The golden sun hovers down into the horizon as The Perfection gracefully sails across the cloudy skies. Its golden rays of dying light reflect off of the shiny woodwork of the deck and turn the thirty black sails of the tall masts fluttering in the wind into a warmer grey. At the forecastle deck, shielded from the direct sunlight by an array of gib sails, sits Korsan and Rarity, seated in two chairs at a small round table with a small set of fancy drinks and elegant foods.

“So,” the brown stallion suavely asks his guest of honour, “any questions?” He then lifts up a small silver goblet from the table and drinks down its contents.

Rarity looks at her peaceful surroundings before replying in a curious, yet still bitter tone, “How is this ship flying?”

“Simple. I lined the exterior hull with thick proportions anti-magic. Anti-magic, in thicker proportions at least, reacts with the magic field surrounding our world, holding the ship in a locked altitude above the ground and the center of the world’s gravity, similar to a magnet really.”

“Where have you been?”

“Everywhere east from Ti, Pingwin, Heliopolis, Cervidas, Vaporia, Prances, Heliopolis, and many other places. I tell you what, the various cultures scattered across our world is fascinating, especial when they’re compared side by side by watching my band of diverse crew members interact with one another.”

“How did you pick out your crew members? By random I’m guessing.”

“Actually no, I study a bit of their history before breaking hem out of whatever bottleneck they were locked in, to determine who’s truly worthy to become part of this ship.”

“Even the mime?”

“Especially Chopin,”

“Okay… Do you actually care about your crew members?”

“Oh course I do, why would I not?”

“Aren’t you worried about them backstabbing you, being mostly criminals?”

“From what I’ve seen from their past, I’m highly certain that they’ll be loyal to me. Actually, I have some questions for you. Where did you come from?”

“Equestria,”

“I figured, you didn’t look like a foreign bigwig that night. What do you do for a living?”

Although apprehensive to answer at first, seeing as Korsan is going to be stopped sooner or later, Rarity decides to play along and openly talk with the pirate captain about her life. “I’m a fashion designer. The best of the best some celebrities say.”

“Interesting career choice, perhaps I could use your assistance in designing a new costume for me.”

“No.”

“Fine, fine. Does your sister want to follow your lead and also do this designing business?”

“I don’t know. She’s currently trying everything just to get her cutie mark.”

“Heh, I never even got mine, though I won’t say it really matters where I’m standing.”

“Pity really. She’s wasting her precious time as a filly trying to grow up fast.”

“At least she has a childhood…” As Korsan continues on, his voice becomes notably softer, “Miss Rarity, what’s it like being an older sibling?”

“It’s most certainly not the easiest if that’s what you’re implying.”

“But you have so much power, so much control.”

“Oh now that’s just silly. Sweetie Belle’s a filly. Half of the time even I can’t control her.”

“Do you still love her as your sister though?”

“Well, of course. That what siblings are…” Rarity slowly stops taking as memories of what the old stallion at Thieves’ Hold told her about Korsan’s family. “…for. Although she can sometimes drive me insane, other times, she’s one of the greatest ponies I know. All of those good times we shared together, I’m real sorry that you only got rejection from yours.”

A small moment of silence washes by before the pirate pony replies, returning to his more callous attitude, “But they had fair reason to be,”

“Hey-”

“Say, does Equestria still uphold that moronic equality thing today?”

“Yes, and its most certainly not moronic.”

“Well, perhaps you need to take a moment to see that it is a moronic principle.”

“Being forced into having a date with some monster like you is moronic.”

“I am no monster, but rather, a revolutionary, a necessary evil of sorts.”

“Does your crew know about what you mean when you say that? The fact that you’re slaughtering every non-unicorn in your path?”

“They, have some awareness of my goals. We haven’t been doing anything all that violent.”

“But what about that day three years ago?”

The pirate pegasus’ voice soon sharpens into an aggressive tone as he replies back, “Oh yes, that’s right, Nitin told you all about that day. I wasn’t in the best of moods to say the least.”

