Cutter

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 10
Prologue
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Ending A: The Sad One
Ending B: The Sweeter One
Ending C

Chapter 1

With the above principle in mind, even a non-unicorn would have no issue making use of enchanted tools such as we have described earlier in this chapter.

It is this author's proposal, therefore, that the mass production of such tools would provide far more magically inept creatures opportunities traditionally only taken by unicorns. In particular, the assembly and operation of certain machines which hooves are unable to perform, such as the mechanisms found in

In

Yeah, I can't read that word.

I stifled a yawn and leaned back in my chair, setting the book on my desk before stretching my arms above my head. My eyes were bleary from the dim candlelight I'd been reading with, but I was still wide awake. Blinking until my eyes refocused, I turned and idly scanned my room. My bed was right beside my desk, which let me quickly slip from study to sleep, which had been my schedule for the past couple of weeks; I hadn't had much else to do as Celestia was busy with affairs of state, and Luna-

Anyway, things had been dull for me, not that I minded it. It gave me plenty of time to study. There was still a bunch to learn about Equestria, from the intricacies of the three tribes to sharpening my ability to read written Equestrian. I thanked God or whoever was in charge of random acts of magical mischief that spoken Equestrian was magic and so it sounded the same to everyone. I can't imagine how I'd have coped over the last eight months if I hadn't been able to even speak with anyone.

Especially Luna.

Probably similar to how I'm coping now, actually.

That thought urged a shuddering sigh out of me and I rose from my seat before stepping out onto the little tower balcony attached to my room. Like other nights before tonight, my gaze was immediately cast skyward at the moon and stars. I took a shallow breath of the chilly autumn air as I took in the sight of the new and distinctive markings plastered on the face of the alabaster stellar body: A huge cluster of craters forming the shape of a pony's head in profile.

I didn't have a solid enough understanding of the Elements or magic to know what exactly had happened to her. Celestia said she was still alive up there, but that idea wasn't much comfort. I gripped and leaned on the balcony railing as I again found myself anxiously dreaming up what she might have been going through up there. I hadn't seen what happened and sure the castle was partially wrecked, but still.

I can't say I saw this solution as being entirely fair.

A crash split the night air and caused me to jump. Looking down to scan the valley and courtyard for the source, I spied a small team of night laborers who were hard at work trying to clear the debris from one of the collapsed outer towers. Seemingly, the lowest portion of the tower which survived the battle, had finally fallen and nearly buried someone, if the stomping rant the foreman was performing was any indication.

The sight drew my gaze across the rest of the castle, which wasn't in a much better state. I was lucky enough to be considered the royal sisters' pet freak and so I was granted one of the comparatively few bedrooms still available. Most of the staff weren't so lucky, and now tents and bonfires littered the courtyard, a temporary arrangement while the princess and her advisors figured out what to do next.

Suddenly, a fluttering noise popped up behind me and I turned to see Celestia gently fly up and onto the balcony beside me.

"Hello, James," she greeted with a warm tone and smile.

"Hey, Princess," I replied, a bit sharper than I meant to, before looking away.

"How does it look this evening?" She asked as she trotted up right beside me. Glancing back at her, I saw her attention turned skyward and my eyes drifted that way as well.

"Good. I think you did good," I replied.

"Wonderful," she hummed. After a brief stint of silence, I noticed she was focused on the moon and her smile had lost some of its warmth. Grimacing for a moment I cleared my throat.

"How are you holding up?" I asked, at which her ear swiveled my way and she hummed again.

"As well as I can," she said with a slight nod. Her smile waned completely and she sighed. "I simply can't afford to-" Another crash down below made us both jump.

"Careful!" Someone screamed.

"Don't yell! Ponies are sleeping!" Someone screamed back. Celestia huffed as she watched the labor team far below.

"Let things keep me down," she murmured before offering me a weary smile. "For instance, Chamberlain believes it would be more economical to simply relocate rather than finish repairs on the castle." She tilted her head back.

"I-" Her expression fell as she scanned the rest of the castle. In particular, I noticed her gaze fell hard upon a particular tower that had remained unoccupied this whole time. Specifically, she seemed to be lingering on the sight of a brass telescope sitting on its highest balcony. "Am not entirely opposed to the idea." As we both stared at the telescope, she suddenly perked up and whirled around to face me.

"Oh! On the topic of moving, how do you feel about traveling?" She chirped and tilted her head. I hesitated and recoiled.

"Traveling?" I murmured, finally processing her question and responding with a mild shrug. "I mean, it's cool, I guess. Why?" She blinked and waved a hoof.

"No, not the idea, I mean the action," she explained with a giggle before tilting her head again. "How would you like to travel?"

"Uh," I huffed. Before I could say or do anything more, she took a step closer and nodded.

"I think it could do wonders for you with everything that's happened," she declared with a noticeable hint of urgency in her voice. "Some time away from your desk to get your mind off of things." She smiled again and fixed me with an expectant look. But just like her tone, I could see a subtle desperation in her eyes that caused me to frown.

"Celestia, what's happening?" I demanded, leaning against the rail and folding my arms. She held her smile, but her eyes widened in surprise before her entire facade collapsed with a miserable sigh.

"There is an increasingly vocal minority calling for blood, James," she finally replied, sitting down beside me with her head hanging for a moment before fixing me with a severe look. "Yours." I flinched at her explanation.

"Me? What did I do?" I gasped, throwing my hands up.

"Everypony knows that Discord summoned you during our final confrontation," she said before rolling her eyes with a scowl. "Though most conveniently forget that he did so only to quite literally throw you at Luna and me." Yeah, me, a flying purple hippo, six goats, and a jellyfish which was the only living projectile he summoned that actually hit either sister.

I however was the only projectile with enough wherewithal to question what the hell had happened after the fact, and as a result, was the only one the sisters took into their care. Luna had been insistent, while Celestia was still nursing her jellyfish sting. Despite how literally world-shaking the experience had been, I found myself smiling at the memory until Celestia spoke again.

"And there's," she clenched her teeth with a quiet hiss. Her eyes slowly closed and she shook her head. "Another point of contention for these ponies. Your friendship with Luna." My eyebrows shot up and I felt a chill dance up my skin. Celestia held her expression for a moment before hanging her head again.

"They believe that since you were summoned by one villain and were close with," her mouth hung open as she struggled to get the words out. "With another-"

"What, that I'm going to hurt someone?" I spat, folding my arms again with an anxious grunt. My eyes drifted down to the ponies working below us for a moment. Celestia meanwhile shot me a look of relief.

"Right? It's ridiculous, I know!" She cried before throwing her head back with a groan. "But they've made up their minds that you're not to be trusted." I rolled my eyes.

"So what? Who cares if some ponies just don't like me?" I huffed.

"We intercepted an assassin, James," she replied with her head still thrown back. I felt another chill. "One of the maids who was preparing your food." I stared at her in shock for a while before she made a curt laugh and nodded at me.

"Honestly, for once I'm glad you ignored my request to eat more regularly," she said with a sad smile, her eyes drifting off to the side of the balcony. "If you hadn't, well." My gaze again fell to the ponies in the courtyard below.

"What's more, the Griffinstone colony near Trottingham has levied complaints against Equestrian farmers," Celestia continued, her tone becoming more miserable as she spoke. "My military advisors have received word that King Grover is sending a trio of warships to defend his colonists." She took a sharp breath.

"Beyond that, despite Sombra and the Crystal Empire disappearing entirely, some of his followers have resurfaced and started causing trouble in the north," she exhaled hard and her wings sagged. Her mane even began to lose some of its luster. "And of course, using my sister as justification, I've become the target of a large number of unsavory headlines, calling for me to step down from the throne, which has incentivized a few settlements and cities to consider secession." My attention finally turned back to her, though I could only murmur in response. I knew she was busy, but good God. When it rains it pours, I guess.

"And then my guards tell me they caught somepony attempting to kill you. As unstable as the country and everything is, I'm afraid," she hesitated and her eyes wandered before she finally turned to face me. "I'm afraid I can't guarantee your safety here." My breathing was suddenly difficult and I gripped the rail for dear life.

"So- So, shit," I gasped, bringing my free hand to the top of my head. "What am I supposed to do?" Her eyes shot down for a moment and she nodded before scooting closer and slipping a wing around my back.

"Well, like I said," she hummed, gently hugging me with her wing. "I think some time traveling could do you some good."

One of the guards forming the protective ring around Celestia and me bumped into me and nearly toppled me over. "Hey!" She cried as I stumbled and caught myself.

"Sorry!" I cried back as I resumed the brisk pace we were being urged on at. This was the first time I'd left central Equestria, and the first time in months I'd left the vicinity of the royal castle, so I'd wound up freezing as I took in the sight of Vanhoover. There was a palisade wall wrapping from the shoreline to where we'd landed, and throughout the wall's interior were a mix of log cabins, some with as many as two stories, and more official-looking brick buildings. The latter of these all had signs hanging over their doors, which added to the idea they served some official purpose, but I couldn't make out exactly what all of them said due to my shoddy Equestrian and the speed we were moving.

At any rate, we rapidly approached the harbor, where a lot of the local ponies were hard at work, unloading or loading heavy crates and such from or onto the ships lining the shore. As they parted for our procession, we drew near a two-masted ship that was currently being loaded and had a small line of guards at attention along its part of the dock.

"The Quicksilver," Celestia said as we approached the gangplank. My gaze drifted upward as we boarded, and I could spy out a team of pegasi hard at work in the rigging. "I believe it's classified as a brig. No cannons, as the route we've decided upon is very well guarded, especially for the Lunar Sea, and a crew of fifteen, not counting the captain and her quartermaster." Once we made it to the main deck, as my attention was still on the ponies in the rigging, I found myself floored by the sheer height of the masts.

"Wow," I murmured, my eyes drifting to and fro. I wound up getting a look at the rest of the deck as a result. There was a pair of long hatches in the middle, between the two masts, down which cargo was being lowered. To the front of the ship, the bow I was pretty sure, was a big raised platform with a similar raised part toward the back, the stern. The portion at the stern had a pair of stairs leading up to it which surrounded both a set of doors and the helm. I had a feeling the doors led to the captain's cabin but found it strange the helm would be set so low. As for the front bit, I could see a pair of doors leading under it as well but had no idea what lay on the other side.

If I hadn't spotted a narrow stair between the hatches leading below decks, I would have thought that was the way to get to the lower levels. I guessed that was a mystery I could investigate during the coming days. Or weeks. Or, well, however long was I stuck on here.

Now remembering this ship was going to be my home for who knows how long sobered me up from the excitement of seeing a real live sailing ship up close. Before I could dwell on it much, Celestia tapped my back with a wing. Turning, I was greeted with the sight of a pair of new ponies: One, a unicorn with a grey coat, blonde mane, and bright, toothy smile, was wearing a bicorn hat and a yellow uniform. The other, also a unicorn, had a similar uniform with a white coat and an orange mane. Of the two, the hatless guy looked less enthused to see me or Celestia but still wore a meager smile.

"James, this is Captain Quicksilver," Celestia explained nodding to the one with the hat. Her horn lit up and she tipped her hat to me with a slight bow.

"Hello," I said, mimicking the gesture.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Cutter," she chirped in a sugar-sweet tone before hopping next to me and nudging me with her flank. "Don't worry about a thing! The princess explained the situation and I promise you you're perfectly safe aboard this ship!" She brushed her chest with a hoof before sweeping the same hoof toward the crew working around us. Her partner hummed and looked around at the crew alongside me. Most of the other ponies weren't in uniforms, though I did spy one wearing a bandana, another wearing a scarf, and-

I blinked and did a double-take. Toward the bow of the ship and exiting through one of the doors came a zebra in a red coat with a yellow sash around her chest and an auburn unicorn with a black mane and goatee. He was also wearing a wide-brimmed grey hat that matched his overcoat and had thick, round black glasses on.

"The whole crew was specially vetted by myself and the princess' agents to make certain nopony unsavory got aboard," Quicksilver explained as she swept her hoof across the deck before her attention fell upon the zebra and unicorn as the pair stood talking. She snorted and her hoof hit the deck with a sharp click. "Mostly nopony unsavory." I furrowed my brow.

"Who is that?" I murmured.

"James, this way," Celestia called, at which point I realized she'd stepped away from the captain and me and was making her way down below decks followed by the guards carrying my luggage. I bowed to the captain before hurrying after her. Once I made it to the stairs, I glanced up at the unicorn and zebra again. At that moment, the zebra looked back at me, drawing the sinister unicorn's attention my way as well.

While he only tilted his glasses down to cast a critical and unimpressed leer my way, she fixed me with a subdued and knowing smile. As I stood there gawking at the pair, I was again bumped and nearly sent tumbling down the stairs.

"Don't you dawdle! Keep the damn stair clear!" A sharp old voice snapped.

"Sorry!" I cried turning to see a one-eyed and grizzled green pegasus who shook his head at me before flying back to the rigging. Huffing at the angry little pony, I spared another glance at the peculiar pair before hurrying down below decks.

At the bottom of the stairs, I immediately spotted Celestia stepping through a door that was set on the left side of a narrow corridor beneath the raised rear deck.

"This is your cabin," she said once I'd caught up and followed her inside. Or at least, I tried to follow her inside. "I had some of your books already delivered and you'll find a few changes of clothes in that wardrobe. Captain Quicksilver or her quartermaster, Happy Bay, can help you around the ship once things are underway." Once the guards dumped my bag and filed out, I was able to get a better look at the cabin.

"Seems pretty cramped," I appraised. There was a bed and a desk, like the ones I'd had back at the castle, but they were smushed up against each other, as the room was so narrow there was no space otherwise. In fact, the bookshelf and wardrobe were also pressed against each other, with the former coming right up to the foot of my bed. All in all, I had about five square feet of room to walk around in, and most of that was currently taken up by Celestia. At the very least, I had a hatched window to look through.

"Well, it was built with ponies in mind," Celestia mused, stepping to the side and allowing me space to step in. "But it'll still be fun! Rolling across the waves, hearing sea shanties!" She tilted her head down to better meet my eyes as I considered my new living space.

"And it's only for a little while. Just until things have smoothed out here at home," she offered with a sympathetic smile. I sighed at her words and considered the narrow space again as well as the sounds of the sea through my window. Carefully stepping past her, I pushed on the hatch and fixed it open, giving me a clear view of the harbor and the horizon beyond. Focusing on it and her words for a moment, I managed a smile.

"Yeah, and I guess it's not the first time I've had my living situation shaken up," I said with a curt laugh before turning back to her with a meager smile. "Least this time I'm on the same planet." Despite my attempt at a joke, she blinked and her ear twitched.

"I'm sorry, James," she suddenly said causing me to flinch.

"For what?" I asked.

"For all of this," she murmured, shaking her head before hanging it. "Luna and I-" She clenched her eyes and turned her head with a grunt.

"We were both still getting used to all of this governing business," she continued, finally opening her eyes and looking through the window with a sorrowful expression. "If I were older, wiser, maybe-" The creaking of the ship around us and the waves outside were the only sound for a short while.

"Maybe a lot of things could have been prevented," she finally said in a near whisper. I stood with my arms drooped at my sides and my eyes also focused on the sea outside. After a short silence, I considered her with my brow furrowed.

"It's not your fault," I offered. Her eyes drifted down before she turned to face me again. We held each other's gaze for a few seconds before she donned a serene smile and nodded.

"Make yourself comfortable. I need to go speak with the captain and then I have to return to the castle," she said before squeezing past me for the door, brushing my shoulder with a wing as she did. "I'll see you soon, alright?"

"Yeah, see you soon," I replied with a nod. She bowed her head at me slightly before stepping through the door and pulling it shut. Once I was alone, I sank down onto my mattress and cupped my head in my hands with my elbows on my knees. Eventually, my attention returned to the window and I sat up on my knees to lean on it and get a better look outside.

As I watched the waves and the sails filling the harbor, a splash suddenly caught my attention. Glancing down toward its source, I saw the ripples from where whatever had fallen had hit the water. To my surprise, a teal pony's head suddenly popped out of the water. They gasped a breath and shook their sea-green mane before looking up at the ship's side with a frown before swimming out of sight. I furrowed my brow at the sight before returning my attention to the horizon.

"Crewmate must've fallen in," I muttered.

Chapter 10

"The wind's acting screwy," Gab murmured as he paced the deck.

"I hear you," I replied, watching our sails billow weakly. "We don't have far to run."

Compared to the Lost Lagoon, the icy pass we were sailing down was a cakewalk. Except for a few narrow bends on the fringes of the strait, like the one Sombra's followers had hidden in, the entire pass was fairly straight, giving us an easy cruise up until we approached the follower camp. Now that we were level with them, it was even more obvious how invisible they'd be if you were to approach from the south.

"Look there," Gab called, pointing down off the starboard rail. Approaching and bending over to see what he'd spotted, there was a mast partially visible and completely sunk below the water. "That must be what's become of any patrols sent up this way. They sailed right past 'em and then got attacked from behind." I nodded with a hum, once again giving serious consideration to asking Ben to move up this way. Beyond the obvious advantages the strait brought, I'd trade having to wear a sweater for sweating to death even when half-naked any day. I turned to our helmsmare and strode to the larboard rail.

"Alright, Ms. Rosepetal! Eighteen notches starboard, then hold us once we're fixed for a larboard broadside," I ordered, earning a salute from her before she did as instructed. I signaled the rigging crew. "Trim us off the wind and standby!"

"What exactly are we doing, Captain?" Happy asked, trotting up to the rail beside me. I gave him a nod as I drew my spyglass.

"They've spent their time hiding out here, avoiding drawing Equestria's attention so they could maintain the element of surprise," I explained, offering him a knowing smile, and grateful that we'd kept the flag Quicksilver had flown when the ship was hers. "Imagine how they'll react when they see a ship suddenly appear with an Equestrian flag?" As I leveled my spyglass, the ship came around.

"Mr. Riser! Strike up our colors!" I yelled.

"Aye aye, Captain!" He yelled back. I hadn't been able to get a good look at the inhabitants from atop the ridge Pine Needle led us to, but now, I could see diamond dogs, minotaurs, a few griffins, and a small number of peculiar-looking ponies, including the five red-horned unicorns allegedly leading the whole band. Notably, the unicorns had the same strange look that the ponies did; A sort of dull, glossy sheen to them, like polished crystal.

Humming at the sight, I leaned further off the rail as I spotted the unicorns approaching a crystal cage, in which several uniformed griffins and ponies were kept. One of the unicorns began pacing in front of the cage, clearly making a speech when all five suddenly jolted and looked in the same direction. Looking that way as well, I spotted a trio of minotaurs waving their arms and gesturing our way while one of them was looking back at us with a spyglass.

"They've spotted us, get ready," I ordered. The five unicorns suddenly appeared beside their lookouts in a flash of light before snatching the spyglass from them. The second they spotted us they fell into an argument with one waving his hooves at us. Two of them immediately took off toward the barges, screaming something at their fellows, which led to a third throwing her head back with a pained expression before scowling our way and following along.

Seeing their leaders mobilizing, a large portion of the other creatures shot to attention and ran to their ships. Three more flashes signaled that the three unicorns had arrived aboard three separate barges, but another flash signaled that the guy with the spyglass had arrived on the shoreline. I watched him for a moment as he screamed as his companions, gesturing wildly in a northern direction, seemingly passed us.

I narrowed my eyes at his actions, and for a moment I was worried he'd talked some sense into his fellows, reminding them about what was lurking north. To my relief, one of the ship-bound unicorns blasted their ship with magic, causing the barge to begin rolling out of the rough port they'd built. Seeing their fellow set sail, the other two followed suit to the visible distress of the fourth guy.

"Here they come! Rosepetal! Hard to starboard!" I yelled, pacing from the rail and swinging my spyglass at the crew. "Loose and catch the wind!"

As the crew scrambled to fulfill my orders, I pointed at Zama. "They've got a few winged folks," I explained, rattling my sword. She threw her head back with a sigh.

"Aye, Captain," she murmured before trotting up beside me as we walked to the quarterdeck. From there, I watched as the ship turned and began rolling at a slow pace back up the way we'd come. Looking back over my shoulder, I could already see the sails were struggling and I hissed before examining our pursuers.

They were slowly maneuvering around the rest of their small fleet and so had yet to enter the strait when one of them suddenly pulsed hard and then went still. Recoiling, I whipped out my spyglass and examined it, finding the unicorn piloting it was massaging her horn with a wince.

"Constant effort, huh?" I murmured with a smirk. "It'll be like being chased by a rowboat then." I turned back to the crew.

"We just have to maintain our speed and let them wear themselves down!" I yelled. "They'll have to rest eventually!"

"Hopefully eventually comes before they're in range to send out those birds of theirs," Zama replied.

"Hopefully," I agreed. Silence fell over the strait for some time after that, only broken by an occasional order for course correction by Gab or me. During the entire time, I was painfully aware of the sails every movement, especially when they suddenly went completely slack, leaving us to drift until the wind picked up again. Those were the moments I had to forcibly recall the fact that almost half as often the magic pushing our pursuers along would die out. Spying out at them, I could see at least two of the unicorns were now red in the face, huffing and puffing as they scowled at us.

Suddenly, after a particularly long period of no wind, Early cried out. "Incoming!" Looking up, I saw several dots racing toward us that my spyglass revealed were several griffins with furious scowls and claws extended.

"Shit! Brace for boarders!" I yelled, sweeping back my coat and drawing the blunderbuss and the tools to load it. As the crew raced to points around the deck that were easier to defend, I stuffed some gunpowder into the barrel and packed it down with a wad of paper and a handful of lead balls, just like how Powder Monkey'd shown me you load a cannon.

Turning it, I added a smaller measure of powder into the pan near its trigger, which now had a small piece of cord in it. Drawing a match and lighting it on the rail, I ignited the cord and took a breath before bracing the gun against my shoulder and leveling it at the approaching griffins.

"Steady, Captain! Steady!" Zama called, revealing she'd run back to the staircase. Glancing over my shoulder at her with confusion, she daintily waved a hoof. "That thing might just explode for all we know." Rolling my eyes, I focused on the griffins.

I'd never used a gun before, but I knew enough about old-timey firearms to know this thing had a limited range. I took deep, even breaths and ignored the aching in my arms as I held it steady, waiting for them to get closer. And closer. And closer.

I narrowed my eyes and aimed it higher as they were close enough to see me aiming something at them and began circling upwards to spoil my aim. I held my breath and suddenly, thanks to the fact they, like everything else in this world, were vibrant, distinctive, and colorful, I spotted a brief instant during which three of the six were very close together.

I blinked and fell into a coughing fit as a horrible, rotten egg smell filled the air around me. My shoulder had exploded in pain and there was a horrible ringing in both my ears. The smell stung my eyes and I waved my hand through the cloud of thick smoke blocking my vision. The second the air was clear, I saw through my tears that the griffins I'd aimed at were tumbling down out of the air, blood streaming after them in a faint mist. The other four hung in the air with horrified looks on their faces before turning my way.

Gritting my teeth, I aimed the unloaded gun at them. I of course knew it wasn't loaded. But the weapon had allegedly only been invented in Abyssinia a few months ago, so I hoped they had no idea what exactly it was.

As they jolted and then zoomed back to their ship, I sighed hard in relief that I was right. Leaning on the rail with the gun hanging at my side and my shoulder still numb, I panted, unable to take my eyes off the bloody patch of water behind us.

"Us or them," I huffed. I jumped when something smacked my leg. Turning, I looked down at Zama who wore a wide smile.

"Fn fn fn fn!" She mumbled.

"Huh?" I yelled, barely able to hear my own voice. She recoiled.

"Fn?" She pressed. Seeing my bewildered expression, she suddenly blinked and then jabbed a hoof at me before, seemingly, falling into a laughing fit. That I couldn't hear.

"God damn it, I think I deafened myself!" I yelled, slapping my ear and causing her to fall onto her side and cover her eyes as she laughed.

The sudden and shocking deaths of three griffins had seemingly made the other birds second guess the idea of boarding us in such small groups, and no further attempts were made over the next hour. During that time, my hearing returned, albeit marred by a perpetual and highly grating ringing, and the wind continued to falter. As a result, the enemy ships were growing closer and closer with every minute.

My constant presence at the stern's rail, blunderbuss loaded and presented, seemed to keep the enemy crew from flying at us just yet, however, giving us time to approach the north outlet of the strait. As it crawled closer and closer, the unicorn piloting the nearest ship to us stepped to its bow and drew a speaking trumpet.

"Abomination!" She screamed. I recoiled and drew ours as well.

"Present!" I screamed back.

"What foul magic has Celestia stooped to to produce such a thing as you?" She demanded.

"The lost arts of fuck you!" I replied, causing her to recoil. At that moment, the edges of the land on either side of us slipped by and we entered the northern sea. No reply came for a moment, and upon peering through my glass, I saw the unicorn was considering the sea around us for a moment before smirking at me.

"Rosepetal, Powder! Set us up for a starboard broadside!" I yelled.

"Aye, sir!" They called back. As our ship slowly banked, I watched the unicorn signal the other ships and the three barges slowed and came up side-by-side.

"Well, whatever spells she enacted, she clearly did not prepare you for what is waiting out here!" She yelled, drawing a smirk from me.

"Very true! I figured it out myself!" I yelled back. At that moment, the water behind them erupted, cutting off their access to the strait with a towering cloud of fog. I watched the three unicorns whirl around in horror as the Bell-bound rose from the depths. I turned to the crew. "Fire at will, Sergeant!"

"With pleasure, Captain!" Powder replied with a malicious chortle. I paced to the starboard rail of the quarterdeck, watching the scene unfold with my glass. The ghostly figures leaped from their cursed ship upon the barges, swarming the three ships and tackling the crew to their decks. A few of the crew managed to draw their weapons and tried fighting off the cursed souls, to absolutely no effect as their blades passed harmlessly through them.

Despite their intangibility, the ghosts were fully capable of harming their prey and began dragging them back to their ship. A few of the ghostly ponies actually began hugging and cuddling up to some of their victims as others snatched up blades and knives with their ghostly mouths before-

"Oh my God," I coughed, stowing my spyglass.

"What's that?" Gab asked, drawing his glass and trying to see before I waved him off.

"They uh-" I cleared my throat and shook my head. "They weren't joking." He looked at me in confusion before blanching.

"Oh," he murmured. Seconds after that, the first volley of cannon fire blasted the barges, earning a satisfying and resounding crack like thousands of tons of glass exploding. I stood there in mild shock at what I'd seen before I jumped, remembering the rest of the plan which the cannons were signals for. Whirling around, I drew my glass and spied up at the cliffside ridge overlooking the slaughter.

There, I could see a bonfire being lit up by unseen deer, and then another lit up a good ways down the ridge, setting off a chain of fires, all the way back to the camp, which was now down three of its commanders and over half of its defenders.

"Three more volleys to get those barges sunk, and then let's get moving!" I yelled. As Powder and her crew moved to follow my order, morbid curiosity got the better of me and I peered back out at the barges. A wide frown slowly worked its way onto my face as I spied the unicorn skeleton leader of the ghosts had her jaws clamped on the throat of the enemy unicorn who'd led the pursuit and was thrashing her back and forth like a dog toy. Suddenly, as she slammed her down, a ball of green fog with a dull red light inside rolled out and then unfurled into a pony shape, laying on its back with a dazed look in its eyes and its legs curled against itself.

The skeleton hurled the corpse away before galloping to and scooping up the new ghost, before crushing her in a tight hug. As the new ghost looked around in confusion, the skeleton paused and turned to leer back at me. We stared at each other for a moment, before she perked up and waved at us just as the ship she was standing on cracked all the way through and began to sink in two separate parts. Another volley of cannons kicked up water, crystal, and fog making the ghostly crew vanish from sight.

By the time we'd made it back to the fort, all hell had broken loose. Deer were stampeding over the walls by way of felled trees or were invading the shore using long canoes. Additionally, one of the barges was struggling to wriggle free of the fort's port, seemingly having wedged itself against three other barges in the panic of battle. Upon seeing our ship appear, the unicorn aboard froze up, giving us time to turn and rake a broadside up the line of barges.

Once again the distinct sound of shattering glass pierced the air as our cannons blasted clean through at least one of the barges thanks to our closer proximity. The sight and sound caused a violent reaction ashore, increasing the panic of our enemies and emboldening the deer. The unicorn aboard the barge disappeared in a flash, but scanning the landscape with my glass I saw no sign of her. Instead, I spotted the last remaining unicorn, the fellow who'd spotted us and tried to warn his allies, standing at the entrance of the fort proper and scowling my way before galloping inside.

I drew a breath and turned to the crew. "I need some volunteers to go ashore while the rest of you sink those barges."

Once a team was assembled including Zamaradi, Galley, Scurry, Pepper, and Stitches, we dropped one of the lifeboats and rowed to shore before hurrying to the battle. The eastern side of the compound was full of smoke from our cannons and let us slip right in and get a look at everything up close before we were noticed.

I immediately spotted Pine Needle as he and two other deer were trampling a particularly large minotaur and ran up to them. "Last unicorn just ran inside!"

"Excellent! Let us finish them!" He replied before taking a breath, making a horn-like call, and galloping toward the fortress gate. A dozen other deer turned at his call and followed us as we raced for the gate. By the time we'd arrived, I had my blunderbuss loaded and its cord lit, as well as the special bits of cork with some string trailing off them Holiday had made plugged in my ears.

A few dogs and griffins retreated inside as we approached, leaving the door wide open, and I hesitated before slapping Needle to get his attention.

"They might have crossbows aimed at the door," I reported, drawing a thoughtful scowl from him. As we moved to the wall just beside the door, he looked around and then considered the pouch of supplies I loaded my gun with.

"Do you have spare shooting powder?" He asked, causing me to flinch and open the pouch.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Does it make much smoke?" He pressed. Catching his meaning I drew a handful and tossed it onto the ground just before the door. Hurling a few more handfuls, I lit a match, handed it to Scurry, and retreated back from the pile I'd made as he fluttered above it and dropped the flame.

The pile made a terrific bang and, just as Needle hoped, filled the air with smoke, before, just as I feared, several bolts went flying through the door.

"Bastards!" A hissing, gravelly voice roared.

"Go!" Pine Needle yelled in response and our company charged the door, pushing through the smoke and revealing the foyer of the fortress. Against good sense, I had been one of the first to dive in with Pine Needle at my side. Thus, I was the first to spot the unicorn leading the stunned defenders who were scrambling to reload their bows.

His horn lit up as a hateful scowl exploded across his face, but before he could do anything, I swept my gun up and fired.
The defenders all cried out and fell to the wayside as their leader sprang up on his hind legs, throwing his head back with a choking gasp before falling flat on his back. As they looked at him in horror, their fearful eyes were immediately drawn to our company as the deer stampeded in and leveled their spears and horns at them.

The defenders all dropped whatever weapons they had and held their paws, claws, or hooves up, allowing Pine Needle and me to approach their fallen commander. As we examined his twitching, ruined body and face, more deer began to pour in. One of them whispered something to Pine Needle and he gave me a nod.

"The fort is ours, Captain Cutter."

The creatures who had held the fortress were now rounded up and bound at the center of the compound, surrounded by deer, while the Quicksilver sat moored on the shore, where my crew was now hauling up bits of raw and potentially valuable crystal we'd either fished out of the water or smashed off of the buildings. Overall, however, the place was still in good shape.

"Damn it all, I have to convince Ben to roll up here," I murmured as I looked over the landscape. I couldn't help but gasp and throw my hands out as the slowly setting sun set the entire compound glittering and painted the snowy forest with a grey yet warm and comforting shade.

As I admired the scenery, Gab trotted up to me with a severe look. "Galley's off on her own again," he said, nodding his head back. True enough, the little pony was on the complete opposite end of the port, looking at the sunken barges and the other side of the strait. Furrowing my brow, I gave Gab a nod before making my way to her side.

This time, her ear swiveled and she turned to look up at me with a sad frown. "Everything alright?" I asked, looking over the water myself. She considered the water again before facing me.

"I need to ask Mr. Pine Needle something," she said with an urgent tone. Nodding, I scanned the deer for him before leading her up to him as he was speaking with a few deer that then turned and bounded away into the woods. Seeing us approach, he offered a warm smile before Galley trotted up and sighed quietly.

"How long have these guys been here?" She anxiously asked, drawing a nod from him.

"Nearly two years, save a few months," he explained. She caught her breath and looked back at the barges.

"Have they-" She stammered before looking back up at him. "Have they been- Attacking ships since then?"

"It's possible. The barges they were using have been here as long as they themselves," he replied with a furrowed brow. Galley gasped quietly and cast her gaze down until I knelt beside her.

"They-" She murmured before giving me an anxious look. "They might have had something to do with dad disappearing." I considered her words and looked up at Needle. He focused on Galley for a moment before speaking.

"We will be hunting for the escaped unicorn," he said with a nod. "If you wish to join us, you are more than welcome." She blinked and looked at him with a hopeful light in her eyes as he smiled.

"Captain Cutter and his crew have proven themselves our allies, after all," he added, offering me a wry smile. She held her gaze on him for a few seconds before looking at me.

"Captain Cutter?" She murmured. In response, I smiled and patted her back, drawing a hopeful huff from her and a smile. I looked back over my shoulder to see the crew gathered together and marveling at a particularly large hunk of crystal before I stood up and approached them. Once they saw me, they all gave me their attention and I folded my arms.

"Listen up, Galley's going to be staying here," I declared to their collective surprise. "She's elected to join the deer while they search for the last of Sombra's unicorns." An uneasy silence fell over them all before Rosepetal looked down and past me.

"You're leaving us?" She murmured, causing me to turn and see Galley slowly stepping up beside me with her head hanging and her ears back.

"I-" she whimpered, averting her eyes now that the whole crew was looking. "I have to. I think they had something to do with my dad disappearing." A few ponies murmured at her words, and Holiday drew his pipe.

"I only just pieced it together that he might have sailed up this way during the war," she added, considering the wrecks in the water. Some of the ponies shared a look and Gab jolted with a gasp.

"Is that why you asked me about ships dealing with the Crystal Empire all those months ago?" He asked with a huff. When she nodded he threw his head to the side with a grunt. "Ah, heck."

"Sorry," Galley replied before squeaking when Rosepetal jumped forward and yanked her into a hug.

"I'll miss you," she squeaked. Most of the rest of the crew gathered close as well whispering farewells and encouragement, and forcing me to withdraw a few steps to give them space. As they hugged it out, I looked around the compound again and noticed the pony and griffin prisoners we'd freed. They were out of their cage, but they still had chains around their legs. One of the ponies had me fixed with a critical look and so I stepped up to them.

Once I was before them, she looked me up and down. "The deer mentioned you were the reason they were able to capture this place. Who are you?" Looking at the rest, they were all clearly wondering the same thing, so I nodded.

"James Cutter, Capt-"

"James Cutter?" She gasped, raising a hoof as best she could. "The princess has been looking for you!" I raised an eyebrow as the other ponies murmured excitedly.

"Mr. Cutter, she'll no doubt be relieved to have you returned," she chirped with a bright smile before pointing at the Quicksilver. "And I see you've managed to secure a ship. Excellent!" She gave me a curt nod.

"We'll set sail for the nearest Equestrian port at once!" She declared causing me to fold my arms and tilt my head back. "Please undo these chains so my soldiers can crew the ship." The griffins grumbled at her words and gave me a set of unhappy glares.

"The ship already has a crew," I declared, jabbing a thumb at my chest. "Mine." The ponies went silent and the griffins perked up while the pony officer gave me an annoyed glare.

"Don't play games, Mr. Cutter," she sighed.

"It's Captain Cutter," I spat causing her to flinch. "And our ship is not bound for Equestria, save to deliver you and these prisoners of war to it by the quickest and safest passage I perceive." The griffins wilted at my words and she blinked as I slowly stalked closer.

"We have endured a voyage of many weeks and freed you, but not so I may return. I sail now for Naysow, where I and my crew will relax after many tribulations," I added, her ears snapping back at the mention of Naysow. "And then we shall commit even bolder acts than this." I knelt before her causing her to slowly hug the ground.

"Tell the princess this: James Cutter is alive, well, and will soon make waves in this sea, some of which may be to all Equestria's fortune," I reached forward and ruffled her mane with a smile. "Savvy?"

Her eyes darted left and right for a moment. "Sure?"

A careful bit of maneuvering and the presence of our captive officer made our journey out of the strait an easy affair. Twice we were approached by Equestrian ships hailing us, but our captive reported to them via the trumpet that she had escaped from the strait and was now hurrying to Manehattan. Thanks to that, we wound up with a small escort of two brigs for our journey, ensuring that no griffin vessels would threaten us, not that we saw any.

When Manehattan rolled into view, we tied to lifeboats together and set our captives adrift, finally having undone their chains and leaving the griffins bound. Our former escort slowed to rescue them, giving us time to pull away.

And so after nearly a month, we finally pulled back into Naysow's harbor, a hull full of expensive-looking crystal, and one hell of a report to make. The docks quickly became a riot as other privateers and locals spread the word that we'd returned. As we stood on our rail, holding up the chunks of rock we'd taken, Ben suddenly stormed out on the dock and fixed me with an astonished expression that melted to a relieved smile when he saw my confident smirk. Under an hour later, I was sitting across from him at a table in his villa.

"-And once the escorting brigs pulled off, we were pretty much home clear," I concluded, reclining in my seat with a sigh as I sipped on my hot chocolate. Ben took a long and intense drag from his pipe, holding his incredulous gaze on me the entire time before he finally heaved a thick plume of smoke out.

"Good show, Lad. Good show," he declared.

"Might sound hard to believe, but just you wait," I set my mug down and pointed at him. "Any issues you were worried about with those barges hampering the operation will vanish by the end of this week!" He nodded intently.

"No, no! I believe you!" He declared before pausing and slowly wincing. "But~!" I furrowed my brow as his wince intensified and he rolled his head off to the side.

"I also might've sorta, kinda," he rolled one paw and rocked his head. "Elevated the severity of the situation to ye. Just a smidge." He held up and squeezed two claws together for emphasis, causing my jaw to drop.

"Fu-huh?" I gasped, earning a sorrowful nod.

"Aye, truth is, well," he rolled his paw and gestured passed me. "One of the other Merrits already had a solid scheme for settling the whole affair and with much less effort too." I blinked and he leaned forward, clapping his knees.

"See, I knew though, if I let you in on the problem, and you decided to deal with it," he pointed at me with a smile. "You'd pull it off."

"Ben, we almost got eaten by ghosts," I huffed, causing him to blanch.

"Well! I didn't think you'd roll all the damned way around to the northernmost sea!" He declared, throwing his arms up and then folding them. "In my defense." He scrunched up his muzzle and looked away, leaving me to slowly sink into my seat with a hand on my head.

"Why- Why- What?" He winced again and held his paws out to me.

"Look! I'm prepared to compensate you for your efforts, make no mistake!" He said, leaning forward and grabbing my leg. "But I had a damned good reason for letting you show your stuff, lad." Just then, the table, my seat, and Ben's all shook as something heavy thundered behind me. Ben perked up and gestured behind me.

"Ah! And here the damned good reason is now!" He declared as more booms shook the whole place, slowly revealing themselves to be footfalls. As I sat up and looked around in shock, I found several figures making there way to us.

"Captain Cutter, this is Catarina from Abyssinia," Ben declared, gesturing to a brown female Abyssinian with black dreadlocks and a white shirt tucked into a yellow belt over black baggy pants. She fixed me with a smile as she sat down on the couch beside Ben.

"Dreadless 'Not So' Bulwark, from the Minos Plains," he added, gesturing to a green-eyed minotaur in a suit of scales with a long black beard tied off into seven braids. He stood beside the couch with his arms folded and fixed me with a hard, even stare.

"Amethyst Arcana from the Crystal Empire," Ben added as a unicorn with a similar polished sheen to the ponies we'd fought earlier came trotting up. Her horn was a dull blue color, matching her mane, and contrasting the light pink of her coat. She wore a dour expression at first until I met her eyes, at which point she smiled with a nod.

"And Junior. The mountain troll," Ben chirped. The ground shook again as I was cast in a shadow. Looking up, I saw a towering, hulking, lumpy humanoid, with a bulbous nose over a tusked smile. He too had dreadlocks that obscured his eyes and fell down to his bare shoulders as he only wore a pair of suspenders.

"Hullo, Jim," he said in a low, rumbling voice as he sat down behind the others. Ben stood up and spread his arms out, presenting the whole group.

"These are the Six Merits of the Flying Gang," he declared, before pausing and tilting his head back. "Well! I suppose we're only five after Arnoso showed his ass." Catarina looked off to the side with a hissing growl, and Junior gently patted her shoulder with a finger. Ben meanwhile, leaned forward onto his knees, fixing me with a smile.

"But you'd make six, wouldn't you?" He added with an expectant look. I stared at him for a moment before realizing what he was saying and gawping.

"There are sixty-two companies that call Naysow home, and of those, only five have any greater ambition than mere plunder," he explained, pacing around the table. "Of those five, only three have proven they have the competency to pursue those ambitions." He knelt down beside me and grabbed my hand.

"And of those three, you're the only one I can actually stand," he declared.

"Jury's still out for the rest of us," Junior added, holding up one finger. "Seeing as we've only just met, and all."

"You'll be entitled to a portion of the tribute rolling up from our subordinate crews and you'll have a much greater score of operating freedom than you may realize you had," Ben continued, standing up and giving me an even frown. "You've been a good boy so far, but if you had caused us or any subordinate crew any issues, we woulda been forced to give you the boot."

"As a Merit, the only ones you need worry about offending are your fellow Merits," Catarina explained, leaning on the arm of the couch with a smile. "And even then, we put it to a vote whether we actually do something or not."

"As a Merit, you'll have an easier time finding new lads to bolster your numbers if you need," Ben added before clapping his hands and shaking my shoulder. "Ah! And you won't be taxed no more!"

"There is a community pool betwixt us, but this is voluntary," Dreadless said in a thick Russian accent.

"There's also the fact you'll have a say in any changes we make to our operation," Amethyst chirped. Ben paced in front of me and kneeled.

"I wanted to prove to this lot that you had the makings of something grand," he explained, poking me in the chest. "The merit to help this operation really prosper." He gave me a wry smile.

"When word spread that you'd returned, that just about cinched it, hey?" He added, at which the others nodded. He gave me a more intense and expectant smile. "So?" I blinked and looked at each of them for a hard moment before shrugging.

"Sure. Fuck," I huffed. Ben was the first to react, clenching his paws in a triumphant gasp before the others cheered. Except for Dreadless, who merely nodded his head at me. Ben shot to his feet, dragging me with him, and jabbed a claw at Junior.

"Junior! Fetch a cask of rum!" He barked, causing the giant to nod and stride off out of the villa, followed by the others.
I frowned as Ben pulled me along. "I don't really dri-"

"Belay that! You do tonight!" He declared. Before I could argue further, another boom shook me. Looking forward, I saw Junior opening a barrel that came up to his waist. Ben growled a laugh before shoving me forward. "Perfect! Inaugurate our boy!" Before I could react, Junior grabbed me by the ankles with one gigantic hand and hauled me up.

"Wait. Wait! WAIT!" I cried as the other Merits cheered. The next thing I knew, I was completely submerged. Seconds passed before I finally saw the open air again and I sputtered, blinking and gasping for air.

"He looks sober to me," Catarina mused.

"Again!" They all urged.

"N-" Was all I could get out before I was soaked again. The process repeated maybe a dozen or so times before I was hauled out for a final time, clothes soaked and sticky, and stood up on my feet. I promptly stumbled and collapsed against Ben. "F-Don't?"

Ben firmly slapped my back as he dragged me forward. "That's the spirit! Come on you lot! The town awaits!"

"And that was the last time I ever drank rum," I explained, leaning back in my seat as Celestia balked at my story.

"Goodness," she gasped, shaking her head. "Well, at least you made it out of that situation without submitting to alcoholism."

"True," I mused, slowly nodding my head as I considered the slowly setting sun through my suite window. The sight reminded me of another detail of that day and I grimaced. "Though, I-" Celestia looked up at me, causing me to wilt and then sigh.

"I might've picked up another bad habit," I finally admitted.

A knock at my door shook me to the core. "I'm good. Have fun without me," I weakly called out. To my immense frustration, the sound of the lock being thrown proved that the innkeeper had given my guest a key. Pulling the pillow from my dizzy head, I looked down the length of my bed to see Apricot trotting in with a box balanced on her back.

"Just me tonight," she chirped, carefully shutting the door with a kick. I rolled my eyes with a grunt. "Big party like that is good for business."

"So why aren't you-"

"Commodore's request," she interrupted as she approached the side of my bed, nodding at the box. "And he wanted me to give this to you." I considered the box and her with equal annoyance before sighing and sitting up. Grabbing the box and opening it, I recoiled when I found a big glass pipe like the one Ben was always using.

"I don't smoke," I grumbled.

"He also said you don't drink," she argued with a wink as I removed the entire thing. "And don't worry. This isn't for tobacco."

"What's it for?" I pressed, looking over the contraption. A bag dropped onto my lap.

"Lucid laurels, the stuff you always see him smoking. He said you might like it, since you're 'a dreamer, too,'" she explained, gesturing to the bag. I furrowed my brow and shook the bag.

"Why's that?" I asked. She took the pipe from me and set it on the ground.

"It'll help you dream," she explained as she began assembling and preparing the device. "Dream about whatever you want, without fail, so long as you puff it before you sleep." I watched her for a moment before humming and considering the little flower petals inside the bag. Finished setting it up, she hopped onto the bed and leaned against me.

"And don't worry. You won't get hooked from just one time," she added with a warm smile, tilting her head into me and fixing me with an expectant look. My attention remained on the petals for a long while. Outside, the noise of the party in my honor was still roaring on, but my own heartbeat steadily overtook it. Apricot hummed inquisitively, drawing a weak sigh out of me.

"How's it work?" I finally asked. She nodded and took the bag before dropping a few of them in a pan she then popped into the pipe. Similar to the way Ben had done, I watched her fiddle with it before it started to heat up and fill with sparkling smoke. She took the hose with her teeth and hopped back up beside me, holding it to me.

It felt like it weighed a hundred pounds in my hand. With my heart racing and an encouraging nuzzle from Apricot, I hastily drew a short puff through it, immediately regretting my decision.

"Fuckin-" I sputtered as I hacked the smoke out, clutching my chest and wincing. Apricot giggled before taking a drag herself, exhaling with vastly more grace than I had managed.

"Now comes the fun part," she mused, drawing my attention back. She had curled up on the side of the bed and patted where I had been lying before she intruded. I coughed a few more times, wiping the tears from my eyes before slowly settling in beside her. She cozied up to me and whispered. "See you in the morning. Can't wait to hear what you saw."

Despite my nerves and the noise outside, I was able to steady my racing heart, and slowly but surely, drifted off.

My eyes suddenly snapped open. Looking up and around me, I saw the familiar sights of the city I lived in back home. Taking it in with a relieved sigh, I looked over and smiled.

Luna smiled back and held out her hand to help me up.

A heavy and uneasy quiet filled the suite as Celestia stared at the table between us with a somber, even expression. I meanwhile held my focus on the sun outside, just as it finally touched the horizon.

"I see," she finally mused, taking a quiet breath. "Well, I-" She blinked a few times and her wings bristled.

"I can't say I approve, but," she looked off to the side. "I'm happy you enjoyed your time at least."

"Yeah," I quietly replied, wincing as I did. "We all did." Sensing a change had come over me, Celestia tilted her head. After a lengthy pause, I sighed and leaned forward on my knees.

"But nothing good ever lasts," I murmured, unable to fight off a harsh, but even glare. "And the Admiral's appearance proved a sure sign our good times were up."

"The Admiral?" She asked, before humming severely. "You are referring to Admiral Gasparde?" I winced at his name, clutching my left knee.

"The very same," I hissed, massaging my leg with my thumb. Another heavy, uneasy, and uncomfortably long quiet followed. I knew the reason full well. I knew the fucker well enough.

"James," Celestia said, drawing my eyes as I kept my head down. Her expression was a new one: Uncertainty, mixed with genuine fear, and her tone matched. "This is- It is pivotal that you be honest with me. Prince Grover II has been more insistent about details and perhaps reparations for his fate than about recovering his father's crown." She took a breath and shook her head.

"All of Griffinstone mourns for him, as he was a beloved hero," she whispered as if she was afraid of someone hearing my answer to the question she was definitely about to ask. "I am not asking because I seek justice for him, but we must be prepared for what would come of pardoning you if my suspicion is true." She took a bracing breath and fixed me with a hard glare.

"Did you have anything to do with his disappearance?" She finally demanded.

"I murdered him," I replied in a low, mirthless growl. "His little princess, too."

Author's Note

Prologue

Canterlot.

As of at least ten years ago, it was predominantly a unicorn city where high magic and noble blood reigned supreme. After Luna went crazy and wrecked the castle, though, Canterlot became the prime candidate for becoming Equestria's new capital. Based on the fact they'd hauled me up here and locked me in this dingy little cell, I had to assume that decision was finalized while I was away. Looking through the bars on my window, I could make out the pearl-white towers that made up most of the city and the occasional pegasus guard fluttering through the copious clouds that had covered his mountain for almost as long as the city had stood.

Luna once told me the unicorns conjured the constant fog and cloud cover to discourage the other tribes from approaching the mountaintop. Such a decidedly unfriendly act went against most of her and her sister's values, but with so many problems and villains popping up seemingly every week, they never really had time to do anything about it.

So, I guess forcing Celestia to move here and finally address their isolationist attitudes directly is a silver lining for what happened. Not that that's worth anything to me, especially now.

A deep, booming clank filled the corridor leading up to my cell's bars and snapped my attention away from the window toward the sound of approaching hooves. As I turned to see who was coming, I jostled the lengthy chains binding my wrists to the wall which caused my visitor to hesitate based on the sudden silence. After a moment more, they resumed their approach and I sharply sighed when she finally stepped into my sight. Even after all these years, there was no mistaking her. Certainly, no other pony had a pink mane and tail that flowed the way hers did.

Slowly and deliberately, without any guards accompanying her, Celestia turned and sat just before the bars of my cell before fixing me with a distant, even expression, her eyes tracing me up and down where I sat. I probably wasn't what she was expecting to find: my hair'd grown down to my shoulders and I hadn't shaved in ages, along with the fact all my time out-of-doors had weathered my skin to a rough and leathery brown shade. Additionally, my clothes for this occasion were mostly patches by now, and poorly done ones at that. I never did get the hang of sewing. I stared back at her momentarily before adjusting my torn-up coat, again rattling the chains upon my wrists, and bowed my head slightly.

"Afternoon, Princess," I greeted at which her ear swiveled and she furrowed her brow.

"It's actually eleven sixteen in the morning," she quipped, glancing off to the side. After a brief pause, she fixed me with a critical, sideways stare. "You've certainly been busy, James." I winced at her tone but shrugged with a meager smirk.

"You said I should find a way to keep myself occupied and away from my desk," I offered, which caused her to lean her head back with an exasperated huff.

"Piracy and murder weren't what I meant," she groused, staring up at the ceiling with her brows knit. I frowned and rolled my head side-to-side for a moment.

"Maybe. But the sea between here and Griffinstone is about as far from my desk as I could get, don't you think?" I offered again, with a more confident smile. Her eyes darted down and locked with mine. After a brief stare off she faced me fully with a weary frown.

"Why?" She murmured.

"Why what?" I asked, causing her wings to bristle as she grunted.

"You know what," she retorted with a hint of anger in her voice. She pointed a hoof at me as she spoke. "You've spent ten years at sea, harassing innocent sailors, depriving them of their belongings, denying honest vessels passage-" I interrupted her and began counting off on my fingers with my head tilted back in thought.

"Denying griffins logistic support, hunting down Sombra's followers, corralling unruly pirates, sinking King Grover's flagship and ending the war," I paused and pursed my lips before glancing back at her. "Sending you his crown as a gift. How's it fit, by the way?" She clenched her eyes and turned away slightly.

"James, this is serious," she huffed, looking off to the side. When she spoke again it was in a near-whisper. "You may see some valor in your actions but nothing you have done was sanctioned." My eyebrows shot up and my confidence waned.

"Not yet," I nearly whispered back at her. She blinked and turned to face me again, furrowing her brow at the severe expression I wore. "You can pardon me." My suggestion didn't elicit the response I'd hoped for. Instead, she regarded me with raw bewilderment.

"That's why I let your navy arrest me," I explained, gesturing in the general direction I thought was East. "I could have stayed out there for the rest of my life. We had a good thing going." She grunted again and turned her head away.

"If that's true, I suppose we can add 'why come back' to the list of my questions, then," she grumbled. I considered her for a moment, now utterly certain all my confidence was shot. As a result, my gaze slowly fell to the floor between my outstretched legs.

"Because even after everything, it-" I sat with my mouth open for a few seconds, struggling with myself before I finally managed to say it, even if it came out in a whisper. "It's not home."

"Is that what this has all been about?" She all but gasped, drawing my attention back up to her. To my surprise, she now wore an aghast, heartbroken look of shock. "Your way of getting back at me because we couldn't undo what Discord did?"

"What? No!" I cried, throwing my hands up and waving them. Celestia stood up and shook her head.

"Then, please! Explain it to me," she cried back, leaning through the bars to fix me with a misty-eyed frown. "Because from where I'm standing I'm scared I may have repeated the same mistake that cost me my sister." My jaw hung open as her words settled, violently dragging my heart down with them. For a short time, the cell was silent and the only movement to be seen was the faint trickle of dust filling the stream of light between us coming through my window. Eventually, her expression to a soft scowl, and I was able to catch my breath.

Having done so, I sighed hard and nodded. "Nothing that's happened here was your fault," I began before grimacing and shrugging slightly. "Well, okay, some of it kind of was, but not in the way you're thinking." I grunted and combed my fingers through my hair before locking them together atop my scalp, fixing my eyes to the ceiling.

"You remember the last time we spoke? When you sent me away?" I asked, glancing down to see her flinch hard before nodding, a gesture I mirrored before staring at the ceiling again. "That's- Well, that's where it started."

Ten Years Prior

Author's Note

Chapter 2

My eyes snapped open and began scanning the ceiling. Turning, I saw the moon had barely moved from where it was the last time I looked. With a miserable huff, I threw back my blanket and swept my legs over so I could move to a sitting position where I remained for a few minutes with my head in my hands. The events from the last week were rolling through my head again.

One second, I'm biking down the street to work, the next I'm hurtling through the air at a pair of winged unicorns. Dragging my hands over my eyes, I stood up and wandered to my balcony before just standing there and star-gazing. The rest of the castle was quiet, allowing my full focus to fall upon the sky.

As I took in the nightscape, I found myself marveling at the vibrancy of the world around me. There were no subtle shades or diluted hues; everything popped and meshed together like a painting brought to life. Even the clouds looked like they'd each been handcrafted by an artist instead of allowed to form naturally. Given that I'd learned that pretty much all the natural processes of the land I'd found myself upon were carefully controlled by magic, there was a distinct possibility they had been handcrafted.

Or hoofcraft. Whatever.

The thought of the pedantic and specific terms being used by the locals brought my mind's eye to my own features. Raising my hand and comparing it to the night sky, I was struck by the contrast. Spending my time studying or working at the warehouse hadn't done my skin tone any favors, but even if it had it would still stand out when held against the colorful backdrop above and around me. And that was just another painful reminder of my situation.

This wasn't home. This wasn't even close. I don't even know what to call whatever this is. I was an outsider in every sense of the word. For God's sake, I couldn't even read the local language. If the princesses hadn't been so kind as to take me in, I'd be well and truly fucked.

And I was here for the rest of my life.

My hand fell and clasped the balcony rail harder than I meant to and I leaned forward with a heavy exhale, my eyes darted around and all at once focusing on nothing in particular and everything in general. As a result, I wound up glancing to the side and recoiling when I saw one of my hosts spying on me with the telescope on her tower balcony. Once she saw I'd noticed her, she withdrew from her telescope and spread her wings to fly over to me.

Luna landed gently on the balcony and then bowed at me. "Good evening, Mr. Cutter," she greeted. I hesitated as she stood up to face me with an even expression.

"Hey," I finally replied, furrowing my brow. "Is- Is everything alright?" She shook her head with a subdued giggle.

"Seemingly not—You're still awake!" She declared, tilting her head. "Everypony else has long since entered the realm of dreams." Looking me up and down she nodded.

"I am duty bound to aid all those who dream, you know," she leaned forward with a wink. "Even if they're having trouble reaching that point."

"Oh," I muttered in response, looking away. "Sorry." She hummed and stepped right beside me before looking out over the castle grounds.

"I don't think you need to apologize, especially if something is ailing you," she said, offering me a smile. "If it makes you feel better at all, it's not often I have somepony to talk with this late." As I turned to face her, her smile wavered to a more thoughtful frown.

"With that in mind, would you care to talk about it?" She added. I considered her for a moment before humming, leaning on the rail, and looking out over the castle.

"My mind's just racing 'cause of everything that's happened, so," I grimaced and shook my head. "Can't really sit still." I took a shallow breath, clenching and unclenching the rail. After a brief silence, during which I just stared out into the night, Luna's head popped forward in the corner of my eye. Turning, I saw she was reared up on the railing beside me.

"Well, you like, I could weave a spell to compel your mind to sleep," she said, casting her gaze down to the courtyard. "Unless you prefer contemplating recent events, of course." She gave me a sideways glance.

"Though, if my input is of any use, I often find I can approach something complicated or uncomfortable better when I've properly slept," she added before fixing me with an expectant look. I considered her for a moment before glancing back at my bed. I definitely preferred to not spend the rest of the night dwelling on everything.

"Yeah," I hummed with a meager shrug before furrowing my brow as a thought occurred to me. "I mean if you wouldn't mind, but you said you don't really have anyone to talk to. Will you be alright?"

"Oh, certainly," she said, perking up with a quiet laugh. She gently patted my shoulder with a wing. "And please don't misunderstand: I'd much rather have your company be willingly offered than a product of insomnia."

A particularly heavy wave smashing against the side of the ship beneath my window snapped me out of my daydreaming. Sitting forward in my seat, I scanned the top of my bed and the wall for any water, but to my relief found it was all still dry. Thus, I reclined again and continued looking at the moon which sat just above the horizon now.

"Man, Lady," I murmured, rubbing my eyes before turning with a sigh and leering at the little mechanical box sitting on my desk. "What I wouldn't give to have some of that magic of yours now." I drummed my hand on my thigh and watched the horizon for a few moments more. Captain Quicksilver had requested I remain in my cabin after we set sail, so I'd spent the whole first day of our journey sitting here. They'd at least brought me food and I'd had time to study written Equestrian, but damn—The first day of my so-called sea-faring adventure sure was dull.

I furrowed my brow as the ship rocked and rolled a few times, suddenly becoming aware of a very pressing matter that hadn't been resolved yet. Stepping through my door, I looked up and down the deck with a bewildered frown. Further up, just past the stair to the upper deck, half the crew was asleep in little hammocks. The other half was still at work keeping the ship sailing, and so I reasoned it might be best to speak with one of them about my problem than risk waking one of their fellows.

Carefully creeping up the stairs, I scanned the deck as soon as my head poked up. To my relief, I immediately spotted the quartermaster observing one of the pegasi as she tied off a rope. Nodding to myself, I made my way to him, causing him to look up at me in surprise once he noticed me.

"Excuse, Mr. Bay?" I said.

"Yes?" He replied, causing me to clear my throat.

"Where's the toilet?" I asked, drawing a snicker from the pegasus before she fluttered up to the rigging above.

"Oh! This way," Happy said, stepping passed and leading me to the doors at the ship's bow. I furrowed my brow as we stepped into a barrel-filled cabin and then through another set of doors to a platform on the very front of the ship. There was a wooden rail wrapping around the platform, and a set of wooden partial cubicles lining the side of the bowsprit, which is what I was pretty sure the big-ass long sticking off the front of the ship was called.

Each cubicle had a rough curtain obscuring its interior and the reason why became harrowingly apparent when Happy led me up to one and drew the curtain back.

"Man. Really?" I moaned upon seeing a raised wooden seat with a hole through it straight through to the water below.

"Yes, really," he replied with a sigh, nudging my leg. "It's my first time aboard a ship too, so it caught me by surprise as well." He considered the sight with a shudder.

"Least you're not on cleaning duty," he murmured. I grimaced at the suggestion and huffed.

"Damn," I murmured, counting my blessings there was at least a roll of paper inside. But as I braced to make use of the facilities, something Happy'd said struck me and I looked down at him. "This is your first time on a ship?" He beamed with an eager nod.

"Yep! Though, I always wanted to sail and see the world," he explained. I screwed up my face at his revelation. He tilted his head with a curious frown and I grunted.

"No offense, but if you've never sailed how did you make quartermaster?" I finally asked. He wilted and his ears shot back before he adopted a bashful smile.

"Er," he glanced back the way we'd come before leaning up to me and whispering. "Captain Quicksilver's decision. She only wanted unicorns in positions of authority and Doctor Holiday is, well, busy being the ship's doctor." There was a lot to take in from his explanation, but one thing stuck out to me.

"Doctor Holiday?" I pressed, drawing a nod from Happy.

"He's the unicorn in the grey overcoat with the spooky glasses and beard?" He offered, at which I nodded.

"Oh," I mused. I was going to press further by the ship bobbed again and I grimaced. "Well, alright. Uh, you mind?" I gestured to the seat and he jolted.

"Oh, sure! By the way, those ropes are in case the ship bounces too hard, and there's a water bucket hanging by the entrance to wash your, uh, claws or whatever!" He said before trotting back to the door. Once he slipped out of sight, I considered the cubicle again and donned an annoyed frown upon noticing the pair of ropes on the inside of either wall.

An uncomfortable, but not unbearable period passed, during which I certainly made use of the stabilizing ropes. After cleaning off my 'claws or whatever,' I made my way back through the cabin to the main deck and-

"The heck do you think you're doing?" I flinched upon immediately bumping into Captain Quicksilver, glaring up at me. Looking at her in shock, I saw Happy just behind her with a sorry frown fixed my way.

"I uh," I swallowed and jabbed a thumb back the way I'd come. "Had to use-"

"And did you?" She snapped, tilting her head. I blinked and slowly nodded.

"Yeah?"

"Good. Get back in your cabin," she spat, stepping to the side and jabbing a hoof at the stairs. I stared at her in shock for a moment before noticing the night crew looking our way with anger, the realization slowly dawning that I'd broken some rule without realizing it. I grunted and rubbed my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, was I breaking curfew or something? I didn't-"

"Nope. But the princess said you need to be safeguarded," Quicksilver chirped with a confident nod before glaring at me again. "And I'm not going to let you ruin my reputation by wandering around the ship and risking getting hurt." She took a stomp toward me and jabbed my knee.

"So go sit in your cabin like a good little whatever you are until we receive word we can go home, understand?" She demanded, tilting her head and fixing me with a critical leer. "I'll have Gab or somepony else check on you and escort you to the bow if this comes up again." I blinked as she locked eyes with me.

"You're not to leave your cabin otherwise, got it?" She pressed. After a few seconds, I swallowed and nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am," I murmured, at which she smiled and stepped to the side, offering me passage to the stairs. Once she did, the crew dispersed and continued working. I avoided her gaze as I made my way below deck. "Sorry."

I lay on my bed with an arm draped over my eyes, listening to the ship creak around me. Quicksilver'd kept her promise and at regular intervals throughout the day and night, I'd get a knock at my door before some pony would lead me to the bow. Unfortunately, by her orders, as I'd come to find out, if I didn't have to go right away, I'd be stuck until the next shift.

I'd only defied her one time when the rolling of the ship had really upset my stomach, and quickly discovered what a bad idea that was. My door wound up barred for several days except to have food delivered, and she'd instructed me to use my window. That had been the roughest week of the entire voyage. Well, roughest so far. By my count, it had been at least a month, and I'd heard no word of any change on land, so there was still time for things to get worse.

I mumbled at the thought. I'm not sure what I expected, but suddenly being confronted with this whole thing lasting for several months was making my stomach churn.

But I wasn't stupid enough to try sneaking out again. She'd threatened that if I did, not only would I be locked in for twice as long, but she'd deny me bathing water for a week beyond that. So instead, I just waited until finally a knock came at my door.

"C'mon, Cutter," Gabber, the old one-eyed pegasus who'd yelled at me about blocking the stairs called. Huffing in relief, I rolled to my feet and stepped out the door. After a quick trip, I found myself reclining upon my seat with a sigh, breathing in the mostly fresh air of the front-most deck. Quicksilver hadn't made any complaints about how long I took after all, so I'd learned to enjoy my brief stints of freedom. Which of course, made it extra irritating when Gabber suddenly stamped his hoof against the other side of my seat's wall.

