Flipping open the daily newspaper, Sparkler levitated a mug of cider to her lips. Glancing over to her right, she saw a group of pirates crowding around a muscular stallion with an eyepatch. Look at that snob stallion, sticking his muzzle in the air as ponies questioned him of his adventure... That should had been her!
Sparkler took another swig. Who was she kidding? Coming to the bar and drinking herself to a stupor every day like a loser. However this time, things would be different, Sparkler told herself. She was going to embark on a journey that would outshine all the stories told in this bar.
"Did you manage to retrieve the red pearl?" A pony shrieked with excitement. The stallion snorted and shook his head. Now was her chance! Sparkler thought giddily as she walked up to the crowd.
"I bet I could get the red pearl!" Sparkler shouted. Gasp escaped the crowd and they began to mutter to themselves as the stallion stood up. He walked up to her till they were merely inches apart of each other. "If you think that you could make it out alive gloriously with the red pearl, think again." He growled, taking an old map from his coat and Sparkler snatched it from him with her magic grip.
Trotting out of the bar, Sparkler looked up with a determined expression as the light shone onto her face. Now that she had the map with her, she was going to get that pearl. This journey was going to require a lot of effort for her and personal sacrifice.
"I need you all to start another treasure hunt!" Sparkler shouted once she had reached her ship where her friends were busy scrubbing the wooden floors.
"Aren't you guys going to listen?" She asked, irked by their thinking that scrubbing the floor clean was more important than her needs. So much for calling them her friends.
"Where is DD?" Sparkler asked. Bon Bon gestured over to the captains cabin. Sparkler trotted up the stairs. Barging into the door, Sparkler was greeted by DD's backside as the lilac coat unicorn whose name is Dolphin Dream, look out to the dock outside.
"Just kiss already." She muttered dreamily. Sparkler groaned. DD is doing it again, a habit she has whenever she see two ponies being together. Sparkler banged her hoof against the door and shouted her name. That seemed to get her out of her daze.
Spinning around, DD faced her with half closed eyes and a lazy smile. "How may I help you Sparkler?" She asked in her still trance state.
"I want you to set sail now." Sparkler demanded. DD frowned."But..."
"Here's the map," Sparkler tossed the rolled paper on to the desk. Spreading out the paper across the desk, DD peered at the piece of paper. "There's a hole in the map." At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," DD said as a red coat pegasus with a short black mane entered the room. Great here comes the hoof licker Hot Rod, Sparkler scoffed. Sparkler glared at Hot Rod as the pegasus leaned over DD and whispered something into her ear. DD nodded in agreement before turning back to Sparkler.
"I will assist you with your treasure hunt, but my crew get 75% of it." DD stated. "Alright," Sparkler agreed through gritted teeth then shot Hot Rod a glare.
"Let me try to decipher the map," DD said as she laid the compass on the map before turning to Hot Rod whom she ordered to get the crew to stop cleaning and begin loading up supplies for their voyage. Sparkler decided to help out as well. This was her quest after all.
Every pony began carrying different crates of supplies ranging from food to gun powder into the ship while Sparkler instructed them from above.
"Hey you! The cream colored pony over there! Hurry up, I don't have all day you know!" Sparkler hollered down at earth pony. How rude of these ponies, they don't even have a sense of urgency? Once the ship set sail, Sparkler's chest swelled with pride. Thanks to her, she had finally got the ball rolling but she kept on the look out. Shifted her gaze to a panting stallion leaning on his crate. Looks like he needs some form of remainder to keep on task.
"You over there, what kind of a team player are you? Watching other ponies work hard while you stay over there." Sparkler scoffed. Some ponies would only think of themselves instead of others.
"Why does that sound like some pony I know." Sparkler turned her head and saw Hot Rod and snorted. "What a stupid statement Hot Rod."
As the ponies continued to load up the supplies, Sparkler decided that she deserved a break, thus left her post for a drink. Heading down to the store room, Sparkler took out a bottle from a random crate, pulled the cork off and tilt the bottle down to her mouth. Only except, nothing came out. Holding the bottle upside down, she gave it a shook and only a drop of rum dripped onto the floor.