“You’re probably never in the best of moods. All you are is just some psychopath using some false cause to justify whatever crime you want to commit. I am not joining your crew on whatever circumstance.” Furious at her partner, Rarity promptly gets up from her seat and heads towards the stairway to below deck.

“Wait.”

“I don’t care, I’m going back in my cell and away from you.”

“Let’s just finish our supper at least.”

“I’ll starve, thank you.”

As the mad prisoner reaches the first step, Korsan calls out to her in a more benevolent voice, “Look, I was being stupid. I’m not all that tough or brooding as I set myself to be. Really I am. Let me show you, back in my chambers. You might actually like a few things.” Rarity turns towards the pirate, interested of this immediate change of heart.

“…”

“Please? Hear me out,” A small spur of joy and interest sparks in the mare’s head as she watches her rival now starting to beg to her, despite her still disgust in Korsan.

“Hmmm… Like what things?”

“Books, maps, mechanical devices, treasures, gemstones, artifacts,”

“Gemstones?”

“Yeah,”

“Show me.”

“Yes!” The captain surprisingly cheers in delight, “Follow me.” Within a second, Korsan’s body has already left the chair and is now running across the main deck to the other end of the long ship.

“What the,” Rarity mumbles to herself as she slowly follows behind, “I wasn’t expecting him to be this, enthusiastic, maybe even, childlike.”

After several minutes of extensive walking, Rarity meets up with her guide on the second floor of the quarterdeck in front of a long wall of solid wood and a vault door in the middle of it. As Korsan eagerly pulls several levers alongside the steel door, the white unicorn looks back to see a random stallion crew member climbing up one of the front masts’ ladder with a dagger in his magic. A loud clank is then heard behind her, causing her to snap her head back and see Korsan pulling the large circular door open, revealing a sight that causes Rarity’s jaw to drop. The inside the massive vault turns out to be a massive treasure room, filled to the ceiling with many various valuable things. A mountain of golden blocks and coins in one corner of the room, a wall stuffed with ancient books, and an entire set of Daring Do novels, next to the gold, several colour flags of different countries an kingdoms hanging from the ceiling, smaller piles of iron, silver, quartz, emerald, diamond, bronze, and other valuable metals and abundant crystals neatly sorted, mechanical toys and devices made from wood, metal, and strings displayed on shelves and tables, several large containing units for holding special objects all arranged in a nice pattern,  and even more trinkets and valuables dotted every metre of the massive chamber. Shocked stiff, Rarity continues to silently stare into the room, mystified of what her eyes alone can see.

“So,” Korsan gleefully asks, “what do you think?”

“I’m speechless. Never imagined you had such tastes.”

“Come, you said you wanted to see the gemstones.” Gently grabbing Rarity’s front hoof, Korsan leads her into the large room and begins to search around for where the jewels are placed. “Now where did I leave those? By the Altar of Aspidochelone? How about the condensed anti-magic? No, was it the Snapneck Claw prototype? No, no, no, it was by Captain Cutlass Cornelius’ skull.”

“Where did you find all of these things? I know you pillage and plunder and all of that, but some of these things look like they’re centuries old, even millenniums.” Rarity asks as she’s awestruck by a wall presenting highly detailed paintings of nature. “Why didn’t you show me this room before?”

“I found them on some travelling ventures, only a few I ‘stole’ per say, specifically the gold and some gemstones. And I didn’t really think of showing you this room because…”

“Because what?”

“…I don’t know. I maybe my talking of a big talk, my thick privacy, I’m really more of an idiot.”

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“Back at the forecastle, when we were talking, something just triggered inside of me. It was some feeling, a really good feeling, one that I haven’t felt in a while. For some reason, I feel like I can be honest with you. I-I just can’t really describe it.”

“You mean as a friend?”