"Oy, Cutter," he said in a low voice. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah. What's up?" I huffed, leaning forward on my bare knees with one hand on my chin.

"Did Her Majesty ever mention where we was haulin' you?" He asked after a moment. I furrowed my brow at his tone, which seemed like he was avoiding being heard.

"Not really? She said we were just going to sail around the Lunar sea for a while," I replied, mimicking his tone and leaning against the wall he was speaking through.

"Damn. That's what I thought," he hissed.

"What's up?" I asked. He mumbled for a moment before responding.

"We slipped through the Ponema Canal and we've been swervin' south fer the better part of the last month," he grunted. "I bet my left wing we pass into the Meditermareian at this rate."

"Where?" I asked, sitting up.

"Southwest, lad, southwest," he replied in a tone like I'd asked which way the sky was. "And sure as spittin' not in the Lunar sea no more." I frowned in consideration of his words and leaned back against the bowsprit.

The air had shifted at some point and turned sweltering for a long while, so I definitely assumed we'd passed into a completely different ocean climate. But that was weeks ago, and I'd lost count of how long we'd been sailing for. It must have been for longer than anyone else expected, too, as during my trips to the bow lately there's been a noticeable increase in glares cast Quicksilver's way. I'd even spotted Doctor Holiday and his zebra friend holding a hushed and unhappy-looking conversation at one point. She'd paused their talk and shot me a knowing smile once she saw me staring, which caused the doctor to raise an eyebrow at me.

With that recent event and a dozen other questions rolling through my head, I swept aside the curtain and looked down at Happy as I exited the toilet. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"What's that?" He replied, tilting his head as we moved to the washing station.

"How long have we been sailing for?" I asked, kneeling down to wash off my hands. He hummed with a frown and a nod.

"Oh, about four months," he said, drawing a shocked glance from me.

"That long already?" I exclaimed. He nodded with a sigh.

"Yeah, you," he hesitated and shrugged. "Well I kind of lose track, what with how long we've just been floating. I was certain we'd be stopping at ports for supplies by now." He grunted and cast his gaze down.

"And I hate to say it, but I'm definitely still not used to being an officer," he added in a mutter. I furrowed my brow as I dried my hands on my pants.

"That's, hm," I paused in consideration of his explanation before shaking my head. "Sorry to change the subject, but who's that zebra that's always hanging around the doctor?"

"Zamaradi. She's here in case of trouble," he said without raising his head at first. When he did, he tilted it back in thought. "I forget what the term is, but she's like the ship's fighter, I'm pretty sure." He gave a curt and confident nod, but before I could press further something crashed out on the main deck.

Sharing a look of concern we hurried out, finding Captain Quicksilver standing at the right side of the ship, the starboard, surrounded by the day crew, one of whom had just smashed a barrel along the rail of the ship. On the left side, larboard, Zamaradi and Holiday were watching the scene with amusement, with the latter resting a foreleg on the ship's rail. As usual, when she noticed me, Zamaradi shot a knowing smile my way. Ignoring her, I focused on the scene unfolding with Quicksilver.

"We haven't seen an Equestrian port in days! We're running out of food!" Bushtit, a light blue earth pony mare, cried drawing a shout of agreement from the other crew. As they yelled, a few drowsy but equally annoyed looking ponies came trotting up the stair and joined the circle around Quicksilver, who's head was darting left and right as she was verbally assaulted.

"Well, stop gobbling down so much!" The captain squawked, earning a brief pause from the crew.

"We're on quarter rations as is!" Gabber spat, stepping forward to throw a hoof in the air.

"Quarter-quarter rations then, if you're going to be that way about it!" Quicksilver retorted, causing him to clench his teeth and look away for a moment. Before he could argue further, the elderly pegasus look-out high above cried out.

"Land, ho!" Early Riser bellowed, drawing everyone's attention his way. "Larboard! Populated by the looks of it!" Quicksilver barked a laugh before pushing through to the larboard side.

"Hah! See? We can resupply there!" She chirped with a smug smile, drawing her spyglass and examining the island. I narrowed my eyes and could only make out a faint black and pointed dot in the distance, but with her spyglass, she not only got a better look but also spotted something she didn't like. "Ooo, maybe not." She turned away with a sigh, before considering the perplexed look of the crew who'd moved up just behind her.

"Beakies, ich," she whispered and gagged. Gabber adopted an unimpressed look before snatching her spyglass with his wing. "Hey!" Pushing past her, he spied out the island and gasped before throwing the glass at her.

"That's Hippogriff land! We're rolling right passed Mount Aris, ya damned brayin' idiot!" He screamed to the astonishment of the crew and Quicksilver's shock. "You've dragged us all the way out east!" Quicksilver stammered and stomped a hoof.

"Nuh-uh! I followed the chart perfectly!" She argued.

"What chart? Show me!" Gab demanded, thrusting a hoof out at her. She stomped her hoof again.

"No! I'm the captain!" She yelled, sweeping her hoof across the deck. "This is my ship, that my daddy commissioned for me!" She narrowed her eyes and jabbed a hoof at him.

"You just follow orders like the rest of the chicken and mud ponies!" She added, drawing a gasp from the crew and a barking, wheezing laugh from Zamaradi as she threw her head back and then leaned against the ship's rail. Gab meanwhile, just raised his eyebrows for a moment.

"Oh, that tears it," he said evenly before tackling her.

"Ah! Stripy! Stop him!" Quicksilver screamed as she was thrown to the deck and trampled by Gab. "Mutiny! Help!" Zamaradi continued to howl with laughter as Holiday tsked a few times and checked a watch from his coat. The crew meanwhile cheered and hollered in support of the apparent mutiny.

"Yeah! Kill her!" One shouted.

"Snap her horn off!" Another added as they began stamping their hooves.

"What the hell's happening?" I gasped aloud, causing the brawl to stop and everyone to look my way. Bell Pepper, the ship's earth pony cook with the red scarf leaped into the air and punched an unshorn hoof my way.

"Kill him, too!" He yelled to my shock. Everyone else looked his way in bewilderment, while Holiday glanced my way and then back.

"What'd he do?" The doctor asked with a confused smile. Pepper tilted his head up in thought before nodding.

"I dunno. Let's kill him anyways!" He declared. Zamaradi's laughter redoubled.

"Sail ho!" Early cried, drawing everyone's attention again. "Larboard! Hurling this aways! Black flag with a death's head!"

The deck was suddenly deathly silent and a chill seemed to strike everyone at once, including Zamaradi. All of us scrambled to the larboard rail and looked out. Sure enough, a ship much larger than ours was bearing down on us. Gab scrambled and swept up the spyglass before looking out at the ship. We all watched him with trepidation and all shuddered when he caught his breath.

"By the stars, she's got twenty guns to a side," he withdrew from the glass to look at the ship in horror before glancing down at the injured and whimpering form of Quicksilver, who wore an expression that confirmed even she realized the dire situation we were in. "She's killed us."

Chapter 3

I found that I'd paused as the memories of what came next flooded my mind all at once, during which time Celestia had just been staring at me in surprise. When I noticed her, I managed to recover and raise an eyebrow. "Something wrong?" She blinked and looked off to the side.

"I-" She cleared her throat and shook her head slightly. "I was aware Captain Quicksilver possessed a few-" Now, she adopted a drawn frown and swayed her head around.

"Learned perspectives, but I find it bewildering she would blunder what was meant to be a simple cruise so disastrously," she huffed, drawing a smile from me.

"Yeah, I was pretty bewildered myself," I said, my smile widening. "And 'learned perspectives' is definitely a nice way of putting it." She grimaced with a sigh.

"She was drawn from Canterlot's population prior to it becoming our capital, so certain views upon her fellow pony are expected," she murmured, drawing a mirthful snort from me. She shot a sideways scowl my way in response. "Considering everything that has been occurring over the last decade, I do beg your pardon, 'Captain Throat-Cutter,' that the need to secure a trained sea captain who could be trusted overtook the need to ensure she was as accepting as my sister or myself." My eyebrows shot up as she used my old Naysow nickname, and I chortled.

"Surely. And don't get it crossed," I began, wagging a finger at her. "It was the Quicksilver's crew that took exception to her 'perspectives' not me." I fixed her with a narrow-eyed smile as she held her scowl for a few moments. Finally, her expression softened with a hum.

"Clearly. The mutiny of the Quicksilver remained one of the biggest mysteries about your early voyage to us," she said, bringing a hoof to her chin in thought.

"Yep. Was still kind of a mystery to me too," I replied, sliding my knees up and locking my fingers together around them. "Specifically that things were getting that bad aboard."

She tilted her head and leered at me. "I understand you were stuck inside your cabin for most of the voyage, but did you not suspect something was wrong when the rations were cut?" I barked a laugh and pointed at her.

"Oh-hoh! Thanks for reminding me," I slapped my knee with another laugh before holding my hand up. "We'll come back to that." She blinked and furrowed her brow.

"Very well," she hummed, shaking her head. "But I still don't understand how things went this horribly." She stared off to the side with a thoughtful look.

"We chose Quicksilver because her father assured us she was too loyal to me specifically to ever be at risk of going against my wishes," she said, more to herself than to me. "And since we really only needed to set you off on a cruise, keeping you mobile and therefore hard to track, she seemed like the ideal candidate. She could navigate, understood her ship, and she wouldn't do anything reckless while transporting you." I pursed my lips as Celestia mulled over what I'd relayed so far.

"Well to be fair, the little lady did say she followed her chart exactly," I offered with a shrug. "Maybe someone messed up on your end?" Her ear swiveled and she suddenly turned my way.

"You said you saw somepony leaping from the side of the ship before you set sail?" She asked. When I nodded, she hissed through her teeth. "Whoever that was must have snuck aboard and swapped the chart we'd already given her for one that would lead you into peril." A bright smile exploded on my face.

"Ah, and because dear Captain Quicksilver was so set on following your orders to the letter," I mused, causing Celestia to clench her eyes with a groan. I chortled and cast a satisfied smirk her way. "There, see? Some of this is your fault, just not in the way you were thinking!" I fell into a brief fit of wheezing laughter, until Celestia scowled at me, at which point I coughed and fixed her with a smile.

"Granted, I hadn't even considered the whole course going bad being your fault, either," I offered before clapping my hands. "So, hey! We both learned how much more you messed up!" When her scowl hardened I cleared my throat and tapped my temple with a finger.

"Anyway, where was I?" I hummed.

"Four months out. Black flag bearing down upon you," she said with an unamused tone.

"Right!"

I gnawed my thumb as I stared at the approaching ship, completely frozen with fear and my mind blank. The rest of the crew was a bit more productive and actively scrambling around the deck with audible fear. Gabber remained right beside me, still observing the pirates with his spyglass, while everyone else screamed.

"What do we do?!" Rosepetal, a pink earth pony, cried. "I've only sailed in the Lunar sea! We don't have any pirates up there!" One of the other earth ponies, and one of the few crew members I'd never spoken with, shot forward beside Gabber.

"Gab! You've traveled all the way to Griffinstone!" He cried, fixing the older pony with a hopeful smile. "What do we do?" Gab continued spying on the pirates for a moment before nodding. The gesture drew silence from the crew and all of our attention to him. Even Quicksilver, who'd been curled up on the deck the whole time, perked up.

"We should give serious consideration," he said with confidence. "To strikin' our colors." Silence continued to hold the deck until Quicksilver jumped up.

"You want us to surrender?! Are you crazy?!" She screamed, which cued other members of the crew to begin howling similar complaints. Gab simply shrugged in response.

"Aye, ain't like we're being chased by the Bell-bound or some other ghost ship. Those're flesh and blood folk over yonder," he mused, shooting a grimace out to the ship. "If we surrender, they might not kill us." Quicksilver blanched at his words.

"Might?" She squeaked. Happy shot me an anxious look as Gab nodded.

"Well, no telling with sea-scum," he explained, turning to the crew with a curious expression. "You ever heard of 'Big' Timber Kicker?" He looked around for an answer.

"No?" Happy replied, at which Gab nodded.

"Fella hated cowards, and used to make captured crews fight each other to the death if they gave up without a fight," he said, sending a chill up my spine and causing Happy's face to turn slightly green. A few murmurs rose from the crew as Gab hummed. "Other pirates prefer easy prey." He turned back to the ship and clicked his teeth.

"But if we do fight and we do lose, you can be certain they'll make us suffer for it," he declared. I swallowed and considered the ship which had now drawn close enough that I could make out several dark silhouettes running around its top deck.

"But- But that's only if we lose!" Quicksilver squealed, causing Gab to roll his eye.

"They've got forty guns to our none, idiot," he growled, causing her to wilt. "And ships that big need a lot of crew, so they've got us outnumbered." As everyone continued to panic, Happy suddenly jumped.

"I got it!" He cried, whirling around to face the expectant faces of the crew. "Let's run!" Everyone, myself included perked up at his suggestion until Gab snorted.

"Run where? That thing's a full-rigged frigate," he groused, shaking his head and fixing Happy with a weary frown. "Don't know what fairy stories you been reading before our delightful captain gave you your rank, but them things ain't slow by any sight." Happy's ear twitched but he held the hopeful smile he'd adopted since making his suggestion, seemingly too scared to process any other emotion. Gab again turned to the ship before hissing.

"And they're between us and Mount Aris," he murmured. The crew shared a look before erupting into another full-blown panic. My heart was beating so hard that I was able to drown them out, however, and began considering the waves below.

"Never had a talent for swimming, but," I thought. Before I could follow that line of thinking further, something tugged at my pant leg. Turning, I saw Doctor Holiday looking up at me with a severe expression.

"Mr. Cutter, a word, if you please? Quickly," he said before stepping away from the rest of the crew, and closer to the bow. Furrowing my brow and considering the pirates one more time, I followed along. Once I reached him, he nodded and removed his hat. "With all due respect, I must inform you that, as the most visually distinctive person aboard this vessel it falls upon you to make use of that distinction and keep our foe from visualizing my companion."

"What?" I huffed, which urged him to roll his eyes and jolt closer.

"You look strange, fool. Use that strangeness to keep them from noticing Zama!" He spat, nodding his head to the starboard. When I turned to look, his horn lit up and snapped my face back toward himself. "Look with your eyes, not with your head, fool." I blinked and after a moment, turned just my eyes to see Zamaradi's head poked up from the opposite side of the starboard rail. Once she saw me looking at her, she ducked down and vanished.

"I don't-" I was yanked down closer before I could continue.

"Don't nothing. You'll do if you want to make it out of this with your skin still glued on," Holiday said, tilting his glasses down to glare into my eyes. "My companion has an idea for how to get us out of this." As I met his intense leer with a blank, uneasy frown, Early the lookout yelled.

"They're coming about! We're in range of their guns!" He declared, silencing the crew's panic by virtue of the existential dread the report conveyed. "There's an Abyssinian strutting about and seems to be givin' orders!"

"Abyssinian? Ah-hah! We're in luck!" Gab cried with a laugh, drawing all of our eyes to him. He nodded our way with a hopeful smile. "Their captain's a cat! They almost all hate havin' to work for their quarry!" The crew shared a look and Happy swallowed.

"So, if we surrender-?" He urged.

"Vastly less likely to kill us than most," Gab replied with a sigh before his smile wavered and he looked across the crew. "All in favor?" A tense silence fell upon the deck as everyone shared a nervous look. Everyone except Holiday, who shot me a nod. Shortly thereafter, with some effort, the sails were all furled, the anchor was dropped, and we all stood side by side in a line on the starboard side.

Additionally, down the line from me, just beside Gabber, I saw Bell Pepper looking back at me with his muzzle scrunched up like he was trying really hard to remember something. Everyone else had their nervous faces locked on the approaching pirate ship, whose crew was clearly hard at work slowing their ship down. After a few minutes, they'd drawn close enough that several bipedal cat-folk began hurling grappling hooks over. Once these were latched onto our rail, they began heaving and dragging the two ships closer and closer together. One of the ponies on our side whimpered as the deck lurched and rolled from the sudden and awkward motion, while Holiday drew a pipe from his coat and began smoking with a patient, even expression.

"Steady. Steady, all," Gabber quietly urged, waving a wing at us. Just beside him, Quicksilver had her eyes firmly fixed on the deck and was visibly quaking. All eyes suddenly snapped up with a heavy crash signaled the two ships had made contact. Looking at the enemy ship, whose rail was a good twelve feet higher than ours, my breath hitched.

While the entire rail was suddenly lined with dozens and dozens of rough and angry feline heads, with crossbows and spears aimed our way, a single beige bipedal cat in a silken red coat suddenly leaped up and flew down to our deck with a somersault. A cheer rang up from the enemy crew as the figure slowly rose to his full height and swept his arms out in a theatric pose, revealing the bandolier of knives across his chest and the scimitar hanging from his hip.

"Greetings, fellow sea-farers!" He cheered in, to my mild surprise, a heavy Spanish accent, revealing his crooked, uneven whiskers and single golden fang. He folded one arm behind his back and wagged a claw at us. "Today, you have made several critical errors. But first and foremost, I shall congratulate you on the very wise decision to permit a passing vessel and her crew passage aboard your ship." He lurched forward and began pacing the deck before us like a buzzard. A few more loaded crossbows slipped over his ship's rail and were leveled our way, drawing a nervous murmur from some of our crew.

"But now, we must broach the sensitive topic of your mistakes," he said, raising an eyebrow and fixing us with a sinister leer as he strode across the deck. "Have you not heard? These waters are prowled by the panic-provoking pirate crew of!" He whirled about and swept his arms out as his crew yelled all at once.

"Don Arnoso!" They all called out. A few whoops and hollers followed as Arnoso bobbed his head with a satisfied smile. Then he snapped his claws and the pirates went silent, at which point he scowled at our whole crew.

"And yet I find your silly little pony ship sailing along without any defenses," he declared, his eyes narrowed as he pointed at us.

"How dare you snub the timber-shivering rumor of Don Arnoso by entering this sea unarmed?" He demanded, before throwing his paws up and adopting a curious expression. "No, really! How dare you? Why dare you? Who are you? Who is captain of this silly little pony boat?" He placed one paw on his hip and waved the other at us expectantly. As we all turned toward Quicksilver, she jabbed a hoof my way without looking up from the deck.

"Him. It's him. The tall freak," she declared, causing my eyebrows to shoot up. Everyone but Holiday and Gab looked my way and, to my eternal contempt, faced Arnoso and nodded. As my jaw dropped, I turned to Arnoso, who was looking me up and down before stepping right up to me, one paw gently caressing the pommel of his sword.

"Greetings, fellow sea captain," he purred with a raised eyebrow. I clenched my eyes with a grimace and sighed before remembering what Holiday had said. Looking the cat in the eyes, I nodded with a slight bow.

"Greetings, uh, Don Arnoso," I said, at which he recoiled.

"No, no, no, my friend," he said, waving a claw before pinching two claws together for emphasis. "It is 'the feared pirate Don Arnoso.'" He sniffed.

"And!" Faster than I could see, his sword snapped out and lightly jabbed me in the belly. "How are you?" I blanched, but he waved a paw at me.

"No! Do not answer that!" He chided, pacing away, but keeping his sword leveled at me. "Instead! I shall interrogate your crew. Tell me!" He wagged his sword at the crew before crouching and looking over them all.

"How has your captain treated you all so far?" He asked, looking at each of them. "Has he been fair? Or has this strange individual indulged in equally strange measures of tyranny aboard this vessel?" Most of the ponies shared a look at the pirate's words, while Gab just grimaced with a sigh. The pirates still aboard Arnoso's ship quietly laughed as he suddenly snapped to his full height with another theatric sweep of his arms.

"For if so, fear not!" He cried, bringing one paw to his chest and waving his sword at his crew. "The bone-chilling buccaneer troupe of Don Arnoso shall play the role of liberators for you!" He paused with a purse-lipped smile before bringing his sword forward and leaning upon it like a cane.

"Well, at least those of you willing to cooperate with our demands," he added with a strange, loopy laugh. "So? How is he?" I blinked and considered our crew who looked my way with a set of confused leers.

"Uh-" Some managed to murmur before Pepper suddenly gasped.

"Oh! I remember why we should kill him!" He cried, whirling around to jab a hoof at me. "While we all had quarter rations, he still got full rations! Captain's orders!" Arnoso recoiled at the revelation before turning to me with a scowl and his paws on his hips.

Celestia stared blankly as I shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine," I said before humming and wagging a finger. "Maybe she was worried about me being underfed? Or starving?"

I shrugged again. "I dunno. Anyway!"

As Arnoso held his displeased expression upon me, I noticed two things. First, I spied Zamaradi climbing with surprising dexterity up the side of his ship to one of his gunports. Second, his crew had begun chanting a few different punishments to levy upon me. Things I hadn't known existed on Equus until that exact moment. But before I could ponder how crucifixion would work on a planet with so many quadrupeds, Arnoso held up a clenched paw and silenced his crew.

"Starving your crew while you grow fat?" He tsked, wagging a claw at me. "Such a poor policy to sail under." Seemingly owing to the fact she had hooves, Zamaradi slipped. Fortunately, the ship's shape left her at an angle where she wasn't immediately noticed by Arnoso's crew. However, a few of the pirates nearest to where she had slipped apparently heard her and began leaning over the rail. I grimaced and cleared my throat.

"And what of it?" I yelled, managing to draw their attention back to me as Arnoso raised an eyebrow. I folded my arms and stuck my nose up at him. "I'm three times their size. Of course, I need more food than them." Arnoso tilted his head back a bit at my words as I waved a hand at the crew.

"Besides! Beasts of burden don't have the right to complain about how their masters treat them," I snorted, fighting off a sharp pang of embarrassment that came as the crew balked at my declaration. Arnoso's crew ooo'd at my words as their captain pursed his lips, considering the ponies for a moment.

"A fair assessment," he said to the audible annoyance of the ponies, nodding sagely before drawing one of his knives. "But! For our purposes a positively unsalvagable mindset." I shuddered, looking past him to see Zamaradi disappear into a gunport. Arnoso stepped to my side, leveling his knife with my stomach.

"Now, if I were the one who has so suffered under your mismanagement, I would prefer to pierce you like so," he explained, poking my side before pointing at the mast. "And run you through so that your innards are pinned upon your ship's mainmast." My stomach churned at his description even as he stepped away and twirled his knife at me.

"At which point we would make you dance away and unravel yourself," he added with another loopy giggle that did nothing for either my rapidly beating heart or the crew who whimpered at his threat. Then he slapped his knife back in his bandolier and clapped his paws. "But! I believe your punishment is best decided upon by those who have so suffered under your rule." He turned to the crew and held his paws out to them as his own crew cheered.

"So, my dear, poor lost souls!" He said, leaning forward at the hips and fixing them with a grim smile. "What shall we do with him?" Holiday was the only one who didn't look my way, as everyone donned a set of matching and terrified expressions. Worst was Quicksilver, who upon looking me in the eyes averted her gaze with tears beginning to form. Arnoso began impatiently glancing from pony to pony before standing up straight with a frown, but before he could do anything, Happy raised a hoof.

"Er, well," he began, drawing Arnoso's gaze which made him hesitate. "Make him- walk- the plank?" He adopted a nervous smile as the pirate considered his offer.

"Ah-hah! Now there's an idea," Arnoso finally declared, drawing a sigh of relief from me and a chorus of laughter from the pirates. Arnoso waved his sword at the rest of the crew. "All in favor?" Then, before anyone could answer, he barked a laugh.

"Ah, ah, ah! How silly of me," he said, shaking his head and offering them an apologetic smile. "I have almost forgotten!" His expression hardened as he jabbed his sword at Happy who wilted and hugged the deck.

"Only those who assist us by transferring all the valuables aboard this ship for us will have a say," he hissed with a malicious grin, wagging his sword back at me. "The others will be joining your captain since clearly you still have a soft spot for him!" The crew all shuddered at him as his expression fell into a harsh glare.

"To the exclusion of your fellow sea-farers," he added with a bitter tone before suddenly perking up. "So?" The crew hesitated and shared a look before all turning to Quicksilver who swallowed hard.

"We don't," she cleared her throat. "We don't have any valuables."

"No?" Arnoso hummed, drawing an angry murmur from the pirates.

"Uh-uh. All we have is a trade pass for Equestrian ports," Quicksilver added, visibly shaking as Arnoso began idly tracing a claw across his sword.

"Trade pass?" He hummed gain.

"Yeah, it lets us secure supplies using credit rather than physical money," Quicksilver explained with a desperate nod. Arnoso perked up, scraping his claw on the sword with a sharp noise.

"Sounds positively ripe for abuse," he mused before frowning and tilting his head at Quicksilver. "Ah, but you say it only works in Equestrian ports?" When she nodded he nodded as well.

"Worthless, I'm afraid," he said causing her to wilt. Then he snorted and nodded his head at his ship. "To us at least! What else do you have?" Quicksilver gasped and leaped towards him.

"Him! He's valuable!" She cried waving a hoof at me. At that moment, a meaty thunk hit the deck just beside her and she jumped before flopping over. Looking down, there was a crossbow bolt lodged right under where she'd been standing. Arnoso meanwhile stood with one paw up holding off the rest of the shooters before gesturing to Quicksilver with the same paw. She whimpered and sniffled before nodding at me. "He's the whole reason we're on this trip!" Arnoso shot a concerned glare my way as she slowly stood up.

"Princess Celestia of Equestria commissioned this whole ship just to safeguard him!" She added. The pirate stared at me in thought for a long while before turning back to her.

"He's not really the captain at all, is he?" He said with a thoroughly disappointed tone. The crew shuddered as Quicksilver whimpered before slowly shaking her head.

"N-no," she squeaked once and then a second time when Arnoso slowly stalked toward her.

"You are, aren't you?" He accused.

"I- Y-yes," she replied, hugging the deck as he bent down before her.

"You lied to me?" He asked with the same tone. She gasped a few times and shook her head, hiding her face under her hooves.

"Yes," she squeaked causing the pirate to perk up.

"Ah, good girl," he said with a smile before gently petting her head. "I forgive you for lying!" Quicksilver hesitated but relaxed with a smile as Arnoso rose to his full height. Then, still smiling, he snapped his sword out and it stuck in her leg. Twisting it viciously to the point her leg was forced to bend at an awkward angle, he then wrenched it out and sent Quicksilver sprawling onto her back. She gasped desperately until finally, she began screaming.

"But you nearly made me torture a valuable hostage to death in your place," Arnoso declared, wagging his claw at her. "This is unforgivable." Half the crew collapsed at the sudden attack, while the others cried out alongside Quicksilver. Gab merely turned away, clenching his eye shut and Holiday huffed a plume of smoke. Then, Arnoso turned to me with a sharp glare, looking me up and down.

"You were prepared to suffer in her place?" He accused, tilting his head and holding his critical leer. The sound of Quicksilver howling with every breath, coupled with the sudden violence he'd performed had me too shaken to respond. However, just for a moment, my eyes darted toward his ship and he straightened up with a surprised look in his eyes before turning to his crew. "Search the ship! They've boarded us!"

"Damn!" Holiday spat as the pirates snapped to attention. Then, I noticed smoke rising out of one of their lower gunports.

"Fire! Fire in the orlop!" One of them shouted.

"The magazine!" Another cried. All hell broke loose aboard the ship then as they scrambled and lost interest in keeping their weapons trained on us. Arnoso clenched his teeth and whirled around.

"You miserable- HAAGH!" Was all he managed to get out as Gabber zipped up and slammed all four of his hooves into his face. As the cat was sent sprawling, the older pegasus dashed for the stairs.

"Below decks! Hurry!" He screamed. Without looking back, I took off after him. The sound of hooves slamming against the wooden deck meshed with the occasional bolt striking, so I wasn't sure how many of the pirates had recovered from their panic. However, Quicksilver's screams continued to fill the air and were muffled briefly as she was seemingly hauled below decks along with the rest of us who'd made it. Following Gab's lead, we hurried down past my cabin to another stair that led to one deck lower.

Halfway along this third deck, we passed through a fortified wall with an iron door. Once I was on the other side, I collapsed and lay on the deck panting and wheezing. A few seconds after that, I heard the door slam shut behind me and I looked up to see everyone had made it.

Though not completely unscathed as Doctor Holiday, with Quicksilver draped over his back was rapidly urging two crewmates to the side. One had a bolt in her side and the other had one in his hoof.

"Hush now, hush," Holiday soothed as he ripped off his coat and tore it into several lengths before bandaging the three.

"Brace yourselves," Gab panted, watching the opposite wall with a nervous leer.

"Why didn't we hide down here in the first place?!" Bushtit screamed.

"Because then they'd just set the ship on fire with us inside," Gab explained with an annoyed glare before tilting his head. "Now, they got more important things to worry about." A tense silence followed, occasionally broken by the whimpers of pain from Holiday's patients.

"Easy. Easy," he cooed, drawing a hiss from one of the ponies as he carefully drew out the bolt, his own eyes rapidly darting to the wall Gab was watching as well.

"What were they saying about the magazine?" I huffed, at which Gab nodded. Holiday hissed as he finally got the bolt free.

"That's where the gunpowder's stowed, on the cargo deck," Gab explained. "If that catches fire-" Despite the fact he was cut off, I got the gist almost immediately, as a deafening explosion roared out seemingly all around us. While Holiday used his magic to hold his patients still, the rest of us were tossed as the entire ship rocked and rolled. Someone screamed which opened the floodgates for everyone else as well.

The deck rolled for what felt like forever, and with such ferocity, it felt like the ship was about to capsize. Then suddenly it leaned back and we all tumbled to the opposite side as the ship resumed a comparatively gentle bobbing motion. We all sat there, panting and huffing as the ship groaned and creaked around us, accompanied by an occasional thud or boom outside. When these secondary noises finally subsided, Holiday huffed and glared at the ceiling.

"Mr. Cutter," he began as he resumed operating. "Please take to the top side and see if we've caught fire."

"Me?" I gasped, my eye twitching when he nodded.

"You are this ship's treasure, sir," he explained, fixing me with a severe, yet concerned expression. "If any of them survived, they will not harm you."

Before I'd even reached the stairs, I could already hear the crackling sound of burning wood and I spied smoke rising into the sky through the latticed hatch of the main deck. Gripping the club-like belaying pin Gab had urged me to take for defense, I stalked toward the stair and dragged myself topside, my feet feeling like they were made of lead.

"Good God," I gasped when my head finally poked out. The entire upper deck was dusted with foot-long splinters of wood, huge nails, and other assorted debris, as well as the occasional cannon that had seemingly destroyed our larboard rail when they were smashed outward by the explosion. Looking up, I was first struck by the fact that Arnoso's ship no longer had a mast as seemingly the entire top deck had been blown off as well as the fact that his ship no longer towered over our own nor was it right beside us, seemingly sinking at a steady rate. Then, I was struck by the alarming reality that our own rigging and sails were in fact on fire.

"Shit!" I hissed.

"Tut tut," came a weary uneasy voice that sent shivers up my skin. Looking forward, I found a soaking wet and bleeding Arnoso hauling himself up over the starboard ship's rail. The injured pirate fixed me with a bloody smile as he slowly threw one leg and then the other onto the deck. "Such language."

As I stood there staring, he licked his bloodied lips a few times and leered at his destroyed ship for a moment. "I have to wonder," he huffed, raising his bent and chipped scimitar to wag at me. At that moment, something heavy bumped my ankle and I glanced down for just a second. "Will your life be able to cover the costs of that?" When he looked back my way, he immediately gasped and folded at the waist, as I'd hurled the small loose cannonball that had rolled into me, striking him on the leg. As he cried out, I dashed forward and swept my belaying pin across his head, sending him gurgling to the deck where he flopped for a moment until settling on his side. Spying the ball again, I snatched it up, brought my arm back as he brought his up in a pleading motion, and then hucked it with all my might, nailing him in the ribs just under his raised arm.

He hacked and gurgled as he brought his elbow into his crushed side before writhing and thrashing, losing his grip on his sword as he rolled around the deck. I lost my balance and fell flat on my ass as I watched him sputter and flail.

He looked up at me in shock as he slowly settled, coughing and heaving with every attempted breath and I found myself looking him dead in the eyes.

"I'm sorry," I panted, sliding back from him as he shuddered. "I'm sorry." He hacked again and then his head slowly sagged.

"I'm sorry," I gasped, locking my fingers behind my neck. "I'm sorry."

"Sst! Hey!" My head snapped to the side and I came face to face with Zamaradi. Her mane was sagging and dripping with seawater and she brought a hoof to my chin before considering the dead pirate on our deck. Then she looked back at me with a nod. "Good work." I sat there gasping for a few moments before meekly nodding back at which point she patted my shoulder.

"Come on. The ship is on fire," she urged, nudging me to my feet.

"Okay," I gasped one final time before complying.

Author's Note

A belaying pin was a sturdy little tool to hold rigging and ropes in place. It made an excellent mace in a pinch.

Chapter 4

The sky was grey but with a bright glow muddled at its center, almost like the sun was hidden somewhere up above. All around me, the water reflected the dull shade of the sky above but without the light of the possible sun to liven it up. Despite the fact there were no waves, I found myself bobbing gently as I floated on my back, staring at the hazy sky for I didn't know how long. Then suddenly, a blue, winged unicorn's head popped up out of the side of my vision.

"Good evening, Mr. Cutter," Luna greeted with a warm smile.

"Hey, Princess," I replied. She considered the scenery around me, at which point I realized she was standing on the water like a solid surface.

"I believe this dream implies you are feeling overwhelmed and lost in your waking life," she mused, looking down at me with mild concern. "Thus, drowning in the middle of a vast ocean."

"I'm floating though," I retorted, furrowing my brow. She smiled at my assertion.

"Well, perhaps you've found something to hold on to and keep yourself afloat, despite your situation," she offered with a wink. Before I could reply, the water receded and the world shifted to a blank white state. "At any rate, I have a clarifying question for you. Today was your birthday, wasn't it?" I hummed as I moved to a sitting position with Luna lying down beside me.

"Yeah," I replied with a sigh, a miserable frown forming on my face as I raised one knee and rested an arm on it. "My twenty-first." Luna nodded with a thoughtful look.

"How does your species celebrate such events?" She pressed. I considered her for a moment before thinking about her question.

"Well, a lot of guys go out drinking with their friends, since twenty-one is the legal drinking age back home," I finally explained with a shrug.

"Do you have any personal experience with such activities?" She urged with an expectant look. I donned a wide frown as I shook my head.

"Not personally," I hesitantly said before looking at her in mild confusion. "I mean, I saw stuff like it in movies and on TV, and heard about what my brother did, so." She blinked and narrowed her eyes.

"Move-ees," she hummed, seemingly chewing on the word physically and mentally, before shaking her head and looking at me intently. "But you can recall representations of the activity?"

"Yeah. Why?" I asked with a shrug, recoiling slightly as she sat up and clapped her hooves.

"I can work with this!" She chirped. Steadying herself, she focused and her horn lit up. "Please, focus on the memories we have just discussed." I fixed her with an uncertain leer for a moment before she shook her hoof at me. Staring off into the void, I did as she instructed, digging into my memories of home and what David had described his twenty-first as having been like.

And then, suddenly, the white void was transformed. It started with green and red lights flashing in a rapid sequence, followed by rows of yellow lights overhead rolling along in two parallel lines. Then, the sky reformed with a pale blue shade as though the sun had only just gone down, and on either side reflective glass shapes began to rise out of the ground. Seconds later, it all shifted and focused until finally-

"Oh my God," I gasped.

"How's that?" She asked with a nod, appraising the near-perfect recreation of the city I'd grown up in. Looking around in abject shock, I could do nothing but gasp again as the more I looked, the sharper everything became. Slowly, I even began to notice faint and roughly human-shaped people filling the sidewalks on either side of the street we were on. But while the image was hazy, the sounds were absolutely perfect. Luna considered it all for a moment before nodding again.

"I'll take your astonishment as a sign I did well. But of course, forming dreams from memories is quite a simple task," she declared with a giggle, drawing my attention to her. She considered the landscape again with a more thoughtful expression. "Of course, the next bit shall require a bit of improvisation on my part. But I think I can recreate the sensation of one's first drink with a little effort." Then, she turned to me and knelt beside me with a wink.

"And if I am successful, you won't have any of the dreadful morning-after ramifications to face upon waking," she added. Again, I could only look at her in amazement as she stood up straight and looked around. Now, she was observing the hazy human shapes wandering around and she hummed before fixing me with a confident smile. "And you know what else?" I blinked and then recoiled. Where once had stood a winged unicorn now stood a human woman with a blue dyed streak through her black hair, and a hoodie matching the one I'd been wearing when I landed in Equestria. Luna, I was pretty sure, held her arms out in a presentative gesture.

"Whoa," I murmured, drawing a hearty laugh from her.

"Yet another good sign! Now, come with me!" She cried, yanking me to my feet and pulling me along. "We have an evening of consequence-free merriment to engage in!" She paused and narrowed her eyes, tilting her head back in thought. After a moment, her face lit up and she again adopted a confident smirk as a car materialized out of the ether.

"I shall drive!" She declared dragging me to the car, at which point I blanched.

"Do you- Do you know how?" I squeaked.

"Consequence-free! Hah ha!"

I focused on the memory that had suddenly popped up, desperately clinging to it to avoid dwelling upon what had just happened as I rooted around my cabin. Like the rest of the ship, my cabin was thrown into chaos by the explosion, with my desk toppled over, my chair smashed against the wall, and my bed soaked thanks to the fact the hatch covering my window had been blasted apart.

Fearing that the trace amounts of water that had splashed through might have destroyed what I was looking for, I began to hyperventilate as I all but yanked the soggy mattress off the frame. I gasped aloud and dove under it when I saw it: the little mechanical box I'd brought along. Grunting, but otherwise ignoring the mattress as it fell down on my back, I pushed back to my feet before inspecting the box.

Its crank was a little crooked, but it still turned, and pressing my ear to it, it didn't sound like anything had been broken inside. Clenching my teeth, I wound it up and opened it before, to my immense and audible relief, it began playing the little tune it had always played ever since she'd given it to me. I stumbled back and hit the wall before sliding down to the floor with the box held against my ear. I dragged my free hand down my face a few times as the chime managed to overtake and finally dispel the haunting last gasps that Arnoso had made which had been rolling around in my head ever since the pegasi took the top deck and began handling the fire.

"Mr. Cutter," came Holiday's voice at my door. I snapped the box shut with one hand before fixing him with an exhausted leer. He considered me for a moment before nodding. "Please make your way topside; We are deciding upon what to do next."

The deck was in mildly better shape than when I'd left it. A few ponies had seemingly finished sweeping the smaller debris off the ship, including a certain feline pirate, and they'd even moved the cannons that had struck us off to one side. The masts were currently bare as the burning sails and ropes had been doused and then cut free before being removed entirely and packed on the raised rear deck.

Now, as Holiday and I stepped out into the sunlight, we found the crew all gathered in a circle with anxious and impatient looks fixed my way. I shuddered a sigh as we joined the circle.

"Mr. Scurry and Ms. Rosepetal are resting in the captain's cabin along with Ms. Quicksilver," Holiday explained with a nod. "All three should recover without any complications. But that matters very little if we do not ameliorate our current circumstances. Ms. Quicksilver has lost a considerable amount of blood to the point of delirium."

"Right," I hummed, looking over the rest of the crew. Holiday, Zamaradi, and Gab were the only ones who didn't seem rattled, but still wore serious and weary expressions.

"We can haul up the spare sails and ropes from below, so we should have the ship ready to sail by morning," Gab said with a firm nod, looking at each pony individually. "We can thank the stars and the Sea King that we don't have any major holes in our hull, but that just means we now need to decide on our course." He huffed a sigh and stamped his hoof.

"We need food and supplies to fix the ship," he declared, drawing silence from the group. As I considered the group, I noticed Early Riser picking his teeth with one of the huge splinters held by his wing. The sight of him brought the first thing he'd called out to my mind, and I turned to find the distant shape of the island he'd spotted still visible.

"What about that place over there?" I said, pointing to it and setting everyone's attention that way. "Mount Aris, I think you called it?" Gab grunted in response.

"They ain't allies with Equestria, so we don't have nothin' to offer 'em," he said, drawing an unhappy grumble from the crew.

"Well, where's the nearest Equestrian port?" I pressed, folding my arms. Gab tilted his head in thought for a moment before facing me.

"Southpile, and not much farther beyond Mount Aris," he said before grimacing. "But, well, it's pretty damned remote as far as Equestrian ports go." I furrowed my brow at his explanation.

"Meaning what?" I asked.

"Meaning it may not be as friendly to us as your typical Equestrian town, Mister Cutter," Zamaradi said with a knowing smile. "When I last passed through, there was a vicious old dog walking the docks." When she saw my bewildered look she nodded.

"My meaning is he was in charge of the place," she added.

"Oh," I grumbled. "How long ago was that?"

"Four or five years, I think," she said with a shrug. I fixed her with an incredulous look in response to her glib reply and she winked. "A lady does get up to a lot." I rolled my eyes with a sigh.

"What are the chances he's still there? I mean, after four years you'd figure Celestia or Luna would have sent guards in, right?" I offered, at which she, Gab, and Holiday shared a look.

"If nothing else, I suppose there should be one or two officials we could cozy up with," Gab replied after a moment.

"Doesn't fill me with much confidence," Holiday hummed before looking over the crew. "Shall we put it to a vote?" The rest of the crew readily nodded and Gab stamped a hoof.

"All in favor?" He demanded, to a chorus of mostly 'ayes.' "All opposed?" No one called out in opposition, but the three ponies who hadn't voted 'aye' remained silent, with forlorn looks plastered on their faces.

"The ayes have it. Let's get our sails replaced!" Gab declared, sweeping his wings at the crew who immediately got to work. As everyone scurried this way and that, I looked around and stared at the floating debris from Arnoso's ship.

"Hey, do you think it's worth fishing anything out of Arnoso's ship?" I asked, causing Gab to pause and consider the wreck.

"Sharp thinking," he said after a moment, before shooting me a critical leer. "So long as you're willing to help haul it up."

"I've done warehouse work," I retorted, rolling up my sleeves.

"That's the spirit," he said with a smirk. "Let's get some hooks out there!"

"Good. Four notches to starboard," Gab ordered before returning his attention to the ponies in the rigging. With some effort, I pulled at the helm until it had turned as much as he'd commanded. I heaved a breath as I stood up straight. Turns out, operating a ship's wheel was fucking hard work. As Gab explained, there was a rope that fed down from the wheel to the rudder, so I was effectively straining against the rope, the heavy rudder itself, and the sea when I pulled the wheel. I'd also finally had an answer to why it sat between the stairs to the 'quarterdeck' at the stern—shooting out the helmsman was a standard tactic during sea battles, so keeping the helm secured on either side was pivotal.

Gab considered me for a moment before smirking. "Lookin' like a proper sailor already, Mr. Cutter," he mused, seemingly referring to the fact I'd removed my shirt and now had it tied around my head.

"Thanks," I gasped, looking around the deck. We'd fished up enough whole nails to actually secure the cannons that had landed on our deck, along with a barrel of pickled fish and one of just pickles. While the food was welcome, for the most part—the smell had caused almost as much panic as the pirates—the ability to at least present ourselves as armed was universally praised.

We couldn't shoot them and if any other pirates approached, they'd realize our guns were chipped and cracked, but that didn't matter from a distance. And according to Gab, on this side of Equestria, appearances were everything if you didn't want to get skinned or enslaved.

Just behind me, the door to the captain's cabin creaked open as Holiday emerged with a set of dirty rags in a bowl. He strode past me, tipping his hat as he whistled a jaunty tune. As he passed below deck, I noticed Gab was now humming the same tune for a moment before he snorted.

"Damn! How's that go?" He spat, shaking his head as he stamped his hoof to a rhythm only he could hear. "Right!" He took a breath and raised his head.

'Safe and sound at home again, let the waters roar, Jack.'
'One more time with glad refrain, let the chorus soar, Jack.'

I furrowed my brow at him, but at that moment, most of the crew sang right back at him.

Long we've tossed on the rolling main, now we're safe ashore, Jack.
Don't forget yer old shipmate, faldee raldee raldee raldee rye-eye-doe!

I considered the rest of the crew with mild surprise, finding that only a couple of ponies, including Happy Bay, seemed just as taken aback as me. Happy, however, blinked and beamed at the sudden song that had taken over the crew before keeping time with his hoof.

'Since we sailed from Plumage Sound, four years gone, or nigh, Jack.'
'Was there ever chummies, now, such as you and I, Jack?'

This time, Happy eagerly joined in on the chorus, his voice blending perfectly with the rest of the crew.

Long we've tossed on the rolling main, now we're safe ashore, Jack.
Don't forget yer old shipmate, faldee raldee raldee raldee rye-eye-doe!

I hummed at the spectacle before Gab tapped the wheel six times and gestured to larboard. Catching his meaning, I began adjusting the wheel as he and the crew carried on.

We sailed on for most of the morning until the sun had crested past its peak, and finally, we spied land off to the larboard side. Gab had allowed me to rest on the deck while he held the wheel steady since he claimed it was more or less a straight shot from where we were at that point.

"But you stay right there," he warned without looking at me. "Plenty of reefs and sandbars in these parts, and I can't spy 'em out and pilot this thing at the same time."

"Got it," I huffed, wiping my back and chest off with my shirt. At that moment, something thunked against the deck right beside me. Turning, I found a mug of water waiting as Holiday made his way back into the cabin. I tipped it his way before sipping from it. "So, what's the story with him and Zamaradi?"

"Scarcely a clue, lad," Gab replied, his head swiveling. "Quicksilver wanted a doctor and a marine, and they popped up. Heard they passed the guards' examination and got the okay to board, but that's almost all I know." I furrowed my brow as I took a swig of water.

"Marine?" I huffed, before snapping my fingers as I remembered what Happy had said. "Oh, like someone who defends the ship?"

"Durin' a boarding, aye," he replied with a smile before nodding his head forward. Turning, I saw the zebra herself with one leg resting upon the ship's rail and her gaze cast out to sea. "That's Zamaradi." I hummed with a nod of approval.

"She definitely earned her pay, I think," I said, wagging a finger at her. "Didn't know ponies or zebras could climb the way she did." Gab laughed with a nod of his own.

"I'm with you on both counts, but that's also where we find a bit o' strangeness if you ask me," he said leaning slightly closer. "They signed on for hardly half of the wage the positions would normally offer." I balked at his words.

"What?" I asked, at which Gab shook his head and cast a critical glare back at the cabin for just a moment.

"Aye, Quicksilver wasn't too keen on havin' a zebra aboard and tried to scare her off by only offerin' half wages, claiming it was full," he said with a snort, drawing a grunt from me as I considered the zebra. "Zamaradi signed on anyhow, and the doctor demanded to have his wages cut as well."

"Huh," I murmured, still studying Zamaradi. After a few moments, she noticed I was staring and fixed me with the same knowing smile she'd always cast my way. Before I could question it, Early cried out.

"Port ahead! Pretty sure it's Southpile!" He yelled, causing Gab to jolt.

"Cutter, the wheel," he ordered. As I rolled to position, he snapped his wings and flew up to the quarterdeck before pulling out his spyglass. "Ah! I think those're Equestrian flags decorating them ships!" He stamped his hoof with a yawp.

"We're almost there!" He cheered.

Another hour and a half of sailing passed by in a flash, during which all the fatigue and stress of yesterday utterly vanished. Slowly, the port and ships filling and surrounding its harbor drew closer and closer and we-
We all jumped as one of the ships shot a cannon at us.

"What was that?!" I yelled as the ball hit the water halfway between us and the port. Gab spied through his glass for a moment.

"A warning not to get any closer," he said, still spying. "Furl all sails!" The more experienced members of the crew, notably the ones who had caught on to the song earlier, did as instructed.

"Once they see we've slowed, they'll send somepony to treat with us," Gab explained, tapping his spyglass on the wheel. "They'll either let us in or tell us to scram." He pursed his lips and tilted his head for a moment.

"Or signal those warships to kill us," he chirped, laughing aloud when I jumped. Within minutes, the sails were all raised and we'd come down to a gentle drift. We didn't drop the anchor as there remained a chance they'd tell us to beat it, so Gab wanted to be ready for that unhappy possibility. Shortly after we'd slowed down and all gathered on the deck to wait, Gab resumed spying on the port, nodding as there now seemed to be a rowboat rolling out to us.

"Looks like a port official. Coming to welcome us, ideally," he declared with a sigh. "Or more likely, exact a berth tax."
"How much will that be?" Happy nervously asked, drawing a chortle from Gab.

"Well, with our trade pass we should be peachy," he said, shooting the younger pony a wink. "And with our story, we should be keen on top of that." Happy relaxed a little at his words and we all watched the rowboat slowly inch closer and closer. Except for Early, who huffed with annoyance at one point and flew back up to the crow's nest.

Suddenly, a pair of hooks appeared on our rail and latched on. Using what must have been a ladder, a pegasus stallion in a yellow uniform like the one Quicksilver wore, appeared and jumped on deck, followed by a pair of twin uniformed earth pony mares. All three considered our crew with a reserved and even set of expressions for a moment before the stallion stiffly approached us.

"Afternoon, sir!" Gab greeted with a bow, causing the pony to raise an eyebrow and nod his head.

"Lieutenant Harum-scarum, Census and Excise office of Southpile," he replied in a voice so posh I thought he was joking. He sneered his lips as he considered the entire crew. "Such a strange assortment. What is your business so close to Southpile?" His two followers remained silent, but both curtly nodded at his question.

"Resupply and repair," Gab said with a huff before glancing at me. "And if possible, we may need to send word to Her Majesty."

"Is that so? Where are your papers?" The lieutenant asked, sticking his nose up.

"Papers? Oh! We have a trade pass!" Gab said with an eager nod, but his expression wavered when the lieutenant shook his head.

"No. I mean your identification and wartime credentials," he clarified to my shock. Glancing at the crew, I saw that a few others were surprised at his use of the word 'wartime.' "You are the captain of this vessel, aren't you?"

"Ah, no, our captain was injured during a pirate attack yesterday," Gab explained, at which the lieutenant raised an eyebrow.

"Pirates, hm? And where did you set sail from?" He demanded.

"Vanhoover, sir, four months ago," Gab explained with a sigh.

"That's on the opposite end of Equestria," the lieutenant hummed at which Gab grimaced and hung his head.

"Correct, sir," he said in a tone that made me feel things were about to go very poorly. When the lieutenant finally spoke again, he mostly confirmed my fears.

"Bring your captain out here," he demanded, at which Gab shook his head.

"Like I said, she-"

"Bring her. Out," the lieutenant spat without a hint of anger. His two mares nodded vehemently, now donning matching sneers. Gab grimaced again before grunting and nodding at Holiday who scowled at the officer before trotting off to the cabin. While he retrieved Quicksilver, the lieutenant began examining our ship and the guns we had, whispering something to his followers every now and again.

Finally, Holiday returned, slowly, with Quicksilver braced against him. She had one hoof in a sling and was looking around with a dazed expression.

"This is Captain Quicksilver, still injured as you can plainly see," Holiday declared with no small amount of venom in his voice. The lieutenant sneered at him before focusing on Quicksilver.

"You said you were attacked by pirates?" He said, approaching her with his head shaking. "Why in Her Majesty's name were you carrying guns but no ammunition?" He stood just before her and Holiday and stuck his nose up.

"What was your course, Captain Quicksilver?" He demanded, causing Quicksilver to blink and tilt her head.

"Sir, she is still-" Holiday was cut off with a grunt when the lieutenant shot a hoof up at him.

"Captain?" He pressed. "What happened here?" Quicksilver swayed even with Holiday's help and she considered the lieutenant for a moment before blinking and noticing Gab just behind him.

"Mutiny," she murmured, struggling and stamping her hoof weakly. "Mutineer. Mutiny. Pirates. Take the trade pass." She murmured again and nearly collapsed, forcing Holiday to hoist her up even higher onto his back. But while his expression was still even, if a bit annoyed, the rest of us were stricken with shock.

The crew shared a look before all eyes fell upon the lieutenant. He recoiled for just a moment and furrowed his brow, his features set in the same stern expression he'd worn since stepping aboard. His two assistants however now looked over the rest of us with muted horror.

He pursed his lips for a moment, slowly nodding as Gab slowly stepped forward. "What she means is-"

"Surprise attack!" The lieutenant roared in a high-pitched voice with an unsophisticated southern twang as he suddenly shot forward, leaping up and drop-kicking Holiday in the face. As the doctor was thrown back, the lieutenant scrambled and dashed under Quicksilver, rapidly lifting her onto his shoulders as he dashed for the ladder he and his companions had used to board us. His assistants both screamed as one reached into her coat and pulled out what looked like a pull-string bottle rocket with her teeth. As they scrambled after their superior, she yanked the string on the rocket and it shot into the air, exploding in a brilliant flash high above our masts.

"Row for the shore! Get the Coast Guard! Mutineers! Pirates! Liars! And a tall weirdo!" I heard the lieutenant scream down below. The rest of us stood in stunned silence, eyes wide and jaws all hanging.

"Hey!" Early called from the crow's nest. Looking up, we saw him pointing to the port. "Them warships got ponies in the rigging! They're opening their gunports!" We all considered the line of ships at the port and the lieutenant's rowboat which was rocketing toward the shore at an alarming speed.

"Let's turn the ship around and run. All in favor?" I offered.

"Aye," everyone called out.

Chapter 5

Celestia sat with her head hanging and her face hidden under her hoof. I considered her with a purse-lipped smile for a moment before humming. "So, I take it Harum-scarum was, ah," I cleared my throat and knit my fingers together. "Also known for his learned perspectives?"

"Southpile was so remote and far from where most of our challenges were appearing that we couldn't spare our best for its garrison," she explained, slowly dragging her hoof down her face with a chesty sigh. "Though this now clarifies the full story of the Quicksilver's mutiny. Oh dear." I chortled aloud and slowly nodded.

"I reckon that's twice now my experiences with your less than stellar military came down to simple, shall we say, bad luck?" I offered with a snort, wagging my eyebrows at her. "Still not a good look, Princess." Rather than react, she simply stared off to the side with an annoyed expression. I hummed as a thought occurred to me.

"Whatever happened to Captain Quicksilver? Figured she could've cleared that mutiny business all up for you," I asked, rolling my head to the side before I clapped my hands. "Oh don't tell me! She lied, eh?" Celestia's expression softened and she shook her head.

"No. Sadly, she never recovered from the affair," she explained, causing me to raise an eyebrow. "Former Lieutenant Harum-scarum failed to provide her with appropriate levels of care following taking her into his custody." She quietly hummed and faced me with a sad frown.

"She was interred in her family crypt six weeks after you parted, and the lieutenant was demoted shortly before that," she added. I blinked in surprise before snorting with mirth.

"Hah! Serves the idiot right," I barked, causing Celestia to recoil and consider me with a shocked expression. I shot her a toothy grin and wagged a finger. "Ah! And now you're wondering, which idiot does he mean?" I leaned forward and winked.

"And I'm not telling," I added with a grim chortle before clearing my throat. "Now! Even though, as Gab had pointed out previously, a fully-rigged frigate could at the very least keep up with us, we had the advantage of already being in the wind and not having our anchor lowered."

"I don't think they're following us!" Early called from the crow's nest, slicing through the tense air that had held the entire crew since we started sailing. I glanced up from the helm toward the quarterdeck, where I could just barely see Gab's ears as he continued monitoring the small fleet that had turned to attack us.

"Aye! They're backing off!" He declared, drawing a sigh of relief from the crew. He collapsed his spyglass and sat upon the edge of the quarterdeck above me with a huff. Zamaradi, who had also been on the quarterdeck trotted into view and sat down beside him.

"What's the next closest Equestrian port?" I asked, steading the wheel with one hand as I looked up at the pair.

"Nah, that won't do us no good," Gab said, shaking his head. "If even this backwater hovel's actin' on wartime rules, then you can bet the rest of the country's workin' a similar schedule." Zamaradi nodded in agreement.

"And depending on how quickly that loon gets the word out, we might sail right into another fleet seeking to arrest the mutinous crew of the Quicksilver," she added, drawing an annoyed huff from me.

"So what do we do?" I demanded, throwing my free hand up. "Mount Aris?"

"Mount Aris is good!" Someone from the crew chirped.

"We still don't have nothing to offer 'em," Gab shouted at them before his head sank with a severe expression. After a moment's silence, he slowly nodded and spoke with a low tone. "But I reckon I know somepony who'll take what we got." Zamaradi closed her eyes with a quiet hum as I looked at Gab expectantly.

"Straight east o' here there's a cozy little neutral port, right on the cusp of the Lost Lagoon," he said with a sigh, waving his hoof in an easterly direction. I considered that direction for a moment as Zamaradi chuckled quietly.

"Ain't that Kirin territory?" She asked without opening her eyes. "And therefore Nirik territory?" I furrowed my brow at her question.

"Aye, but only just so," Gab argued. "Naysow's very well protected thanks to her governor." Zamaradi laughed aloud.

"Naysow? Really?" She barked, shaking her head with another laugh. "Goodness me, we are in trouble."

"What's Naysow?" Happy Bay called, drawing my attention to the crew. As before, the more experienced sailors who had caught on to the shanty earlier had all wore uncertain faces.

"A port propped up, guarded, and maintained by the privateerin' Boss of the Flying Gang," Gab explained with a huff. "Ben Burigold."

"Burigold?" I balked, looking up at the two.

"Mmhm, that old dog I told you I saw runnin' the place a few years back," Zamaradi explained with a playful bob of her head. "Since then, he got hisself a fleet and all that." Gab jolted at her words.

"That was Ben you were talking about?" He gasped, before frowning when Zamardi nodded. "Wonder what he was doing in Southpile?"

"Nothing wholesome, that's for sure," the zebra replied before leaping down beside me and fixing me with a serious leer. "The hound is a scoundrel." I furrowed my brow at her as she trotted away.

"But he's also a reasonable fellow, where money is concerned," Gab called after her. "And I'm sure he'll find some value in our trade pass if we give it to him. Maybe enough to give us shelter and food for a little while."

"Ain't Naysow full of pirates?" One of the experienced sailors yelled, drawing a nervous shudder from some of the others and an anxious grunt from me. We all looked to Gab who nodded firmly.

"Under the Flying Gang's control, aye," he explained with a severe look. "And that means so long as we do right by them, we won't be maliced."

"Define 'do right by them,'" I pressed, drawing his attention to me.

"Like I said, we can offer Ben our trade pass in exchange for safety and shelter," he said before adopting a knowing smile. "That old dog's sure to know how to make use of it, which is a sight better than we could do now."

"Even with wartime rules?" I pressed, tilting my head. The old pony's smile widened.

"Aye. Especially with wartime rules," he said with a curt laugh. "Fella didn't become famous by lettin' a few government restrictions hold him back, savvy?" I considered him and his words for a moment before looking back at the crew. The more experienced sailors looked expectantly at Gab and me, while the others just seemed completely lost. Nodding, I called out.

"Naysow! All in favor?"

"Steady, Cutter," Gab urged from the staircase to my left, illuminated solely by the lantern he had with him. "Keep her steady."

Despite the fact the sun dipping below the horizon meant we were no longer assaulted by its scalding heat, the air was still humid and miserable, which when combined with the fact we now only had the distant lighthouse to navigate by meant the positives of night coming were utterly neutralized.

"Would you believe me if I told you if you banked hard to starboard we'd be traipsing through a glacier field by midmorning t'morrow?" Gab said with a laugh, wiping his brow with a wing.

"Fuck this planet, man," I spat.

"That's the spirit!" He chirped. "And on that note, four notches larboard! Reel in the mains!" The crew and I operated as instructed, easing our speed as slowly the lighthouse grew closer and closer. Suddenly, to my shock, I found we'd passed through a narrow strait and were now hemmed in on either side by tree-covered beaches.

"Mr. Cutter, eight and a half notches starboard," he ordered. "And be ready to reverse that on my command." I considered him for a moment before complying. Once I was set, I kept my eyes locked on him and took a bracing breath as he slowly raised his hoof.

"Now!" He yelled, and I spun the wheel with all my might.

"Bwah! We almost ran aground!" Someone yelled shortly thereafter. Looking up, I saw we'd narrowly turned away from a sudden beachfront that had popped up as the strait around us suddenly turned at a sharp angle.

"And that's why they call it the Lost Lagoon! Perfect geography to lose your ship and get lost yerself!" Gab barked back before laughing. "But never mind that! Look there!" Looking forward, I found we were now approaching an entire town littered with lights. The trees had completely obscured the place on our approach, making it seem as if it had popped up out of thin air.

"Cutter, hard to starboard. Prepare to drop anchor!" Gab ordered, hopping down from his perch before smiling at me. "Welcome to Naysow, Mr. Cutter." I looked from him up at the town. It was so well-illuminated that I could actually make out the general shape of the place. Most of the nearest buildings seemed to be lean-to's or small shacks, giving it the partial appearance of a shanty town, but the further inland I looked, the more brick and stone structures I noticed, with the occasional log cabin-type structure like I'd seen back at Vanhoover.

At the farthest end, I could barely make out a tall, imposing silhouette in the moonlight which suggested the shape of a large castle or fortress that cast a shadow thick enough to hide whatever was closest to it.

Finally, as I considered the whole place, I blinked upon realizing there were countless masts between us and the shoreline, revealing who knows how many ships anchored just at the shoreline. Our own ship groaned and lurched as the anchor brought us to a stop, and I looked down at Gab.

"What now?" I asked, drawing a nod from him.

"We wait for an envoy and request to speak with Commodore Burigold, that's what," he explained. A gasp and a giggle made us both pause.

"Ooh, you're here to talk with the commodore!" A squeaky female voice chirped just beside the helm. "Silly me! I thought we were gonna have to kill you!" Turning, we found a bright-eyed and smiling bat pony standing beside the helm. And when I say bright-eyed, I mean it; her eyes were quite literally glowing in the dark. Gab and I shared a look before he cleared his throat.

"We?" He asked. At that moment, one of the crew screamed, and we turned just in time to see at least a dozen other winged shapes explode from various hiding places all around the ship. They took off toward the mainland, squeaking and screeching like a swarm of bats. A flapping noise drew my attention back to the pony who'd surprised us just as she prepared to fly off.

"Wait right here! We'll send a rowboat!" She chirped before vanishing into the night. As we watched the swarm zip off into town, I let out a shuddering sigh as Gab huffed.

"Huh. That was fast," he mused.

As our rowboat only had space for six, Gab, Zamaradi, Happy, a crewmate named Stitches, and myself were chosen to go ashore along with one of the bat ponies who'd offered to be our guide. Holiday had elected to remain with the injured.

"I don't get why I needed to go," I huffed as I sloshed through the shallow water and finally onto the damp sand of the beach before catching up with the others.

"Because if he is not satisfied with our trade pass, we can sell you to him," Zamaradi replied, causing me to flinch.

"A solid plan B, but you're our helms-stallion, Mr. Cutter," Gab retorted with a chuckle. "You've played a vital role in everything that's happened recently." I grunted at his words before Happy whirled around on one hoof.

"This place is amazing," he gasped, gawking at the place once we got a better look at it.

"Aw, you think so? The commodore will be thrilled to hear it!" Our guide chirped. I furrowed my brow and considered the town as we marched through it. The lights we'd seen from the ship were now revealed to be paper lanterns for the most part, with the main road we now walked upon having iron posts that reached up nearly twenty feet and were topped with three candles each inside three glass bulbs.

The air was still hot and humid and now formed a faint fog that hugged the rooftops of the larger and sturdier buildings. Just like Vanhoover, these were revealed to be more official establishments, and thanks to my time studying at sea, I could make out what was written on their signs. Most declared themselves to be general stores, liquor shops, weapon shops, and even a few candy stores.

But a few which were evidently the most popular if the crowds were any indication served a much bawdier purpose. As we passed by one such place, I nearly tripped over Happy, who'd gotten distracted when a pair of mares in silk dresses standing on the porch had waved at him specifically.

"Sorry!" He squawked before tripping over himself to catch up with the rest of the group. I furrowed my brow at him before considering the pair who'd distracted him. I wasn't sure whether to be insulted or not when they balked at my attention and then scurried out of sight.

Returning my attention to the town, we passed by what must have been the town square, where an absolute ruckus was happening. At the very center, two minotaurs stood at the center of a ring of on-lookers of all sorts, circling each other with their hands raised. All at once, they leaped toward each other and began trying to throw each other to the ground.

Up on a stage near one end of the square with what seemed to be a gallows, I was certain some lean pig man was being sentenced by an Abyssinian judge in a powdered wig, until I realized it was a literal show trial.

"And on the charge of sleeping through your watch, how do you plead?" The judge demanded, waving his gavel at the pig who shrugged despite the loose ropes around his wrists.

