My little pony:Adventure of Seresia

After leaving the castle, the soldier who had been leading the way moved to the back of the line. When Jin Yun and Spike turned to look at them, they received a gesture indicating they should "keep moving forward." After a few steps, the two soldiers casually followed behind. A comfortable distance was maintained between the two sides; they were neither too close nor too far apart. The two soldiers would have enough time to react if they attempted to escape or resist.

"Spike, I need you to do me a favor in a moment."

"Of course! You can count on me!" Spike replied eagerly. Upon hearing that Jin Yun wanted his help, he agreed without hesitation. Jin Yun nodded but didn't immediately express her request; instead, she pretended to chat while sneakily glancing at the otters walking behind them. Noticing her silence, Spike turned his head to look back as well. Aside from the two tall figures holding torches, all that remained was the gradually fading castle and the golden landscape under the setting sun, which left him puzzled about what she was observing.

"What? Did you drop something?"

"No, I need you to distract them for me in a moment." Jin Yun lowered her voice deliberately to ensure that only Spike could hear her. After hearing this, he blinked a few times, looking back at the soldiers again before returning his gaze to her. He seemed to be speculating about her reasoning. After thinking for a long time without coming up with a satisfactory answer, he could only ask in confusion:

"Ah? Why do that?"

"So we can notify Xiao Ling to hide when we get to the ship so she won't be discovered."

"I don't understand what you mean." Spike scratched his head, becoming increasingly confused.

"Aren't we here to repair the damaged ship and help Xiao Ling alleviate some pressure?"

"You are still too naive, little dragon Spike." Jin Yun sighed lightly, sighed. This made Spike a bit anxious, eager to hear her explanation.

"Do you remember the group of otters we encountered initially?" Jin Yun asked, glancing at Spike, who nodded in response. "Ever since we landed on the island, I've felt that the atmosphere here is extraordinary. There is an inexplicable sense of oppression that perhaps you and the princesses overlook. Furthermore, as you’ve seen, those pony islanders seem quite wary of the otters, and I have ample reason to suspect that they are being oppressed."

“When you put it that way, it does seem like that,” Spike said, propping his chin on a claw and carefully contemplating Jin Yun's words. Reflecting on everything he had seen, he realized she was entirely right. But what exactly had these otters done to make the little ponies so afraid of them?

“And have you noticed that the wooden materials seen everywhere in the castle are completely different in color from the trees growing on this island? Earlier in that hall, I even recognized a column that was used for a sailing ship's boom, which has been repurposed as a main support beam.”

“Ah?!” A chill suddenly ran through Spike at this revelation. His exclamation caught the soldiers' attention behind him, but he quickly devised a way to allay their concerns. Once the soldiers stopped focusing on him, he leaned closer to Jin Yun's face to continue listening.

“I suspect the islander wants to dismantle our ship to decorate his castle. Maybe at this very moment, the princess and her friends are already being held captive.”

“Then we need to hurry back!” Spike responded, though he intentionally lowered his voice; his anxiety was evident. Jin Yun shook her head, immediately rejecting Spike’s suggestion.

“No, we can't act rashly right now. Running away would only create bigger troubles for them. We must stabilize the situation first and act accordingly. For now, you'll need to attract the soldiers’ attention while I think of a way to notify Xiao Ling.”

“Okay!”

Though Spike was unsure how far it was from the castle to the stranded ship, the pitch-black surroundings and the moon above confirmed that they had spent quite some time reaching their destination. In front of them were magic lights for illumination; behind them flickered flames. Combined with the occasional moonlight, the group had to remain very alert while crossing the reef to avoid tripping and falling.

“It’s time, Spike. I'm counting on you. Act natural and don’t expose any flaws.”

“Okay! Just watch me!” Spike replied, flapping his wings and flying toward the moon. The soldiers behind thought he was trying to escape and hurriedly chased after him. During this time, Jin Yun looked around and finally spotted a stone in a crevice. Before picking it up, she glanced at the soldiers to ensure they weren’t watching her, then used magic to toss the small stone into the air. She took advantage of the darkness and kicked the stone toward the ship's hull. The sound wasn’t loud, but it was enough to attract the attention of the creatures on board. Once everything was done, Jin Yun turned to Spike and pretended to be angry, shouting:

“Spike, stop fooling around and come back!”

“What?! I just wanted to stretch my wings! You don’t have to yell so loudly.” Hearing Jin Yun's shout, Spike played along, putting on a pitiful expression as he returned to her side. Once he got close enough, he immediately whispered, “Did you take care of it?”

“Yes. Now, we need to let them take a look at where the ship is, and then we can hurry back.” After Spike replied, Jin Yun glanced at him, and he understood. They separated and maintained their distance. Guided by Jin Yun, the soldiers moved forward, with Spike following alongside until they reached the ship.

“This is our ship. As you can see, it is currently stranded on this pile of rocks. It can’t go anywhere right now, and since it’s getting late, why don’t we come back tomorrow during the day to assess the damage?”

“Let’s go on board first and ensure everything is as you said.” Upon hearing the soldier's words, both Jin Yun and Spike tensed up almost simultaneously. Before Spike could intervene, one of the otters agilely climbed onto the ship's hull. The others either climbed aboard as well or circled around it, seemingly checking for any hiding spots and whether there were other creatures inside. Seeing this, both the pony and the dragon followed suit, climbing onto the ship and waiting for an opportunity. Jin Yun was also uncertain if Xiao Ling had heard the noise and found a hiding place.

As they watched the soldiers walk around the deck and enter the wheelhouse to inspect it, Jin Yun and Spike felt an urgent need to ensure Xiao Ling's safety. Their worries intensified when they saw one otter dive into the cabin; Jin Yun was bracing herself to resist. But when that otter returned alone, she finally let out a sigh of relief. However, Spike remained anxious, restless like an ant on a hot stove. It wasn’t until Jin Yun gently patted his shoulder and he turned to see her nodding slightly that Spike's tense nerves finally relaxed. Together, they watched as the soldiers inspected the ship inside and out.

Before leaving, Jin Yun managed to place a small black bag in a corner at the bow of the ship. She hoped Xiao Ling would find it and use the items inside to locate them.