big as the decommissioned warship the HMS Nemesis. She knew keeping this place clean wouldn't be easy, but it was better than the dungeons.

As the crew got to their assigned positions, Spike came up to Chrysalis and told her, "The ship is brand new, so right now, there's nothing you need to clean up or maintain. So right now, I'm having Twilight show you around the ship. It'll make your job easier if you know where everything is on the ship."

Chrysalis nodded, "Yes captain." before following Twilight to the lower decks. She thought to herself, "Why is there so much damn lust magic inhabiting the ship? I've never felt such a high concentration of it."

As Twilight showed her around the ship, she asked her, "You seem distracted. Am I boring you?"

Chrysalis gulped, "N-No! I just... it's nothing, I'm sorry, I got distracted by... well, you know enough about Changelings to know we feed off love and lust... I'm just feeling a very high concentration of both on this ship..."

Twilight chuckled, "Ah, that explains it, the captain has a harem with most of the women on this ship."

Chrysalis blushed when she was told this, "Wait, he has an entire harem!?"

Twilight nodded, "Yes, and I'm part of it. I'm more than willing to share, but if you try to feed off Spike's emotions, you'll be back in prison before you know it. The ship is outfitted with a Chrono-Emerald, it'll take us a matter of minutes to get you back to the castle dungeons."

Chrysalis nodded and stuttered, "U-Understood, I may be a criminal, but I would never dare to take advantage of the royal family, I'm not that crazy."

Twilight smiled, "Good, glad that's cleared up. Come on, let's get to the galley to get some food. The Doctor is an amazing cook."

As the two headed to the galley, the room was wafting with smells of delicious food and savory spices. As the two ate, Chrysalis tried to control the amount of lust magic she was absorbing, and it wasn't easy with how much there was, she was burning up from all the excess magic. She told Twilight, "Do you mind if I go get some sleep?"

Twilight nodded, "Go ahead, the Chrono-Emerald is still being charged, we can't teleport right now, so we won't be back in Skull Island for a while."

Chrysalis bowed in respect, "Thank you Twilight." before heading to the barracks and laying down in a bed.

Spike noticed Chrysalis sleeping and let her rest, she probably hadn't had a good night's sleep since in five years, the dungeons weren't known for being a comfortable place. So he let her rest for a while.

And so, Spike has returned to the skies, with a new crew member under his command, a well-known criminal who has been granted parole, by serving as a cabin girl on the prince's ship. But with her Changeling biology, she is overwhelmed by all the excess lust magic flowing from Spike's harem. Will Chrysalis be able to contain her urges, or will she end up being sent back to prison?

Find out next time!

Author's Note

So yes, I do know that this chapter is a bit shorter than normal, but I just needed to get it done without it turning into a sex chapter, and the only way to make it longer with what I can imagine right now would be turning it into a detailed sex chapter. Sorry about this, but the next chapter will be longer and at least meet the 1000 word mark.

A Deal with the Skies

Spike's ship had just made it through the Stormgate to Skull Island. They were heading towards the nearby docks, when they saw another ship approaching at an alarmingly fast speed. Strangely, they weren't firing upon them, and as Spike noticed this, he slowed down, but prepared himself in case the other ship rammed into them.

Time Turner took out his spyglass and saw the ship in detail, "Captain, I've seen that ship before! It's The Flying Dutchman!"

Spike's eyes widened when he heard what Time Turner said, "The Flying Dutchman? Auntie always said it was a myth!"

Time Turner shook his head, "It's no myth, and the myths aren't accurate. I remember seeing the Dutchman when I was in the Navy, the crew isn't a bunch of evil demons who attack ships and kidnap crewmen left and right. Davy Jones is a good man, he escorts the souls of sailors who died at the skies to the afterlife."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, "That's highly unusual, I've never heard anything about Davy Jones in that sort of light."

"I trust Time Turner, and the ship is slowing down, we'll try to reason with them."

As The Flying Dutchman approached Spike's ship, one of the crewman signaled with flags that they wanted to talk. Spike stepped off his ship and flew over to the Dutchman. In front of him, his eyes widened and teared up as he saw a familiar face on the ship, "Z-Zecora!?"

The spirit of the fallen witchdoctor smiled as she saw her old captain and hugged him as he approached her, "Ye be doing well. And I see ye've come out of your shell."

Spike smiled as he embraced his crewmate, "Thanks to you, I've learned a lot about who I am, and I caught Finn, I avenged you."

"And for that, I be grateful. A life of peace is free of feelings hateful."

A voice spoke, clearing his throat, "If I might interrupt. Captain Spike Drake, the Pirate Prince, the Black Rose Dragon, a famous pirate in your own right."

Spike looked over to the voice to see a man with a long grey beard, and asked him, "You must be Davy Jones. So much for historical accuracy with those myths. What do I owe the pleasure of meeting with the Lord of the Skies?"

Davy chuckled lightly and said, "There's no need to be so formal. But that's beside the point. A storm be coming, one that will rip the Spiral apart. Me masters forbid me from interfering, but they don't control me soul. I've foreseen the storm, and if we're to survive, the pirate clans, they must work together. But they have too much pride. There be nothing wrong with being proud of yourself. But pride breeds hubris, hubris breeds chaos, and chaos, brings death."

Spike nodded, "I understand, but when I tried placing my honor on the line in this work, it cost me my hand and Zecora's life."

Davy nodded back, "That be true, but Avery knows of the importance, and so do you. Ye must unite the pirate clans. Or doom will be brought to all. I wish to help."

"But you are bound by duty, you're not allowed to engage in a battle unless it's in self-defense."

Jones nodded, "That be true, but there is a way around the word of me masters." before pulling out a ring with an octopus charm on it. "The Ring of the Skies. I be forbidden to wear it meself, I am to give it to a worthy mortal. That mortal, he controls me fleet, and I carry on with me duties. You be the bearer of the Ring of the Skies." before slipping it onto Spike's right ring finger.

As the ring was placed upon his finger, Spike could see thousands of ships, all over the Spiral, as if he was a captain standing aboard each ship. He realized what this meant, it was up to him to help save the Spiral. He told Davy, "I'll accept the ring, this storm, alone, none will survive, but united, we might have a chance."

"Aye. The ring lets ye summon me fleet whenever ye need it. As fer me, I continue me duties, I cannot engage in battle under me own command, ye lead me crew in battle, but I lead them in me duties."

Spike bowed in respect, "It's an honor to help you Davy." before looking to Zecora smiling, "It was great to see you again Zecora." before going back to his own ship and explaining what happened to his crew.

Chrysalis shivered, "I have a bad feeling about this. Monster or not, Davy Jones isn't one to be taken lightly. His warning should be heeded."

"Which is why we need to get to Skull Island. We're assembling a united pirate clan, it's our only hope." before the ship set sail once more.

As Spike stepped off the ship and onto the docks, he noticed people talking and murmuring about his ventures as he walked by them.

Avery stepped out of his office and asked him, "Spike, is it true? Did you truly see The Flying Dutchman?"

"I did, and we have a problem."

"The prophecy? Madame Vadima told me, which is why I've sent word far and wide to get help for the storm. I want you to help me form the Order of the Brotherhood, a sort of government for pirates. In fact, I want you to lead it as the first among equals on the Court."

Spike nodded, "It's an honor, and I'll gladly accept. If piracy is to survive, we need to become more organized, we can't risk destroying everything we work for through constant bickering and blatant murder. But people aren't always open to change. The Cutthroat Clan belongs to me, they'll follow if they know what's good for them."

Avery nodded, "That they will, but that's the first step, we need to write a code of sorts, and strict but fair punishments for breaking the rules of the code. We can't just have chaos in the skyways, it's bad for business, that costs pirates money, and to a pirate, there's very rarely anything more important."

And so, a storm is brewing in the darkest shadows of the Spiral, one that threatens the Spiral itself. With the help of Davy Jones, Avery, and his loyal crew, Spike has become the First Pirate Lord of the Order of the Brotherhood's Court. Along with Avery, he will help usher an age of order into the chaotic world of piracy. But not all are behind this idea. But all know that the prophecy told by Jones and Vadima will come true one day. Will they be able to unite and whether the storm? Or will the creeping shadow swallow their regime?

Find out next time!

A Rose by Any Other Name

Spike had been conversing with the Court of Lords for the past three days, finalizing a few more details about the Laws of the Brotherhood. As he stepped out to get something to eat, he noticed that there was a fight breaking out by the docks. He heard the clang of swords, as well as the sound of gunfire and ran over.

As he showed up, he noticed a pink hedgehog pirate injured on the ground, only holding a blade, with a dog standing above her, with a gun pointed at the girl, "Say your prayers girlie."

Before he could pull the trigger, Spike shot his pistol finger and knocked the pirate's gun out of his hand and said, "You realize you're in violation of the Laws of the Brotherhood, don't you?"

The dog pirate growled, "Little whelp! Who cares about that stupid court? And who do you think you are telling me how to do my business!?"

The pirate's first mate said, shaking in fear, "C-Captain! That's the Pirate Prince! He's the head of the Court of Lords!"

"Indeed I am." before snapping his fingers, and as if on cue, some of the Court's Guard came out of the tavern and arrested the captain. Spike looked to the rest of the crew and said, "You may leave. From what I saw, none of you had to do with your captain's violation of our laws."

As the dog pirate was taken away by the Guard, the hedgehog tried to stand up, but was too injured to move much. As Spike helped her up, she growled lightly, "I don't need any help..." as she put her foot on the ground, she winced and said, "F-Fine... I'll accept some help, I've got at least one or two broken bones."

As Spike lead her to his ship, he asked her, "Do you mind if I ask your name?"

"My name is Black Rose." as she was sat down on a bed, she continued, "That bastard your guards arrested slaughtered my crew. I'm the only survivor, and he was tying up loose ends."

Spike was surprised by the girl's name, but growled when she told him what happened to her old crew, and said, "Don't worry, the Court will take care of his punishment. He won't get away with what he's done."

Rose smiled and said, "Thank you sir, that's very kind of you. May I ask your name?"

Spike responded and told her, "My name is Spike Drake, but my main alias is the Pirate Prince. People don't call me the Black Rose Dragon as much as they used to, that was my name when I first got involved with piracy."

Rose giggled, "Well, you're certainly a handsome prince. And given your attire, Black Rose Dragon fits."

Spike blushed when Rose called him handsome and said, "Thank you, that's very kind of you. You're welcome to stay on my ship while I return to the Court to deal with that other pirate."

Rose nodded, "Thank you Spike." before kissing his cheek.

Spike blushed even more when she kissed his cheek, but smiled and headed back to the Court to put that other pirate on trial.

As the Guard came in with the prisoner in chains, Spike spoke, "You stand here charged with violating the third law within the Laws of the Brotherhood. With eyewitnesses, I don't think we need to carry this out any longer. But we are to give you a fair trial, should you choose plead not guilty."

