Our heroes were making very good progress in beginning their search for the lost treasure of Captain Flint-- they had made new allies with Squire Trelawney, son of a master ship builder, Dr. Livesey and his assistant, Beaker, and Lotus Sunrise, a unicorn with a calm personality and a heart of gold.

But what they didn't realize was that not all of the people they were going to meet on this adventure were as trustworthy as they seemed.

You'll find out what I mean as the story progresses.

Now, let's get back to the tale, shall we?

XXXXXXXX

The day quickly flew by, and by the next morning, everything was all set for the Mane 6 and their new friends' ocean voyage to begin.

And to Pipp's delight, Lotus made them all their very own outfits for the trip, so that way they would really be in the right mindset.

• Sunny's outfit consisted of a white and lavender striped bandanna tied around her head, and a white and dark purple outfit with lavender stripes on the sleeves.
• Hitch's outfit consisted of a dark green overcoat and a matching hat, with white and gold trimming all over it.
• Zipp's outfit consisted of white stripes that went around her legs, a black jacket with white, puffy sleeves and a white collar.
• Izzy's outfit consisted of a white bandanna around her head with blue polka dots, a white shirt with blue polka dots, white sleeves and pants and a gold bracelet around her left front hoof.
• Pipp's outfit consisted of a dark purple/red dress with white puffy sleeves, a white skirt and a reddish-colored bow on her back.
• And finally, Misty's outfit consisted of a white and dark purple bandanna going around her head, a white shirt with a purple vest over it, white shorts and puffy white sleeves.

Gonzo, Rizzo and Jim all wore similar outfits and hats, and Harmony decided to wear a simple purple dress for the occasion, while Lotus Sunrise decided to wear a blue dress similar to Harmony's.

As they reached the dock, Gonzo turned to Jim with excitement. “Well, here's the dock. Jim, where's our boat?”

“We’re on a dock?” Rizzo groaned. “No wonder I’m seasick.”

“Oh, come on, Rizzo, give it a chance,” Lotus giggled. “The sea can be a welcoming place if you just give it a chance.”

“Ahoy!”

That’s when the group looked over and saw Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey and Beaker approaching them.

“Hi!”

“Hey there!”

“Good morning, squire!”

“Welcome. Welcome. Ah, there she is,” the squire gestured to the ship before them. “The Hispaniola!”

That’s when our heroes and their new friends set eyes on the huge sailing ship that was getting loaded down with supplies. “Whoa…”

Jim and Harmony shared excited glances at this-- their wish for an adventure was finally coming true! “Come on!” Zipp urged. “Let’s go!”

“High seas adventure, here we come!” Izzy cheered as the group began to head toward the ship to get onboard…

…unaware that the two figure heads on the front of the ship, looking strangely like Statler and Waldorf, were complaining about their position on the ship.

“Take a cruise, you said. See the world, you said. Now here we are stuck on the front of this stupid ship!”

“Well, it could be worse. We could be stuck in the readers!”

This remark made both figure heads burst into laughter.

XXXXXXXX

Onboard the ship, our heroes were marveling at how big and busy the new environment was… and Squire Trelawney was once again talking to Mr. Bimbo, the man who lived in the bear’s finger. “Well, Mr. Bimbo, the ship is provisioned, the crew is in place, and the captain and his assistant should be on board within the hour,” he said proudly. “You have been a busy little man.”

“Ugh…” Pipp groaned with a shudder. “Could that get any weirder?”

“Trust me… it could always get weirder,” Zipp told her sister before Gonzo noticed Jim heading in a different direction. “Look! There goes Jim!”

“Zipp and Hitch? You guys stay up here and make sure nothing funny goes on,” Sunny said. “We’re gonna follow our old and new friends to make sure they don’t get into any trouble.”

Zipp and Hitch saluted in response to this, and the other mares followed Harmony, Gonzo, Rizzo and Jim to the steering wheel of the ship. “Ooh, look!” Izzy said. “It’s the boat-steering thingy!”

“This is called the helm,” Jim explained. “Captains usually stand up here and give their orders and steer the ship.”

Gonzo then let through a smile as Jim stood at the helm. “Hey… how does it feel, Captain Hawkins?”

Jim let forth a smile of his own. “Feels like… we’re really doing it.”

