Treasure of the Sunken Queen

During a calm summer morning in Equestria, ponies are at play, particularly in the town of Canterlot. The streets are filled with conversation and merriment, and the royalty watch over their kingdom from their castle balcony high above. The two sisters, Princess Celestia and Luna, stand at the balcony's edge, taking in the beautiful sight as the breeze brushes against their faces, and the singing of the birds soothe their ears.

"'Tis quite a morning, isn't it, sister?" Princess Luna asks, turning to Celestia in an attempt to engage in small-talk.

"Undoubtedly," Princess Celestia responds without breaking her gaze to the land. "But we must remain vigilant. Things can change at a moment's notice, and we must always be ready."

"Surely we can rest our eyes for a moment. No threats have dared shown their faces here in years. What are the chances?"

"You wait and see. It's attitudes like that that allow evil and villainy to take hold."

"Perhaps you're right." Princess Luna sighs. "However, it would be nice to head down and join our subjects for some fun every once in a while, no?"

"What. . ?"

"It was only a suggestion, sister."

"No. . . Look there, to the east." Luna turns back to the horizon. Passed the miles of lush, green forests lies the shore, and beyond it, the glistening sea. Luna spots a disturbance near the shore, but is difficult to make out with the naked eye.

"What could it be?"

"I'm not too sure, but I have a bad feeling about it."

Celestia peers into the brass-lined telescope nearby, and can now clearly see the object. It appears to be a small sea vessel, and a horribly damaged one at that. It doesn't appear to be occupied, but Celestia feels an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"What is it?" Luna asks.

"With our luck, possibly trouble." Celestia pulls away from the telescope. "Send a scroll to Twilight and her friends urging them to come to Canterlot immediately. I will send a small regime to inspect and search the vessel."

"Yes, sister." Luna trots off to follow her sister's orders, and Celestia returns to the telescope where she finds yet another peculiar sight. On the same shoreline, another object appears to be traversing the sands. A carriage, and an oddly dressed pony pulling its weight.

Down by the shore, the pony unlinks herself from the carriage, and stretches out her legs. "Ahh! This shall be the perfect spot for The Great and Powerful Trixie to spend some relaxation time." She removes her cap and cape, and tosses them into the carriage through a small window. She lays out a beach towel that shares the same design as her outfit, and takes a seat. "Oh! Almost forgot!" She jumps up and hurries to the carriage. "Trixie can't rest without the help of a great and delicious snack!" As she digs around in the compartment of her carriage, she is startled by a sudden, loud crashing noise nearby. She is surprised to see a wooden ship has washed up on shore. It's hull appears to be damaged, the sails slightly torn, and the mast scuffed and scraped. Trixie approaches the vessel, careful and cautious. "Hello?! Is anypony there?!" Without a response, she takes a few steps closer. Then, the shrill sound of a hatch bursting open puts her on high alert, and her horn lights up. A creature climbs up on deck, pointing an object resembling that of a miniature canon directly at Trixie. It's a nimble, cat-looking creature dressed in old, dingy, brown jacket, maroon trousers and damaged, black boots. Unlike an average cat, this creature stands on two, and is considerably larger. It's fur is of a dark, blueish-grey color, and its eyes are a piercing orange. "Trixie demands to know who you are, and 'what' you are!"

"How's about you tell me where we are, then I might consider telling you," the cat demands.

"Nopony gives The Great and Powerful Trixie orders except Trixie!"

". . . What?"

"What is that thing you're holding, and what do you intend to do with it?!"

"Well, I could pull the trigger and you'll soon find out."

"Maverick! What's going on up there?!" A voice calls from below deck. A mare dressed in tattered, poufy clothing emerges, and is distressed by the situation put before her. Her coat is a very light, peach color, and her mane is burgundy. "What's the matter with you?!" She pushes on his shoulder angrily.

"What? You said to check for any trouble."

"I didn't say point your weapon at the first pony you see!"

"Well, ya got me there." The cat ashamedly lowers his weapon, but Trixie's horn is still lit up with a magical aura, still on the side of caution.

"There's nothing to fear! We mean you no harm!" The mare hops over the rail and lands onto the sand. Trixie spots a sword at the mare's side, and remains weary of their intentions. "Wait, are you . . . a unicorn?"

