Spike sighed as his crew was still in the Tavern, "Ok guys, lets get to going for Finn."

Adagio nodded, "Right, if we spend too much time here, his buyer could come for the amulet."

As the crew went back towards Skull Mountain, they didn't know they were being followed. Two young women, one with light aquamarine and white hair, and one with pink and dark blue hair. The first girl asked her partner, "Are you sure the spell is working Bonbon? That guy looks nothing like the prince, I mean, did you see his hand? It's a blade for Faust's sake!"

Bonbon looked at the crystal orb she carried, "Yes Lyra, the spell is working. That's the prince. He fooled the HMS Pinafore, but he can't fool magic."

The two girls continued to follow Spike's crew. When they had their chance, they made their move. "Prince Spike! You may have fooled the HMS Pinafore's crew, but you can't fool us!"

Spike looked around him as if he was looking for someone, "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes, we are talking to you, young prince," responded Bonbon.

"And you can drop the act Spike, we know it's you," finished Lyra.

"Sorry, but I'm not the prince. Though I sure wish I was, because who wouldn't want to live that sweet carefree life of luxury and all," continued Spike.

"Well, Mr. Not Prince. We will just have to take you in to properly clear up this little misunderstanding." said Bonbon.

"Yeah, I don't think so," countered Spike, before he quickly threw a throwing knife towards Lyra and Bonbon.

Quickly dodging the knife, Lyra resounded with, "Ya missed."

Spike chuckled, "Wasn't aiming at you. Look below your feet."

"Wah-?" was all Bonbon got to say before the floor suddenly gave out beneath them, causing them to fall downwards into the secret tunnels located underneath.

"Rotted floors," shouted Spike. "You never know when they will just suddenly give out."

"Spike! You're gonna pay for that!" yelled Lyra.

"Uh Lyra, I think we have bigger things to worry about than the prince. Much bigger things."

As Lyra turned to Bonbon's direction, her eyes widened when she saw a massive crocigator, "Oh... shit..."

Spike chuckled as the two ran from the mutated crocigator, but when he looked at his crew, he gulped from their disgruntled looks.

"Hehe, mistaken identity," he laughed in a vain attempt to laugh off the incident.

"Once is an accident," said Time Turner.

"But twice is a coincidence," finished Adagio. "And this is twice now we have had people come looking for the prince since you arrived. "

"Not to mention these two thought you were the prince they're looking for." said Bulk Biceps.

"Coincidence indeed some might say, but for me I say no way," added Zecora.

"Ok, you deserve an explanation. Come in here," Spike sighed. They went into a small bunk room that Avery had given Spike earlier, where he started explaining. "Those two girls, they were Lyra and Bonbon, two of Celestia's top spies. The reason they're after me is because... I am the runaway Equestrian prince."

The crew looked very surprised, but Adagio sat next to Spike and asked, "Why didn't you tell us? You're our captain, through and through. Did you think we'd leave just because you're a royal?"

Spike sighed lightly, "Yes actually. I thought if anyone knew I was a runaway prince, nobody would want to be part of my crew."

Time Turner sighed, "Spike, I'll be honest. I knew you were the prince the whole time."

They all looked at Time Turner in shock and said, "You did!?"

Time Turner opened his trench coat, exposing an old Royal Navy uniform from almost fifteen years ago, adorned with medals and explained, "I served in the Royal Navy for eight years. Do you really think I don't know the Prince of Equestria when I see him?"

Adagio raised an eyebrow, "And you didn't tell us why?"

Time Turner closed his trench coat and said, "Because it's really none of my business. Spike, I didn't join the crew as a member of the Royal Navy protecting the Prince of Equestria, I joined the crew of the Black Rose Dragon, a pirate I saw promise in. I'm with you all the way, prince or pirate, you're my captain."

Adagio nodded, "That goes for all of us, we're not here because you're a prince, we're here because you're you."

Spike smiled, "Thanks you guys. But, even if we evaded Lyra and Bonbon, they'll always know where I am. My mother had a tracking spell placed on me years ago."

Zecora cracked her knuckles, "That is where I come in. With me Hoodoo, that spell will be trash in a bin."

"Wow, thanks you guys," said Spike, happily surprised.

"But don't you ever lie to us like again," warned Bulk Biceps.

"Hehe, wouldn't dream of it," laughed Spike.

Zecora took out some supplies and started mixing them. "This potion may taste like shellac, but with it, that orb won't be able to track."

Spike gulped as he smelled the potion, but started drinking it, forcing himself to swallow all of it without vomiting from the taste. "Thanks, Zecora, but how do we know it worked?"

Zecora chuckled, "Have faith in my ways, we shall not see those two for days."

Meanwhile in the tunnels underneath the island, Lyra and Bonbon were panting behind a wall. Lyra looked around the corner and sighed in relief, "I think we lost it."

As Bonbon took the crystal orb out again, "Good, we should get back to- Wh-What the!? The orb, it's not showing where Spike is!"

Lyra's eyes widened, "What!? B-But how could he have fooled the spell!?"

Bonbon sighed, "That zebra girl, she must be a Witchdoctor. While they're hard to make, there are potions that counter tracking spells. Without the spell, Spike's a leaf in the wind. I'd best report back to Celestia. Although I'm sure we're going to get yelled at."

Lyra gulped as Bonbon rubbed the orb to communicate with Celestia. As Celestia appeared in the orb, Lyra said, "A-Apologies Queen Celestia. The tracking spell... it's been canceled out with Hoodoo. We have no idea where the prince might be now."

Celestia's eye twitched as she screamed her lungs out into the orb. After she got done screaming, she sobbed loudly, "If only I could tell him how sorry I am! I just want my baby boy back!"

Bonbon tried to think of a way to console the queen and said, "Well, think of it this way, if he's smart enough to escape us, he's smart enough to stay safe even with all these pirates."

Celestia sniffled as she wiped a tear from her eye, "I-I suppose that's true. Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

Lyra gulped, "Um... well... when we found the prince... his left hand, it was replaced by a blade."

Celestia's eyes widened when she heard that her son had lost his hand and for a moment it looked like she'd lost her sanity. She calmly said, "Well, that's enough. I believe I'm going to go pass out in my bed for a while and cry myself to sleep."

As Celestia left, Lyra and Bonbon gulped and said, "This is bad... hopefully Spike's ok..."

After Spike had finished the potion, he smiled at his crew. "Thanks, you guys, you're the best crew a guy could ask for."

Next Chapter: A Drive for Vengeance Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 54 Minutes