"I don't care what you pricks think! Piracy doesn't need laws! And you, some of the most famous pirates in the Spiral, why are you humoring this punk!?"

Greybeard spoke, "We don't humor him, we've truly agreed that if piracy is to flourish, there need to be rules."

"Indeed." said Razakel, "Violence is bad for business, and attracts too much unwanted attention. Working in the shadows and behaving like businessmen is a much more suitable approach, we all make more money, and nobody ends up dead or in prison."

Lucius took a sip of his wine and said, "I think this has gone on long enough, we're all in agreement on our verdict, are we not?"

The other Lords nodded, each of them saying one after another, "Guilty."

Spike spoke after the verdict was chosen, "The Judges of the Court will decide your punishment. Consider yourself lucky, this is a first-time offense, so we'll be merciful. If you continue to violate the Laws of the Brotherhood, more serious action will be taken. Guards, take him away."

As the Guard took the pirate away, he yelled, "This isn't the last you've seen of me! No one controls Sparrow Jackson, no one!"

When the Guard took him away, Spike asked, "Does anyone feel like that name sounds familiar?"

Anne nodded, "I agree, I feel as if I've heard the name Sparrow Jackson."

Greybeard cleared his throat, "Sparrow Jackson was a pirate from my youth. Needless to say, he's not around anymore, but this young fool is besmirching the name of one of the greatest pirates in history. The Judges have common sense, perhaps they'll notice the fact and strip him of that title.

Lucius finished his wine and said, "Such a punishment is too light. He needs to be in prison, if not for violating the Laws of the Brotherhood, for striking a woman! Such violence is uncalled for and unacceptable!"

Isabella agreed, "Indeed, women may be pirates too, but there are still standards, even before the Court was formed. He's lucky he wasn't fighting me."

Spike nodded, "If the Judges believe this should be brought back to the Court, they will contact us, and we will convene as soon as we are able to. The Court is adjourned." before standing up and heading back to his ship to check on Black Rose. When he saw her, he said, "That pirate who attacked you was voted guilty by the Court of Lords. He won't hurt you ever again. I wish I could do more to make sure he pays for murdering your crew, but I can at least let you join my crew, if you wish."

Rose smiled, "Thank you captain, that's very nice of you, and I'll accept that offer." before kissing him on the lips quickly before saying, "I'll go get myself acquainted with the ship!" before running off.

Spike chuckled as she pulled away from the kiss, not being surprised from it. He returned to his quarters to turn in for the night, and quickly fell asleep.

And so, Spike has another new crew member. But with this, he gains a new enemy, I pirate named Sparrow Jackson. Jackson violated the Laws of the Brotherhood by attacking Black Rose with a gun, while she only had a sword to defend herself. The Court of Lords declared him guilty, and with it, Jackson threatens them with revenge. Will Jackson ever be able to get revenge, or will he fail horribly like every other revenge attempt has gone?

Find out next time!

Cloak and Dagger (Part 1)

It had been a few weeks since Spike's crew returned to Skull Island, and they had just pulled back to the main docks. As a raven flew away from the ship, Time Turner walked up to Spike as they were still docked on Skull Island and said, "Captain, I've got a bit of bad news." before handing him a piece of parchment and continuing, "We've got some corruption within the Royal Navy, they're asking for my help. They seem to have the stupid idea that because I'm on your crew, I'm immune from punishment."

Spike took the paper and started reading it. He was infuriated the soldiers of the Royal Navy were making illegal trades with the Krokoptians. He asked Time Turner, "Doctor, it the Chrono-Emerald fully charged?"

He nodded, "Yes captain. Any specific location you want first?"

Spike said, "First, we're heading back to the castle in Equestria, I have to show this to my mother. She's still the Queen, it's her duty to decide which soldiers she trusts with this information. I know the girls would never succumb to such corruption, but we still need to tell her."

Time Turner smiled, "Aye, aye captain, I'll get the Chrono-Emerald ready to deploy." before walking towards the steering wheel.

As Time Turner activated the Chrono-Emerald, the ship instantly went forward, and warp jumped from the Skull Island skyways back to the castle docks. As he walked off the ship and onto the docks with Spike, he asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea captain? If we alert any of the guards, they might slip away when they realize we're onto them."

Spike nodded, "True, but my mother and aunt Luna know that too. They'll keep things quiet with guards we know we can trust."

As they went to meet Celestia and Luna, Celestia looked up from her book and asked, "Spike? I didn't expect to see you so soon. It was just a week ago since you left."

As Spike explained the situation, Luna growled lightly, "Sickening, to think that members of the Royal Navy are making such a mockery of their ranks."

Celestia nodded, "Indeed. The Krokotopians won't be willing to start another war with Equestria, but we can't let these guards continue to put the peace treaty at risk."

Spike thought for a moment. Very few of the guards had ever seen him in his pirate garb, especially his helmet. He said, "I think I have an idea. I could pose as a freelancer willing to do illegal business. Technically, I'm a wanted criminal by the Monquistans, so I know how to fit in with the shadier networks in the Spiral."

Time Turner's eyes widened when Spike suggested what he did, "Captain, are you sure about that? We-"

Spike interrupted him saying, "Yes, I'm sure, and I'm aware of the risks. But the risk to Equestria is a greater risk than having me look bad. If theses guards are left unattended, we may lose the Marleybonians as our allies against Monquista and Valencia. If we have corruption in our ranks, it makes us look bad."

Time Turner could argue with that, and said, "I understand captain, you're right. I'm willing to do what it takes to weed out this corruption within the Royal Navy."

Celestia spoke to her son in a calm, but firm tone, "It won't be that simple Spike, the treaty with Krokotopia has... unfortunate agreements."

"Mother, I know you well enough to know that when you speak in that tone, you're hiding something. And I also know you well enough that when you try to hide something, it's usually something extremely important. Spill it."

Celestia sighed, "Sometimes I hate it when you know me that well. But you're right, I'm hiding something. Despite Equestria winning the war, we allowed the Krokotopians to keep their slaves. The was from before Sombra became King, so we had no disagreements with the idea of slavery. You of all people know what happened when Sombra was overthrown and executed."

Spike groaned, "Which means I can't go around leading a slave revolt. I'll restrain myself from doing anything along those lines. Even though we won the war the first time, we don't need to wage a second war, especially since we're already fighting Monquista and Valencia. Waging war with Krokotopia is the last thing we need."

Celestia nodded, "Right. I trust your judgement Spike. You've always done what you think is right. As your mother, that's worth more than anything to me."

Spike smiled lightly, "Thank you mother. I know dad would feel the same way, and I'm proud to be your son."

As Spike and Time Turner went back to the ship, they were met by Twilight's older brother, Shining Armor, who asked them, "I heard you're dealing with some corruption in the Royal Navy. I know I'd stick out like a sore thumb around corrupt soldiers, but I ask that I'm not left in the dark your highness."

Spike smiled, he knew Shining Armor would never succumb to the corruption that stained the navy. And plus, he was Twilight's older brother, even though Twilight technically outranks him. But he nodded, "Don't worry, I'll keep you in the loop as much as I can."

Shining Armor saluted, "Thank you my prince. Oh, and one more thing, Keep Twily under control when it comes to romance." before walking off.

Spike's eyes widened and he was somewhat nervous when Shining Armor mentioned his romantic relationship with Twilight, but nodded, "No worries." before stepping back onto his ship and activating the Chrono-Emerald to get them to Krokotopia.

And so, Spike has learned of corruption within the ranks of the Royal Navy. Sickened by said corruption, he ventures into the barren desert realm of Krokotopia, in secret from his people, he delves into the darker side of piracy, the side that his people don't know about.

Can he weed out the corruption without being discovered? Will these dealing cause damage to his reputation with his citizens, who love and respect him and adore the stories of the prince's adventures around the Spiral?

Only time will tell...

To be Continued...

Cloak and Dagger (Part 2)

After having arrived in Krokotopia, Spike stepped off his ship, dressed in his old pirate garb, the stuff from when he first became a pirate. The guards would have no knowledge of his identity. He told Time Turner to stay on the ship, so as not to alert the corrupt navel officers.

As he stepped off his ship, he was greeted by two Kroks, who asked, "Who are you? You're not one of the Equestrians."

Spike spoke, "My name is Bahamut. I'm just here for business. I'm a pirate, and I'd like to see if you're interested in any of my goods."

The Krok nodded, "If you have high quality goods, Krokopatra will be happy to deal with you. Let me show you to her chambers."

As the Kroks led him to Krokopatra's throne room, Spike bowed in respect and said, "So, you're the ruler of Krokotopia? It's truly a fascinating realm. I came here to do business. I have Saddle Arabian silk, lots of exotic spices, and this." before taking out a dagger with beautiful carvings on the blade, "I believe it belongs to you to begin with, I managed to snag it from a Monquistan ship."

Krokopatra was shocked when she saw the ceremonial dagger Spike had brought as a gift. "Thank you, young pirate. This dagger means everything to my friend Krokotep's family. He will be delighted to see it returned to its proper owner. If you don't mind me asking, what realm to you hail from?"

Spike smiled, "I come from Equestria, but I have no dealings with the other Equestrians that are here. I'm a pirate, not a soldier."

"I see... to be honest, I don't like these soldiers. Something about them... it worries me. And on top of that, the Marleybonians are stealing our history right from beneath our noses, and claim it is for the good of history."

"That does look like what I'm seeing. It seems the Equestrians and some of your citizens may have some sort of deal to keep the Marleybonians safe and allow them to take the artifacts."

"I hadn't thought of that. You said your name was Bahamut, didn't you? I know little of Equestrian culture, but Bahamut was a hero of Krokotopia, he drove off the seven plagues that were inflicted upon us when a foolish Pharoah dared to place himself above the Gods of Krokotopia. He showed us the art of combat and taught us to survive in the barren desert."

Spike smiled, "In that case, I'm lucky to be named after such a great man. I can help you weed out some of the problems with tomb raiders if you'd like."

Krokopatra thought about Spike's proposal and said, "If you can be discreet about things, that would be preferred. However, I can grant you the title of a Lord of Krokotopia. You will be given permissions to stop such dealings and handle them in any way you see fit. I understand if a pirate does not wish to be called a lord, but I thought I'd at least offer it."

"It's fine. I'll gladly accept that title."

The Krokotopian queen smiled and said, "We are honored to have a Lord such as yourself. The news will be made public by tomorrow. As for now, why don't you enjoy yourself? Or you could return Krokotep's family heirloom to him. I'm certain he would be grateful for your actions."

