Prologue & Chapter I: Challenge accepted!
~Prologue~
Somewhere near the Equestrian space juristiction...
Sugary the unicorn, crew and the Black Mambo are locked toe to toe in a close range 'Grapple Arms' duel against the larger pirate battleship currently comandeered by pirate Vega the First Mate, smashing and bashing in an effort to disable one another. The armor on Discord's eyes barely gets dented however and the smaller ship is under pressure from the increasingly accurate 'Arm' swings from the larger ship. Unable to continue battle effectively at close range, the smaller ship pulls back and fires it's main cannon on the larger ship... with only minor success due to a calibration malfunction.
At this moment, Black Mambo recieves a message from the pirate ship. "YAR! I'll be taking down that ship of yers now!" Discord's eyes opened up all of it's cannon doors and had them all aimed at the smaller ship. The Black Pirate, Captain Nocturnal the pegasus, was now on the bridge. "Vega, get me my Fruit Loops! I'm hungry!" ordered the captain as he apparently forgot to turn off the intercom, leaving the crew of the smaller ship in mild confusion.
Time and time again the smaller ship was subjected to the relentless barrage of shots from the larger ship. Bit by bit the though armor was giving in and no matter how much the smaller ship counterattacked, it was simply no match for the raw power of a fully equiped pirate battleship. Eventually, the smaller ship's systems and hull were in critical condition, it's crew tired and injured, and it's weary captain left with only one choice: "This is Sugary Market, captain of the Black Mambo, I request a formal surrender to the crew of Discord's eyes. The battle is yours."
"Ye fought well rapscallion! I shall accept yer surrender... Along with all yer loot! YAR HAR HAR!"
Inside the pirate ship...
As the crew of the smaller ship was forced to remain as 'passengers' in the pirate ship, Sugary and Nocturnal(a jet black pegasus and ashy mane with a skull for a helmet and the Cutie Mark of a skull overlaid two crisscrossing scythes similar to the old Crossbone symbol) have a 'talk': "So! Now that yer ship and money belong to me, shall I be dropping ye off in Equestria now?"
Sugary knew that was a retorical question since he really had no say as to where he could be dropped off. He'd rather return to home base to try and sort things but that option was out. 'Ship Fights Only' as decreed by the C Warriors & Adventurers Guild for the fight meant that he could not do anything other than accept his defeat until he and his crew were back on solid ground and that did not mean Nocturnal had to do him any favors on how. "Of course... I only request that my crew be allowed to rest and recieve medical aid."
"Sure thing!" At that moment, a loud *CLANK* was heard nearby and Nocturnal quickly turned in the direction of the noise. "HEY! I'LL LAUNCH YE OUT IN A TORPEDO IF I HEAR ANOTHER DROPPED CANNONBALL! ARE YE TRYING TO GET US ALL KILLED!?"
"Sorry Captain!" Replied a bandana wearing Eevee, the only non-pony pirate."I was swabing the floor like you told me to but I slipped!"
"Don't give me excuses Vega! I gave ye a chance to be bridge leader and I get a banged up ship! Get back to work ye scallywag!"
"Yes Captain! Sorry Captain! Right away-"
"VEGA!"
"Eep!" And so, with great agility and fair motivation, the little fella proceeds to swab the deck in record time.
"It's so hard to find good help these days." Nocturnal turns to face Sugary. "Wouldn't ye agree?"
Sugary thinks for a moment and looks toward the crew of Moogles and Prinnys. Tired and injured, they were a sad sight to behold. And yet... "It depends. I honestly can't think of a bunch I'd rather be with than my old friends and crew members."
Nocturnal just shrugged at the comment. "Anyway, I've got some extra Space Soda we stole from some dancing bozos in matching armor months ago when they weren't looking and I don't want it to get spoiled. How about a round?"
"No thanks. I'm good."
"More for me then!" Nocturnal walked away with a skip in his step.
Sugary however, was not feeling quite as chipper as he walked towards what was once him and his crew's pride and joy, docked neatly inside the much larger pirate ship. Along the way, he was caught up and accompanied by his two most trusted and oldest friends: Darklighter the orange, scarf wearing Boss Prinny and Antilles the headband wearing middle-aged Moogle. None said a word as they saw the airship from up close, badly damaged and barely recognizable. None said a word as the pirates took it apart piece by piece to salvage what they could. None said a word, but they were all thinking the same thing: "Farewell, Black Mambo."