"Umm, yes," Trixie says confusedly. "What's it to you?"

"Listen, please, we are in dire need of assistance. My name is Maple, Maple Bough." The cat then too hops down onto the sand. "This is Maverick. He and I are being hunted down by a gang of thieves, and if they catch us, we're done for."

"And if Trixie were to believe this story, why must she care?"

"Because we have something they need, a map to a trove of treasure once thought to be lost forever."

"Treasure? Ha! Sounds like something I'd read in a fairytale when I was a filly."

"I assure you, this is no fairytale! This is as real as the sand we're standing on, as real as the wind blowing through our manes! Help us, and we can take you to it."

"Hmm . . . go on."

"Imagine it! Riches beyond your wildest dreams, and the fame of being the one to discover it! Your name, a permanent mark in history!"

Intrigued by the sounds of the rewards, Trixie ponders the thought. It's not the riches that entice her, but the fame that would come with it. It'd be something everypony would hear, and everyone would know her name. She takes pleasure in imagining the crowds that would gather to hear the story of how she discovered the long lost treasure, and the legacy she would leave for future generations to remember and admire.

"So, what'll it be?" Maple asks. "Will you help us?"

"Stay where you are!" a stallion's voice commands from above. At once, a small team of royal guards adorned in gold-plated armor land on the beach, surrounding the two sailors. They fold their wings and point their spears directly at the pair, and the two sailors reel back in fear.

"Come on, fellas. Is this really necessary?" Maverick asks.

"Quiet!"

"Alright, fair enough." Maverick surrenders as he raises his paws.

"Umm, excuse me?" Trixie says to the guards. "We were having a conversation."

"Stand back, miss. Our orders are to bring these two to the castle for questioning. We would advise you stay out of it, these two could be dangerous."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie will stand where she wants! You don't have the authority over me."

"Wait. 'You' are Trixie? The Great and Powerful Trixie?"

"That's right! The one and only." The guards glance to each other before bursting out into a joyous laughter. "Trixie fails to see what's so funny."

"You are! We heard all about you're visit to Ponyville, and the ursa minor! Sure is a good thing Twilight was there to save the day. I guess the Great and Powerful Trixie isn't as great or powerful as we thought."

Like a dagger, the words pierce her heart. She can feel the blood rushing to her head from humiliation, but also fury. She digs her hoof into the sand as she grinds her teeth, watching the guards continue to laugh at her expense. She looks to the two sailors, and can see Maple mouth the words, 'help us, please'. Trixie straightens herself out, and exhales to relieve herself of the tension built up inside her.

"Well then, Trixie doesn't wish to get in the way. Carry on with your business."

She turns her back to them, and starts back to her wagon. Maple turns to Maverick with a look of great unease and discomfort, to which he replies with only a shrug.

"Alright you two, we have a carriage on the way. So, don't make any sudden moves."

"A carriage eh?" asks Maverick. "Will we be also receiving the, how you say, royal treatment?"

"Ha! I doubt it. You two look like nothing more than a couple of troublemakers. Especially you, cat."

"Ouch. No need to be so harsh, officer-knight-guard, or whatever you're supposed to be."

"That's Brass Plate, to you, and we are the princess' royal guards!"

"Oh, fancy. Sure explains why you're such a--"

"Beg your pardon, Sir Plate," Maple interjects. "We aren't here to cause trouble, we swear." Suddenly, an old, folded up scrap of paper falls from Maple's shirt. "Uh, just a moment--" Maple goes to reach for the paper, but Brass Plate steps forward to stop her.

"Not so fast!"

The other guards step closer with their spears, and Maple retracts herself as she holds her gaze onto Brass Plate. He takes the paper from the ground, and unfolds it to reveal what appears to be a map of the seas, drawn in pen. There's also a line that extends from one end of the map to another, puzzling the guard.

"What is this?" he asks.

"None of your business, that's what it is," says Maverick.

"Will you please--?!" Maple urges as she looks to Maverick impatiently, then back to the guard. "Listen, Sir Plate, it's nothing more than an old map to help get to where we need to go."

"Hmm, then you wouldn't mind if I held onto it then since it's so insignificant to you?"

"How's about you just give her back the map?" Maverick intervenes.