"I'll take you up on that offer. It's truly been an honor." before bowing once more and leaving the throne room. As he returned to the main island in the small cluster, he thought to himself, "Krokopatra is against the soldiers too. Perhaps I can use that to my advantage. I have to be careful with the Marleybonians though... I can't risk our alliance being destroyed against Valencia and Monquista."

As Spike entered the Krokosphinx to return the stolen dagger to its proper owner, he was stopped by a guard who said, "Halt! Who dares to enter the Krokosphinx?"

Spike explained, "My name is Bahamut. I've been granted the title of Lord by Queen Krokopatra. I have a gift for Lord Krokotep." before showing them the dagger.

The guard bowed in respect, "My apologies my lord, please, feel free to come and go as you please."

Spike walked into the temple and was met by Krokotep, who asked him, "I heard you have a gift for me?" before being shown his old family dagger, "By the Gods... I thought this dagger was lost forever. You are kind indeed to return it instead of trying to profit off stolen artifacts."

Spike nodded, "I have my own morals, I won't deal in stolen goods that deserve to be in their owner's hands."

Krokotep smiled, "Thank you young one. I do have something to ask of you. I hope I'm not being rude, but I know who you really are. There's no need to hide from us Kroks, Prince Spike."

Spike was shocked that the Krokotopian knew his real name, and said, "I'm not going to bother insulting your intelligence by denying that. I am indeed the Prince of Equestria. If you know my name, I suppose you know why I'm here?"

Krokotep nodded, "Indeed. You've come here to get rid of the corrupt members of your realm's navy. I wish to assist you, but there is a problem."

"Nothing worth doing comes easy I always say. What's the problem?"

Krokotep explained, "Krokenkahmen has been so absorbed in the gifts that the Equestrians have brought him that he has begun to forsake his own people. Those that worship the Pyramid of the Sun live in poverty while Krokenkahmen and his elite collect endless taxes and allow corruption and violence to thrive. Krokenkahmen has betrayed his followers, and they demand justice!"

Spike nodded, "In that case, I'll help. But as far as the Equestrian Navy knows, I'm an outsider, muscling in on their territory. If they find out I'm the Prince of Equestria, they're slink into the shadows, and the corruption within my ranks will only spread."

Krokotep thought for a moment and said, "That is true... however, Krokopatra and I have guards who are loyal only to us, not Krokenkahmen. They will keep your secret."

"Thank you Krokotep. It's been an honor to meet you, and I appreciate that you and Krokopatra are willing to help me weed out corruption within the Royal Navy. I will gladly help you overthrow Krokenkahmen when the time comes. A true ruler should show genuine concern for the lives of his people. If I'm hearing you right, Krokenkahmen is letting his own people suffer so the fat cat can keep getting fatter."

"An unusual saying, but true all the same. Thank you for helping us Spike, or should I say Bahamut?"

And so, after arriving in Krokotopia, Spike has learned that one of the three Pharaohs, Krokenkahmen has been using his connections with the corrupt Equestrian soldiers to live the life of luxury while his citizens squalor in poverty and hunger. Knowing this, Spike has joined forces with Krokotep to defeat Krokenkahmen and the corrupt officers. Will he be able to keep his disguise up and defeat the tyrant Pharaoh?

Find out next time!

Chips on the Table

Spike, under the alias Bahamut, had been conducting trade with the Kroks for a couple of days, and the corrupt naval officers were finally starting to see he wasn't going to leave. He held trust in Krokopatra and Krokotep, so they were outmatched in numbers.

One of the corrupt officers came up to him and asked, "You're the Black Rose Dragon, ain't you?"

"I've got business to do, so unless you're buying or selling, beat it."

The officer growled, "Listen runt, we were here first. You're not welcome here."

"Krokopatra and Krokotep beg to differ, I've got much better goods than anything a bunch of stuck-up naval officers can get a hold of." before taking out a deck of cards, "That being said, pirates aren't above gambling a bit. Maybe if your best men can beat me in a game, I'll leave."

"And if you win?"

"I take your money and trade dealings with Krokenkahmen."

"Alright, I'll get my boys, you get some of your crew, and we'll play some cards."

"It's a deal" before heading back to his ship and getting Rouge, Bonnie Anne, and Morgan.

When the card game started, Spike knew he had an advantage by having his helmet concealing his face. Little did the corrupt naval men know that their prince was under the helmet.

Another thing that the naval officers didn't know, Spike and his crew were secretly cheating. Twas the life they chose to live, there were no rules in piracy except for the Code of the Brotherhood, which he wasn't breaking, it was a poker game, nothing serious.

Bonnie Anne was able to communicate through telepathy and was reading the soldiers' minds. She may not be able to see what cards they had, she might as well be able to, considering she knew what her teammates had and how their opponents were reacting to their cards.

Spike sat in the big blind seat and betted 5,000 gold pieces, shocking the guards that he had that kind of money, as they never made anywhere near that with their dealings with the Kroks. Spike asked them, "What's the matter? Don't have the money to bet blind? Don't worry, let's just have some fun for now. I'll give each of you 5,000 gold pieces to finance this game, and when I win, I'll be taking it back, plus your trade agreements with Krokenkahmen."

The guards whispered to each other and nodded, "It's a deal, you're losing your own money, who are we to stop you?" before one of them put 2,500 gold pieces on the table.

As the cards were dealt, Spike had been dealt a pair of nines. When it was Bonnie's turn, she said, "I'll raise 1,750" before putting her chips in.

Rouge sighed, "Fold, ace high." before putting her cards down.

The first two guards also folded, but the other two raised their bets to match Bonnie's raise, as did Morgan. As the community cards were revealed, Spike noticed a seven in the flop, but there was also a four and an ace. He telepathically talked to Bonnie, "Any read on these morons? I've got two sevens."

"The scrawny one is as giddy as a 11-year-old girl, but he's bluffing. When push comes to shove, he's got a single pair." before telling her captain, "Even so, I've got a four and an ace, so this is a perfect hand, we've got nothing to worry about.

The naval officer asked, "Taking your time? I'm in no rush, but I'm all in."

Spike placed his cards down, "Three sevens"

Bonnie continued, "A pair of fours and a pair of aces."

The scrawny officer grumbled, "Son of a bitch, I hate this shit! I've only got a pair of twos!" before throwing his cards on the table and storming off, swearing like, well, like a sailor.

One of the other soldiers slapped his superior officer upside the head, "I told you Apple Specter is a terrible player! He doesn't know the difference between a straight and a full house!"

Spike chuckled, "Now, now, there's no need for violence, even among your own friends. I'm certain you can make a comeback."

As the game continued, it was down to Spike and the captain of the corrupt officers. The captain chuckled, "Even with that helmet, I still know what cards you have by your body language. When push comes to shove, you have two pairs, and neither the resolve, nor the patience to bluff me. Which states the obvious, I'm all in."

Spike rolled his eyes and said, "I'm all in, yeah, I got two pairs-"

The captain snarled in laughter, "Full house, queens over nines! I knew you didn't have what it takes! You'll be on your way now!" with his fellow guards laughing

Rouge pouted, "Well this blows, I didn't think the captain would lose"

Spike chuckled, "Don't count your chips yet captain. As I was saying, I've got two pairs, a pair of nines, and another pair of nines. That makes four."

As the captain's laughter faded, he realized he underestimated Spike and grumbled, "Dammit! We just lost every piece of gold we got from the Kroks!" before sighing, "But a deal's a deal, we'll hand over our trade agreements."

Spike cleared his throat before saying, "There's been a little change to the deal." before letting out a sharp whistle, as to which when he did, the girls surrounded them, preventing the corrupt soldiers from escaping.

The captain was shocked, "Wh-What the-!? Where did you all... Wait... The HMS Pinafore!? Then... that means..."

Spike removed his helmet and said, "That's right, you've been played. I knew about the corruption in the ranks the whole time, and now I've got all of you in one place. You're all under arrest for illegal trade dealings, conspiracy to move illegal products, smuggling, bribery, and coercion."

As the soldiers were put in shackles and led back to the ship's brig, Spike came over to Applejack and asked, "You ok?"

Applejack sighed, "Yeah, I'm fine. It hurts that my cousin turned on the Navy we both serve, but just because he's my cousin doesn't mean he's getting off easy. Let's get back to the castle to get them ready to face trial." before following Spike back onto the ship.

Spike sighed in relief, and said to himself, "It's a good thing the Marleybonians didn't catch wind of all this crap. We can't afford to lose them as allies against Valencia and Monquista." before walking to the brig and looking at the cell with Apple Specter inside, staring him in the eyes, wondering if he was really in on the corrupt actions. His eyes told him all he needed to know.

And so, Spike has lured out the corrupt naval officers, and in a game of poker, he's tricked them into revealing themselves. The corrupt soldiers have been arrested, and nobody from Marleybone seems to have noticed the corruption, keeping their alliance intact without risk of having corruption in the ranks. These disgraces to the Royal Navy are being taken back to Equestria to face trial. But Spike seems to believe there's more than meets the eye when it comes to Applejack's cousin Apple Specter. Is he right? And if Apple Specter wasn't in on the corruption, why was he at that poker game, and what was he hiding from them?

Find out next time!

A Spectral Investigation

As Spike's ship left Krokotopia to head back to Equestria so the corrupt soldiers could be charged for their crimes, Spike walked down to the brig and took a stool and sat in front of Apple Specter's cell. He asked, "I can tell by your face you weren't involved in the corruption. So why were you at that poker game?"

Applejack's cousin sighed, "Look, some people seem to forget this, but I'm not part of the Navy, I work for the Navy. I was never part of the Navy, I work for the Royal Navy's BPRD and I'm a part-time agent for the NCIS. I was investigating the corruption within the ranks. When you showed up, I couldn't risk blowing my cover, even if it meant being arrested."

Spike's eyes widened when Apple Specter told him the truth, "You're a part of the BPRD and the NCIS?" He thought for a moment and said, "In that case." before unlocking his cell door, "I can tell you're not lying, you're free to go, and you'll be called as a witness during the trials. I'll talk to Applejack about this, I'll make sure she knows what really happened, that you're no traitor."

Apple Specter smiled lightly, "Thank you my lord. It's always been an honor to serve the royal family, even without my family's service in the ranks."

As Apple Specter and Spike walked out of the brig and to the main deck, Applejack saw them and asked, "Spike!? What's that traitor doing out of his cell? I told you; he's not getting special treatment just because he's my cousin."

"Yes, you did, but that's not why I released him from the brig. He's not part of the Navy, he works for the NCIS, and he was investigating the corruption before we showed up. The only reason he was in that poker game was so that his cover wouldn't be blown. He couldn't risk letting the other find out he's not one of them."

Applejack looked to her cousin and looked him in the eyes, and smiled, hugging him, "I believe you Specter. I should have known better than to accuse you with no proof. I'm so sorry I doubted you."

