Chapter 23: Illusions and Pirates 1

Two days passed since I returned to Canterlot Castle, and now it's time for me to get some actual work done.

I read through the Nautical Science lessons book, so next time I meet the Chancellor of the EEA I'll be ready to take my test, but I'm not talking about that.

Cosmos, I need to find clues as to who she is and why she's trapped in a gem.

Luckily for me, I have the largest source of magical knowledge in Equestria just down a flight of stairs and a hallway from where I sleep.

The Canterlot Castle Royal Library is the Royal Library of Canterlot Castle.

Crazy, I know.

But if anywhere in Equestria will have information on Cosmos, then this is the place.

And to my amazing astonishment, I was wrong.

There's nothing.

No mention of her "Magical Crystals 1o1", No line about her in "Seals and Curses, The Complete Collection" and not even a drawing of her head in "101 Weirdest Creatures of the World"

This place was useless for finding Cosmos' other body parts, so that idea fell flat.

But something that did catch my eye was a line in "Magic Theory" By Clover the Clever.

Specifically, a Line about creating images via magic, or more succinctly.

Illusions.

Now, I might not understand all this mumbo-jumbo about magical theory and the arcane hoopla. I was a Nautical Science student, not a Quantum Physicist.

But I did play video games, and I know how powerful Illusion magic is.

Sure, Sneak Archer is the best build in Skyrim, nobody will deny that, but it's fun to run around as an Illusion Rogue, stabbing people in the back with sharp daggers.

In the game, at least.

In the real world, I don't think I'd enjoy stabbing people in the back, It's just not me, you know?

But It's a totally different thing to learn the magic for the sake of being able to do more than move objects with a glowing narwhal horn.

I mean, It's Illusion magic, It's not like it can break anything physical, so there's no problem.

What's the worst that can happen?

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Princess Celestia smiled as she stretched her back in the morning.

Her Sun was up, the birds were singing, The smell of the salty sea brushed by her nostrils, it was a wonderful morn- Wait a minute...

There's no sea close to Canterlot...

Heading to the window, Celestia looked outside, and to both awe and horror, Canterlot Castle was in the middle of the ocean.

She looked back at the bed she just came out of, and asked herself if she is willing to deal with this so early in the morning.

And she came to a conclusion, quickly.

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"Princess Celestia! We came here as soon as we got your letter, What happened?" Twilight Sparkle asked her teacher as she and her friends entered the throne room.

It was a surprise for Twilight to receive a letter requesting her presence at the castle, and being told to bring her friends with her on such short notice. Twilight wasn't sure what to think.

Did something go wrong? Is Princess Celestia in Danger? Is Nightmare Moon back?!

So she left Spike alone with Owlowiscious to clean a mess he made in the Library while She and the Girls went to Canterlot Castle to meet with the princess.

"Twilight," Celestia started as she looked down at her student, not surprised that she managed to reach her castle. "The Castle has been sent to the middle of the ocean, your job is to find out why, and how, and bring the castle back to its place in Canterlot."

"..." Twilight nodded her head in affirmation, ignoring the blank stares from her friends.

"Err, Excuse me, your Highness," Her good friend Applejack started, "But the castle is already in Canterlot, we didn't pass any ocean to get here,"

"..." Celestia blinked slowly.

"Good Luck, Twilight Sparkle, I know you can do it." Celestia smiled and turned away from the girls, intent on catching up on sleep.

Leaving the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony alone in the Throne Room, confused as to what she was talking about.

"Woah! Are those ghost pirates?!" Only to quickly look at the window Pinkie Pie was staring from as the sounds of Cannon fire and waves entered their ears, followed by the smell of salt and smoke.

And looking out the window at the back of the Throne Room, their eyes expanded.

No longer were they on Canterlot Mountain, instead they were floating in the middle of the ocean, like an unmoving island, slowly being surrounded by see-through green ships and a skeletal crew of green ghost pirates.

"Woah! Awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she watched two ships of ghosts battle it out, cannonballs flying everywhere as wood splintered and sails billowed.

"Wha- No Rainbow Dash, This is not awesome! Somepony managed to change the location of Canterlot Castle from the inside, creating a one-way entrance with no exit!" Twilight shouted at her friend, who tilted her head in confusion about whatever nerdy words she was talking about.

"Oh dear, This is a big problem, right Twilight?" Fluttershy asked her as she stared in horror at the pirates boarding each-others ships, blades swinging.

"A Big problem? Fluttershy that is an enormous understatement!" Twilight Exclaimed, causing her shy friend to duck into herself for comfort, "If we don't stop this somehow, then people will keep entering the castle, without being able to leave! After a few days, they'll run out of food and clear water! And after that EVEN WORSE!"

Applejack heard enough, "You heard Twilight girls, We need to find the cause of this- this... Twilight what do we call this?"

"A Spatial Cage,"

"This Spatial Cage! And once we do, we'll fix it!" Applejack yelled with a smile.

"Yeah, Let's do this!" Rainbow Dash joined in the excitement.

Twilight nodded with a smile on her face as she saw her friends getting themselves ready to figure out the cause of the spatial cage.

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"Are you sure you don't need help?" Starlight Glimmer asked her "Boss" as she watched him try, and fail, to change the coloring of a small illusion he created on a table in the library.

"No need," He told her as he focused on the scene he created, Many Ships were trying to fire on two smaller ships, as they sailed between them and robbed and pillaged, "You won't be able to help either, this is a dramatic reenactment of Captain Bartholomew Roberts capture and escape with the richest ship in the annual Portuguese Treasure Fleet," He explained to her as if she knew who that captain was and what those ships were.

"Okay, I'll just guard the door in that case," She said and walked away, ignoring his grumbling about how the ships shouldn't be green, or see-through.