"Sparkler!" A voice boomed across the room. Great here she comes. Hot Rod stormed towards her, the strands of her hair were like snakes that moved as if they had a mind of its own. She snatched the bottle out of Sparkler's grip to realize it was empty. Sparkler could see steam coming out of the pegasus nostrils. Time to leave.
"Sparkler how dare you drink all of my rum?"
"I did not drink any of it!" Sparkler shot back. Hot Rod didn't believe her. Ever since Sparkler had first met Hot Rod some time ago, they had never trusted each other to begin with and especially after that incident.
"If you didn't drink all the bottles in this crate, who did then?" Sparkler spotted Bon Bon just passing by and immediately pointed a hoof at her, saying she was the culprit. Hot Rod ignored her and continued to accuse Sparkler. Bon Bon tried to calm Hot Rod down by saying that it was only a crate of rum, little did she knew that it only made things worse.
"I spent my own bits to buy those." Hot Rod cried in anger, smashing the hilt of the bottle on the ground. Sparkler threw her hooves in exasperation. "It's just a couple of bottles, stop crying over spilled milk." She snapped.
In a flash, Sparkler felt Hot Rod's hooves around her neck, a broken glass bottle with a sharp end held inches from her face. Just then, DD entered the room. In an act of swiftness, Hot Rod released Sparkler and threw the bottle against the wall, shattering the glass completely.
"Hey girls!We set sail to the sea of greed." She yipped. Hot Rod saluted with a yes captain, glared at Sparkler once more before flying out of the room to carry out her orders. Great now they are finally moving. Sparkler then realized how tired she was and decided that she should retire in the crew cabin. Picking an apple cider off the shelve, Sparkler headed to the cabin. Although her mind still lingered on the possibilities on who was the pony that had used her as a scapegoat. Reason's cuz when she find that some pony, there will be a hell to pay.
Back up on the main deck, DD was leaning over the sides, enjoying the orange hue of the setting sun as the boat sailed out to sea. The map she was given had no X mark on it only a small trail that leads towards a big hole in the map. Which meant that the treasure was around that area. There were only five islands that DD had been informed about by another pirate captain that once travelled in those waters. She was sure that she will find it and let her crew get some extra bits to spend on more luxurious items. Speaking of her crew. DD had no idea how Sparkler and Hot Rod became arch enemies. She hates it when her crew are unhappy with one another.
Trotting towards the wheel, she turned it 45 degrees east. She saw Hot Rod over at the main deck and wanted to talk her but she was already in a conversation with Bon Bon. DD decided she would talk to Sparkler instead. However when she found her, Sparkler was passed out on her bed with an apple cider in hoof. DD sighed, looks like she would talk to both of them the first thing in the morning. With that, she went to tell every pony to take a good long rest before they continue with their work the next day, she then went back to her own cabin to sleep.
Upon entering her room, DD felt so tired she could collapse onto the floor at any moment. That was till she saw that her bottle of apple cider was empty and she cannot go to sleep without a bottle full of apple cider by her side. She didn't remember drinking it this evening and it was still full then. It didn't matter,so DD went back to the store room to take another bottle of cider, humming a cheerful tune as she did so. On her way back, she saw Bon Bon bathing under the pale crescent moon while leaning over the edge at the side of the ship. Her gaze were blank like the skies above where no stars shone. DD paused in her tracks and went up to her. Tapping the cream colored mare on the back,DD gave a sympathetic smile as the mare turned to her.
"Still worried about her?" Bon Bon nodded and faced the sea with a frown. "You know her, always thirsting for adventure." Bon Bon sighed. "Sleep, don't think too much about it. I am sure she is fine." With that DD went back to her cabin.
Returning back to her room, DD placed the cider on the table. "There, now everything is in order." She announced. DD plopped down onto her bed and even though she felt that the bed was harder then it used to. Exhaustion quickly overwhelms her as she drifts off into dreamland. Unaware of a "hic" beneath her.