“Yes, exactly!” Harmony smiled. “It feels like we’re finally having an adventure!”

“Yeah… I’m starvin’,” Rizzo commented, walking back down the steps. “Where’s the kitchen?”

The others spared each other a look before sighing and following the rat away to find the kitchen.

XXXXXXXX

Unknown Voice: Hey-ho, and up she rises…

Rizzo sniffed the air as he walked down into the galley, otherwise known as the ship’s kitchen. “Mmm… something smells good.”

“And this will look great for my sailing feed!” Pipp said as she stood pictures of the place. “But… does anyone else hear singing?”

Unknown Voice: Hey-ho, and up she rises
Heigh ho and up she rises early in the morning

That’s when all eight of them stumbled into the galley and found a man sitting and peeling apples on the galley door, an unknown pegasus sitting beside him.

Unknown Sailor: Put him in the longboat until he’s sober
Put him in the longboat until he’s sober
Put him in the longboat until he’s sober, early in the morning

That’s when Misty politely cleared her throat to get their attention, and the pegasus mare, who we can now see as Uliana, turned to face them.

Beneath her Uliana disguise, Allura was somewhat pleased that the ponies were here… now she could finish them off for good. “What have we here?” she asked menacingly as the sailor turned, raising her wings. “Stowaways!”

This caused the group to whimper and freeze in place. “I’m afraid,” said the sailor, raising his knife, “ we shish-kebab and barbecue stowaways on this ship.”

Sunny prepared to turn into her alicorn form and defend her friends, but the sailor merely laughed, causing Uliana and eventually, the eight newcomers, to laugh themselves before the sailor seemed to recognize them. “Wait, I know. You must be the cabin boys and their little pony friends.”

“That’s us!” Izzy smiled. “Ready and waiting to help!”

“Well, are you hungry, kids?” the sailor asked warmly. “Ha! Well, in my galley, you're always welcome to help yourselves!”

“Yes! Thank you!” Rizzo couldn’t help but laugh before jumping right into a huge chicken sitting on the counter. “Well, he's got a healthy appetite,” Uliana commented. “How about you, funny face?” the sailor asked Gonzo, tossing him an apple. “Here.”

“Hey, thank you!” Gonzo smiled. “My name is Gonzo, and the guy in your chicken is Rizzo.”

“Yo!” Rizzo continued to gobble away. “And my name is Sunny,” Sunny smiled as the introductions continued. “And this is Harmony, Izzy, Pipp and Misty.”

Uliana nodded stiffly at this as the sailor turned to Jim. “And you must be Master Hawkins.”

Jim nodded at this. “Yes, sir.”

“Oh,” the sailor scoffed, “you needn't be callin' a lowly ship's cook ‘sir’.”

“Indeed,” Uliana said with a smile, hiding the devious nature in her heart. “Uliana and Long John Silver, at your humble services.”

“It’s very nice to meet you both,” Harmony said, “but we’re just cabin ponies and cabin boys, Mr. Silver.”

“Long John to his friends,” Long John Silver then told the pegasus, seemingly looking right into her soul and making her a bit worried. “And believe me, lass… a friend you can trust is worth his weight in gold. There's many a dark-hearted scoundrel in these ports.”

“What do you mean?” Jim asked, confused. “Pirates?”

Long John tried to silence him, but a lobster soon perched on Long John’s shoulder as Shiver (Twitch in his squirrel disguise) perched on Uliana’s back. “Pirates! Oh-ho-ho! That's rich!” the lobster laughed. “Pirates? What an imagination. Give me a cracker.”

“Ahem!” Uliana snapped to silence him before turning back to the newcomers with a smile. “Allow us to introduce my pet squirrel Shiver and Long John’s pet lobster, Polly.”

“Pieces of eight, pieces of eight!” Polly said with a whistle. “Raised him from a fingerling, I did,” Long John spoke about Polly as the said lobster smiled gladly. “As fine a crustacean as a man could ask for.”

“Awww, cute!” Izzy cooed. “I’ve never heard of anyone having a lobster or a squirrel for a pet before!”

“But,” Gonzo interrupted, “I thought sailors had talking parrots as pets.”

Uliana eyed him in suspicion. “Talking… parrots?”