As he hugged her back, Apple Specter smiled, "Thanks cuz, don't worry about it. I'd never think of betraying my family or the crown. Nothing is more important to me than my family."

Spike smiled, "I'll let you two catch up. We'll be arriving at the royal docks soon enough."

One hour later...

As the ship docked at the royal docks, Shining Armor and his group of guards were waiting for them to take the corrupt soldiers to the castle dungeon. When he saw Apple Specter not in shackles, he smiled lightly, "Good to see things worked out for you Specter."

Spike raised an eyebrow, but before he could speak, Twilight yelled, "Wait, you knew Apple Specter was undercover!? And you didn't think to tell any of us, not even the prince or your own little sister!?" with her hair flaring up from anger.

Shining Armor gulped as his sister's hair flared up, "Calm down Twilight, I had my reasons. I can't just go telling everyone who's an undercover NCIS agent and who isn't. It would blow their cover. If you knew Apple Specter was an NCIS agent, it could cloud your judgement and endanger the investigation."

As Twilight calmed down and her hair returned to normal, she sighed, "Fine, I can understand it now that you explain it. Still, there are some people you should trust with that kind of information, and it's honestly hurtful that you didn't trust me with it."

As he rubbed the back of his neck, Shining said, "Sorry about that sis. I promise, if anything else comes up, I'll let you and the prince know after I report things to the queen."

As Spike walked through the castle to watch the corrupt Naval officers stripped of their bars and medals by his mother, he heard a familiar voice coming his way, "My lord, it's been a while." to look over to the voice and see Garble's younger sister Smolder. She was a Dragoon recruit, and she was at the top of her class, especially because she'd gained her wings before even graduating and becoming a full-fledged dragoon.

Spike smiled, "It's good to see you too Smolder. And please, there's no need to be so formal with me."

Smolder nodded, "Ok, Spike. My brother told me he grew up over his grudge against you, and now he's actually brave enough to go to those poetry clubs in town. I was wondering... could I join your crew?"

Spike was surprised that Smolder wanted to be part of his crew, and told her, "Normally if a Dragoon recruit asked to join my crew, I'd say no, but you're top of your class and you have your wings. I'll think about it and decide in the morning. For now, get back to training. It'll help your chances if I see your ability in a fight."

Smolder smiled and saluted Spike, "Yes sir!" before running off to get back to her training, hoping that Spike would be impressed with her skills in the morning.

Spike smiled as she ran off and said to himself, "She really does have a lot of spunk. She'll make a great Dragoon, even without being on my crew. That being said, I did tell her if her skills are up to standard, she'll be welcome on my crew. We'll just have to see in the morning."

And so, Apple Specter has been cleared from suspicion of corruption, when in reality he was investigating the corruption himself as a part-time agent for the NCIS. And upon arrival back to Equestria, Spike may have a new crew member on his claws, with Garble's younger sister Smolder being the top of her Dragoon recruitment class, if she can prove herself in a fight, she'll be a new member of Spike's crew. Will she be able to prove that she's ready to join the prince's crew, and perhaps his harem?

Find out in the next chapter!

A Strange Peace Mission

It had been a few days since Spike delivered the corrupt naval soldiers to the castle dungeon. He was sleeping in his tower when he heard a knock at his door. He opened it up to see Twilight, who told him, "Spike, it seems you have some visitors. They're in the Great Hall. They say they have a mission that requires skill and discretion'"

Spike raised an eyebrow and asked, "Since when does the castle allow visitors who ask favors of the Royal Family?"

"The visitors are from Karamelle, and they say they wish to speak to the Pirate Prince. It seems they want you to deliver a peace offering to Azteca."

Spike nodded, "I'll be down. If we can gain an ally and stop a war in other realms, I'll agree to it." before following her down to the Great Hall, seeing two people waiting for him. The woman of the pair was holding an egg-like container and held a bit of a sadness on her face.

The man introduced himself, "Prince Spike, it's an honor to meet you. My name is Ambassador Zaw-Veenull from Karamelle. I believe Lady Twilight already informed you of why we are here. We beseech you to deliver a peace offering to our enemies, the Aztecans."

Spike thought for a moment and asked, "If I can help you, I will, but you're aware of my kingdom's war, are you not?"

Zaw-Veenull nodded, "Yes, we are, and if all goes well, my people will gladly help you in your war, as long as the Aztecasaurs are left out."

"It's a deal."

The woman walked over and lifted a hatch on the container, revealing an infant Karamellen, an adorable creature, and said to Spike, "Thank you for this Spike. My name is Cicely. I am... grateful for your help. I'm sure that my daughter will be safe with you and the Aztecasaurs."

Spike was surprised that he was bringing a baby as a peace offering, but nodded, "I understand, and allow me to say you are a brave woman. I'm a father myself. I don't know if I could give up my firstborn daughter Aurora, even for a peace treaty."

Cicely smiled lightly, hiding the sadness on her face and said, "Thank you Spike." before kissing his cheek and returning with Zaw-Veenull to their ship.

Two hours later...

Spike was on his ship with Twilight and asked her, "Does something seem odd about this mission? Giving up a baby for the sake of peace?"

Twilight shook her head, "I'm confused too Spike. This makes no sense at all. But we'll have to figure things out on our own."

"Yeah, something's not right. Ember would have my head if I tried to give up Aurora, even if it was for a peace offering. The only day I give away my daughter is the day I walk her down the aisle."

As they made the trip to Azteca, Spike kept the baby Karamellen company, and it seemed affectionate to him, rubbing against him and squeaking playfully.

One hour later...

Spike placed the Karamellen baby back in the transport device and walked off his ship with it, accompanied by Fluttershy, Rouge, and Rainbow Dash. As they stepped off the ship, a guard came up to them, "A scaled one? You are no Aztecasaur. Who are you?"

Spike replied, "I'm here on the behalf of Karamelle, I have a peace offering from them."

The guard nodded, "Ah, right, Amuk Surin is awaiting your arrival. Follow me." before leading them through the village. As they did, Spike noticed the Aztecasaurs eyeing the container with the baby in it, licking their lips and murmuring to themselves.

"Dash, I have a bad feeling about this" he whispered to Rainbow Dash as they continued through the village.

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah, so do I."

As they arrived at the palace, Spike removed the Karamellen baby from the transport device and said to the baby, "Sorry little guy." before being told to place it on the cushion in front of a throne.

When Spike noticed there was nobody sitting in the throne, he asked, "Where's Amuk Surin? It's a bit rude for him to not be here to accept the Karamellens' peace offering.

"Apologies dragon prince." before a massive T-Rex like man walked in and sat on the throne. When he looked at the baby in front of him, he smiled, "Ah, an infant Karamellen. Truly a generous peace offering."

Rouge just realized, "Um, captain, I just remembered, in Azteca-" before Amuk picked up the cushion that the baby was on and swallowed it whole, including the baby.

Fluttershy's eyes widened as she saw this and collapsed from the shock, with Rainbow Dash catching her.

Spike's eyes widened as well, "Did you just eat the baby!?"

As Amuk picked at his teeth with his claws, Rouge interrupted, "That's kind of what I was about to say captain, baby Karamellens are considered a rare and priceless delicacy in Azteca."

Amuk nodded, "She knows her foreign culture, indeed, he was a rare delicacy, that's what a peace offering is, here in Azteca."

Spike's eye twitched and said, "Eating... babies... is not... COOL!" before flying onto Amuk's snout, forcing his mouth open, and going down.

"What is he-!?" Amuk yelled in pain as he felt Spike in his stomach, and a second cry of pain emerged when Spike broke through his teeth, leaving blood dripping from his mouth. When he saw the blood, he yelled, "How dare you! HOW DARE YOU! THIS MEANS WAR!"

Spike cracked his knuckled and flew up to Amuk's eyes and said, "Alright you sick, twisted, baby-eating freak! I jumped down your throat once, and I can do it again! If you wage war against Karamelle, I will go back down and start gutting you like a batacuda from the inside and work my way out!"

"Your bluffing!" when Spike made his way back towards his snout, he yelled, "Guards! Tear them apart, for- Oh..." before realizing his guards had already fled in terror. "Ok, you win! Take the child and I will not instigate war. I hope we never meet again."

"That makes two of us, and for your sake, I hope we don't either."

As they made their way back to the ship, the villagers kept out of Spike's line of vision, since Amuk's screams of pain could be heard by the entire village.

Three hours later...

As Spike stepped off his ship with the baby in his arms, he saw Cicely run to him and hug him as well as her infant child, "Spike, thank you so much!"

Zaw-Veenull walked over to them and said, "Indeed, it's amazing that-"

Spike growled and looked to the ambassador and asked him in an annoyed tone, "Did you know Amuk was going to eat the baby?"

Zaw-Veenull gulped and explained, "Well, I wasn't sure exactly, but-"

Spike silenced him and said, "Never talk to me again. Karamelle and Equestria can remain allies, but I will always remember what you did on this day." before looking to Cicely and said, "You, however, are always welcome in my family's castle."

Zaw-Veenull was sweating bullets and nodded, nervously heading back to his ship. "Lady Cicely, are you-?"

Cicely angrily glared at the Ambassador, showing she had no interest in returning with him. As the ship left, she smiled at Spike and said, "Spike, you have my undying gratitude. My husband died in a war with the Aztecasaurs before our daughter was born. My baby seems fond of you, and if you'll allow me, I'd like to stay with you. I'm hardly a fighter, but I can act as a ship's nurse. I'm highly educated in medicine, I even have a medical degree."

Spike smiled lightly and told her, "Thank you Cicely, that's a very kind offer. I will gladly have you on my crew, even as just a nurse.

"Thank you for accepting my offer. If it doesn't trouble you, might I leave my daughter in the care of your daughter's mother? I am very aware of Equestria's views with polygamy, and I have nothing against it, I just don't want my daughter being in a dangerous environment, especially given what could have happened without you."

Spike nodded, "Of course, Ember and the matrons will do a good job raising her. If I might ask, what is her name?"

"Her name is Ilma Nar."

"A beautiful name Cicely, almost as beautiful as you."

Cicely blushed lightly and said, "You flatter me Spike, but thank you."

And so, Spike ended a peace treaty negotiation with extreme violence, but in the end, things turned out perfectly fine. However, the mission had an unexpected circumstance that sicked Spike. Despite the Ambassador's lie of omission, peace is intact, and Spike had gained a new crew member in Cicely. With a new nurse on the ship's staff, being injured in battle is less of a concern with a licensed doctor on the crew. And will the new MILF become part of Spike's harem?

Find out later!

Family History

It was just another day at the castle. Spike had been in and out of the Royal Courts testifying about his encounters with the corrupt naval officers, and he was exhausted from the experience.

He decided to take a break and read in the royal library. He looked around and found a book that piqued his interest, titled, "History of the Royal Family." There were a lot of his family members he knew nothing about, so maybe learning some new information about his family would be interesting.