“Perhaps, perhaps. Ah, here they are.” The two ponies reach a pair of long shelves, one above another, both lined from end to end in a vast array of valuable jewels and stones. From red diamonds, to yellow star-cut rubies, to green crystals, to blue emeralds, Rarity becomes completely entranced by her favourite objects in the world.

“They’re beautiful.”

“Let’s see, that small white one’s the Eye of Calypso, that red diamond’s a Sparkle Blood Diamond, this pink one in the corner is an old birthstone of the current princess of Germaneigh,” One the middle of the top shelf, the white mare notices the Diamond Eyes, leaning against the wall side by side. Rarity is then immediately reminded on why she and her sister are even here on this ship. She looks over her side to see her guide continue to ramble on about each and every one of the hundred or so jewels before them.

“Korsan.”

“Yes?”

“Where did you find the second Diamond Eye?”

“Off from the shores of Pingwin. I had to, ‘borrow’, the other half in Equestria during the gala in order for the thing to actually be usable.”

“Usable for what?”

“To find the place I’ve been looking for, my ticket of finally being able to use magic, Alicorn Island.”

“Alicorn Island…”

“There’s some sort of map hidden in the Diamond Eyes, I just can’t find it though.”

“What do you plan to do once you do find the island?”

“Well, seeing as you and your friends went after me for it. I might just return it to Equestria with both halves for a small ransom, I wouldn’t really need it since. But at this rate, I may never be able to find that blasted isle.”

“You’re really trying hard to find a way to be a unicorn or an alicorn.”

“It’s been my lifelong dream, to be able to do things you and most other unicorns are able to do at any moment. To teleport to anywhere in only a second, to levitate massive objects with only your mind, to protect myself from ponies trying to use magic on me, it’s all a wonder for me.”

“Captain Korsan.” An old stallion’s voice calls out from outside the vault, “We’re approaching alongside the western coastline of Wisteria. Anymore continuing northwards and we’ll be far beyond the charted waters of the Outer Kingdoms and the Antlertic Ocean.”

“I see Butch Taylor, I understand.” The leader calls back to his crewmember.

“Course of action Captain?”

“…Let me take to the wheel. I got this taken care of. Come along Rarity,”

As the stallion and mare head out to the vault door, they start to hear nervous huffs of airs from the cook, “Please tell me it’s not another joyride.”

“It’s a fair time to see if the ship’s in full working order.”

“Isn’t that Isyan’s job? Your boatswain?”

“Bah, the slacker’s as daft as the mere concept of flank piercings.”

“Ew…” Rarity moans to herself.

“Believe me, it’s hard to contemplate its existence even when it’s right in front of you. Don’t ask about it.”

“Korsan, please,” Butch pleas to his leader passing by him, “we’re already under enough stress as it is working.”

“Exactly, that’s why I would suggest a good flight to loosen up.”

“Oh bother,” As Korsan and Rarity reach the open deck and climb up the stairs to the top poop deck, the large dark blue stallion yells out to his colleges, “Joyride Alert! Joyride Alert! Joyride Alert!” Immediately, all of the crew members on deck and on top of the large masts scramble into the galley and down into the cabins below, the loud rumbling of their hooves against the wood floor roar all the way up to Korsan and his guest at the wheel of the large vessel.

“Heh, never gets old.” The bipedal pegasus reaches to his far right and pulls down the farthest lever amongst the selection of two other levers and a button. Upon pulling all the way down, an enormous clank ruptures from inside the wheel and five more levers emerge from the insides of the wheel’s stand as well as two sets of three more large stick controls telescope from the a rising section of the floor which turns out to be a hidden control box. As Rarity watches in awe of Korsan’s wheel area turning into an advanced control panel, the top of her eyes catch a glimpse of Korsan’s ice phoenix hovering around the airship. The last of the new steering devices set in place and the entire floating bolt jolts and shivers around, throttling up and loosening its stiff cruising path. “You might want to hold onto something.”

“Why?” Rarity nervously asks as she latches her front hooves around the poop deck’s railing in front.