“HA!! What an imagination,” Polly scoffed. “First pirates, now talking parrots? What's next? A singing, dancing mouse with his own amusement park? Whoo-hoo!”

“That's enough now, Polly. Go on! Shoo!” Long John knocked the lobster off his shoulder, causing him to fall to the ground before Long John eventually turned to the newcomers. “Right, me hearties, I'm gonna give you a cook's tour of this fine ship.”

Sunny took a completely stuffed Rizzo onto her back, letting the rat groan in discomfort. “If you’re gonna be the cook on this ship, Mr. Silver,” Rizzo spoke up, “I am definitely gonna need bigger pants.”

Long John laughed at this, and undid the door so he and Uliana could come out of the galley. But when the door swung away, Jim, Gonzo, Harmony, and the other mares (all except Sunny) let out a shriek-- Long John only had one leg!

This reaction seemed to cause confusion for the ship’s cook. “What’s the matter, lads and lasses?”

“U-Uh, um… I don’t wanna be rude or anything, but…” Misty pointed at the leg Long John was missing. “Oh, that? Lost that timber-fighting brigands off Madagascar under Admiral Hawke,” Long John said, and Uliana nodded, a malicious intent seen in her eyes. “There's many a man lost a leg and worse in the service of the king.”

To show them further, Long John lifted his hand, revealing only three visible fingers. “Why, look what a cannibal took off me in exchange for me own life.”

“Oh gross gross gross!!” Pipp tried her best not to puke… at least until she learned that Long John was only playing another trick on them, causing the ponies to chuckle weakly while Long John and Gonzo laughed out loud.

“Oh, you’re a fine crew, kids,” Long John said. “That you are. Bright as buttons, the lot of ye.”

“Yes… and such… interesting cutie marks,” Uliana said, as she examined the ponies closely. “You act like such a confident crew, even though you've never set sail in these kinds of waters.”

“Well, we do tend to stick together in dangerous situations, so… yeah,” Misty nodded a little stiffly, not liking how Uliana was speaking to them. “I guess you would say that we are a confident crew in situations like this.”

Uliana nodded at this, and soon enough, Sunny began to share Misty's sentiments. Something about Uliana felt off... but she couldn't quite place her hoof on what it was.

Suddenly, a bell above deck began to ring, grabbing their attention. “All hands on deck!”

“Come now, everyone,” Uliana beckoned. “The captain won’t be pleased if we’re not waiting on him above deck!”

XXXXXXXX

Above deck, a stern-looking eagle, looking strangely like Sam Eagle, another Muppet friend of the Mane 6, was barking orders around in time for the captain’s arrival. “Chop, chop! Look lively now. The captain will be here soon! Chop chop!”

Jim, Gonzo, Harmony, Rizzo and their Equestrian friends soon reached Zipp, Hitch, Lotus, the squire, Dr. Livesey and Beaker, and Izzy pointed toward the eagle in question. “Squire? Who’s that frowny-pants fella over there?”

“Oh, that is Mr. Arrow, the first mate, a capital fellow,” Squire Trelawney explained. “I wouldn’t get on his bad side if I were you,” Lotus warned the ponies with a worried look. “Rumor has it he can be quite merciless.”

Suddenly, a trumpet fanfare sounded in the distance, causing Misty to yelp. “What’s that?”

“That’s the heralding call that the captain and his assistant are approaching!” Lotus realized. “Come on, we have to go and see him first hoof!”

“Move aside! Make way! Make ready for the captain!” Mr. Arrow kept exclaiming. “Lollygaggers will suffer his wrath!”

“Wraith?” Gonzo repeated. “Is this captain bad-tempered?”

“Is he bad-tempered?!” Mr. Arrow repeated, frightening the group a bit. “The man is a raging volcano tormented by inner demons the likes of which mere mortals cannot fathom.”

“He’s got demons?” Gonzo repeated with excitement. “Cool!”

Zipp sighed… when was Gonzo ever gonna learn that dangerous stuff wasn’t always the cool stuff?

As the group was heading to the railing of the ship, Zipp found herself turning to Sunny, who had a nervous look on her face. “Everything okay, Sunny?”