"And just what exactly do you plan to do if I don't?"

"Oh, it's not what 'I'm' going to do. Someone else has already prepared something for you while we've been talking."

"What?"

"Fillies and gentlecolts! Watch and be amazed!" Trixie declares. The guards all turn to see Trixie's carriage open up and transform into a stage where she stands proud in her hat and cape, and lined up at the edge are fireworks pointed directly at them. "For the Great and Powerful Trixie shall deliver a lightshow unlike anything you've ever seen!"

"Hold it right there! We order you to step down immediately!"

"And that. . ." Trixie uses her magic to strike a match, and light each fuse for the rockets in rapid succession. She then levitates the lit rockets off the floor of the stage, and gives Brass Plate a gleeful, dubious smile. "That will be the last order you give to Trixie."

The fireworks begin shooting off one by one, and the guards wildly disperse in a fearful frenzy. The explosions from the fireworks kick up huge clouds of sand, and knock many of the guards down onto the ground as they yelp and shout. Maple and Maverick crouch down and observe the madness unraveling before them, and Trixie waves, beckoning them to come to her.

"You two! This way! Climb aboard Trixie's carriage!" Trixie urges.

Without a moment of hesitation, they make a mad dash for Trixie's stage as it transforms back to it's original carriage form. She opens up the door, allowing the two of them to step inside and take refuge as she makes her way to the front to strap herself in to the harness.

"Halt!" Brass Plate orders as he and his team recuperate. "Or we will take you in by force!"

"You will try, but nopony can stop the Great and Powerful Trixie!" She laughs as she tosses a smoke bomb onto the ground instantly shrouding them in a cloud of thick smoke. Trixie yanks and pulls the wagon with all her might, and within seconds they roll at high speed across the shore.

"Stop them!" Brass Plate shouts to his comrades as they then stretch out their wings, and take off into the air. Maple and Maverick open up the front window directly behind Trixie, and are overwhelmed by the thrill over the events that had just transpired.

"Ha-ha! I can't believe you actually did that!" Maverick cheers. "How'd you get this thing to do that?"

"Well, if you must know--" Trixie begins.

"Let's worry about that later!" Maple interrupts. "We still have to lose those guards!"

"Right. Hmm, how shall we go about this?" Just then, one of the guards lands on the roof top of the carriage, readying his spear.

"Well, we better find a way fast!"

"Oh! There should be a lever to your right, give it a pull, but don't break it!"

Maverick looks to his right, grabs hold of the wooden lever and pulls down. They listen to the sounds of gears turning and wood creaking, unsure of what exactly is going to happen. The rooftop flings open, sending the guard above flying off and tumbling across the ground.

"Oooh, that was fun." Maverick says with a grin. The team of royal guards fly ahead of Trixie, and land in a lineup to block her path.

"This is your last warning!" Brass Plate declares as he and his team point their spears. Trixie, with no intent of stopping, makes a quick decision to take a detour into the woods. "Quick! Two of you follow me above, the rest of you follow the carriage on hoof!"

"Yes, sir!" The guards salute as they carry out their orders.

"Where are they? Can either of you see them?" Trixie asks.

"Umm," Maple nervously mutters as she checks the sky. However, there's one small issue. "I can't tell if they're above us! The trees make it hard to see!" She makes her way to the back of the carriage, peering out the little window to see that they're being followed by only two guards. "We've got company at the stern!"

"The what?!"

"Oh, this isn't a ship. I mean the back!"

"There should be a bag of extra fireworks! Figure something out!" Maple finds and grabs hold of the cloth sack, hefty with rockets similar to the ones Trixie fired off from before. She looks to Maverick, unsure of how to proceed.

"What does she expect us to do?"

"Well, I've got one idea," says Maverick as he takes the bag.

"And what would that be? Does it involve blowing us to bits?" Maverick opens up the window at the rear of the carriage, with a clear view of the guards galloping towards them. He ties the bag shut, and tosses it out the window. "Are you crazy? You've only got one shot left!"

"Then let's hope I don't miss."

He raises his weapon and glues his eyes to the bag as the guards approach. Realizing he has a very small window of opportunity, he straightens his arm as he quickly lines up the shot, then squeezes the trigger. The igniting hammer on his weapon slams down, creating a spark that fires a metal ball bearing out from the barrel in a puff of smoke. Luckily, the shot hits its mark, and the bag explodes in a splendor of colors. The guards that were chasing them are then sent flying backward, their backs landing flat against the dry soil with a thud.