"I dunno! I was asleep at the time! Do we have any witnesses?" He argued to the amusement of the crowd. The judge rolled his eyes and gently bopped him on the head with his gavel as we passed by.

To our right, I spied a group of ponies and these strange, pony-like things with fluffy manes and strange-shaped horns cheering for a portly pigman as he heaved a full barrel of sweet-smelling and amber colored something-or-other and began guzzling the whole thing in one go.

Then a pair of fighting diamond dogs fell right in the midst of our group before they both tumbled away, with their paws firmly locked on each other's throats. Happy and I had both paused at the two before turning to catch up with the rest of the group. When we finally caught up, I saw we were now approaching the looming silhouette that was proven to be a proper fortress.

All around it were fenced-in areas with training dummies, and rough-looking creatures idling about. Each of them had some kind of weapon on them but paid us no mind as we approached the fortress. Just at the end of the road and to the left, there was a white-walled and very clean-looking villa which seemed to be our destination as our guide led us toward it.

The villa was a two-story building with a white-washed wall surrounding it and what seemed to be a few smaller fruit trees. The roof was made up of red shingles, and there was a warm yellow light visible through the glazed glass that filled each window. Now that we'd left the town behind, the night was filled with the quiet murmur of countless chirping insects, but as we approached the rounded entrance to the villa's wall, faint and reserved laughter met my ears.

"Commodore! Here they are!" Our guide chirped as we passed into a well-lit and partially tiled yard. To one end, almost all the way up to the wall, was a crystal-clear pool of water a few female diamond dogs and ponies were swimming in. Just at the edge of the pool and facing us, was a wide wicker sofa on which a pair of female diamond dogs, one pony mare, and a male diamond dog lounged. The former three had their attention on the latter, and I found myself staring as well.

He was fully dressed, with loose-fitting black pants down to his ankles, and an off-white shirt hanging from his chest. Over both, he wore a weathered blue coat with red fringes and golden buttons. Around his waist was a yellow sash, and on his head was a grey bandana. His fur was white and he had the overall head shape of a schnauzer.

Just before his couch was a glass table, upon which sat a big flat hat with a massive plume stuck in it, and a gilded hookah pipe he was currently smoking from. As our guide led us just before his table, he took one long and intense drag from his pipe before slowly reclining, holding in whatever he had inhaled with his eyes shut.

When he finally exhaled, I blinked as the smoke seemed to glitter in the moon's light like a cluster of tiny stars.

"Ah," he hummed before handing the pipe to one of the girls at his side. He fixed us with a toothy smile and tipped his paw to us. "Welcome to Naysow, dear people. I understand you wish to speak with me?" His voice was heavy and smooth, matching the light in his eyes as he seemed to study each of us individually and all at once. Gab cleared his throat and nodded.

"Commodore Burigold, we are the crew of the Quicksilver, and by misfortune and happenstance find ourselves in need," he explained with a desperate tone I wasn't sure he meant to use.

"Very sorry to hear that," Burigold hummed with a nod before holding out one of his paws. "But please! Indulge me in my sorrow. What misfortune might that be?" The pony that had just taken a drag from his pipe sputtered and fell into a coughing fit, but Burigold's eyes remained locked on us. Gab shared a look with us before Zamaradi nodded at him.

"We set sail under a Captain Quicksilver and ran afoul of a pirate crew near Mount Aris nearly two days ago now," he added with some reluctance, now regarding the commodore with a hesitant look.

"Don Arnoso?" Burigold mused, tilting his head and fixing us with a critical leer.

"Yes sir, the very same," Gab murmured. A chill danced up my spine upon realizing Arnoso might have been one of the commodore's friends.

"You're not dead?" He accused, narrowing his eyes.

"Correct again, sir," Gab said with a mild chuckle. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Zamaradi tense up.

"Did you outrun him?" He pressed.

"We did not," Gab replied.

"So he's dead?" Burigold concluded with an even look that caused Gab to wince.

"Yes, sir," he replied. To our surprise, Burigold let out a single, stiff bark of a laugh as he reached over and retrieved the pipe from his companion.

"Good. He sank one of my ships when we kicked his sorry ass out," he explained, now wearing a smile as he spoke through teeth clenched upon his pipe. "Got too rough with one of our girls and drew a sword on Catarina when she told him off about it." Our whole group relaxed at once until he fixed us with a narrow-eyed smile, sparkling smoke leaking out of the opposite side of his mouth.

"I hope you didn't come here expecting a reward for killing him though," he said. Gab waved one hoof at him.

"No sir, as I said, we're-"

"In need, yes. Go on," Burigold interrupted, waving a paw at him. Gab hesitated and then nodded.

"Due to a misunderstanding, we are currently suspected of mutiny by the Equestrian state," he huffed, fixing the old dog with a serious look.

"I see. What does this have to do with me?" Burigold pressed, still smoking. Gab nodded before unfurling his wing, under which our trade pass was kept hidden.

"Seeing as we can't use it ourselves anymore, I believe this could be of some use to you," he said as he handed the pass to the old dog. Burigold carefully examined the paper, tilting his head back and forth as he read its contents. His eyes narrowed and rolled up as he seemed to be pondering something for a moment.

"You're hogging it all!" The pony at his side humphed.

"Four months," he finally said, waving off the pony as she tried to take the pipe from him.

"Hey?" Gab murmured as the rest of us shared a look. Burigold tapped the pass with one claw as he handed the pipe off.

"This buys you four months here," he explained before snapping his claws and scanning the yard around us. Finally, he pointed at someone. "Vicious. Go tell Ms. Stainless that the, the Quicksilver was it? The Quicksilver is here on my tab for four months." Before I could see who he was speaking to, they flew off into the night.

"After that, you pay your own way. Square?" Burigold added with a smile as he reclined in his seat. I sighed in relief at his words.

"Thank you kindly, Commodore," Gab all but laughed before clearing his throat. "What, uh- What all-"

"Everything except new arms and raw cash," Burigold replied, rubbing two claws together. "I reckon you need repairs after Arnoso, yeh?" We all nodded and he mirrored the gesture.

"That's fine, but you ain't taking my goodwill out of this port, savvy?" He said, jabbing his claw at us. "Four months of credit, here."

"Very fair, Commodore. Thank you!" Gab replied, looking at me with a relieved expression.

"I reckon you five are the officers of your crew?" Burigold asked, drawing our attention back.

"Well, we're," Gab murmured, rocking his head back and forth. "A bit out of sorts in terms of hierarchy, at the moment."

"Fine. Why don't you six stay here for the evening?" Burigold asked, waving a paw back towards town. "Send someone with Blood Orange to tell the rest of your ship what's what."

We all flinched at his offer, but Happy was the first to speak up. "Here? In- In your-"

"Aye," Burigold replied, leaning forward with his paws knit together and a wide, grim, toothy smile. "I wanna hear how that mangy cat croaked."

Chapter 6

Looking back over my shoulder, I found the fairly well-defined shape of the old hot dog vendor staring blankly ahead, despite the scene occurring just in front of his stand. His being so well-defined unlike most of the dream people I saw probably had a lot to do with how often I'd talked with him.

The heaving hacking noise Luna made drew my attention back to her, once again in her human form and leaning down on her knees to vomit while I held her hair back.

"You good?" I asked. She panted a few times before grunting and smacking her lips.

"Mm," she cleared her throat with a grimace. "Yes. Mm." She huffed a few times before thrusting her hand at the vendor who made no reaction as he shuddered and then slowly turned into dust, hot dog stand and all.

"I thought food in here was, like, fake dream food?" I asked as she slowly stood up straight and held her stomach.

"Yes, but it was constructed from your memories," she explained, conjuring a cloth to wipe her mouth and the tears from her eyes. "Taste, smell, and sound all leave substantial impressions upon memory, so-" She gagged and squinted.

"The recreations are very authentic, I believe," she murmured before fixing me with a critical leer. "But I must ask: why did you partake of such rancid street fare enough to permit it to leave an impression upon your mind?" I shrugged with an uneasy smile.

"It was quick and easy on my way to and from work," I said, at which she rolled her eyes. "I never thought it was that bad." She made a mocking noise with a bob of her head, and I looked up and down the dreamed-up version of the street I'd always taken to get to work.

"You've spent a lot of time exploring these dreams with me lately," I said before offering her an uneasy frown. "I hope I'm not taking up too much of your time." She snorted and waved her hand.

"Oh, pish! Worry not!" She retorted, gently patting my shoulder and waving to the dream city around us. "What seems like hours or even years in the dreamscape often manifests as scant seconds in the waking world." She nodded with a warm smile.

"And besides, I enjoy your company," she explained before sighing and casting her gaze off to the side. "Typically, when I dispel a nightmare, the ponies I aid seem almost disappointed when I linger instead of letting their pleasant dreams carry on." Her smile wavered and then vanished.

"Which isn't too far removed from my experiences with them in the waking world, either," she murmured. I blinked and hummed in thought.

"Well, still, I'm not sure what I did to deserve all of this," I said, causing her to blink.

"Deserve?" She said, fixing me with a severe look that matched her tone. When I looked at her in surprise she considered herself for a moment before speaking again. "Upon discovering the Elements of Harmony, my sister and I sword we would defeat Discord before he could uproot any more lives." She took my hand in her own, looking me in the eyes with a frown.

"Clearly, we failed, even at the last second," she added in a low, sad tone. She took both my hands now and tilted her head towards mine. "You ask what you've done to deserve this? Well, you haven't done anything, and you don't deserve this. Any of this. Nothing that has happened." She shook her head and offered me a sad smile.

"And offering you these glimpses of your home is the least I can do to make up for that," she said, drawing a look of surprise from me. The dreamed-up ambiance of the city was the only noise for a few moments before I squeezed her hands with a nod.

"Thank you."

I took a deep, cleansing breath as the memory rolled on, finding no comfort in it, unfortunately. It wasn't long after that when she-

She left.

And when that realization boiled up again, I found myself wincing as it mixed with the general anxiety I felt about this whole situation. The anxiety I hadn't been able to shake ever since the commodore had pressed us for details about our voyage and Arnoso's death.

I tried to tell him. I tried to hold it together.

Burigold had had one of his attendants escort me to a cozy little inn near the square, and that was where I remained until morning. Thanks to my music box, I'd finally managed to get some sleep despite the fact the image of Arnoso choking to death kept flashing across my mind, and I now stood under the fog-covered morning sun, leaning on the metal railing surrounding a dusty little patio off the side of the inn.

The rest of Naysow was shockingly quiet and pacified compared to the riot it had been the night before. There were a few teams of cleaners sweeping or moping up around the square and taking care to avoid stepping on any of the various revelers who'd fallen asleep in the middle of the street. Even the fake judge we'd passed was now sleeping in a hammock tied between the gallows.

Suddenly, the rail I was leaning on rattled, and I turned to find Ben Burigold leaning back on it.

"Morning Mr. Cutter!" He chirped as he scooted a low table beside himself with his leg and rested his hookah pipe upon it.

"Oh, hello, ah, Commodore," I replied with a nod before wincing. "Sorry for- Walking out like that."

"Nah! Like I said last night, don't worry about it!" He mused as he fumbled with his smoking device to get it hot. He offered me a knowing smile. "Despite my appreciation for what you did, I get it: It's difficult speaking about your first." He reached over and patted my arm.

"Especially given the circumstances surrounding yours," he added before continuing to work with his pipe. "Tell you what you missed though! You missed me being nailed with the stark realization we may need to renegotiate our arrangement!" He barked a laugh and fixed me with a desperate smile.

"I don't think I can afford four weeks of that Stitches mare eating as much as she does, let alone four months!" He said before laughing harder. I managed a laugh myself after a moment and he jostled my arm. A brief silence followed, during which time he managed to get his pipe working and he bit it before snapping his claws. "On the topic of our arrangement, Mr. Cutter, what will you do in four months?" I blinked at his sudden question as he hummed with subdued glee and began smoking.

"Oh," I murmured, giving it some thought and looking out over the square. "Well, I need to find a way to write the princess."

"Not possible, I'm afraid. Not with war about to explode," he said to my surprise. Noticing my expression he huffed a cloud of smoke. "Were you aware of the troubles up in Trottingham on the Griffish Isles?" When I nodded he returned the gesture.

"Well, some maniacal youth snuck up there and stole a bag of turnips from some pony farmer and another sack of turnips from a griffin farmer," he explained, gesturing with his paw as he spoke. "Then, once word had spread and either faction began to suspect the other, he lured the two farmers to a remote spot and killed them both, leaving only one sack of turnips and their bodies in such a way to make it seem like they killed each other." He turned to me with his pipe hanging out the side of his smiling mouth.

"As you can probably imagine, this has most certainly agitated relations between Griffinstone and Equestria, by proxy," he mused, but his words made me furrow my brow.

"If they know it was- Whoever that guy was that did it-"

"They don't, son. Everyone on the Griffish Isles believes the two farmers killed each other. Not a soul knows about the youth I mentioned," he retorted.

"So how do you-" I paused when I noticed the look in his eyes—The sort of unamused leer a teacher might fix their student with when they fail to catch on to something basic. He took a slow drag off his pipe and hissed the smoke out between his smiling teeth. As I looked at him in surprise, a few seconds passed in silence before he wagged his eyebrows.

"Lucid Laurels," he said in a low tone with a chortle, tapping the body of his pipe with a claw. "Help some folk dream, but they let me see the future." He closed one eye and leaned in, jabbing his claw into my chest.

"Savvy?" He demanded, to which I nodded slowly. He smiled and nodded back. "At any rate, while war's powerful good business for me, it's a powerful bad headache for Her Majesty and His Excellency. So, I doubt she'd be able to help you too much even if you managed to contact her." He coughed and wagged his claw at me.

"So! Presuming four months pass and the war's still on, as is likely," he rolled his paw at me expectantly. I frowned hard at his words, having never really considered I might be stuck out here. Granted, I hadn't had time to really process most of what had happened, but I'd hoped I could at least clear things up about the Quicksilver. Sighing, I shrugged.

"Guess I'll find a job before then," I said, drawing a thoughtful hum from him. I looked over the square and gestured to the buildings all around. "I know you guys have the whole privateering thing, but there're shops and things all around."

"Hey! Fair thought," he chirped with a hearty nod before offering me a bright smile. "And who knows? You might be able to start your own business by providing a service we don't already have!" I furrowed my brow as he pursed his lips and looked me up and down.

"Like uh-" He paused, and looked at the square and back at me. He repeated this a few times, sometimes lingering on me, sometimes lingering on the town. Finally, he tilted his head and focused on my hands. "Hey, hold your paws up." I gave him a bewildered look but he gestured with his paws, so I held them up.

"Go like this," he said, wiggling his claws. When I did as asked, he narrowed his eyes and looked all around for a moment before shouting. "Oy! Apricot!" Looking in the direction he shouted I spied a beige mare with a messy red mane in a red silk robe out on the square.

"What?" She shouted back.

"Don't 'what' me! C'mere!" Ben yelled, drawing an annoyed sigh from 'Apricot.' Shortly after, she arrived on the patio right before us. Ben gestured to me and then to her. "This is Cutter. Cutter, Apricot."

"Hello," I offered, looking between Ben and her.

"Mm," she replied with no attempt to hide her annoyance before scowling at Ben.

"Now, Apricot, sit still," he ordered before snapping his claws at me. "Cutter, massage her scalp."

"Huh?" I huffed.

"Excuse you?" She spat, her scowl hardening.

"Sst!" Ben spat, jabbing his claws at her.

"Nyeh!" She spat back, recoiling and waving a hoof at him. Despite her reaction, she sighed and stood still, fixing me with an annoyed leer. I looked between Ben and her and he gestured at her.

"Go on," he urged. When I hesitated he made a scratching motion with his claws and his expectant look sharpened. Slowly, my eyes locked with his, I brought my hand to her head, drawing a grunt from her. Then, when he repeated the scratching gesture, I did likewise. Apricot flinched for a moment, before closing her eyes with a happy hum and leaning into my hand with a big, dopey smile. Ben snorted a laugh as I adopted a surprised expression. "Hah, that's what I thought!" I looked up at him, still idly scratching the happy little pony. He took up my free hand and tapped my fingers.

"Flexible like a minotaurs, but soft too!" He appraised, before snapping his claw at me and taking a drag off his pipe. "You could make a killing as a masseuse, you know that?" I blinked and looked down at the utterly hypnotized pony and Ben nodded.

"I- Get lost," he spat, doing a double take at Apricot and slapping my hand off her. She swayed for a moment as her smile slowly melted away.

"Wahuh?" She murmured, blinking and looking at him in shock before looking me up and down. Her ears shot back as she considered my hands.

"Sst!" Ben hissed, jabbing his claw back the way she'd come.

"Nyeh!" She hissed back before galloping away. Ben leaned back on the rail and snorted.

"Anyhow, I think that'd be a fine way for you to handle yourself come four months, hey?" He took another drag from his pipe and fixed me with a raised eyebrow.

"Huh," I murmured, looking at my hands. After a pause, he grunted.

"Or you could do like I did when I was a younger hound," he said, drawing my attention to him. "You could seize your future by the bollocks and steer it how you want."

"What?" I huffed. A change overtook him then, and he set his pipe down, clapped his paws, and held them out to me with an eager grin.

"It's simple. You fly my colors, you sail out with your crew on that ship you already have, you pick some rich-looking other vessel, and you compel them to surrender their riches to you," he gestured out to the harbor and then 'walked' his paws back to himself before pointing at the ground. "Then you bring them back here, kick thirty percent of it up to the Flying Gang's leadership, and divide the rest amongst yourselves. A sharp way to get a fortune even with the Flying Gang's cut." He tipped his head my way before snapping his claws.

"Ah, and the thirty percent is a service fee," he explained, jabbing his claw at me. "When I say you use my colors, that means you have my protection. No other pirates will be stupid enough to harass you, and any military vessels aligned with our benefactors will know not to pursue you. What do you think?" He gave me a toothy, expectant smile, but I could only balk at his words.

"You want me to be a pirate?" I finally asked with an utterly incredulous tone.

"Privateer, yes," he chirped. I leaned back on the rail away from him and found my eyes darting around in bewilderment.

"I don't- I can't-" I stammered before shaking my head and offering him an apologetic look. "I'm- I'm not a killer, Mr. Burigold. I couldn't-" He waved his paw.

"No. You are. You killed Arnoso. That makes you a killer," he said sharply, pointing his claw at me. "What you're not is a murderer." I was too shocked by his declaration to reply, so he continued.

"When you and he came to blows, it was you or him, and you came out the better," he rolled his claw and jabbed it at himself. "When I pursue a prize, and some tawdry and empty-headed commander chooses to open fire upon me, it's us or them." I blinked as he took up his pipe, still focused on me with a severe look.

"We're both killers, Mr. Cutter, not murderers. The difference may seem negligible to you now, but when the night closes in and the noise of waves no longer quashes the guilt rattling around your head, just remember," he poked me gently in the chest. "T'was you or him." I huffed at his words as he smoked and waved his paw.

"That aside, who says you gotta do any killing?" He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Did Arnoso even do any killing when he boarded you?"

"He tried to," he argued with a weak tone.

"Because he was an ass, yes. But think about it!" He grunted, offering me a confident smirk. "All you have to do is present yourself in a way that compels your mark to surrender!" He jolted and stood up straight, leveling one paw at me.

"And that's another thing! If you don't want to kill, then don't go picking fights!" He narrowed his eyes with a sinister smirk. "Pick easy targets, with soft bellies and softer hearts, who whimper and waver at the mere sight of a cutlass being brandished in their presence!" My eyes drifted for a moment before I shook my head.

"I don't even know how-" I stopped with a grunt when he began laughing to the point of coughing and pounding his chest. He barked a few more times before wagging his claw at me.

"It is vastly amusing and terrifically fascinating that, for all your protests to my suggestion," he raised an eyebrow and tilted his head back. "Not once have you objected on morals, merely experience." I blanched at his accusation as he chortled quietly and then spoke in a high-pitched, mocking tone.

"I'm not this! I'm not that! I wouldn't know how to do that!" He cried, bobbing his head back and forth before leering at me again. "Not a hint of suggestion that you protest for the fact it's wrong, hey?" I looked away with a partial blush as he stared at me. After a brief silence, he hummed and punched my shoulder.

"I'm not a hound given to contempt. I bear few grudges and those were hard won by them that be their subjects," he said, drawing my attention back just in time to see him fix me with a severe expression. "But there's one thing I canna' abide nor stand." He turned to face me fully and jabbed a claw.

"Potential, wasted, either for ignorance or sloth," he declared, raising his claw for emphasis. "Fear can be overcome, Mr. Cutter. Ineptitude righted." He shook his head and his tone became more serious.

"But a staunch refusal is a powerful misfortune," he took a drag and waved back at his villa. "That Gab fellow you sail with said you took to the helm like an ace. You dared to leave the safety of the lower decks alone. And you got the better of Arnoso, in whatever manner was available to you." He looked me up and down with a nod, letting his words and their meaning hang in the air.

"Y'got four months, Mr. Cutter, to make your decision," he finally added, gently patting my shoulder and pointing at my face. "Don't feel compelled to do anything rash just yet." He pushed off the rail and stepped away.

"Try to keep in mind though, and perhaps this will be what really cracks your shell," he turned back and offered me a thoughtful look. "My suggestion about massaging? Surely, that'll pay your way through, but you've nigh on twenty other poor lost souls in your company." He scowled and shook a claw in the direction Apricot had run.

"Don't care how many goo-goo eyes Apricot was shooting you, you ain't covering their accounts that way, savvy?" He pursed his lips and tilted his head away from me. "You gonna let them wander and struggle?" I recoiled at his accusation, but before I could argue, he hummed and took another drag, looking up thoughtfully.

"Then again, I suppose they ain't your charges nor responsibility," he mused before shrugging at me. "Can't say I'd blame you for leaving them to figure it out on their own." He turned his head and narrowed his eyes.

"But can you say you wouldn't blame yourself?" He asked, causing my jaw to hang slightly. Once again, before I could argue he hummed and nodded. "As I said, take some time to really consider my proposal." He scooped up his pipe and turned to leave before jolting and whirling around at me.

"Ah! And brace yourself!" He added, adopting a sinister grin and wiggling the claws of one paw at me as he began skipping away. "I'm gonna have Apricot tell all her lady friends about what those things can do!" He let out a thoroughly malicious guffaw before turning and bounding away.

The moon was shining through the window of my room at the inn. I'd seen Gab and Zamaradi trotting through town but hadn't bothered to call out to them. I was too busy dwelling upon Ben's words.

Something about what he'd said was eating at me, and I couldn't pin down exactly what it was. But as I sat there, chair pulled to the window, idly winding and listening to my music box in my lap, my mind drifted around carefully engaging in a process of elimination until I figured out what it was.

Sure, pirates were cool. But from a distance, and not when I was at risk of getting gutted by one.

I couldn't say I didn't enjoy actively sailing, even though it had been hard work.

He had a point that the rest of the crew would have to figure something out, but they were all adults and they'd had the initiative to sign onto the Quicksilver. They'd probably be fine with or without me.

I narrowed my eyes as I played back the conversation in my head, carefully combing every line I could recall him saying.

"A sharp way to earn a fortune!"

"Did Arnoso do any killing?"

"When I say you use my colors, that means you have my protection."

I sat up.

"My colors. My protection."

I furrowed my brow.

"My protection."

My head slowly rolled back.

"Offering you these glimpses of your home is the least I can do to make up for that."

I took and held a shallow breath before snapping my music box shot. Finally exhaling after a few seconds, I drummed my fingers on my music box for standing and exiting my room.

A short walk had found me once again approaching the commodore's villa. Just like before, none of the armed creatures paid me any mind and I was allowed to walk right up to his yard. Once inside, he was nowhere to be seen, but there were still a few diamond dogs, ponies, and bat ponies hanging around. As I stood in the entryway looking around, Blood Orange, our guide from the night before suddenly drooped down from above.

"You here to talk with Ben?" She asked, fixing me an upside-down smile. When I nodded, she beamed. "Hold on a sec." She swooped back and flew into the house through an upper window. After a minute or two she reappeared in one of the doors and waved me in.

Leading me through the cozy and cool residence, she quickly delivered me to a small study in which Ben sat reading at a desk with his chair turned sideways to face an unoccupied chair. Blood waved me toward it and I slowly approached as she left us alone. Ben raised an eyebrow without looking up from his book.

"You've caught me at a most inopportune moment, I'm afraid," he mused, turning a page and glancing up at me. "I was doing my damnedest to look busy so you wouldn't think I was waiting up on you to come to tell me you're ready to turn privateer." I blinked at him before he smiled and set his book aside, gesturing to the seat before him. Sitting down, I folded my hands with a nervous huff as he looked me up and down.

"You said you've got protections?" I asked anxiously.

"Aye," he plainly replied, folding one leg over the other.

"How does that work?" I pressed, leaning forward on my knees.

"We are allowed to rob as we please, so long as it is generally to the benefit of the Griffinstone effort, as my current commission comes from King Grover," he explained gesturing with one paw. "That does not exclude the robbery of Griffinstone vessels if such actions are done in moderation."

"And you don't get arrested?" I asked, furrowing my brow and wringing my hands. He laughed.

"Better than that. I could press to have one of my lads released and pardoned if they were arrested!" He chortled before squinting and nodding. "Granted, that's more of a case-by-case basis, but-"

"How'd you get something like that?" I interrupted. He paused at me before slowly nodding.

"My current commission with Griffinstone came about during the bugbear invasion a few years back, and I simply held on to it past that debacle's conclusion," he explained before winking. "A little careful bribery has kept it quite fresh, I assure you."

"Sure, but how-" He waved his paw.

"Ah, I catch your meaning!" He said, jabbing a claw at the window over his desk. "I rounded up some ships and lads over in Southpile and used them to prove my competency and valor to Grover during the early stages of the invasion." I narrowed my eyes and took a shallow breath.

"Do you think Celestia would consider something similar? Like pardons or whatever for efforts during a war?" I pressed, sighing when he nodded.

"Sure. I had a commission from Their Majesties briefly, to help track the movements of some roving monsters along Equestria's coast, which was how I figured out the griffins were going to have a bugbear problem," he tilted his head back in thought with a smile. "Granted similar protections as-"

"So, do you think if I-" I cleared my throat and rolled my shoulder. "Helped with the war?" He continued looking up, his smile softening for just a moment.

"Potentially, but here I was sure I had you figured. What crime are you trying to get pardoned for?" He fixed me with a knowing smile for a moment before waving his paw. "Unless you just mean that mutiny business, in which case don't mind me."

"Not me," I hummed, clutching my hands tight. "Her name is Luna." He didn't respond for a minute and I looked up to see his expression had fallen to a concerned leer.

"Maybe. That one's hard to say, especially since I can't say I know the full story of what happened between the two," he explained, narrowing his eyes and tilting his head away. "For instance, I heard Celestia killed her little sister." I waved my hand with a sigh.

"No, she just-" I paused and grunted. "I don't really get it, but she's still alive." He hummed and bobbed his head.

"As I said, that'll be a maybe, then," he reiterated before leaning forward on his knees with an eager smile. "But you won't know until you try, right? And you're sure to pull a mighty fortune in the effort, too!" I considered him with trepidation for a moment before huffing and nodding.

"Right."

I'd spent the last leg of my story with my eyes fixed on the dungeon floor. Even still, I could feel the shocked expression that Celestia wore, so it wasn't much of a surprise when she finally spoke, she did so in an utterly astonished tone.

"You-" She stammered and gasped, and I could hear her wings bristled. "You believed I-"

"That you'd release her for me in honor of my efforts, much in the same way I'm now sitting before you hoping for a pardon, yes," I affirmed with a sigh. I looked up to offer her a weary smile and a shrug. "I was young and stupid and barely had an understanding of what even happened to her. If your failures during the earliest days of my sea-faring were a result of inexperience, then I'm sure you can forgive me for my own shortcomings." She recovered from her shock to fix me with an annoyed glare.

"Perhaps, but I believe I explained what occurred quite succinctly," she retorted, causing my own expression to fade into a glare. I leaned forward and pointed at her.

"You told me, when I stumbled into the throne room, dazed and confused like the rest of the castle residents, that your sister had been overtaken by jealousy and abandoned her duty," I hissed with more venom than I intended. "And for that, you banished her, dispelling her into the magical aether and sealing her in the moon." Her jaw dropped and her eyes darted around.

"What about that did you not understand?" She gasped, fixing me with another bewildered leer.

"Try any of it," I barked, throwing my hands up. "I wasn't even sure how to begin approaching with clarifying questions." She recoiled and looked off to the side with a grunt.

"I'd say could have simply asked me anything, but then again it was ten years ago, and, despite my efforts, we barely-" She paused and screwed up her face, but I waved a hand.

"No, no. It's fine, 'cause it's the truth," I spat, jabbing a finger at her. "We barely talked, and then only on important matters like how my studying was going." She winced slightly as I sat up and continued pointing.

"She took the time to actually pry," I declared before sinking back against the wall and throwing a hand up. "I think in the end you'd just grown so used to being the much-beloved icon and being surrounded by sycophants and yes-men, that you simply forgot that sometimes people lie." She narrowed her eyes while staring away from me and I huffed.

"Which is why you never pried when I replied with 'I'm just fine,'" I added in a mocking tone before glaring up at her. "And why you never gave much thought to her when she said likewise." She glared right back at me.

"Don't give me that look, you know it's true," I spat, folding my arms.

"Yes, but I don't care to have you remind me," she spat right back, taking a shallow breath. "I was aware of my failures as soon as she declared her feelings before our confrontation." A brief pause followed as she looked me up and down and my gaze again fell to the dungeon floor.

"And I would urge you to recall that afterward, I made every effort to give you the same care she did," she added in a softer, yet still annoyed tone. "For I realized I'd failed you as well." I shrugged with a hum.

"Sure, but you never took a moment to consider I wouldn't-" It was my turn to pause and look off to the side. She blinked and leaned her head through the bars.

"What? I never considered what?" She pressed. I clenched my eyes with a growl and looked up at her.

"That I wouldn't want anything to do with the person who took her from me," I replied.

A heavy quiet filled the cell as Celestia recoiled only slightly. We sat there, looking into each other's eyes and she blinked a few times as her breathing seemed to grow heavier. Eventually, she pulled back and faced away from me.

"We will continue this conversation later," she hastily replied before hurrying out of sight. When the heavy clang of the door signaled she'd left the dungeon, I sighed hard and banged my head against the wall, staring up at the ceiling again.

Chapter 7

I considered the faint sound of birds chirping in the morning light as I dug into my prison breakfast—Simple and partially cold potatoes, sliced and served with a mug of water. As they hadn't given me a fork, I ate with my bare hands, occasionally wiping my fingers on my shirt and wincing as I smacked my lips.

Not for the first since surrendering did I find myself utterly hankering for something more fulfilling than water. I'd braced for the fact Equestria wouldn't be as accommodating as my previous residence but by the gods of wind and sea could I have gone for a mug of hot chocolate. Or wine.

Not rum though. Never rum. Hated that stuff, ever since-

The door to the cells clanged open and drew my attention up as Celestia once again approached my bars. She turned and considered me with a much softer, yet still critical expression. I retorted with an even, expectant leer as I continued eating.
"I don't take back what I said," I declared after a few seconds, returning my focus to my food. "'Cause it's true. At least for how I felt back then." I picked up my mug and swirled its contents out of habit.

"Like I said, I was young and stupid," I grumbled with a sigh. "I've got a better understanding of things now, which is why I didn't bring her up when I asked for a pardon." I took a drink as Celestia tilted her head at me.

"I'm sorry," she quietly replied, causing me to choke for a moment. Clearing my throat with a few coughs, I set my mug down and made a cutting gesture with my hand.

"Don't-"

"No, I mean it," she interjected, shaking her head. "I was content with your claims and to let Luna grow close with you in my place." I furrowed my brow as she studied the dungeon floor.

"There was still so much to do after Discord's defeat, and when Sombra conquered the Crystal Empire, I-" She narrowed her eyes and then closed them. "I can't say I wasn't eager to, as you say, assume the role of the beloved and distant idol." She faced me with a sad frown.

"It was easier than digging deep with anypony," she added, again tilting her head toward me. "With anyone." I considered her for a moment before sighing and looking down at my food.

"I have taken the time to present your request with the war council, as well as voice my support," she suddenly added, causing me to flinch and look up at her in surprise. Her expression hadn't improved but she nodded. "All of your actions were clearly motivated by my failure, and so it is the least I can do." My jaw dropped slightly at her words and she sighed hard.

"And as you've said, Equestria did benefit from your activities," she explained fixing me with an even look. "They will be convening at the end of this week to determine your eligibility." I blinked and managed to close my jaw after a few moments.

"Oh," I huffed, scanning the floor. A rattling clatter drew my attention to my wrists just as the chains were magically unlocked.

"Until then, you are being released from the dungeon and transferred to the castle proper," she explained. "We have prepared a room for you in which you must remain, under guard, until the council convenes at the penalty of reimprisonment should you leave without permission." I stared blankly at the chains now lying at my sides before the door to my cell swung open. I looked over just in time to see a pair of white hooves in golden shoes standing beside me.

"They will want to hear a full account of your actions, however," she said, drawing my attention up to her face. Her expression had finally softened to an even and detached frown rather than anything critical. "And I am still curious, so, if you'd be willing-"

"Sure."

It was my first time in the captain's quarters of the Quicksilver. The little pony who previously owned it certainly had plenty of space—The entire underside of the quarterdeck comprised the cabin, granting room for a round dining table, a sofa, a much larger bookshelf than the one I had, a bed five times the size of the one I had, a dresser and wardrobe, a desk, and a private wine rack. The entire floor was decorated with a pair of rugs, one a cool dark blue with white fringes, and a solid black one. The two rugs also helped define the two halves of the cabin, which was divided by a collapsing metal screen that was currently halfway extended.

If I wasn't so busy preparing for the first steps of my plan, I might've had time to be jealous. Instead, I sat at the table, studying the list of names Gab had provided. Even if only one or two members of the crew were onboard with my plans, I preferred to know their names ahead of time, since I figured it would make operating the ship easier.

A knock at the door broke my concentration. "Everypony's waiting on deck, Mr. Cutter," Gab reported as he stepped in and approached the table. Upon arriving he raised an eyebrow with a hum. "Though, I reckon if this works, it'll be Captain Cutter, won't it?" I flinched at his suggestion.

"What?" I murmured, drawing a nod from the old pony.

"You're the one old Ben is keen on," he mused, pointing a hoof at me. "And you're the one with the scheme, so it makes sense to have you be in command." I furrowed my brow as he smirked with a snort.

"At least until you royally muck it up and we mutiny against you too," he added. I glanced down at my list of names.

"I guess?" I grumbled, at which he hummed, shaking his head.

"Ah, you're gonna have to work on that, along with the other stuff you mentioned, lad," he declared, stepping beside me and jabbing my knee. "Gotta exude confidence, pirate captain or no." I considered him for a moment before nodding.

"Got it. Thanks, Gab," I said, standing up and making my way outside.

"Hey, don't thank me yet," he replied, following along just beside me. As we stepped outside, he swept his hoof at the crew. "You still have to sell this business to them."

The second I emerged, the crew all went quiet and gave me their full attention, having all been having a hushed conversation moments prior. Doubtless, they were wondering why I'd asked Gab to have them all gather aboard the ship. A few, like Stitches, or Sour Note and her brother Jingle, fixed me with an annoyed and expectant look, having been enjoying their time on the commodore's tab. Taking a breath before meeting their gaze with a nod, I stepped just before the gathering and spoke.

"Commodore Burigold and I had a chat and he's made a proposal I'd like to offer to all of you," I explained, looking at each of them briefly and gesturing to the town. "In addition to the aid he's already traded us, he's willing to sponsor this ship and get it equipped with a few guns and provisions, as well as lend us a flag with his colors." Jingle and Sour shared a look while some of the more experienced sailors blanched, likely catching on immediately to what I was suggesting. I carried on regardless.

"In exchange, we are to use those guns and colors to sail into the Celestial Sea and-" I hesitated and rolled my head with a huff before throwing my hand up. "Take everything we can from whoever we happen upon." With just a couple of exceptions, Zamaradi being one of them, the crew gasped. I gestured toward the fortress at the far end of Naysow.

"We give him and his associates thirty percent, as well as pay him back for the guns," I began, before sweeping my hand to the deck. "And we keep the rest."

"You want to turn pirate?" Rosepetal squeaked.

"Privateer," I retorted.

"What's the difference?" Happy demanded with an uneasy frown, drawing murmurs of agreement from-

Fewer crewmates than I expected, actually. Raising an eyebrow at Gab who seemed to notice this as well, I nodded at Happy.

"The difference is if we pull this off, we might be able to get around being classified as mutineers," I explained, folding my arms. "And more importantly for our immediate circumstance, we'll be able to ensure our long-term residence here, where it's safe."

Bushtit grumbled and stomped her hoof. "I don't know about the rest of these ponies, but I'm fine finding honest work aboard another ship," she declared with a humph drawing a hum of agreement from Jackdaw, at which I shrugged.

"How many honest ships do you think are docked here?" I asked, at which she pointed her hoof and prepared to argue before slowly wilting. "And even if you found one, there's still the issue of Quicksilver potentially giving your name as a member of her mutinous crew, you know?" As she and Jackdaw shared a look, Gab stepped forward.

"So, one day you might find a royal guard squad knocking at your door," he declared with a solemn tone before shaking his head. "That's largely what I was sayin' when I told the commodore we needed to sort ourselves out." He sighed and looked over the crew.

"Face facts folks, we're stuck," he added after a moment. "Hard stuck." The entire crew, Zamaradi included, seemed to wilt at the finality of his words.

"I've been an honest sailor most of my life as well, but," he continued with a thoughtful nod, looking up at me. "This offer ain't too unpalatable." I nodded back and then took a step toward the crew.

"We got this far together, and largely by voting upon what to do as we've run into trouble," I said, gesturing to them. "So, I'm giving you all the option." I folded my arms with a sigh.

"Well?" I pressed. The junior sailors all wore visible hesitation, but to my mild surprise, some of the others were more readily vocal.

"If the rest of the ship is turning privateer, I'm on board," Rosepetal declared, narrowing her eyes and jabbing a hoof at me. "But only if the rest of the ship is going along." Nodding, I looked at Hatch just beside her.

"I'm game," the pegasus said with a curt chortle. He looked over the rest of the crew with a subdued smirk. "I hear pirates don't have to work as hard." Recoiling slightly, I gestured to Early Riser next.

"Huh?" The old pegasus grunted before noticing everyone was looking at him. "Oh. Don't ask me, I don't care." He resumed staring off to the side, so we all looked at Scurry who was rubbing his chin.

"It does sound like easy money," he said, snapping his wings with a steadily growing grin.

"I wouldn't mind giving a few griffins the business," Powder Monkey beside him spat, bristling her own wings as she did. Nodding, I gestured to Stitches who yawned.

"I'm hungry," she said, sitting down with a smile. Gab and I shared an uneasy look before Doctor Holiday cleared his throat.

"I am not opposed to the notion," he began, tilting his glasses down to leer at me. "But I cannot be expected to shed the blood of another thinking being." I nodded and turned to Zamaradi as she stepped forward with a laugh.

"Piracy isn't any worse than what I already had planned," she mused to Holiday's visible discomfort, causing me to raise my eyebrows.

"And what was that?" I pressed, at which she fixed me with a knowing smile.

"I joined this cruise to abduct the oh-so-special creature of interest and hold him for ransom," she explained, drawing a look of surprise from everyone else. "That's what." I stared at her in wonder and mild horror as Holiday sighed with a guilty nod.

"And she promised me a cut if I helped drug him and smuggle him out," he added, causing my eyebrows to shoot up as an exasperated, narrow-eyed expression fell over my face. He shook his head at Zamaradi. "Damn shame we never made port." She nodded with a sympathetic smile before the pair looked back at me. Blinking, I slowly threw my hand up at them and looked over the rest of the crew. Galley, Bushtit, Jackdaw, Bell Pepper, Happy, Sour, and her brother all now looked at me and the rest of the crew with an assortment of expressions.

"What about the rest of you?" I urged, drawing their uneasy solely to myself.

"Told ya we should've killed him," Pepper said with a nod at the rest of the crew. Then, he shrugged at me. "I don't have anything better to do." Shrugging back with a narrow frown, I looked at the other six. Sour Note and Jingle began whispering, and something they said caught Happy's ear as he turned and began whispering with them. Meanwhile, Bushtit and Jackdaw shared a look before the former sighed and offered me an uneasy nod. Returning the gesture, I looked at Galley, who scrunched her muzzle as she looked down at the deck. Before I could say anything, she huffed and jumped forward.

"Will we-" She cleared her throat, seemingly embarrassed by her sudden and eager tone. Composing herself she locked eyes with me. "Will we be sailing north?" I frowned and tilted my head.

"Uh, I don't see why not," I murmured, sharing a look with Gab who was just as confused as me. "Why?"

"No reason," she hastily retorted, her eyes darting around for a moment before she fixed me with a confident look. "So long as we eventually head up north, I'm in." I narrowed my eyes at her, which caused her to wilt only for a moment before her confident expression hardened.

"Fine, works for me," I relented with a nod. Finally, I turned to the three co-conspirators who were still whispering. "Alright, you three." All three jumped before looking at me in surprise and sharing a final look before Happy cleared his throat and stepped toward me.

"I- don't think I'm cut out to be quartermaster, Mr. Cutter," he said haltingly with a frown. The rest of the crew murmured at his admission and he looked up at me. "But uh." He paused and looked back at the other two before fixing me with a hopeful smile.

"Privateers need musicians and singers, right?" He asked, causing the other two to murmur and nod in agreement. Taking a breath and donning a thoughtful expression, I turned to Gab who pursed his lips before nodding.

"Sure," I declared, drawing a relieved and eager sigh from Happy. Facing the rest of the crew, I paced toward them with my hands on my hips. "So, it's unanimous. One month from now, we turn privateer." A few of them frowned at my words.

"One month? Why not now?" Rosepetal asked, tilting her head.

"Because I could use a crash course on proper sailing," I explained with a nod, drawing a thoughtful hum from some of the crew. I fixed Zamaradi with an uneasy leer. "And, if a certain someone can be convinced not to abduct me, a lesson or two on holding my own in a fight." She recoiled before an incredulous smile broke across her features. At that moment, Gab stepped forward, stomping his hoof to draw everyone's attention.

"Same goes for you tyro lot! Even the musical accompaniment!" He yelled, jabbing his hoof at the less experienced sailors. Then, he paused and nodded at me. "And before we get carried away, let's settle one thing first off." He swept his hoof at me.

"Cutter for captain," he declared, drawing a look of surprise from the crew. Before any of us could say anything he continued. "He's the brain behind this scheme and the commodore fancies him." He adopted a knowing smile and looked me up and down.

"And if he flubs it, we can always sell him to make up our losses," he added, causing me to recoil. The crew, however, shared a look and then nodded.

"Aye," they all called out. I blinked and shot Gab a critical, sideways leer.

"Appreciate it, I think," I murmured before furrowing my brow and gesturing to him. "And while we're on the topic of officers, I nominate Gab for your quartermaster."

"Aye," they all responded immediately to his surprise.

"Awesome," I sighed, clapping my hands and nodding. "One month. Get yourselves ready, and let's see what we can do."

I yanked the rope, or line as Gab insisted, as hard as I could, leaning against it for more leverage before I finally made it to the place Gab had instructed. The old pony trotted along beside me with a critical eye locked on me as I heaved the line down and hastily fixed it in place with a knot. Once I was sure it was secured, he waved me to the side and I sat down with a huff.

On the opposite side of the deck, Rosepetal was giving the other rookie sailors similar treatment and proving herself to be much less patient than my teacher, to Happy's distress as she yanked his line loose with her teeth and fell into a frothing rant at him. A hoof smacked me in the head.

"Slow and that's gonna come loose," Gab declared, nodding at my line. Before I could respond, he nodded over his shoulder. "How many guns on the sloop six degrees south off our stern?" I rolled to my feet and cupped my hand over my eyes to spy out the ship in question, using the method he taught me to count its cannons despite how far away it sat.

"One, two, five, ten, five," I paused and narrowed my eyes. "Thirty-two?" Before he could grunt, I jabbed a finger at the other ship's bow.

"Plus four chase guns at the bow," I added, having noticed the smaller specialized cannons sticking off its forecastle, or the raised deck at the front just before the bow.

"Good. But what's that mean?" Gab pressed. I furrowed my brow as I looked over the whole ship, searching for the answer. He hummed and nodded. "Considering the weight of each gun-"

"They're over-burdened and could capsize if they turn too hard?" I finally declared, looking down at him.

He smiled with a knowing look. "Bingo. Which means?"

"Their captain's an idiot?" I offered.

"Bingo."

The minotaurs, diamond dogs, and other creatures who populated the space around Naysow's fortress had cleared one of the training fields to watch Zamaradi and me as I stretched.

"Sorry if this is too out of your field," I said to her as she stood with a placid look. "I just figured you could give me some pointers, just in case." I shook my hands and approached her with a nod at which she laughed and waved her hoof.

"Oh, please. I've fought and killed enough two-legs to know how they should and shouldn't move pretty well," she mused, drawing an eager cheer from our crowd. She looked me up and down before tilting her head. "For instance." I was suddenly facing the sky, and then the ground, and then the sky again before hitting the ground and gasping as all the air was knocked out of my chest.

"Ooh!" The crowd exclaimed before someone laughed. As I lay there dazed, suddenly Zamaradi appeared in the corner of my eye with a knowing smile.

"We gonna have to work on your stance, first thing."

After a couple of days of watching a zebra kick my ass, one of Ben's sharpshooters had taken an interest and offered to teach me shooting. And so, I found myself being escorted down range from some training dummied before the Abyssinian instructing me slapped my shoulder.

"Alright, see this distance? This is point blank for a crossbow," he explained, gesturing back at the dummy he wanted me to shoot. "Keep it in mind." He handed a crossbow to me.

"Point blank?" I murmured, looking down range at the dummy. "I thought point blank was, like, right up against whatever you were shooting?" He hummed and shook his head as he propped my arms up properly.

"Point blank is the distance a bolt or ball, or what have you moves straight," he said, leering over my shoulder and patting my side. "Any further and you have to aim higher and higher. Got it?" I slowly nodded as I focused on the dummy.

"So this is the distance I aim straight at them?" I asked. To my surprise, due to how vibrant everything already was in this world, I could not only make out the dummy with near-perfect clarity but even the ones further back.

"Yes. Give it a shot," he ordered. I squeezed the lever and the bolt went flying. The dummy shuddered as the missile nailed it in the chest, drawing a thoughtful pur from my instructor. "Not bad, Squire."

I rubbed my eyes and exhaled hard as I meandered into the inn I'd been staying at, intent on sleeping straight through to noon the next day. We'd all earned a break, I felt. Our sailing date was rapidly approaching and the ship was outfitted with twelve guns and the supplies to use them. True to her name, Powder Monkey has proved a capable gunner and so was promoted to head of the gun crew, or Sergeant as she demanded. We'd sold some of my books to a collector to purchase a few small sidearms without having to add to our debt to Ben.

Even better, every one of the rookie sailors, including myself had finally passed our instructors' appraisals. So, while it had been a rough month, I-

"Hello, Captain Cutter."

"Ah!" I jumped as I passed into my room. Blinking, I looked around to find Apricot sitting on my bed with a patient and dangerous look in her eye. All around the rest of my room were other mares and a few of what I learned were kirins, all looking me up and down. As I looked at them all in confusion, I noticed Apricot's eyes drifted down and locked onto my hands.

Then the door was slammed shut behind me by a diamond dog who'd been hiding back there. I held up my hands defensively, and they all tracked them with their eyes.

"Listen-"

"Sst," Apricot hissed, jabbing a hoof at me.

I pondered the rough chart Gab had prepared for me, tracing the Celestial Sea with my fingers and carefully considering all the ports he could remember it touched. Obviously, there was Naysow, Southpile, and Mount Aris, but further north there was Foaledo, Baltimare, Fillydelphia, and Manehattan on the Equestrian side, and Griffinstone, Groverbay, Cobblerock, and Graymourne on the Griffinstone side. The eastern side had notes like 'this river to Shanghay and Ho Chi Mane and Trotsylvania,' or more worryingly 'Here be Dragons.' South and east led to Abyssinia and Colombuck.

Far, far north past the Griffish Isles, labled as 'Contested,' was a narrowish strait that led to 'Don't,' and he refused to elaborate.

"Have a course figured, Captain?" Our guest mused, drawing my attention up at him and across the table he'd had set on our deck just before the helm. Ben held the same relaxed smile he'd worn since he strode aboard just before we cast off, followed by the tuxedo-wearing minotaur currently waiting on him and Blood Orange with a knife-laden bandolier slung around her torso. Said bat pony currently had her forehooves on the table as she reared up to fix me with a bright smile, while the minotaur stood silently with a towel draped over one arm.

"Wouldn't call it a course," I replied, with my hand on my chin as I resumed studying the chart. "I'm just estimating which way ships might go." Through the corner of my eye, I saw Rosepetal looking at me expectantly and then at Gab who stood just beside her with his eyes focused on the crew lounging across the rest of the ship. We weren't really in a hurry and could cruise comfortably enough, so I saw no reason to make them work the whole time.

"Clever, clever," Ben hummed with a nod. A brief silence was cut when he tilted his head toward me. "You wanna hint?"

"Nope," I replied, earning a mirthful snort. Another brief silence followed.

"You wanna give scritchies?" Orange asked, drawing my eyes up to her as she leaned her head my way and pointed at it with a hoof. When I resumed charting, she let out a sad humph. I tapped the chart before gesturing to Gab.

"G-" I hissed as I remembered the proper officer lingo he'd beaten into me. "Mr. Gabber, let's see if we can intercept someone heading-"

"Sail ho! Sloop! Straight on and heading south!" Early yelled out, drawing my attention to him and the crew all to their hooves. "Equestrian flag!" An anxious murmur rose up to meet him from the rest of the crew, but I furrowed my brow and took to the larboard rail before drawing the spyglass Gab had lent me. Straight west of us and almost on the Equestrian shoreline I spotted her.

Gab trotted up beside me and reared up on the rail. "I don't see any guns, but they could have them hidden," I said as I watched the other crew. "They're all in yellow raincoats and floppy hats. I don't see any officers in uniform."

"Ah, just a fishing boat, by the sound of it," Gab hummed, causing me to look down at him.

"Do ponies fish?" I asked, looking between him and the uneasy faces of the crew.

"Sure do. Coastal towns get visitors of all kinds, some of whom eat fish," he replied, considering the other ship. I frowned and spied on the ship again, leaning further out as more details started to pop out to me.

"They're a fishing boat, but I don't see any nets out," I said, scanning the ship's sides and deck. "Or any fish on deck." Gab hummed and rolled his head for a moment.

"Well," he began.

"What's more, they're sitting pretty low in the water, despite no guns weighing them down," I interrupted, handing him the spyglass and pointing at the ship. "And take a look at that guy by the helm. I think that's their captain." He took the glass and examined the ship.

"What about h-" He snapped up straight, seemingly noticing it immediately.

"Do civilian fishing boat captains usually stand that rigid? You'd figure they'd be more casual," I said, glancing up at the ship. "And considering you told me appearances are everything out here."

"Huh. Good eye, Mr-" Gab's ear twitched and he nodded before handing me the spyglass. "Captain Cutter."

"What's happening?" Happy asked. My attention lingered on the other ship for a moment before I turned to the crew.

"I think they're pretending to be a civilian fishing boat so they don't get attacked," I explained, collapsing my glass and wagging it at him. "And I think they're carrying something big."

"Captain Cutter, that's an Equestrian ship," he pressed with an uneasy frown that only worsened with every second. "Are we- Are we really going to-" I furrowed my brow and looked up to see a little under half the crew with similar uncertain faces. Glancing down at Gab, he still had his attention on the sloop and was rubbing his chin. When I then turned to Ben, he threw his paws up.

"Hey, don't look at me!" He chirped, waving his paws at me. "It's your cruise. You sort it out!" I hummed and considered the crew again. More than half, including our helmsmare, seemed unperturbed by the possibility, but the few that were still needed reassuring. I looked out at the sloop. We needed to see if we could pull something like this off, and I had a debt to pay.

"We are," I declared turning back to Happy with a firm expression and my hand on my hip. "There's no telling how long before we bump into another ship and if it'll be unarmed as well." He shrunk away from me with a nervous whimper, so I knelt down and patted his head.

"Remember what Gab said? If we can compel them to surrender, we won't have to hurt them," I explained with a nod.

"How're we gonna do that?" He retorted with an all-too-earnest tone. Before I could answer Holiday barked a laugh.

"Why don't we just tie Cutter to the mast? The sight of him should rattle them plenty," he offered earning a laugh from Zamaradi beside him and even from Happy. I considered the unicorn before me with a raised eyebrow causing him to snap his hooves over his mouth.

"Funny was it?" I pressed with a smirk, before tilting my head in thought. As said thought solidified, my smirk returned and grew more sinister by the second, to Happy's visible dismay.

Celestia suddenly groaned and shook her head. I sat up in the seat I'd been provided once we moved to the cushy suite we now sat in. "What's wrong?"

"The ship you were talking about: It was the Wicker Hoofbasket, wasn't it?" She narrowed her eyes with a pained expression and when I nodded she closed them entirely. "I don't- I don't need to hear the rest."

"What?" I mumbled. She turned to face me with an angry leer.

"I read the report extensively. It was some years later when we realized it was you who did such an awful thing, but," she hissed with a shudder, shaking her head. "The images the poor crew's report conveyed." I fixed her with a confused expression before jolting and leaning on the table between us with a smug smile.

"And what image did they report?" I pressed to her visible annoyance.

As instructed, we were sailing south and drawing near to the area around Southpile. We had so far been unmolested and of the few ships we'd spotted, as I anticipated, none gave us a second glance. We were certain we'd arrive at Mount Aris with the gifts Her Majesty prepared within two days.

"Sail ho! Brig! East and bearing down!" Our lookout called. I furrowed my brow and gave a calming gesture to the crew with my hoof before drawing my spyglass to observe the approaching vessel. They had their full sails out and were racing toward us. My lip twitched at their haste, but a calming breath steadied my nerves.

"Captain Scuttle, I don't think they're falling for it," my helms-stallion reported, so I turned and waved a hoof at him.

"Don't be ridiculous," I chided, gesturing forward. "Just keep calm, and-"

"Captain?" A crewmate called up in a thoroughly uneasy tone. Turning, I saw the entire deck now had their eyes fixed on the approaching ship. When I looked that way, I discovered we could now see a creature standing at their bow.

I'd never seen anything quite like it. It was tall and lean, standing on two legs like a diamond dog or minotaur, but it was fully dressed in a dirty white shirt and grey pants. In its right claw was a curved sword, while its left claw kept a firm grip on the line it was hanging from. As alarming as the fact it was armed was, the rest of it was more so.

Its eyes had this strange, eerie light to them, suggesting magic, and its face was twisted into a feral sneer as its shoulders heaved in time with its heavy breathing.

Most importantly, it had its jaws clamped upon the bloodied throat of some poor unicorn who was hanging and twitching from the monster's maw. All of the features I described so far were spattered with small amounts of blood, and there was a faint trickle falling from the pony, who gasped suddenly and struggled for a moment before going still as the monster growled.

Even though we only had a moment to notice the monster, it felt to me like an eternity passed as the pirate ship rolled closer. As I blinked and caught my breath, I heard a whimper at my side. Turning, I saw shipmate Valley Lotus gasping and heaving as tears formed in her eyes from the sight of the thing, especially when it raised its sword and seemed to point it right at her.

"Captain?" My helms-stallion said with a thorough quaver. "One of them is holding a speaking trumpet." Blinking, I turned to see indeed, one of their crew, a green pegasus, now hovered beside their monster and was yelling at us through such a device.

"Surrender and our unholy captain will spare you!" He called, gesturing to the monster at their bow. "If not, then you shall see what a survivor of Tambelon and Grogar's kingdom is really like!"

Due to the rapidly deteriorating morale of the crew, I elected to do as instructed with your pardon, My Lady.

I snorted a few times before breaking and falling into a full-on laughing fit. As I bent and slapped my knee and pounded the table, Celestia maintained her disapproving glare.

"I fail to find the humor, James," she spat, shaking her head as I looked up at her with mirthful tears streaming. "You murdered one of your own-" I wheezed hard, cutting her off. I gasped and coughed, sputtering and waving my hand as I struggled and eventually managed to compose myself.

"The humor is you fell for the very trick we decided on, Lady," I gasped, heaving a few times before wagging a finger at her. "Here's how it went."

"Captain, my back is killing me," Happy moaned.

"Same here. Just hold tight," I moaned right back as best I could with his fur in my mouth. The harness holding him up that we'd quickly fashioned was biting into my neck, despite the fact we'd fixed it to also pull on the line I had a grip on. That, plus a little spare blood Holiday had aboard, had allowed us to paint me and Happy up like I'd mauled him and was now holding him from my bare teeth

"I think they can see us. Hit it," I urged. Happy murmured and lip up his horn, spreading his magic over my face and hopefully giving me an unnatural glow.

He suddenly gasped and started kicking his hooves. "Ah! That tickles! Let me down, let me down!"

"Shut up!" I hissed, gently rattling him and immediately regretting it as the harness strained my neck. He strained and then held still as my shoulder started aching. Raising it and the sword I had a grip on I decided to lean into it and jabbed the cutlass at some random crew member I could faintly see through the magical light currently blinding me.

"Surrender and our unholy captain will spare you!" Gab suddenly screamed through an old-timey megaphone. Right in my ear. "If not, then you shall see what a survivor of Tambelon and Grogar's kingdom is really like!"

"Fuck you," I squeaked.

"Seems to have done the trick though," he mused as shortly thereafter, the sloop's sails were furrowed and the Equestrian flag was hastily torn down and replaced with a white one.

"Thank God," I huffed.

"Now can I get down?" Happy pressed.

Celestia considered me with a wide-eyed even leer that I matched with a smug smirk as I strained to restrain another laughing fit.

"James," she began.

"Mhm?" I managed.

"That's not funny, James," she declared.

"Mm Mm!" I agreed, shaking my head with a twitching and furrowed brow. A shaky silence followed as she held her displeased glare until I finally sputtered hard at her and fell from my chair laughing.

Chapter 8

The Wicker Hoofbasket was now miles behind us, completely plundered of the treasure she had been hauling and utterly deprived of any sense of safety, but otherwise unharmed. The hatches of the main deck now lay open as Gab and Rosepetal tallied up all that we'd stolen and piled on the lower deck.

"We're gonna need an appraiser for most of this, Captain," Rosepetal called, scratching her head as she carefully rotated a strange-looking crystal figurine of a unicorn dancing. Amazingly, as it turned in the light, it seemed to shift and animate through a small dance routine. The sight urged a hum of interest from the crew as we all gathered at the edge of each hatch, watching the pair work with interest. I however could only furrow my brow with curiosity at the horde of crystaline bits and bobs they'd been hauling—For quite literally everything we'd stolen was made of crystal.

Ben stepped up beside me and examined the lower deck for a moment before nodding. "Considering the princesses' recent conflict with the Crystal Empire, they must've taken all these from Sombra's outposts and forts," he hummed, drawing a similar noise of understanding from me. He rubbed his chin and beat the back of his paw against my shoulder. "If I were leading this voyage, I might've asked where this cargo was heading, but that aside, not a bad haul for your first outing, Captain." He fixed me with a warm and genuine smile that I couldn't help but mirror.

"Thank you, Commodore," I replied as he returned to his table, looking down with some pride at what we'd taken. Then, something caught my eye. I whistled to Gab and gestured to the items, and as he collected and moved to bring them up I searched the crew for our musical trio. "Happy, you and the other two wanted to be musicians, right?" All three perked up and shared a look before I waved them closer.

"I'm more of a singer, myself," he said with a curious tone once they were all beside me. I reached down and took the two items Gab had grabbed for me.

"Fine, but look here," I urged, holding them up for the other two to see. "You two know how to play?" A wild change overtook the pair.

"A trumpet!" Sour squealed scooping the crystal trumpet up and hugging it desperately.

"That's a nice violin," Jingle mused in wonder as I handed it to him.

"I'll take that as a yes," I said with a chuckle, before waving my hand at the pair. "They're yours." They gave me a unified and utterly grateful pair of smiles as Holiday cleared his throat, drawing our attention to him as he drew his pipe and began smoking.

"Give us a victory tune, you three," he urged, at which the rest of the crew called out in agreement. The three flinched and shared a nervous look before Happy slowly nodded with a breath. As the three prepared for their first genuine performance, I stood up and walked over to Ben who had begun dealing a deck of cards between himself and Blood Orange. As I took a seat, he began dealing my way as well.

Briefly looking at my hand, I leaned over and pointed at him. "You said targeting griffin ships wouldn't cause issues, right?"

"In moderation, Captain Cutter, in moderation," he replied, setting the full deck down and examining his hand. "But the griffins are hardier than ponies. You will have to consider more abrasive methods for compelling them to surrender."

"Got any threes?" Orange chirped.

"We're playing poker, y'idiot," he grumbled.

"Aw," she murmured, hanging her head. Ben sighed and rolled his eyes before drawing two cards and sliding them to her, causing her to perk up and drum her hooves on the table with a squeal. I nodded as I considered Happy's trio who had begun their performance.

"Appreciate the advice, Commodore," I said, at which he reached over and patted my shoulder.

"Surely! Your success is now our success!" He said with a smile before jabbing his claw eastward. "Best of luck to you, Captain! Now, get us back to Naysow so you can hand me my share!"

Once again, the whole crew was gathered on the larboard rail, observing the ship in the distance. It was a sloop and armed with eight guns, four on each side. Even with its armaments, everyone had a much more confident expression, and everyone had some little bit of jewelry or other finery they'd earned during our recent successes. I for instance how had some nice shoes and a red coat with black buttons, currently sitting on my shoulders like a cape due to the midday sun, as I leaned on the rail with one hand to my chin.

Happy trotted up beside me with his harness already on and fixed me with a smile before Gab grunted and lowered his spyglass. "Those're griffin's alright," he said, turning to me and then Happy. "I don't think our trick with Happy will work on them." My unicorn assistant frowned and considered the ship with a hum.

"Ben said something similar a few weeks back," I murmured, drumming my fingers on my cheek. Hatch reared up on the rail, adjusting his yellow Equestrian officer's coat that he'd made a point of stealing.

"Captain, if that's the case, why don't we keep focusing on Equestrian ships?" He asked, with an uneasy smile, nodding his head in the opposite direction of the griffins. "The last one gave up the second they saw our guns and flag, and the two before that yielded to that wonderful trick of yours!"

"I've got plans for returning to Equestrian society one day, Mr. Hatch," I retorted, my eyes still locked on the ship. Even still, I could see him wilt through the corner of my eye. "I think most of us do." I tilted my head in consideration of their course, as they were currently heading north while we rolled west. I stood up and turned to the crew as a thought occurred to me.

"Proving we're willing to harass the griffins is a good starting point," I declared, thrusting my hand out. "Ms. Powder!"

"Aye?" She replied, giving me her full attention.

"You said you wanted to give the griffins the business, right?" I asked, folding my arms and leaning back on the rail.

"Aye," she confirmed, and I tilted my head.

"Think you could put a few holes in their hull?" I asked, at which she furrowed her brow and looked at the distant ship.

"Sure, but they'd be able to do the same to us," she replied with a shrug.

"Well, we aren't going to open fire yet," I pointed out, looking at the ship as well. "They haven't noticed us." I made a whirling motion with my hand.

"Do you think you could blow their rudder off?" I pressed, causing her to blink and turn to Gab.

"Can I borrow that glass?" When he handed it to her she spied on the griffins for a few seconds. She leaned to her right seemingly to get a better look at their back and wound up leaning on the rail while balancing on the tip of one hoof. "We'd have to get within point-blank range by-" She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes.

"Ten meters, then yeah," she declared, handing Gab his glass and fixing me with a critical leer. "But like I said, they'd be able-"

"Not if we shoot at their back," I declared with a wink before turning to our helmsmare. "Ms. Rosepetal, sixteen notches to larboard! Drop the tarps to hide your guns, Sergeant." I rolled my arm at Powder who blinked and then nodded at her assistants as they scooped the furled tarps we kept by each rail and tossed them over. They were painted on one side to match our hull, letting us hide the fact our gun ports were open. Gave the ponies we'd ambushed an awful scare at least, as if my and Happy's act wasn't enough.