Later that day...
Discord's eyes had finally arrived in Canterlot airspace... Unfortunately, the rush arrival and landing procedures led by Nocturnal had caused several consequences: Violation of restricted royal flight zone, stirring a panic throughout the populace since the pirate crew had forgotten(?) to retract the numerous amount of cannons being pointed towards half the city as well as the castle, the mobilizing of the Royal Guard and last but not least the fact that the prodigy, Twilight Sparkle, who had been in the middle of her crowning ceremony as the new Princess, was forcibly moved to safety by Celestia before she could make the announcement official... along with Princess Luna, the rest of the Keepers of Harmony, Spike, Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor. To make matters worse, when the ship was close enough to the ground, it roughly released one of it's ramps causing some property damage on the roof of someone's home and from the ramp quickly rushed out Sugary and his crew as the pirates harassed them to get off as soon as possible, injured or otherwise, which only added more panic to the populace by making them think that pirates were invading and were now beggining their ground assault.
Once Sugary and crew were all off the ramp, the pirate ship quickly began to move away but not before a few more rooftops were damaged since the ramp was still open. From the ship, a distant scream that sounded like "YE SCALLYWAGS! PULL THAT RAMP UP ALREADY! YER RUINING THE PAINT JOB!" could be heard but then again it could just be the absurdity of the situation making it seem that way. Moments later, Sugary and crew were in the middle of a large and numerous circle of Royal Guards, angry looks, magic and very sharp looking weapons.
"Sugary."
"Yeah Antilles?"
"You know what they say about airship landings?"
"... You mean about how any landing you can walk out of is a good one?"
"Yes... Though I'd say this is all about as subtle as a train wreck."
At that moment, a high ranking Royal Guard stepped forward with a glowing horn at the ready. "You are ALL under arrest!"
"... Yup." replied Sugary. Today was not a good day...
~Prologue End~
~Chapter I: Challenge accepted!~
Inside Canterlot Castle prison...
Sugary was, for the first time in the whole day, taking a moment to wash up his face in a nearby sink and look at himself in a mirror. What he saw was a young, fully grown adult unicorn covered mostly with a brown haircoat with the exception of the white areas of his forelegs, flank and nose tip along with a few other mismatched spots here and there; A somewhat unkept white mane and tail; A white horn; A cutie mark resembling a 'Pink Tail' that kinda looked like taffy; A red coat and matching hat with a white feather attached for clothing; Finally, and perhaps most notably, were the distant and tired look in his dark brown eyes and a face that made him seem at least ten to fifteen years older considering how much he had been frowning and worrying that day. The thought of losing his life along with his friends in the stressful battle, losing his ship before his very eyes, getting surrounded by a very angry crowd of guards and then be forcefully sent to prison with barely a chance to breathe on a planet he was not very familiar with had taken it's toll on his nerves. It didn't help that he and his friends were now under constant watch from the scowl faced guards. His only reason to not feel worse about the whole situation was the fact that the pirates did not take away any of their weapons, armor and extra auxiliary items as Sugary had them hidden away in his magic inventory bag for safe keeping since before he boarded the pirate ship... which were now in possesion of the guards. He proceded to continue washing his face in an effort to calm down.
In one of the nearby cells, nine Moogles were camly sitting around their 'chief'. Two were tending to the wounds of the three others that were still recovering.
"Hold still Mogdos. I just need to apply some ointment and I'll finish re-bandaging you."
"Ow! That stings Moguno!"
"Sorry, but you know we can't risk you getting an infection so you'll just have to endure it. Mogtres, I'll tend to your wing soon."
"It's fine. It only hurts when I try to fly. I can wait."
"Mogcinco." said the other Moogle tending wounds. "This is going to hurt but I'm about put your shoulder back in place."
"I'm ready Mogcuatro!" *SNAP* "AAAIIIIIEEEEE!"
"Mogcinco! Did I do it wrong!?"