"What in the name of Celestia was that?!" Trixie fearfully calls.

"Probably the luckiest shot I've ever seen!" Maple cheers.

As Maple and Maverick relish the victory, a royal guard breaks through the thicket of branches covering the sky, and lands directly inside the carriage with Maple and Maverick. The three of them glance to one another awkwardly before the guard makes the first move. They all scuffle and wrestle inside the carriage, causing it to shake and wobble. Trixie hears the commotion, and can feel the carriage starting to veer side to side. She watches through the window as the three of them tackle and throw each other around, unsure of what she can do to alleviate the situation.

The guard rams into Maverick, pushing him against the back of the carriage. Maple leaps onto the guard's back to try and pull him away, but he violently throws her off within an instant. The guard returns his attention to Maverick as he presses his foreleg against his throat, pinning him to the wall. A sharp sound of wood snapping alerts the both of them, but before either of them can even ponder the thought of what might've made the sound, the back door of the carriage gives way. The door falls and drags across the ground with the carriage, and Maverick and the guard fall with it. Maverick digs his claws into the wood, barely keeping him secured to the door. Whereas the guard finds himself unfortunately unable to grab hold of anything, and is sent tumbling across the forest floor.

"Maple!" Maverick cries out. "I can't hold on!"

Maple scrambles about desperately in search of anything that could be of use, and stumbles upon a roll of rope. She ties one end securely to the inside of the carriage before heading out to the open doorway.

"Here! Grab hold!" she shouts as she tosses him the rope.

She's relieved to see him grab hold of it before losing his grip on the door, but is alerted by a second guard landing inside the carriage from behind her. Without hesitation, she draws her curved cutlass from its sheathe as the guard readies his spear. With very little room for either of them to maneuver, the guard swings and thrusts his spear in vain as Maple dodges and blocks each of his attacks. The two of them now swinging their weapons crazily, also cause damage to the inside of the carriage by cutting up the walls and eventually slicing apart a wooden cabinet full of knobs and gears.

"If Trixie finds a scratch on anything! Somepony will pay!" Trixie declares as she reaches an open meadow.

Now without the protection of the trees, Brass Plate can clearly see them from above. After destroying the cabinet of gears and gizmos, the carriage begins to shake and shutter, causing Maple and the guard to lose balance. Portions of the carriage flop open to form the stage, making it all the more difficult for Trixie to pull the carriage.

"What is going on back there?! Oh, Trixie is beginning to regret this," says Trixie.

The stage now partially formed gives Maple more room to fight, but also the guard. They stand off against each other, waiting for someone to make the first move. Just as Maple is beginning to feel more confident about the fight, Brass Plate lands onto the stage.

"Oh, come now, this isn't fair!" Maple says playfully.

"I don't treat criminals with fairness," says Brass Plate. "Order your accomplice to stop this carriage at once, and surrender!"

"Offer's tempting, but we've come too far to give in to some shiny, speckled boot-licker!"

"So be it."

Brass Plate draws his double-edged sword from its golden sheathe, and readies himself for battle. He and the other guard charge toward Maple, who is nimble enough to swipe Brass Plate's sword away, and dodge the spearhead. Brass and Maple clash their swords together as the other guard charges toward Maple since she is now unable to defend herself. The carriage wheel rolls over a bump in the meadow, knocking all three of them off balance. Brass loses the control over the situation, and Maple seizes her opportunity to then oppress him with a flurry of swings. The other guard is ready to attack Maple from behind, but is tackled by Maverick to the floor. The guard loses his spear in the process, and the two scramble to regain their bearings as they glance to the spear laying just a couple meters away, then back to each other. Maverick pulls out his weapon from his inner jacket pocket, and point it at the guard.

"Don't even think about it," Maverick warns.

"And just what do you intend to do with that?" the guard taunts.

"Let's find out together, shall we?" he pulls the trigger, but is painfully reminded he had already fired his last shot. "Or, maybe we shan't."