"Ah, I see what you're after!" Gab chortled before scowling and jabbing a hoof at Rosepetal. "Belay that! Go for twenty until we're turned around!" Rosepetal nodded firmly and did as he instructed.

"My mistake," I mused before pointing at the gun crew. "Ms. Powder, please ready the larboard guns to make the shot we've just discussed. Everyone else, trim the sails to half and brace against the larboard rail in case they begin shooting bolts or hurling spears." I paced toward the quarterdeck as everyone galloped to do as instructed. While Holiday trotted down to my old cabin, which was now his operating bay, I signaled to Zama before she could follow.

"Ms. Zamaradi, please be ready to repel sudden boarders, seeing as they can fly," I ordered, gesturing to the enemy ship as we began turning around. "Just in case."

She balked with a huff, shaking her head in bemusement. "On my own! Your faith is kind, Captain, but let's be practical!"

"I'm being perfectly practical," I said, hanging my coat on the quarterdeck's banister and rattling the sword on my hip. "I'll be joining you, since you and I are the only ones who won't be otherwise preoccupied and can keep our eyes skyward." I motioned for her to follow me up the stairs, drawing a defeated huff from the zebra. Once we were up top, I signaled to Gab.

"Mr. Gabber please be ready to make our demands," I declared, earning a nod as he drew his speaking trumpet.

"Aye, aye, Sir," he replied with a salute, whirling about to shout at the rigging crew. "You heard him! Haul to!"

"Don't raise our flag until after we've shot them!" I called up to Early as he fluttered back to the crow's nest.

He balked in midair at me. "Captain, ain't that kind of dishonest?" He asked. A pause fell across the crew before I snorted and everyone laughed, including our lookout. Not too long after, we were turned back east and rolling at half speed. Everyone scrambled to the positions I'd ordered, with Gab and Zamaradi on the quarterdeck behind me. I drew my spyglass and watched the enemy ship for a few moments when I spied the enemy captain focusing on me through his own spyglass. He wore a perplexed expression that only worsened when I waved.

As we drew closer, it became apparent they had a small crew and a casual demeanor—Civilians, possibly couriers making a delivery or returning from one. We'd find out soon enough.

"Fire when ready, Sergeant," I called down to Powder as she and her team worked in secret. The enemy captain was nudged by one of his crew and he jumped before nodding and scanning the rest of our ship. He then lowered his glass just in time for us to roll up behind him from a safe distance. He said something to his crew and I could just barely see the wheel of their ship beginning to spin as he doubtlessly ordered their ship to line up for a broadside. Then, his crewmate handed him a speaking trumpet.

"Attention! Strange creature!" He yelled out to us as I lowered my spyglass. "I cannot see your colors and do not care for your crew nor how you just came about! Where are you coming from and where are you going?" I considered Powder just as she nodded and lit the fuse of her cannon. I gestured for Gab to hand me our trumpet and took a breath.

"I'm going aboard of you!" I yelled out to him. A half second later, our cannon blasted a burning hole through our tarp and sent a heavy ball of iron screaming through the air. I held my breath as the griffins all jumped just as the ball tore through the water's surface, skimming it like a skipping stone for a moment before vanishing.

A heavily muted boom filled the air as the water just around their rudder burst up before a few bits of splintered wood were thrown in the air. I raised my eyebrows and gripped the quarterdeck rail as our crew cheered. The enemy captain leered down at the water for a moment before someone flew up beside him and began frantically yelling something.

"Aw!" The captain yelled loud enough for us to hear. I finally sighed in relief, looking through my spyglass to see that, though a few griffins were scrambling by the helm, their ship was no longer turning. They could sure as hell move forward, but that was the limit of their maneuverability. The captain scowled at me before raising his trumpet again. "Terribly unsporting, Chap." I smirked as my crew cheered and hollered before raising my trumpet to call back.

"Surrender now, or we'll show you just how unsporting we can be!"

The crew of griffins could only scowl and grumble at us as Zamaradi and a few armed ponies kept them rounded up in a corner of their quarterdeck. The griffin captain however paced patiently at my side as our crew hauled up their cannons, gunpowder, and a few boxes they were transporting.

"So, what exactly were you up to, may I ask?" I pressed, making sure to keep my hand on the hilt of my sword.

"Commissioned prisoner transport, Sir, delivering a few criminals from Griffinstone to a labor colony near Abyssinia," he replied in an unbothered tone as he watched us loot his cargo. "We were also transporting a few gifts from the colony governor to His Excellency."

"Well, I'm no Excellency, but I definitely appreciate the gesture," I hummed in response, leaning on his starboard rail with my arms folded.

"Oh, very clever," he mused, resting one foreleg on the rail beside me. "I hope your wit doesn't fail you when you're facing a noose, Old Top."

"Oh, I'm shaking," I mused, shaking my head. For once, his composure wavered and he raised an eyebrow.

"You're very lucky those Crystal Barges have called our admiralty's full attention north," he offered, causing me to tilt my head.

"Crystal Barges?" I asked, causing him to bark a laugh and shake his head.

"And you call yourself a sea captain? No wonder you turned pirate!" He jabbed with a snort and a smirk. I frowned and huffed at him.

"Alright, jackass, never mind," I turned away and searched for Gab, waving to him once I spotted him. "Let's get moving. Do they have a toilet at their bow, too?"

"Sure do!" He called back, at which I nodded.

"Yeah, go ahead and break that," I said, pushing off the rail and striding back to our ship, leaving the shocked griffin behind. "Smash it apart with a few spare cannonballs or something."

"I'll do it!" Powder Monkey chirped, scrambling to do as requested. As I strode up the gangplank back onto our ship, Gab suddenly called from near one of our hatches.

"Oy, Captain! Come take a gander at this!" He yelled. When I arrived at his side he held up a velvet-covered box with an open lid on a hinge. My eyebrows shot up at what was nestled inside.

"Whoa," I gasped as I carefully drew out the device. It had a flat, wooden stock at one end of a long metal tube that ended in a broad taper. Turning the whole thing in my hands, I spotted a spring-activated lever that snapped down into a small pan on the side of the device. The lever had a little clamp on it which I presumed could be used to hold a lit piece of cord or something. Gab examined the ship's cargo log we'd stolen as I looked over the weapon.

"'Abyssinian Small Gun. Invented two months ago and requisitioned one week later,' according to their log," he mused, looking up at me and the gun. "You seem to know how to hold it. Any clue what it is?"

"A fucking blunderbuss, I'm pretty sure," I replied to his bewilderment. I leveled the weapon and aimed down its barrel with a chuckle. "Have to see about getting some grapeshot or ball bearings for this."

As the ship rolled into Naysow's harbor we were met with a few cheers as greetings from some of the locals and other privateers working for the Flying Gang. I noted the presence of a sloop with furled crimson sails and a unique flag billowing in the wind toward the furthest end of the harbor.

"Captain Catarina's in today, Captain," Gab said, having also noticed the personal ship of one of the Gang's leaders, or 'Merits' as they preferred to be called. "Wonder if Ben'll finally introduce you?" I hummed in response and considered the rest of the town.

Unsurprisingly, Apricot and a few of her friends were waiting where the main road met the docks and began calling out after me, waving their hooves to get my attention. The actual surprise came from the sight of Burigold, standing on the docks with a severe look and then striding down to meet me where we anchored.

"I think the commodore wants to talk," I declared, drawing Gab's attention to the dog. He laughed in response and nudged me.

"Hey! Maybe I was on to something? Go ahead, I'll get the loot settled," he said, earning a nod from me as I made my way off the ship. "Catch up with you after." By the time I reached the end of our gangplank, Ben was already waiting.

"Cutter, walk with me," he urged before turning and making his way inland. Following along, I waved at Apricot as she and her friends came trotting up. However, as soon as they saw the look on Burigold's face, they murmured and grumbled before stepping out of our way. Burigold considered me over his shoulder as we walked. "You heard any news of the north?" I raised an eyebrow at his question.

"The prize we just took mentioned something keeping the griffin's attention up that way," I replied, tilting my head back as I tried to recall the word the griffin had used. "Crystal Barges, I think it was."

"Damn," he hissed, folding his arms. "That makes you the sixth to report as such." He moaned grumpily.

"What's a Crystal Barge?" I asked, causing him to offer me a raised eyebrow.

"You know Sombra?" He asked.

"Yeah," I replied, earning a nod.

"Right, well they're big hunks of crystal from that kingdom he conquered. His cronies used magic to sculpt and turn them into ships moved by magic instead of the wind," he explained with no small amount of annoyance in his voice as we approached the inn I'd lived in for most of my time in Naysow. My usual table on the patio already had a few kirins cleaning it before one came out with a pair of steaming mugs in her magic.

"Before I left, Celestia had mentioned something about Sombra's followers causing trouble again," I offered as we both took a seat. Grabbing my mug, I found to my delight that the kirin inn-keep had set us up with hot chocolate. Ben however merely slouched in his chair and drummed his claws on the table.

"Aye, and it sounds like secured some berth or other from which to launch those damned nuisances," he murmured.

"Is that a problem?" I asked after taking a sip. He threw his arms up with a gasping growl.

"Seven Hells and Tambelon Bells! Is it a problem, he says!" He snorted in a mocking tone before jabbing a claw at me. "So long as they're mucking about, we can expect merchant ships to become thinner and thinner this far south. The prize you took was on a return voyage, wasn't it?" When I nodded he sighed and slapped the table a few times.

"Aye, expect more and more of that," he grumbled, throwing his head back. "Until all their ships are returned and no more are sailing out save them that can actually fight back."

"Is that any different from what you were expecting from the war?" I pressed, tilting my head.

"Very. The war means that they send military where they believe the other side's military will be," he said, knitting his paws behind his head as he reclined. "Sombra's fools sinking everything they come across means they send the military everywhere until they're dealt with."

"They're just in the north right now," I pointed out, causing him to sit up.

"Right now! But if they manage to gain some headway, who knows how far south they'll bring their nonsense!" He retorted, throwing his paws up before sinking back with a mournful sigh. "I set this whole operation up to corral all the looters and pillagers in this sea, and here these half-wits come to spoil the whole plan." He dragged his paws over his eyes with a groan before scooting his chair back and stepping away.

"I have to get back to the fort. The other Merits of the Flying Gang are trying to hurry out here and see what we can do to defend our money-making scheme," he explained, offering me a weak wave as he departed. I hummed in consideration of his words before grabbing his untouched mug. When Gab finally arrived and I'd explained everything to him, he shuddered with a snort.

"Sombra, eh?" He grumbled before spitting off to the side. "Guess even in death he's causin' trouble."

"It sure has Ben upset," I replied as a kirin delivered a mug to Gab.

"Those barges are a powerful pain in the rear, Captain," he huffed as he sipped from his drink. I drummed my fingers on the table with a slow nod.

"Sure. But they could be useful," I offered. Gab paused as he drank before slowly setting the mug down.

"Hey?" He asked, clearing his throat and earning a smile from me.

"If we could find where they're hiding and setting sail from, not only would that make Ben happy, but I reckon it'd make the princess happy too," I explained, wagging my eyebrows. "Especially if that wound up helping put a stop to them." He considered me evenly for a moment before narrowing his eyes with a wide, sarcastic smile.

"Mayhaps, but finding them's the trick, ain't it?" He retorted. I pursed my lips and drew the chart he'd made for me from my coat. Rolling it out on the table, I searched it for a moment and then tapped on the north-most portion labeled 'Don't.'

"They're coming from the north and they're followers of an old dark wizard, right?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as Gab recoiled with a groan. "What's up here?"

"That's where they believe old Tambelon used to be," he grumbled in response before fixing me with a hard glare. "Grogar's kingdom."

"Those words don't mean anything to me, I'm sorry," I said, considering the map and drumming my fingers on it. "But that sounds like dark magic, now, doesn't it?" He audibly shuddered.

"Ancient and terrible dark magic, Captain. Grogar used a magic bell to create most of the foulest monsters roaming the world today," he said in a hushed tone, leaning on the table at me. "In fact, most sailors are certain he also constructed at least six of the more famous ghost ships lurking out there."

"Ghost ships, huh?" I hummed.

"Aye, like the Bell-bound," he continued. "Captured innocent folk and tortured 'em so their souls would be miserable and angry, then used his bell to bind them to the rotted planks of the ship. Set 'em loose to patrol the waters around his lair." I slowly nodded before rolling up my chart.

"Guess we'll keep an eye out for it," I declare, stamping the chart's end against the table before slipping it into my coat. Gab's jaw dropped.

"You're not serious?" He groused.

"I'm seriously considering it," I replied, reclining in my chair. "We just need to search around up there, not get stuck in a fight." He sat with his jaw hanging for another second before readopting his narrow-eyed smile.

"Alright, supposing we convinced the crew to sail up there and even supposing we prepared for the frigid cold waiting up that way, and even supposing we didn't run afoul of anything," he paused and grimaced. "Unnatural, you do realize we'd be sailing right through the place those barges are haunting, right? Not to mention, possibly, the Equestrian and Griffinstone navies, at the same time, because I'd like to point out that the area you're describing is on the opposite end of a fairly narrow strait!" He took a heavy breath and hissed it out. I tilted my head back in thought.

"What if we sailed back west to the Lunar Sea and then cut around the top of the Equestrian continent?" I offered, gesturing in a circular motion. He huffed and rolled his eyes hard.

"I don't think you get how far north that continent stretches!" He spat, shaking his hoof further east. "It'd be faster to slip up the Stampede River past Ho Chi Mane and then wrap north to-" He paused with his hoof outstretched as a smile worked its way onto my face. His hoof swung forward and pounded the table as he hopped out of his seat.

"We'll put it to a damned vote," he grumbled, trotting off to the docks.

"My thanks, Quartermaster," I called after him.

"Hope Apricot snaps your hands off," he called back.

Galley eagerly zipped from one side of the ship to the other and from bow to stern, her pink mane swishing back and forth as she scanned the chilly waters around us. She'd been the only crewmate who needed no convincing to take up the journey out here. For the rest, I'd simply conveyed what Ben had told me and added my thinking, that if this situation wasn't handled it could start to eat into our operation and the fact that this could earn us a solid reputation on all accounts.

The assurance that we were going to run the very instant we spotted trouble had definitely helped, as an aside.

If I wasn't so preoccupied scanning our surroundings with my spyglass, I might've asked Galley what she was so excited about. Instead, I wound up adding to her excitement when I spied land to our southwest.

"Mr. Gabber, what might that be?" I asked. The grumpy pegasus reared upon the rail, crinkling his winter coat as he did before he drew his spyglass and examined the landmass as well. Galley was the first to snap to attention at my discovery, but the rest of the crew also trotted up to the rail.

"I'd wager that's Mount Metazoa, so we're about halfway to the north-most ice fields," he explained with a nod my way. "That's where the strait we made this whole trip to avoid sailing up lets out."

"Anything of note at that mountain?" I asked, with a hum as I continued scanning the land.

"Reindeer," he replied, drawing a curious hum from the crew. "They're supposedly friendly." I rolled my head thoughtfully at this news before turning to the crew.

"Maybe they'd be willing to treat with us," I offered before raising my hand. "Who feels like going on a reindeer hunt?"

"Aye," they almost all agreed. The only one who hadn't voted was Stitches, who sat with her eyes shut and her mouth opening more and more until-

"Achoo!" She sniffed. "'Scuse me." I gave her a nod.

"Reindeer it is," I declared, looking up at the rigging and then gesturing across the deck. "Let's get-"

"Captain?" Gab pressed when he saw my expression.

"Well, shit," I huffed, as I walked to the starboard rail. The crew looked that way as I marched and an unhappy and uneasy silence fell over us all.

For north of us, a huge wall of green fog had suddenly popped up, spreading so far that it threatened to blot out the early morning sun. Once I reached the rail, followed closely by the crew, I scanned the fog with my spyglass.

"What are those lights?" Rosepetal murmured, drawing attention to the clusters of faint yellow globes hanging all throughout the fog. As I scanned the general area where the lights were, I tsked as the outline of a ship began to take shape.

"It's the Bell-bound!" Gab cried, drawing a wail from a few crewmates.

"Probably!" I declared, watching the ship become more defined as if it was forming from the fog itself. "All the more reason to get us moving to land, right?"

"Right!" They all yelled before scrambling to get the ship moving away from the possible ghost ship. For my part, I found myself compelled to keep watching the unnatural thing as it approached. Some small part of me suspected it was a trick, possibly conjured by Sombra's followers.

All of the rest of me, however, didn't really care.

As Gab barked orders to the rigging crew, I was finally able to see the ship itself—From its unknown number of gunports more of the eerie fog spilled out before rising up and framing the vessel. Its hull was an ugly charcoal black and seemed to crumble in places as if it had actually been set on fire. The rail was, of course, made of bones and the three masts had only tatters for sails that drifted worthlessly on the breeze.

But I gave little consideration to how the thing managed to propel itself when I saw the origins of all the little lights.

Griffins, hippogriffs, and ponies of all tribes gathered on the main deck and peering out through holes along the ship's hull. The lights were in fact their eyes, as none of the ghostly creatures had properly defined bodies, merely being clusters of fog in the general shape of the species I recognized.

Along the yard arm of the masts, there were hanging chains collared to dozens and dozens of spectral pegasi and griffins who were hanging in the air on ghostly wings.

In the sea just before the ship's bow, more lights suddenly bobbed out of the water, revealing the ghostly heads of dozens and dozens of ponies and hippogriffs. These too were collared and chained to the bow of the ship.

As the spectral crew leered horribly at us, suddenly a figure appeared at the bow. It was a skeletal unicorn with a coat of that same green fog and a sickly yellow bulb of light pulsing in its chest. The skeleton seemed to stare right at me specifically before its horn began to glow.

"Huh," I huffed, realizing I hadn't heard Gab yell in a minute or two. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the crew had all stopped their work to look in horror at our foe.

Then a crackling noise split the air.

Turning back, I blinked and then caught my breath as from beneath the hull of the ghost ship a vast sheet of ice suddenly shot out in all directions. The Quicksilver groaned and lurched and we were all thrown off balance as the ice reached and overtook us in an instant.

"Captain?" Happy squeaked as we all lay toppled over. Considering him for a moment, I pulled myself up by the rail and looked off our larboard side. The ice had carried on and seemed to reach all the way to shore.

Looking back and raising my spyglass, I saw the skeleton leaning forward with one hoof over its eyes. It seemed to perk up and then did a strange hacking motion, pointing its hoof at me, as if it were laughing.

Then it stamped its hoof and a dull boom roared out. In that instant, all the chained ghosts shot forward and began dragging the entire ship our way, ignoring the ice that they just phased through as the ship picked up speed.

"Abandon ship," I declared.

Author's Note

Chapter 9

As could be expected, even older ponies were capable of outrunning a twenty-some-odd-year-old human. Thus, the crew had opened a hell of a lot of space between me and them.

"Cutter!" Rosepetal screamed upon looking back and seeing me lagging behind.

"Run! Just fucking run!" I screamed back, leaping once or twice to swing my arms at her. Looking back for only a second longer, she turned and took off at a full gallop. Pumping my legs as hard as I could, I spared a moment's glance over my shoulder, immediately regretting the action as the Bell-bound had crashed into our ship and capsized it entirely. The Quicksilver practically rolled over as the ghost ship shoved it down under the ice where it seemed to vanish entirely. And still, the ghostly crew ran on, heaving their chains with all their unnatural might.

The unicorn monster leading them remained on their bow and as they stampeded towards us, I could now definitively say that the hacking motion the monster was making was laughter.

Said laughter being high-pitched, whinnying, squeaky, and not at all ghostly was a complete surprise.

"We're gonna skin you alive!" One of the ghost ponies taunted in an abjectly ordinary pony voice.

"Yeah! And then we're gonna boil you in seawater!" A hippogriff added.

"And beat you up!" Someone else chipped in.

"And talk about you behind your backs!" Another offered in a less confident voice. Someone stammered for a moment.

"And deliberately forget your birthdays!" They finally yelled.

"Will you all shut up?" The unicorn hissed, turning back to glare at the other ghosts. "Honestly! Six thousand years and half of you still haven't figured out how to be genuinely menacing!" A large portion of the ghosts recoiled and then seemed to hang their heads with shame. The skeleton shook her head with a sigh and then turned forward.

"Anyway, yeah! We're gonna do horrible things to you and add your souls to the crew!" She clapped her ghostly hooves. "It'll be fun! Like a makeover! A horrible, painful, makeover!" I clenched my teeth and leaned forward to try and gain some extra speed, but the creaking of the ghost ship drew closer and closer regardless.

Up ahead, Gab glanced back for a moment and then whirled around. Spreading his wings he took off like a shot toward me and then past me. I slid to a stop to turn and scream at him.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled before he banked hard and shot back toward me, slamming into my gut, knocking all the wind from my body, and sending us both crashing through the air. I hit the ice hard and continued to slide, with Gab using his wings to propel us faster as he stood atop my chest like a surfboard.

Miraculously, we managed to catch up with the crew like that, and I found myself suddenly slammed head-first into a pile of snow which killed my momentum and threw Gab forward with a squawk.

"Are you two alright?" Rosepetal cried. Before I could stand back up, a horrible and familiar creaking sound caught our attention. Shaking the snow from my head, I saw the looming skeletal unicorn leaning down off her ship's bow to leer at us as the Bell-bound was quite literally right behind us.

"Prepare yourselves for an eternity aboard this ship! Hah hah-! WAH!" She cried. At the last possible moment, the entire ship suddenly lurched forward on its bowsprit with a horrible groan, hanging for a moment before slamming back into the icy water and drifting back. As a result of the sudden stop, the unicorn skeleton was sent tumbling off the front of her ship and fell flat on her face upon the water just before me.

The ghosts and our crew all looked at the prone skeleton with shock and horror for a few moments before she slowly raised her gently swaying head, revealing her dizzy ghostly eyes. After another second, she shook her head and looked down at where our feet and hooves were.

"AW! No fair!" She screamed, jumping to her hooves and desperately prancing in place. "Get back over the water, you cheaters!" Similar cries of disappointment rose up from the other ghosts. I furrowed my brow and released the breath I didn't realize I was holding before sitting up. The rest of the crew gathered close and examined the frustrated ghost for a moment. Looking down, I realized that just past the heels of my shoes the ice was cracking and splitting, revealing the water underneath as well as the fact we'd tumbled onto snow-covered land.

"Right! They're cursed to patrol the waters!" Gab suddenly gasped, jumping forward to point at the water's edge. "They can't step on land!"

"Rub it in why don't ya!" One of the ghosts yelled, causing the rest of the ghosts to begin yelling and hurling insults our way. In response, our entire crew heaved a collective sigh of relief.

"Oh, my stars," Zama huffed as she collapsed and draped a foreleg over her eyes.

"Quite a- hoo- quite a lucky break," Holiday mused, shaking the snow from his rear hooves and holding his chest as he panted.

"Nyeh!" Gab stuck his tongue out at the ghosts, causing a few to recoil.

"Oh! I did not get tortured to death just to get 'nyeh-nyeh'd' by some portly old idiot!" One growled with a humph. It was Gab's turn to recoil, gasping as he did so.

"Portly?!" He snapped. The ghost paused and leaned off the side of the ship with a malicious look in her eyes.

"What, you got a problem, Gramps?" She accused, beckoning him closer with a hoof. "Why don't you come out here and gimme a piece of your mind?" Gab snorted hard, shooting a gout of steam from his nose, and stomped toward the taunting ghost until I reached over, grabbed his tail, and dragged him back. He looked at me in surprise for a moment before jolting in realization and looking away with a blush.

The unicorn and I stared at each other before she narrowed her ghostly eyes and slowly drifted back to the ship.

"Just you wait! Next time you set hoof off land, we'll be waiting," she declared, waving her hooves at us for effect. The entire ship began to roll away as the fog closed in around them. "Your souls will be ours!" The fog enclosed the ship as a whole and then shrank into the sea, vanishing entirely. Gab and I shared a look before I noticed Zamaradi carefully approaching the edge of the actual water. She slowly reached out and tapped the water's surface with a hoof.

"HAH HA!" The unicorn skeleton triumphantly bellowed as she snapped up and tried to grab Zama's hoof, catching only air as the zebra immediately leaped back. The ghost hung in the air for a moment with her legs folded across her chest in a tight grip. The water rippled and another ghost's head popped up.

"Didja get 'em?" He asked, before looking at us. "Oh." The skeleton narrowed her eyes again and slowly sank down, jabbing a hoof at her eyes and then jabbing the same hoof at us just before she disappeared again.

"Okay, so the water's fucked," I huffed, pushing to my feet with a painful groan. "At least in these parts."

"Is it too late to change my vote?" Sour Note asked, earning a murmur from the rest of the crew.

"That's why I always abstain," Early declared, brushing his chest with a hoof. "I'm the only one who can still complain." He whirled around and jabbed his hoof at the rest of the crew.

"You all asked for this," he accused.

"Let's kill Captain Cutter!" Pepper chirped, jabbing a hoof at me. Holiday waved his hoof at him.

"Not yet," he grumbled, considering the mountain nearby. "Let's see about these reindeer, first."

Admiring the sun as it steadily dipped down from its midday height and cast its rays in fractured streams through the branches, I leaned against one of the snowy pine trees that decorated the land around us as the crew munched on the patch of berry bushes we'd found untouched by the snow. Granted, they were untouched thanks to the strange canopies made of sticks that were erected over them.

"As lucky a find as this is, this was clearly constructed," Gab declared as he trotted up beside me, idly chewing a leaf in the corner of his mouth. "Somepony lives out here."

"Must be getting close," I mused, glancing back the way we'd come. Despite the trees, we were high enough that I could make out the glittering and icy sea far below. "Wonder if Sombra's followers have had issues with those ghosts?"

"If they're careful, I reckon not," he hummed, sitting down and stamping his hooves together to shake the snow off.
"Considering how they can't even step hoof on land due to their curse, it's also possible they can't sail out of a very specific stretch of the sea, either."

"Namely the one I sailed us into," I murmured.

"Aye, that's the one," he chirped with a nod. However, when he noticed my sour, guilty expression, he shook his head and jabbed my leg. "Ah, don't kick yourself too hard. Who coulda guessed they'd chill the whole damned sea?"

"I'm just relieved everyone made it out alive," I sighed, leaning my head against the tree and staring at the pine needles. "I don't think I could handle it if I got someone killed."

"Then you should give consideration to surrendering now," someone immediately behind me replied in a very even tone.

"Oy!" Gab yelled.

"Ah!" A crewmate screamed. I clenched my eyes with a sharp, hissing sigh before looking around. Out of nowhere and slipping forward from behind and between the trees came a frankly silly number of dark-eyed white deer, each with a hoof hooked onto a wooden spear. Immediately to my left and leaning forward to leer at me with a purse-lipped expression was another deer. He was close enough that I could see his coat was painted white rather than naturally albino.

"Well?" He pressed, tilting his head and allowing his spear to shift into view. Even if they weren't armed, their antlers all spelled trouble I felt, and so with a huff, I offered the crew a nod before carefully removing the belt my sword was slipped in. Zama grunted at the gesture but made no move against the deer, instead slowly sitting down and glaring at them. The rest of the crew followed suit after a moment, most sitting and raising their forehooves, while Holiday drew his pipe and began smoking.

The deer nearest to me slowly stepped around and looked me and Gab up and down. "Yet more interlopers, come to defile our lands and pillage our homes," he said with a hum.

"We didn't mean to offend, we're just shipwrecked and lost," I replied in a careful tone, gesturing to the bushes. "We lost all our supplies with our ship." The crew murmured in agreement with me, at which the deer shared a look.

"You were attacked?" He pressed, tilting his head.

"Yes," I affirmed, drawing a slow nod from him.

"I see. And what were you doing this far north?" He demanded, looking me up and down. "We patrol every place the trees reach, and with a very particular exception, I've never seen any ponies or whatever you are." I nodded and gestured to the crew.

"We're trying to find whoever's responsible for the crystal ships coming down from this sea," I explained, but before I could continue, the other deer whispered to each other and he furrowed his brow. "Do you know them?"

"They invaded our ancestral home on orders from their dark master, bringing their diabolical magic machines with them," he replied, tilting his head back in consideration of me. "They have been dormant for some time now, but it was obvious they were merely preparing for some grim purpose." I hummed with a nod.

"They've started sailing down south and causing trouble," I said, folding my arms and leaning against the tree again. "It's threatening an operation we're involved in." He raised an eyebrow and looked at his group for a moment.

"Than perhaps we have found the grounds for an accord?" He offered, earning a hopeful murmur from the crew, but I could only shrug.

"I'm not sure what we can do to help you, but if we knew where these guys were hiding, I planned to make contact with our associates," I explained. As the leader considered me one of the others stepped into my view.

"To what end? Can your associates eradicate these interlopers?" She demanded with a sharp glare. "If so, why have they not done so already?" I tilted my head back and shrugged.

"Maybe. At least one of them is pretty crafty, but it's not like we know exactly where they are," I held my hands out with another shrug. "But like I said, I'm not sure how much help we can be now. Our ship was sunk by a ghost ship." The leader furrowed his brow and looked off to the side for a moment.

"You refer to the Bell-bound?" He asked, to which I nodded. "Ah, your ship is not lost, merely taken." I recoiled and shared a surprised look with the crew.

"The cursed crew claims whatever they find in the sea, but they rarely destroy it," he explained, gesturing to the sea. "We have carried murderers and captured invaders to the sea as sacrifices and the crew have accepted them and left our rowboats unharmed." The doe beside him nodded.

"They are quite reasonable in a way," she added. I knit my brow together and brought a hand to my chin with a thoughtful hum. Gab leaned toward me with an expectant look before I nodded slowly and turned to the deer.

"Would you be willing to show me where the invaders are set up? I think I have an idea."

Guided by the deer, we trudged for the entire day along shallow paths dug in the snow. The paths were narrow enough to be hard to spot and allowed us to cross a lot of space without getting nearly as much snow stuck to us as we would have otherwise. Additionally, the paths were planned in such a way as to cut between thicker clusters of trees, giving us frequent and much-appreciated breaks from the wind that howled down from further up the mountain.

The result of all this was that we covered a lot more ground than we might have on our own by the time the sun had vanished below the horizon. Pine Needle, the leader of the deer, turned to me and gestured to the clearing within a circle of trees we'd stopped in.

"We will camp here this evening," he explained as his deer spread out and used their antlers to shovel snow away. "Please understand Captain Cutter, until you have proven yourself our ally we cannot show you our home."

"Perfectly reasonable," I replied with a nod as I tucked my coat around myself before sitting down in one of the patches they'd cleared. As his deer and my crew worked together to light a fire using some branches the deer had hidden away to keep dry, Stitches trotted up to Pine Needle and gently nudged his leg.

"I'm hungry," she said, causing Needle to recoil with a shocked expression.

"You ate an entire day's travel rations on your own during our last break," he gasped.

"Yeah, but that was forever ago!" She argued.

"Four hours actually," he retorted with a bemused huff before shaking his head. "And anyway, I'm afraid that's already more than I should have given you. Our resources have been stretched thin as of late." Stitches hung her head with a defeated whine before crawling away. Once she was out of the way, I looked at Needle.

"Because of Sombra's goons?" I asked. He considered me for a moment.

"If you mean the interlopers, then yes," he replied before settling onto a dry patch himself. "Their magic has poisoned the land near to where they dwell, and they have long since plundered the orchards and gardens we have tended for generations."

"Ah, then that explains the unhappy welcome we received," I hummed, burying my hands in my coat and scooting closer to one of the fires they managed to start. "Must've been a shock to find us helping ourselves to one of the newer food sources, eh?" A wry and slightly annoyed smile came to his face.

"Indeed. And had your crew been comprised solely of ponies, we would not have bothered speaking with you first," he explained. "My curiosity about you specifically is what saved you all." I hummed in thought, remembering something he'd said.

"You mentioned you don't see ponies up here except for one specific exception," I urged, before raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me."

"The interlopers, correct," he confirmed with a nod before looking over the crew. "Though having taken the time to observe your crew closely, I can say they have a much grimmer visage than any pony here." He turned back to me with a severe expression.

"They are led by five dark-coated ponies with red horns," he continued, pointing a hoof at me. "These I believe are the magicians who control the ships you are troubled by." Winterberry, the doe who'd stood beside him earlier, approached him before he raised a hoof and then gestured my way. She recoiled and then glared at me before slowly making her way to me, where she stood and leveled an unamused scowl at me.

"Hello?" I offered with a confused tone.

"Greetings," she grumbled back before sighing and then lying on the ground. Before I could ask, she scooted up and huddled up to me. Seeing my shocked face, she rolled her eyes. "Would you rather freeze? It is common for our rangers to do this to preserve warmth." Blinking, I looked around and saw the other deer performing a similar action with each other and the crew, only a few of whom were as caught off guard as me.

Zamaradi was completely unphased as she huddled up with one deer, and Gab had a content smile on his face in response to the doe who'd chosen him.

"Fair enough," I murmured before settling against her.

"But keep your claws to yourself," she accused, drawing a smile from me.

"Hey, I like you already."

I held my hand over my eyes to guard against the midday sun and survey the snow-capped trees rolling down from our vantage point to the glittering sea. On the far end of the water, even at this distance, I could see towering white cliffs, confirming we'd made it to the eastern side of the narrow strait our prey presumably sailed out of.

"This ridge marks the furthest point we dare travel," Pine Needle explained, gesturing to the forest between us and the sea. "From here to the sea, our enemy lurks." I turned to give him my attention as he paced along the edge of the cliff.

"We will be traveling south along this ridge. You will be able to see the enemy's encampment within another day and a half," he added to the audible relief of a few of the crew.

"Finally," Hatch muttered. As I considered the path, Needle turned back to me.

"Now, luckily Captain Cutter, there is a faster and slightly warmer route we can take to achieve the next leg of your plan," he explained with a nod.

"Excellent," I replied, adjusting my belt with a quiet huff. Needle however leaned to look passed me.

"Before we continue, I think you may need to attend to your wayward crewmate," he said, pointing behind me. Turning, I saw Galley off on her own and scanning the forest below us. I waved Gab away as he moved to retrieve her before I approached her myself.

"Galley," I said once I'd made it to her.

"Ah!" She cried, whirling around and looking at me in shock. Her eyes darted back to the forest intermittently and I glanced back over my shoulder at everyone else.

"What is your issue?" I whispered accusingly.

"Nothing!" She squeaked.

"Don't you 'nothing' me!" I demanded, jabbing a finger at her. "You said you were onboard if we came north and you've been antsy ever since we made it here. Talk." She wilted for a moment before scrunching her muzzle with a defiant glare. I folded my arms in response and furrowed my brow. We held our stare off for a short bit before she faltered and then sighed.

"My dad was a sailor during the middle of the operation against Sombra. He transported soldiers to the eastern shores of the Crystal Empire to help keep Sombra's loyalists distracted," she murmured, sitting down and gesturing to the other side of the strait. "He used to write me letters."

"And?" I urged, tilting my head. She hesitated before grumbling.

"He found something he said he was really excited to show me," she finally said before wilting hard. "Before he disappeared."

"Ah," I hummed with a nod. Her ears shot back and she again looked out over the cliff.

"I joined the crew 'cause I thought I'd be able to talk to other sailors who might've known where he disappeared," she said with a quiet sigh. "But nopony on the crew knew anything specific about what all Equestria did against Sombra and we never made port, so I couldn't ask any other crews." I frowned as I considered her words and the landscape she was focused on.

"So, you want to find out what happened to your dad and his treasure, huh?" I asked, drawing a weak nod from her. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I don't want anypony to steal whatever he had if we find it," she replied with a desperate tone. I nodded again before fixing her with a critical leer.

"Well, the ship moves according to popular vote, you should know that," I declared, drawing a quiet whimper from her. "If you want to go on a treasure hunt, you need to be open with the crew." She flinched and hung her head for a moment before I knelt down to look her in the eyes.

"And I'll put my vote in to let you keep whatever it is he found if they're willing to go hunting," I added, gently patting her on the head. She considered me for a moment before giving me a sad smile.

I scanned the fortress Pine Needle had led us to with my spyglass. It was set right up against the shoreline, and there was an inlet that had been converted into a simple port. All along the inlet were ten of what could only be the Crystal Barges. Not a one had any sails, but their general shape was very similar to any ship I'd seen and they visibly pulsed with magic. Like the barges, the fortress was made out of pure crystal, with a glittering wall that enclosed the port on one side and wrapped around the perimeter of the whole place. All inside the perimeter were crystal buildings in a brutalist fashion, arranged in straight lines up to a larger multitiered castle that looked like one solid piece of rock they'd grown right out of the ground.

The crystal walls were hidden to the south by the natural bend of the strait, similar to the Lost Lagoon, only with snow, fog, and icebergs instead of fucking awful heat and charming little bat ponies. I narrowed my eyes at the setup and temperature comparison, wondering if Ben would be willing to move Naysow.

"So, having seen their encampment, do you still think your scheme will work?" Pine Needle pressed. I pursed my lips as I continued studying the place.

"That'll depend on if a certain gaggle of ghosts is willing to play nice," I replied before collapsing my spyglass and giving him a nod. "Shall we find out?"

I gently dipped my toe in the water before snapping my leg back. I watched the water ripple for a few seconds before I furrowed my brow and carefully repeated the action. Instead of leaping out, the unicorn slowly rose out of the water up to just her bony chin and fixed me with a ghostly scowl.

"I'm not falling for it again," she declared before sinking down again.

"I have a question," I said, causing her to pop up again.

"So go to a library!" She spat with a sarcastic bob of her head before vanishing. I knelt at the water's edge.

"We can't give you our souls, but would you be willing to accept someone else's souls in our place and in exchange for our ship? Like, a lot?" I asked. A few seconds passed in silence before she slowly rose up to her nose and fixed me with a narrow-eyed glare.

"Define 'a lot,'" she demanded.

Chapter 11

Ben's timing for inducting me into the Merits couldn't have been better it turned out. Just two months later, with the rival navies finally being convinced that the issue of Sombra's followers had been quashed, they, being in such close proximity at the strait north of Trottingham, had kicked off hostilities in glorious fashion. The Night of Cannons as the battle became known rocked the Griffish Isles for a full day and night before the opposing sides withdrew. Whether or not either side had suffered casualties was uncertain, but that no longer mattered.

The war between Equestria and Griffinstone, or the War of the Isles, as I understand it became known, for it was certainly a conflict started over the Griffish Isles, had begun in earnest.

With careful coordination and communication between myself and the other Merits, Naysow's pirate enterprise was able to scry out the movements of whole fleets of merchant vessels, a safety precaution for both sides due to their navies being tied up waging war up and down the Celestial Sea. But regardless of how intense the fighting was, cargo had to flow, whether it be from Equestria's southern ports to her northern, or ships rolling down from Griffinstone to her ports along the eastern shore and beyond. The Stampede River actually became a favorite haunt of mine during the early stages of the war, since the griffins used it to safely reach their colonies further east, near Ho Chi Mane and northern Abyssinia.

When word spread that James Cutter was lurking there they found themselves stuck between facing me or taking the route south, past Colombuck, and straight into Catarina's welcoming arms. Suffice it to say she and I both wound up profiting from their trouble.

But more important than the fortune I'd earned over twenty-six months was the experience I'd gained. I could guess how an engagement between two ships was going to go at a glance based on more than just who had who outgunned. So many little things now stuck out to me as potential game-changers, like how low in the water one ship was sitting, the speed of its rigging crew, or even the freshness of its paint.

And on one particular day, I decided to make special use of that foresight.

"Ooh, they're closing in," I mused as the pony brig continued to gain ground on the fleeing griffin sloop. And who could blame them for running? The griffins had less than half the guns of their opponents, and that ship was clearly built for speed.

"Mm, little to the left," Orange hummed in my lap as she leaned into my hand.

"But I wonder," I said, adjusting how I was idly scratching her ear, drawing a happy pur from her. I leaned forward to get a better view through my spyglass, forcing her to squash her head down against my leg which was hooked over the branch we were sitting in. Rather than complain, she rolled over, forcing my hand onto her neck where she held it with a hoof hooked around my wrist.

"Why aren't the griffins flying to the topsails?" I added after observing how slowly the griffin ship's crew was operating. A smirk worked its way onto my features since I already knew the answer.

And the ponies were about to learn it themselves.

I stowed my spyglass and jostled Orange. "We gotta move, Sweetheart. Lemme up," I demanded.

"Mm mm," she argued, hooking both her forehooves around my hand and reclining harder. I sighed and tightened the glove on my other hand with my teeth.

"Guess you're coming with us," I mused before grabbing the rope beside our perch. Carefully unfolding my legs and scooping her against my chest, I rappelled down the tree at an uneven place. Once I hit the ground, I took off toward the inner shore of the Lost Lagoon, where the Quicksilver and her crew were waiting. A few cries rang out as they spotted me and the crew scrambled to get us moving. We'd hidden near the entrance of the Lagoon so we could quickly spring out and assault whoever dared roll by today, and thanks to the extra crew we'd gained throughout the war, by the time I was on deck we were set to launch our trap.

At this juncture in my career, it felt less like we were a roving band of thieves and more like a floating paramilitary company of sixty-eight sailors. To simplify things, I'd organized the crew into smaller teams each led by a sergeant who reported to Gab. In the end, everyone had a vote and no one had absolute authority over anyone else, but during an engagement, the team hierarchy was ironclad. Powder Monkey was still head of the firing division but was now aided by Hepert, an out-of-work Abyssinian artillery expert Catarina had introduced me to.

Zamaradi was no longer set to defend against boarders alone and now had a crew of fifteen other marines to help. These were mainly diamond dogs, but a few rough and tumble earth ponies had begged her to be part of the direct combat division. The minotaur we'd recruited two weeks ago preferred helping Pepper prepare the ship's meals over fighting.

Holiday had a team of three nurses drawn from the kirin population, and our musical crew had been rounded out with a piano-playing Abyssinian named Haze, Juniper Sparkle, a harmonica-playing unicorn, and Gilligan, a guitar-playing griffin who'd been sentenced to three months of labor in Abyssinia for mocking the royal family before we fell upon his prison transport.

"Cap'n!" Binky, one of our diamond dogs and a stout, portly specimen at that, cried as I sprinted up the gangplank. "What'd you spy for us?"

"Is it a ship?" Dinky, his nephew, and tall, lean inverse. The two followed me to the quarter deck, with Dinky tightly gripping his boarding pike.

"What else would it be?" Binky grumbled, jabbing his nephew in the ribs. The younger dog paused with a thoughtful frown.

"A big pelican?" He finally offered, earning an eye roll from his uncle.

"And why would we be rolling out just on account of a pelican?" He snorted, fixing his nephew with a critical glare. As the ship began pulling out of the lagoon, I drew my spyglass with one hand, ignoring the pair and Orange as she cuddled against my chest, still clinging to my arm.

"So we can all see it?" Dinky finally replied after a lengthy and thoughtful silence. Binky moved to argue before pausing and holding his chin.

"Is it a pelican, Cap'n?" He asked as they both turned to me.

"Griffin ship," I retorted, peering through my glass once we were clear of the trees.

"Aw," Dinky murmured, hanging his head.

"Close enough," Binky hummed with a shrug, patting his visibly disappointed nephew on the back as the skinny dog wiped his nose with his wrist. As I expected, the griffins suddenly scrambled and hastily fixed their sails to turn their ship. The ponies were coming straight at them and chances were high they wouldn't have time to course correct.

"When that sloop comes about, they're going to reel the Equestrians in and board," I called to the crew, gesturing to the ships in the distance. "How unfortunate for them that this will leave their stern pointed right our way!" The crew, especially Zama and her team all cheered in response. I leaned on the quarterdecks forward rail at Rosepetal.

"Get our bowsprit against them and let's board these birds while they're engaged!" I ordered. We raced along the waves toward the pair of ships and just as predicted, the griffins came about and hooked the ponies, locking the two ships together. We could not only plunder the griffins, but we'd also rescue a distressed pony ship in one go. Smirking, I looked up at Early. "They're stuck! Set our colors, Mr. Riser!"

"Aye, aye!" He yelled back before setting our flag into the breeze. Our flag, not Ben's. Blood Orange craned her head to get a look at it.

"First time I've seen your flag in the breeze, Cutter," she hummed. "Is it supposed to look like that face on the moon?"

"Correct. Now Ben can't complain about how many griffins we attack," I replied, looking up at the flag with a smirk. She gasped and turned back to me.

"I thought that was a rumor! Was he actually telling you off?" She cried.

"Not in any serious terms, but yeah," I said with a snort and a wry smile. "Kept reminding me that moderation was key with the griffins." I met her eyes with a toothy grin.

"But, seeing as the issue was his flag was being reported with all the attacks," I added, nodding my head at the flag. "Flying my own settled the issue just fine." She considered me for a moment before giving me a smug leer and nuzzling me again. Adjusting my arm to better cradle her, I returned my attention to the situation at hand. An occasional glimpse through my glass revealed that the griffins were too preoccupied with their counter-attack on the pony ship to notice us right away, allowing us to slip right up and align ourselves with their stern.

"Mr. Gabber, deliver our demands," I commanded, at which he galloped to the bow and bellowed into the speaking trumpet.

"You're outnumbered today, Griffinstone! Give up!" He yelled. The griffins and ponies all lurched at his sudden shout, and then, upon noticing us, gave two very different responses to our approach. The ponies redoubled their effort to repel their boarders, while the griffin captain flew to the stern rail.

"Make me!" He screamed loud enough for us to hear without a trumpet.

"You're the boss!" Gab shouted back before turning to the rest of us. "You heard him!" Zamaradi and the rest of the fighting team shared a nod before speeding to the bow.

"Need both hands, Sweetheart," I said to Orange, who pouted before going limp and slowly drooping out of my grip. Now that my arms were free, I drew and began prepping my gun.

"Brace for bolts!" Gab yelled just before a few thunks popped in the air. Glancing up, I saw a few metal bolts stuck in our forecastle. In response, a few of our dogs leveled their own crossbows on the larboard rail and shot back. At the same time, the attacking griffins were visibly panicking which only egged on the ponies more, and by the time we were in range for their bolts to reach past the forecastle, the griffins had been pushed back onto their own ship. The entire time, the captain stood at the rear rail, wings extended and feathers all frayed with a furious snarl fixed on his face.

"Brace for impact! Thirty meters!" Gab yelled as the crew scrambled to the forecastle as a shield against the bolts. Zamaradi and her team had hurried inside the forecastle itself, ready to stampede up the bowsprit the second we made contact. I cocked the hammer of my gun and slung it over my shoulder as Gab shouted again. "Twenty meters!"
I popped in my earplugs and fixed the captain with a smirk as he began visibly heaving with fury.

"Ten meters!" Gab yelled. The captain let out a feral, eagle-like screech and then leaped from the rail, flying straight at me. He sailed about halfway down the length of our ship before I'd swept my gun around and blasted him. His spiraling carcass hitting the deck signaled our collision, and after waving the smoke from my gun away, I could see Zama and her team darting up the bowsprit and over the rail aboard the enemy ship.

As was standard, the second her hooves hit the deck, she became a whirlwind, sweeping her legs out and knocking aside cutlasses, pikes, and even whole griffins. Our boarders hurled themselves aboard after her, dropping grappling hooks onto the rail before shooting bolts, lunging with pikes, or sweeping their cutlasses as they washed across the enemy quarterdeck like a bloody tide. Turning, I watched as the ponies managed a similar phenomenon from the sloop's larboard, and now the griffins were being stuck between our combined forces.

That coupled with the sudden and grisly end of their captain all proved too much for the remaining sailors, who fell to the deck with their talons up. Thirty minutes after bolting from the lagoon the ship was ours and as was tradition, the griffins were rounded up in a corner while my crew unloaded their cargo.

A slight break from tradition was the pony captain, Mayflower, currently standing at the wayside with me while his crew tended to their wounded and dead from both sides. As the canvas-wrapped body of the captain was lowered into the sea, Mayflower looked up at me.

"I'm not sure what to make of you, Captain Cutter," he said, drawing my attention to him. "One day you're the scourge of Griffinstone and helping us like you just did." His expression hardened.

"The next you're hassling our ships for protection fees," he added, earning a smirk from me as I folded my arms and leaned against the rail behind us.

"Ah, thanks for reminding me," I mused, pointing a finger at him. "We need to discuss compensation for us putting our lives at risk for you." He recoiled before throwing his head to the side with an annoyed grunt. Chortling quietly, I looked back to the ship and our captives, wondering what I could press the little guy for. At that moment, the ship's features struck me and I began pacing the starboard rail, looking over it and at the bow.

As I'd seen from a distance, the hull was plated, providing armor and speed, which was the first sign to me that something was up when the pony brig was able to catch up to them. There was a brass eagle figurehead, which revealed that the sleek design of the armor was meant to provide the image of a regal griffin. It had few guns, but that could be easily remedied. I raised an eyebrow as I looked over the rest of the ship, including the sails which were a royal purple with a golden rose embroidered upon them. Gab noticed my observations and trotted over to fix me with a curious leer.

"This is a beauty of a ship," I mused once we'd circled back to the pony captain. I gestured to our prisoners who shared a nervous look at my praise. "Captain Mayflower, are you willing to transport these gentle birds to your superiors?" He blinked and his ears perked up.

"You're asking if I'm willing to take them prisoner? Of course," he replied, shooting them a glare for a moment before blanching and looking at me with apprehension. "Why?" I laughed and clapped my hands with a bow, sweeping my arm toward the griffins.

"Well, be my guest!" I declared, before standing up straight with my hands on my hips. "And I'll be taking this ship." An angry hiss rose up from one of the griffins, while Mayflower recoiled.

"You wanting to switch ships, Captain?" Gab asked, tilting his head.

"Nope," I replied, offering him a knowing smile, to his visible bewilderment.

"Then what-" He paused and then recoiled. "Oh no. I ain't doin' it! I ain't takin' that kinda responsibility!" I flinched before snorting and scanning the crew.

"Fair enough. Zama!" I called out, catching her attention. I swept a hand at the deck. "You think you could captain this thing on my behalf?" She recoiled and blinked in surprise, while her team shared a look and began cheering.

"You hijacking thug! This ship was dubbed by His Excellency!" One of the griffins yelled, spoiling the moment and earning a sideways glare from me. "When he hears that you've turned her pirate, there'll be hell to pay!" I turned to him fully with a smile.

"If His Excellency wasn't prepared to lose it, he should have kept it moored, ah hah," I strode over to the prisoners, causing most of them to wilt beside the one shouting. He glared hard at me as I leaned in close. "He does know these are pirate waters, aye?"

"Here's to Captain Zam!" Gab yelled, hoisting a mug in the air and drawing an echoing cheer from the entire company, but especially from the portion Zamaradi had selected to crew her new ship. I raised my own glass before turning to see Zamaradi at the far end of the inn's patio, a meager, almost embarrassed smile plastered on her face as crewmates and sailors from other companies around Naysow came up and hugged her or offered her gifts. Among her visitors, I spied Amethyst who whispered something to her and then gave her a purple silken sash before trotting away from the party. She was left alone shortly after that, so I made my way to her table, where her smile brightened and gave me a nod.

"Captain," she said before tilting her head in thought. "Well, I reckon it's Commodore now that you've started your own fleet."

I furrowed my brow with a smirk as I took a seat beside her. "Is two ships really a fleet?"

"Is for most cutthroats," she chimed, reaching over and gently jabbing my arm. "Commodore Throat-Cutter." I snorted at her words.

"I still don't get that nickname. I've never even gotten in a sword fight," I retorted, reclining in my seat.

"Sure, but most folks don't know that," she said with a wink. "That's part of why scuffles like the one we had today are so rare. Most birds are too rattled are the rumor of you, y'know." Before we could continue the innkeeper trotted up and set a full mug in front of Zamaradi with a bright smile. Zama considered the mug for a few moments.

"Something on your mind, Captain?" I asked, causing her ear to swivel my way. After another moment her smile widened and she considered the whole crew gathered nearby.

"Ever since leaving Farasi as a filly, I have never truly felt at home," she finally replied with a hearty sigh. "Everywhere I went, from Saddle Arabia to Equestria, from Griffinland to Abyssinia, I have always drawn." She paused and her smile wavered for a moment.

"Stares," she eventually added, drawing a thoughtful and sympathetic hum from me. She perked up after another second and turned to me. "I think this is the first time I've found myself in company, Commodore Cutter, not just the presence of others." I gave her a nod with a smile of my own as she raised her mug.

"As such, I think we'll call her the Company," she declared, leaning back and bringing her drink to her snout. "How's that?"

"Sounds fine," I replied, raising my own drink to her. Before I could take a sip, however, a flapping noise drew my attention upward, where one of the bat ponies who kept watch through the jungle was hovering.

"Captain Cutter!" He called with no small amount of urgency.

"Aye?" I called back, setting my drink down and rising to my feet. The festivities carried on around us as the bat pony landed and fixed me with a severe expression.

"Get to the square! The other Merits are gathering!" He urged, clenching his teeth. "We've spotted a bird o' war anchoring outside the Lost Lagoon! They've dropped long boats and are rowing ashore." Zamaradi caught her breath at his words.

"The hell's a bird o' war?" I demanded, patting Zama on the shoulder before making my way to the meeting.

"Big warship," the bat pony reported, trotting along beside me. "Real big. One hundred twenty guns by our count." I blanched and nearly tripped as we stepped off the patio, but found no words to convey the shock his report brought me. Instead, once I was steady I raced to the square where I already saw Ben and the others gathered with severe faces. Junior noticed me approaching and pointed me out, at which Ben turned and paced up to me.

"Cutter, let's move," he demanded, nodding his head toward the edge of town.

"We sailing out there?" I asked as we all gathered and walked in unison. He balked and shook his head.

"Hell no! We're taking the chariots!" He huffed, gesturing to a group of metal chariots being pulled up by several teams of ponies. He nodded his head back at Junior. "We are at least. Junior's gotta walk. Nectar said they're sitting with their stern to us, so I don't think they're here to fight." I furrowed my brow and shared a nervous look with Catarina.

We had a rough and uneasy ride over nearly half an hour and found ourselves atop a low hill, with plenty of trees and brush between us and the six longboats we could now see on the beach. The griffins had almost all disembarked and were lined up in six groups. The ones who remained on the longboats were now at the small swivel guns hooked onto the bows and were scanning the treeline with determined glares.

Standing at the center of the whole arrangement, with three groups on either side, was an older griffin in a blue officer's uniform that was positively painted with little glittering medals. At his side were a bespectacled griffin whispering to him and a fierce old bird who was as scar-covered as the officer was medal-covered. This third fellow had a pair of long, narrow swords under his wings and scanned the treeline with an even, predatory light in his eyes.

Suddenly, the officer nodded to one of the groups, and a white flag on a pike was raised in the air. Ben hummed at the sight while the rest of us shared a look. The commander strode ahead of the other groups and began speaking to them, making gestures to the jungle and the company that held the white flag up.

"Sst," Ben suddenly hissed. Turning, I saw Nectar suddenly pop up from behind a tree. Ben whispered to him and then jabbed a claw at the griffins. Nectar nodded before trotting out into the open as Ben nodded at the rest of us. "Let's see what they want." We watched intently as the griffins suddenly jolted at the sight of Nectar. The commander whirled around and balked before nodding at his two companions. The three carefully approached Nectar and began speaking with him.

Nectar tilted his head and looked over the whole gathering before slowly nodding and flying back into the jungle, first away from us, and then once he was hidden in the trees he raced back to us.

"He wants to talk," he reported, stretching his wings with a huff as he caught his breath. "Just talk, he says." A shocked silence fell over the group as we all shared a look. Glancing back out at the commander, I saw him motion to the gunners on the longboats, who turned the guns away from the tree line and stepped back. After a minute or two of silent deliberation, Ben sighed and strode out alone. Grimacing, I followed alone which got the ball rolling for everyone else as well.

The commander beamed at the sight of us and once again moved up to meet us. "Good afternoon, Captains. I am Admiral Gasparde of His Excellency's Royal Navy," he greeted with a bow.

"Afternoon, Admiral. What business brings you to this shore?" Ben replied, folding his arms and rocking on his paws. Utterly undaunted by the sight of any of us, Gasparde waved a claw.

"Nothing official, I assure you," he replied, gesturing to his company and then the warship in the distance. Even so far away, the sight of it sent a chill up my back. "The HES Crowned Eagle and I were en route to Mount Aris to treat with the hippogriff queen when I elected to make this stop." Gasparde turned back to us with a bright smile.

"So don't worry, this isn't a declaration of war nor an ultimatum," he paused and looked at us each individually. "But Sirs and Madams, I have to ask, would you consider entirely redirecting your efforts during the course of this war?" Ben tilted his head back at his question while Catarina and I shared a look. She smirked and brought a claw to her hip.

"Redirecting?" She mused. "What, we causing you too much of a headache?"

"Not me personally, though my heart grieves for those you've fallen upon," Gasparde retorted before waving a claw with a furrowed brow. "No, rather I like to envision a future in which the admiralty of Naysow is considered a trusted asset of Griffinstone rather than an unstable and untrustworthy nest of villainy." Dreadless folded his arms while Junior hummed and took a seat behind the rest of us, to the visible distress of the griffin company. All except Gasparde, that is.

"So again, I ask, would you consider directing your efforts solely against Equestria? At least until the war is over," he pressed, bringing his claw to his chin. "If I understand His Excellency, once the Equestrians have withdrawn from the Griffish Isles and Manehattan has ceded into our control, that will be when we sue for peace."

"Ah, and what happens to us then, I wonder?" I demanded, folding my arms and fixing him with a sideways glare. He paused at my words before giving me a smile.

"Have you considered Abyssinia as a coast to ply your trade?" He asked before winking and rolling his claw out at me. "Or, if you're willing to tolerate the notion of a civil life, your efforts on our behalf would surely be rewarded." He tilted his head at me.

"James Cutter, yes?" He urged, earning a nod from me. "Have you considered the profits involved in land ownership? Acreage is a common reward for military success, after all."

"I'm not working solely for profit," I shot back, drawing a brighter smile from him.

"Ah, a fellow with a purpose?" He declared with a firm nod. "I expected no less from one of the Merits I've heard so much about."

"Enough pleasant words. What will you do if we refuse?" Dreadless suddenly spat. "Will you sail that thing into our harbor?" Gasparde recoiled before laughing.

"That? Oh no! It can handle those shallows," he chuckled, waving his claw. "And again, I must reiterate, I'm not here officially." He paused and furrowed his brow.

"I'm here because, well," he grimaced and then sighed before fixing us with an earnest frown. "Isn't it better if we all get along?" I recoiled at his words, which seemed to surprise the others as well. Gasparde clenched his claw and brought it to the medals on his coat.

"War is an unfortunate reality, but I have spent my career seeking the quickest resolutions to it when I am faced with it," he kept his gaze down for a moment before huffing and fixing us with a determined look. "With such experience, I am sorry to say that when this war concludes, if you are the only hostile parties still troubling these waters." He hesitated as he looked over us all.

"Well, I will be seeking the quickest resolution to you as well, and I think that would be a waste," he said with a severely somber tone. Before I could consider that however, he perked up and thrust a claw at Ben. "And consider your friend Commodore Burigold! He certainly profited from finding a happy middle ground with His Excellency!" The others groaned at his words.

"Yes, yes, he reminds us of such often," Amethyst grumbled, drawing a humph from Ben, who kept his eyes on the admiral.

"Well then perhaps you don't need me to drill the point home?" Gasparde quipped with a nod. "I hope you will give my words consideration and I will leave you in peace."

Rather than risk drawing aggression from the warship or risking getting shot by the swivel guns, we returned to the grounds around Naysow's fort to discuss the admiral's words. As it turned out, discussions quickly turned to arguing, as I wasn't the only one who chose to take his talk as a threat.

Junior and Amethyst sat off to the side as Dreadless paced the training field we'd occupied and Catarina stood with her claws knit behind her head and her back to Ben and I.

"If he comes back and isn't in such a charitable mood, what do you suppose would happen?" Ben cried, shaking his claw in the general direction of the shore. "Because I reckon he could just line that ship's cannons with the Lagoon and obliterate any ship that tries to sail out. Let alone any that try to line up and return fire."

I pivoted on my heel to face him and jabbed a hand at our harbor. "What if we line all of our ships up out there ahead of time? Every last company. We could-"

"Trust the average, profit-minded scoundrel of Naysow to hold the line against a proper warship?" He snorted with his eyebrows raised before leaning forward with a bitter smile. "Very amusing, Captain Cutter." I sighed hard and leaned on my knees.

"How about a fortress? Like that one?" Dreadless suddenly asked, drawing our attention to him and then to the fort he was pointing at. Ben barked a laugh.

"Ah, another capital idea!" He turned to Dreadless and fixed him with a smile. "How long do you reckon it would take you to complete such a construction?" As Dreadless frowned, Ben jabbed his claw at the fort.

"Because that thing was here when I arrived," he added in a low tone before pausing and tilting his head up in thought. "Fairly certain it's a relic of the hippogriff colony that used to sit here before the pigs moved in." Dreadless turned away with a humph, as I considered the fort. I slowly narrowed my eyes as for some reason, the sight of the fort's walls and the cannons installed up and down it reminded me of the admiral's ship.

"How many other birds o' war do you reckon are out there?" I asked, drawing Ben's attention.

"Like his? Only a few. They use them as the flagships for big military actions, or as diplomatic vessels," he replied, throwing his paw up.

"Where do they keep them?" I pressed. He tilted his head back in thought for a moment.

"Port Grover, up the Grover River north of Griffinstone," he finally replied before narrowing his eyes. "Why?"

"What if we stole one?" I asked, earning a hard exhale from Ben.

"You are just full of bright ideas today, aren't you?" He chirped before stepping closer and leveling his paws at me. "Even supposing we pulled that off, and I'm feeling whimsical so I'll entertain that notion, we'd need a crew of hundreds to keep it working." He leaned in and pinched his claws for emphasis.

"One company. Hundreds," he hissed before pulling back with a sigh and shaking his head. "There ain't a prize we could take nor loot that would provide enough gold to satisfy that many all at once."

"I didn't say we'd keep it running," I argued, turning to him. "We steal it, sail it down here, and run it aground." He looked at me, recoiled again, and slowly rolled his head as his face rapidly swam through just about every shade of emotion known to man or dog, before fixing me with an incredulous leer. I stood up straight and held my hands out to him.

"We beach it with one side pointed out, then move all the guns to that side," I gestured to the fortress wall and its guns. "Then we reinforce that side with plate, timber from the opposite side of the ship, maybe break its masts down and prop them against it." He looked up at the wall in tandem with the others and furrowed his brow with a quiet hum.

"Bolster it however you think best," I added, nodding at the rest. "Then we have our fortress."

"Hey, that ain't half bad," Catarina chirped, turning to us with a smile. "If two or three of us worked together, that'd be enough bodies to get it rolling this way, too." Junior brought a hand to his chin.

"And if I helped I think they'd give up the whole ship once I climbed aboard," he declared with a bright smile. Dreadless and Amethyst both nodded in consideration and we all turned to Ben. Without looking back he sighed quietly.

"Oy," he groaned, rubbing his forehead and giving us a weak smile. "Shall we vote?"

Chapter 12

While our crews worked to supply our ships under Amethyst's direction, Catarina, Dreadless, Junior, and I gathered in Ben's villa, waiting for him to relay his knowledge about our target. Finally, he emerged from his house and rolled out a map on his table.

"Right, here's my two bits for how to pull this off. Port Grover is set in a unique portion of the Grover River," he explained, leaning over and tracing a claw along the contours of the river itself. "Lots of pools and dips providing all sorts of water depths, and therefore just grand for building all manner of ships." He tapped the stamp denoting the port.

"Shouldn't be too huge a surprise it's one of Griffinstone's major shipyards, then, hey?" He added with a weary smile before gesturing to the woodland that surrounded the port on all sides.

"Dreadless will use his mortars to hurl firebombs into the woods near Port Grover," he explained, drawing a thoughtful hum from the minotaur. "A solid forest fire's a good way to draw the port's defenders away from the harbor, especially since that forest is where they get most of their building material from." He stood up straight and held his paws out at us.

"Now, don't think that means it'll be easy to swipe the ship. Junior here's the only one arrow-proof, and the place will still be heavily defended even with this distraction," he took a claw and jabbed several points along the port. "And neither Junior nor your ships will hold up long against constant bombardment from the seventeen gun towers they've got." Catarina leaned in, rubbing her chin with two claws.

"A land assault with the majority of your force is the way to go, I reckon. There are sheltered inlets here and here you might make use of and leave your ships in," Ben continued, pointing out the spots near the mouth of the river. "You can still expect them to be guarded or watched, however, so I recommend sending a landing party ahead of the rest to clear some space." He grimaced and looked at us each individually.