As Spike sat down and read through the book, he found an interesting tale. As he read it, he was shocked by what he found. He took the book and ran to find his mother. When he knocked on her door, she opened it and asked, "What's wrong Spike?"

Spike opened the book and said, "Listen to this mom, my great-great-great grandfather, on your side, Night Venture, he was a pirate! It's all written down with all sorts of tales about him!"

Celestia was just as shocked as Spike was when she read some of the tales. "Incredible! Huh, who would have thought that piracy runs in the family? A lot of these tales are of old myths within the royal family. I wonder if that means they're not just old myths?"

Spike smiled, "Well, I'm about to go find out!"

Celestia smiled down at her son and kissed him on his forehead, "I knew you'd say something like that. I'm proud of you Spike. I know one day, you'll be a great king, and a great man."

Spike smiled back, "Thank you mother, hearing that means a lot."

Of course, Spike knew there was more to do before he could go on these adventures. He had to finish testifying, but he already had an idea for how to punish the corrupt soldiers.

When he returned to the courts and told the judge his plans, the judge asked, "My lord, you mean to say that you'll allow the corrupt men to avoid prison time by becoming members of your crew!? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Spike explained, "I'll admit, I've made worse decisions before, and if push comes to shove, I will throw them back in the brig and place them in prison. I believe that some leniency can go a long way when it comes to rehabilitation."

The judge nodded, "If that is your decision, so be it, I will not argue any further. I will have them prepared for your crewmates and set them to work right away." before slamming his gavel down and dismissing the court.

When the corrupt soldiers were led to Spike's ship, he told them, "Alright then, looks like we've got a complete crew now. There are a few reasons I've let you off the hook. One, my ship is too big, and my crew is too small. Two, I believe a little leniency can be helpful when it comes to rehabilitation. Three, my crew has only three men, including myself, we really need more men on the crew. Fourth, and finally, you're all highly skilled naval men. Still, that doesn't mean you're not being punished just because you're on my crew. I did my reading, and based on your level in the corruption, that will decide how low on the ranks you'll be on the crew here."

The captain of the corrupt soldiers gulped, he knew that meant he would be at the bottom of the pecking order on Spike's crew, and openly said, "I suppose that means I'm on latrine duty my prince-" before correcting himself and saying, "-eh I mean, captain?"

Spike nodded, "I'm afraid it does Blitz Inferno. But you'll still be capable of working your way up to a more respectable position."

After Spike was finished telling everyone their new duties, everyone got to work. Soon enough, everything was being taken care of, from the sails being raised to the decks being swabbed. Spike smiled, "Good, good, everything's set up and proper."

"In that case, let's get sailing!" Spike rallied his new crew and said, "Alright everyone, we're heading out to find the Crystal Coconut, a long-lost treasure once owned by my great-great-great grandfather Night Venture."

"Night Venture? I've never heard of him... what sort of treasure is it?" asked Twilight Sparkle, and when Spike told her of his great-great-great grandfather, she smiled lightly, "Interesting, I never would have thought that piracy runs in your family. Well then, let's be off to find the Crystal Coconut."

And so, with a new addition to his crew, Spike sets off on a new adventure, to find a long-lost treasure that was once owned by his great-great-great grandfather, who in his time, was also a famous pirate, much like Spike himself is now. Where shall this adventure lead? And with a new addition to the crew, who will turn into a new friend, who will turn traitor, and who will become a dangerous enemy? Only time will tell...

"Seriously!? That's the best you can-"

Everyone yelled at once, "PINKIE!"

"Oh fine, I'll leave it alone, for now."

Seriously though, sorry folks, this is all I could come up with for now. I really will try to get to the 1000-word mark on the next chapter, so keep tooned for the next chapter.

Escape

Spike had just finished his fencing lesson with his teacher Starlight Glimmer. When he got his last point, he took off his helmet, bowed and said, "Another good lesson Starlight."

Starlight removed her helmet as well, "You're always getting better Prince Spike. Soon enough, you won't need me to teach you anymore. Your mother has really raised you as a fine young man."

Spike mumbled under his breath, "Perhaps too fine." but then said aloud, "Yes, she has. Thank you for the lesson. I suppose I'll see you next week." Spike went to meet his mother and aunt for lunch and sat down at the table, "Good afternoon mother. Good afternoon Aunt Luna."

Celestia smiled at her son, "Good afternoon my darling prince."

Spike sighed and started cutting his meat and eating. After a few bites, he said, "On second thought, I'm not that hungry. I'm going back to my tower."

Before Celestia could respond to him, he was out the door and headed to his room. She sighed, "Why can't I get through to him? He's royalty, and one day he won't be a prince anymore, he'll be the King of Equestria. Why can't I get him to see that I want him to be a good king?"

Luna held the bridge of her nose between her fingers and said, "I'll talk to him." and headed up to Spike's tower bedroom. "Spike, are you alright?"

Spike had his face down in a pillow and mumbled, "No. Aunt Luna, sometimes I wish I wasn't born into royalty. My mother never lets me have any sort of fun. I just want to be a normal kid, not King of Equestria."

Luna sat down by Spike on his bed, "You know Spike, I was the same way when I was a child. Even though your mother was in line to the throne, I was a tomboy, and our father didn't approve. You want to know how I made him see that being who you are is the right thing to do?" She whispered into Spike's ear, "I ran away. Back during my youth, before I returned home, I was a pirate. Those were my glory days."

Spike looked up from his pillow and said, "You, a pirate? I never would have guessed that."

Luna put a hand on her nephew's shoulder, "I'll help you escape. You should be allowed to be who you want to be. I'll have everything planned. My guards have the night shift, and I'll relieve them of their duties or pay them off so you can go where I went when I ran away, Skull Island."

Spike's eyes widened, and they were filling with tears as he hugged his aunt, "Thank you Aunt Luna!"

Luna kissed her nephew's forehead and said, "For now, just act normal, so your mother doesn't get suspicious. I'll come get you when I'm ready."

As Spike's daily routine continued, Luna plotted. She packed a trunk for Spike, things he would need as a pirate, her old daggers from when she was a pirate, her map of the skyways, and much more. When night fell and Celestia had gone to sleep, she went into Spike's room, "It's time. Your mother's fast asleep. Hurry."

Luna and Spike hurried to the lower docks by the side of the castle. These docks were for escape purposes, in case the royal family had to flee the castle for their safety. As Spike got in one of the skiffs, he waved goodbye to his aunt. "Thank you, Aunt Luna! You'll be in my heart!"

Luna waved goodbye as well, "Take care Spike! When you get to Skull Island, find Captain Avery and tell him that The Moon Lily sent you! Good luck!"

Spike traversed the skies all the way to Skull Island. When he made landfall, he got off his ship and looked around, taking a deep breath. He smiled, "I'm free! I'm finally free!"

As Spike celebrated his freedom in Skull Island, back in Equestria, Queen Celestia was having a meltdown. "Where could he possibly be!? He's not anywhere in the castle! Oh, my darling prince is gone!"

The guards tried to console the sobbing queen, "Your majesty, I'm sure he's fine! The prince has bested many of the knights in fencing class! He can take care of himself!"

Luna walked over to her sobbing sister and hugged her lightly. "Sister, I found this note under Spike's pillow. He says he's gone to Skull Island, to find out who he truly is."

Celestia's eyes widened, "Skull Island!? The most dangerous pirates frequent that area! My sweet boy can't survive there on his own! Guards, summon the crew of the HMS Pinafore! I want them to bring my son home safely!"

Luna's eyes widened when Celestia wanted the crew of the HMS Pinafore. That crew was made of the greatest naval officers in Equestria. Spike might have trouble if he faced them in battle. She tried to convince her sister, "Dear sister, Spike will be fine. He needs to clear his head. I'm sure he'll come back home safe and sound."

Celestia shook her head, "My mind is made up. I'm not letting those pirates rob my son blind and leave him for dead on some uncharted island in the skies."

"Your majesty! The crew of the HMS Pinafore is at your service!" a young woman called out as six young women made their way up to Queen Celestia. "The guard filled us in. My crew and I shall find Prince Spike and return him here safely your highness."

Celestia sighed in relief, "Thank you Twilight Sparkle. I will be able to sleep soundly at night knowing you will bring the prince back safe and sound."

Luna tried to think of a way to stop Twilight and her crew from going on Spike's trail. "Well, I suppose if the HMS Pinafore is going, there'll be no trouble."

Twilight nodded, "Of course Princess Luna. I thank you for your confidence."

As the crew left, Luna hurried to her room and took a necklace with a green gem from her jewelry box. She had given Spike an identical one when he left. She rubbed the green gem and said to it, "Spike, can you hear me?"

Spike looked at the necklace he was given by his aunt, "Aunt Luna!? What's wrong? I didn't think I'd hear from you so soon."

Luna told Spike the situation, "Your mother has sent the HMS Pinafore's crew to return you safely to Equestria. You must disguise yourself; you will stick out like a sore thumb as a prince in a pirate's den. Good luck dear nephew."

Spike gulped, "The HMS Pinafore is coming for me? I must hurry to Captain Avery."

The Treasure is a Test

Aboard the HMS Pinafore, Twilight and her crew were grumbling at the fact they lost Spike again. They had checked Tapu Rui, and the Zebras said Spike had only been there long enough to hold a funeral for Zecora, and that their ship was heading towards Skull Island. Of course though, nobody was cooperative towards the naval officers. Rainbow Dash thought of something and said, "Twilight, I've got an idea!"

Twilight thought to herself, "Well, there's a first time for everything." before saying out loud, "What's your idea Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow Dash started explaining her idea, "One of us changes our look and disguises ourselves like a pirate, who finds some way to gain a spot on Spike's crew so we have somebody on the inside to tell you where he's heading!"

Twilight thought for a moment, "Well, that's not a bad idea... ok, but since it was your idea, you'll be the one playing pirate."

Rainbow Dash mentally face palmed for not seeing that coming before saying, "Fine, if I have to. Come on Rarity, let's get me looking the part." before walking to the lower decks to reluctantly getting dolled up into a cute but sassy pirate girl.

Meanwhile at Swashbuckler's Hall, Spike walked into the hall and asked, "Excuse me, I'm looking for a Ms. Morgan Lafitte?"

A raccoon lady who was fencing at the training dummy sheathed her swords before replying, "That would be me. What can I do for you?"

Spike explained, "We have Gunn's will, but it's written in Valencian, and we were hoping you'd be able to come with us and translate the will."

Morgan sighed dreamily, "Ah, the thrill of treasure hunting, the smell of the clear skies, it's been so long since I've been sailing in the skies... Hmm... Yeah, I'll translate the will for you. But," she said just as Spike was about to hand the will over to her. "You'll have to take me along for the ride and give me a cut of the treasure."