Maverick makes a quick dive for the spear, as does the guard. Grabbing hold of the shaft, Maverick turns to lay on his back as he holds it up to block whatever the guard may try to hit him with. The guard's gold-plated hoof slams directly into the center of the shaft, snapping the wood in half. Maverick's eyes widen as he watches the splinters fly, and the guard smiles as he winds up for another blow. Realizing the danger and without many options, Maverick chucks one half of the spear at the guard's head, knocking his helmet. His disorientation gives Maverick just enough time to slip away and get to his paws. Angered, the guard growls as he draws a dagger from the small sheathe at his side. "You're persistent, I'll give you that." The guard moves in for the attack, swinging his dagger as Maverick fights back with his broken spear.

During this, Maple is struggling to keep up with Brass as she is starting to feel the fatigue overcome her. However, she presses on with her attack hoping he won't notice her energy fading, but Brass is already aware, and is now taking his time with the fight. He blocks each of her swings as she continues to waste the little sliver of energy that remain in her. Brass locks blades with her once more, and is able to knock the blade right out of her grasp, and kicks her to the floor. He looms over her with the point of his blade held out to her throat.

"As predicted, you lose," Brass mocks. Maverick is able to take advantage of the guard, doing what he can to infuriate him even more to encourage the attacks.

"Things aren't looking too good for you, would you like to take a break?" Maverick asks sarcastically.

"It is you who will be broken!" The guard declares.

"I hope you mean that. Honestly, I'm starting to get bored."

"Silence, cat!"

The guard charges toward him in a blind fury, clearly telegraphing what he's about to do as he winds up his dagger for a swing. Maverick ducks down, and as the guard's blade flies directly over Maverick's head, he pops back up to knock the guard over the head with his broken spear. The guard drops his dagger, and falls victim to Maverick's ceaseless swings as he gets backed up to the edge of the stage. Completely disoriented and dizzy, Maverick delivers one swift kick to the guard's chest to send him off the edge and into the grassy meadow in a puff of flower petals. Maverick turns to see Maple in danger, and hurries to grab the dagger that the guard had dropped.

"You're making a mistake," Maple warns. "There's something much more at stake here."

"Agreed," says Brass. "What's at stake is your fate. You can either come quietly, or we can continue this pointless quarrel and make things only worse for yourself."

"Not just my fate, but yours, and everypony's in Equestria and beyond."

"What nonsense are you babbling about?"

"Maple!" Maverick calls, attracting the both of them as he slides the dagger across the floor toward Maple.

She grabs it and swipes Brass' sword away from her neck, and sends a kick to his stomach. He stumbles backward, allowing Maple enough space to get back to her hooves and retaliate. Her weapon is small, and her energy is nearly depleted, but a rush of adrenaline is just enough to power her through. Brass is met with an onslaught of quick, furious attacks, and is unable to find a moment to squeeze in an attack of his own. The dagger slices across his face, and he presses his hoof against the wound as he grunts from the pain. Maple turns, and uses both her hind legs to buck his chest and send him flying off of the stage into the meadow. Furious, Brass stands up in the middle of the field only to watch them ride away and disappear back into the forest. He wipes his face to find a smear of blood along the shimmering gold of his armored hoof.

"Captain!" A mare's voice calls from above. Brass is met by another team of royal guards as they land before him and fold their wings. One of them, a mare, approaches him. "Captain, what's happened? Are you hurt?"

"Sergeant," Brass begins with a heavy breath. "Never mind this wound, there were two sailors aboard the wreckage, and they took off with that magician, Trixie. If you and your squad hurry you should be able to catch them before they get too far. They went just due north of here into the forest."

"That aside, we may have a much more important matter at hoof."

"What is it?"

"Princess Celestia says she's spotted yet another ship headed our way, in the same area where the previous ship had washed up."

"Great, more troublemaking sailors."

"Perhaps." The Sergeant turns to her team. "I want all of you to accompany Captain Brass Plate on the way back to the shore while I go after the occupants of the wreckage, please use extreme caution. Judging how these other sailors reacted to our presence, it's safe to assume the crew of this next ship may not be any different." Her team of royal guards join Brass' side, baffling him as to why she'd make such a decision.

"I'd advise against going alone. They're armed, and are going to do whatever it takes to get away."