"The second they realize one of their warships has been hijacked, you brace for impact. I'd wager they'd rather sink it than let it get away," he added, gesturing to Dreadless and the forest. "And if you're lucky, they won't be able to mobilize enough crew to send any of the other warships after you." He leaned back and folded his arms.

"Regardless, it won't be safe to stop her until she's back at Naysow let alone hide her long enough to get your ships towed," "So bring enough sailors to crew her and all of your ships as well, and just leg it back here once you've got it rolling. They can handle scrambling back once you're clear."

"It might be easier to get as many aboard as we can then just dump them in long boats once we're passed the river's mouth," I retorted, sharing a look with Dreadless and Catarina, who nodded in response.

"If you reckon! This is your cruise, Commodore Cutter," Ben cried, throwing his paws up and sinking into his seat with a smirk. "Only thing more you're getting from me is well wishes."

As our four-ship fleet crawled along the coast, I couldn't help but notice the fifth sea-craft in our company. Much closer to the coast, Junior was paddling a big raft made from several whole trees, with his oars also being a pair of trees carved into shape. At his side was a collapsed sail on a huge pole that he used to catch the wind and surf when his arms got tired.

"He, uh," I murmured, leaning on the quarterdeck rail to leer at him. "He really lives like that?" Dreadless hummed as he considered the giant as well.

"Works fine for him," he mused. "Not sure they make ships his size anyhow." I nodded in response and then turned to the minotaur.

"You know, we've been working together for almost two years now, and I never had a chance to ask," I said, drawing a raised eyebrow from him. "Why do they call you 'Not So'?" His expression remained severe but he nodded before reclining against the rail beside me.

"It was warring time in the plains again, and as was tradition, all the young bulls formed into gangs and went afield to fight each other with clubs, to develop our skills," he explained, folding his arms and leaning his head back in thought. "Now, ever since I was old enough to join, there were three brothers who always formed gangs of five and then sought each other out before cooperating as one unit of fifteen." He faced me with a wide frown and held up a hand.

"I take no exception to this, of course. Nothing wrong with teaming up and making bigger groups," he snorted and wagged a finger. "And especially nothing wrong with them planning all this ahead of time, even though the rest of us often had no idea who we would be teaming with." He folded his arms again and furrowed his brow.

"Now, for the first time, I was voted by my group of five to lead, and I found another gang and convinced their leader to cooperate," he slowly nodded, making a fist and punching the air. "We had some success, overwhelming two other teams at different times." He held up one finger and squinted at me.

"But then we saw the brothers and their band," he said in a low tone before bringing his hand to his chest. "I suggest that we pull back to a narrow pass nearby. I would hide on one side and my companion would do likewise on the other. When the brothers pursue us, we jump out from either side of them and win." He gestured to his left and right as he spoke before grunting and fixing me with a scowl.

"My companion objects and calls me a coward before running off with his team and getting destroyed," he shook his head and reclined again. "My team and I pull back and hide, and then, when the brothers pass by, we jump out and are quickly destroyed." He took a breath and sighed hard.

"When we recover from our bruises, the village chief storms in and decries me as a coward, having heard what I did," he offered me a wide, unamused frown with a shrug. "So, I was 'Not So' Dreadless." I recoiled with a huff.

"Damn," I grumbled, folding my arms as he nodded.

"The name stuck with me for many years until a proper war came to the land," he explained, rubbing two fingers together. "While on patrol, I was suddenly struck upon the back of the head. Before darkness took me, my attacker, one of my squad mates, whispered the name in my ear." He furrowed his brow and growled.

"When I awoke, I was captured and aboard a slave galley, remaining enslaved for eight months before my fellow slaves and I broke free and claimed the ship," he jabbed a thumb at his low, two-masted ship, the Walrus. "I kept the name to remind myself why I will never return home nor abide by the trivial rules of engagement we were taught as calves." He turned to me and concluded his story with a firm nod. I hummed and scratched at the short beard I'd begun to grow before a grappling hook suddenly latched onto the rail between us. We both turned to see Catarina sprint up the rope and then leap aboard my ship.

"Commodore Cutter," she chirped as she removed the hook and tossed it back to her armored sloop, the Delight.

"Aye?" I replied before she approached, pulled my left arm across her, and held me in a headlock.

"We have a competent crew and versatile officers to command in our place, and this is the first time we've sailed together despite having helped each other so much," she said before using a claw to spread the fingers on my hand. "Come show me why Apricot is so obsessed." I choked in response, earning a quiet laugh from Dreadless as she dragged me away to the Quicksilver's cabin.

As the moon slowly crept up from the horizon, we spotted the small bonfire that was meant to signal us and sailed our fleet up the Grover River before turning into one of the little coves Ben had pointed out. Just as he predicted, there was a simple camp set up around a log cabin with a short palisade encompassing it, but its ability to thwart us or warn anyone of our approach was snuffed by the arrival of our scouting team who had anchored outside the river and trekked inland on foot.

The griffins strained against their bindings as we disembarked from our ships, their frustrations rapidly turning to panic upon seeing four of the Merits of the Flying Gang. Zamaradi turned from her prisoners and approached us with a smile.

"Diamond dogs sniffed out the few who tried to slip away, Commodore," she explained, gesturing to a quartet of diamond dogs looming over her captives. "Ain't a soul inland who knows we're here."

"Thank you, Captain. We towed the Company here for you," I responded with a nod, gesturing to her ship that was tied to the Quicksilver. I turned to the other Merits as our crews began preparing for the inland assault."What do we think, people?"

"The plucky zebra can hold this cove on her own I wager," Dreadless replied as he shot Zama a smirk. "But let's leave her a compliment of twenty just for fun."

I gave him a nod as I considered his ship and waiting crew. "Solid. How close do you need to be to use your mortars?"

"A few hundred meters, so we might receive gunfire before we are through. We have oars and my gunners are trained to lob hellfire even while we bank to and fro," he said with a proud humph. "They'll find my xebec a troublesome target."

"We'll advance close to the river shoreline, so try to hit further inland," I explained as I considered the woodland we'd soon be marching through.

"No, I think I will have them try to land a pot atop your head, Cutter," he quipped with a snort. "At any rate, we should be out of the way by the time you arrive at the port's walls." Junior chortled and pounded his fist into his hand.

"I'm arrow-proof, so let me go in front of the raiding party," he said before beating his fist against his chest. "Plus, I'd like to see a stone wall that can keep me out." Giving him a nod, I whistled to gain our small army's attention. All in all, we'd secured a force of two hundred and fifty-six to pull this off, counting all of our crews. With Dreadless sticking to his ship, and Zamaradi guarding this cove, that left us one hundred and forty and we needed most of those just to get the ship moving.

Every able body was going to count and every loss was going to hurt our chances of success.

"Alright! We'll take thirty minutes to rest and then we're moving!" I called out. "Be ready and expect a fight!"

Junior provided us with an excellent path through the forest as he bulldozed his way through the trees, casually pushing them down as he lumbered forward ahead of our army, followed closely by myself, Catarina, and our personal crews.

"Never thought I'd be taken part in a siege," Gab murmured just behind me, his wings bristling over the bandolier of knives he'd brought.

"I think this is technically a storming," Powder retorted, her heavy and spiked iron horseshoes clattering as she marched.

"I think you can technically kiss my rear," Gab spat back. Suddenly, a boom echoed through the air, followed by another and another.

"Hear that?" I called out as several more booms split the air. "I think that's our forest fire."

"Double time, then," Junior retorted, ripping up a tree and using it for extra leverage as he plowed on. As we hastened forward, I kept stealing a glance to the right and out at the river as the rumor of cannon fire filled the air. Before too long, Junior drew attention to the orange glow visible ahead and the billowing plumes of pitch-black smoke boiling into the sky. Shortly after that, I saw the yellow sails of Dreadless' ship through the trees as he withdrew from the port, and then we saw the clearing between us and the walls of Port Grover.

I lit my gun's cord with a match and took a breath as Junior broke through the treeline and hurled himself at the walls of the port like a rockslide. As Catarina and I rushed out into the moonlight, Junior slammed his shoulder into the stone structure, causing it to buckle inward a bit. Along the wall, the griffins who would have otherwise been able to take shots at us took flight in a mad panic away from the giant who'd suddenly exploded into view, especially as he reared back and slammed into the wall again.

To the left, the blazing forest fire was still raging as griffins circled overhead dumping water and sand. To the right, I spied the long line of ships docked at the port, sails all furled. From the angle we were at, I actually couldn't tell which of the ships was our target so I faced forward again just in time to see Junior punch all the way through.

"Keep on his heels! Move!" Catarina screamed, leveling her pistol crossbow and shooting up at one of the griffins in the air. As we stampeded through the hole Junior made, a lot of things happened at once and my racing heart made certain I was aware of it all as things seemed to slow down.

There was a bell tower at the center of town which was currently frantically clanging.

There were plenty of uniformed griffins still filling the streets, but they were in a panic and most hadn't drawn their weapons yet, instead carrying buckets and looking our way in shock.

There were vastly more griffins not in uniform, and screaming at the sight of us before bolting.

And finally, I spied the gilded and heavily decorated stern of a ship that matched the shape and size of Gasparde's.

"That way!" I yelled, causing Junior to swivel on his heel. The second he registered the ship, he clutched his hands together and hurled himself toward it, shoulder first with a steadily growing hollar. The soldiers in his path leaped out of the way and tumbled, after which a few managed to scramble to their claws and draw weapons.

"It's Throat-Cutter!" Someone yelled as our forces rallied after Junior, lobbing spears, knives, and bolts behind him to scatter or drop the soldiers.

"Don't get caught up! Move!" I yelled, leaping to the side and waving the party on. Against my own advice, I was suddenly struck from behind and slammed into my face.

"Damned pirate!" The heavy bastard on my back yelled as he raked his claws across my back. My jaw reflexively clenched as a sharp hiss escaped my throat and just before the griffin was slammed off of me. Gasping, I rolled away from him and swept my gun out. The uniformed griffin rolled to his paws and claws before turning just in time for me to blast him in the face. As he flopped back, I gasped and clenched my back around where he'd sliced me.

"C'mon Cutter!" Gab yelled as he and Dinky pulled me to my feet.

"Papa!" Someone screamed. Panting, I looked down to see a young griffin standing in the open door the soldier had tackled me from, just before his eyes snapped from the fallen griffin to me. Even as the army charged passed me, his horrified, quaking gaze pierced through the crowds straight onto me.

I found myself in a daze for a few moments but managed to tear myself away and, with one final lingering glance his way, turned forward and charged alongside the rest of the party. My breathing was heavy but as it gradually evened out, my head cleared up and I was able to snap back to the situation at hand.

We were spilling out onto the docks as Junior grabbed the stern of our target and pulled the entire ship down so he could peek over it. The sight of him made the few birds currently on deck scramble and fly off, allowing us easy access via the gangplank.

"Let's get her underway! Prepare to repel boarders!" I yelled once I was on deck. Our hundred-strong crew began frantically working at the rigging and sails as well as crowding the helm which was so huge it needed four ponies to pull. Junior roared as he swept his tree through the air to scare off or smack any griffins trying to fly passed him and completely ignored those who had perched on the rooftops to shoot him with crossbows. Still, as huge and good as he was, he was only one creature and a number of griffins were able to slip passed him.

They flew by and exchanged shots with our raiders, managing to shoot a few pegasi who were up in the rigging. A desperate, gasping grunt erupted from my chest as the ponies fell all the way to the water or the deck, crashing against either surface with a fatal crunch. Despite their success, the griffins were unwilling to get in melee range of us, and so we were able to finally unfurl the sails.

"We're loose! Helm! Bring her about!" I yelled, sprinting up to the quarterdeck where I saw Junior still menacing the griffins. "Junior! We're almost out!"

"Roger that!" He yelled back in a partial laugh. I furrowed my brow at his casual tone, remembering that though we certainly couldn't carry him on the ship, he had been insistent he'd be fine. Returning my attention to our own situation, I now focused on the gun towers lining the port.

"Brace for cannon fire the second we get rolling down the river!" Catarina yelled.

"Should we return fire?" Someone demanded.

"Don't bother! Just get to cover!" I replied. The crew that wasn't immediately necessary hurried below decks, while those we needed to handle the sails kept an anxious eye fixed on the towers looming above us. Each tower had a wide, fortified platform at its top, upon which seven guns were pointed out at the river as well as up and down it. From where we were, we'd pass right by six of them and were still in the line of sight with two others.

I leaped down the stairs from the quarterdeck and to the helm where Catarina was waiting and shared a look with her. "I hear you usually spook your prey into submission," she said with a nervous smile. "You ever had them return fire before?"

"Once," I huffed, looking up at the gun towers, which were already visibly preparing to rain death upon us. "They missed us by a country mile." The ship finally turned into the current of the river and we were off.

Further up the deck, I spied Gab. Up in the rigging was Hatch. Happy and the other musicians were below decks. Holiday was back with Zamaradi, per his request. Powder was near a line with one hoof hooked around it, but her eyes were fixed on the guns above us, no doubt her carefully trained eye already figuring how many blasts we'd be weathering before we escaped.

If we escaped at all.

I couldn't see Scurry or Rosepetal. Jackdaw was at the bow, his head swinging around as if he were looking for something.
At which point I realized I couldn't see Bushtit either.

I took a deep breath and held it for longer than I intended.

"Heave!" Dreadless roared as he and the crew pulled the lines that were attached to our currently broken foremast. With a few more pulls, they managed to get it upright, at which point it made a God-awful crunching sound which the deck directly below it mimicked. The rest of the able-bodied crew scrambled to fix a series of metal braces in place to hold it for the return voyage.

Back on shore, near the camp we'd moored our ships at, Junior was nursing his sling-bound broken arm which had been struck by a cannonball once the gun towers got an angle on him. Despite his injury, he'd dived into the water and strode across the riverbed all the way back here. Overall, it could be argued that we'd pulled off our heist with fewer complications or losses than you might expect.

But fewer is very different than none, as the row of canvas-covered bodies lining the larboard rail could testify, especially the one I found myself unable to take my eyes off. As I sat on the quarterdeck stair, gnawing my thumb and leaning against the banister, Gab trotted up to the body, guiding the members of the Quicksilver's crew who'd either hidden below deck or remained behind with Zamaradi, who herself had boarded upon hearing the news.

Bushtit's ears swiveled and then she began heaving before collapsing into a sobbing heap, at which Jackdaw clenched his eyes and then laid down to pull her into a hug. A visible chill shook most of the crew and a few, like Happy turned away, desperately blinking their tears away. Holiday took a heavy drag off his pipe and brought his hat to his chest, while Zamaradi removed her sash and draped it on the canvas.

Unable to tear my eyes away, I barely registered Catarina as she sat on the stairs beside me until she leaned forward to look at me.

"Did I make a mistake, Cat?" I asked in as stable a voice as I could manage. "Bringing us here?" She hummed and scooted closer.

"If it was a mistake, then we're all guilty of it," she replied, wrapping one arm around me and pulling me close.

"Folks can feel however they want about you, James Cutter, but no one here can deny this," she said, leaning her head against mine. "You suffer with them. Too few captains can say that."

"I don't know-" I hesitated and clenched my eyes with a shuddering huff. "She was- She was a good helmsmare."

"So I'm told," she quietly replied as I leaned back against her. We sat like that for a while, as other sailors beyond mine mourned for those we'd lost. After a time, Dreadless called out.

"Commodore Cutter," he yelled, drawing my attention up as I blinked the mist from my eyes. He jabbed a thumb at the mast. "The mast is secured. We must move." Before I could respond, he set his brow and shook his head.

"Do not let their deaths be for nothing," he offered in a somber tone. I blinked again as I met his fiery eyes before taking a few heavy breaths. Slowly, I rose to my feet and approached my crew. After a moment, all their eyes turned up to me. I hesitated and considered Rosepetal's body for a moment before taking another breath.

"It's time," I reported, drawing a wincing nod from Gab and a sob from Bushtit.

The sea had never looked so bleary. No matter how I looked at it, I no longer saw the vibrant blue and glittering waves I'd come to know. Now, all I saw was the dark abyss into which I'd committed someone who'd trusted me with her life. Even from the rail of the ship we'd stolen and beached, the rolling waves looked more akin to the hungry jaws of a monster than the medium that carried my home for the past two years.

I leaned hard on the rail with a hearty sigh, blinking to shake off the events that had transpired over the last week. Looking for anything to take my eyes off the sea, I glanced down at the team Ben had sent out to prepare our new defenses and wound up looking over the new holes they'd cut to make room for more guns on the outward-facing side.

Now, anyone foolish enough to try threatening Naysow would have a hundred and twenty guns to square off with first. And no one said we couldn't add more later.

"Oy, Cutter," came a voice behind me. Turning, I saw Gab land on the deck before trotting up to me.

"Hey," I replied, looking forward again and out at the sea. "How is- Everyone?"

"Teary-eyed, as you'd expect," he replied as he reared up on the rail. "Bushtit's talking of quitting."

"Only her?" I murmured.

"Well, her and Jackdaw," he explained with a hum. "Won't deny the rest of the original set are all rattled, though." I considered his words for a few moments before nodding.

"Tell them I'll cover their passage back to Equestria," I said drawing a sideways eye from him. "Only them and the original crew. I don't want word getting around that I'm paying for everyone's retirement." I narrowed my eyes and leaned harder on the rail.

"But if they don't trust me anymore, I understand," I added, drawing a grunt from him.

"Oh, belay that. Ain't a lack of trust, Cutter, it's-" His mouth worked for a moment as he shook his head. "It's just- Hard." I looked down at him as he hummed.

"I reckon we've had a good run so far, but when you make a career of chargin' walls of guns," he considered the fortifications we stood upon. "You can't be too bewildered when you wind up shot." A silence fell between us, broken only by the waves, gulls, and noise of the working crew. After a time, I stood up straight.

"Well, if I have any say, this'll be the last time we run at a wall of guns," I said, pounding my palm against the rail. "I'm confident this is to our benefit. We needed this." I turned to him with a weary, but determined expression.

"But the second everyone's ready, we're back to picking on people smaller and weaker than us," I added with a firm nod, drawing a smile out of him after a second.

"Glad to hear it, mainly for the renewed confidence in your voice, Commodore," he replied with a chuckle before looking out at the waves. Then he recoiled and leaned off the rail with his eye narrowed. Looking out that way, I scowled and drew my spyglass as he snorted. "I reckon some folks wouldn't be so pleased, though."

Far away from us and sailing in a northern direction was the Crowned Eagle. Her gun ports were closed, but the crew was looking back at us and pointing. Up on the quarterdeck, I saw Admiral Gasparde and his two cronies. The bespectacled bird was shooting severe glances our way while saying something to the admiral, who was looking back at us with his own spyglass.

As he scanned our fortification, he suddenly seemed to be looking right at me. After a brief stare-off, he stowed his spyglass, fixed me with a severe yet even stare, and gave me a firm, lingering salute before he strode off the quarterdeck.

As the ship continued sailing without any sign of changing its course, I stowed my glass and turned away. "Some folks can go fuck themselves," I spat as I made my way off the deck.

Chapter 13

I leaned on my knees and leered down at the street, dozens of stories below before leaning back with a nervous huff. Turning, I saw Luna gently kicking her legs which were hanging off the side of the building as she scanned the clouds around us. As if sensing I was looking, she turned to me with a smile and spoke.

"You've been asleep all day and the sun is down. Are you okay?" She said in Amethyst's voice. "Or are you still recovering from Port Grover?" I blinked and then gasped hard as the world stretched away all at once. As the distorted visual focused, I found I was lying on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. A murmur drew my attention to my side where-

I have no idea who the mare cuddled up to me was, but she looked comfy so I let it slide. A curious hum then caused my gaze to snap to the side where I saw Amethyst Arcana beside my bed with a frown.

I looked at her with wide, uneven eyes as the blurry image of Luna hung in the air behind her for a few seconds before fading to nothing. Blinking, I locked eyes with Amethyst, who hummed with a disapproving frown.

"You've been smoking too much, James," she said, holding up my empty pipe with her magic and shaking it. "I can see it in your eyes. If you're not careful you won't be able to sleep without those plants anymore." I huffed in response and scooted up in my bed before rolling over to face her.

"I'm already at that point, but not cause I'm addicted," I said with a yawn as I draped an arm over my eyes. "Too much on my mind lately."

"Yes, Rosepetal, I heard," she hummed.

"Plus the others," I sighed. After a short silence, I looked at her with a frown. "Have you ever felt like you let a whole bunch of people down?"

"Yes," she replied without any hesitation and gesturing to the side. "Before I came here, I had to leave a lot of ponies I cared about behind. If I'd hesitated, I would have been swept up in Sombra's unicorn cleansing."

I blinked in my half-awake daze. "His what?"

"He wanted to make sure the only crystal unicorns still alive were loyal to him," she explained, causing me to recoil as her words struck right through the drowsy haze I'd lingered in. She tilted her head back in thought. "I think I'm one of the only ones who managed to escape." She faced me again with the same even expression she'd worn since I met her. A somber sigh escaped my lips as I idly reached out and scratched her ears.

"You, Dreadless, and I," I murmured as she tilted her head into my hand. "Half of the Merits have pretty much lost everything, huh?"

"Junior, too," she hummed in response to my words and scratching. "He fell asleep and rolled down his mountain until he hit the sea, where he sank. When he woke up, he didn't know where he was and started walking until he got picked up by some sea ponies near Mount Aris." She rolled her head against my hand and then gently batted it away with her hoof.

"He and Ben met each other shortly after that and began close friends," she added as my arm drooped off the side of the bed.

"He walked?" I murmured.

"Trolls don't breathe, silly," she replied with a quiet giggle. "But yeah, I think that's why the six of us are drawn to each other. I don't know for sure about Ben, but almost all of us have lost everything one way or another." She paused and tilted her head.

"Well, at least if I heard you right a moment ago," she added. "I'm assuming you got separated or exiled from your country."

"Discord," I grumbled, draping my arm over my face again.

"Ah," she replied. A grimace worked its way onto my face.

"And then-" I paused with a grunting sigh. "Then I lost my closest friend I'd made here." When she didn't respond, I peeked out and saw she wore an expectant frown.

"Princess Luna," I added.

"Ah," she hummed with a nod. I let out a murmuring sigh as I fought against the lingering drowsiness threatening to take hold of me.

"Big part of why I'm doing this is in the hope Celestia will give me something like what Ben has," I explained with a yawn, drawing a similar noise from whoever the pony beside me was. "And let her go."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that's going to work," Amethyst eventually replied, drawing a sideways leer from me. She had my pipe in her magic and was gently twisting it in the air. "Alicorns who go mad are very dangerous. I don't think it's simply a matter of her committing some crime to be forgiven, James."

"She didn't go mad," I sharply argued. "I think she was just feeling neglected." My words earned a thoughtful nod.

"And simple feelings like that can be very dangerous in the body of a higher magical being like an alicorn," she said, finally looking up at me. "Same reason Celestia doesn't just drop the sun on King Grover to end the war. It's the slipperiest of slippery slopes." A lengthy and painful silence filled the room as we locked eyes. Finally, I rolled over with a huff.

"Whatever," I grumbled.

"Sorry that isn't what you want to hear," she replied, gently petting my back with her hoof. "If it helps, maybe I'm wrong and maybe the Elements purified her when they sealed her away." I scowled as she spoke just before she reared up on my bed to lean into my ear.

"But please temper your expectations," she added, patting me on the shoulder. "And anyway, I'm glad you are not dead. Sleep well, James." She hopped off and made her way out the door. After she was gone, my companion stirred and curled up against me.

"What's goin' on?" She murmured.

"Nothing," I replied, closing my eyes to drift back to my dreamscape.

There was something kind of cozy about sitting in the Quicksilver's cabin with the door and windows open, two chairs pulled up with a keg of wine between them, and a full view of the deck and the lightly forested shore of the Stampede River. It was like sitting on a porch in the country during summer and was almost enough to help me forget the fact that, after Bushtit and Jackdaw accepted my offer, we were down even more of the original crew.

Seemingly sensing that I was thinking about the crew, Gab took a sip from his glass with a sigh. "Only had a few bumps as we turned into the Stampede River, and nothing that did any damage," he mused, setting his glass down and looking out the cabin door with a nod. "Lothar ain't half bad as a helms, er, helmsdog."

"Mhm," I replied, considering my own glass. "Well, we'll see how he handles himself when a prize comes into view." I swirled the glass a few times, desperately trying to pull my mind into the present and convince myself that we were back to business as usual. Though I found no success, to my relief Binky came up to the door and pounded on its frame.

"Captain, you might want to see this," he leaned in and said. "There's a set of canoes rowing up to us." I furrowed my brow and set the glass down before hurrying out onto the deck. The rest of the crew was at the starboard rail looking out with surprise and weapons drawn. All except for the ponies who'd sailed with me originally, who were visibly excited by whatever they saw.

As I approached the rail, I heard something hit the water, followed by a series of cries from the Company nearby.

"Captain Zamaradi's in the water!" One of our dogs called. I furrowed my brow and drew my cutlass as I strode to the rail, and looking over it, I gasped at what I saw. There were three canoes rowing toward us and Zamaradi was currently swimming over to the one at the head of the group.

For the canoes were manned by deer, and the one at the head had Galley standing proudly on its end, waving at us all.

My reputation and antics had spread far enough that even the deer had caught wind of where the Quicksilver lurked, and so Galley and a company of sixteen deer had spent the last month or so trotting their way down the Himallamas mountain range just east of Griffinstone seeking us out.

Taking Gab's seat with me in the cabin, Galley took a hearty swig of wine before nodding as she continued relaying what had happened to the crystal unicorn that had escaped us two years prior.

"So, after we realized that, we caught her at the peak of Mount Metazoa. She was hiding in a cave and trying to gather the magical strength to do," she paused with a blink and tilted her head. "Uh, something. She gave up the second we burst in though." She gave me a happy nod and I raised my glass to her success.

"And? Did you find out anything about your dad?" I asked as I took a sip. Her mood immediately soured and she hung her head.

"Yeah," she sighed, furrowing her brow. "The unicorn you shot was their leader and he sank the ship my dad said he was sailing on as they were trying to return south." I hummed and Galley took a breath.

"She was able to lead us to the exact point in the river where he," she winced. "Went down." I cast my eyes down at her tone and looked through the door at the deck, where the crew were speaking with the deer, waiting for me to let Galley go so they could all talk with her.

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Galley," I finally replied, drawing a weak smile from her.

"At least I know, you know?" She said with a shrug before perking up somewhat and holding up the jewel she had hanging from a string around her neck. "And we were able to fish out the thing he was talking about, I'm pretty sure." I tilted my head at the sight of it since it seemed to shimmer and glitter even without any light catching it.

"Pine Needle let me keep it," she said as she considered the gem with a smile. "I think it's magic!" She hopped out of her chair and approached one of the windows. Holding the gem to the open air, I heard a hearty and powerful breeze suddenly shoot across the deck to the shock of the crew.

"Look, it lets me mess with the wind!" She chirped, whirling around to fix me with a bright smile. "I think they were trying to get it back home and to the princess." I hummed in appreciation before turning back to her.

"So what'll you do with it?" I asked, tilting my head. "And what'll you do now?" She paused and considered the gem for a moment before looking out at the crew.

"I'm gonna hold on to it," she explained with a smile. "And I'm going to stay with the deer." I nodded as she hopped up into her chair and presented her left forehoof which I now saw had an intricate design cut into it.

"See this? Pine Needle says it means I'm part of their clan," she chirped before shuffling her hooves. "I was just trying to come south to find you all and let you know I was okay and-" Her ear twitched and she looked out the door. Turning, I could tell she was leering at the helm.

"And make sure everypony else was, too," she added in a murmur. I furrowed my brow and emptied my cup before standing up.

"Well, hey, since you're back for a little while, why don't we make the most of it?" I asked, causing her to tilt her head. Her bewilderment intensified when I scooped her up and carried her outside. The crew all turned and watched me march up the stairs to the quarterdeck. Once there, I faced the crew. "Ladies and gentlemen!" As they all looked up at me, I swept Galley around and held her on her back over my head.

"Party!" I cried, earning a ship-wide holler of excitement to the confusion of the deer and Galley's surprise.

Ben slapped the table between us with a laugh. "A jewel that commands the winds?" He chortled before blanching and fixing me with a disappointed leer. "Aw, you shoulda bought that off her, Cutter!"

"Nah, Ben," I retorted with a smile. "Even with recent complications, I think the regular breeze is enough for me." I brought my mug of hot chocolate to my lips as he hummed a laugh.

"Hey, suit yourself," he mused, pouring himself more ale. "On the topic of complications, I've had my paws full recently, myself."

"Yeah, I heard you actually had to sail out a week or two ago," I snickered, raising an eyebrow at him. "First time in what, eight months?"

"Watch it, lad," he threatened with a wry smile and a pointed claw. He took a quick sip and then nodded. "Anyway, I was curious what that admiral was mucking about hippogriff territory for, and it turns out there's another pirate captain outside of our operation who was causing trouble."

"Really?" I murmured.

"Aye, calls himself 'Captain Eights,' and he managed to cause the hippogriffs no small amount of trouble even before he got his mitts on a ship," he replied, slowly reclining in his seat with a sigh. "Hear tell that he ran off to the Meditermareian when he saw the admiral's ship, though."

"Think it'll be trouble?" I asked, drawing a snort from him.

"Not for us, unless he comes back round this way," he tilted his head back with a smile for a few moments before speaking again. "But better than all that, I got a lead you might be interested in."

I raised my eyebrows and set my mug down, leaning in close. "Oh yeah?"

"Yessir," he hummed as he knitted his paws together, still scanning the sky. "Contact of mine up in Griffinstone was saying Grover's pressing for ships to peel down by Colombuck for reinforcements and repair." He slowly rolled his head to give me a sideways smile.

"He's saying a treasure galleon ran aground during a storm, and now she's sitting there, over half its crew incapacitated, and hull full to bursting with gems from their Abyssinian prison colony," he added, wagging his eyebrows. "They got a fleet encircling the ship itself, but Colombuck itself isn't allied with Griffinstone."

"So, they're staying out of it, and leaving at least one side of the wreck unprotected," I hummed, bringing a hand to my chin. "If we landed we could march up and plunder it by land. If we're careful and quiet, we might be able to sneak aboard the galleon itself. Catch them unawares and sneak the gems out."

"Mhm, and if you're pursued you can lose 'em in the Boarfrost there," he added, his gaze slowly rolling back skyward. "Plenty of icebergs to put between you and them, savvy?" I slowly nodded, a thoughtful smile working on my face.

"I'll run it by the crew and see what they think," I finally said, reaching over and patting his leg. "Thanks, Commodore." His smile grew a bit before he nodded my way.

"Hey, just glad it helped your spirits," he replied with a wink before jostling my shoulder. "Commodore."

Celestia blinked and tilted her head. "James?" A strained grimace worked its way onto my face as I stared at her.

"My," I panted and clutched my knee. "My ears are ringing, sorry." She furrowed her brow and leaned closer.

"Do you need-"

"After bolstering our numbers, we took the Stampede River," I interrupted, taking a shallow breath. "We reasoned if we went straight for Colombuck, they might've seen us coming, and so we wrapped around down through Abyssinia by a river route Catarina had shared with me once."

The trip was quiet and easy, save for the rough waters of the Abyssinian seas once we made it out that way. By the time we'd passed the horn of Abyssinia, upon which the port of Catskills was built, I could already see the difference in climate. The air was cool but not frigid, owing to the fact we were only a little way north of the Boarfrost ice fields. The pleasant temperature held even as we came within viewing distance of the island Colombuck sat on.

The island itself was oblong and parallel with the Abyssinian coast, and this actually let me spy a few of the small ships that comprised the defensive fleet for our treasure galleon. As they were on the opposite end of the island from the city of Colombuck, we decided to anchor there.

Columbuck was a sight. I reckon its proximity to Abyssinia had a part in its construction since all the buildings were in the cat-folk's style. All flat roofs and painted clay walls, with the large and important palace that governed the place having a golden dome upon its main structure and the towers attached to it. Even the ponies that dwelled there had a more feline persuasion to the way they moved.

There was a stingy little pegasus in charge of the docks who leveraged one hell of a docking fee from us. I doubled his price in exchange for keeping our names and presence a secret. The crew agreed to meet in the morning after dispersing throughout the city to enjoy what seemed to be a fireworks festival, while Zamaradi, Gab, and I crept up north to get a better look at our target. If it looked too risky, we were going to call it off and harass a few Abyssinians for our trouble. The island was covered in sharp cliffs and rocky hills, making our approach easy to mask, especially with the boom of the fireworks that started popping off once we began our approach.

After just a brief period of trekking, aided by Gab's ability to fly and spy out paths forward, we found ourselves on a stone shelf jutting over a patch of woodland. On the other end of the woods was a frigate, tipped towards the beach it sat upon and surrounded by griffins. As I scanned the ship with my spyglass, Zamaradi suddenly gasped.

"Look! Where are they going?" She demanded. Turning, I balked, as the fleet that was encircling the grounded ship was moving south. All of them, with a few already halfway to the city. The three of us shared a look as the fireworks popped in the air.

"You don't think," I murmured.

"They're in cahoots?" Zama offered as I whirled around.

"Get back to the port and get everyone moving. Now," I ordered before taking off at a full sprint.

"What about you?" Gab demanded as he ran up beside me.

"You're both faster! Get moving!" I yelled. The pair shared a look before Gab spread his wings and they both took off at full speed. Within minutes, I was racing through the hills on my own, a million unhappy thoughts dancing through my mind's eye.

The unmistakable rumble of cannon fire overtaking the sound of fireworks confirmed a few of them.

My chest was on fire by the time I burst back into the city limits, cutlass already drawn and gun ready to shoot. The ponies stampeded out of my way as I hurled toward the docks.

By God, if I had a chance to go back to that day, I would have cleaved the pair of pegasi I sprinted by. They were part of the city team handling the fireworks display and were in the process of pulling their cart away, but even over the bombs filling the air, I could hear them singing.

James Cutter is a pirate; No loyalty does he possess.

Keep it up! We'll catch that pirate!

And sink him along with the rest. HEY!

Had I not then laid eyes on the chaos unfolding at the docks, I might have blasted the pair. The Quicksilver was parallel with the docks and blasting her starboard guns as quickly as she could. Further out, there were a few smoldering griffin sloops from the defensive fleet that had beat me back to the city, but just as many that were undamaged as well as a few brigs that had not yet rolled into position to join the battle.

To my shock, I saw three sloops and a brig weren't bothering with the Quicksilver at all, instead sailing south after the Company which was fleeing that way. Once I made it onto the docks, I spied a few pegasi from the crew who dashed toward me and before I could argue, strained and dragged me into the air.

On the quarterdeck, Binky suddenly jumped up and began shouting to the crew. As the pegasi flew me over and all but dumped me onto the deck before collapsing in a panting heap, I saw someone sprint up and cut the anchor cord, which was pulled taught. The second it was cut, the ship lurched and began sailing.

Pushing to my feet I dashed to the quarterdeck rail and leaned over, scanning for Gab.

"Where's she going?!" I screamed and pointed at Zamaradi's ship once I spotted him by the helm.

"She said she's gonna lure a mess of 'em off! She said to run for the Boarfrost, she'll meet us there!" He yelled back.

"We can't just-" I paused with a shudder as the distinctive noise of mortar fire split the air. Turning, I watched a cluster of flaming globs arched through the air from the brig that was chasing her. I stumbled to the larboard rail. "No, no no."

The fire reached its apex and fell.

"No, no. Please," I begged as the payload slammed into the Company, bursting apart and painting the ship with flames. Someone on the crew cried out at the sight and I saw Holiday shoot to the rail with a panicked and horrified look. Clenching my teeth, I leaned over the quarterdeck rail and jabbed a finger at Lothar. "Get us in range to save them! Now!" The dog looked up at me in shock and then at Gab just before he flew up beside me.

He balanced on the rail and braced his forehooves against me. "They'll surround us again! If we don't-"

"We can't just leave them to burn!" I screamed in his face. More cannon fire suddenly filled the air and the ship lurched. Turning, I saw that the brigs had finally made it to the port and were turning to open fire on us. Most of the noise that I'd just heard was from our gun crew, preemptively blasting the brigs, but I also saw that the ships chasing Zamaradi had caught up, and the sloops had just shot her ship. Her rigging was ablaze and the sail had fallen off, effectively leaving the ship dead in the water. Even from this distance, I could see fiery shapes scrambling to and leaping over the rail into the water.

And then the brig near her opened fire. My heart sank as the entire upper portion of the Company was engulfed in a fireball.

"They-" Gab gasped, his hooves slipping off me as he sank down onto the rail. "The magazine, they- Ah, hell." My head swayed and I scanned the deck. Half the crew was in shock, but Holiday had his forehooves firmly adhered to the rail as he stared out with a furrowed brow and an unreadable glare.

"Captain Cutter!" Lothar yelled, snapping me out of my daze. "Which way?!" I panted and slowly sank to a sitting position atop the stairs.

"The Boarfrost," I huffed, gesturing in its direction. "That way." As he worked, I swept my hand at the crew.

"Gun crew, be ready to clear a path," I yelled as best I could. Despite my order, they wound up not having to do much.

She'd drawn away just enough for us to escape.

The Boarfrost was a fog-filled sea, riddled with endless icebergs of all shapes and sizes. As a result of that, I watched through my spyglass as the pursuing griffins turned and withdrew from their pursuit. I glared through my glass at them for a few minutes before I collapsed on the stern's rail, clutching it for dear life. My head was swimming and there were sparks dancing across my eyes, all of which managed to make me forget how horribly cold it was.

"Captain?" Came a voice from the deck. Taking a series of heavy breaths, I managed to push off the rear rail and approached the forward one. There, I looked down at the haunted eyes of every crew mate who'd known her. Most of the newer ones continued working at the rigging or holding hushed conversations. I ignored them in favor of the ones now looking at me for answers, like Happy who'd been the one to call for me. He sniffled and blinked the tears out of his eyes, drawing a miserable sigh from me.

"I-"

"S- Sail! Dear Celestia! SAIL! SAIL!" Riser screamed, drawing our attention up to him. When he fell into a screaming, stammering fit, I looked left and then right.

And then I lurched.

"How?" I gasped. "How?"

There, pulling around an especially large iceberg that had hidden her entirely, was the HES Crowned Eagle, her starboard side to us.

A new sound split the air. The rhythmic thunder of sixty gun ports opening all at once.

My breathing was all I could hear for a few seconds, and with each passing second it grew heavier and heavier and louder and louder.

The fog was split.

The water seemed to part.

The deck shook and the clouds themselves seemed to roll away.

All a result of the noise those guns produced when they opened fire.

Countless pounds of iron shot into us and through us. The larboard rail split right at the center and sprayed anyone unlucky enough to have come on this voyage with me with foot-long splinters. The lines snapped and now ropes pulled taught whipped violently across the deck, lashing who knows how many.

"Cutter!" Was the last thing I ever heard Gab say before he vanished, leaving behind a red mist.

Our top deck cannons were uprooted and came crashing down at random, smashing into a few crewmates before pinning others. Those who'd been struck fell to the deck and writhed while the ones who were pinned gasped and screamed.
The quarterdeck's larboard stair suddenly leaped up and unfolded, catching Happy in its jaws before dragging him overboard. Our mainmast fell.

At no point did the Crowned Eagle stop firing. It seemed like the second a line of guns on one deck finished, the next deck began, and by the time all decks had blasted us, the top deck was ready to spit again. I wasn't sure when it happened, but I suddenly found myself drowning. There was a bloody cloud rolling up from my leg which was on fire and my chest stung like hell as I gasped and choked.

I think I'd been hit by a splinter just before being lashed by a loose line, but I have no idea for sure. Everything was cold and burned and the world went blurry. The next thing I knew I was coughing and gasping before collapsing into a screaming fit.

"He's alive," Holiday gasped.

"Captain!" Stitches cried just beside me. I blinked and clenched my teeth before turning to find her with her forehooves locked around my arm. I realized then we were on a long boat and Holiday was hastily tightening a cord around my leg.

"What happened?" I gasped. "What happened?"

"Sit still," Holiday chided. Blinking, I saw off the side of the longboat that the Crowned Eagle was still shooting, and the Quicksilver was mostly splinters.

"Where is everyone?" I gasped, looking up and at our boat. Dinky and Binky were rowing while Holiday worked on me. Stitches was still sobbing, and Jingle was at the far end of the boat, talking with someone. Turning that way, I saw his sister and a few others, including Hatch and Scurry, in a longboat beside ours.

"We're it, Captain," Holiday replied in a low tone. "And we're trying to row for Abyssinia, Celestia help us." I collapsed back at his words and my eyes locked on the pillar of smoke rising into the sky.

Chapter 14

I don't know how much time passed since the attack. I vaguely recall Holiday mentioning blood loss and concussions and things like that, but I was too dizzy to really catch most of what was said. I knew at one point that I was aboard a proper ship again, and I saw Catarina leaning over me while Holiday force-fed me some medicine I think it was. Sure tasted foul enough.

I remember opening my eyes and seeing the familiar murky skies above Naysow as well as a bunch of faces I didn't recognize gathered around me. I was pretty sure I was moving, probably on a stretcher or something. But the next time I opened my eyes, I was more coherent, and so I immediately realized I was in my room at the inn, my chest and leg both hurt and had something compressing them, and to my right, Ben was sitting in a chair facing my way, with his arms folded and a distant look on his face.

"There he is," he murmured once he saw I was looking.

"Hey, Commodore," I replied, groaning and adjusting as my chest violently protested the act of speaking. I sat there breathing for a few minutes before I felt confident enough to say anything else. "I uh." I hesitated and then gave up trying to find the words with a miserable sigh. Ben tensed up and rubbed his arms as he continued staring at me.

"The fella I talked with," he said after a lengthy silence. "Who, ah, who gave me that lead." He leaned forward on his knees and clutched his paws together.

"Must've," he huffed and shook his head. "Must've slipped me some bad intelligence." I turned to look at him as best I could.

"It's a," he paused and clenched his eyes for a moment. "I think it's a whole conspiracy against you." He held his gaze away from me for a moment before glancing at me.

"Sorry," I added in a quiet tone. I hummed and took a breath.

"It's not your fault, Ben," I sighed, grimacing as I adjusted how I was lying. "I should've been more careful." I stared at the ceiling for a few moments.

"It's my fault," I finally whispered. A long silence followed which was eventually broken as Ben stirred, stood up, and made his way to the door. I held up the arm that didn't cause my chest to explode in pain. "Can you send Apricot in? I'm pretty sure I trust her." He paused with his paw on the doorknob before turning his head just enough to nod and then slipping out.

I lay there alone, staring at the ceiling the entire time, before glancing down as the door opened and Apricot came trotting in. "Hey, Captain," she said with a sympathetic smile. "Heard you wanted some company." I nodded and with a grimace scooted over to give her room. When she hopped up beside me and carefully tried to lie down, I rolled over to pull her into a hug.

"Hey! Don't twist like that! I don't think-" She paused as I buried my face into her shoulder and heaved a few times. Slowly, as the tears began to flow and my breathing turned into heavy sobs she wrapped her forelegs around my neck and rested her head against mine.

I walked along the old park path I used to take during autumn, admiring all the shaky blobs of color in the treetops I think the laurel smoke was trying to make into leaves. Forcing a smile, I turned to Luna who was herself unstable, her form shifting between human and pony with every other step.

Despite Holiday's warning that the laurels could cause some unhappy dreams due to the distressing events we'd endured, he still made no substantial protests to me using them. And so, once again, I slipped away from the nightmare that was waking life and drifted into the comfort of a semi-lucid dream.

The blurry alicorn beside me smiled at me as we walked along, passing into the big circle at the center of the park before approaching the fountain I used to throw pennies into. Sitting on its edge, I looked over the gurgling pool and all the glittering coins decorating its bed.

Then I blinked. The coins were looking back. The pictures on their faces were disturbingly clear, even through the water.
It was them.

Gab, Rosepetal, Zam, everyone.

The rim of the fountain broke out under me and the pool's water flooded the park, the coins floating to its surface and turning into bodies that then floated away. All their eyes were vacant, and staring. Staring at me.

"What's wrong, James Cutter?" Luna asked in a low tone. Looking up at her as I gasped and sputtered, she was finally a solid shape, though now in her pony form.

"This isn't what I wanted," I sobbed, sinking back and crawling away from the pool as it gurgled, spitting out more of them with every second. "The laurels don't- Why- Why are-" Luna shrilly cackled in response, snapping my attention to her.

"Don't be silly, James Cutter," she said with a hiss as she leaned in with a smirk. "You haven't had any laurels this evening." I panted as she suddenly shifted, her coat changing black and her shape distorting entirely.

"This is real. I'm real," she said in a warbling, hissing voice. The only features I could still make out were her eyes and fangs. "I'm here now." The thrashing shadow that comprised her body expanded out and filled the sky, leaving me sitting in a pool of blood with her looming over me.

"I'm here when you need me most," she hissed, her face twisting and bending down to sneer at me. "Doesn't that make you happy?" Her face turned upright and flowed right up to mine.

"More important than our reunion is what I have to say, James Cutter," she said, her slit-like pupils glaring hard into my eyes. "You flew a flag with my face upon it, so why not embrace our connection fully?" The darkness closed in as she leaned closer and closer.

"Seek out those who've wronged you as I confronted my sister," she demanded. "Destroy them." The pool began to bubble and rise, rapidly climbing up to my chest.

"Punish them. Torment them. Make them regret everything they've done to you," she urged as I slowly sank below the waves. Down below and out of her sight, I found myself floating amongst the crew as they drifted listlessly on the undertow. "It's the least you can do."

I snapped awake and fell into a coughing fit. As I hacked and sputtered, sparkling smoke erupted with each breath. Twisting to lean on my side, I panted and considered the half-full and still hot pipe beside my bed. Shortly after, my eyes drifted to my window, and the full moon peering through it at me.

The days wound by slowly, but eventually, I felt my breathing become easier and I could finally stand without the side of my knee hurting. And so, I took a walk, breathing in the hot air of Naysow as I made my way to the fort, where I'd heard Holiday and the others were staying.

But more importantly, it was where Catarina was as she was ashore for a brief reprieve and had visited me a few days prior. To my fortune, I caught her as she was making her way back into town and she ran up and hugged me.

"You're looking a sight healthier," she purred as I returned the gesture. When she withdrew and saw my face, she tilted her head with a frown.

"I need your help," I said in a low tone. "We need a new ship."

I tightened the screw holding the hammer of my gun in place. It was a miracle it survived getting thrown off the ship with me, and I guess it was another miracle it didn't add to my injuries, what with it being tied to my hip and all. Regardless, once I was satisfied I gave its trigger a test pull earning a satisfying click as the hammer fell. Nodding, I stood up from the patio table and left the inn behind, making my way to the docks.

Once the Delight was in view, I furrowed my brow. In addition to a large crowd of assorted figures loitering around it, I spied Holiday out of the crowd. Upon spotting me, he trotted up beside me.

"I hear we're sailing to steal a new ship," he mused.

"You don't have to go, Doc," I retorted as we walked side by side.

"I'm your doctor," he argued with a snort as he drew his pipe. "And I want to see what you've got planned that's giving you that awful scowl." I considered him for a moment before the crowd suddenly shouted.

"It's true! Captain Cutter's sailing again!" Someone yelled as they swarmed us.

"Cutter! Lemme aboard! I'm ready!" Some young pony demanded.

"We're goin' after birds, ain't we? I got a grudge meself! Take me with you!" A dog begged. Other hopeful cries rang up, but I ignored all of them until I made it to Catarina's gangplank. Once I was at the ship's rail, I turned.

"I'm sailing to steal a new ship," I declared, drawing silence from the crowd. "For now, I only need those who can crew it and get it back to Naysow. But when I return, if you've still got a mind to follow me and claim your fortune, be ready."

The lightly perfumed air of the Delight's cabin was a pleasant change and inspired me to consider burning similar incense in the cabin of whatever ship I would soon command. Catarina nestled against me in the chair we were sharing with a happy pur.

"I'm thrilled to see you ready to get back at the helm, Cutter," she said, hugging me tight. "You had me scared you were down for the count." I hummed as I continued to scratch at her ears. She leaned into my hand for a moment before she pushed up to look me in the face.

"The sea wouldn't be the same without you," she added with a sad smile.

"I don't think I could retire now," I retorted, leering through her cabin window at the waves outside. "Not until I've finished what needs to be done."

"Oh," she hummed, tilting her head at me. "That pardon business for your alicorn friend, right?"

"No," I grumbled to her surprise. My expression rapidly shifted to an even glare fixed on the waves. "Not now. Not anymore." Before she could ask, one of her crew pounded on the door.

"Sail ho! Griffinstone flag!" He yelled, causing Catarina and I to share a look before we stood up and exited the cabin. The cat who'd alerted us slapped me on the back. "You're in luck, Cutter! She's a brig!"

"Military or mercantile?" Catarina demanded as we approached the rail.

"Merchant posing as a warship!" He said pointing the ship out. "Get a load of those guns! Hah!" I peered through my spyglass as the ship and her-

Well. Sixty whole guns on one side. If the fact that such an absurd number of arms would have capsized a brig wasn't enough to tip us off, the fact that, on careful inspection, the 'guns' seemed to have a gloss to them you don't see with iron but black paint on wooden barrels, certainly revealed the charade.

We shared a look before Catarina gave the order to attack. As expected, once we unloaded a single volley of real cannon fire, the griffins gave up allowing us to close in and hook them. I wasn't used to being on a smaller ship than the one we were boarding, so the process of climbing a ladder up to their rail was a new one. However, the resulting shock I drew from the griffins as they saw me slowly crest the rail was worth it.

"Throat-Cutter?!" One screamed as he scurried back away from me. Catarina's crew laughed at his reaction and cleared a path for me up to him. "You're supposed to be dead!" I considered him and his words for a minute, slowly looking around at the other horrified griffins before I stalked toward him.

"A part of me certainly is," I replied in a low tone as I drew my cutlass. "So how 'bout it?" He recoiled as I leaned in and rested the flat of my sword on his shoulder.

"Do you fancy your chances against a dead man walking?" I asked in a near whisper. He looked at me with shaky uneven eyes and slowly hugged the deck. I tilted my head and swept my sword toward their lifeboats. "No? Then get the fuck off my ship."

Transferring most of Catarina's crew to the new ship let us get it moving quickly and we towed the Delight back to Naysow, where a crowd was waiting. As Catarina tended to her own crew and her share of the loot we'd taken with the brig, I disembarked and approached the crowd. Luckily, having heard I was sailing for a new ship, the remainder of the Quicksilver's crew was among them and I kneeled before them first.

"Captain Cutter?" Jingle murmured.

"If any of you are done with this life, as before, I'll provide you with passage home," I explained, waving a hand at them. "You can take your share of our wealth that we still have secured and disappear. I won't search for you or seek to force you back into the crew." I furrowed my brow as they considered my words.

"And if you find yourselves in need and return, I'll welcome you back with open arms," I gave them a curt nod before taking a breath and rising to my full height. "But now I must speak to the entire company, not just those I consider my friends." I stepped away and stood halfway up the gangplank, drawing attention from the crowd. Many of them had weapons now, and gave me an expectant look, occasionally glancing at the ship with eager whispers.

"Those of you who still hunger for fortune and are willing to follow me past this setback, take heed," I declared, pointing toward the lagoon's entrance. "For I will now set a course far harder than any I have run so far." I bent low and jabbed a finger at the crowd.

"I will haunt every ship bearing a griffin flag, or carrying griffin cargo, or which even has a single bird aboard," I hissed, pacing the plank as I did. "I will stalk them, and take them, and though we will earn a stark profit from this, I will press for more." I stood up straight with a growling huff.

"I will extract from those unfortunate enough to cross my path everything about the griffin responsible for what has befallen us," I spat, clutching my hand at the crowd as my words rolled out through clenched teeth. "I will spend the rest of this war and beyond hoarding news about this person until I find that which I can leverage against him and draw him out." My expression melted into an even glare as I took a heavy breath.

"And when I have done so, I will carve the fear of my name into every griffin that still breathes by what I do to him then," I added to the visible shock of my old crew. I looked over the whole crowd, pleased to see many of them wore eager expressions at my words. "If this course seems too rough for you, then turn your names in so we can prepare for a voyage without you." I turned and fully boarded the ship.

"And goodbye," I added as I strode along the rail. I gestured to the crowd. "Everyone else, welcome aboard the Night Terror." My invitation was met with cheers and stampeded hooves, paws, and claws.

"Sounds like you were pretty agitated," one of the ponies said. I blinked and looked up at him. From his desk on the raised platform my chair was facing, he leered down at me with a mildly amused smirk. The rest of the room was silent save for him as the other war council members considered my story so far.

"I was," I replied, drawing a nod from him as he leaned forward to look at his papers.

"Yes, yes, now if I'm following you, this definitely lines up with the timeline we understand your crimes to have occurred during," he said with a hum before raising a hoof. "Clarifying question in that regard: How soon after that speech did you sink the Hearthfire?"

"I don't know that ship," I said after a moment's consideration. He looked up at me with a narrow-eyed smile.

"Sure!" He chirped before clearing his throat, evening his expression and reading from his paper. "It was a sloop with green sails sent out to hunt some griffins that were hassling Horseshoe Bay, and-"

"Oh, that ship?" I huffed, now remembering the incident. I scanned the floor as I tried to remember when it happened. "Two months?"

"Great," he hummed with a slow nod. "Yeah, I think we're lined up now."

"Why did you sink the Hearthfire?" One of the council mares asked with a furrowed brow. I considered her for a moment before shrugging.

"They spoiled my ambush," I explained, gesturing at her. "They jumped the griffins I was after, and when we tried to join in, they opened fire."

"Mm," she said with an expression that said she wasn't at all satisfied with my answer. "Alright! Continue."

"Just a sec!" A unicorn said, raising his hoof and then turning to me. "If I'm hearing you right, most of the prizes you took during this time were all prior to Admiral Gasparde's death, correct?"

"Correct," I said, causing him to purse his lips and tilt his head back.

"So that's what, a span of two years?" He asked with a shake of his head.

"We spent a year and a half prying for details about him," I explained.

"Right, right," he said waving his hoof before turning to the rest of the council. "I think we can skip most of that, agreed?" The mare nodded but held up her hoof.

"Most of it, but there's one thing I think needs explaining," she said, turning back to me. "How did Gwynevere get involved? You said you killed her, too." My eyebrows shot up for a second as I hung my head slightly. After a second, I huffed a breath and nodded.

"Right, well, like I said, we spent just under two years prying for details about Gasparde," I replied, leaning forward and knitting my hands together. "It shouldn't be too surprising that we learned about her and how much he loved her." I snorted as a practiced but dull scowl, long bereft of proper contempt, worked its way onto my face.

"Only child whose mother died after childbirth," I added, details flooding up in my mind instantly. "At least six captains I interrogated were certain most of Gasparde's military efforts were to ensure she had a stable financial future." A grimace flashed across my face for such a brief instant none of the ponies noticed it.

"And of course, her privileged life let her make nice with all sorts of high society names."

"You-" The griffin who'd admitted to having some knowledge about the admiral swallowed hard as he looked between me and the two minotaurs in the room with us. Cast and Bolt considered him malicious sneers as they tightened the knotted ropes I promised they'd beat him and his crew with. "You swear you won't-"

"If you just tell me what I want, I'll have no reason to have it yanked out of you," I retorted, drumming my fingers on the open book sitting on the table beside me. We were in the lowest deck of the ship, candles providing the only light, and far from where the rest of the crew was being kept. As I did, I hummed and considered the other items on my table, including the locket with the lovely family portrait inside that I'd pulled off the griffin's neck.

"I guess I should also mention you need to keep this specific meeting a secret," I said, weaving my fingers through the locket chain and holding up the portrait with a sideways leer fixed on the griffin. "Feel free to report the raid. Hell, tell them I beat you for more money."

I jingled the locket, earning an anxious murmur from him. "But if Gasparde hears I'm looking into him, I'll be looking for you," I explained, as was standard at this point. I nodded my head at the locket. "And them. Savvy?" He took a heavy gulp and slowly nodded.

"Aces. Talk," I demanded, slamming the locket down in my fist. He jumped and shivered before nodding.

"His daughter just became engaged to my cousin, the garrison captain of the Griffish Isles," he whimpered, still nodding. "Commander Geralt. She visits him every month." My eyebrows shot up and I whistled, sharing a look with Cast and Bolt.

"Well now!" I chirped, standing up and turning for the stairs. "Looks like you get to go home a hero, Champ!" The griffin recoiled with a curious whimper. Once I reached the stairs, I shot him a toothy grin.

"You've just saved who knows how many other birds from this treatment."

The Griffish Isles had been the cornerstone on which the war and therefore my career had been built, but I'd never actually seen it up close. Granted, need nor opportunity ever really presented itself, as to the northern side and by Trottingham were plenty of Equestrian warships lined up to spit death and fire. To the south and by Eagleland were griffin ships in just as stalwart an arrangement.

The two fleets remained where they were almost all the time and most of the war was fought between ships trying to bring those fleets and the two port towns supplies to starve out the other port and its allied settlements that dotted the island. Thus, it was impossible to safely sail the Night Terror up to the island.

Instead, we sailed west and up the Equestrian coast before reaching a forested patch a few days north of Manehattan. We moored the ship up a little river and disembarked, leaving a vanguard to watch the ship while I led a force deeper into the woods. Holiday, Hatch, and our musician siblings stayed with the ship while Stitches and Scurry came with me.

Yes, they were still with me. If you hadn't interrupted and had me skip ahead I might've mentioned they all stayed on the crew. Holiday was an enigma, but the rest seemed invested in getting revenge for our friends.

At any rate, we marched for the better part of a day until our scouts could actually see the fringes of the Griffish Isles across the sea, and then we spent a day cutting down enough trees to construct canoes. I figured if our deer friends up north could get a lot of mileage out of such simple crafts, so could we. The deer actually played a big role in my plans for the admiral than just inspiration but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Once we had our fleet of canoes, we waited until the sunset and then began paddling out, slipping right under the Equestrian fleet's nose and reaching the island by four in the morning, I'm pretty sure. As I said, the island was loaded with little settlements, but not all of these were full villages. A few were simple two or three family farmsteads, and as our company numbered under sixty, it was easy for us to press one of them into housing us for the evening. To be fair though, as the place was held by ponies who vocalized their hatred for their griffin neighbors during our stay, I think they were secretly thrilled to see James Throat-Cutter, known enemy of Griffinstone suddenly appear at their door.

Certainly, they made no argument as the evening turned into a full day and then a week, during which I sent out spies to lurk around Eagleland's fringes and size up the place. Certainly, the little quips and thoughts they offered as we began to make schemes for how and when to attack were just a coincidence.

However you take all that, we quickly determined that an attack on the port itself wouldn't be necessary. Commander Geralt was often seen taking a carriage ride through the woods with some female griffin and a battalion of guards. The route was patrolled an hour ahead of their date and thoroughly searched by the griffins during that time.

That left us just an hour to prepare for our ambush. Once again, it was surely a coincidence that the farmers knew of and were willing to show us a perfect spot where the cobblestone road dipped between two lengthy embankments. There wasn't much brush to hide in, but due to the earth itself acting as a sight block, we'd be able to jump the front of their train right as the carriage itself was in between the two embankments.

And that was exactly what happened.

As dogs and minotaurs erupted from either side and crushed the griffins at the front of the line, I led a charge up the hill until we were overlooking the carriage. The commander grabbed his fiance and the pair spread their wings before they looked up and saw me leveling my blunderbuss down at them.

"Throat-Cutter!" Geralt screamed, pushing Gwynevere behind him. Guards ahead and behind the carriage looked up in horror just as my crew leaped down upon them. The momentary hesitation had proved fatal for the commander, and he drew a sword before whirling about trying to fend off the grabbing claws of my crew.

Which left Gwynevere wide open for Scurry to sweep down and tackle her off the carriage and into the waiting arms of Bolt. Seeing she was grabbed, I swung my gun to the side and blasted the rear line of griffins, causing enough of a disruption for him and Cast to slam through them. I whistled through my fingers as Scurry and Stitches both bolted from the field. Once they were clear, I turned as well and hurled myself out of sight.

Our exit was less smooth than our entrance, and by the time night had fallen and we'd returned to the canoes, we seemed to be down a dozen mates at least.

But the squirming and sobbing tied-up griffin recoiling from me at the front of my canoe definitely made up for the loss.

Author's Note

Chapter 15

The ship was moving again, and by hugging the Equestrian coast, we were able to make it to the northern strait without notice by the time the sun was up. That didn't mean the voyage was easy, thanks to our prisoner. The second she was hauled aboard, the crew I'd picked up in Naysow made a show of her, pulling her around by the rope I'd bound her wings with like a leash.

As they paraded her up and down the deck, most of the crew mocked and jeered at her, a few even brandishing their knives or cutlasses at her. I stood at the stairs, watching with indifference for most of the scene, stepping in only when one of the dogs grabbed her by the neck. The line now drawn for the crew, they resumed their antics as I returned to the stairs. As I walked, however, I spied the ponies from the Quicksilver standing away from the rest of the crew.

"I thought we'd be done with torture once we got her," Stitches whispered to Sour Note, who nodded with a miserable frown. The whole lot of them regarded the scene with a similar expression, save for Holiday, who leaned on the rail as he smoked. But upon noticing me, they shared a look and Jingle slowly approached me.

"Captain?" He began, gesturing to the griffin. "She's not resisting, she's doing what we want." I considered her for a moment before fixing him with an even leer.

"We don't-" He winced and shook his head as one of the crew suddenly jumped at her, causing her to trip and fall with a scream. "We don't usually hurt ponies, er, griffins when they do what we say." I considered his words and the old crew's expressions before humming.

"Leave her," I ordered, causing the new crew to pause and then groan with disappointment. I nodded my head at the cabin. "Lock her in the cabin." Bolt complied, guiding the griffin away as the crew dispersed. I looked down at Jingle, who watched her go for a moment before turning back to me. He still wore a frown but perked up a very slight amount. The rest of the old crew held their attention on the cabin door once Bolt came out alone.

The rest of our voyage was silent, even as we made landfall at the old crystal port we'd conquered together. Using it as a hiding spot, we moored the ship and prepared to journey inland. I marched with only a small force of twelve, counting the ponies, but dragged Gwynevere along the whole way to the little lady's considerable distress.

"What are you going to do to me?" She asked as we entered the middle of our first day's trek.

"Not a thing," I mused, pulling on her leash and causing her to stumble. She caught herself and murmured.

"So why abduct me? Why attack poor Geralt? Why-" She hesitated with a whimpering sob. "Why any of this?"

"You really don't know?" I shot back in a half laugh.

"I'm curious as well, Captain Cutter," a familiar voice said, drawing my attention to the side. There, as expected, a large team of deer emerged out of the trees, along with one pony. Pine Needle approached me and considered my prisoner with a raised eyebrow. "Our scouts saw you land and ran to retrieve us when you began your journey." Galley trotted up beside him and looked at me with a smile before turning and seeing the other ponies. She looked around and her ear twitched before turning back to me with a concerned frown.

"I need your assistance," I explained, pulling on Gwynevere's leash. "The majority of my crew along with my ship and my friends, your allies, were killed by a griffin." He blinked and recoiled slightly as Galley's expression sank into deep despair.

"Everypony's," she murmured, slowly sinking into a sitting position. "Dead?" I nodded my head back at the other ponies with a bitter scowl.

"They're the only ones who made it out, Galley," I huffed. "He set a trap that I fell for." I managed a bitter smile as I jostled the leash.

"But this is his daughter," I added with a grim chortle. "And he'll be looking for her." Needle considered her in tandem with Galley, who furrowed her brow as the griffin recoiled from all three of us.

"What'd she do?" Galley asked in a murmur.

"Nothing," I snorted, glaring down at the griffin. "But I can think of a few of our friends who never really did anything either."

"Do you intend to harm her?" Needle asked, drawing my intention back to him.

"I intend to lure her father out," I explained, causing him to nod. "Ideally into an ambush of our combined forces." Suddenly, I was jostled as Gwynevere dared to jump forward and grab at my belt.

"No! Please!" She cried. "Please don't hurt him!"

"Quiet," I demanded, shoving her off. To my growing annoyance, she fought off my hand and grabbed me again.

"Please, Captain Cutter!" She sobbed. "Do what you want to me, just don't hurt Father!" I growled and kicked her off, earning a grunt as she tumbled.

"Not too good a listener, are you?" I hissed as I loomed over her.

"Cutter," Needle said plainly. Ignoring him, I bent down over the griffin as she looked up at me in terror.