"Nope! I just feel so invigorated right now! 'Aaiieee' how good it feels to have my shoulder back in place!"
"If you say so. I'll cast a healing spell now." As Mogcuatro casts the spell, Mogcinco is deeply regreting still being concious.
"Mogseis, Mogsiete, Mogocho and Mognueve." said Antilles. "Let's think for a moment. What do we know about Equestria?"
"Well.." Mogseis began. "It's a world where most of the inhabitants are earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi along with some other races such as zebras, grifons, buffalos, dogs and even dragons among other creatures. According to an old guide I read however, there are at least two known Alicorns who are also the ruling diarchs of Canterlot and Equestria and control their sun and moon as well as a lesser Alicorn who rules a small empire."
"Oh!" interjected Mogsiete with starry eyes. "You mean we're in the same castle as Best Princess Pretty Mane Luna!?"
"Err... yes?"
"HUZZAH!"
"... Right." said Mogocho. "Anyway, what should really concern us is the fact that Equestrian ships have no way of making space travel. Can we make or find a decent airship? Yes, but we have no way leaving the planet without making the necessary modifications or getting parts from elsewhere."
Antilles frowned a bit at the comment. He then looked over to Sugary's cell, unsure if he heard their conversation, and pondered whether or not he should tell him but after seeing his still stressed face, decided against it for now.
"Actually..." began Mognueve. "Since there is a large number of unicorns on this planet, we may be able to make use of certain magical artefacts to contact the 'Guild' at the very least. Maybe even request some assistance in funding for a new ship... At least, I think there are such items here."
Antilles was starting to feel hopeful but new not to get excited so quickly. Still, he could not help but smile.
In another cell, the Prinnies camly-"OW! DOJEBON, YOU IDIOT! YOU'RE PULLING THE BANDAGES TOO TIGHT!"
"Sorry Rusty. I'm not very good at this. The Moogles usually tend to injuries."
"I should have never gone along with you guys! I should have stayed home to write fanfiction!" whined Laudo.
"I'm hungry..." whined Mullenkedheim.
"Rock. Paper. Scissors! I win!" cheered Blutzen.
"What do you mean you win? Paper beats rock!" complained Kohel.
"It's opposite day!"
"You're just being a sore loser and a cheater!"
"Am not!"
Are too!"
"AM NOT!"
"ARE TOO!" And so the two misfits proceed to fight one another to the point where one of them yells in pain "MY LEG!"
In a corner of the cell, Haagen was resting his injuries away while occasionally muttering in his sleep "... Feel... my... fury...". Breireicht was sitting next to him in making sure he did not hurt himself further in his sleep... which was the only normal thing happening in the cell.
"Hey there beautiful!" flirted Weimar to a nearby slim figured pegasus. "You must be getting tired just standing there keeping guard all the time. Let's sit down and talk."
"I am a stallion, prisoner!"
"OH! I see... What kind of music do you like, handsome?"
"I don't believe this..." muttered the very annoyed guard. It did not help the situation whatsoever that his fellow guards were snickering. They would not let him live this down anytime soon.
Meanwhile, sitting cross armed at the center of the jail cell, Darklighter the Boss Prinnie was trying very hard not to spontaneously explode from the increasing anger he was feeling from how much noise most of the others were making... and failing. "ENOUGH! ALL OF YOU SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!"
"But-"
"Kohel! If the next words out of your beak are not 'yes boss' I will rip it off!" At the sound of venom pouring out from the tone of his voice, all of the Prinnies that were not Haagen and Brereicht sat down quietly in record speed.
Soon after, a unicorn wearing a red uniform entered the prison area.
"Attention!" said another pegasus guard. "Captain Shining Armor in the prison hall!"
At this moment, Sugary, Darklighter and Antilles turned their attention to the unicorn approaching Sugary's cell. As he stood in front of the bars, he began to speak: "I have a message and an order to carry out. Are you the leader of this group?"
"Not quite. Darklighter, Antilles and myself share the responsibilities equally. WE are the leaders."
"Hm..." Shining pondered for a moment. "My message and order is this: The group leader or leaders are to be escorted by the Royal Guards, myself included, to attend a Royal Trial led by Princess Celestia and the Court Nobles. If for any reason you refuse to comply, you will be forced to attend by law."