“Things are about to get real fun. Right. Now.” With one swift motion of his front leg, he flicks the initial middle lever up from its initial position, causing The Perfection to suddenly drop from the sky and plummet towards the ocean several hundred metres below. Rarity immediately screams as the massive ship rapidly accelerates and tips the bow down to the blue abyss below.

“Pull up! Pull up!”

“One second…” After five seconds of free falling, and the entire behemoth now only a single hundred metres above the waves below, the pirate reaches to his side and yanks a side lever down. The long flagship jerks upwards and straightens out. Only the keel pierces into the rolling water as the pirate ship charges forward at ridiculous speeds. Ahead of them, Rarity and Korsan see a long range of rocky cliff faces at the horizon. As the vessel fails to stop, the cliffside quickly grows larger in their sights, covering their entire vision in only a few seconds. Korsan yanks another lever. The Perfection immediately lifts up and travels along the tall vertical cliff. The ship quickly reaches the top and follows along the tops of the forest at the cliffs. Shifting between two levers, Korsan bobs and weaves the rapid boat between the more gigantic trees. A few accidently clip into the sides of the boat, sending massive chunks of wood chips out over the environment.

“Who taught you how to drive?!”

“Me.” Korsan then pulls the ship directly upwards in the middle of the forest and lets the ship rise for several seconds. As he and Rarity grab onto the wheel and railing with all of their might, Rarity looks behind her and sees a large ravine right below them, only barely larger than the airship.

“You’re not doing that are you?”

“The ravine?” The airship then stalls after climbing several kilometres into the air and turns back around, plunging back towards the world below. “It’s going to fit.”

“No it won’t!”

“I know this ship like my front hoof. Although, I haven’t really seen my hoof for a few years-”

“Watch out!” Korsan focuses back on what’s in front of the ship and sees the bow sprint charging directly towards the outer edge of the chasm. He frantically yanks several levers and whips the wheel to the left, causing the massive ship to slip into the hole and down into its caverns below. The sounds of wood scraping against stone sound off into the darkness as Korsan pilots the lightning-fast airship with the only light being the faint green glow of his ship’s hull and sparks generated by the grinding of wood against the stone walls. Corkscrews, loops, hairpin turns, wide bends, and gravity twisting maneuvers are performed one right after another in the dark and tight cave. Rarity can barely hold onto the firm railing, or her stomach, for much longer as it seems like The Perfection will never stop. Eventually though, the massive behemoth stops its frantic whips and slows downs upon reaching a long, wide stretch of the cave that is filled with glittery gemstones. Rarity and Korsan take awe as the gently cruising ship passes by massive crystals in the wall. Colours of the rainbow dance along the wooden deck and sails of the fully rigged vessel. On the ceiling of the length of cavern hosts enormous golden crystal stalagmites that are skimming the tops of the masts and sails. Just below, the faint sounds of a quiet river can be heard lapping into the keel. “Wow,” Rarity mutters.

“Indeed.” Korsan replies in wonder as well, almost at a lost for words.

“Look at those things above us.”

“Must be a solid vein of pure gold above being mixed with quartz due to water erosion above that’s creating these,”

“Have you ever been here before?”

“No, I wish I did. This place is beautiful.”

“Incredible…”

“Miss Rarity, hold on tight.”

“Why?” Rarity looks back forwards at the bow of the ship and sees that the incoming end of their cavern goes into sharp drop. The pirate airship starts to tilt forward into the abyss and soon roars back alive with speed.