"And your daddy swung first," I spat, jabbing a finger at her. "He killed some of the only friends I had left." I heaved a few breaths as I stared death into her eyes.

"And once a-fucking-gain, I lost them right when I was getting comfortable," I added in a rumbling snarl. "That makes thrice someone's fucked up my whole life and taken home from me." I threw my head back with a laugh.

"And you want me not to hurt him?" I chortled, tilting my head at her. "Bitch, the only thing that got me back on my feet after what your daddy did is the fact that this time?" I snapped forward and grabbed her by the throat, dragging her face up to mine as I snarled.

"I can hurt the person who took everything from me," I hissed as tears formed in her eyes.

"Let her go, Cutter," someone demanded. Turning, I saw Holiday standing beside me, with the others not far behind. His expression was even, contrasted by their deeply ashamed faces. I shook my head.

"What's it to you, Doc?" I huffed, gesturing at all of them. "What's it to any of you?"

"We already got her, Captain," Stitches murmured, looking down at her. "You don't need-" She winced as the griffin whimpered in response to my tightening grip.

Stitches swallowed and averted her eyes. "Let's just lure the admiral out here, okay?" I considered her for a moment before dropping Gwynevere and standing up.

"That's the plan," I huffed, gesturing to Holiday. "Someone seems like they have more to say, though." I turned to him fully and folded my arms.

"What is it?" I demanded.

"What it's been since you got back on your feet," he explained in a hum, removing and cleaning his glasses with the tail of his coat. "And before that, actually. Looking after you." I raised an eyebrow as he redonned his glasses and looked up at me.

"Zama mentioned something after you killed Arnoso," he continued, looking me up and down with a pause. "She expressed her pity for you." I recoiled at his words.

"It's that pity that made her finally second-guess our initial plan for abducting you," he explained with a sigh as he looked away. "Truth be told we were ready to cut our losses and jump ship the second we made it to Southpile before she called it off." He stared off into the distance for a few moments.

"She lived a hard life Mr. Cutter. Ever since she took to wandering," he murmured. "She never had a home before you gave her one. So, she saw something of her younger self in you." He looked up at me with a weary expression.

"The look in your eyes when you first took a life," he said, gesturing at me with a hoof. "Like some sort of desperate, lost little critter who was struggling to cope with what he'd just done." He straightened up and cracked his neck.

"She pitied you, and she was deathly afraid of what you might turn into if she took advantage of you the way we were planning," he added with a huff, raising an eyebrow. "Your being a stallion or whatever the hell you call it for your species was what kept her from saying it to your face. She figured your pride'd be marred."

"What's your point, Holiday?" I demanded.

"My point is there was something she was afraid of you turning into," he replied in a near whisper, suddenly stepping right up to me. "And when I saw that look on your face when you first emerged from your bed, I got a sense of what she meant." He shook his head and pointed at Gwynevere.

"That little bird ain't done anything besides be born to a bastard," he said. "So let's kill the bastard." He took a few steps back and fixed me with a desperate expression.

"And let her go when we're done," he sighed. I heard Gwynevere sniffle and whimper as I stared at Holiday.

"Fair enough," I finally replied before leering over my shoulder at the deer. "Pine Needle, what's your input?" He turned toward me with an even expression.

"Will you help us kill the bastard?" I asked with a dull smirk.

"If he's an enemy of yours, he's an enemy of ours," he added plainly

"Aces," I chirped, at which Gwynevere began sobbing in full.

It took a few more days of planning and setting things up, but we finally got a delightful clearing picked out upon which we would launch our assault. The deer knew this place better than anyone so just about anywhere was perfect for them, but this place was also grand for us. We were situated upon a series of high cliffs that overlooked the plain, and there were loose boulders we could easily send rolling. Add in the fact that our minotaurs had taken the initiative to haul our cannons out here, and I was feeling just giddy about what was going to happen here.

We sent a deer messenger inland to get word to the admiral of what we'd done and where we were. The plan was to have the deer pretend to object to our presence, claiming we'd fortified ourselves against his people's wishes. Now, we sat in our rough camp, waiting as the days rolled by, for the HES Crowned Eagle to dare the strait and fall right into our hands.

A grim smirk worked its way onto my face when a deer suddenly came bounding up into our camp and straight to Pine Needle. He rose from his seat by the fire and leaned in as the messenger whispered

Then he recoiled. "He's coming up alone?" He gasped, causing me to jolt. And not for the last time, either, for as the ponies and I shared a look, we heard him.

"Cutter! I'm here, Cutter!" Gasparde yelled. "I know it's me you want! Here I am!" I stood up and peered down at the clearing. There, in the middle of the snowy circle, all alone, was the admiral. His wings snapped and bristled against the cold as he stomped further and further into the clearing, his head on a swivel as he raised his speaking trumpet again.

"Let Gwynevere go, and you can have me!" He yelled, spreading his wings. "Bring her out now, or I'll fly off!" I stared at him in wonder for a few moments before he continued stomping and repeated the whole declaration again. Blinking, I turned to the crew, Pine Needle, and Galley, who all looked back with a unified expectant expression. I furrowed my brow before considering our hostage, who had been sitting with her back to us until she heard her father's voice. Now, she sat looking back at me with terror in her eyes.

The wind chose to wait until she and I began our descent to intercept the admiral to pick up, and so as we stepped into his line of sight, we were blasted from behind by snow.

"Gwynevere!" He cried, dropping his trumpet where he stood as he adopted an expression somewhere between relief and despair.

"Father!" His daughter cried as she tried to bolt to his side, only for me to yank her back. She struggled against me for a moment before stopping with a thick sob. The wind was the only noise for a moment as the admiral and I locked eyes.

"Admiral," I finally greeted in an even tone.

"Captain Cutter," he huffed, looking me up and down. "It does me no good to do so, but I certainly dare to say that you're quite lucky His Excellency has had me overseeing a pet project of his." His eye twitched as he lowered his head.

"Your rampage over the last year would certainly have been cut short, otherwise," he added in a low growl.

"Doubtful," I retorted, considering him for a moment before holding out the leash and letting it go. "Here's your brat." The second she realized she was free, Gwynevere shot over to her father and swept her forelegs around his neck.

"Father!" She cried, squeezing him for dear life. He returned the gesture with just as much desperation as I drew my blunderbuss and a match. I struck the match against my pants a few times before grunting when it failed to light and then snapped. Gasparde glared at me as I drew another match.

"Princess, listen to me," he said as he pulled back from his daughter. He pointed back the way he'd come. "Head straight that way to the coast, alright?"

"What?" She murmured, looking at him in confusion. He nodded as I finally got the match to light only for it to go out as it touched the gun's cord.

"There's a sloop waiting. It will get you back to the Isles and to Geralt," he added with a desperate smile and nod. She looked at him for a few moments.

"But what about you?" She murmured, slowly reaching up and grabbing his shoulder.

"Don't worry about me, just go," he replied with a firm nod.

"No," she huffed quietly, shaking her head and then grabbing him with both claws. "No! No! He's going to kill you!"

"Princess-" Gasparde grunted as I finally got the cord lit.

"Ooh! You'd better listen, Princess," I chirped as I rested the gun on my shoulder.

"Don't you dare!" She screeched whirling around to glare at me. Her expression instantly melted to despair and she stepped up to me. "Please, Captain Cutter! I'm sorry for whatever happened between you!" She sobbed and collapsed at my feet for a moment before grabbing my leg and looking up at me.

"I'm begging you!" She choked. "Please!" I glared evenly at her as Gasparde hung his head with a pained expression.

"Gwynevere, he won't-" He paused and choked for a moment before grunting and adopting as fearless a glare as he could manage. "Just hurry, to the shore. Please." Gwynevere's head sank into the snow at his words, but her grip on my leg never wavered. Finally, I grunted and kicked her up.

"Get up," I spat. She recoiled from me before dashing to her dad and hugging him with all her might, sobbing all the while. I took a step closer. "Nah, none of that. Get lost."

"Quiet, you monster!" She screamed, turning just her head to glare at me. "I don't know who 'Zama' was, but she was right to be scared of you!"

It was reflexive.

I didn't even think about it.

I just swept my gun around and blasted both of them.

I stood there, panting with the gun hanging at my side as the smoke from the barrel rolled away. The snow continued to rain down around us and eventually, the two were obscured from sight.

But everyone who mattered had already seen them.

My eyes were locked on the floor of the chamber. The polished tiles had a red carpet extending from the council's desks to the door. I couldn't help but be reminded of the snow now that I'd explained what happened.

"So," one of the ponies hummed, finally snapping me back to the present. Looking up, I saw she was tapping her chin. "You're saying you killed the admiral in the middle of the woods and the only witnesses are-" She hesitated and shrugged.

"Well, were allies of yours and were all effectively outlaws?" She asked, tilting her head. "Or savages?"

"Yes," I replied. Most of the council hummed and murmured amongst themselves.

"Well, I think we could very cleanly sweep that under the rug, thank Celestia," one grunted with a curt laugh.

"He lured the admiral out there, though," another mare asked, looking around. "Surely, they'll have suspicions?"

"They already suspect us of having something to do with it," one argued, waving a hoof. "So, let them suspect! Until they come up with some hard evidence, we can just deny, deflect, and diffuse!"

"Sounds good to me," a unicorn chirped before raising an eyebrow at me. "Only issue I take is you didn't get to him sooner. The Edict might not have been completed if you had."

"That's a very good point, actually!" The mare who'd called my attention initially chirped before turning to me. "I want to hear details about your involvement in the Edict's destruction. Based on your earlier testimony, you and Gasparde's replacement were acquainted for most of your career, right?" She blinked and leaned forward.

"Captain Cutter?" She pressed. I barely heard her, however, as my gaze had fallen to the floor again.

I barked a laugh as he finally emerged from his cabin, bags laden with his things. "And where in the hell will you go? You joining the deer like the others?" I demanded as he adjusted his hat and pushed past me for the stairs.

"I haven't the taste for the outdoor lifestyle," he argued as he began to ascend. "But to answer your overall query, anywhere but here." I snorted a bitter laugh as I followed him to the deck.

"Guess you'd better acquire a taste for the outdoors then," I said as he reached the gangplank. "It's days before you hit civilization."

"I prefer to take my chances than see how much lower you are willing to sink," he grumbled, looking over his shoulder at me. "Do you think this would have pleased her?"

"Haven't a clue," I shrugged, leaning forward with a glare. "She's dead because of him." Holiday whipped around and jabbed a hoof at me.

"HIM," he screamed, holding his hoof up with a hiss. "Not her." He stamped his hoof and huffed.

"Since joining this cruise of yours, Captain Cutter, I have kept to the oath I gave you," he said, crossing his chest with a hoof. "I have never drawn a blade and never shed the blood of another thinking being." He winced and looked away as I stood up straight

"I have settled the unseemly nature of our profession with myself, for regardless of my inaction, I am complicit," he huffed and shook his head. "This I can deal with, for even during your recent stint of brutality, we have always maintained a modicum of restraint by which if one simply gives you what you desire, no harm befalls them." He paused and his head swayed before he swept his hoof at the forest beyond the crystal compound.

"My complicity in this?" He groused, shaking his head. "I will never be able to settle with." I scowled and folded my arms as he turned and descended from the ship.

"That is my failing, Captain Cutter," he called once he made it to land. "I pray you find greater strength than me."

"Captain Cutter," she pressed again, causing me to blink and look up at her.

"Yes?" I asked. She rolled her eyes and then held a hoof out at me.

"The admiral who replaced Gasparde. You were familiar with him, correct?" She asked, tilting her head with an expectant look. I blinked and again my eyes sank to the ground, drawing an annoyed groan from her.

"Yes. Ben Burigold," I murmured. "I knew him."

Chapter 16

I was reclining on my chair, listening to the waves through my cabin window as I smoked some laurels. A feature of the plant some folks might not know about is that they do wonders for relaxing the mind and letting you block out certain trains of thought, at least when you use them as much as I did. As I exhaled a plume of glittering smoke, I turned and leered at the small pile of golden coins we'd just seized from Gasparde's sloop as they retreated. We'd earned a profit and convinced them we never saw the admiral at all before we gave them the boot.

All of Griffinstone would wonder what became of him. Geralt would lie awake praying for some news about her. And regardless of whether they convinced themselves that I killed them both, the lack of closure would ruin them all.

That thought brought me no satisfaction whatsoever. I wasn't even sure why I acted upon it. The crew didn't give a shit, though; they were just pleased to earn more loot.

A sudden knock at the door snapped me out of my thoughts. "Speak," I commanded.

"Captain Cutter, the Good Morning and Junior's raft are approaching us, Sir," Cast called through the door. I blinked and sighed before taking a drag off my pipe. Slipping on my coat, I stepped out onto the deck. I brought the ship to a crawl to allow Amethyst and Junior to approach us, and once they were in range, Junior grabbed our ship and Amethyst teleported aboard.

"Cutter, have you caught any sign of the Prince?" Junior asked with an urgent tone. I blinked and folded my arms.

"Ben's ship? No," I replied, looking between him and Amethyst. "Is he still at sea?"

"Yes. It's been six months," she sighed, shaking her head. "Absolutely no sign of him."

"Wait, wait, wait!" One of the council mares cried, waving her hooves. When I looked up at her she gasped. "Six months?"
"Yes. He'd put to sea six months before I killed Gasparde," I explained, drawing a shocked glare out of her.

"And you didn't mention that because?" She rolled her hoof at me with an annoyed, expectant leer.

"You said to skip ahead to when I killed the admiral," I said with a shrug. She recoiled and then groaned, smacking her head.

"Alright, explain what happened," she muttered, waving a hoof at me.

I slammed my mug down on the table before leaning forward. "You're putting to sea again? By God! Hell must be freezing over!"

"Very funny," Ben snorted, his gaze still skyward and his paws still folded on his stomach. I considered him for a moment before reclining with a hum.

"This isn't an ordinary cruise, is it?" I asked, earning a brief silence.

"It's complicated," he murmured, still looking up. "But it's got to be done."

I leaned toward him. "Feel like sharing?"

"No sir and I thank you not to pry," he retorted with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "This one's personal and I hope you can appreciate that given your recent activities." I furrowed my brow with a nod.

"Ah, understood," I replied, reclining in my seat. I looked out over the square for a minute. "Then pry I shall not, but Ben?" I turned to him with a nod.

"You know where to find me," I said, gesturing to the fortress. "Find all of us." He never turned to me, his eyes still fixed on the murky clouds above us.

"I know," he eventually whispered with a half-hearted nod. "I know."

I sighed quietly and folded my hands together. Eventually, the council mare huffed. "Is that it?" She grumbled, causing me to recoil.

"What?" I murmured. She looked around at her fellow council members who were also looking at her in confusion.

"I dunno, I was expecting some big speech or something," she said with a shrug. I blinked and shook my head.

"Anyway, that's the last I saw of him for a while," I continued, folding my legs and leaning back in my seat. "I was sailing for most of the six months he was gone and only made very brief stops in Naysow for supplies. So, it genuinely worried me when I heard the news he was still gone."

Dreadless pulled at his beard with a nervous snort. "Ben's commission gave some legitimacy to this place," he rumbled as he paced the yard of Ben's villa. "It ensures we have a safe port to return to. Without it, we're just another outlaw nest waiting to be purged."

"That didn't stop Gasparde from rolling in like he owned the place," I replied, considering Ben's usual spot on his couch across the table from where I sat.

"But he didn't attack us, see?" Dreadless replied, waving his hand. "He had to wait for Grover to rescind the commission first." I rolled my eyes and folded my arms.

"Bewildering and asinine politics aside, Ben's my friend," I grumbled, looking over the rest of the Merits gathered in the yard. "And I'm worried about finding him solely for that reason." Catarina snapped to her paws and swept up beside me.

"I'm with Cutter!" She declared with a firm nod. Amethyst and Junior shared a look before the former stood up and began debating something with Dreadless. I didn't hear any of it, as Catarina leaned in and whispered to me. "Where is everyone?"

"What?" I whispered back, tilting my head her way.

"Holiday, and the rest," she pressed, drawing a grimace from me. Seeing that, she knelt beside me and fixed me with a concerned frown. "What happened up there?" I stared off to the side for a minute before turning to her.

"They abandoned me," I spat before returning my attention to the other Merits. Catarina considered me for a moment before doing likewise.

"Fine. I'm going to sail north, along the coast," Dreadless declared with a huff. "The Walrus can slip up any rivers he might have taken."

"I'll ply along the Equestrian coast and down toward Mount Aris," Amethyst added, facing the rest of us. "He might have gone after that Captain Eights fellow." Junior rumbled and folded his arms.

"What should I do?" He murmured, looking at me. "What can I do?" Catarina stood up and stepped closer to him.

"Junior, you can keep Naysow under control for us," she offered, earning a nod from the giant. She then turned to me. "I'm going to sneak around Abyssinia. Cutter, you've got some fearsome rapport with the griffins. Why don't you see if you can catch a few?" I furrowed my brow and tilted my head.

"Considering Ben's commission, they might have an idea of what he's up to," she explained with a shrug. "Just a thought." I slowly nodded with a hum.

"He did mention it was personal," I huffed before rising to my feet. "Alright. Let's meet back in two months."

The griffin currently hanging upside down from my mainmast balked at my question. "Burigold?" He squawked. "He was at Griffinstone, treating with His Excellency."

"What about?" I pressed with a scowl.

"I'm just a merchant, Throat-Cutter, I'm not clued into the specifics," he spat, matching my scowl. I gave Cast a nod, and he grabbed the bird before hurling him with all his might. The rope we had him hanging from allowed him to swing around the mast a few times before finally I nodded again, and Cast reached out and caught the griffin by the face. The bird clenched his eyes shut in response to the wet slap his face made on contact before clearing his throat and blinking at me. "It was plainly a military matter though since Admiral Gasparde was there." His eye twitched as he looked me down and up.

"Prior to his pursuing a rumor of you," he added. Cast frowned before turning to me.

"Military matter? What could that be, Captain?" He asked.

"Gasparde mentioned he was busy with some pet project of Grover's," I murmured, pacing before the mast for a moment. Finally, I jabbed a finger at our captive. "Prior to pursuing my rumor and after that meeting with Burigold, where was Gasparde for the last few months?"

"Port Grover," he replied with a grunt. When I glanced at Cast, the griffin shuddered. "And no, I don't know what for. I just heard they're working on something to end the war and dominate this sea for all time." The minotaur and I again shared a look before we finished plundering the merchant's ship and set him loose.

Something akin to a course set, we rolled up toward Port Grover, a place I hadn't seen in years. It seemed like I wasn't destined to get too good a look at it just yet, however, as our lookout cried out once we were drawing near to the Grover River.

"Captain! Look!" He yelled. "Straight ahead! That's the Prince isn't it?" I leaned off the larboard rail and peered through my spyglass. Sure enough, I could see Ben's specialized sloop off in the distance, moving north.

"Where's he heading?" I murmured before jolting as I spied out a very crucial detail.

"She's flying a Griffinstone flag!" The lookout yelled.

"Ben?" I murmured again. Cast suddenly slapped my shoulder.

"Oy, Captain! Look there on the shore!" He said, pointing to the coast of the Grover River, specifically the side on which the port was built further upriver. "They're laying down rails!" I furrowed my brow and scanned the landscape with my glass, revealing teams of griffins setting down several full lanes of rails that stretched further inland toward the port.

"And clearing trees," I grumbled, spotting the wide stretch of forest that had been felled. Scowling, I turned to Cast and thrust my arm toward Ben's ship. "Get after the Prince! The commodore has some idea of what this is about, I'm sure of it."

The Prince was built for speed and so we inevitably lagged far, far behind her. Still, the further north we sailed the more obvious it became where he was heading, to my growing bewilderment. When he finally passed by the fleet near Trottingham, that all but convinced me he was heading up the strait. We, however, had to withdraw and seek a safer path around, which was like second nature to us by then. Still, by the time we reached the strait, Ben had already moored his ship in the crystal compound and gone ashore, leaving behind a small vanguard of his crew.

We sailed in beside them and dropped anchor, by which time Tom Brittle, Ben's quartermaster, had come up beside us on the shore. "Captain Cutter," he said, looking our ship and crew up and down. "This is a surprise." I scowled at him as I disembarked before thrusting my hand at the Prince.

"Only half as surprising as that flag atop your mast," I spat, causing him to consider and linger on his ship. "Where's Ben?" His eyes slowly trailed upward to the flag before he rolled his head to look at me.

"Inland, Sir," he explained with a shrug. "And I hope you'll excuse our colors, but they were necessary to reach this place unaccosted."

I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head. "Oh? And what have you all been doing that necessitates reaching this place?" I swept my arm across the hidden compound, earning another shrug from him.

"Captain's played it close to the vest, Sir," he said, waving a paw inland. "You'll have to ask him."

I considered the path through the forest. The same path I'd dragged the admiral's daughter along. The same path that cost me the last of my oldest friends. Snow was falling again, just like it had that day weeks prior. None of these similarities did any favors for the gnawing feeling that was building up in my gut.

Ignoring it, I picked a few mates to trek with me and began our pursuit of Ben into the woods. Thanks to the snow, we were able to spot a big set of tracks trampled ahead of us and followed those for a while. As we hiked, the wind picked up a few times in a strange way, seeming to halt itself and completely turn around once or twice.

Chalking it up to the weather, we pressed on, until one of our dogs perked up, followed by a few others. "Hear that?" One asked, holding up his floppy ear with a paw. I cupped a hand behind my ear as well and then shook my head at him, earning a nod. "Fighting ahead."

I blinked at him and considered the path forward, which bent upwards before leveling out atop a higher plateau. Despite the fact the sun was crawling halfway below the horizon, I drew my cutlass with a huff. I wasn't sure I'd have time to get my gun lit considering the difficulties I'd had out here previously. "Double time."

I led the charge upward and so I was the first to see the conflict in the distance. Dozens of bipedal figures were skirmishing with figures who were hard to make out against the snow, along with a few ponies. I heaved a breath as I raced on until finally, the picture became clear.

Ben and his crew were standing amidst a few wounded deer, with some of Ben's sailors holding knives to the fallen deer's throats which seemed to be keeping the other deer at bay. Pine Needle was glaring death Ben's way, while the dog himself had Galley by the scruff of her neck to the audible alarm of the other ponies. With a wrench of his paw, he ripped the gem necklace from Galley's neck and tossed her across the snow, where the other ponies scrambled to help her up. He glared back at Pine Needle before turning with a snort.

At which point he saw me and recoiled with a huff. "Jim," he gasped. His crew who had been moving to follow him paused at my appearance while the deer and ponies looked at me angrily.

"Ben," I murmured, gesturing to him. "What are you doing?"

"Rebuilding," he retorted.

"Rebuilding?" I parroted, shaking my head. He nodded and held up the gem he took from Galley, earning a frustrated cry from her.

"His Excellency needs this, or something quite like it," he explained, jostling the gem. "To our fortune, your former mate here found it and told you." He gestured to me.

"And you told me," he nodded before whipping the gem's string around and wrapping it tight around his paw. "Thereby saving His Excellency and me what might have been a very long hunt."

"What are you talking about?" I huffed with my arms hanging at my sides. He held the gem up.

"A gem that can control the wind, Cutter," he replied, shaking his head. "No ordinary gust is strong enough to propel the Edict."

"The what?" I grumbled, furrowing my brow. Then he drew his sword and leveled it at me.

"James Cutter, I will encourage you once to surrender," he said in a firm tone as his crew rallied around him. "By the authority vested in me as a privateer of His Excellency's royal navy, I hereby place you under arrest for crimes against Griffinstone, her inhabitants, and the enduring tranquility of the Celestial Sea."

My head was swimming and my eyes went blurry. I don't know how long I stood in a daze, but when I snapped back to reality, I did so with a boiling rage.

"You're siding with them?!" I screamed.

"You make it sound like I'm doing something shocking," he retorted, still with his sword level.

"You're a traitor!" I yelled.

"Me? Hell no," he spat, bringing the hilt of his sword to his chest and beating it against himself once. "I'm standing by what I've held since long before you ever showed up." He let his sword droop for a second as he fixed me with a hard glare.

"And that is the crux of this issue, James Cutter," he added in a dire tone, tracing the point of his sword at me. "You blew in like a storm and destroyed everything I've spent years building. Put the security of an operation comprised of dozens of companies, each holding tens of souls, at risk." He suddenly stomped forward a few paces and rattled his sword at me.

"I told you: Moderation with the griffins," he hissed through clenched teeth, a gout of hot steam spilling out into the frigid air. He shook his head. "But you couldn't help yourself, could you? Instead, you kept picking, kept ruffling their feathers, kept drawing Grover's eye to our operation and making him question if the benefits of a privateer militia were worth the headache you caused all by your lonesome." He balked and threw his arms up at his sides.

"And why?" He gasped before nodding his head at me. "So some princess would bed you?" He tilted his head as I glared at him and then clutched the gem at me.

"I told you when we first met, I will not tolerate nor abide potential wasted by ignorance or sloth," he added in a growl before snorting. "I guess I should have been clear that personal malice was also on that list, hey?" He glared back at me as for a few moments only the snowy, howling wind could be heard. Finally, he grunted.

"What's wrong? Still not angry enough to take a swing at me?" He demanded, throwing his arm up at me. "Fine, let's try this!" He leaned back and pointed at me with a smirk.

"Gasparde's little conspiracy? I was in on it," he hissed, causing me to hold my breath. "I fed you the lie to get you out in range of his guns in the hopes he'd kill you." He leaned forward on his knees and shot a narrow-eyed sneer my way.

"If it had worked and you'd died that day, my commission and all of Naysow woulda been secure," he shook his head and pounded his thigh. "Damn shame you rolled in afterward. We can't be too surprised that after that and the subsequent tantrum you threw I had to make a few concessions to secure my future." He stood up straight and waved his paw at me.

"So here we are," he said plainly, before tilting his head with a curious expression. "Who betrayed who, again?" The icy air stung my eyes as I glared at him for a while. The falling snow only served to help me focus on him as it seemed to frame him against the backdrop of everyone else.

"Well, you've got one thing wrong there, Ben," I heaved, slowly shaking my head. "I haven't destroyed everything of yours yet." I leveled my sword at him.

"You're still breathing, after all," I huffed, drawing a scowling smirk out of him.

"There he is," he hissed.

We lunged for each other. I think at that moment, both our crews exploded into conflict as well, but my attention fell solely upon Ben. I hacked my cutlass at him and he swept his up to catch it. The two blades weaved to the side and then down and back up as we struggled in our bind. Suddenly, I managed to drag my sword down and narrowly missed his face as he threw himself back.

I followed with a thrust, but he caught himself and thrust the gem in his paw at me. The snow exploded toward me as the wind blasted across the field. I was thrown off my feet and sent tumbling back. As I struggled to stand, I saw him bounding towards me and he swept his arm to the side. Again, the snow and wind crashed into me and I was hurled sideways and sent spinning through the air before landing painfully in the snow.

This time as I rolled over and looked up at him, he kept his distance. All around him, my crew was lying half-buried in the snow or running for their lives. He reached the gem up behind him and with a shout dragged it with visible strain on his face toward me. My vision went white as the entire plateau we were fighting on was consumed by a screaming, howling blizzard. Ice painfully battered my face as I was slammed back and plowed away by the sheer force of the gale.

Suddenly, I was aware I was falling. The wind had stopped as I fell, revealing that I'd slid off the side of the raised bit of land we were fighting on. As I fell and tumbled, I saw the stream of wind and snow above me, still howling for some distance. I gasped in pain as my back smashed through several branches, my sight suddenly obscured by more snow and a sea of pine needles. I finally hit the ground and choke out a cry before more fucking, pissing, bastard-wrought and God-damned snow fell on top of me.

I lay there, buried, aching, and cold, unable to move despite my best attempts as the snow shifted and crunched around me. After a while, as I finally started to process Ben's words and everything that had happened, I gave up. I couldn't even say I gave into despair or anything dramatic like that.

I just gave up. I didn't have it in me to feel any kind of way about it. Instead, I sighed hard and closed my eyes, finding that despite the snow engulfing me, there was a subtle warmth washing over me as I just relaxed. Given the circumstances, that was probably a really bad sign, but I didn't care. My fingers and toes were numb as I relaxed my grip on my sword and slowly drifted off.

I was only faintly aware when the snow started to shift again, and suddenly the air broke through to blast me in the face. Wincing and blinking at the sudden intrusion, I saw several faces leering down at me.

"Found him!" One of the dogs from my crew chirped as he and a few others began digging me out. Once enough of the snow was cleared, they dragged me out and sat me up before draping a thick quilt over my shoulders. The crunching snow drew my attention to the side, where the ponies from the old crew and a few deer, including Needle, were standing.
"Captain Cutter, are you alright?" Needle asked.

"No," I huffed through chattering teeth.

"Burigold flew the coop, Captain!" One of the dogs who'd rescued me reported. "He used his magic to capsize the Night Terror!" I considered him for a moment before looking at Needle and the ponies. Galley frowned and looked away.

"When he made landfall our scouts took notice and demanded he identify himself," Needle explained gesturing to her. "He claimed to be a friend of yours, seeking out Galley to tell her something important." He raised an eyebrow and looked me over.

"Despite the strained circumstances under which we last parted ways, curiosity got the better of me," he hummed. "I now see he had misled us entirely."

"You're not the only one," I huffed.

"What are you going to do, Cutter?" Stitches asked in a murmur.

"I dunno," I replied after a few moments, shaking my head. "I really don't know." The ponies bristled as the wind picked up, and Pine Needle hummed before turning to the dogs.

"Is there any way we can save your ship?" He asked, drawing a murmuring sigh from the dog.

"We might be able to right her, but it'd take a hell of a lot of effort," he grumbled, gesturing with a paw. "She ain't completely sunk, so if we fixed a few lines like for careening and spent a while bailing, that might get her going." Pine Needle nodded before facing me.

"Well, let us see what we can do to get your ship afloat again, at least," he said. I blinked and idly shook my head.

"Sure," I murmured.

The Night Terror creaked and groaned as we slowly rolled down the strait. We'd wound up spending a few days making repairs and struggling to get the rigging and sails dry, as even our spares below decks were drenched, but even with our efforts the ship protested the act of sailing with every wave we crested.

I was leaning on the stern's rail, looking back north, toward where the old crew still was. Despite what had happened and despite what Ben admitted he'd done, they still-

"Who needs you?" I spat, angrily taking a drag from my hand-rolled laurel cigar. My pipe had been completely shattered when the ship tipped over. I leaned hard on the rail and rubbed my brow with a hum.

"What's the plan, Captain?" Cast said, drawing my attention to him as he stood just behind me with his arms folded and an even frown on his face. "I hope you're not going to just sulk." He tilted his head at me.

"The Throat-Cutter I know wouldn't take Burigold's treason lying down," he added in a low tone. I considered him for a moment before sighing.

"Right now, we need to get back to Naysow," I replied, turning to lean backward on the rail. "Might see if we can spot Dreadless on the way."

"Land ho!" The lookout called, causing us both to look up. Much further south was the distant silhouette of the Griffish Isles, but I furrowed my brow. Its shape was off like it suddenly sprouted an extra hill or mountain or something. Additionally, even from this distance, we could tell the ships were moving in a strange way. The crew who were closest to the rail and could therefore see the island seemed to notice it as well.

"Did we take a wrong turn?" Someone griped. I leaned off the larboard rail and peered through my spyglass.

And then I nearly fell off the side of the ship, with only Cast's quick thinking saving me. "Easy, Captain! What's wrong?" He asked as he pulled me to my feet.

"It's a ship," I gasped, whirling around to peer back out at it. "It's a ship."

"What?" He murmured, considering the silhouette.

"That raised bit there is a ship!" I yelled, thrusting my pointing hand at the odd bit of the silhouette. The crew vocalized their alarm as they all scrambled to one rail or the other to peer ahead.

"THAT'S a ship?!" Someone yelled.

"It's a bloody monster!" Another added.

"Captain's drunk," someone argued, earning murmurs of agreement right up until the air rumbled. We all paused and looked upward only to find no signs of any storm. But when we returned our attention to the distant behemoth, we could see fiery trails leaping from it to the fleets that guarded the island.

"Sweet mercy," someone gasped. I hissed and scanned the distant monstrosity through my glass. It was a sailing ship with a dozen masts, arranged in two rows of six upon an absolutely absurd deck upon an equally absurd hull that was lined with plate from bow to stern. As if my luck couldn't get any worse today, in addition to likely having a griffin flag I couldn't see yet, the sails were all plastered with not only the Griffinstone standard but also the coat of arms for Grover himself.

I gasped and heaved as I considered the massive war machine and then made the grave and heart-stopping error, of counting her guns. "Five, ten, five, ten, five, ten, five," I murmured and murmured as I slowly scanned its hull before I slowly sank against the rail and my arm dropped. "It's got a hundred sixty guns to a side."

"Where the hell did it come from?" Cast gasped as he gripped the forward rail of the quarterdeck.

"It's a griffin," I huffed.

"Grover must be blowing his entire treasury and then some on that thing," Cast grumbled, shaking his head and thrusting a hand at it. "How the devil does it move?" I blinked and my head tilted for a moment.

"A weapon to dominate the waves for all time with a magic gem to propel it," I murmured. I looked down to see the crew looking at me with terror in their eyes. I swept a hand at them. "Drop anchor. Wait for it to-" I shook my head and considered the monster again which now seemed to be pursuing the obviously fleeing fleet.

"Wait for it to go away, I guess."

Chapter 17

A choking, squawking gasp called my attention to the council. All the council ponies and I turned to a bespectacled mare on the right who was snapping her wings and sputtering.

"You waited?" She finally cried, rising in her seat and stamping her hoof. "The Edict was right in front of you and you just let it attack our fleet?!" My jaw dropped and I blinked a few times as I reeled from her outburst.

"Well, what the fuck do you think I could have done?!" I yelled back.

She clenched her teeth and jabbed a hoof at me. "You sank the Edict! Why'd you wait?!"

I threw my head back with a hard groan. "I didn't sink it in a straight fight, you fucking idiot!"

To our fortune, the massive ship eventually sailed off, seemingly on a course to wrap around the Griffish Isles entirely. The second it was out of the way we took off. Unfortunately, thanks to my spyglass I got a harrowing look at the ship's maneuvering capabilities. I chalked most of it up to the wind gem using the air to forcibly and safely rotate the ship, which only compounded the terror I felt at the sight of the thing. Throughout its assault, I spied a few pegasi attempting to get close only to be blasted straight into the water by sudden gusts which again sent chills dancing up my spine.

As a result, when we were finally clear of the Griffish Isles and rolling back to Naysow, I nearly collapsed from the tension being lifted. The entire cruise back the crew fell into nervous whispers and more often than not I caught them spying over the rail back north. The silver lining to their growing paranoia came when a half-dozen crew managed to spot the griffin ships that were suddenly chasing us.

"Brigs, all!" Our lookout declared. I hissed as I scanned the two ships hauling after us.

"twelve guns a piece!" I called before stepping to the quarterdeck's forward rail. "I'm in no mood. What say you all?"
"To hell with them! Let's get back to port before that monster pops up!" Bolt yelled, earning a chorus of agreement. Cast however came up beside me with a thoughtful frown.

"Not too often the griffins can spare the bird power to go out of their way and chase pirates," he murmured.

"That giant ship probably freed up a portion of their navy," I huffed, leaning on the rail. After a moment, I jolted and whirled around. "God! Where's Dreadless? He was up this way along the coast, wasn't he?"

"Captain Dreadless is sharp as a tack, he'll have found a way to survive, I'm sure," Cast retorted, patting my shoulder. "Let's focus on our own survival."

The little bird fleet that could soon discovered that courage can only get you so far when they got in range of our beach-front fortress. I stood on the quarterdeck leering back at the smoldering wreck one of their ships had been turned into just before the jungle weaved into view. As our ship turned into the Naysow harbor, a cry of surprise from my crew snapped my attention forward.

The Delight was floating in the harbor, but her main mast had been split and her crew was in the process of fixing it. To my horror, the rest of the ship wasn't in a much better state and had clearly been peppered with all manner of shot.

"What the hell happened?!" I yelled as we slithered by. Yas, Catarina's quartermaster perked up and darted to the ship's rail.

"Captain Cutter! The griffins are positively frenzied, Sir!" He yelled. "The captain is inland waiting for any of the other Merits to return!" I hung my head and sighed in relief at his report. Additionally, a familiar magical popping noise drew my attention behind me, where I found Amethyst looking up at me.

"There is no sign of the Commodore west of the Celestial Sea," she explained. "However, there is news which I feel is of equal importance." I glanced up and considered her ship that was just now rounding the corner into the harbor and hummed.

"You're not the only one, little lady," I sighed.

"Junior! Wait!" Amethyst cried as the giant slowly lumbered off into the jungle near the villa. In response, he held up a massive hand and just swept it at us before clasping it over his face. I watched him disappear into the trees before turning to Catarina who considered him with her ears back before shaking her head.

"Ben might've helped you get started on your career, but he broke Junior out of the hippogriff prison he was stuck in when he popped up on Mount Aris," she explained, folding her arms and slowly rocking side to side. "He's known him longer than any of us." Amethyst trotted back to us with her head hanging and I sighed.

"I wish I knew what to say to the guy," I murmured, rubbing my neck with both hands as I leaned my head back. "But I'm kind of emotionally shot at the moment myself."

"And sadly, I don't think we have time to spare," Catarina groused, her gaze drifting to the empty sofa in the middle of Ben's villa. "If my experience near the griffin colony in Abyssinia and the quartet that followed you is any indication, the griffins are letting that massive problem of a boat pick up the brunt of the war effort."

"Freeing the navy to finally focus on us," I hissed, clenching my eyes. "Christ."

"Something that huge shouldn't be able to move," Catarina cried, throwing up a paw as she began pacing. Her tail snapped to and fro as she walked.

"The gem he stole from Galley is what's keeping it running," I explained. "It's also granted it unnatural maneuverability beyond just letting it move."

"How are we supposed to handle something like that?" She huffed, baring her teeth. "Because I refuse to believe Grover's going to let Naysow alone now that he's got such a vessel." Amethyst rubbed her chin but I spoke up first.

"Maybe we don't," I murmured with a weak shrug. "Maybe we cut our losses and run." The both of them paused and shared a look before Amethyst held her hoof out at me.

"Run where? Grover has colonies all the way to Abyssinia," she offered, shaking her head. "I think that old bird really intends to dominate the whole sea."

"If I were more rational, I'd suggest we find someplace inland to hide," Catarina added before adopting a scowl. "But I left Abyssinia for the freedom of the waves. I won't give that freedom up without a fight."

"I agree. I ran from Sombra because there was nothing I could do to stop him," Amethyst said with a firm nod. "This time's different." I recoiled slightly and shook my head.

"How so? It sure seems like there's nothing we can do," I said, waving my hand at the jungle. "Especially since Dreadless is still missing and Junior just took off." Catarina hummed as Amethyst took a step closer to me.

"Well, like I said, I have news to report. If you'll recall, I was sailing near Mount Aris looking for Ben. While I was out there I found out the real reason Gasparde was visiting the hippogriffs," she explained. "He was seeking to purchase Queen Aurora's amulet on Grover's orders." Her horn lit up and a rolled-up sheet appeared. Unfurling it revealed a simple drawing of a necklace with a winged pendant.

"They claim it can control the tides and waves," she added, causing my eyebrows to shoot up not only for the claim but as it matched what Ben had said about Grover seeking such an item. "It was stolen by Captain Eights, but they're not sure he even realized the power it holds." I took the sheet and looked it over.

"So, if we find this Captain Eights guy, we could get our hands on an item to counter theirs," I mused, looking down at her. "Any clue where he is?"

"He fled to the Meditermarean when he heard that Gasparde was inbound," she replied.

Sadly, as we'd discussed, we had no time to lose, and so we just left a messenger to talk to Junior while we went hunting. If any of us second-guessed that decision, we quickly thought better of it as the southern Celestial Sea was crawling with military vessels like never before. Granted, they were mostly individual pairs of sloops and the occasional brig, and so they largely didn't dare to cross our three ships, but right as we were passing Southpile, we realized the ships floating beside it were a blockade being held by the griffins.

Of the eight ships holding the place down, three sloops and a brig broke to pursue us. As the sloops were faster than my ship and we had no fortification to run to, we were forced to turn and fight.

Since my ship was the slowest and the best armed with thirty-two guns, I'd been the first to come about and line up a broadside. The Delight and Good Morning, both also being sloops, circled back around and attempted to hem our pursuers in on either side with cannon fire, forcing them to take my guns head-on. The enemy brig was the furthest back and so wasn't able to intervene just yet. Rather than attempt to outmaneuver Catarina or Amethyst, the griffins sailed straight for me in a narrow line before firing upon them before they were in range of my guns.

I winced as the lady's ships effectively passed right through a gauntlet of hellfire three ships long. Still, they sailed on battered as they were and circled behind the ships, spitting iron all the while before turning and making their way back. By the time they would have risked the sloop's guns, however, the three griffin boats were in range and began to break formation in an attempt to escape. As we hammered the three ships, Catarina and Amethyst slipped past me and both signaled for us to move.

While we hadn't sunk any of the ships, we'd managed to force them to turn around, giving us time to break away and by the time the brig had caught up to its three companions, all four ships were now turning to rejoin the blockade.

Once we were a safe distance away, the ladies slowed so they could report their damages. And not a second too soon either, as the Good Morning's boom, the bit that held the bottom of its mainsail, suddenly cracked.

"You alright?" I called through my speaking trumpet.

"They split my bucking boom!" Amethyst screamed back.

"We're taking on water here!" Catarina called. "Let's find somewhere to land for the evening!"

By sundown, it was evident that the Delight was beyond saving. By some joke, several balls had burst open the repaired wounds she'd suffered during Catarina's recent search around Abyssinia, resulting in a cascade of splitting planks that only worsened as we rolled away from the battle. And so, as our crews salvaged what they could and began repairing the Good Morning with bits from the Delight, Catarina, Amethyst, and I retired to my cabin.

Once they each took a seat around my table, I poured each of them a drink, and Catarina threw her head back with a frustrated growl. "Once we get the amulet we're coming back to sink that blockade, yes?" She asked as she sank against the back of her seat.

"Oh, for sure," I replied before bringing them their glasses. "Of course, there's an awful lot of other things we could do with it if it does what the hippogriffs claim." They both paused as they took their glasses and gave me a curious look.

"Once we deal with that massive pain up north and track down Ben, we might consider turning Grover's scheme for dominating the waves against him," I explained with a knowing smile as I took a seat, causing them to share a look.

"Careful James," Amethyst finally urged, raising a hoof at me. "Magic needs a careful hoof to guide it. If you abuse it, it will turn on you eventually." Catarina nodded with a quiet hum.

"And I'm not sold on the idea of ruling anything," she added, tracing one claw around the rim of her glass. "A money scheme is one thing, but-"

"But what?" I urged after a few seconds, earning a weak shrug as she stared into her glass.

"Well, I knew if it fell through I still had other seas to ply," she explained with a meager smile that quickly melted away. "You talking about ruling and dominating, I dunno."

She looked up at me with a wary frown. "Sounds like being tied down," she murmured. I snorted and tipped my glass to her.

"Maybe, but it'd certainly be a hell of a bargaining chip," I explained with a grin. "'Do what I say or your ships don't go.' That sort of thing." As I sipped my drink, Amethyst tilted her head.

"Who would you be pressing in such a way?" She asked. "Celestia?"

"Don't see why not," I said with a chuckle before scowling. "Once this business with Ben is settled, she and I still have business to conclude."

The icy water grew colder and darker as I sank deeper and deeper below its surface, but the shadow that had me entangled was darker and colder still. But despite that, I wasn't afraid.

"Find him. Punish him. Destroy him," she whispered. "Make him suffer for what he did to you."

"I will," I replied in a strained voice as the water threatened to crush me. The shadows before my face lit up suddenly and a pair of slit-eyed eyes appeared and stared into my own.

"And when you rule the waves?" She asked.

"I'll force her to let you out," I growled.

"Good," she hissed.

"James?" Catarina suddenly asked. I blinked and gasped before losing my balance as a coughing fit took hold. She caught me and slowly helped me to a sitting position on the floor. "Easy! Easy." I looked around in a daze, finding I was toward the back of my cabin aboard the Night Terror, near one of the windows.

"Cat? When-" I huffed as she knelt beside me with a concerned frown.

"I thought you were awake, but you must've been sleepwalking," she explained looking me up and down. "You climbed out of bed and wandered to the window." I furrowed my brow and looked up to see the moon looming through my window.

"That's a first, as far as I know," I murmured, dragging a hand down my face. "Sorry if I woke you."

I should have been used to sweltering heat by now, but the region of the Meditermarean was still a shock. Our voyage was a lonely one until we first spotted land.

"Saddle Arabia," Amethyst declared after teleporting aboard my ship to discuss making port while we resupplied and pried for any news of Captain Eights. "Most of the kingdom is dominated by sandy desert and is populated by the horses with a single minotaur city toward the north." I frowned and lowered my spyglass to face her.

"Horses?" I murmured, raising an eyebrow. "Not ponies?"

"Correct," she replied drawing a shocked huff from me. Catarina and I shared a look as she pointed at the distant coastline. "The Prince is not allied with Equestria nor Griffinstone, so we are unlikely to be known here."

With that knowledge in mind, we sailed onward without fear and closed our gunports. After another hour, we spied a port at the southern tip of the country, with high sandstone walls and a massive golden domed castle at its center. As we moved toward its docks, Cast called our attention to the many ships decorating the harbor.

"Look there. A three-masted junk, in the style of Mount Aris," he explained pointing to a low, flat ship currently docked with its sails folded. "This far west is strange for such a ship."

"Unless of course, our Captain Eights stole it," Catarina appraised, wagging her eyebrows at me. Retorting with a smile, we conveyed our discovery to the Good Morning and made our way to the port.

Under the guise of explorers from the east and with a hefty bribe paid by Amethyst, we managed to anchor without issue and now entered the city of Mulebai. The inside of the wall was packed from corner to corner with multi-storied buildings, most made from sandstone, but a few fashioned from white stone bricks or astonishingly thick plates of glass set between metal bars, almost like the skyscrapers back home.

We didn't have time to really take in the city as we set all three of our crews into smaller bands and sent them searching. Most were tasked with gathering and loading supplies, while others, such as the three we were each leading, were hunting for information on Eights.

The sun had just crested the highest point in the sky when Catarina's group of five and mine bumped into each other.
"I've almost been mugged twice before they realized these lads were with me," I explained as we both scanned the busy street around us. "But that's all I've found. What about you?"

"Nothing yet, but that could be about to change," she explained, grabbing my shoulder and whispering in my ear. "You're being followed after all." She gestured with her eyes to a nearby alleyway. When I glanced that way, I just barely caught the literal tail of a figure slinking into the shadows. Sharing a nod with her, we parted and I continued leading my band down the road. With a careful bit of estimation, I navigated toward the opposite end of the alley I watched the figure vanish down and then scanned the market we found ourselves in.

Something changed then. The horses, minotaurs, and zebra that populated the market began frantically scrambling to clear the space directly around us. As I considered them, I then noticed a ring of hippogriffs with scimitars closing in around us.

Cast at my left gave me a nod before he and the others drew weapons and moved to engage the hippogriffs while I scanned the crowd for anyone else. Someone screamed as the first clash of steel rang out and a few bystanders went running. The whole scene was so intense, that I almost didn't notice the tall figure sprinting toward me through the crowd.

"Hey!" Bolt screamed as the figure somersaulted over him, a pale silver saber slipping into view as they did, but the sight of him alone was more terrifying to me. I just barely had time to draw my sword when he was upon me and weaved his sword at me. I narrowly parried it as he raked his sword across and then back, sending sparks into the air. He snapped it up and then back down and I managed to catch it against my own at the hilts before struggling and swinging them both down, at which point he slammed into me, shoulder to shoulder. I heaved an anxious and angry breath as I finally got a good enough look at his face to confirm my fears.

"Well, hello again" Arnoso purred with a smile, tilting his head to give me a better look at his cloudy-blue glass eye and new set of metal teeth. "Surprised? Have you not heard? Cats have nine lives, yes?" He giggled in that loopy fashion that set me on edge before tilting his head against mine.

"Of course, getting fished out by a kind little sea pony from Mount Aris helps too, after you brought me down to just eight," he half-hummed half growled. "You been busy, eh? Dear Catarina sure seems to have gotten along with you." His smile brightened.

"I been busy too," he craned his neck and stuck his tongue out to snag the chain of the necklace he wore before holding it up. "Stole this from Aurora, the hippogriff queen!" I snarled as he boasted.

"Thought it was just a trinket until a shaman in Farasi told me the truth!" He cackled as he let the jewelry drop. "Now with this, I'm gonna take back what was stolen from me by the Flying Gang! And you." He narrowed his eyes with a wicked smirk.

"I'mma gonna make a nice pair of-" He paused, blinking before shaking his head. "Nice pair of something out of your hide." He tilted his head back in thought before huffing.

"Gloves or something, I dunno!" He added before shoving off of me with a feral yawp. I caught myself and slipped my foot back before leveling my sword at him. He stood up straight for just a moment before lurching to the side and then darting toward me. When he was in reach, he snapped his right foot over his left and twisted his whole body to the left, raking his sword at me and forcing me to leap back.

As he came back around his sword snapped out and would have cut through my mouth had I not dragged my sword back to catch it. He bent back at the hips, pulling his sword with him until it left contact and then he snapped forward in a cobra-like lung. I narrowly slammed my sword down and to the side, smacking his aside before pulling back and thrusting at him. As he tumbled to the side, I leaped after him, swinging at his left side, the side with his glass eye.

He fixed me with a feral snarl as he barely parried my swing. As his one good eye was busy, I snapped my foot out and kicked at his left paw. He yelped and lost his balance but rolled away from me as soon as his back hit the ground, causing my furious downward swing to only cut the dirt. As he rolled to his feet, he quickly adopted a pouncing stance and I took a fistful of the dirt in my free hand.

He lunged again and I threw myself to the side, flinging dirt as I did. I clenched my teeth with a pained hiss as the tip of his sword found purchase and pushed violently through my hip, producing a rattling and disabling sensation as it cut down to the bone. However, before I fell, he let out a frustrated yelp from the dirt striking his good eye, blinding him. And so, I managed to hack my sword into the side of his stomach. The blade passed right through, cleaving a nasty canyon in his flesh nearly all the way to the opposite side of his body. He gasped and his legs buckled immediately before we both hit the dirt.

"Eights!" One of his hippogriffs screamed.

"Cutter!" Bolt yelled. Due to how close we'd collapsed, I managed to swing my arm over and snatch the amulet off of Arnoso as he lay gurgling and hissing, having dropped his blade in favor of clutching his paws against his wide-open gut.

As soon as I had the amulet, both gangs split apart and scrambled to recover myself and Arnoso. As the hippogriffs hauled him away, the last I saw of him was his one good eye staring death my way as he trailed blood, bile, and torn bits of internal flesh behind him.

Huffing and wincing as Cast hastily tied a bandage across my hip, I considered the amulet before my head dropped against the dirt.

Chapter 18

I hissed through my teeth at the tingling clawing into my hip from the salve Amethyst had applied to it. She considered her stitchwork for a moment before nodding with a hum. "You should be walking by the time we make it to Naysow," she declared before clamping shut her bag and trotting to the table in my cabin. Just beside my bed, Catarina pouted, resting her head on her folded arms as she squeezed my hand.

"I can't believe that bastard survived," she grumbled. "Worse still that he did this to you."

"It was worth it to see him squirm once I spilled his guts," I said with a grim smile that managed to cheer her up a little. Though, as I held up and examined the amulet I'd swiped off Arnoso, her mood brightened further. "Not to mention we got the amulet. How does it work?" Amethyst turned and approached my bed.

"May I?" She asked and I handed her the amulet. She took it in her magic and turned it over a few times. It shimmered in response to her magic and then she nodded. "This might not make sense to you, but effectively while you hold this amulet you can project your will outwards." She approached the window of my cabin.

"As it's tuned to only work on the sea, its applications are thus limited to natural functions of the open water," she explained, offering me a knowing smirk. "So don't bother trying to shape the water into golems or anything like that." I furrowed my brow and shared a bewildered look with Catarina. We were both shaken then when the whole ship lurched suddenly. Looking back and ignoring the distressed cries of my crew, I saw Amethyst holding the amulet out the window.

"That said, you can very easily whip up a hell of a wave or two just by willing it," she added, examining the water outside with a smile. She then turned and returned the amulet to me. "With a little practice, you could get a full current rolling from one end of the sea to the other."

"Aces," I huffed as I considered the magic tool. A wicked smirk broke across my face. "First things first, let's go drown those birds who blasted your ships."

"Wrong. First things first is you staying in that bed," Amethyst chided as she made for the door. "Catarina, stay here and restrain him if he tries to get up." I blinked as the crystal pony left us alone before looking at Catarina who fixed me with a satisfied leer before climbing beside me and wrapping her arms around me.

"Was she soft?" One of the council ponies interpreted. I blanched and looked up to see the rest of the council looking at him with equal astonishment. The pegasus in question stared at me with an invested look on his face before he realized everyone was staring at which point he wilted with a blush. "Sorry."

The mare who had been doing the majority of the questioning so far shook her head before considering me with a suspicious leer. "So the amulet actually worked?"

"Yes," I replied with a curt nod, already guessing where her question would lead. A few other council ponies murmured excitedly at my confirmation.

"So that's how he managed to dominate the sea over the last four years!" One whispered to his neighbor.

"It definitely helped," I added.

"Where's the amulet now?" The mare demanded. At her question, the murmuring ceased and all eyes fell upon me.

"Safe," I retorted with a smirk, tilting my head. The mare narrowed her eyes before I hummed. "And anyway, I thought we were on the topic of the Edict?" She glared at me for a few moments before nodding.

"Sure. Go ahead," she said before tilting her head back. "Though, just to confirm, you used the amulet to break the blockade of Southpile?"

"Yes. You're welcome," I chirped. She slowly nodded in thought.

"If I have my dates right, that was around the time the griffins published news of their execution of several high-profile pirates out of Naysow," she replied before fixing me with a curious look. "Including Junior the mountain troll." My expression melted to a harsh scowl and I huffed.

"They did worse than that," I replied.

With help from Catarina, I managed to limp my way onto the deck where Bolt, Cast, and Yas were waiting with expressions ranging from despair to poorly restrained rage. Leaning over the starboard rail and peering through my glass, I confirmed why and found myself running the emotional gauntlet as well.

The beached warship we used to defend Naysow was burning along with a vast stretch of jungle, seemingly all the way up the lagoon. Sitting just at the entrance was a small fleet of six ships in a tight formation with all cannons pointed inward. If the smoldering wrecks I could spy just beyond them were any indication, they'd had a few challengers come out to face them.

"How the hell did they pull this off?" Bolt yelled, pounding his fist against the rail. "Those batty ponies should've blasted every last one of them long before they got this set up!"

"It looks like they managed to disable the fortifications first," Yas murmured as he picked his teeth with a claw. "But that only raises more questions." A sharp growl rolled up from my chest as I considered the scene before Amethyst called out from her ship.

"Cutter!" She yelled, drawing my attention. She gestured to her neck. "If you would?" I glanced down at the amulet hanging from my neck before nodding.

"Cat, help me to the bow," I asked, earning a cheer from the crew and a purring laugh from her. The crew crowded either rail to watch as she escorted me to the very front of the ship and once there, she helped me steady myself as I raised both arms to either side. I felt the amulet tingled against my skin as its magic began to activate and I heard the water below us gurgle in response.

Slowly, I swept my arms forward, casting my desire out like a net and focusing on the sea immediately below the fleet. I watched ripples and foam shudder all the way to the fleet and then slowly spread my arms out again. Then, clutching my hands in the air, I heaved my arms to one side with all my might. I repeated the motion a few times until I nearly lost my balance. Cat helped me to a sitting position on the rail as we watched the magic go to work.

The sea began to roil and turn, slowly bubbling with more and more foam that started flowing in a circular motion beneath the fleet. By this point, they had spotted us and were unfurling their sails to better line themselves up to shoot at us. The act only sealed their doom, as once their anchors were raised, they were caught even more severely in the motions of the sea. A pair of ships at one end of the line were smashed against each other and then pulled along the line as the water swirled harder and harder.

Before any of them could do anything, a massive whirlpool had formed beneath their fleet and rapidly crashed all the ships against each other. Two of them capsized, one got caught right in the middle and was sent spinning, and another must've had an accident near its magazine as it exploded, spreading flames to the others. The sight drew a chorus of cheers and a few songs from all of our crews as we watched the griffins' destruction.

Catarina hummed and I turned to see her peering through her glass. "A few managed to escape and are flying into the jungle," she declared.

"Guess we've still got some work to do," I hissed in response as I watched the first of the enemy masts begin to vanish beneath the waves.

Naysow was surprisingly untouched as I worried it would have been. While the harbor and streets were occupied by griffins, the town itself was still standing. Frustratingly, however, the fake gallows in the square had been replaced with the real thing, and a few local pirates I recognized were currently swinging.

"That does give me an idea," I hummed after reporting what I spied through my glass before turning to our company and the escaped birds we'd captured. "Maybe we put you and your buddies through the same treatment, hey?" Most of the uniformed birds balked and wilted at me, seemingly fearing me more than the minotaurs, diamond dogs, or Blood Orange and her company who now surrounded them. We'd run into the bat ponies when we came ashore near the burned warship to chase down the griffins, and they revealed they had to flee the town to regroup and were just then preparing to launch a counter-offensive.

"It won't do you any good, Throat-Cutter," their leader hissed, yanking against the ropes Orange had him bound with. "The tides are changing in our favor. Admiral Burigold has seen to that!" I slipped back and grabbed him by the beak, earning a grunt of discomfort as I yanked him up.

"Wrong. The winds are changing in your favor," I retorted, jostling my amulet with a grim smirk. "The tides belong to me." I hurled him to the side and against one of his compatriots before turning to Orange with a huff.

"How the hell did they get so far inland?" Cast demanded. "Where's Junior?" The bat pony's ears snapped back as she winced.

"Well. Ah," she murmured, casting her gaze down. "Dreadless popped up and called us all to the fort. He said he had vital information about the commodore." An uneasy murmur rolled up from our crews as Catarina, Amethyst, and I shared a look.

"He said he needed Junior to sneak through the jungle way up north and meet him on a beach for an ambush," she continued, earning a nod from the other bat ponies. "Once Junior was gone, he launched a firework and the griffins attacked." Catarina folded her arms and looked away with a hum as Cast and Bolt growled.

I rubbed my face with a sigh, shaking my head. "Dreadless betrayed us too, huh? Where'd he go?"

"North, a week ago," Orange replied with a wince as she clenched her eyes. "I think he was going to kill Junior." Her wings drooped as she slowly shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Cutter," she murmured.

"Nah, don't be. Can't be helped when not one but two of our friends turned out to be snakes," I grunted, bending down with a wince of pain to gently rub the spot between her ears. The gesture managed to coax a weak smile out of her and so I then turned to our prisoners with a weary glare. "You guys, though? I guarantee sorry's the least of what you're going to be." I reached out for Cat, who helped me back to my feet and I loomed over the griffins.

"Talk," I demanded, causing one of them to wilt.

"I-" Before he could continue, his superior rolled over and yelled.

"Don't tell him anything!" He squawked. "Let him squirm like the rest of-" My sword snapped free from my belt and cracked him across the beak. He fell to his side with a scream before I reared up and hacked it into him. Then again. And again. And once more for good measure, with the heat of the moment completely overshadowing the stinging ache in my hip. I twisted my sword free of his carcass before turning back to the guy I was interrogating. As he looked up at me in utter shock, I gently placed the tip of my sword under his chin.

"The pirate Dreadless made contact with Admiral Burigold just before the launch of the Edict," he whimpered. "From what we heard, the two entered an accord in exchange for Dreadless earning a pardon from His Excellency."

"And that accord included disabling our defenses here, huh?" I demanded in a low growl, sharing an annoyed look with Cat.

"Yes, so we could seize and neutralize Naysow," he replied before swallowing hard. "We had orders to inform the criminal element here that if they surrendered to us willingly, they would be pardoned."

"Considering that mess at the mouth of the lagoon, I'm guessing that was a load of shit?" I pressed, rubbing my chin as I considered the town in the distance as well as the fort's silhouette.

"Most of the pirates preferred to wait until you three returned to hear your input," he murmured, drawing a leer from me. "Thus, we had to blockade the area."

"And yet you tried to attack us when you spotted our ships," Amethyst huffed, causing the bird to shudder.

"The captain felt if you were reported as dead, the pirates would give up," he said before offering me an anxious smile. "We, ah, planned to tell them you shot first." Amethyst, Cat, and I shared a look before I smirked at the bird.

"Well, now they get to hear that the blockade is cleared," I hummed, tilting my head. "I'm guessing you've taken control of the fortress, right?"

"Yes, and the villa," he reported.

"Brilliant. That thing's cannons will be a pain in the ass," I huffed as I looked over our company. I stumbled a little when Orange suddenly dropped onto my shoulders.

"Let us soften them up, Cutter," she whispered in my ear. "We can fly right to its top. It's the least we can do."
I nodded at her. "Fair enough. How quickly can you get to the jungle near it?"

"Ten minutes, easy, if we're being sneaky," she explained aloud.

"Alright. Get into position and then wait for a commotion to kick off in town," I declared. "Let's try and wipe 'em all out in one go."

Though I could walk again actually fighting wasn't a given, so I wound up not taking much part in the uprising that followed and instead lingered near the shore, whipping the lagoon's water into a frenzy. A few of the griffins who were posted along the docks were swept away by the sudden waves I threw their way which only increased the panic overtaking our invaders.

An echoing explosion from the fort split the air and signaled that Orange and company had begun their attack. In response, I sat upon a post at the dock with a sigh as I rubbed my hip.

"Cutter!" Came a yell, drawing my attention to the main road. A burly earth pony with thick iron shoes and a ratty grey coat on his dusty black shoulders came galloping up, followed by his rag-tag crew.

"Captain Charcoal Stain," I called back, waving to him as he and his crew stampeded onto the docks. He trotted right up to me, panting as his crew took off toward his ship.

"I hear you cleared that damned blockade! Is it true?" He demanded, drawing a smile from me.

"Surely," I reported with a wink as I jostled the amulet. "But more than that, I'm-"

"Ah! Aces!" He chirped before whirling around and shouting to his crew. "You heard him, lads! Haul to!" They cheered and hollered in response as they clambered aboard.

"Haul to what?" I huffed, looking at him in confusion. He tipped his crooked cap to me.

"Naysow's finished! Nice working with you, Cutter!" He chirped before trotting to his ship, leaving me stunned.

"What!" I finally yelled, straining as I pushed to my feet. "You can't leave!"

"Why not? Burigold and Dreadless turned on us, Junior's probably dead, and the forward defenses are gone!" He yelled back halfway up his gangplank. "Sorry, Captain, but the second we had claws and paws stampin' around our streets that was sign enough we're through." As I stood there dumbstruck, his quartermaster appeared at the rail.

"All due respect, Captain Cutter, but many other crews already accepted the King's pardon, as they too recognized what the captain has just said," he declared, waving a hoof. "Others, like ours, have no love for the griffins, but were unwilling to risk getting blasted if we left." Stain nodded before turning to me with a wry smile.

"I'm setting sail for Abyssinia with some other colts intent on making a fleet of our own. You interested?" He asked, causing me to sputter for a moment before snarling.

"We can't leave! We have to pay back Ben for betraying us!" I bellowed, nearly stumbling as I stomped toward him. "And for fuck's sake, have you heard about their new weapon? If we don't stand against it-"

"I know. The Edict, isn't it?" He asked with a nod. "That ship Ben's piloting." I huffed and nodded in response, earning a huff from him.

"Even with that trinket around your neck, I don't fancy our chances against that thing," he said with a shrug before he trotted all the way aboard. "We sailed for coin, Captain Cutter. Burigold's done us dirty, but that's just business in the end." I recoiled with my jaw hanging and as my head went spinning, another voice cried out.

"Captain Cutter!" Loop, a pegasus captain, yelled as she dove onto the dock beside me. She reared up and hugged my waist. "Thanks for clearing the blockade! C'mon, colts and fillies! Let's hit the waves!" She waved at a crowd of ponies and dogs before zipping toward her own ship. A stampede of other companies and grateful declarations followed as a vast majority of Naysow's populace scrambled along the docks.