"I see... Darklighter, Antilles, you ready?"
"Beats being stuck with these winos!" grumbled Darklighter.
"Sure. I've been meaning to share some information with you as well actually." said Antilles.
"No need. I heard what you guys said. Let's just hope for the best." replied Sugary.
As the trio were released from their cells and escorted out of the prison hall, the rest of the crew waved them goodbye.
"Don't let them break you!"
"Bring us food!"
"Don't leave us to die!"
"We'll be fine guys, don't worry!"
"Later 'Handsome Stallion'!" Weimar's comment was immediately followed by a loud groan, more snickering and a very confused Shining Armor.
Inside Canterlot Castle throne room...
The entourage of Royal Guards and trio of prisoners eventually reached a room filled with a number of nobles and military officials as well as some influential ponies here and there on the sides of the large red carpet staring intently at the passing group. To say there was tension in the air would be an understatement as several looked furious. Once they were all in front of the base of the large staircase, all guards except for three unicorns and Shining Armor remained with the trio of prisoners. Soon after, tall doors near the side of the throne opened and an announcement was made. "Mares and gentlecolts. Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia, now approaches the throne!"
At that moment, everyone except for the trio of prisoners and nearby guards, bowed down as Celestia walked into the throne room towards the staircase. As Celestia neared the base of the stairs, she glanced at the trio for a moment... yet it was enough to send an unspoken message of desired respect.
"That must be the elder Alicorn. I really hope she's as nice as I've heard." thought Antilles.
"Alright lady, I get the message." thought Darklighter, standing a bit straighter.
"I feel a great yet familiar warmth from her... The Sun?" pondered Sugary in curiosity.
Celestia reached the top of the stairs and sat on the large pillow on the throne and spoke"Shining Armor, return to the Safe Room with the others. You are dismissed." Shining quietly saluted and went out the same way that Celestia came in. Celestia continued to speak: "Officers, nobles and citizens of Canterlot.... We are gathered here to judge the leaders of the group that landed from the large, unidentified airship that caused panic and minor damage to the city." Celestia then looked directly at the trio "You three... Identify yourselves so that we may begin the trial."
The trio looked at each other and silently discussed who would speak first and last.
"Sugary Market... ma'am."
"I'm Darkligher, ma'am."
"Antilles, madam."
Celestia eyed them for a moment before speaking. "Sugary, Darklighter and Antilles... You three are heavily suspected of being responsible for property damage and causing unrest within our citizenry. How do you plead?"
"Not guilty!" said the trio in unison.
"They're lying! My son was injured when the airship threw that... that thing and broke pieces of our rooftop and they just ran out from it without care! " yelled a frantic noble mare which caused a small string of still edgy spectators to speak up.
"They had cannons pointed all over!"
"There were pirates in that ship! I saw their clothes! They had skulls on them!"
"If they're pirates they're probably lying about their names too!"
"We can't trust a word they say!"
"ORDER IN THE ROYAL COURT!" finally, Celestia had loudly spoken and the rowdy crowd calmed down somewhat... Until a certain blonde maned, pure white unicorn walked towards the staircase and spoke.
"Auntie! I understand the need to calm the citizenry but there is one great evidence to support their identity as pirates!"
"Duke Blueblood. Nephew. What sort of evidence do you mean?"
"Guard! Bring the magic bag!" At that moment, a unicorn guard that stood in the corner where Blueblood was approached the young Duke while carrying a knoted brown bag with engrained rune shapes.
"Sugary!" said Darklighter in a low voice. "I thought you gave away all our items! Was there anything left in that bag?"
"I gave Nocturnal our ship and the Gil we didn't leave behind at the Guild Bank! Did you think I was gonna leave us with nothing after the battle!?"
"You're telling me that bag is still filled with-" At that moment, Blueblood used his magic to untie the knot and open the bag fully.
"WAIT! DON'T DO THAT!" yelled Sugary. However, it was too late as a small avalanche of weapons, armor and random items flowed from the bag and dragged Blueblood with it.
"AAAAAHHH!" yelled Blueblood as he was consumed by the slowly increasing mass of objects.