"Couldn't we just pay you in advance with the gold we have right now? After all, it is just a simple translation job we are asking for here," Spike tried to reason, not wanting to share the potentially vast amount of treasure with anyone else then necessary.

"You could," she calmly responded. "But I won't accept so otherwise. Oh," she continued just as Spike turned to leave, "and before you get the idea to go looking for anyone else to translate that will, let me say good luck on that. Because Valencian is a virtually dead language that very few still know how to speak, much less read and translate at that. Which is why I assume old Gunn wrote it in Valencian in the first place. He didn't want just anyone getting a hold of his vast amount of treasure. Thus, you pretty much have no choice but to take me," she haughtily laughed, causing Spike to feel like he was going to pop a blood vessel.

"This cannot be true?" Spike asked his crew in a tone of voice that almost sounded like begging. "Please tell me she's lying about this being the case," he continued, greatly wanting what she said to be a lie. Yet the turned and whistling heads he was given told him all he needed to know.

"By mother's tit," he yelled in exasperation, not realizing the strange way he just used commonly the phrase of "by Celestia's tit." Yet luckily no one gave any thought to his little slip up that potentially could have given away his identity.

"Fine, guess we have no choice but to bring you along," he said, barely able to constrain his voice from yelling again.

"Hey, cheer up," Morgan playfully said as she walked up to Spike and pushed her herself up close to him. "Isn't it great to have another sexy woman on your crew," she hotly whispered into his ear, though if she thought this attempt at seduction would calm him down...she was wrong. For it just made Spike even more aggravated at once again being played the fool, causing his body to shake with barely contained rage.

"Oh, my bad," she laughed once more as she got off of Spike, seeing that her playfulness hadn't had to desired effect. "Well, let's go, that treasure won't find itself," she said as she walked away while sexily swishing her tail in another attempt to seduce Spike.

'Why? Why has nothing turned out like I thought it would?' he asked himself, but hoping in a way that some great unseen force would answer for him to no such luck.

Back at the Skull Island docks, Rainbow Dash's hair and tail had been died jet black with blue and white pirate garb, as well as a purple bandana. In her pocket was a small crystal orb that would let her communicate with Twilight and the rest of the HMS Pinafore.

'Now, where can I find the prince?' She wondered but wouldn't have to wonder for long as she would soon receive her answer in the form of a yelling voice that she recognized as Spike's.

Dashing with godly speed to where the yell originated from, she made it to the Swashbuckler's Hall in a few seconds flat. Where she saw the rest of the unhappy conversation playout, including the part where Morgan for up close and personal with the prince. Causing Rainbow to almost jump and tackle the female pirate for daring to get close to the prince like that, before remembering what she came here for.

Instead, she opted to just watch and wait for her chance to approach him. Which wouldn't be very long as Spike told his crew to go join Morgan at the ship while he would go to the Kraken's Skulls Tavern for a little bit to clear his head.

Following him to the tavern, she watched him order one of the few non-alcoholic drinks they had from the bartender before he gulped it down in one huge gulp.

'Woah he only drinks like that when he is really upset,' she observed, recalling some of her previous interactions with the young Prince. Particularly one where he had gotten a scolding lecture from his mom that she had observed while she was on guard training at the time. Causing him to run away in tears, where she was then told by Celestia to go look after him. Seeing him gulping down his favorite beverage at the time all upset as she went up and talked the day away with him about how he felt and even about herself later on.

Shaking her head to clear it of the pleasant memory, Rainbow Dash refocused her attention on her current mission.

'Ok Rainbow, if there's ever a time to approach the prince it's now.' She said to herself as she walked up to him and took a seat right next to him.

"So, quite the conversation you had back there," she said, seeing nothing else to approach him about.

"Yeah, and what is it to you?" he grumbled as he gulped down his third glass.

"Oh nothing, just saw it being quite the blowout between you two is all," she weakly chuckled, thinking that she probably should have given this some more thought.

"You can say that again," he chuckled in turn as he finished another glass. "It is what it is though," he ruminated.

"Yeah," she nodded, not seeing anything else to say as things just became silent between them.

"I don't why, but for some reason I feel like I can trust you and because of that I have a proposition for you," he suddenly spoke.

"And what is that?" she asked.

"I don't trust the fox and raccoon girls; I feel like they're using me to get to the treasure while they somehow make off with it soon afterwards. In order to counter this potential theft of the treasure, I want you gain their trust and find out if that's what they plan to do. In return I will give you," Spike pulled 20,000 gold pieces out of his sack of gold before handing 1,000 to the bartender, while he gave another 10,000 to Rainbow Dash and said, "Here's your first payment for becoming part of my crew."

Rainbow Dash was shocked by Spike's pay, it took her two months to get 10,000 pieces of gold, and she'd made it in just a few minutes. Then again, part of this probably came from the 50,000 gold pieces that her and the HMS Pinafore had been scammed out of by Spike. "Thank you, Captain. You're quite a generous man I must say."

Spike smiled, "It's just for somebody I feel like I can trust. What's your name by the way?"

Rainbow Dash told him, "My name's Mythic Jewel. It's nice to be on your crew."

As they walked back to the ship, Rainbow Dash looked at Spike and thought to herself, "He actually trusts me... He is the prince I'm honor bound to protect at all costs. But my loyalty is to the Crown... But he is part of the crown. Man, this is confusing. For now, just keep to the mission. Keep an eye on Spike's targets and don't get caught."

Spike walked up onto his ship and said, "Alright Morgan, you've read the will by now I assume, where do we go first?"

Morgan smiled, but then frowned as she saw Rainbow Dash and pouted, "Aw, what's this? Another girl trying to get in the way of me and the Capitaine's manhood?" she said walking towards Spike in a sultry way and grabbing his crotch in a seducing manner.

Spike blushed as Morgan grabbed his crotch, but his eye was also twitching, "Do that again and you can forget about the treasure. I'll happily take tying you up to the top of the sails and letting the buzzards have you," he warned.

Morgan giggled, "As you wish Capitaine, but any time you're willing to tap this thick ass, I'll let you tie me up and we can have some fun."

Spike didn't respond to her as he just simply turned and left while repeatedly whispering to himself, "It's for the treasure, it's for the treasure, it's for the treasure."

Rainbow Dash's eye was also twitching at the way she'd grabbed the prince's crotch. Now she understood why Spike hired her to keep an eye on Morgan. So far, she got the impression she was either a slut with bimbo breasts and a bubble butt, or a conniving traitor who wanted to rob Spike blind. Either way, she didn't like her in any way, shape, or form. She whispered to Spike, "A deal's a deal cap'n, I'll keep an eye on the bubble butt slut."

Spike sighed in relief, "Thanks Jewel. Let's get going."

"Alright," said Morgan as she got up to the ships helm and began reading the will to Spike, "It says here that Gunn left tests to prove that one was worthy of finding his treasure. Where completing each test will reward you a piece of a map needed to find his treasure."

Spike grumbled upon hearing that. "It's never simple," he sighed. "Where's the first test?"

Morgan read the will again and said, "Over by the Ruined Lighthouse in Flotsam Skyways."

"Then that's where we go." before walking up to the wheel and flying towards Flotsam Skies."

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had finally gotten to a spot where there was nobody else to hear her and contacted Twilight, "Twilight, the Prince is heading to the Ruined Lighthouse near Flotsam. He's hunting a treasure, and there's tests to prove if he's worthy. The first test is near the Ruined Lighthouse." She felt somewhat conflicted about telling Twilight this, Twilight was her captain, but Spike was the prince she served.

Stranded in Flotsam Pt. 1

After leaving Spike's ship, Time Turner went up to the local tavern to get a drink. He needed time to clear his head. He ordered a shot of whiskey and gulped it down. He sighed to himself, "While it was nice to find a good-hearted captain. He was just too reckless sadly..." before ordering another few shots, trying to drown Spike out of his memory.

After wallowing upon his thoughts for some time, a shark came up and sat next to him at the bar and asked him, "Hey, ain't you from the Black Rose Dragon's crew?"

As Time Turner chugged down another shot, he answered, "Not anymore chum breath. What's it to you anyway?"

The shark growled at the insult, but said, "Well, if you ain't part of his crew no more, you want to earn some gold?"

Time Turner raised an eyebrow, "I'm listening."

"Got any idea where he's heading? A little information for a little gold." The shark put a sack of 10,000 gold pieces on the bar and pushed it to Time Turner.

Time Turner was conflicted. While he wanted Spike to learn a lesson, he didn't want to send these shark thugs after him. He said, "Thanks, I appreciate the offer, but I'm good."

The shark smashed his bottle against the bar and held it up to Time Turner's neck, "Well, we could have done dis the easy way, now we have to do it the hard way."

Time Turner sighed, "Why must things always come to violence? Well, it's the life I chose to live." before grabbing some cigarette ashes from the nearby ashtray and throwing it in the shark's eyes, causing him to stumble back in pain, dropping his broken bottle.

As the shark dropped his broken bottle, Time Turner grabbed it and smashed it into the shark's eyes, causing him to yell out, "All I see is glass and blood! You crazy bastard!" before trying to swing at Time Turner blindly, missing each swing without much effort from Time Turner to dodge them.

Time Turner swung at the stumbling shark with the butt of his gun, before shooting him in the chest, causing him to fall back and out of a window. He looked to the barkeep and handed him the gold the shark offered him, "That should pay off the repair bill for the window. I'll be on my way." As he walked off, he sighed, the whiskey didn't do much to drown the memory of Spike. And now with these sharks on his back, he wished he had a crew to help him stay safe. Pirates were almost never safe, but if you had a crew you could count on, you were safer than you would be if you're on your own.

Meanwhile, at Spike's ship, the crew was still a bit chaotic from the fight. Spike sighed, "I chased him away, he's right... I'm too rash..."

Rainbow Dash walked up to him and said, "Spike, everyone makes mistakes. Admitting those mistakes is the first step towards learning from them."

Spike smiled lightly, "Thanks Mythic Jewel, good advice albeit a bit too late. Come on, let's go into town and see if we can find someone to repair the mast. If Finn or the HMS Pinafore know I'm stranded, it won't be good."

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Right, I can see that being a problem. I'll head out with you." She secretly feared that Time Turner would tell the sharks about their predicament to teach Spike a lesson. She told Spike, "I'll be right back, I left my sword in the quarters." before running down to the below deck and checking to see if anyone was watching. When she was certain nobody was there, she took out a crystal orb and started talking to Twilight, "Twilight. I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that Spike is stuck in Flotsam until he gets his mast repaired. The bad news is that he's getting extremely emotionally stressed. He entered a fury state, that's what broke the mast."

Twilight sighed, "Well, Spike's emotional state could make things complicated, but this is the best chance we have at getting the Prince back. We'll have to be cautious, but we make our move at eighteen hundred hours, be ready."