"You're still alive, aren't you? It appears they could've killed you if they wanted, so why didn't they?" In the middle of her notion, Brass' team arrives to regroup. All of them bruised, scuffed and armor tarnished. "And it looks to me the rest of your squad is also alive and well. I intend to find out exactly what their intentions are. Something's not quite adding up."

"There you go again, only trying to see the good in what the rest of us would call criminals. One day, you're intuition is going to lead you astray."

"It's an intuition that's served me, and the entire royal army well. Perhaps you ought to do the same one day."

"Yes, well, I'm sure that's what's given you rise to the rank of sergeant so quickly. Unlike the rest of us who have to go out and risk our lives." he snarks.

The Sergeant looks to him in shock, taken back by his comment. She feels the want to stand up for herself and defend her work, but cannot muster the courage to speak out. Especially considering the trouble she'd get into for backtalking her commanding officer.

"I'll see you soon, Captain." The Sergeant glares before spreading her wings and taking off into the sky.

"Alright, stallions, on me! Let's move!"

At once, he and his newly assembled team gallop back through the woods until the arrive back at shore. There, they are greeted by the sight of a ship; however, they are stunned by the sheer size of it. When compared to the wrecked ship, this one measures to be at least fifty times it's size. The ship is clean, and appears to be very well cared for with its pure white sails and fresh-looking wood. An anchor falls into the water, and the crew of the ship drop down one by one by a rope. All of them stallions, and all of them earth ponies. They approach, and Brass is instantly alarmed by their appearance, but not for the reason he was expecting. All of them possess a blade, but none are drawn. They're dressed clean, puffy, white shirts, and wear vests, sashes and coats of vibrant emerald, sapphire and ruby that glistens in the sunlight. Their posture is perfect, and their strides are calm and paced. The guards look to each other in bewilderment, but aren't ready to lower their guard just yet. "Halt!" Brass commands. Within an instant, they all stop only meters away from them in the shallow waters.

"Beg your pardon, if I may!" A stallion calls out amongst the crew.

The group separates, standing aside to reveal a stallion dressed in a striking, emerald overcoat and two-cornered hat. He wears a posh ascot around his neck that is adorned with a round, crimson jewel.

"You there, step forward!" As instructed, the stallion approaches. "All of you, remain here," Brass informs his team. "If things are to go south, do not hesitate to act."

The team nods their heads before he leaves to approach the stallion. Brass enters the shallow waters, feeling the cool waters fill his golden shoes. They are soon just a meter apart; Brass can't help but notice a strange confidence about the stallion, and mentally prepares himself to probe him for answers.

"State your name and your business here."

"Yes, of course, sir knight. I am Captain Vermouth, and who do I have the pleasure of conversing with?"

"Captain Brass Plate of the princess' royal guards."

"Well, from one captain to another, allow me express my humbleness." Vermouth removes his hat, and gives a courteous bow before Brass to show his respect. "I assure you we do not come here with ill intentions. We are after the occupants of this small vessel here. They've stolen something quite precious to us, and we cannot allow those miscreants to escape with it. Have you perchance come across them?"

"And what might this precious item be, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's far too much to explain with what little time we have. If those ingrates escape with it, all of us will be in great peril; I can promise you that."

"Well, as a matter of fact, yes. We've seen them, and we've got an officer on their tails right this moment."

"Only one? I don't mean to question your judgement, but these two are quite . . . rambunctious to say the least."

"Yeah, that's putting it lightly, but trust me, she's one of our best. I'm certain she'll have them placed under arrest in no time."

"Splendid, then that is a relief. No doubt about it."

"Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to take you and your crew in for further questioning so we can get a better grasp of what's going on here."

"Not at all. In fact, I'll have my crew and I relinquish our weapons to you so that there's no worry of any possible retaliation."

"Well, took the words right out of my mouth. A carriage will be here soon, so just wait here with us until it arrives."

"Of course, captain."

Brass is unsure of what to make of Vermouth and his crew. They could very well be just as well-spoken and cooperative if his crew is anything like their captain. The difference between Vermouth and the two sailors is night and day to Brass, but something just isn't adding up in his head. He can clearly see the two sailors as wrongdoers, and Trixie a traitor to the kingdom and the princesses. However, when it comes to Vermouth, he can't fully decide if he is a friend or a foe.