As the items eventually stopped flowing from the bag, Darklighter finished his last sentence. "... everything else we collected over the years." He closed his eyes hoping that things would not get worse... They did anyway.
"There's enough gear there to supply a small army!" stated a frantic stallion, starting yet another string of panic.
"Are those pirates here to take over Canterlot!?" said a mare.
"No! We aren't pirates!" half-yelled Sugary in response, losing composure.
"Are you here to steal our Bits?" asked a random colt.
"No!"
"Are you here to become an alicorn?" asked a random mare.
"No?"
"Are you here to steal my donuts?" asked Pony Joe.
"No!?"
"Are you here to become a Gary Stu?" asked a strange, nerdy colt.
"I should hope not!?"
"Are you here to steal my fiancé?" asked Fancypants as he moved closer to Fleur de Lis.
"She is as beautiful as you are handsome but we're not here to steal either of you!"
"Well that's a relief!... Wait, did he just call me handsome?" in the meantime, his mate giggled at the odd face he was making.
"WHY IS NO ONE HELPING ME!? I'M STILL STUCK HERE!" yelled Blueblood as he finally poked his head from the pile.
"SILENCE!" finally yelled Celestia. Everyone in the room stood stiff and looked at the Princess once more. She took a deep breath to relax and began to use her magic to try and undo the spell that released all of the items in front of her and place them back in the bag. Almost as quickly as they appeared, all of the items eventually returned except for a large fork still stuck to Blueblood's flank as it tried to separate itself from him... Quite painfully.
"Ow! Ow! OW!" yelled Blueblood as the fork finally left his posterior and returned to it's rightful place in the bag and was sealed. After he had healed his own wound, he began complaining to the guard that brought the bag to him. "Guard! Explain yourself! Why did you not tell me that bag was dangerous!?"
"Um, well sir... we didn't actually try to open it all at once since it was a magical artifact. We just focused on bringing out as few items as possible at a time to search the contents carefully. We assumed you would do the same. It's standard procedure." the guard felt nervous at being addressed by an angry Blueblood.
"Assumed!? Standard!? So you're blaming me for looking bad in front of this audience because you failed to make a full report to me before hand!?"
"I-I... um..."
"*EHEM!*" At that moment, Blueblood turned around to see the disaproving face of his aunt whom had caught his attention. "I believe I said silence did I not?" She then looked at the royal guard. "Steady Lance? You are dissmised for the rest of the week. I'll hold the bag for now. Also, do give my regards to your mother. I heard she fell ill."
"Yes your highness!" said the unicorn as he saluted. He then went on his way out of the throne hall.
"Blueblood... Return to your corner. I have seen enough."
"B-But auntie-"
"Enough! We will discuss this later." said Celestia sternly as Blueblood made his way back to his corner in the hall.
Celestia then took a deep breath and then looked straight at the trio of prisoners and asked "Why are you here? Leave nothing out."
"Well..." Sugary, Darklighter and Antilles explained the events of the day as best as they could and then some. The space battle, the Guild, the pirates, their origins, the reason for having so many items... They told Celestia as much as they could until finally "... so we're basically stranded here ma'am. We'd just like to return to our home at the Guild and try to settle our ship issue from there. Will you let us and help us leave?"
"Hmm..." Celestia began to ponder. "What guarantee do I have that you are telling the truth? How can I ensure the safety of my subjects in your presence?"
"We have none ma'am. The Guild holds some of our records but otherwise you'll just have to take our word as is." replied Sugary.
"Madam, we really mean no harm." seconded Antilles.
"We got a raw deal when we arrived! What more do you want from us?" finished Darklighter.
"... Alright... I'll help you make contact with this Guild you speak of and return you to your travels." said Celestia to the trio.
"Really!? We're free to go?" For the first time in the whole day, Sugary had a light smile.
"Auntie! How can you trust them so easily!?" complained Blueblood.
"If the pirates and the group before us were a real threat. They would've done more damage to the city and it's people instead of offering no resistance against our forces... Does anyone else object?" said Celestia as she court members but no one seemed to have a good counterpoint besides the statements that were already said. "If no one else objects... Guards! Bring the remaining prisoners here to inform them of the situation and begin making the arrangements for contacting at long distances."