Rainbow Dash nodded, "Aye." before putting the orb away and grabbing the sword she'd put next to her bunk in the crew's quarters, and heading back up to meet Spike and go out into Flotsam.

As Time Turner continued walking through town, looking for some way out of town. As he looked towards the docks, the only ships besides Spike's were Cutthroat ships, and ships belonging to the Red Claw Gang. The Red Claw Gang was better than the Cutthroats for one reason, they didn't have a grudge against Spike, but regardless, they were still a gang. Spike's crew may not have been upstanding citizens, but they all had a sense of morality. Gangs like the Red Claws and Cutthroats would leave you for dead the minute they think you're no longer of any use.

As Spike and Rainbow Dash wandered around town, looking for someone to repair the mast, Rainbow Dash thought to herself, "Am I really doing the right thing by forcing Spike to come back home? Even though he's made mistakes, he still enjoys this life... Is it really my right to tell him how to live?"

Spike noticed Rainbow Dash was spaced out and nudged her, "You ok Mythic Jewel?"

Rainbow Dash popped out of her thoughts and said, "Y-Yeah, it's nothing."

Spike knew something was on her mind, but didn't push further. He had bigger things to worry about than prying into Mythic Jewel's private thoughts. He had to get his mast fixed, and soon, or else the Cutthroats or the HMS Pinafore would realize that he's a sitting duck.

Meanwhile, Time Turner continued to walk around town, looking for another captain to help him get out of Flotsam. He took out his telescope and looked out on the horizon, to see what ships were coming towards the port. His eyes widened when he saw a ship that was bearing the Equestrian Coat of Arms. "The HMS Pinafore... Spike's in trouble..."

Stranded in Flotsam Pt. 2

As Spike and Rainbow Dash walked around Flotsam, looking for someone to repair the mast, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but noticed that Spike's muscles looked much more toned, and slightly bigger. She asked, "Hey Spike, do you feel any different since recovering from those wounds?"

Spike looked at her with a confused look, "What do you mean Mythic Jewel?"

She blushed lightly and said, "W-Well... ever since you recovered, your muscles, they look bigger and more well-toned."

Spike looked at his arms and noticed she was right, "Huh, I never noticed that... that's weird... It might be my dragon heritage, but I've never noticed it..."

Rainbow Dash nodded, "I understand. Let's get to the shipyard to see if we can get the mast fixed."

Spike smiled, "First, we're going to the tavern. I want to talk in private with a drink."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow but nodded, "Sure thing captain." before the two of them walked up to the Hole in the Wall Tavern. "So, what did you want to talk about Cap'n?"

As Spike took a swig of his drink, he said, "Nothing important, just the fact that-" before splashing his drink in Rainbow Dash's face, causing the hair dye to run and reveal her rainbow-colored hair. "-you're Rainbow Dash."

As Spike splashed his drink in her face, Rainbow Dash coughed and got angry, only to realize that the hair dye was running and Spike knew who she was, "M-My lord!? You knew it was me the whole time!?"

Spike tossed Rainbow Dash a rag to dry herself off and nodded, "Not the whole time, I figured it out during that poker game of yours." before blushing a little bit as he said, "I never forget an ass as perfect and toned as yours, especially after that jock strap incident."

Rainbow Dash blushed as he complemented her ass, and even more so when he brought up the jock strap incident. She gulped, "Ok, you know the truth then, so why didn't you throw me off the ship when you got the chance?"

Spike sipped some of his drink, "I wanted to wait, partially because your loyalty to me as a captain seems to outweigh your loyalty to the HMS Pinafore."

Rainbow Dash nodded quietly, "You're right, it does. It's not my place to tell you how to live your life, and I can't say I understand why you chose to do so, but I've never seen you happier than you are now."

Spike smiled and kissed Rainbow Dash's cheek, "Then prove it, tell the HMS Pinafore we're not in Flotsam anymore."

Rainbow Dash gulped and nodded, pulling out the gem and trying to cover her hair with the hat that Rarity gave her in order to avoid Twilight noticing that Spike had made the dye run. "Twilight, it's me. The prince isn't in Flotsam anymore, he was able to get papers to allow him to get to Puerto Mico. We're heading there now."

Twilight nodded, "We'll meet you there then." before cutting off. As she did, Rainbow Dash crushed the gem in her hand, which she knew Twilight would notice when she can't get a signal.

Meanwhile...

Time Turner saw the HMS Pinafore change direction and wondered, "Why are they heading the other direction? Perhaps Spike has left without me knowing..."

Twilight sighed when she realized the gem used to communicate with Rainbow Dash was crushed, "The prince has obviously cut off contact, he knows who she is now, I'm certain."

Back at the tavern...

Spike stood up, and as he did, "Rainbow Dash, what you've just done has regained my trust in you. Let's get going to find someone to fix our mast. However, you will be punished when we get back to the ship. In my own special way." before winking at her.

Rainbow Dash blushed deeply when Spike mentioned punishing her, but smiled, "I'll take my punishment. Let's get to the shipyard then." before the two of them paid for their drinks and headed to the shipyard to look for someone to fix the mast.

And so, Twilight knows that Rainbow Dash has been revealed as a spy, but she doesn't know that she has lied to her, and that she has sworn her loyalty to Spike as a pirate captain. Now led on a wild goose chase with no way to contact Rainbow Dash, Spike is safe from the HMS Pinafore for a time. But he is still running from the Cutthroats with a broken mast. Will he find someone to fix his mast before the Cutthroats figure out that he's in town?

One Long Night (Part 3: Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow)

As Rarity and Applejack came off of Spike's cocks, they panted and laid down next to Twilight in exhaustion from the best sex they've had in years. As they did, Spike said, "I'll be gentle with you if you want me to Fluttershy."

Fluttershy smiled, but stuttered, "Well... if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to wait until Rainbow and Pinkie have had their turn... I'm... still a virgin..."

Spike smiled and stood up to kiss her, "Agreed. Pinkie, I've heard rumors that you taste like cotton candy. Mind if I see if those rumors are true?"

Pinkie giggled and said, "Don't mind at all captain." before pulling Spike back onto the bed.

As Pinkie positioned herself over Spike's head, Rainbow Dash stroked his cocks and said, "Still hard as ever. I'm going to enjoy having these babies up my ass at the same time. I used to be a tight end on our high school football team. Looks like I'm going to become a wide receiver." before slipping both of Spike's cocks into her ass and moaning, "Oh fuck! They feel even bigger when they're both in!"

Spike started licking Pinkie's pussy and smiled, "Huh, I guess the rumors are true, it tastes just as sugary and sweet as strawberry cotton candy."

As he licked her pussy, Pinkie moaned in pleasure, "Jeepers! Twilight was right about dragon tongues, it's amazing! It feels so thick and rubs my clit so roughly! Keep going Spike!"

Spike chuckled, "Is a dragon's tongue really that much better than a pony's?"

Pinkie nodded quickly as she panted, "Yeah, so much better! Even Big Mac can't compare!"

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash moaned deeper and louder as she found herself getting closer to orgasm, and said, "Hey Pinkie, are you getting close too?"

Pinkie nodded, "I don't think I can last much longer, Spike's the best lover I've ever had."

Spike smiled, "Well, you girls are great lovers too, don't sell yourselves short on that."

As the girls came, they screamed out, "I'm cumming!" before collapsing from exhaustion and pleasure.

Spike looked over to Fluttershy as he sat up, "Are you ready Flutters? You're last, but certainly not least. You've got a beautiful body, and I'd be honored to take your virginity."

Fluttershy walked over to him and smiled, "You're so sweet captain. Let me pleasure you first though. I want you to cum in my mouth before I lose my virginity." before kneeling down and starting to suck on both cocks as she squeezed them between her breasts.

Spike moaned, "Your mouth is so warm, and your tongue is so soft, it's like getting head from a pillow. And your breasts are so soft, you could easily use them as plush pillows. You may be new to this Fluttershy, but you're sure acting like a pro."

Fluttershy felt Spike's seed dripping out of his cocks and shoved both cocks all the way down her throat, causing him to cum and she gulped down every last drop. As she stood up, she asked, "You'll be gentle, right?"

Spike nodded as he drank another stamina potion, "Of course, I made a promise, and I'm a man of my word." before lifting her up and slowly positioning her onto only one cock.

As Fluttershy felt Spike's cock poke at her hymen, she moaned, and squealed out a bit as she felt him penetrate her, holding him close as he popped her cherry, "Oh Spike, this is heavenly! Thank you for being my first, and please, I want you as my only."

Spike kissed her passionately, and said, "You're welcome Fluttershy, and I'd be honored to be the lover to such a beautiful and gentle girl."

Fluttershy moaned as she kissed Spike back, biting his bottom lip as she pulled away. As she felt herself coming close to her orgasm, she grabbed onto Spike's second cock and gave him a quick paced handjob.

Spike moaned, "If you keep that up, I won't last much longer..."

Soon enough, Fluttershy said, "S-Spike... I'm cumming!" before pulling herself into Spike's arms as she made one final thrust, and both of Spike's cocks erupted in the largest orgasm of the night, covering Fluttershy in his seed from head to toe.

Spike collapsed, not even having enough energy to reach for another stamina potion, and soon passed out.

The next morning...

Spike awoke from his sleep to see the girls cuddling him and said, "Girls, that was the best night of my life. Thank you, all of you for that great night."

The girls all kissed Spike's cheek, Twilight saying, "You shouldn't sell yourself short captain, you gave us the best night of our lives too."

Pinkie nodded, "Yep! No pony back home could ever give me such a great lay!"

Rainbow Dash ruffled his hair, "I knew you were good in bed, but that was even better than our first time."

Rarity stroked Spike's chest with her finger, "Indeed, you were simply heavenly Spikey-wikey."

Applejack stretched out and smiled, "Oh yeah, big time. I haven't had such great sex since the time Rainbow Dash spiked the punch at the prom."

Fluttershy snuggled up to Spike, "And I'm so happy I was able to lose my virginity so you Spike, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

Spike smiled, "Thanks girls, you're all great." before getting up, "I think you girls might want to get back to your quarters before anyone else wakes up, for all they know, you went to bed later than them."

The girls nodded and got dressed before hurrying back to their quarters, while the rest of the crew were still sleeping. Twilight asked Pinkie, "You think he knows we drugged him?"

Rainbow Dash told them, "If he doesn't, we're in for a great night if he decides to 'punish us' when he finds out."

The girls giggled before getting into their beds and pretended to wake up with the rest of the crew.

Revolt in Puerto Mico

While Spike had been leading his people into war with Monquista, the people of Puerto Mico were suffering a depression. The Governor, Baron Ferinand von Doom, was able to hide his involvement in the war, but was still despised by the people, as rumors were spreading that he was to blame for the Equestrian blockade. Equestria had set up a blockade around the city, so everything was being rationed, food, clothing, even their water supply was running low, although the guards had hearts and pitched in to help the common people.