“There’s something not right about Uliana, Long John Silver’s friend, but… maybe I’m just being paranoid due to the whole ‘finding alicorns’ thing back home,” Sunny admitted. “Will you keep an eye on her for me?”

“Sure,” Zipp nodded. “No problem.”

At that moment, a sleek black carriage came to a halt in the street, and once it stopped, out stepped a man with a firm expression and a black sailing uniform.

But... that's not what caught our heroes offguard.

The man stepped aside to reveal the true captain-- a frog that looked strangely like Kermit the Frog, and the Mane 6's old unicorn friend Persephone was there with him. “Hi-ho, everyone.”

To say the others were surprised would be a far-fetched statement, and Jim looked on in surprise as Persephone and the captain strutted closer and began walking up the ramp.

“That’s the raging volcano?” Jim asked the others. “He’s a frog, and his assistant’s a unicorn!”

“Maybe he gets hopping mad,” Rizzo joked. “Hopping mad!”

Izzy stiffled her laughter at this. “Hopping mad… cause frogs hop! Good one, Rizzo-Dizzo!”

Mr. Arrow blew into his whistle to signal the captain and Persephone to come aboard, speaking in a commanding voice. “Piping aboard Persephone and Captain Abraham Smollett.”

“Good evening, Mr. Arrow,” Captain Smollet greeted before he and Persephone walked away, the young unicorn trying to contain her smiles to look professional. But as they walked away, Mr. Arrow brushed his feathers over the railing, feeling the dust on it. “I knew it… he’s furious,” he muttered before turning to one of the crew members. “You were in charge of railing dust. Thirty lashes and then you walk the plank.”

This caused Persephone to turn back to him, a bit stern. “He didn’t say that, Mr. Arrow.”

“...I was anticipating his will, madam,” Mr. Arrow said politely. “That’s what I thought,” Persephone said before seeing Sunny and her friends, causing her to gasp, thrilled. “Sunny, Misty, everypony! I never thought I would get to see you again!”

“What are you doing here?” Sunny asked as they hugged. “Well, Captain Smollett needed an assistant who knew her way around,” Persephone explained, “so… he hired me! Exciting, right?”

“Uh, beyond exciting!” exclaimed Zipp. “At least we have another friend to catch up with.”

As Persephone reunited with her old friends, Captain Smollet turned to those remaining. “You must be Harmony Oceansong and the cabin boys.”

Gonzo saluted at this. “Yes, sir!”

“Which one of you is Hawkins?” the captain then asked. “I am, sir,” Jim said, and Captain Smollet looked at him with a kind expression. “I knew your father, Jim. He was a good man. And Harmony? Your mother was someone I knew as well… there was no one else like her.”

“...thank you, sir,” Harmony said in awe as he and Persephone walked away. She couldn’t believe that Captain Smollet actually knew her mother… she had so many questions to ask him later.

That's when Long John Silver and Uliana took the chance to approach. “Well, this is shapin' up to be a fine voyage, lads,” Long John told the group. “Oh, yes, indeed.”

“Come on, Long John,” Uliana beckoned. “We have more people to greet.”

The blue pegasus led Long John away, and once they were alone, Gonzo whispered to Jim and the others with worry. “One leg, guys. Count ‘em-- one,” he said quietly as they watched Long John and Uliana interact with some other people on the ship. “Remember what Billy Bones said.”

“Oh, Gonzo,” Jim brushed off. “He seems all right. I mean, Long John's only a cook. How dangerous could he and Uliana actually be?”

“Maybe you’re right, Jim… about a lot of things,” Sunny said before looking around. “Wait a second… where’s Rizzo?”

XXXXXXXX

At the edge of the ship, Rizzo was taking money from rats boarding the ship, all of them dressed up in tourist outfits. “Enjoy your cruise, sir. Next! All right, folks, have your checks made out to Rat Tours Limited. Remember, we put the rat in ‘pi-rate’,” he said before taking another check from a boarding rat. “Why, thank you, Mr. Plagueman. Next!”

“Rizzo?” Hitch looked over at their friend in concern. “What are you doing over here?”

“What? Oh… this,” Rizzo realized what Hitch meant before deciding to explain. “Well, I figure if the treasure map's a dud, the trip won't be a total loss… financially speaking.”

“Well, we can worry about your little cruise scheme later,” Sunny scolded lightly. “Right now, we need to get into position for the cast-off.”