At that moment however, an echoing voice could be heard all over the room.
"WAIT! I have a proposition to make, Celly!" Out of thin air, a myriad of fireworks signaled the arrival of a rather odd looking creature.
"Discord!? Why are you here? What sort of proposition do you mean?"
"I'll explain soon. But first..." With a snap of his finger, the rest of the crew was teleported into the hall. "Don't worry Celly, I left the prison guards a note. They won't just suddenly barge in here wondering where the prisoners had escaped to."
"Wha-? Where are we?"
"I feel funny..."
"Ow! I fell on my side here!"
"Zzz..."
"Does this mean we get to eat now?"
"Sugary? Antilles? Darklighter? What happened!?"
"Did we die?"
"Damn! I just finished taking a piss! What gives?"
"Aww... I wanted to make more scars on the wall."
"Hey! Who's that cutie on the big chair?"
"Weimar! Don't start that now! We just barely got told we're free to go. The rest of you better behave as well." commanded Darklighter to the frantic crew.
"The thing is Celly... I'd like for all of them to stay a while in our fair land." Everyone in the room looked at the draconequus with a mild yet fair suspicion.
"Discord, they asked me to help them leave. Why would you want them to stay?" said Celestia. She knew Discord well enough to be a good being now but still unpredictable as always.
"Just hear me out!" said Discord. He then looked at the crew from the corner of his eye. "Especially you Sugarfree."
"Um... It's Sugary." he responded, wondering what the heck was he talking to right now. He could feel it's presence everywhere yet nowhere at the same time. It was mind bogling.
"What we have here is a unique oportunity! Besides, it could be fun Celly. Don't you know what kinds of things happen when non-equestrians show up?"
"This happends often Discord?" wondered Celestia.
"Do you even read fanfiction?"
"Rarely... How is that relevant Discord?"
Discord went over to Celestia and patted her on the head. "Ignorance is bliss in your case. Trust me." He then turned around and began his announcement. "I want them to perform certain tasks to help the citizenry and in return I'll reward them with custom ship parts!" Discord neared the crew. "ANY parts that you request! Isn't that what you want oh red coated one?"
"Y-You can get us all kinds of ship parts!? We could pay you with Gil for your troubles if it becomes necessary!" responded Sugary rather eagerly.
"Sorry, Equestria only accepts Bits as currency. Your Gil is no good here. Besides, I want you to work for those parts with no strings attached. Think of it as me hiring you to do some 'cleaning' in my place for my past track record among other things. I'll even give you memos and tools to keep you busy, equiped and let you know what needs to be done! You just have to be available!"
Sugary thought for a moment. "Um... That doesn't sound like a bad deal but we don't have any money to live here to begin with then."
"Not a problem! We'll just have Blueblood give you a regular salary!"
"W-WHAT!?" asked Blueblood incredulously. "Why would I do that!?"
Discord 'poofed' and reapeared right next to Blueblood and said: "Easy. You get to donate to a good cause and make auntie Celestia happy! You want to please your dear aunt don't you?"
"Uh..." Blueblood was most certainly NOT looking forward to sharing his money with a ragged gang of adventurers but then remembered that he was on thin ice due to his earlier outbursts and thought better of it. "Yes! I would very much like to...ugh... donate to a good cause, Lord Discord." Blueblood REALLY hoped this would put him back on good graces with Celestia.
"Well then we agree!" said Discord as he swiped away Blueblood's purse.
"HEY! That purse is expensive!"
"I believe all that's left is for you to accept Butterfree!" said Discord as he addresed Sugary while tossing the purse at his legs.
"It's Sugarfree-I mean, Sugary! And please, give us a moment to make a final decision." He then turned around and asked the crew for opinions. "Well guys... What do you think? I feel this might be a good oportunity to get what we need but... Do we stay here and work to gather parts or do we leave and settle things in the Guild?"
Rusty was the first to speak. He seemed rather distressed but eager to give his opinion. "I don't trust that dragon... thing. I'm against it."
Moguno on the other hand was less judgemental. "We've met helpful shady looking characters in the past so I'm in favor of it."