Twilight was getting daily reports from the captain of the blockade and reported them to Spike. It was Wednesday, and the captain was getting ready to make his daily report before hearing yelling and an explosion. He ran out of his quarters on the ship and saw that the Governor's mansion was on fire. He walked up to one of his men and said, "What the blazes is going on!? We were ordered to blockade Puerto Mico, not attack!"

The soldier stuttered, "Sir, I'm just as in the dark as you are!"

A scout came over to them, "I've just gotten wind of the situation! Somebody raided our powder store during the guard changes, and they blew up the Governor's mansion! Puerto Mico is in a state of chaos and revolt!"

The guard captain's eyes widened and told him, "Get a handle on the fires! I need to report this to Twilight Sparkle and the Prince!" before running back to his quarters and contacting Twilight, "Lady Twilight, we've got a situation! Our powder store was raided recently, and the stolen kegs were used to blow up the Governor's mansion! We don't know of any casualties, but we're getting to stopping the fires and making sure nobody is seriously injured."

Twilight was shocked at the captain's report and brought Spike into the room, and when he was told what happened, he thought. The Governor was the one who ordered the attack on his ship, so he held a grudge, but the raid and explosion was practically terrorism. Then again, he could understand the unrest, and honestly, that was what he was hoping for, but didn't realize just how hard his plan could backfire. Until now.

He told the captain, "Continue controlling the fires, and if you're able to, arrest the people who caused the explosion. Give aid to the wounded, including the Governor if he's injured." His hand was clearly clenching into a fist, he hated the idea of giving the man who blew up his ship medical attention, he'd much rather let him burn.

Four hours later...

The fire had finally been put out, but the mansion was mostly destroyed. The guards were searching through the rubble, saving anyone still alive and getting them medical attention. The captain himself found a body in the Governor's office, which was the closest room to the origin of the explosion. He turned around and left the office telling two guards, "Keep the Governor's office off limits. Nobody goes in, understood?"

The soldiers saluted, "Sir, yes sir!"

The captain reported to Twilight again, with Spike in the room once more, "My lord, we're still investigating, but based on how many powder kegs were accounted for, whoever started the explosion stole more than enough to wipe the mansion off the map. The Governor's office took the brunt of the blast, and the Governor's body was found in the office shortly after we doused the fires. The civilians are still in an understandable state of shock, but considering their responses to our questions, everyone seems happy that the Governor is dead."

Spike thought for a moment and said, "Give them any aid they need. They know the Governor, and by extension, the Crown, is responsible for their misfortune. The old saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. I'll send one of our ambassadors to work on reconstruction. Until they arrive captain, you are in charge of the occupation. Give them as much aid as possible."

The captain nodded, "Yes my lord. I will continue to report on the situation if anything arises. I will see if offering a reward will help identify the culprit."

Spike nodded back, "Good idea, that's all." before disconnecting.

The captain relayed information to his men and started helping the injured and ordered his men to have the chefs cook up some banana lasagna.

As the days became weeks, the people of Puerto Mico had started trusting the guards and the new Ambassador from Equestria. The culprit of the explosion had still not been identified, but the guards and ambassador cared little for it, since there were no obvious signs that another attack would take place.

One day, the HMS Pinafore arrived in Puerto Mico with Spike stepping off the ship and being greeted by the Ambassador, "Your majesty, it's an honor to have you visiting. We were not expecting your arrival, so things are hardly as luxurious as the castle, but I'm sure you'll be comfortable during your stay."

Spike smiled, "Thank you Ambassador, but I've grown used to being without the comforts of home. Is there a tavern I might retreat to?"

The Ambassador nodded, pointing to the nearby tavern. Spike walked over to the building and went in and was greeted with approval from the customers. He sat down by the bar and asked, "Marleybonian Scotch with a bit of lemon on the rocks please."

The bartender handed him his drink and started some small talk, "I heard you weren't all that happy to hear the Governor died."

"It wasn't the Governor's death that upset me, it was the other people who got caught in the explosion. The loss of any innocent life is not a happy thought. Even though the Governor ordered an attack on my ship, I didn't want him to be murdered. Tried and executed, perhaps, but vigilante justice is not true justice."

The bartender smiled, "I'll drink to that. Although nobody seems to know who blew up the Governor's mansion, but we were panicking when we heard the explosions. For a moment, we thought the blockade had started firing upon us."

"I'd have their heads if my soldiers attacked a defenseless town with no orders to do so."

As Spike finished his drink and handed the bartender his payment, he walked back out of tavern and greeted and conversed with the Puerto Micans. They grew to realize that the Crown of Equestria cared for their wellbeing, despite being from another nation and being at war with the Crown of Monquista. They also grew to adore Spike, both from his gentlemanly demeanor and stories of his adventures as a pirate.

And so, Equestria is gaining allies against the Crown of Monquista, even allies who once swore allegiance to the Crown. While his goal for setting up the blockade around Puerto Mico bore fruit, it came at the cost of innocent lives in an act of terrorism, although nobody seems to care who it was that blew up the Governor's mansion. Spike has taken a small trip to Puerto Mico to show that while Equestria is at war with Monquista, they still have a sense of mercy and compassion. With Puerto Mico supporting the war in the side of Equestria, Spike is showing that not all royals are stuck up and that the Crown cares more for themselves than they do for the people they rule.

The Beginning of the Court

Spike was sitting at a table, gathered with six famous pirates around the table. First, there was Captain Gideon "Stark" Ironsides, captain of the famed "Iron Leviathan." Gideon was famous for his technological know-how. Hailing from Valencia, he made his mark on the Spiral by rebuilding destroyed clockworks and reprogramming them to be his loyal crew. He was also one of the richest pirates in the Spiral, partially because his clockwork crew had no need for food, water, or pay, so he was free from the need to pay and tend to his crew.

Next was Lucius Darkbane, a famed and mysterious Witchdoctor who commands an entire crew of loyal Witchdoctors. He was a student at Ravenwood who was at the top of his class. He was revered for his knowledge of not only Hoodoo, but of the Spiral, its history, and almost anything you could think of. If there was knowledge, chances are he knows it.

Among them was a pirate that Spike grew up reading about, Razakel "Blackscale" Bloodfang. Blackscale was a famous dragon pirate from the time his father was in the Royal Navy. He was a master of aerial combat and unique fire-breathing techniques. He was known to seek ancient dragon hordes and knowledge of their customs and traditions. For many dragons, he is seen as the embodiment of the power and mystery of dragons.

The captain of the Tempest's Fury, Isabella Stormrage was gathered at the table as well. She was known for her unmatched naval tactics and strategic prowess, and is respected by both pirates and sailors alike, as she protects her territory from other rival pirates. She was also the first person to discover a Stormgate to Karamelle from Skull Island and is renowned for charting the sugary world's skyways.

The fearless Marleybonian Anne "Stormchaser" Bonnypaws was known for her marksmanship, as well as her skill with an ancestral weapon of the cats of Marleybone, the Bladestaff. She also knows many safe passages through dangerous skyways, to the point where she got the nickname "Stormchaser" for her ability to navigate even the strongest storms.

Finally, there was Greybeard, a famed veteran pirate who was distinguished by his trademark beard, which has grown grey over the years as his career as a pirate. Greybeard may be old, but he still has a lot of fight in him. He was famous for his many treacherous quests for lost pirate treasures and is an expert navigator, able to decipher ancient maps and charts with ease. He is also quite charismatic and often forms alliances with other pirates to achieve his goals.

Spike cleared his throat and said, "Welcome to all of you. We're gathered here today to form the Court of the Brotherhood, an organization built to govern pirates and their business ventures." before showing them his hand with the Ring of the Skies. "If piracy is to survive, we need to organize ourselves. We can't let our constant bickering and blatant murder getting in the way of our business, and more importantly, our profit."

Lucius scoffed, "Organized piracy? What are we, gangsters? There's no need for this."

Greybeard stroked his beard and said, "I disagree Lucius. Think about it, less fighting means less loss of men, resources, and money."

Gideon nodded, "Greybeard's right. If we do business fairly and with less violence, we make more money. And for you Lucius, more money allows you to expand your collection of magical artifacts."

Lucius smiled, "I do like the sound of that, but why are we letting a kid form the court?"

Isabella spoke up, "Because he commands Davy Jones' fleet, and he's the Pirate Prince. We may be famous, but we're the stuff of legends, he's more well known than any of us. The Pirate Prince is known in every realm of the Spiral, there's not a single realm that doesn't know his name and reputation. He did unmask Valencia's disguised clockworks."

Razakel nodded, "I agree, plus, any dragon who has a sense of pride in his work, be it a pirate or sailor, prince or commoner, I'm behind them all the way."

Spike smiled, "Then let's talk business. Our first matter of business is establishing a code. We can't just go around acting like we have no laws. Here's what Avery and I have proposed."

Spike placed a piece of parchment on the table, titled "Laws of the Brotherhood." and had the rules written out. Spike spoke the laws out loud.

The Court of Lords must have a majority vote in order to change the Laws of the Brotherhood.
Below the Court of Lords are seven Judges of the Court, one chosen by each member of the Court, who settle matters not important enough to require a meeting between the Lords.
Don't pull a gun when your opponent only has a sword.
If a ship has raised the white flag, end hostilities and negotiate terms of surrender. This rule does not apply to the undead or ships sailing under Valencia's flag.
Don't do business with the undead or the Valencians.
The word of the captain is law while on the ship unless his word violated the Laws of the Brotherhood.
If a fair deal is cheated or altered through violence, intimidation, or any other ill-gotten methods, the violator must pay double in compensation.
Breaking the Laws of the Brotherhood is punishable by the Court of Lords' vote. Be it death, exile, or incarceration, the Court decides the punishment.

As Spike finished speaking, the others voice their agreement of the rules and laws that Spike had proposed, to which he asked, "Then we're all in agreement?"

They nodded and said, "Aye." before lifting their glasses and clinking a toast, "To Skull Island!"

Over the next few days, the new Court of Lords discussed, revised, and signed the new document that governed their ways. Each of them chose their representative on the Judges of the Court, Spike choosing Time Turner as his representative. After parting ways, news of the Laws and the Court spread to pirates like flies to an outhouse. Pirates started following the rules, whether it was out of respect, or fear of anger seven of the Spiral's most famous and dangerous pirates.

And so, Spike has formed the Court of the Brotherhood, helping Avery achieve his dream of turning Skull Island into a Pirates' Republic. With the warning from Davy Jones, Spike has started to prepare the pirates of the spiral to whether the storm of the return of the Armada. Will these preparations be enough, or is there still more to be done?

Find out next time!