XXXXXXXX

Captain Smollett looked over the marina with a satisfied expression. “Ah, the wind seems to be freshening. The tide is with us.”

“Mr. Arrow?” Persephone called with a smile. “This voyage has begun!”

“This voyage has begun!” Mr. Arrow cried out before giving the hard-working crew their orders. “Raise the gangplank! Let go forward line! Let go aft line! Hard to starboard! Any man caught dawdling will be shot on sight!”

Pipp yelped at that as she flew past, and Captain Smollett cleared his throat to get Mr. Arrow’s attention. “We didn’t say that.”

“I was just paraphrasing.”

“Uh, Mr. Arrow?” Persephone cleared her throat. “Just set the sails.”

“Set the sails!”

The Mane 6 pulled one of the ropes nearby, letting some of the sails down, and with the rat tourists waving goodbye to the friends and loved ones they were leaving behind, the Hispaniola began to pull out into the open ocean, and a hearty sea shanty began to play through the sails and rafters.

Pirates: When the course is laid and the anchor's weighed
A sailor's blood begins racing
With our hearts unbound and our flag unfurled

Calico: We're under way and off to see the world

Pirates: Under way and off to see the world

All: Hey ho, we'll go
Anywhere the wind is blowing

Mudwell the Mudbunny: Manly men are we

All: Sailing for adventure on the deep blue sea

Uliana strained as she struggled to lift Long John to the crow’s nest by using a pully, while Harmony flew up to the top and Jim used the rope ladder. “Safely now, Uliana and Mr. Silver,” Mr. Arrow told them. “Let's not get sloppy just because we're singing.”

“Aye aye, sir!” Long John answered as Uliana proceeded to lift him to the crow’s nest.

Pirates: Danger walks the deck
We say, "What the heck"
We laugh at the perils we're facing

Gonzo: Every storm we ride is its own reward

Misty and Rizzo: And people die by falling overboard!

Pirates: People die by falling overboard

All: Hey ho, we'll go
Anywhere the wind is blowing
Hoist the sails and sing

Squire Trelawney: Sailing for adventure on the big blue wet thing...

Lotus chuckled nervously at this part... he was so going to have to explain this to the squire later.

At the same time, Polly Lobster, Shiver, Clueless Morgan and Mad Monty were hidden off in their own corner of the ship, three out of four of them singing their own verse.

Polly Lobster: I love to see 'em cry when they walk the plank

Clueless Morgan: I prefer to cut a throat

Mad Monty: I love to hang 'em high and watch their little feet try to walk in the air
While their faces turn blue

That's when Shiver chittered to let them know they were being watched by Hitch and Mr. Arrow, causing Clueless Morgan to chuckle nervously. “Just kidding.”

Polly, Clueless Morgan and Mad Monty: It’s a good life on a boat

Pirates: There are distant lands with burning sands
That call across the oceans

Tourist Rats: There are bingo games every fun-filled day

Donna Plagueman: And margiritas at the midnight buffet

Pirates: Margaritas at the midnight buffet

All: Hey ho, we'll go
Anywhere the wind is blowing

Statler and Waldorf: Should have took a train!

All: Sailing for adventure on the bounding main

Harmony: The salty breezes whisper
Who knows what lies ahead

Jim: I just know I was born to lead
The life my father led

Uliana: The stars will be our compass
Wherever we may roam

Long John: And our mates will always be
Just like a family
And though we may put into port
The sea is always home

“All right, Mr. Bimbo!” Squire Trelawney praised. “I didn't know you had such a good singing voice. You're welcome!”

Pirates: We'll chase our dreams standing on our own
Over the horizon to the great unknown

All: Hey ho, we'll go
Anywhere the wind is blowing
Bold and brave and free
Sailing for adventure

Rizzo: It's so nausiating!

Pirates: Sailing for adventure

Gonzo and Harmony: So exilerating!

Pirates: Sailing for adventure

Tourist Rats: We're all celebrating!

All: On the deep blue sea!

Once the sea shanty was finished, there was one thing the Mane 6 knew for sure...

...this was definitely going to be an adventure on the high seas they would never forget.

Author's Note

If you need a reminder, this is what Persephone looks like:

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