Blutzen, never one to pass up a chance just going with what seemed convenient, shared his thought without hesitation."I'm okay with this."
Mogdos, experienced and analytical, gave his answer. "I'm a bit worried about staying but... Sure!"
"If Blutzen is staying then so am I." said Kohel with virtually no effort put into thought.
Mogtres, however, felt that this was more trouble waiting to happen. "Um... I think we should play it safe and go back to the Guild."
Ever the aspiring writer, Laudo made his intentions clear. "I'm interested in knowing about the local literature so I'd like to stay."
Mogcuatro gave a very simple and direct answer. "This might be a good chance to help others. We still get to do the right thing don't we?"
Dojebon was a hard worker but sometimes his impulses got the better of him. "It sounds tedious. I'd rather go back to the guild and get a new ship as soon as possible to shoot some cannons at Black Pirates."
Mogcinco looked at Rusty with understanding while trying to avoid sounding equally rude. "I'm with Rusty on this one guys. This seems way too convenient."
Breireicht, one of the elder members along with Mogseis, Darklighter and Antilles, felt that he could afford some relative downtime. "I'm tired of traveling in space for so long. Let's stay here a while. Please?"
Mogseis could sympathize with Breireicht's plight but he was not lacking in seeing the big picture. "I would prefer if we did not risk our situation further and just left."
"I don't care where we go as long as we meet beautiful creatures." said Weimar, ever the shameless flirt.
"I WANT TO MEET PRINCESS LUNA!" yelled 'fan boy' Mogsiete loud enough for everyone to hear..
"Zzz... Huh? Wha-!? Ow!... Hey guys. Did I miss much?" said Haagen the brave and bold as he finally woke up.
"Other than the fact that it looks like we're in for another side-quest, not much." responded Mogocho uneagerly. He liked adventuring but hated doing menial chores.
A fine crew member when it counts, Mullenkedheim simply gave his predictable opinion while rubbing his tummy. "If the local food is good I want to stay. The Guild food kinda blows since they changed chefs."
Since Mognueve could not think of any reason to deny either option, he simply left the decision to the majority. "I'm good either way."
"Like Breireicht, I've had enough of space travel and pirates for a long time. I do NOT trust that draconequus but if the offer is genuine we may have a better ship for later travels." said Darklighter. If decades of adventure and travel had taught the old warrior anything, it was that taking risks tended to yield worthwhile rewards.
"Agreed. This would also give us a unique chance to know a bit more about the local culture. Also, I do feel somewhat responsible for the damages and unrest caused so I'd like to lend a hand." said Antilles. A very experienced adventurer and warrior sage in his own right, he was rarely lacking in chivalry and curiosity.
"I see..." Sugary, one of the first crew members as well as an adept wizard and adventurer, turned to face Discord once more. "Discord, correct?"
"Yeeess?"
"We will accept your terms... So long as it's alright with everyone else in the room."
Discord quickly went over to Celestia. "Oh please, please, PLEASE say yes Celly! We all know yours is the opinion that matters most around here."
"I sincerely hope you know what you are doing. I'll allow this but I'll be keeping an eye on you all." said Celestia.
"Well?" asked Discord to Sugary once more.
"Discord..." said Sugary as he began to extend a friendly hoof towards the draconequus. "We accept your terms!"
"It's a deal! You all begin at dawn" said Discord as he shook Sugary's leg. He then disappeared in another puff of fireworks.
"In that case..." began to announce Celestia as she returned the magic bag to it's owner. "I will begin making arrangements for the adventurers to stay as guests in the castle for the time being. Afterwards, the crowning ceremony for Twilight Sparkle will continue at the courtyard." Celestia then directed her attention to the leading crew trio. "You are welcome to attend so long as you behave."
"Actually madam..." began Antilles. "We had a long day and we'd sooner like to get settled in and rest but the offer is appreciated."
"Huh!? But I just woke up!"
"No! I want to meet Princess Luna!"
"But I wanted to see who this 'Twilight Sparkle' is!"
"Can we at least eat first?"
"We get a chance to attend a formal ceremony and you want us to pass it up!?"