I sat at my old table on the inn's patio, scanning the bloodied square where most of the fighting had taken place. Even with most of the companies fleeing the town, they'd still killed their fair share of griffins on their way out. As a result, the birds either surrendered or took off into the jungle an hour after the fighting began. Or they were dead and currently being shoveled off into the lagoon.

As I huffed in frustration at the silence that filled the streets, Catarina suddenly appeared beside me and sat down, placing a mug in front of me. "Seven companies, not counting our own, are still with us," she said as she reached over and rubbed my wrist. "Tangle, Barges, Low, Little, Swan Song, Greg, and Jamboree."

"Where are they now?" I asked, just staring at my mug without grabbing it.

"Tending to their crews," she explained with a quiet huff. "Additionally, the kirin, pigs, dogs, and ponies who call Naysow their permanent home have elected a few representatives who wish to treat with us."

I snorted and shook my head before grabbing my mug. "They finished with us, too?"

"I think they're more concerned if our presence is going to draw more trouble," she replied as I took a swig.

"Precisely that, Tenderclaw," someone said just behind me. I turned as I swallowed to find six faces I recognized from around town in the forms of two earth pony mares, a diamond dog in a top hat, a kirin with a mess of beads tied through her mane, a pantsless bipedal hog in a tuxedo and top hat, and a unicorn stallion. Though I'd never gotten their names, I knew they were likely the representatives Cat had mentioned. I glared at the kirin who'd spoken first.

"The fuck'd you just call me?" I demanded.

"S'what all the friendly girls call you in private," she replied with a shrug before fixing me with a severe frown. "And anyway, Naysow doesn't have Burigold's commission keeping the law out, and it doesn't have that ship you stole as a backup."

One of the mares nodded and stepped closer. "So, if you stick around, how do we know we aren't going to get bombarded and invaded?" I grunted and shook my head as I reclined in my seat.

"That'll probably happen whether Naysow hosts pirates or not," I huffed before furrowing my brow at them. "At least if we're here, you have an armed populace invested in keeping the place free."

"Only ten companies worth against the whole of Griffinstone," the dog retorted, tipping his hat at me. "And I beg your pardon, but the griffins weren't hassling the honest business folk around here." The others nodded in response, especially the hog who wore a constant self-satisfied smile as he stood with his thumbs in his coat. I nodded before offering them a grim smile.

"Sure. But I made a promise to my crew nigh on two years ago," I explained, rattling my amulet. "I would carve the fear of my name into every griffin that breathes." I considered the amulet as I spoke.

"If I turn Naysow into the lair of that which they fear, they'd be damned fools to risk coming here," I added with a curt nod.

"They already did," the hog replied, earning a snort from me.

"Sure! But that's because they don't all fear me yet," I declared, facing them again with an even darker grin. "When I send Admiral Burigold and that expensive vessel of theirs to the bottom of the sea, I reckon that'll do the trick." They all shared a look before the unicorn tilted his head.

"Can you do that?" He asked, causing me to chortle.

"Haven't you heard?" I hummed, rattling the amulet at him. "Alicorns rule the sky, but Cutter rules the sea." They all recoiled at my assertion and even Cat seemed taken aback, but the unicorn recovered and shook his head.

"Talk's talk, Captain," he retorted, fixing me with a firm glare. "But you won't always be here to protect the town."

The dog nodded and tipped his hat again. "And beg pardon again, but I don't now believe reputation alone will serve in your absence." My confident expression melted away and for the third time today, I found myself balking. The hog hummed and nodded at my expression.

"Our tradehogs will still be pleased as pudding to fence your goods if no other option presents itself," he explained, tilting his head and adopting a more sympathetic sort of smile. "But I do not believe we can tolerate an extended visit from pirates any longer."

"Sorry, Captain," the kirin added with a meager shrug. I stared at them all individually for a long while before huffing and shaking my head.

"Guess it's just my lot in life to always get kicked when I'm down, hey?" I murmured, fixing Cat with a weary smile. "And sure as shooting my lot to never have a home. Alright!" I sighed and pulled myself to my feet before limping up to them. Once there, I pulled my coat back and rested my hand on my sword.

"Make me leave," I ordered. The six of them flinched and now regarded me with shock as I scanned each of their faces. "Well? Don't be shy." I swept my free arm to the square and harbor.

"Most of my men are weary, I've got a limp that hasn't healed all the way, and there are six of you and only one of me," I chuckled before drawing my sword and taking another step, causing them to retreat. "Make. Me. Leave." The ponies all hugged the ground while the kirin turned her side to me with her head low. The dog held up his paws and backed off to the side, leaving only the hog looking me in the face. He held up his hands and fixed me with a nervous smile as he began to sweat.

"Captain Cutter, please-" I hopped forward and grabbed him before bringing my sword up between us.

"I ain't asked you for squeals, pig," I hissed as he scrunched up his mouth and seemed to retreat like a turtle into his own flesh. "Make me leave." As his pupils shrunk, a hand fell on my shoulder. Looking back, I saw Cat behind me, regarding me with a mournful frown.

"Cutter," she said, shaking her head. "Don't."

"We got eight companies in need of shelter and an entire navy out to get us," I hissed, shaking the hog by the collar. "And after we just cleared the birds from their streets they want to give us the boot."

"Yeah, there's a lot that's rancid about the cards we've been dealt," she replied with a nod before stepping closer and wrapping her arms around me, resting her head against my neck. "But we're still free and we still have each other."

We stood there for a little while, my attention solely on her as she held onto me. Eventually, I considered the town representatives who still regarded me with terror. Slowly, I sighed and let go of the hog, causing him to squeak and slowly fall onto his back, stiff as a board. My sword arm drooped and Cat began pulling on me.

"C'mon, we need to get things ready," she urged and after a few moments of silence, I turned and we walked away from the inn in tandem.

Chapter 19

As Catarina and I left the square, we found our remaining allies gathered near the docks—The ponies, Tangle, Swan Song, and Jamboree, the former two being pegasi while the latter was an earth pony, Barges the minotaur in his colorful robes, Low and Little, the diamond dogs, and Greg the kirin. They, myself, Amethyst, and Catarina were all that remained of the Flying Gang.

As we approached, they stopped the hushed conversation they were all sharing to give me their attention. At that moment, Amethyst also came trotting up with Blood Orange beside her. I looked over the whole group with a nod.

"When Ben first invited me into the Flying Gang's leadership, he justified the decision by claiming that of the sixty-two companies in Naysow, five had ambition. Of those five, only three were competent enough for his liking," I folded my arms as I spoke. "And of those three, I was the only one he could stand being around." A few of the captains huffed at my words with Tangle shaking her head.

"He never went into detail about who any of those other companies were, so I can't say where any of you fall in his eyes," I added as I paced before them all. I looked up and jabbed my thumb toward the square. "But at this particular moment in time, the opinions of that treasonous old fuck mean as much to me as the shit shoveled off the square following a particularly unhinged and drunken celebration." My words earned a laugh from the group and I turned to face them all.

"You're here, and presumably that means you're willing to follow us as we hunt down the commodore and pay him back for throwing us all to the birds," I nodded at them. "And that's plenty meritorious to me." The eight of them gave a curt shout of agreement and appreciation, and I gestured to Amethyst and Cat.

"With permission from my two associates, I see no reason to keep the tribute stash from any of you," I declared, earning an eager murmur from the captains. "If Dreadless didn't take it, I honestly don't imagine the griffins would have found where we kept it hidden." I faced Amethyst and Cat who gave me a nod.

"I propose we pool our resources and split them, then use what we have to prepare for battle," I added gesturing in a northern direction. "And sail north, to confront our old associate."

"Hear hear!" Barges cheered, pumping his fist and earning a similar cheer from the rest.

"What about Dreadless?" Greg demanded with a firm glare.

"Of course," I replied with a nod. I folded my arms and paced again. "I imagine we'll find him up north as well. In fact, given what's occurred between Grover and Ben, I wouldn't be surprised to find that some of the old crews of Naysow are sailing under a griffin flag now." The proposed idea silenced the captains who now shared an anxious look.

"But the Edict is the only one I'm worried about," I declared, holding up my amulet for them all to see. "Because it's the only one that can put up a fight against this." The ponies hummed at the sight of it while Barges tilted his head and twisted his thin beard with two fingers.

"That's the amulet that controls the tides, isn't it? The one you three left to find?" He asked.

"Precisely that," I said with a nod and a smirk. "And once we're done with Ben, it'll be our ticket to rebuilding the Flying Gang." The captains shared a look as Barges shook his head.

"Ah, going to have to disagree with you there, Captain," he declared causing me to flinch. He held a hand out to me with an apologetic smile. "The Flying Gang is finished. This business with Ben is, as far as I'm concerned, the last official action of our collective." He folded his hands with a nod.

"And this only because I know that if left to their own devices, the griffins will be able to quash our profession in all corners of the world," he added, earning a shocked look from me. He shook his head again. "After the Edict is destroyed, I apologize, but I'll be making my way west to ply for a fortune elsewhere." The other captains murmured similar ideas and I stared at them all in wonder before Greg hopped forward.

"Actually, I have something to add!" He declared with a raised hoof. "Some of the officers who occupied Naysow were very open when drunk. I managed to pry a few details about our enemy from them." Our attention fell upon him as he turned to the other captains.

"As you can expect, the Edict requires a large crew," he explained. As everyone's attention was on him, no one noticed the even glare I had fixed them all with. "As a result, it is a wildly expensive investment both in capital and in bodies." Suddenly, something nudged my hand and something else grabbed my arm. Looking over, I saw Amethyst and Cat had slipped closer with the latter wrapping her arm around me and the former giving me a reassuring smile.

"Should it be destroyed and even half of its crew go down with it, the economic and social repercussions will be devastating," Greg continued as the pair hugged up to me. "By my estimates, Griffinstone won't recover for at least eight, maybe ten generations." I finally sighed and rubbed Amethyst's ear while hooking my arm up around Cat's arm.

"Of course, this will be a definitive end to their war, but it may also lead to a very profitable period for those of us willing to profit from the misfortunes of others," Greg chirped, sitting down to clap his forehooves together. "They'll be scrambling to make up their losses through trade or perhaps even shutting down all those colonies they've set up. Lots of ships moving back and forth to transfer cargo and hostages, hey?" He nodded with a bright smile before turning back to me. Now that they were all giving me their attention again, I nodded and pulled away from Cat and Amethyst.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," I declared with a sigh. "For now, I plan to have my ship approach the Edict first. I'll use the tides to try and capsize it. Doubtlessly, they'll use their magic to fight against that, but I believe I can still keep them pinned." I swept my hand evenly back and forth.

"If I can manage that, you should be able to approach from the stern or bow and rake her with your guns from both those positions," I explained, wagging a finger at them all. "Under no circumstances should we approach from the sides." The captains all nodded and a weight fell upon my shoulders.

"Captain Cutter!" Orange chirped, as she craned her head forward from where she was perched upon me. "You remember that trick Zama pulled? When you guys sunk Arnoso's ship, the Kraken?"

"She snuck aboard and blew the powder magazine," I offered earning a nod.

"Let us try something like that! We can fly!" She gestured to herself and the other bat ponies who were watching us from a nearby rooftop.

"If the opportunity presents itself. But I'd prefer to have you all on standby to repel the griffins if they fly at us," I explained earning another nod from her. I turned and pointed at the fortress. "You should all decide who's going to be leading the shooting from either end of the ship. Whoever it is should take the guns from the fort to bolster your firepower."

"Won't that leave Naysow defenseless?" Tangle asked, drawing a snort from me as I waved my hand toward the square.
"They're fucking defenseless already and they like it that way, apparently," I spat. "Fuck 'em." Barges hummed with an appreciative nod at my declaration.

"Gather everything you need for the journey, but only for the journey," I ordered, leveling my hand at them. "Fill the rest of your hold with powder and shot." I began to stride toward my ship to give orders to my crew, patting Barges on the shoulder as I passed through the other captains.

"We either pull this off, or that's it for us," I declared before turning away from them all. "See you on the other side."

Barges had given Catarina one of his three ships which she'd rechristened the Delight. As a result, she wasn't joining me in my cabin tonight as she had for most of our return voyage. Instead, as I sat at my table smoking, Orange sprawled out belly up on my bed with a happy smile on her face. The six dozen bat ponies were spread out among our ships but the majority were aboard the Night Terror as we were going to be what kept the Edict pinned in place if all went well. Thus, if Ben realized that, we were a prime target for boarders or firepots.

In truth, I believe Orange just wanted to have access to scritches for the entire voyage.

Regardless, I took a heavy puff of smoke and let it out in a quiet chortle. Even if this was the last voyage of the Flying Gang, it wouldn't matter. Once Ben was dead, and I had the gem to compliment my amulet, I'd be able to dominate the sea all on my own. Hell, even if the rest of the crew abandoned me, I'd do just fine.

Greg estimated it take decades for the griffins to recover from what we were about to achieve. If that was true, surely it would also unnerve the ponies of Equestria. 'Is it worth angering James Cutter?' They'd ask themselves.

And if the answer was anything other than 'No,' I'd prove them wrong. I'd lay waste to all their coasts and ports. I'd plunder and sink every ship. I'd devastate their entire world until Celestia finally-

"You're smoking way too much," Amethyst quietly chided, having appeared while I was lost in thought. In response, I bent over in a coughing fit I struggled to get under control. As it slowly faded, I glanced up to confirm Orange was still asleep before glaring at Amethyst.

"What's it to you?" I demanded, quietly clearing my throat. She met my glare with one of her own.

"I know what that stuff is and what it can do to a fellow, Cutter," she retorted before her expression softened. "Especially one who has suffered the way you have." I recoiled and looked her up and down.

"Fuck you mean by that?" I huffed. She sat down right at my feet.

"With everything you've gone through and all the friends you've lost, your mind isn't in a good place," she said casting a sad glare at my pipe on the table. "Like it or not, the laurels will react and mess with your dreams." She turned back to me with a frown.

"They'll give you what you want, even if you tell yourself otherwise," she explained, pressing her hoof against my knee. "If it's really bad, they'll dredge up something to let you scapegoat your wants upon." Before I could argue she leaned forward.

"You've seen her, haven't you?" She whispered causing me to jolt. "Cat told me she caught you sleepwalking and leering at the moon." My jaw dropped and she shook her head.

"It's not her, James," she urged causing me to fling my pipe's hose across the table.

"How the fuck would you know?" I spat, leaning forward on my knees to glare down at her.

"Like I said, I know what they can do to you," she said, removing her hoof and scooting back a few steps. "While we're on the topic, let me ask you: What does she look like? Does she have a definite shape or is it more amorphous?" I furrowed my brow and looked to the side in thought.

"You told me you never actually saw her after she fought with Celestia; you only heard some vague descriptions from the castle staff," she pressed, leaning forward and tilting her head to look up at me. "If it was actually her, don't you think-" I sharply huffed and threw myself back against my chair.

"Maybe! Maybe not!" I spat, folding my arms and tapping my foot. "Who knows? Maybe the Elements fucked her up."

"Maybe," she hummed.

"And why the fuck does it matter? Huh?" I snapped, glaring at her again. "Why the fuck do you care?"

"Because of the way you've been carrying yourself," she replied, shaking her head. "You're really planning to go on the warpath and conquer the sea, aren't you?" I blinked and then shot her an uneasy smirk.

"What's wrong with that?" I demanded quietly.

"The motive," she said just as quietly. "I think some part of you started to understand the severity of what happened to her and why your plan wouldn't work." She stood up and reared up on my knees.

"And now the laurels are giving you an out to keep trying anyway," she took a deep breath and shook her head as she sighed. "I can't believe I have to say this, but going to war because of a drug-induced hallucination isn't a good idea, Cutter." I grimaced and tried to look away but she pulled my face forward with a hoof.

"I left my home to escape a mad tyrant who played with and was eventually consumed by power he barely understood," she frowned and tilted her head against mine. "I hope you'll excuse me if I'm a bit sensitive to the warning signs of something similar happening right in front of me." I scowled hard at her as she spoke.

"You can hate me if you want, but please, as your friend," she stood on the tips of her hooves to hug me. "Just try sleeping without smoking tomorrow night. You'll see I'm right." She pulled away and gave me a sad nod before trotting out the cabin door. Once it was shut, I quickly snatched up my pipe hose and resumed smoking, though now with one arm wrapped across my chest and my foot tapping anxiously the entire time.

Our combined fleet was eleven ships strong, with Barges commanding a frigate and two sloops, one of which he gave to Catarina. Tangle, Jamboree, Low, and Amethyst all used sloops, while Swan Song, Little, Greg, and I held brigs.

As a result of our mixed and mighty lineup, any griffins that happened upon us immediately turned and fled. While this meant we had an easy cruise up north, it also meant that our enemies were given forwarning about our approach. So, upon a sudden, the horizon was consumed by the massive silhouette of the impossibly huge Edict and a large consort of a dozen and a half other ships.

"Why the hell are they bothering to back that monster up?" Bolt huffed as he and I stood on the quarterdeck.

"Ben probably guessed something was up," I replied as I scanned the enemy fleet through my glass. I couldn't help but hiss at what I saw. "I don't know the captains by name, but I recognize a few of those ships."

"From Naysow?" He grunted, folding his arms.

"From Naysow," I growled before stowing my glass and gesturing to the ships on either side of us. "Send word down the line to get ready. Let's confirm Ben's suspicions." I raised my arms to either side as he stomped off to yell to the other ships. Once my arms were up, a weight fell on my shoulders.

"Is it time?" Orange chirped.

"About to be. Get the others ready," I replied, to which she chittered and then zipped down to the lower decks. I took a breath and focused on the amulet and the sea. Ahead, I could see the Edict and her consort of ships turning to sweep the entire sea with a broadside the likes of which the world had never seen before.

They never got the chance, as at that moment, I swung my arms forward. It was slow at first, but steadily gained speed and power as the magic of the amulet around my neck jostled the bow of my ship and then sent a wave rolling forward. As it moved, it grew and grew and spread out to either side gaining power and size all the while.

Though we were out of shouting range, I could still gauge the panic the sudden swell was causing as the air suddenly shifted and began to swirl, violently heaving the giant ship back to take the wave head-on.

"Yes," I hissed as I grasped the quarterdeck rail. The cumbersome behemoth rocked and crashed as the wave rolled beneath it. As the wave flowed away, I spied that it had taken most of the consort with it, leaving behind only five ships, all of which I recognized from Naysow. I chortled grimly and whistled to Bolt and Cast at either side of the ship. "It's time!"

With a matching pair of salutes, they shouted to our allies and they began making their way. Catarina, Swan Song, Greg, Low, and Little were taking the bow, while Tangle, Amethyst, Jamboree, and Barges all sailed forward to the stern. They'd take a long route to keep out of the Edict's range while I continued jostling the water to threaten Ben into keeping his ship straight. Unfortunately, as quickly became apparent, the remaining consort ships were in a position to threaten either side of the Edict and therefore anyone attempting to sail around it.

To the left, there was a frigate and a brig with twenty and twelve guns respectively. To the right, there were three sloops, two with twelve guns and one with sixteen. By the time we realized the two sets were in position to cause us problems, Amethyst and the others were out of shouting range. Seemingly, they'd elected to try their luck against the sloops and were sailing to the right while the rest of us moved forward to blast the ship's bow.

As maneuvering proceeded, to our fortune Ben kept his ship steady and let his consort get into better lines on either side, and so for a long while we operated in a tense silence, my eyes constantly darting up to our allies as they drifted further and further away.

Then suddenly the shooting started. The trio of sloops shot first and Amethyst's line returned fire. The Good Morning was at the head of the line and so took the brunt of the impact, but was still sailing by the time Barges' Royal Bastard frigate and her forty guns were lined up to return fire. One of the sloops was immediately sunk by his volley and another had her mast snapped off by the rest of the line. A cheer rang up from my crew and the other ships near us as the last sloop dropped sail and began to run, followed slowly by the demasted ship which had deployed oars to get the hell out of the way.

"Captain! That damned frigate's coming this way!" One of our ponies yelled. Turning, I saw that the frigate on the left of the Edict was barreling toward us on its own.

"Shit!" I hissed and swept my arms out to try and slam it with a wave. However, the frigate suddenly lurched and banked hard, swiveling her guns into position.

"Bastard's dropped anchor!" Cast yelled. Right as I threw a wave at them, they unloaded a volley at us. The frigate was thrown onto her side by my wave, but not before her cannons managed to slam Low's sloop. The little ship bounced violently and then began to sink onto its side, visibly taking on water. The only consolation came that the volley hadn't hit anyone else and the frigate was itself now sinking.

As I watched the sloop fall, Yas from the Delight between us and Little's ship suddenly yelled out. "Little says he sees survivors and he'll fish them out! Focus on the Edict!"

"Roger!" I yelled back before doing as he suggested. To our fortune, the remaining brig and two sloops were now disengaging and fleeing the field, leaving just us and Ben. Despite the injuries to her ship, Amethyst and her line slowly disappeared behind the behemoth. I took a deep breath to steady my heartbeat as I looked over the massive obstruction between us. "One way or the other, I'll see you again."

I drew my sword to get the crew's attention. "Fire at will!"

Seconds turned to minutes before approaching a full hour, during which time we hammered the bow of the Edict with everything we had. Never once did I have to make more than a token effort with the amulet as Ben never tried using the wind to reorient himself and just kept the ship steady. Seemingly, because he could sense how little damage we were doing, at least on our side.

Obviously, I had no clue how things were going on the opposite end of the ship. Then suddenly, everything changed.

"Cutter! Check their forecastle!" Yas yelled. Furrowing my brow, I scanned the ship with my glass before hissing.

"Get word down the line! They've moved some of their guns to the front!" I yelled as I looked over the teams of griffins heaving their cannons into position. From the angle, I had a hard time counting them out, but there were at least twenty, probably way more.

Then the wind cut.

And the mortars went off.

My whole crew watched in horror as the flaming balls arched through the air, no longer bothered by the wind Ben was whipping up, and then descended solely upon the Night Terror. I cried out and tried to rock our ship out of the way with a few waves and narrowly managed to avoid the full volley. But a few fireballs still smashed into our side and sent its burning payload up over our larboard rail. A number of the crew were caught in the splash and went screaming to the opposite rail as they burned before throwing themselves overboard.

I struggled and heaved up more waves to throw upon the fire that had started when one of the dogs working the guns below deck burst through a hatch. "Fire below decks!"

Then the Edict fired its forward guns. The bastard had timed his shots well, and since I was still reeling from the firebombing, I didn't have time to use the amulet to help us avoid the attack. The crew and I hit the deck for cover as the cannonballs smashed into us. When I finally stood back up to survey the damage, I saw that Greg had lost his mast and Catarina was taking on water.

"Fucking hell," I huffed, leaning over the rail to check our side. We'd wound up taking less damage from the cannons but there was still a fire going on which the crew was scrambling to put out. A dog's head popped out of a gun port and looked up at me.

"Captain! Throw another wave in here!" He yelled before disappearing. I grunted before complying and then looked up at the Edict, whose crew was already visibly preparing for another volley.

"Christ, they're probably doing the same thing to Amethyst," I hissed. As I glared up at the ship, a weight fell upon my shoulders.

"Now?" Orange chirped. I grimaced as I leered at the monster for a few moments before clenching my eyes and nodding.

"Please come back to me, alright?" I murmured, reaching up and scratching the side of her face. She leaned into my hand with a happy hum.

"I'll do my best," she said before spreading her wings and taking off with a screech. Hearing her call, the bat ponies from the other ships also took off. They flew low, using the gunsmoke as cover and nearly trod the water as they soared forward. Still, as they banked and arched up to try and force entry through the gunports, they were spotted and bolts and spears were suddenly hurled their way. I winced and clenched the rail as with every moment they grew closer to the ship, more and more of the swarm suddenly dropped into the water.

Despite the griffin's efforts, the swarm reached the side of the ship and began slipping inside like an army of little ants vanishing into the ground. I drew my spyglass and scanned the rail of the ship, as I couldn't see their deck. To my relief, the teams that were operating the forward guns had stopped working and were arguing with what looked like a higher-ranked officer. Their attention kept snapping back toward the stern and likely where Ben was lurking, which made me furrow my brow.

"The hell are you planning," I murmured.

"Fire's under control but all the powder we had ready is wet!" One of the dogs yelled up.

"Hurry and get it swapped! Something's happening with their gun crew and we have some time!" I yelled back as I scanned the ship. I recoiled as suddenly some of the griffins drew swords and began yelling at one of Ben's old crew mates who came stomping up. The dog threw his arms up and argued with them before a fight broke out.

"Captain," Bolt suddenly piped up, jostling my shoulder. Turning to him, I saw he was pointing upward. "The wind." Looking in the direction he pointed I could see the wind was blowing in what seemed to me to be a more natural manner. We shared a look at the development before I glanced back at the Edict and gasped when I saw little black dots shooting out of its gunports. Peering through my glass, I saw it was the bat ponies, but before I could search for Orange, the proof they'd pulled off their mission came to light.

And a fireball erupted like a volcano through the deck and gunports of the Edict. I had to hit the deck to cover my eyes and ears from the noise of it. It was so loud and so violent that it actually shook the whole ship worse than any cannon volley we'd ever endured.

I panted as the deafening boom slowly eased into a dull, echoing roar that filled the air above us and as I stood up straight, I balked at the towering fire rising into the sky. As the noise settled, it was replaced with cheers bellowing out from all of our ships which only redoubled as a few smaller explosions burst out across the ruined ship.

I sighed in relief before tensing up and scanning the sky. Through the smoke and the spray of sea water thrown up by the blast, I could make out the forms of bat ponies either hurrying back to their home ships or dancing with each other in the air.

"Where-" I huffed as I patted myself down for my glass to no avail. "Where is she? Where-" A cough caused me to jump and I whirled around to see a soot-covered bat pony standing on the rail beside me shaking her coat.

"Whew! Almost didn't make it!" Orange chirped just before I snatched her up in my arms.

I glared through my spyglass at the longboat sail in the distance and the diamond dog working its rudder. They'd evidently taken the magic gem and embedded it into a golden crown which Ben was now wearing and using to control the wind.

"Shortly after all our bats invaded his ship, he emerged in a longboat through a big hatch in the stern," Jamboree reported. The fucker and a few of his officers had bailed the second they realized what we were doing. I growled as I clamped my glass shut and stowed it before turning. The other captains who were still able had gathered on my deck, though Catarina was currently sitting and sulking.

"She sunk again," she murmured, at which Swan Song gently patted her back. Cat's luck wasn't the worst though, as Low hadn't survived his ship getting blasted, the Good Morning was lost, and Amethyst was currently unconscious aboard the Royal Bastard. Barges' doctor was certain she'd survive, but she'd lost her right rear leg and horn when, as I predicted, Ben had a set of guns moved to the rear to blast the stern team.

And he thinks he can just run?

"All those able, make ready," I hissed as I considered the burning wreck currently polluting the water with its debris. "We move with the tide and the tide moves for me."

The sun was nearly gone by the time we caught up to them. Ben had run his longboat aground and taken off inland and through the woods, leaving behind the eight griffins who were with him. They stood on the shore arguing before they realized we were upon them and bolted. All but three took to the sky and flew away, while those still on the ground took off after Ben. As a result, when we made landfall ourselves, they'd left tracks for us to follow.

I didn't wait for any of our allies to disembark before I took off at a full and rage-fueled sprint, my blunderbuss loaded and lit. Of course, despite my headstart, I was in the company of quadrupeds and flying folk, so they quickly caught up to me as I dashed through the trees.

As Orange and the few bat ponies who'd survived the attack whirled through the treetops, screeching and listening, my eyes darted around the darkening forest floor. As always, the vibrancy of things still stuck out to me, and as a result, I caught sight of something glittering in the brush. Upon digging it out, I huffed.

It was the crown Ben had been wearing and was cause enough for me to get everyone's attention. As the bat ponies swarmed in and examined the magic headwear with me, Cat and the rest finally caught up.

"I don't dare hope I could convince you to give that up?" A voice called, drawing our attention forward along the path we'd been running. There, we saw the three griffins who'd chased after Ben. Of course, one was the bespectacled guy and the other was the one with swords. The third was seemingly just a regular soldier and was positively quaking in his feathers at the sight of us. The bespectacled guy adjusted his glasses and fixed me with a glare. "Prior to becoming a tool of war, it was His Excellency's crown." I considered the crown and turned it over, spotting the magic gem in its face.

"It was meant to be symbolic of his faith in the admiral and the Edict," Glasses added, earning a grunt from the swordsbird.

"Where's Ben?" I demanded, looking up at them and pushing past the rest of our gang. Glasses flinched before nodding.

"The admiral has cut us loose with orders to return to Griffinstone and inform His Excellency of his self-imposed exile," he explained with a hard, shuddering sigh. "Congratulations, Throat-Cutter. You've won."

"Where'd he run to?" I demanded as I stalked closer, hooking the crown into my belt.

"What?" He huffed.

"That way?" I asked, pointing back the way they'd come. He held up his claws as his companion grabbed his swords.

"Wait-" Was the last thing he said before I swept my gun down and blasted him. The swordsbird tumbled to the side, managing to avoid more than a scratch while the out-of-his-depth grunt fell over screaming and cowering from me. Before the swordbird could attack, I grabbed at the air and swept my arm at him, successfully hurling a gust of wind that knocked him out of the way.

Then I took off, willing the wind itself to quicken my steps. "Cutter!" Someone called after me. Every step I took cleared dozens of feet as I all but flew through the woods. Eventually, the moonlight came streaming down upon me as I broke through the woods and into a rocky clearing through which a stream was flowing.

There at the stream, I saw him, bent over and splashing water into his face and mouth. As I hurled toward him he jolted and jumped to his feet before whirling around and holding his sword out at me. I landed a few yards away and drew my sword as well. The chase finally caught up to us both and we began panting in quiet harmony for a little while.

His gaze was firm but his expression was sorrowful, and he slowly held up a paw. "Jim, before you kill me," he huffed, slowly shaking his head. "I'm sorry." I tilted my head as I slowly traced my sword left and right.

"It had to be done," he added with a momentary croak in his voice. "My future or yours." He gestured between us.

"You or me," he murmured, tears forming as he leveled his sword and slowly advanced. "Same as ever." I narrowed my eyes as his pace quickened.

"Wasn't personal," he sobbed, weaving his sword as he approached swinging distance. "Stung like hell, but Devil take me, it wasn't personal." He paused just outside of stabbing range with his sword level. Slowly, I brought my sword up and ran it up and down the edge of his before setting it still.

"Not to you," I replied.

Our swords snapped through the moonlight casting silvery sparks into the air as we struck. He swept his sword toward me, but I caught it and spoiled his swing before thrusting at me. Using the momentary bind, he forced my stab to go wide before retreating and snapping the tip of his sword across my sleeve.

Hammering the pommel of my sword sideways, I knocked his blade aside and wrenched my wrist to swipe across his arm. He whirled away and leaped back before catching himself and diving at me again.

"Why don't you six stay here for the evening? I wanna hear how that mangy cat croaked."

I slapped his sword up and reached forward, taking him by the sleeve and yanking him in.

"You did him in? No kidding! Oh! That must've stung to get done in by a novice!"

Despite my attempt to throw him down, he caught himself and tumbled away from me, letting his coat rip as he withdrew.

"Despite my appreciation for what you did, I get it: It's difficult speaking about your first."

I jumped after him, hammering my sword down with all my weight. He just barely got his sword up in time to redirect the chop. As soon as he did, he lurched to the side and dragged his sword, slicing me across the shoulder.

"You could do like I did when I was a younger hound. You could seize your future by the bollocks and steer it how you want."

His motion mixed with his exhaustion from his attempted escape and age all made a poor combination, however.

"Fear can be overcome, Mr. Cutter. Ineptitude righted. But a staunch refusal is a powerful misfortune."

He fell over.

"Not a bad haul for your first outing, Captain."

And I was upon him.

"Your success is now our success! Best of luck to you, Captain!"

I stamped my full weight into his sword hand at the wrist. He cried out and drew a knife before slamming into my calf.

"These are the six Merits of the Flying Gang. Well! I suppose we're only five. But you'd make six, wouldn't you?"

I fell on top of him and hammered my hilt into his jaw. Then as he reeled, I did it again.

"Of those three, you're the only one I can actually stand."

And again.

"I wanted to prove to this lot that you had the makings of something grand. The merit to help this operation really prosper."

And again.

"The fella I talked with, who gave me that lead. Must've slipped me some bad intelligence. I think it's a whole conspiracy against you."

And again.

"You know where to find me. Find all of us."

"I know."

And again.

"It wasn't personal."

And then Cat grabbed my arm which was bloodied up to the elbow. All of it was his. She pulled me off of him as he lay there, unrecognizable and unmoving.

"I'm sorry."

"What was that?" One of the council ponies asked. I heaved as I leaned hard upon my knees. "Captain Cutter?" I heaved again and fell from my seat, clutching the back of my head.

"What are you-" She recoiled as I began howling.

"Magnolia, let's take a recess," one of the others eventually said.

"Oh for crying out loud. Somepony, go get the princess," she spat.

Chapter 20

After confirming Ben's death, our fleet parted ways. It was agreed that if we saw each other again we were still on friendly terms and could thus consider aligning to take a big score, but we were no longer held to each other. Catarina, Amethyst, and Blood Orange, along with their surviving crew mates had joined the Night Terror as they were all three invested in operating alongside me, especially as I told them I knew of a new place to turn into a hideout. And thanks to my matching magic items, we made phenomenal time getting there.

"This place is cozy," Cat declared as she paced the grounds of the crystal compound. She purred and basked in the chilly morning air. "And I see what you mean about the climate." Amethyst and Orange trotted beside me as I examined the forest in the distance. The former wore a simply prosthetic leg and a headwrap to hide her broken horn we'd ground down the sharp edges of.

"Will the deer be a problem?" Amethyst asked.

"If they are we can hide in the trees and ambush them!" Orange chirped, drawing an annoyed leer from the unicorn.

"I'm going to have a chat with them," I declared with a smile, my thumb gently rubbing the surface of the crown tucked in my belt and hidden under my coat. "If we give them a fair deal I don't think they'll object to our presence." I turned my smile to my companions.

"And if they don't, we can consider this our new headquarters," I declared at which point Cat folded her arms against herself and fixed me with a wry smile.

"You haven't explained how you're going to get Trottingham to trade with us though," she huffed, earning a wink from me.

"Same way I'll get us a nice flow of capital," I said, jostling my amulet and the crown. "The wind and sea are ours, ladies." Amethyst and Cat shared a look as Orange just hummed in appreciation of the trinkets.

"Are you still smoking?" The unicorn asked, fixing me with a leer. I frowned and shook my head.

"What's that matter?" I demanded.

"You know why," she pressed in a dire tone, narrowing her eyes. Cat folded her arms with a hum as Orange frowned and looked between the three of us. I stared at the pair for a while before sighing and holding up my hands.

"Look!" I grunted, offering them a firm look. "Naysow's finished and if Greg is right, we've got a long and profitable future ahead of us. Let's not spoil it by having you nag me, alright?" Amethyst recoiled with a gasp.

"Nag!" She huffed before sticking her nose up and trotting away back to the ship where the crew was still unloading. Cat sighed before offering me a meager smile.

"I'll go talk to her," she offered before slipping away. Orange tilted her head before looking at me in confusion. I shrugged and jabbed a thumb inland.

"And I'll go talk to the deer," I declared before setting off. With my power over the wind, I wasn't concerned about who I might bump into, friend or foe. And so, I made an all too familiar journey that was abruptly brought to a halt when predictably, Pine Needle and his companions, including my former crew surrounded me.

"Captain Cutter. You make yourself a frequent visitor," he declared evenly, raising an eyebrow. "And things always seem to go strangely when you do." I furrowed my brow as I looked over his group and the ponies. Most of them were glaring at me with an ashamed look in their eyes. I sighed and held up my hands.

"How's this for strange? I'd like to rent that crystal compound from your people," I said, sweeping an arm back the way I'd come. The deer shared a look while the ponies recoiled.

"Rent?" Needle murmured, tilting his head. I approached him and nodded.

"Naysow's cast us out and me and my companions need a play to lie low during our operations," I explained, at which he hummed in understanding and nodded. "I'd like to use the compound. In exchange, we'll give you-"

"No," he suddenly declared. I nearly stumbled from how suddenly he'd said it.

"No?" I murmured, looking at him in mild surprise as I processed his declaration.

"As I said, things go strangely when you are present," he replied, raising an eyebrow. "And the sole constant I have observed is your increasingly cruel demeanor." I blinked and then twisted my head as the ponies murmured in agreement.

"You've changed, Captain," Jingle suddenly declared. "You-"

"I'm not your fucking captain anymore," I spat, my expression unchanged. "You decided that." He furrowed his brow as the entire group just stared at me. I glanced at each of them before snorting and throwing my hands up.

"And frankly, who wouldn't change? Hey?" I huffed before giggling and slapping myself in the chest. "I watch everyone I care about, everyone I love get ripped from my hands time and time again, I watch my foundations get kicked out from under me." I gestured to the whole group.

"And here I am, once again trying to lay some foundations and get a little stability and you spit in my face," I laughed, letting my arms drop and slap my sides as I stared at them with a bemused leer. I shook my head as they looked back before adjusting my coat and turning. "Fucking hell."

"Hey!" Galley suddenly cried, jumping forward and pointing at my hip. "What's that?" I stared at her for a moment before glancing down, finding that the crown and its gem were now visible. I laughed again and pulled it out of my belt.

"Oh! See, if we had come to an agreement, I might've told you all!" I held it up and jostled it at her. "I killed Ben! I paid him back for getting our friends all killed!" I knelt and held it out to Galley as she wilted.

"And I took this from him," I said, rattling it at her. "I promised it to you, didn't I?" She blinked and furrowed her brow, looking past the crown at me. I snorted and stood up straight, snapping it away from her.

"Oh sorry! I remember now," I said, bringing a hand to my forehead and shaking my head. "I said I'd put my vote in with the crew to let you keep it if the crew found it on a treasure hunt." I blew a huff of air through my pursed lips and shook my head.

"Hm, well, that does," I hummed and leered down at her. "That does sort of frame it differently, doesn't it?" I pointed down at her as I folded my arms, tucking the crown out of her sight.

"See, you're not part of the crew anymore, so," I frowned and rocked my head back and forth. "So you're not really entitled to any part of the crew or its plunder, are you?" I pursed my lips at her as she scowled.

"That's a rough one," I hummed before smiling at her and holding the crown up. I jabbed my thumb at Needle. "Tell you what. You convince him to let us rent the compound and it's yours. How's that?" She held her scowl for a moment before shaking her head.

"Keep it. I don't need it," she declared causing me to wilt. She nodded her head at the ponies and deer. "I've got more family to make up for losing him." She turned and trotted back to them before looking at me with a sad frown.

"I hope you find somepony to fill the hole in your heart, Captain," she said. "And I'm sorry it can't be us anymore."

My head spun for a little while as I processed what had just happened and when I finally recovered, I realized I was alone again. Blinking, I turned and strode back to the compound where I found Cat and the rest waiting. As I entered the compound, they and our officers approached only to flinch upon seeing my face.

"I was wrong. The climate here is God-awful," I murmured as I made my way to the ship.

There was no small amount of grumbling, but eventually, we were underway again and sailing south from the strait. We'd elected to anchor in the same place I'd camped back when we invaded the Isles and abducted Gasparde's daughter. At the insistence of my companions, we would wait until morning to decide our next course.

And so, I found myself scooted off to the side of my bed, staring at the ceiling, while the three of them snoozed beside me. My head was spinning again and my eyes kept darting around the dark cabin. The sight of Galley and the rest walking off just kept rolling through my mind's eye, until finally I decided to sail for happier shores.

I quietly and slowly set my feet down and crept across the cabin floor until I found the table. Standing on one of the chairs, I reached the boards that made up the ceiling and the hidden compartment in which I hid my pipe and my laurels.

"You're really that desperate to see her?" Amethyst hummed quietly, causing me to hesitate. Looking back over my shoulder, I could see her one eye staring at me through the dark. We held each other's gaze for a short while until I finally drew out my pipe and set it on the table. Looking straight at her, I began the process of lighting it up, at which point she slowly adjusted and closed her eyes, leaving me alone in the dark with my bad habit.

My gaze had drifted to the side again. There in the darkness and floating on the bloody waters was a raft. Three little baubles of light were set upon it and beyond it, another bauble of light was drifting away.

"Wonder what that means," I murmured.

"Pay attention to me," she hissed, drawing my attention back to her. Her eyes were as harsh as ever, but my continued absence-mindedness seemed to have drawn an extra degree of fury from her.

"I'll ask you again: when the seas are yours?" she demanded. In response, I just stared at her. "James."

"Amethyst says you're not real. Says you're just a product of my mind and the laurels," I huffed, at which point the sea of blood became a little colder.

"She's trying to separate us. Divide us," she hissed, leaning in close. "Punish her." I winced. She stared hard into my eyes and I slowly felt myself sinking further and further away from her.

"See, now," I finally quailed, clenching my eyes shut. "Now, I'm praying to whoever will listen, that she's right."

"Destroy her," she reiterated, though her voice was faint and distorted.

"I'm praying this is just the laurels," I murmured, dragging my arms up out of the sea and holding them over my eyes.

"Ruin her," she added.

"Praying that I can make this stop," I huffed, rubbing my eyes and focusing on what I wanted the dream to become.

"Make her suffer," she hissed.

"Because I need to believe that if you were real, you wouldn't be telling me to hurt one of the only friends I have left," I whimpered. I clenched my teeth and dug my fingers into my face as I strained and heaved a few breaths.

All of a sudden, I gasped and opened my eyes. She was gone and the sea was still surrounding me. But as I looked over, the raft was still there, and I turned over before swimming out to grab ahold of it.

Orange was the first to react and jumped out of bed with a scream. As her head darted around the other two slowly sat up, with Cat drawing a knife she kept under her pillow.

"The heck was that?" She grumbled, blinking away the daze of being suddenly awoken. She narrowed her eyes when she saw me sitting in my chair, staring at the floor. "James?" The other two noticed me then, but Orange looked down at where I was staring.

"Your pipe," she murmured. "What happened?"

"You were right," I whispered, looking up at Amethyst with a weary, weak expression. "Sorry." She furrowed her brow before adopting a sympathetic frown. Cat looked between us before bringing her paw to her mouth. I folded over onto my knees with a sobbing huff.

"I'm never going to see her again," I squealed, clutching either side of my head as I broke down. I'd barely uttered my first sob before all three surrounded and latched onto me.

From that day forward, I was no longer interested in Celestia's opinion. No longer interested in seeking a pardon. Because it was never for me, it was for her.

But now, as Galley had hoped, I had three someones to take her place. And my full dedication was to those three.
Any flag and any ship were free game. Equestrian, hippogriff, griffin, minotaur, Saddle Arabian, it didn't matter. From the Trottingham point of the Griffish Isles to the coasts of Farasi we plied our trade, using magic and rumor to pound our victims into submission and dragged their cargo back to Naysow, where in spite of myself we made nice with the locals to fence our goods. All to keep the three most important people in my life comfortable.

Months rolled by faster than I could have believed and with time came news. Grover had passed away, dying of a stroke believed to be a result of rapidly deteriorating health brought on by the Edict absolutely devastating his kingdom for who knows how long. Of course, we certainly didn't help their attempts to recover, and we toasted to his passing with a keg of stolen wine taken from a ship transporting a former colonial governor back to Griffinstone.

But news of Grover wasn't the only thing that came to our attention.

Like something out of an old Western story, the building had two floors and a balcony that wrapped all the way around and provided shade to its porch. However, as I strode down the dusty dirt road toward the swinging double doors at its entrance, the zebras hanging out on the balcony shared a look before galloping away. On the porch, a pair of mares in silky dresses wilted before trotting down the road and out of my way. In one of the windows on the side of the door, a cackling diamond dog caught his breath upon spotting me and then vanished from sight before popping out the door and running off.

As I stepped onto the porch, the doors swung again, and a few ponies and dogs squeezed past me as they fled the building. I pushed inside, adjusting the poncho I had on as it got caught in the door hinge. I scanned the barroom as those who hadn't fled, including the bird person bartender, looked at me in fear.

Then I spotted him at the bar and marched up before taking a seat beside him to his right.

"Cutter," Dreadless hummed as he rotated his glass between his fingers.

"Dreadless," I hummed back. I leaned forward with my left arm resting on the bar top. After a moment he threw his drink back and sighed.

"I suppose this explains why I've been sitting here alone. What's become of my crew?" He asked.

"Amethyst and Catarina spotted them and Orange got the drop on them as they were making their way from the port," I replied, rubbing my finger across the bar. "Not that you had much of a crew left."

"Most of my boys jumped ship ages ago after the Edict sunk and word spread that you were responsible," he huffed, giving me a sideways leer. "They said operating alone would draw your attention and you'd be keen on revenge." I nodded at his words.

"Well, they were right," I said, drawing a snort from the minotaur.

"Of course, some of them demanded we sign on with Stain, but I would not have that," he added, shaking his head. I tilted my head.

"Charcoal? Yeah, I heard that fleet he founded out of Colombuck has been picking up steam along Abyssinia and beyond," I hummed, leaning on the bar again.

"Certainly," he replied. After a lengthy pause, he again leered at me. "Aren't you going to ask me 'why?'" I frowned and shrugged.

"My assumption is you did it because, like you once told me, you refuse to operate under the rules of engagement that everyone else holds themselves to," I looked up at him. "And in your head, part of those rules is not betraying your friends." He gave a weak smile as he looked away.

"You guess correct, but you got one thing wrong, Cutter," he met my eyes, still with a smile. "We were never friends."

"Not to you," I said. The silence of the bar split as the blunderbuss I had hidden under my poncho, pointed at him, and lying across my lap fired. Following the bang, a scream rang up and the patrons all fled the scene just before Dreadless fell from his stool, gurgling for a moment before going silent.

I furrowed my brow as I considered him before clenching my eyes and rising from my seat. Before I made it to the door, the barkeep yelled. "Hey!" I turned back and looked at him, at which he swallowed and looked around. "Typically, guys who off other guys in the bar leave a tip and say, you know, 'sorry for the mess.'" I fixed him with a confused look before he reached over and slid a jar labeled 'tips' into view.

I rolled my eyes and pushed through the doors outside. There, I found the girls waiting for me. Cat sighed and tilted her head at me, earning a nod.

"Well, that's that," Amethyst huffed before we made our way to the port. "Where to next?" I frowned and stepped ahead of them before turning to look at all three.

"I dunno, what do you feel like for dinner?" I asked as I slung my gun on my shoulder. All three hummed in thought.

"Something with that spicy vinaigrette they make in Prance," Amethyst offered with a steady nod. I jabbed a thumb west.

"I think there's a shipping lane they send barrels of that shit down near here," I said before wagging a finger at her. "And I think I spotted a hippogriff captain running for the dock when he saw us, so he might have some meat for me and Cat."

"Or fish, I could go for some fish," Cat chirped with an even smile.

"I want mangos!" Orange cried, snapping her wings out.

"Bleh!" Amethyst gagged.

"Bleh!" I mocked before nodding my head toward the port. "C'mon."

Chapter 21

The gentle creaking of the cabin as the whole ship rocked on Naysow's water was the first thing to greet me as I drifted back to consciousness. The second then was the warm and snoring ball tucked into my side. I opened my eyes and sighed a yawn before looking around the cabin. The rest of the bed and cabin were empty, and Cat's coat and Orange's bandolier were missing, implying they'd slipped out while Amethyst and I slept.

I sighed warmly as I rubbed my face, at which point Amethyst stirred and scooted until she could rest her chin on my chest.

"Happy anniversary, Captain," she murmured, causing me to frown.

"Anniversary? What anniversary?" I asked, at which she smiled and nuzzled me.

"By my count, it's been ten years since you first arrived in Naysow," she explained, causing me to flinch as I added up the months and days in my head.

"Jesus," I grumbled before wincing and rubbing my hip where Arnoso had once cut me. "Well, it definitely feels like it's been that long." She tilted her head as she looked up at me and I nodded.

"My dad used to tell me that once you pass thirty it's like a switch gets flipped, and all the stress you put your body through comes screaming back to the surface," I said with a quiet chortle, earning a nod from her.

"I think I know what you mean," she hummed before nudging me with her stub. "My leg's sore." I snorted and reached down to massage her leg earning a happy hum from her. As we sat there, I again considered Cat and Orange's absence.

"Please tell me you three aren't planning something," I grumbled before sighing as she shook her head.

"Don't think so," she replied with a yawn as she stretched. "We know how you are."

"Thank God," I huffed.

"Though, Cat said somepony else might be planning something, when she came back to see if you were awake," she added, nodding her head toward the window that faced the town. "There was a big party happening at the old inn you stayed at."

"One of the locals?" I asked, earning a shrug.

"Dunno. Wanna go peek?" She asked.

"Sure," I said, before sitting up. She nodded before sitting up as well.

"Alrighty. Get my leg," she urged, nodding toward her prosthetic resting beside the bed.

Naysow had improved somewhat following the Flying Gang's departure. The representatives had formed the Coalition of Naysow and used the safety of the Lagoon as a selling point for any ships passing by that desired to avoid bumping into pirates, especially James Cutter and company.

Of course, charging a fairly hefty docking fee ensured that they profited off of the safety they provided, and in exchange for giving me and the girls preferential service and pricing when it came to fencing our stolen goods, we agreed to leave any ships docked in Naysow alone. All of this formed a much more profitable circle for the town, allowing it to grow and flourish.

Initially, as Amethyst and I approached the old inn I'd frequented, I assumed the party currently spilling off of its patio was simply being held by tourists, but as we drew near and one of the dogs attending pointed me out to someone, the truth became clear. The crowd parted and a burly, scarred earth pony with thick iron shoes and a gold-fringed grey coat on his dusty black shoulders came trotting forward. Upon seeing us, Amethyst huffed and shook her head while he came trotting out to greet us.

"Well now, this is a surprise!" He chirped, pausing to consider the entire town. "Though not the first for me, today. Been a while since I've set hoof here, and an awful lot has changed."

"Captain Stain!" I laughed before pausing and nodding at him. "Guess it'd be commodore now, actually." He waved to his party and a pair of dogs came stomping out carrying a table and three chairs.

"Hoh, hoh! Yes, I suppose it is," he hummed before shaking his head. "Been an age since we seen each other. Ms. Amethyst!" He beamed at her, at which she bowed her head slightly.

"Captain," she said. When the dogs placed the chairs, she nudged me and nodded toward the town. "I'm going to find Cat and Blood." I blinked and nodded at her as she trotted away before taking a seat across from Stain, who considered Amethyst with a huff.

"So, what? Celebrating your fleet's success?" I asked, drumming my fingers on the table. His ear swiveled and he shook his head.

"Nah, this is just to keep the lot of them in line. Keep 'em from thinking too hard on recent events," he said in a hushed tone, shooting a glare at his company.

"Why would them thinking be an issue?" I asked in just as hushed a tone. He grunted and threw up a hoof.

"Lot of sailors, which means a lot of plunder to keep 'em all satisfied, and since the griffin colonies started failing, big scores have been scarce," he huffed and shook his head. "Honestly, with the guns we've got sometimes it's a challenge to turn a decent profit for everypony involved!" He chuckled before looking me up and down.

"Makes a fella wonder how you four have pulled yourselves together so well," he said with a critical leer. "Though, I reckon we both know the answer to that query."

"Love?" I offered with a hum. We shared a look before bursting into laughter.

"Ah, mercy," he finally sighed, pounding his hoof against the table. A silence followed as he scanned the table.

"I'm glad you're here, Cutter. Saves me the trouble of looking for you," he finally said, giving me a firm nod. "I came here with an offer for you, James."

"You want us to join your fleet?" I asked with a grunt and a raised eyebrow.

"No! No, not at all," he retorted, shaking his hoof. "You four seem to have a real peachy set up all to yourselves, and I'd hate to come between that." He pointed at me as he leaned forward.

"You can keep operating like you've been!" He said, slowly shaking his head and gesturing to the amulet around my neck. "But that amulet and crown would do wonders for my operation. How much for them?" I snorted a laugh and waved my hand at him.

"Not for sale and that's the end of it," I declared before fixing him with a firm leer. "Because they're what lets us operate the way we've been operating." He threw his head back with a groan before tapping the table.

"Oh, come on now! You must have a price in mind?" He urged.

"Didn't you just say you were struggling to turn a profit?" I shot back, causing him to recoil. Another silence followed. His expression softened and he looked off to the side and then the other before slowly scooting his seat beside mine.
"The Flying Gang's done, Jim. Burigold's dead," he said in a low, dire tone. "You might rule this sea now, but don't go thinking you're invincible." A smile broke across his features.

"Let's be amicable, savvy?" He offered, causing me to huff.

"Never meant to present myself as invincible," I replied, rubbing my nose with a thumb. "I've settled for the knowledge that if someone steps to me I can see to it we both stumble and fall. Hard." A heavy breeze suddenly shook the inn his crew was at, causing the party to go silent as the entire place creaked and groaned. His eyes darted back toward the inn before locking with mine.

I reclined in my seat and wagged my eyebrows at him. "How's that for amicable?" I pounded my palm against the table a few times before standing up and walking away. The entire time, I could feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head.

I sat upon the quarterdeck, dealing cards between myself, Cast, and one of the ship's dogs. The minotaur hummed and considered the recently vacated harbor we were docked in.

"I'm surprised given the glare you say he leveled upon you that he left without a problem," Cast declared as he looked over his hand. "I never worked with him myself, but any captain who can keep a fleet as large as they say his has gotten under control even with thin commons shouldn't be underestimated."

"At the risk of sounding conceited, I'll admit I'm not too concerned about him," I declared in response as I adjusted my cards. "His operation relies upon the sea and wind. And I master both of those." Cast hummed in response with a nod. As we began casting coins for wagers, the dog suddenly perked up.

"Captain, it was your ten-year anniversary a few days ago, were it not?" He asked as he lowered his hand to lean on the table. "Why don't we go rob something to celebrate?"

"Aye, but I can't say I see a point in celebrating," I said, shaking my head, and smirking at the fortunate hand I'd gotten. "Truth is-"

"Cutter!" Orange screamed as she came flying in. Before we could react she slammed into the table and tumbled upon the deck. As I jumped up to check on her she scrambled to her hooves and looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "Cutter! She- I- Ah." The boys and I shared a look before I scooped her up and she began sobbing into my shoulder. Even with her too distraught to explain, some of the crew who were still ashore found us and led us right to the problem.

"It was one of the local hogs," Cat murmured as she stood with her arms wrapped around me and Orange. "He just jumped out and shot her." I stood in a daze as I looked over the scene. Right beside Amethyst was the dead pig who'd killed her, surrounded by a ring of our crew who arrived too late. Outside that ring, the locals were murmuring and whispering to each other.

My eyes drifted over the crowd of onlookers, a few of whom wilted upon seeing I was staring. Something in me snapped when I realized those who did were all pigs.

I pulled away from Cat and set Orange into her arms before gesturing at Amethyst. "Get her back aboard the ship and wait for me," I declared as I turned to leave.

"Where the hell are you going?" Cat huffed as Orange sniffled and looked at me.

"To talk to the squealer," I hissed. Before anyone could argue, I was airborne, carried by anger and a magically puppeteered breeze. I hurled through the air toward the villa, where a certain someone had taken up residence after converting the place into his personal office. Tellingly, as I came sailing in, the hogs who worked for him bolted upon seeing me land.

As I approached the door, one of his guards stepped out and held up a hand at me. "Mr. Pebbles is very busy. You need-" I thrust my hand at him and he was launched back and through the glass door, taking the entire thing down with him. The cleaning sows went screaming as I stomped up the hall until I finally found him in the library.

He shivered upon seeing me before forcing a smile and wiping his head with a cloth. "Captain Cutter! What, ah, what can I-" I drew my sword and jabbed him in the arm. He tensed up, his face seeming to curdle as he did, before falling to the floor howling and rolling. I watched him for a moment before putting my heel to his chest and leveling my sword at his snout.

"One of the locals just murdered Amethyst," I growled, leaning closer and slowly inching my blade to his teeth. "One of the hogs, the wholesale population of whom voted you as their representative."

"Captain Stain ordered it!" He cried as he held his uninjured arm up. I balked at him as he whimpered. Finally, I hissed and bent down to grab his collar.

"And since when do you fucking do what a pirate demands of you?" I snapped, earning a sob from him.

He wept, trying his best to pull my hand off his shirt. "He took my wife and my son. He said he'd burn them alive if your company left here whole!" I recoiled as he sobbed, during which time he managed to squeeze out from under me and scoot away. "Please! Don't kill me!" My head spun as I desperately searched for something to latch on to mentally. Unfortunately for Pebbles, the thing I found was anger. I clenched my teeth and stalked toward him as he cowered and leveled my sword at his chest.

"You should have come to me," I spat. "We might've helped you. We could have helped you."

"Wait-" The rest of his words came in a gurgle as I drove my sword through his heart.

I leaned on the quarterdeck's rail, leering out at the sea and the moon reflected on its surface. Below, through the cabin window, I could still hear Orange whimpering and Cat trying to comfort her. My heart sank because I knew I was too beside myself to be there for her at that moment. I huffed and dragged my hand across my head.

"I'm guessing Naysow's off the list of safe ports for now, hey?" Cast suddenly asked, revealing that he'd stepped up beside me. I grunted and hung my head. A short silence followed before he leaned toward me. "We going after Stain?"

"I dunno," I murmured, looking over at him as he stood with his arms folded and a curious look fixed on me. "Because if we give chase, who knows how many more wives and sons he'll take hostage to put their husbands and fathers between us and him?"

"I'm game to carve a path through as many as it takes," he said with a grim chuckle. I furrowed my brow but snorted after a moment, drawing a bright smile from him.

"Sure, but I'm thinking," I said as I stood up straight and turned to lean backward on the rail. "He could have had that swine go after me."

"No mere hog could handle you, and he would know that," he declared, matching my posture.

"Sure, but the point still stands," I hummed, folding my arms. "I'm of two minds." I tilted my head one way.

"On the one hand, I think this was a message. He's saying he can hurt those around me if he can't hurt me," I looked up at Cast as I tilted my head the other way. "On the other hand, I think he's hoping I'll give chase, knowing how I tend to react. If that's true, then he's got some plan he's counting on me walking right into." My eyes drifted down as I spoke. As Cast considered my words I snorted and then laughed before shaking my head.

"If that is true, at least this time, I'm too fucking ruined to be angry. I don't think he counted on that!" I gasped with a laugh, fixing Cast with a weary smile. He considered me with a sad frown before I faltered and turned to hand my head over the rail with a sob. "Every fucking time." He hummed and reached over to grab my shoulder gently.

"That's the sea, Captain," he declared with a nod. "It pays us and then it claims us." I looked up at him with a miserable frown as he spoke.

"The waves aren't stable enough to lay a future upon, to lay a home upon, at least not for some folks," he added before looking at me with a nod. "Without wishing to offend, if you seek something that lasts like Naysow's old fortress, something truly secure that doesn't take much to keep it safe, you need to look inland." A silence fell between us as I digested his words. Slowly, I furrowed my brow as pieces fell into place.

"Inland," I murmured, turning to leer up at the moon. "Inland."

I pushed the door to the cabin open. Inside, Cat was sitting up and petting Orange who was lying across her lap. They both looked up as I stepped inside and watched as I pulled a chair up to sit before them. As we shared a sad look, I reached forward and gently stroked Orange's back and Cat's face.

"I need you two to trust me," I finally said, causing Cat to recoil.

"Trust you with what?" She murmured as she held my hand. I looked between both of them as Orange sniffled. Furrowing my brow, I pulled my hand away and removed the amulet.

"I'm going to try and make sure this doesn't happen again," I said as I set the amulet in Cat's hand. They both considered it before looking at me in confusion. I stared back for a moment before leaning forward and hugging them both. "If it works, I'll send for you. If doesn't work, stay together. Be safe."

The crown's magic propelled the sail-driven longboat I sat in across the waves faster than any full-rigged ship. Its power was matched only by the amulet, and that thought was the only thing that convinced me I'd made the right decision leaving it with them. And yet, as I raced toward the Manehattan harbor and one of the little patrol boats drifting along, I couldn't help but have doubts.

Pushing them aside, I took a deep breath and forced more wind into my sail. Before the team of six little ponies even knew what was happening, I leaped from my boat and sailed on the breeze, landing right in front of them. Two of them screamed and jumped away while the other four looked at me in fear.

The captain held up a lantern in her magic and looked me up and down before adopting a wide frown and pulling a stack of papers out of her coat. I folded my arms and patiently tapped my foot as she shuffled them. Finally, she made a noise somewhere between a hum and a squeak as she held up a paper with my name and a sketch of my face on it.

"Afternoon, Champ," I humphed, pulling the crown off my belt and setting it upon her head. "Good work. You caught me. Now get me to your princess so she can decide what to do with me." She blinked as she shared a look with her crew before one of them slowly and deliberately approached me with some manacles. I held my wrists out to them, causing them to pause. After a moment, he looked at the manacles and my hands

"I don't think these will fit," he murmured.

"Just go get a fucking rope," I snapped.

"Okay," he squeaked before galloping off.

The slamming of Celestia's gavel snapped me out of my daydreaming and silenced the chattering ponies filling the courtroom. Looking up from the stand I was set behind, I saw that the council ponies had finally returned from their closed-door meeting. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the crowd, especially those who were glaring death my way.

"The Equestrian Post-war Council will now pass judgment concerning the pardoning of James Cutter," Celestia declared, slamming her gavel again before nodding to one of the council members, who cleared her throat and held up the paperwork we'd gone through the night before.

"According to the terms you requested, Mr. Cutter, this would extend to any individuals who operated with or under you during the scope of your career, is that correct?" She said as she raised an eyebrow at me. I shuddered before nodding, earning a grumble from the crowd.

"I feel that the benefits of my career to the Equestrian state warrant it, yes," I said. The council ponies shared a look a few whispered despite the scoffs coming from the crowd. Finally, they nodded.

"I think that's quite fair, so long as they turn themselves into your custody or another Equestrian official within the next one hundred days," she finally said, drawing a heavy sigh from me and an angry shout from the crowd as they began murmuring again. The mare considered her papers with a smile that I couldn't help but match as I looked up at Celestia. Her furrowed brow made me hesitate, however. "And considering the economic charter we've spent the last hour deliberating over, the numbers certainly don't lie. You have been an asset to us, at least in some regard." The mare turned her smile my way, and I sware I saw Celestia wince.

"However," she began, drawing my attention to her. "The council has determined that letting your experience and abilities go unused would be a misstep." I wilted as she raised a hoof, earning a series of nods from the other council ponies.

"So, it is the opinion of this council that James Cutter be named Lord Admiral Protector of Equestrian Shipping and Sea-faring within the Celestial Sea," she declared, causing an uproar from the crowd which was silenced by Celestia's gavel. The mare pointed at me. "You will be immediately inducted into the Equestrian Navy and promoted to the rank of Admiral, before taking up the duties of defending our eastern shores from any threats that may appear." My head spun and I grabbed the rail of my stand with all my might.

"I-" I choked and shook my head. "I can't go back to the sea."

"No?" She hummed, tilting her head.

"I-" I chuckled weakly and shook my head. "I was hoping I could reintegrate into civil society. Find somewhere to settle down. Somewhere I don't have to worry about-"

"Ah-ha! Don't worry, I hear you!" She chirped before sitting and looking over the rest of the council. "Ponies of the Council, I would like to propose we set James Cutter up with that vacant manor on the Griffish Isles." She clapped her hooves together and nodded.

"You'll be able to live there while also defending our interests at sea! It's a win-win!" She chirped, causing me to wilt.

"I-"

"Take it or leave it, James Cutter," she urged in a very ugly tone. When I didn't answer she beamed. "Brilliant! It's decided!"

The courtroom exploded into yells and insults, most of them aimed my way. I barely registered any of it as the chains around my wrists were undone and the stand disassembled. I barely registered as the floor before Celestia's seat was cleared and I was urged forward to stand right in front of her. Looking up into her face, I was met with her wide, sympathetic, and sad eyes. She mouthed she was sorry before a sword was handed to her and she urged me to kneel.

Within an hour of the sword gracing either shoulder and inducting me into my new rank, I was whisked away aboard a chariot, bound for Manehattan, my eyes locked on the floor of the chariot the entire trip.

Author's Note

Chapter 22

Dozens of giggling school-aged ponies galloped through the black and gold tiled halls, all of them donning little paper bicorns with skulls on the front. Elsewhere in the hall, older ponies carefully moved along, observing and taking pictures of the glass cases and displays lining the walls in which sat newspapers, letters, hats, swords, sketches, and clothing from the War of the Isles a thousand years prior.