“Here we go again!” In a second, the ship rips back at its neck breaking charge into the darkness below. Screams erupt from Rarity and howls roar from Korsan with the boat resuming its insane maneuvers. Rocks and wood debris smack against the massive ship as it barrels through the caves. The ponies onboard are flung left and right, never stopping for a second. The chaos ensues for several minutes before light can be seen around a corner. Hitting the turn, Korsan and Rarity see the daylight at the other end of a final stretch. The Perfection charges towards it, but as it hits the halfway point, a large section of the cave roof collapses and covers the exit. The pirate pegasus immediately reacts by flinging another lever, causing his vessel to rapidly spiral whilst still speeding ahead. “Hold on!” The ship rams into the rock pile. The wall of stone bursts into pebbles. And the huge airship blasts through the exit and escapes the cave. A gust of breeze washes over the boat as the white unicorn and brown pegasus breathe out a sigh of relief. With the golden sky now returning over their heads, the captain resets the levers surrounding him, returning the huge brig to its normal glide across the sky. Upon returning the farthest switch to its initial positon, the wheel area collapses back to its normal form. “So, what do you think of that?”

Rarity quietly mutters in her gasps for air, “…That. Was. Too scary,”

“Oh.”

“But fun. Just because I’m not a big fan of you, doesn’t mean I can have a little fun.”

“So, want to go agai-”

“No!”

“Haha,” Korsan chuckles to himself for a moment upon being immediately denied.

“Cousin Korsan.” A stallion’s voice cuts in on Korsan’s laughter. Rarity and the pirate look down to the entrance of the galley and see Isyan looking up at him.

“Oh, hello dear cousin,”

“Do you realize what damage you just caused by this joyride of yours?! One of the lavatories has a giant hole in it with its toilet gone, the bowsprit’s bent, the paint’s chipped, one of the kitchen windows are scraped,” as the beige boatswain angrily barks at his leader, Rarity feels as if she’s heard Isyan’s voice from somewhere. However, as hard as she tries, the events of just a minute ago has scrambled her brain for the moment. “Yin and Yu have caused a riot over bets on your joyride. Fawnswa revisited lunch again, Pip’s stuck in a cannon, and your treasure room is spilling out all over the deck!” Korsan then looks down towards the entrance of his vault of treasures and sees the Diamond Eye halves lying out in the open.

“Oh, forgot to close the door… Well, it’s just those two pieces, and they didn’t get too far-”

“Korsan! How are you going to atone for the damage of The Perfection?”

“Don’t worry Isyan, that’s your department. You got this under your control, no need to worry about me.” The formally dressed unicorn growls in fury of his kin’s immature attitude towards and storms onto the lower quarter deck to clean up the loose gemstones. “Oh dear cousin, you’re never without a laugh.” Isyan’s only response is a grumble as he picks up the Diamond Eye halves and puts them together. Upon locking them in place, Korsan’s eyes sharpen at the rainbow light refracted onto the deck under the crystal. “Wait!”

“What now?”

“Don’t, move.” The caped pirate leaps over the poop deck’s rail and next to his cousin and the floating Diamond Eye. He then crotches down to the rainbow glow of the wood and examines the tiny symbols created in the blurry shine of the diamond. “Lift the Diamond Eye up, slowly.” Curious of what he’s on about, Isyan follows along and gently lifts up the crystal. Upon having the symbols having sharpened to firm shapes, the bipedal captain calls out, “Stop!”

“Cousin, what’s going on? It’s just some sunlight going through a prism and making some weird rainbow reflection.” Rarity also walks up to where Korsan and Isyan are and upon seeing the glowing symbols, is immediately reminded of Twilights interest in them back at Thieves’ Hold.

“Don’t you remember from ‘Daring Do and the Lost Kingdoms of Trihearth’? Why didn’t I see this before? It was so obvious from the fact that Daring Do’s mother is-”

“The point?”

“These light symbols are the map! It’s our ticket to Alicorn Island! Ha, ha! Just a bit of time for translating and travel, I will finally be able to use magic, and it’s all downhill from there!” Korsan rises from his crotch and immediately begins to manically laugh in joy. A slight feeling of joy overcomes Rarity as she sees the fun stallion so happy, but also a feeling of dread of what this means for her friends and everypony else.

“Korsan, must you be so open in front of Miss Rarity over here?”

“Bah, you worry too much cousin. To the books!”