"LISTEN UP! Antilles is right! I can tell most of you are tired as well as myself. What do you think is more important? That we attend a ceremony? Or that we get proper rest to start early and well on our new responsibilities?" said Darklighter.
"Personally, I don't care much for political ceremonies but I do agree with Mullenkedheim. What should we do about food Madam Celestia?" asked Sugary.
"The attendants who will be showing you to your rooms will also attend to your needs on nourishment. That said, you will not be allowed to be guests in the ceremony once it begins."
"That's fine. We really just want to get ready for whatever that Discord fella wants."
"Well then, I believe that concludes our Judging Court for the day. I'd like everyone to return to your homes, duties and waiting rooms while the crowning ceremony begins anew."
Once the evening had begun, the crew had been escorted to their own rooms and were delivered and given their meals as promised. Sugary, Darklighter and Antilles had just finished their respective meals and were getting ready to sleep until they heard some fanfare from outside. The trio looked outside their window to bear witness to the final moments of the crowning ceremony.
"Twilight Sparkle...Will you accept the responsibilities of being a Princess of Canterlot and Equestria? Will you heed the call of it's people in time of need? Will you stand by mine and Luna's side from this moment on?" said Celestia.
"I... I'm not sure I'm ready yet." said Twilight. These words brought a bit of unrest within the crowd. But she then continued to speak. "But... I know that you've been training me in my studies and testing me on many occasions since I was a filly. I know that you trusted me to handle dangers for some time now ever since you sent me to deal with Nightmare Moon. I just ask for one thing." Twilight had directed her attention to five mares, a tall dark alicorn, a baby dragon, a pink alicorn and the Royal Guard Captain standing nearby. "I want to become worthy of your expectations of me and ask for your help in doing so. I'm not perfect but I'm willing to do this if you'll give me your support in my time of need."
"Hey! No matter where you are, if you need help, I'll be there in 10 seconds flat! Besides, we still need to race each other again!"
"Darling, you know we can always come by to visit. Also, don't forget to ask for help if the royal garments and decor are not to your liking as well!"
"Sugarcube, Ah have the farm ta take care off but Ah can make the exception if there's an emergency or if it's off season. Either that or ya start forcing mah brother ta go chasing after dolls again. Heh!"
"I want you to be happy most of all Twilight so of course I'll help! ANNND if you become a Princess I'll get to throw you the best parties ever! Maybe we can have ponies dance to Gangnam Style this time!"
"I... um... I can't promise I'll always be there for you Twilight... But... I'll try my best."
"You know your brother and I will help little sis! Maybe someday we'll get to save you on your wedding day!*Giggle*"
"Cadance is right Twily. We may have the Cristal Empire to look after but we will not abandon you. Just don't forget to visit us if you can."
"As your Number One Assistant I will always stand by your side! I still need to work on my fire breath to protect you though."
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!... Uh... I mean, Twilight. I know without a doubt that if anyone is deserving of this, it is you. I would be honored to continue learning the ways of friendship alongside you."
Celestia began to speak once more. "My dear Twilight Sparkle. If I didn't think you were capable of this, I would not be holding this ceremony. However, I cannot force you to do this. The final decision is yours alone to make."
Twilight Sparkle looked at Celestia straight in the eyes. "Princess Celestia... Everyone... I accept this new challenge!"
Celestia approached Twilight and bestowed a tiara on her. She then touched both her shoulders and horn with her own horn. "Twilight Sparkle, from this day forth you will bear the title of Princess. Welcome to the beginning of your new journey in life!"
While the crowd cheered, Sugary, Darklighter and Antilles spoke amongst themselves as they stared from the window.
"That's the new Princess!? She's barely a fully grown mare! She's probably younger than you Sugary!" said Darklighter.
"I believe she's also known as the Element of Magic. I could be wrong though, I only heard rumors about a Twilight Sparkle." said Antilles.
In the meantime, Sugary was looking at the young alicorn with curiosity and awe. "She has great power within her very being. Raw but oddly soothing. I'd say she's destined for great things alright... Well, I'm tired. We better get some rest if we're gonna start doing chores for Discord early tomorrow. If things go well, we'll be back to our usual adventures in no time!"
~Chapter I: End~