The hall wrapped back and fed into the main foyer of the manor, where just before the black carpeted double staircase leading to the second and then the third floor of the manor, there was a peculiar bipedal mannequin in period-appropriate clothing, with an ancient and cracked old Abyssinian 'firearm' in its arms. The face of the mannequin was set in a permanent, sneering smirk, with a scruffy beard made of wool. At the feet of the mannequin was a brass plaque that read 'Admiral Sir James Cutter, Lord Protector of the Isles and Pirate who is regarded as single-handedly responsible for the First Great Collapse of Griffinstone.'

Just before the display were two alicorns and a purple unicorn. Of the two alicorns, the smaller blue one regarded the mannequin with a distant and sad expression that was only partially matched by her sister, who had a wing draped upon her back.

"I approved of this museum being opened sixty-three years ago when a member of the Quicksilver Institute proposed bringing together artifacts and articles from the War of the Isles here," Celestia explained as she turned to her sister. "My chief motivation was to bring some of his more positive qualities and traits to light, but-" She grimaced as she considered the mannequin's expression.

"Well, it's hard to convince anypony that a fellow who caused so much death and fear is anything other than a monster, regardless of motive," she sighed, regarding her sister sadly as she wilted. Suddenly, several foals came galloping by with wooden swords in their mouths and severe glares fixed on their faces and Celestia smiled. "A silver lining is that many youngsters seem to idolize him as an anti-establishment icon." Luna hummed as she considered the foals just before they galloped out of sight.

"I own a cutlass for home defense! The way Cap'n Cutter intended!" One of them shouted before a thwack was heard followed by a scream at which a pair of older ponies went galloping out of the room in the direction of the foals. The scene caused Luna to blink and turn to her sister who nodded.

"There's also a whole skater punk craze called 'Hitting the Cutter' where you slam your board through a window after doing a kick-flip," Celestia added, earning a curt laugh from Luna. Still, when she looked around and saw the rest of the museum, she found her attention falling upon the large paintings adorning the walls on either side of the stairs. Each depicted some pivotal moment from the war, from the Six Merits of the Flying Gang burning and sacking Port Grover, to James Cutter boarding the Edict with a lit torch to ignite the powder stores himself. As she studied the paintings she frowned.

"To think, this is how he came to be viewed," she murmured, at which Celestia hugged her tight.

"He at least never gave much thought to how ponies viewed him," she said as Luna leaned against her. Celestia considered the mannequin again. "And he was- comfortable, before the end." As the pair stood in silence for a moment, Twilight finally decided to pipe up with the thoughts that had been boiling through her brain since arriving.

"I can't believe you and James Cutter were actually friends," she gasped as she looked between the mannequin and Luna. She shrugged and swept a hoof through the air. "I mean, all the history books argue he was a Nightmare Cultist spawned by Discord, so." Luna grunted and shook her head.

"Oh, that's just silly," she huffed, looking off to the side. "He was asleep when- Well." Celestia's ears shot back at her sister's tone before she looked up and hummed.

"It's not entirely unfounded, I'm afraid," she said, urging her companions to follow her as they approached a display to the left side of the room. "As I said, many of his more gruesome crimes are not fabricated, which leads to questions of motive. And considering this was his standard during the majority of his career." She gestured to the large hanging black flag, displaying a crude image of the 'Mare in the Moon.' The sight caused Luna to wince.

"It does lead to rumors that I was unable to quash," Celestia added with a frown before turning back to Luna. "Additionally, according to his testimony, he endured a period where he genuinely believed you were in contact with him."

"If only," Luna said with a quiet snort as she looked away from the flag. Then, her eyes fell upon a uniquely old and large painting. Studying it for a moment, she smiled before tilting her head. "Oh, who is that?" Twilight and Celestia turned to see the painting in question. It depicted an older James Cutter, possibly in his forties, dressed in fine clothing, very unlike what he was known to wear, though with a very in-character even scowl painted upon his face. On his lap was a well-dressed orange pegasus filly with a red mane, freckles, bright blue eyes, and an even brighter smile.

"Oh! That's Lily Darling Cutter," Twilight chirped as she approached the painting, gesturing to the filly. "She actually grew up to become the mare responsible for the development of pre-modern lighter-than-air travel."

"Really?" Luna hummed as she and her sister stood before the painting. "Did he have anything to do with that?"

"No, I don't believe so," Celestia replied, considering the painting with a smile. "It was after she was grown and left home, after all." Luna nodded slowly.

"Lily Cutter," she murmured before turning to Celestia with her ears perked up. "So, am I correct in assuming-"

"Yes," Celestia replied with a mirthful tone. Luna blinked before beaming and turning back to the painting.

"Good for him," she said with a giggle. Celestia looked at the filly and then the pirate for a few moments, noting the difference in their expressions. Her ears swiveled briefly, but neither Luna nor Twilight noticed.

"Yes," she finally replied.

The iron gate cordoning off the manor grounds from the rest of the town creaked as the earth pony guiding me pushed it open. Just beyond, inside the tall hedge that had grown over the iron fence surrounding the grounds, was a vast multi-acre yard with a brick path leading up to the manor's door and then splitting off into several paths that carried on through the rest of the place.

The house itself was three stories tall and made of bricks for the first two floors before tapering off under a sharp-angled black tiled roof. Each floor had an equal number of windows with sharp white frames that matched the rounded white wooden spire that suck out the very center of the roof. At the top of the spire was a flag pole decorated with a worn and weathered Griffinstone flag that flapped weakly as the wind swept up the loose shreds it was composed of. The sight of the flag was a telltale sign that this mansion was a remnant of the griffin-occupied southern portion of the Isles, which had since been claimed by Equestria.

At either side of the house were two smaller two-story brick buildings that could easily house a few ponies all on their own. These were connected to the main building by little enclosed bridges on their upper floor, under which were a few rows of white benches with dead bushes between them.

Like the bushes, most of the plant life across the estate was poorly tended and thus overgrown or dried out and dead. I sighed sharply as my pony attendant led me to the door.

"You've got a meeting with the Town Council of Trottingham later this evening, which the Commander of the Coast Guard will be attending. From what I understand, they want to refurbish and arm that old griffin fort along the coast," the blue stallion said as he sat, pulled out a ring of keys, and began shuffling them. "Once that's settled, we can consider hiring staff to tend to the grounds."

"What'd you say your name was?" I asked as I leaned against the wall to the side of the door.

"Silver, Sir," he chirped as he found and inserted the house key in the door. "Silver Standard, and I'll be attending you during your stay here." The door clicked and then groaned as it swung open. To my surprise, no dust was kicked up as we entered. Indeed, the black and gold tile, though cracked in places, was fairly clean. As I scanned the open space of the foyer, I found that most of the interior was similarly well-kept.

"It's been vacant ever since the griffins gave up control of the island," Silver reported as he also scanned the interior. "We've kept it clean for the most part, but haven't really had anyone to take up residence in it."

"Kinda sparse," I hummed, noting the lack of chairs or anything at all. In response, Silver whirled toward me with a bow.

"Well, well! Good thing its master has a sizeable furnishing budget to go with his new office!" He said with a wink. I grunted initially, but after a moment, I furrowed my brow and turned to him.

"How sizeable?"

I scanned the town from the top of the fortress I was now in command of and responsible for. Without it needing to be said, I could tell this was the old garrison Geralt had been in charge of. In fact, I could see the general patch of woodland where we'd ambushed him so many years ago. Pushing those memories aside with all my might, I returned my attention to the fort itself. Like my house, it was clean but had obviously only been granted minimal care by the Navy following the griffin's withdrawal.

I furrowed my brow as I paced the battlements. While it had rows of guns lining it, I came upon the southwestern corner and found that not only was it spared any cannons, but the floor itself had evidently caved in at some point and was now propped up by wooden supports.

"We'll need to repair this fast and get it bolstered," I declared to my mustachioed and uniformed companion, leering down the open pit all the way to the ground floor.

"Certainly! And now that we have an officer to spare for it, we can force the council to grant us the funds to do so!" Admiral Bells chirped. Turning away from the pit I leaned on the wall as he cleaned his monocle.

"Now, as I explained, each quarter we receive a charter detailing the most pivotal threats and points of interest at sea and we will convene to discuss how best to approach those points," he said, redonning his eyewear. He stamped his hoof and one of his assistants held a stack of papers up to me which I took and leafed through. "This charter has already been convened upon, so I'm afraid you must abide by our decisions this round. Next time, however, your input will be both expected and appreciated." I sighed hard as I considered the lengthy list of to-dos and battle plans.

"I reckon I'm going to be pretty busy for the next few months, hey?" I murmured.

"Quite busy, Sir," he hummed with a nod before nudging me. "But as Lord Admiral Protector, rest assured! You have the authority to pursue your schedule at sea as you see fit." I raised an eyebrow at him as he leaned in.

"And of course, there will be time to relax and perhaps share a few stories over a drink or two," he added with a chortle. "Some of my junior officers are eager to hear your account of when you sank that dreadful griffin ship that chased us out of Trottingham."

I considered him for a moment before turning my gaze south. "Right."

My new duties extended beyond scaring off pirates with my reputation. I was given command of a hundred-gun Equestrian frigate, the Golden Goose, and instructed to heavily scrutinize any griffin or pony ship we came across. There was evidently a smuggling epidemic occurring following Griffinstone's economic devastation, and Equestria had taken it upon herself to help the ailing Prince Grover II in stifling attempts at circumventing his merchant tax.

An act of goodwill to foster future peaceful terms, according to the Coast Guard's commander, but it made no difference to me.

The merchant pony captain of the suspiciously heavy ship I'd stopped stood on the deck in front of me, quaking and hyperventilating to the point I was certain he was going to collapse. Ignoring him, I continued leafing through his ledger as my crew searched the ship's hold.

"Mr. Bay Leaf," I murmured, furrowing my brow. The quartermaster of my ship snapped to attention and I handed the ledger to him, tapping the page I was reading with a finger. "Dream Beans is slang for Lucid Laurels, isn't it? Perhaps when used to obscure what is actually being hauled without leading to confusion about any extra crates during an inspection?" While the captain squeaked and held his breath, Bay Leaf blinked and tilted his head to and fro as he read the entry.

"Ah," the unicorn hummed, pursing his lips. "I'm not sure. I'm not familiar with other names for the stuff." He paused and regarded the captain with a wry glare.

"But if that's what that is, it's definitely a controlled substance," he added, drawing a nervous whimper from the captain.

"That it is, and luckily I am familiar," I said, before snapping my fingers and making my way to the hold. A pair of my sailors urged the captain to follow. Below decks, I scanned for the cargo in question, finding it where his ledger declared they'd stowed it. Upon approaching it, I signaled for the rest of my crew to exit the hold before drawing my sword and prying the lid off one of the heavy crates before me.

Inside, as expected, were a huge amount of packaged laurels, but there were also a few strange little tubes with flasks hooked in. Grabbing one of the tubes, I turned it over in my hand before finding a button on the back. Pressing it, I hummed as it sprayed a faint mist that smelled of laurels.

I hummed a little tune as I waved the mist away before leering at the captain. "Six tons and a whole new delivery method? Who were you selling to?" He balked at me for a moment before wilting with a grunting sigh.

"Damn you, Cutter," he huffed, shaking his head as he removed his hat and tossed it on the ground. "Naysow, Sir." I smirked at his answer.

"Naysow, eh?" I purred with a nod as I set the dispenser back in the box and stamped the lid shut. "Well, well. Today's your lucky day." He blinked and looked at me in confusion.

"I've been too busy lately, getting accustomed to my new station," I explained, slipping my sword back into my belt and turning to him. "I need you to bring a message to Naysow. If you can do that, we'll pretend I was just mistaken or perhaps my smoking vernacular is out of date. Fair?" I knelt and extended my hand. He blinked and looked me up and down before smirking as well.

"Fair," he replied, taking my hand and shaking it.

I tugged at the sleeve of my ugly, yellow, Equestrian officer uniform and pulled the felt bicorn from my head before dropping it on the table between me and my quartermaster. "Don't know how the hell you can stand wearing this all the time," I huffed as I unbuttoned my vest. "So, fucking stuffy."

"I stand it by remembering what it represents, Sir," he chirped as he poured some tea into our cups.

"Represents what? A general ignorance of the climate?" I snorted, reclining in my seat and scanning the shore we were sitting upon. The Golden Goose was anchored some distance further up the shore, and the crew was camped near it. There were two sentries posted between here and there, mainly as I didn't want to alarm our visitors or make them suspect a trap. My eyes drifted down the opposite end of the shore and toward the heavy forest that wrapped around and then obscured the point where I'd told them they could safely anchor. It was the same place we'd landed when I chased after Ben all those years ago, and I prayed that fact was distinct enough that they'd remember where it was.

To my relief, suddenly a few diamond dogs, a familiar pair of minotaurs, and two other figures emerged from the woods, confirming my hopes. Sighing hard, I nodded at Bay Leaf before grabbing my hat and marching out to meet him. Despite my initial excitement at seeing them again, as we closed the distance, their expressions stirred up my anxieties.

Finally, Cat, Orange, Bolt, and Cast stepped away from their followers and stood before me, looking me up and down. Cat still had the amulet, but other than that none of them had changed much since I departed. Of the four, Cast was the only one who didn't look unsettled by the sight of me.

"Thanks for meeting me here. I'm glad you knew where I was talking about in my message," I finally said, shaking my head with a relieved smile. "It's great to see you all again." Cat folded her arms and shared a look with Orange before facing me.

"There a reason you're in that getup?" She asked, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she rocked on her heels. "And sailing with the Equestrians?" I grimaced a little as she spoke.

"Because it looks like the news we heard was true," she added, tilting her head with a frown. "You turned yourself in and got yourself pardoned." I cleared my throat and slowly nodded.

"In exchange for defending their interests in this sea, yes," I murmured in response. Bolt grunted and rubbed his chin as he and Cast shared a look, while Cat wilted and Orange frowned hard at me.

"It sounds like you're trying something like what Ben pulled," the bat pony grumbled.

"Don't!" I snapped, causing her to flinch. I held up a hand and grimaced before sighing hard. "Don't. It's completely different."

"Is it?" Cat huffed, causing me to hold my hands out.

"Yes! This isn't about me. For me," I grumbled, gesturing between us. "It's for us." As she recoiled I gestured to the other three and the forest.

"Anyone who sailed under me is entitled to the pardon so long as they turn themselves in within the next hundred days," I explained, sighing and looking at Cat. "So if you come with me now, I can guarantee you'll be safe."

"Safe from what?" She demanded, furrowing her brow. I grimaced and looked away.

"You know what," I all but whispered, my eyes falling upon the sea. "You know who." Cat grunted and stepped up beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I miss her too, Cutter," she said, sighing and leering back at the table I'd left behind. "And I hate his guts just as much as you." She shook her head and gestured at Bay Leaf.

"But this is-" I hissed and whirled around, grabbing her shoulders.

"Please!" I cried, catching my breath. "Just- Just come see it?" She stared into my eyes for a while before she slowly tilted her head.

"See what?" She asked.

Where once had been overgrowth was now a mostly green garden that swept up toward the foundations of my new residence. Ponies briskly trotted to and fro, tending to the grass and newly planted shrubs and flowers as we made our way inside. Cat leered uncomfortably at the Equestrian flag billowing atop the house's flagpole, but said nothing.
Inside, where once had been bare tiled floors was now a soft carpet that rolled out and extended up the stairs to the second floor. On either side of the carpet and along each wall were sweet-smelling plants being watered by the new house staff.

As I led Cat and Orange, the latter hummed in delight at the sight of it all. She was especially excited when I led them through the lengthy dining hall, which held a long thick table with bowls upon bowls of fresh fruit. Shooting me an eager, starry-eyed look, I nodded and she beamed before diving atop the table. As the bat pony feasted, I nodded at Cat and led her to the kitchen, connected to the dining room. Inside, she flinched before humming in appreciation as the cooks were preparing a stew of fish, freshly delivered from Trottingham.

Leading her upstairs, I took her on a tour of the library, which included a massive map table given to me by the Coast Guard. From there, we walked along the long balcony that wrapped around the rear of the house which gave a perfect view of the western sea. What's more, halfway along the balcony, we came to a glass double door beyond which sat a warm Abyssinian-styled room, complete with a few basins in which incense like Cat had burned on the Delight was smoking.

As she reeled and slowly paced the room, Orange finally caught up to us and hummed at the sight of it all. Cat looked over the basins, the carpet, and the porcelain I'd ordered. All of it was as close to a mirror of her cabin aboard her original ship as I could manage, and based on the wistful smile that slowly formed upon her face, I guessed I was pretty damned close. As she stood over the thick and fluffy bed, gently running a paw over its comforter, I came up beside her.

"What do you think?" I pressed with a hopeful hum.

"It's lovely," she hummed in response, still with that smile. But her tone made my heart sink.

"Cat," I murmured. She paused before turning to me, her smile turning sad.

"James," she replied.

"Cat, I'm begging you," I huffed as I held my hands out and let them drop.

"I-" Her smile vanished completely as she scanned the room. "It's not for me." I threw my hands up and barked a laugh.
"Of course it is! I set this whole room up for you!" I cried.

"James," she murmured, folding her arms and looking away. I grunted and paced, throwing my arms up at each item.
"The perfume, the bed, the art," I whirled around and fixed her with a desperate smile as I grabbed her paws. "You saw the kitchen! You saw what we can eat here!" She faced me with a sad look.

"That's all wonderful, but," she strained and shook her head. "It's not the sea." She looked over the room.

"It's," she grimaced and clenched her eyes. "Stationary. Stagnant."

"It's safe," I heaved. Her ears snapped back and she fixed me with a firm look.

"And if that means I have to compromise my freedom, then," she held her mouth open for a moment before clamping it shut and shaking her head. I balked and dropped her paws.

"The fuck do you mean?" I hissed. "It's not like I'm going to hold you down here!"

"But we won't be sailing out of this sea anymore, will we?" She huffed, folding her arms and looking at the coat I had on. "We'll have to play by their rules, won't we?" I moved to argue but my words died in my throat and slowly I let my head hang.

"I can't lose you," I finally croaked. "Please." She took my hands up and forced me to look at her.

"Then why settle? Come with me!" She demanded with a hopeful smile. "Back to the sea. Back to-" I shuddered and pulled away.

"No! No," I cried, shaking my head and sweeping my hands. "I-" I paused and blinked.

"I can't," I finally whispered, clutching my arms around myself. "It's taken too much from me." I grimaced hard and shakily gestured to the window.

"Keeping this island, this sea clear is as much of a compromise as I'm willing to make on that," I huffed, looking at her miserably. "I can't go back out there, knowing that every day could be the last time I see either of you. I don't have that in me." My gaze slowly fell to the floor.

"I don't think I ever did," I finally added. Silence fell over the room, during which time, Orange slowly trotted up and nuzzled my leg with teary eyes. Seeing that, Cat stepped closer and knelt before her.

"Orange, you're fine staying, right?" She asked, ruffling the bat pony's mane. I paused and looked down to see Orange consider her for a moment before sniffling and nodding, at which Cat smiled. "Well, there we go." She stood up and gently grabbed my shoulders.

"You won't be alone. You'll have one of us with you, here where it's safe," she said, slowly pulling me into a hug with a frown. "But James Cutter, I promise you. If I stay here, if I let myself settle?" I firmly wrapped my arms around her as Orange reared up and hugged us both.

"I think we'll both lose me," she finally whispered into my ear. I clenched my eyes shut as we embraced, but then I flinched when I felt her unhook the amulet from her neck. I pulled back and shook my head just before she dropped it into my pocket.

"Keep it. Please," I sobbed. She blinked the tears from her eyes for a moment before smiling sadly and nodding.

The door to what was supposed to be Cat's room slowly drifted open, and Silver came trotting in. He blinked as he scanned the mess I'd made. All the porcelain was destroyed, the tables and rugs flipped over, and the bed shredded by my cutlass. He scowled and slowly fixed me with an unimpressed leer as I lay against the splintered bedpost. I fixed him with a bitter smile as I toasted the bottle of wine I'd been drowning myself in.

"You know how hard most of that was to acquire?" He huffed, earning a snort from me. He sighed and trotted up to me before nudging me up with his head. "You have a meeting with the Coast Guard to attend tomorrow, Sir. Let's get you back to bed." I slowly staggered to my feet, but the second I was stable, I whirled around and hucked the bottle as hard as I could against the head of the bed.

I stood there, quietly breathing as I watched the wine drip down the wood. After a few minutes, I dragged my hand over my head and made for the door.

Chapter 23

I sighed hard as I reclined in our rowboat and basked in the midday sun. I was out of my uniform and into some vastly more comfortable and loose-fitting clothes, without any shoes as I let one leg hang off the side of the boat and tread through the cool water. I pulled my floppy hat down over my eyes as I slowly began to drift to sleep. My companion evidently had other plans, however, as I was suddenly pounded in the stomach by a set of four hooves.

Grunting hard as the air was slammed from my lungs, I tipped my hat up to glare at Blood Orange as she slowly and firmly stomped in a circle on me before curling up with a cheery smile and a happy sigh.

As I snorted and pulled my hat down again, she rolled over and stretched out. "Won't all those stuffy old ponies get upset if they catch you just bumming around out here?" She asked, causing me to peek down at her as she lay belly up.

"Next convention is Friday, so I've got a day or two to relax," I replied as I reclined again. "If I went out sailing and looking for any problems, I might not be back in time, which is what they'd really be upset about."

"Admiral Cutter!" A sharp voice cut across the air like the snap of a whip. I groaned hard and yanked my hat off before looking in the direction the voice came from. Slowly bobbing toward us from the Trottingham shore was another rowboat with four ponies working the oars and a fifth pony in a tricorn and uniform, reared up on the boat's bow, glaring my way. I huffed and gave Orange a weary smile as I slowly sat up, causing her to slowly roll off me and flop into the bed of our boat.

"In theory, anyway," I muttered before leaning on the edge of our boat and resting my chin on my hand, fixing our visitor with a smile. "Lieutenant Gray. To what do I owe the migraine?" His boat came right up alongside ours and he stumbled as they bumped against each other. Steadying himself, he frowned at me.

"I was hopeful, Sir, that you might explain the state in which I discovered the old fortress upon the southern end of the Isle," he demanded. I hummed a sigh and reclined just enough to trace my fingers through the water.

"And what state is that?" I asked.

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "The portion of the wall you reported required repairs and bolstering is still in poor condition and is lacking any additional guns!"

"And that's because the Council hasn't seen fit to allocate the funds for me to correct that," I retorted with a shrug, causing him to slam his hoof onto our boat and jab his other hoof at me.

"Sir, it's your responsibility! You should pay for it yourself!" He spat, earning a smirk from me before I gently batted at his boat, pushing it away and nearly causing him to fall in. The sight drew a giggle from Orange and from one of his rowers.

"Sure! But I'd encourage you to have a gander at the terms of my pardon and commission, Lieutenant," I declared, reclining again and putting my hat back on. "The Council failing to make a decision on the maintenance of the fortress in the manner I've presented implies they don't see it as necessary." He furrowed his brow at my words as I shrugged.

"Were I to do so myself, I would technically be directing war materials outside of the Council's approval or purview," I added with a huff, slowly shaking my head. "I can't say they wouldn't take exception to that."

He balked and sputtered for a moment. "Don't be ridiculous, Sir!" He recoiled with a squawk when I flicked some water at him.

"What's ridiculous is you bringing this to me instead of to the next convention which is just two days off," I spat, reclining again and pulling my hat down. "If I have to wait for meetings in order to make any moves or decisions beyond just floating around and spooking hooligans, I don't see why you shouldn't as well." A palpable silence followed before he finally grunted.

"Bloody pirate," he hissed just before I heard his oars being set to work.

"Have a nice day, Lieutenant," I said with a wave thrown in his general direction. A smile worked its way onto my face as I sighed hard. Then, my sigh turned into another grunt as Orange slammed her hooves into me again. Glaring down at her, she smirked at me as she curled up again. "Okay, that's it." She cried out as I grabbed her and threw her into the water.

As Orange and I walked side by side down the brick road of Eagleland, I had my yellow Equestrian officer's jacket hanging off my shoulders, so no one could argue that I was technically out of uniform. Despite having been surrendered to Equestria, the ponies hadn't been too eager to populate the town, if the comparatively sparse numbers of ponies and copious abandoned buildings were any indication. Seemingly, the town was now host to the poorer folk, and if it weren't for my presence necessitating a company of soldiers to man the fortress, it felt like the place would have descended into lawlessness.

My first two weeks here had been tense, as I caught sight of several attempted muggings, only for the would-be robbers to flee just at the sight of me. Since then, again due to my presence necessitating it, supplies had been directed here, and some small degree of infrastructure was coming into being. All in all, I got something of a sense of what Naysow might have looked like before Ben set up shop and kick-started the pirate economy. The thought made me hum and I considered my companion.

"So, I've been meaning to ask: What do you think of Eagleland?" I asked, causing her ear to swivel before she looked up at me. Then, she tilted her head and scanned the streets.

"Weird that they haven't changed the name yet," she replied, earning a nod from me.

"Well, guess they're just used to it," I said, glancing up to see one of the recently repurposed buildings and discreetly turning our path toward it. "How you feel it compares to Naysow?"

"I spent most of my time in the jungle around Naysow, so I dunno," she said, still looking around before shrugging. "It's nice." Her ears swivelled a few times and she cast her gaze back the way we'd come.

"Definitely quieter," she murmured before turning and fixing me with a bright smile. "But I'm pals with the fella running the show and the fortress here, so not too much is different for me." I smiled right back as I pushed open the door of the little cafe I'd led us to. The unicorn owner jumped as the bell above the door jingled before nodding upon seeing it was me.

As we took a seat, I fished a handful of coins from my pocket. Once the owner trotted up with a tray on which a pair of mugs of hot chocolates were resting, I dropped the coins on his tray and he set the mugs on our table. Orange gave a happy hum as she took a hearty sip from hers.

Sighing hard, she tilted her head as she considered the rest of the meager little shop, of which we were the only patrons present. "Wonder why it tastes so different up here?"

"Cooler climate," I replied as I drummed the side of my mug. "The atmosphere in which you eat or drink has a profound effect upon its enjoyment."

She blinked and tilted her head. "Really?" I shrugged at her question.

"I dunno, but it makes sense to me," I offered, causing her to fix me with an unimpressed frown. "I also can't stand humidity so maybe I'm just biased." She snorted before slipping down and kicking my knee.

"Oh yeah! Did they decide to listen to Lieutenant Grey?" She asked as she scooted back up in her seat. I hummed as I took a swig from my mug.

"They decided they'd push the Council about it," I explained. "He was less than pleased." I grumbled and leered through the cafe window.

"Not even sure what he's nettled about," I huffed. "The griffin navy is shrinking daily just to cover the costs of the Edict. The only ships this far north are Equestrian. I really don't know who he expects I'm going to have to turn those guns upon."

"I got some cinnamon rolls in the oven," the owner called from the back. I tipped my mug his way and pulled out my coin pouch.

"Ooh! Maybe he's plotting a coup!" Orange chirped as I counted out more money.

"A coup?" I groused. She reared up on the table and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" She urgently replied, jabbing a hoof in the direction of the fort. "If you moved those guns around, you could pretty much cover the whole island! So, if anypony tried to land on Trottingham to come stop you, you'd be able to gun them down! You'd be able to take over the whole island in one go!" I blinked at her suggestion before fixing her with an unimpressed leer as she wagged her eyebrows at me.

"You're grounded," I grunted, causing her to recoil.

"Wha? You can't ground me!" She cried.

"You wanna bet?" I shot back as I pulled my belt free. The sight caused her to wilt and by the time we left the cafe, I did so with a proud smile as she slowly ambled behind me, trying to kick my belt off as it was tied tight around her wings.

I jolted and fell from my bed as the ship's bell was nearly rung off its hinge. "Criss," I hissed in a daze just before someone began pounding on my cabin door.

"Frigate and a pair of sloops, Admiral! They're flying Mount Aris flags, but the hippogriffs-"

"Don't build frigates, I get it," I yelled back at Bay Leaf, before snatching up my coat and slipping it on. "Bloody pirates." I stormed out onto the deck to find the night crew hard at work getting us ready for whatever maneuver I saw fit. That was at least one benefit of joining Celestia's dumbass navy: I operated with tyrannical authority and didn't need to wait on any democratic agreement.

Pacing toward the starboard side and peering through my spyglass, I hummed as I considered the ships further south of us. Bay Leaf trotted up beside me. "Think they're looking for trouble with Equestria?" I studied the frigate for a moment before barking a laugh.

"Not if he's as clever as I remember," I cried before turning to the crew. "Close the gun ports and flag them down!" The ponies balked at my orders and shared a look.

By the time the sun had fully risen and was casting a yellow glow upon our deck, the pirate fleet had come up beside us, and its commodore was stepping aboard the Golden Goose. The minotaur in question considered my ship with a subdued smile as he stroked his mustache before I came up and held out my hand.

"Commodore Barges, as I live and breathe," I laughed just as he took my hand and shook it.

"Captain Cutter!" He said, raising an eyebrow and fixing me with a critical smile. "Signed on with the Equestrians, just as they claim." I flinched and grunted.

"It's not-" He waved a hand and slapped me on the shoulder before I could continue.

"Ha! You don't need to explain it to me," he laughed. "Catarina leveled it with me six weeks ago." I jolted at his words.

"You saw Cat?" I gasped, grabbing his shoulders. "Where?"

"Near Prance," he hummed, offering my confused crew a smirk. "She told me a real doozy of a tale that hasn't hit the papers quite yet." I tilted my head as he winked.

"Our old associate Captain Stain attempted to capture her for that amulet you gave her," he declared, causing a chill to dance up my spine. "Keep an eye on the papers, Old Boy! The collapse of Stain's pirate fleet is sure to be making the rounds soon!" I blinked and huffed hard as the news swirled through my mind.

"She sunk his fleet?" I murmured.

"Not in its entirety! But she certainly devastated any remaining confidence the majority of his subordinate captains had in him!" He added, slapping me on the back as I reeled. "Stain turned and fled the second she started churning the tides."

"The fact he's still out there doesn't put me at ease, Barges," I grumbled, folding my arms and rubbing my chin. He considered me for a moment before nodding.

"Well, I didn't tell you this to worry you. Look at it like this," he leveled his hand at me. "She handled herself just fine, and now that cretin has only a single ship to his name." I grimaced at his words but slowly nodded.

"Right," I murmured. Before I could sink further into worry, Bay Leaf cleared his throat.

"Admiral," he demanded, drawing our attention to him. He raised an eyebrow and looked Barges up and down. "I believe this minotaur is a known pirate, Sir." My head cleared up instantly.

"Is he?" I huffed, recoiling and looking at Barges for a moment. I turned back to Bay Leaf with a wide frown. "What piracy has he committed under our watch?" He blinked and slowly shook his head.

"Under our watch? Well," he murmured, at which I nodded and turned to Barges.

"Sir, what is your business in this sea?" I demanded.

"Simply passing through to resupply before continuing to the Minos Plains, Admiral," Barges replied, brushing off his chest with his knuckles. I hummed and slowly nodded.

"Nothing illegal there," I said with a hard shrug leveled at Bay Leaf. He recoiled before rolling his eyes with a grunt, at which I smirked and slapped Barges on the back. "But here! Come and have a drink and let's discuss your voyage up to this point."

I leaned on my charting table with my chin resting on one arm, slowly twisting the points of my drawing compass on my map, specifically the area around Prance. By now, after several days of repeating this idle behavior, the map had a proper circle slice through to the table beneath, but we never left the Celestial Sea, so who cares? I clamped the compass shut and reclined in my seat with a hard sigh that immediately turned to a groan when Bay Leaf pounded on my door again.

"Admiral, we've sighted the Isles, but something's wrong," he reported in an urgent and uncertain tone. "There's visible smoke rising from Eagleland, and a few ships are sinking off the coast." I sat up and caught my breath.

"What?" I murmured. Then he pounded on the door again.

"Admiral, lookouts just reported that there's a ship coming this way," he added. "It seems to the Admiral Bell, Sir."

Soon after, I paced the deck of the ship near where Bell was boarding, my eyes locked on the scene further ashore and occasionally drifting to the fortress looming above the town. Once Bell was on deck, my attention fell upon him and I flinched upon seeing the weary and annoyed look in his eyes.

"The garrison is dead, Cutter," he groused, turning and glaring at the fortress. "We woke up this morning to those guns going off and destroying a few fishing boats off the southern shore as well as putting a hole through one of our trade ships that was cruising by." I snarled and grabbed the rail.

"Who the hell is up there?!" I yelled before a paper was shoved up at me by Bell.

"One of the bastards showed up in Trottingham and handed us this," he grumbled. I took it and read its contents, which resulted in a steadily bubbling fury deep inside my chest.

I am Captain Charcoal Stain of the Royal Fortune.

The Admiral Protector of this island has offended me and threatened my practice. For this, I have cause to seize this fortress by way of slaughter and use its armaments to threaten and destroy all ships attempting to find port upon this island. You will find scattered at her door the remains of those who attempted to hinder me and may take these as a warning.

My efforts will continue until either my allies abroad come and aid me in converting this island into a permanent base of operations for my practice or the Admiral Protector of this island surrenders himself to me.

I have spoken.

I growled hard and reeled as my gaze drifted from Bell to the sea and then up to the fortress. However, just before I slipped from the brink of boiling rage, I paused and looked up to see the smoke rising from the town and an icy dread quenched my anger. "Where's Blood Orange?"

Chapter 24

The giant three-masted ship slowly turned, obviously preparing to relocate, but whether it intended to enter the firing range of the fort's guns was yet to be seen. Stain snorted as he peered at the ship through his spyglass—If James Cutter still had any sense, he'd know better.

"Bell just circled around out of our range to get to him and then circled back," Ceder, his earth pony quartermaster reported, causing Stain to stow his glass and shake his head.

"Cutter probably sent him off with a message for us," he grunted, casting a critical eye down on the block of Eagleland houses he'd set fire to. Though the town had evacuated to Trottingham when he first revealed his presence, the smoke still sent a powerful message. "If he's smart, it'll be telling us where we can collect him after he surrenders." He again considered the frigate in the distance as Seder's ears swiveled.

"Captain, are you sure this is wise?" Ceder finally asked, drawing Stain's attention back to him. He nodded to the west. "This close to Equestria and threatening Cutter's interests?" He grimaced and leered at the ship.

"You know what he's like," he added in a murmur. Stain frowned hard and glanced back at the yard of the fortress where his crew was busy lazing about. Upon seeing he was staring a few scowled and began whispering.

"We're in dire straits, Ceder. Because of him and that lanky furball he was sweet on," Stain finally replied, turning back to his quartermaster. "We need something to level the playing field before we're overtaken." He smirked and leered at the ship.

"Besides, if he tries to make landfall here or at Trottingham, we can pulverize either town," he said with a grim chortle. "If he tries to get in range, we'll gun him down. We're set and have the advantage." Ceder hummed and considered the ship as well.

After a silent period, Stain hissed a sigh. "All I want's the crown, Cutter. So, hobble on up here and-" At that moment, one of his hippogriff crewmates came flying up with a letter in his claw.

"Captain, a pegasus just delivered a message, sir," he reported, handing the message to Stain. The earth pony snatched it and sat before skimming the contents. However, he didn't even clear the first line before smirking.

"Hah!" He barked before trotting up to the edge of the wall overlooking the yard and shouting to get his crew's attention. "Alright, colts! Dear Admiral Cutter has seen fit to respond to our provocation! Let's see what he has to say." He cleared his throat and read the letter aloud.

My name is James Cutter.

I have had command of the Eagleland fortress for some months now and know its strong points and its weaknesses.

If Charcoal Stain does not remove himself from my fortress, I will use my ship's artillery to grind it down to its foundations. My ship is now set to the south and west of the fortress, where no guns have been placed. The freshness of the repairs we have performed upon the wall in that spot prevented us from bolstering them, lest the wall cave in from their weight.

You have twenty-four hours to depart this island.

A dreadful silence followed as Stain's voice slowly trailed off. His jaw hung slightly and he blinked before leering to the side and at the point the letter claimed was vulnerable. Then, his eyes snapped to the distant ship and the direction it was currently drifting.

"You guessed wrong again, Stain," one of the ponies down below shouted.

I stretched and cracked my back as we disembarked from Bell's ship. As short as the trip had been, it was still cramped due to the sheer number of soldiers we'd piled aboard. Our trick of sneaking so many fighters into Trottingham might not have been as comfortable as the time I invaded the island using rowboats, which apparently was how Stain also got ahold of my fort, but if all went according to my scheme, it would be worth it.

But that could all wait. Stepping off the gangplank and onto the streets of Trottingham, Bell and his team led me down the shore to a very hastily erected tent city, in which dozens of displaced ponies all lingered.

"Here they are. All the refugees from Eagleland," he reported, scanning the crowd. "Ah! And there she is, as promised." I looked up and passed the many pairs of fearful eyes aimed my way before gasping in relief and rushing across the camp.

At some point, Orange noticed me too, and took off galloping forward to meet me. As soon as she was in arms reach, I nearly dove into her and scooped her up in a tight hug. "Hey! I-" She squeaked before sighing quietly and squirming to get her legs free before hugging my neck. "I'm okay, Jim. I'm okay." I sat on one knee, just holding her for a while until Bell cleared his throat. Turning, I saw him standing beside me with a firm look in his eyes.

"You certain leaving the Golden Goose with so few mates is a good idea?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's to say he doesn't see through your ruse?" I blinked and shared a look with Orange, at which she smiled before squirming out of my grasp. I sighed before standing up, and considering both the camp that was watching us as well as the gathering of officers that had followed Bell.

"An old associate reported that Stain's fleet recently suffered a crippling defeat during which he turned tail and ran," I replied, folding my arms as I turned my attention to Bell. "The Pirates of Naysow are many things, Admiral. But we prided ourselves on every mate having a say." I leered at the fortress which was just barely visible from where we stood.

"Right now, the sailors who dared invade this island with him are wondering if their faith in him is sound," I added, turning to the officers and gesturing toward the fort. "And while they scramble to figure out whether I was lying about the weakness of that fort, we'll have time to march up there and drag them into the light." The officers nodded at my words and I pointed at our soldiers waiting near the docks.

"We need flying volunteers willing to zip up and over the walls to try and get the gate open," I declared, wagging a finger as I did. Orange perked up, but I gave her an uneasy look and shook my head. She paused before wilting with a nod and so I turned back to the officers. "Triple wages to any who dare." Bell sputtered and glanced up at me.

"Triple-!" He huffed before I gave him a firm look. He snorted and nodded. "Ha! Aye! Triple!" One of the officers gave a salute before turning to find our volunteers.

"Alright. Get them the best knives and armor we can spare," I said to another officer and pointed at the ship. "Let's get some of the lighter guns from your ship rolled ashore." Another set of salutes signaled their departure so I clapped my hands at them.

"Quickly now! With a will!" I yelled, striding forward and leering at the fortress. "Every second we lose is a second they have to settle their dispute!"

Long before we ever cleared the forest between Eagleland and Trottingham, we heard the boom of the fort's guns thundering. Notably, the noise seemed to be aimed away from us, implying that they were desperately firing upon the Golden Goose. When our small army came upon a small and terrified host of pirates desperately fleeing through the woods, that mostly confirmed my plan had worked. Most of them surrendered immediately upon seeing our numbers and myself, but a couple turned back.

As a result, by the time we arrived at the road leading up to the fortress gates, the pirates had already mustered and immediately took a few shots at us with their crossbows from atop the wall. Using the trees as cover, we shot back at them while our gun crews hauled the six cannons we'd dragged with us into position.

Unfortunately, despite the abject panic that we'd set the crew into, two of the wall's guns that were already aimed our way suddenly erupted and blasted down into the woods at us. As I was further back in the woods with the rest of the officers, I got a good view as the pair of hot iron balls smashed through trees and personnel, before one smashed a cart of gunpowder. The sight caused me to catch my breath, but luckily the powder didn't ignite.

"Let's avoid a repeat of that," I huffed before whistling. "Volunteers! Earn your pay!" The teams of pegasi we'd recruited shared a look and murmured to each other before falling into a chant. Amping themselves up for a moment, one of them cried out and then took off toward the open field between the forest and the fort. More bolts shot out to meet them and a few were pinned to the ground by lucky shots as the rest of the team spread their wings and leaped into the sky.

"Cannons ready!" One of our gun crews shouted.

"Clear the wall for our fliers!" Bell shouted. Six blasts rang through the forest as they hammered the upper battlements. Peering up at the wall, I huffed at the sight of a jagged hole torn through a row of merlons atop the wall. Elsewhere along the wall, pirates were running or seemed to be diving off the wall entirely.

All in all, it gave our fliers the perfect chance to dive into the courtyard and so I whistled again. "We've got a chance! Be ready to charge!" I ordered, at which our soldiers grouped up and fixed the fort with steely glares. "Gun crew! Keep the wall clear! Fire at will!" While our cannons fired off a few more times, the fort never responded and after a few minutes, the door suddenly rattled and cracked open just a little. I snapped forward and drew my cutlass.

"Charge!"

Losing their defensive advantage proved to be the final straw for most of Stain's crew, and within just tens of minutes of us breaching the gate, we had the thirty-some-odd lot of them rounded up and tied down in the middle of the yard. A few with wings had managed to escape into the sky before soaring away from the island entirely, but overall the fort was ours and so Bell and I elected not to pursue them.

Instead, we stood side by side before the leader of our little insurgency, who was bound in thick iron chains and leered up at me. "Captain Cutter," Stain huffed, wincing and trying to rub his side where he'd been kicked and slammed during the attack. When I just stared down at him, he snorted.

"You know, I thought I had you figured, Cutter," he grunted, glaring hatefully up at me. "I was certain if I offed your floozy, you'd come running." I blinked once and twisted my head with a quiet hum, the sight evidently pleasing him as he chortled.

"Had a whole plan laid out with a pair of fireships, and mortars, and everything," he added with a grin as my gaze fell upon his crew. Many of them wilted at my attention, but a few glared right back at me, and even fewer smirked. "And you turned around and ran to the princess." I hummed again and clicked my teeth as I struggled to overcome the anger bubbling inside my chest. Bell noticed my struggle and gently patted my leg.

"Can't tell you how sour the company was when we realized we were waiting for nothing," Stain added with a sharp hiss, shaking his head. "Nearly spoiled my reputation, you did!" I flinched and leered down at him.

"Your reputation?" I murmured, causing him to shoot me a sneer.

"Aye. Like it or not, I was quite close to matching your legend," he said with a humph, causing my eyebrows to slowly drift upward. His sneer turned to a grim smirk. "Burning a fellow alive here or there will do that." I blinked again and slowly glanced to the side before shaking my head at him.

"I don't give a fuck about my 'legend,'" I huffed, throwing up a hand. "I only use it to make my current job easy." He recoiled before glaring hard at me.

"Well, that explains a whole hell of a lot, don't it?" He spat, jostling his chains as he leaned toward me. "And clears the water betwixt us two." I raised an eyebrow as he glared.

"'Cause I do care about my legend," he added in a hiss. "And you slightin' it is just as bad as anything I've ever-" I cut him off by suddenly snapping down and seizing him by the snout.

"If you had just carried on and left me be, you'd be fine," I snarled, earning a grunt from him as I squeezed his mouth. I jabbed a quivering finger into his chest, enunciating every word with another jab. "But you chose to reinsert yourself into my life. You chose to put yourself within my grasp." I sucked a breath through my teeth as he struggled against my grip.

"You chose," I paused and clenched my eyes, gulping down my breath before letting out a shuddering sigh. After a moment, I fixed him with a weary leer. "You chose to nearly make it all for nothing." I relaxed my grip and slowly stood up straight, causing him to fall over with a hiss as he worked his jaw.

"Admiral Bell, I have a query," I declared, standing with my hands on my hips.

"Speak, Admiral Cutter," Bell replied.

"Though we are technically the same rank in naval terms, I note that I have a unique title compared to you," I said in an even tone as I continued to stare down at the pirate, who was glancing between me and Bell.

"Aye, Sir. Lord Admiral Protector of the Isles," Bell confirmed, causing me to slowly nod.

"In situations regarding specifically the Isles, do I have a greater scope of authority?" I asked, earning a barking laugh.

"If it were not so, I would have provided more pushback to your earlier scheme for uprooting these scallywags!" He chirped, causing a bitter grimace to fall upon me.

"Good," I growled. I leered at Stain for a few seconds before speaking, allowing the idea I'd concocted to fully develop. "Charcoal Stain, you robbed me of that which I love and made me fear that you'd done so again. So I see it as only fitting that I respond in kind." I bent over him and raised a single finger.

"I will rob you of that which you love most," I added in a dire tone. He blinked before snorting.

"Hoh, and what do you believe that to be, hey?" He chortled.

"Your legacy," I hissed, standing up straight. He recoiled at my answer, so I continued. "In the future, say a thousand years from now, they will talk about you." I slowly paced to the side, gesturing as I spoke.

"Some scholastic youth will engage his friends with a question," I explained, glancing back and down at him. "'Have you ever heard of Charcoal Stain?' He will ask." I turned to face him as I continued.

"And they will retort, 'You mean the stallion who angered James Cutter?'" I added before kneeling right before him. He looked at me with an angry, bewildered expression. "What I do today will cement you solely and eternally as but a footnote in my story." I stared at him long enough for my words to finally unsettle him and his expression softened to one of concern. At that point, I stood up straight and folded my arms.

"Admiral Bell," I snapped. "I require wood for burning and a great deal of it. And a shovel." The soldiers around us murmured as the pirates all shared a nervous look.

"For what?" Bell hummed.

"I hereby invoke my authority as Lord Admiral Protector of the Isles and sentence the crew of Charcoal Stain, in its entirety, to be burned alive, here in this fort," I declared, silencing all the whispers and earning a look of horror from everyone present. Despite that, a grim smile came upon my face. "As for Stain himself." Stain flinched and looked up at me in terror.

"He is to be bound, blindfolded, hobbled, and buried up to his neck, just at where the tide reaches, so that he may experience the sensation of drowning repeatedly," I added, slowly stalking toward him, and wagging a finger slowly.

"But under no circumstance is he permitted to die," I hissed, finally standing before him and kneeling to his eye level. "Not until I've forgotten my grudge upon him." His jaw slowly sagged open as I beamed at him.

"And I still remember the name of the street vendor I passed on the way to work over a decade ago," I added with a chuckle, narrowing my eyes as he grunted. "His name was Edgar. I'll try to remember some of the recipes he worked with so we can keep you fed. But just barely." Silence fell upon the yard as Stain wilted before me. After a long while, Bell cleared his throat.

"This all seems a bit extreme, Cutter," he hummed, causing me to shoot to my full height and whirl around to him.

"Oh very!" I said in a grave tone with a nod. "But we've just had a pirate company invade our island and nearly render it uninhabitable." I shot Stain one final smirk as I spoke.

"Extreme methods for discouraging copycats are permitted, I feel," I declared.

"Goodness me," Bell huffed before laughing. "Well! He has a point and the authority besides. Chop-chop, lads! Let's get to cooking." He clapped his hooves and began gesturing to the soldiers. A few of them shared an eager look before smirking at the pirates before galloping off to follow my orders, but most wilted and stalked away slowly.

The pirates for their part immediately fell into cries for mercy and sobbing a few trying to break their bonds to no avail. Stain meanwhile just looked at me in horror before sinking onto his side.

"Aw, hell," he finally huffed.

I took a gentle swig of the bottled lemonade we'd recently started manufacturing in Eagleland as I made my way to Orange's room. I hadn't been home in a few weeks, so after meeting with the Coast Guard and visiting my favorite prisoner, I was eager to see her again. Upon arriving at her door, I found it sitting ajar, revealing the simple but colorful decor she favored as well as the fluffy blue bed upon which she now sat with her back to me. Her ear swiveled my way as I entered, so I knew she was awake.

"There you are," I chirped as I made my way in. "This quarter's convention was very telling, I do declare!" She made no movement as I set my drink down and took off my coat.

"We haven't had so much as a sniff of trouble even as far south as Mount Aris," I declared with a hum before glancing over my shoulder at her. "I didn't get a chance to tell you when I made landfall Wednesday! I actually had a smuggler surrender immediately upon seeing me." I laughed as I made my way to her bed.

"I didn't even realize he was a smuggler, so I didn't move to intercept him! Fucker just raced toward us with a white flag billowing! Caught me by total surprise," I sighed as I kicked off my shoes. "Ah, and Gray has been very agreeable, lately thanks to my success. The Council has even-"

However, the second I sat down, she scurried to her hooves and leaped away from me. I looked at her in surprise only to wilt when I saw the unhappy sideways leer she had fixed me with.

"What?" I murmured. She held her expression for a moment before blinking and shaking her head.

"It's enough," she croaked, wincing and clearing her throat before looking at me again. "It's enough. She wouldn't want it to go on any longer." I looked at her in confusion, my eyes working as I pondered what she was talking about. Then, it clicked, and I groaned, leveling a hand at her.

"He almost-"

"It's enough!" She screamed.

We sat there for a while, me looking at her in surprise and her glaring tearfully back at me. Eventually, my arms sagged and I slowly stood up. Dragging my hand down my face, I leered at her as she winced and shook her head firmly. My expression hardened, but I turned and made for the door with a grunt.

Snow was beginning to fall, and as I stalked down the street toward the beach, I idly huffed a gout of thin steam into the air. My gaze kept snapping back to the manor as I made my way through the town and finally to the shore, where a familiar sight of two guards and their mostly buried prisoner was waiting, just at the point where the doubtlessly cold water was beginning to drift in.

His sack-covered head weakly drifted side-to-side, clear evidence of the delirium he was experiencing after three weeks of punishment. The two guards I'd ordered to stand watch kept their attention fixed on the horizon, but the uneasy look in their eyes as I stood before the three of them told me everything.

Drawing my sword, I knelt down and grabbed the entombed stallion's head, holding it back. He grunted and and tensed up at my touch, but was too weak to fight me off. I leveled my sword and pressed it down into where I knew his chest was. He tensed up again with a weak and wheezing gurgle before sputtering and then going limp. After a minute, I pressed my fingers against his neck, confirming he was gone. As I stood and withdrew my sword, one of the soldiers whimpered.

"Thank you," he quietly sobbed.

"Fuck off," I spat, before stalking back to my house, idly dragging my sword along the ground as I marched.

From the balcony, I leered down at the house staff as they held their private celebration in the snowy backyard of the manor. Silver was up on one of the tables and dancing with Maple, the head maid. All around the patch they were partying upon were little candles in green and red paper lanterns or glass bulbs that shimmered beautifully in the moonlight. The rest of the manor and most of the island were similarly decorated.

Despite the festive mood, I found myself just feeling cold, so I stalked toward the door before making my way inside. The sweet smell of the simple two-person dinner they'd prepared for me and Orange wafted out to greet me as soon as the door opened and caused me to pause before considering the hall on my left. Halfway up it, the door to the library sat ajar and there was flickering candlelight visible from where I stood.

I lingered there for a moment before making my way to the library. Inside, I found Orange, sitting and reading. She peeked up at me for a moment before returning her attention to her book. "Merry Pony Christmas," I greeted from the door.

"It's Hearth's Warming," she corrected.

"Right," I hummed, leaning on the doorframe with my hands folded. "You coming to dinner?"

"I already ate," she replied, turning a page sharply.

"Again?" I huffed. She nodded and that was the last bit of communication between us for a little while. Eventually, I furrowed my brow and shook my head, fixing her with an incredulous glare. "You know what we did to griffins during the war?"

"Kinda," she retorted, shutting her book with a huff. She sat up and stared pointedly at me. "But I also know there was always a reason for why you did it."

"And there was a reason this time too," I snapped, folding my arms as I glared back at her.

"Yeah," she nodded. "You hated his guts." I threw my head back with a groan and then shook it.

"That's not-"

"No, it is," she snapped, jabbing a hoof at me. "You said that whole bit about scaring off copycats so Admiral Bell wouldn't complain. But the truth is you just wanted him to suffer." She winced and clenched her eyes.

"And I'm sorry, Jim," she murmured, pausing before speaking again. "I'm not the kind of girl who appreciates knowing it was for her sake." Her gaze drifted off to the side.

"Celestia knows Amethyst wasn't," she quietly added. I held my firm glare upon her for a little while. Slowly, however, her argument chipped at my resolve and I slowly wilted, sinking down and sitting on the floor. I sat there with my hands folded on my knees, staring at the floor.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. At that moment, she revealed she'd crept up beside me and nuzzled me.

"Don't be sorry," she urged. "Be better." I turned toward her with a miserable look and she nodded, touching her hoof to my shoulder.

"I get you've lost a whole lot," she shook her head with a sharp frown. "But you didn't even lose me and this is how you reacted." She took a step back and sat down.

"Killing him would've been plenty," she added, shrugging with her wings. "Heck, I might've even thought it was kind of hot." I snorted at her words, earning a small smile from her before she frowned again.

"But burning his crew and then torturing him for the better part of a month?" She sighed and shook her head. "That's something that creep Arnoso would've done." I recoiled hard at her words. When she nodded, I wilted even harder and sighed.

"Ah," I finally grumbled. After a moment, she came up and hugged my arm.

"I- I hope life's done screwing with you," she said, nuzzling my arm before looking up at me severely. "But if it throws a few more sour lemons your way, please." She tilted her head with a weak smile.

"Try to be reasonable?" She begged, sweeping her hoof to the side. "Like when we got Dreadless. Quick, clean, easy." She jabbed me in the chest.

"Justly," she added with a firm nod. I took a deep breath and slowly nodded as I exhaled.

"Justly," I murmured. We sat there for a moment before her expression shifted and her ear swiveled.

"Somepony broke through the gate," she said with a firm look. In an instant, we were to our hooves and feet and making our way to the foyer. Along the way, I grabbed a spare cutlass I kept hanging at the top of the stairs before we dashed to the door. As soon as we reached the floor, the door rattled from someone pounding on it.

Raising my cutlass and sharing a look with Orange, I leaped to the window beside the door and peered outside. There, I spied a pony in a cloak, rearing up and jabbing their hooves against my door. Suddenly, they turned and recoiled upon seeing me before turning away and I snarled before jumping for the door.

"Hey!" I shouted as I yanked it open.

"Be good," they whispered before bolting away from the door. We were just about to give chase when Orange caught me and pointed to where the intruder had just been.

There, in a little basket and wrapped in blankets, was a tiny white filly, barely a foal, with a red mane, lightly dusted with snowflakes. She looked up at me and blinked, tilting her head to the side. As she did, I noticed a note stuck to her side. Furrowing my brow, I bent over and plucked it from her, causing her to recoil slightly. Orange craned her head up to read it alongside me.

This is Lily.

Her father left Trottingham to become a pirate after the war and sent us money. His letters and gifts stopped coming a year ago, and I was unable to keep our home.

Our new home in Eagleland was destroyed by the pirates. I am now leaving this place and its memories behind, but I cannot afford to take her with me nor could I provide for her either way.

Despite what you have done, I believe it was motivated by an aching, fearful, and loving heart. I saw the look in your eyes when you and that mare hugged, after all.

Please love her in my place, Admiral, and protect her and care for her with all the fury you yield for those you love.

Sincerely,
A desperate failure of a mother.

Orange fell onto her haunches with a hoof over her mouth as I balked at the letter's contents. We shared a look before considering the filly again. The little pony blinked a few times before looking off toward the gate and making a sort of squeaky, wheezing whimper. "Mama?" She murmured before her ears twitched and she squeaked again.

"Aw, hell," I murmured.

Chapter 25

Having been fed by one of the maids, the orphaned filly sat in the middle of our lounge, idly pawing at one of the handful of wooden holiday ornaments we'd given her to play with. Not far away, I sat on one of our sofas with Orange beside me, as Silver and the two of us watched the little creature.

"Poor dear's awful strong," Silver declared with a sigh. "She hasn't even cried once." She spread her wings and reared up before stamping her hooves at the collection of little decorative ponies and animals causing one of them to fall over.

"We're preparing a guest room for her, with someone to watch her during the night as you requested," Silver added, turning his attention to me. "In the morning, I'll begin making preparations for her trip."

I furrowed my brow without taking my eyes off her. "What trip?"

"We don't have an orphanage here. She'll have to be transported to the mainland," he explained with a hum before casting a smile at the filly. "A cute little thing like her will find a happy home in no time, I'm sure."

"Good," I replied at which Silver bowed to me and made his way out. The filly looked up and watched him go before sitting down and staring at me. Humming, I raised an eyebrow and turned to Orange, who I discovered was also staring at me, though much more intensely. "What?"

"We could keep her," she urged with a desperate tone and look in her eyes. I blinked and slowly shook my head.

"No?" I murmured.

"Yeah," she demanded. I groaned and rubbed my eyes.

"Lady, I'm not meant to be a father," I declared, at which she scooted closer and nudged me.

"Nopony is their first time!" She argued. "C'mon!"

"She's not a puppy, you dope," I grumbled, staring at the ceiling.

"Nah, but her momma wanted you to have her!" She said, laying down and beating the side of my leg with her hooves. "Please?" Before I could argue further, I tilted my head to leer at Orange only to spot the filly at my feet. When she saw I was looking, she reared up and started hopping in place at my knees.

"What's she doing?" I huffed.

"I think she wants up," Orange squeaked in response, her eyes full of stars as she watched the filly.

"Why?" I grumbled, earning a punch in the shoulder for daring to ask.

"I dunno! Pick her up, you jerk!" Orange hissed.

"I-" I grunted and looked between Orange and the filly before finally sighing and picking the little pegasus up with my hands tucked under her forelegs. However, once I had her up, she started kicking and squirming until I finally set her down in my lap. "Okay." I stared down at the filly as she stared right back, tilting her head to and fro as she studied me.

"I think she's mesmerized by how freaky your face is," Orange finally offered, drawing a snort from me.

"Fuck you," I huffed, at which Orange smacked my shoulder.

"Not in front of the baby," she hissed.

"Fuch yoo," the baby squeaked, causing Orange's jaw to drop and me to fall into a wheezing fit.

"There, see what you did?" Orange spat as I clutched my fist over my mouth. "We can't send her away now, she's verbally compromised!" After a moment, I caught my breath and shook my head.

"Babies are dumb. She'll forget it," I sighed. The filly stood up and fixed Orange with a firm, scrunched-up frown before pointing at her.

"Fuch yoo yoo yoo, fuch," she declared, pacing around my lap with each word. "Fuch." Orange slowly turned to me and fixed me with a harsh glare as I narrowly restrained my laughter.

"See?" She growled. We shared a look before considering the filly again, who had curled up with a yawn on my lap. "I think she likes you." I hummed quietly before failing to restrain myself and gently petting her wing with a finger. She cracked one eye open to peer at me before curling up and scooting closer to me.

"So?" Orange whispered, drawing my attention to her. She swept a hoof toward the rest of the house. "We got a whole house of staff to help raise her." She wrapped her hooves around my arm.

"And we got each other," she added causing me to furrow my brow and consider the napping filly again. "Plus this is like karma giving you a chance to make up for burning a whole pirate crew alive, probably!" I recoiled with a quiet gasp at her words before shaking my head at her.

"Jesus. Why do you care so much?" I demanded at which point she shot down onto her belly and made goo-goo eyes at the baby.

"She's so little! And precious! And helpless!" She quietly cooed, shuffling her hooves underneath herself. "She's a little darling!" She gasped and shot up to my shoulder

"Let's name her Darling!" She demanded, at which I rolled my eyes.

"Her name's Lily," I grunted, which for some reason caused Orange to pause and look at me in surprise. Slowly, a wry grin worked its way onto her face.

"Lily Darling, then!" She retorted, leaning closer. "Lily Darling Cutter." Her words hit me funny and I found my eyes drifting back to the sleeping filly. As I considered her and Orange's suggestion, a dopey grin flashed across my face for just a moment before I caught myself.

"Heh? What was that look?" Orange hummed, leaning in closer and earning a sideways leer from me. "So?" I held my look for a moment before Lily stirred and drew my attention down to her. She had rolled over to sleep facing me and as soon as I'd noticed, Orange rested her head upon my shoulder.

"Lily Darling Cutter," I murmured, gently brushing Lily's mane with my thumb. "Feels kinda wrong for a guy like me to raise a kid, but it's probably pretty low on the list of wrong things I've done, hey?" Orange squealed quietly as I finally sighed with a nod.

"We'll give it a shot," I declared.

Spring had come and the next quarter's convention was rapidly approaching. I, however, had more pressing things on my mind as I stormed through the door to the backyard, followed by a nervous pair of maids. Outside, I immediately found Silver sitting with a few other maids who also wore anxious faces. Silver, however, seemed unimpressed.

"Where is she?" I demanded, causing him to nod his head upward. I whirled around and clenched my teeth. "Why didn't you stop her?"

"You know how wily she is," he argued. "What do you want from me?" I huffed hard at him before returning my attention to Blood Orange and Lily, high up on the roof of the house. The former was crouched beside the latter and whispering to her as the filly nodded slowly, scanning the ground all the while.

"Blood Orange! What are you doing?" I screamed, causing her to pause and turn to me. Lily beamed at the sight of me and waved.

"Teaching Lily how to fly!" Orange argued.

"She's too small!" I cried, at which the bat pony scoffed and spread her wings. Lily glanced at her before spreading her wings as well.

"This is how my momma taught me to fly!" Orange argued, causing me to throw my head back with a sharp groan.

"What, when you could barely string a proper sentence together?" I spat, resting my hands on my hips.

"You don't even have wings!" Orange spat, causing me to hiss. I rolled up my sleeves and climbed up the support of the rear balcony.

"You won't either when I get my hands on you!" I strained before rolling onto the balcony. Huffing and puffing, I stood up and held my arms up to Lily. "Lily! Come here, c'mon!" The filly considered me for a moment before turning to Orange. She glanced between us a few times before scrunching her muzzle and then sticking her tongue out at me.

"Nyeh!" She replied causing me to wilt.

"Hah! You tell him, Lily!" Orange cheered before flapping her wings and hovering off the roof. "C'mon, do like I showed you." Lily adopted a determined frown as she spread her wings.

"Shit," I hissed, slowly back up as she began bouncing. "Shit! Shit!"

"Cutter!" Orange chided. Just then, Lily jumped and I leaped up to try and catch her, catching my leg on the balcony rail.

"Crud!" I cried as I tumbled back and fell. Several screams rolled up to greet me as I landed on something that squawked in Silver's voice. I lay there in pain, wheezing as my lungs slowly accepted the concept of air again. A gentle fluttering sound filled my ears and when I finally opened my eyes, I saw Lily fluttering just above me.

"Ba'wor. No!" She chided, jabbing a hoof at me over my profanity. My head sank back to the ground with a groan.

My steadily growing filly glared down at me from the rafters above the stairwell, having long since discovered the fact that, as it turned out, the grumpy old man who was raising her couldn't fly. I huffed and placed my hands on my hips.

"Lily. Get down from there, now," I ordered.

"No!" She shot back.

"Why not?" I hummed, raising an eyebrow.

"You're gonna make me go to the school," she declared, folding her hooves over her mouth while still glaring at me. "I don't wanna."

"Why not?" I asked, smirking as I spied the individual she failed to factor in when she chose to hide out of my reach.

"'Cause," Lily grumbled.

"'Cause why?" I pressed.

"'Cause," she insisted with a humph.

"Hey, Lily?" I asked.

"What?" She huffed.

"Boo," Orange peeped as she popped up right behind her. Lily sprang forward from her hiding spot with a yelp and fell all the way down into my waiting arms.

"There we go. Let's get you ready for school," I chirped as I carried my mortified filly to her room, followed behind by Orange who giggled at the sight. When Lily eventually recovered she humphed and folded her forelegs.

"I don't wanna," she grumbled with a pouting frown.

"Why not, Sugarfly?" Orange asked, draping herself on my shoulders. Lily squeaked and waved her hooves at us.

"I wanna stay home with you and Papa," she declared, fixing me with a sad frown. "Papa has to go on the water again soon!"

"Yeah, that can't be helped, but think about it like this," I said as we turned into her room. "If you start going to school, one day they might let you go on the water with me." As Orange flew from my back to Lily's wardrobe, Lily looked at me in surprise.

"Really?" She squeaked.

"Sure," I replied, setting her down on her bed as Orange got her clothes ready before I knelt on one knee. "In fact, I tell you what: You do real good in school this first year, and next spring I'll bring you on a short cruise. Deal?" I held my hand out to her and she considered it for a moment before nodding.

"Deal," she said, hooking her hoof around my fingers and shaking my hand.

Unexpectedly, after her first cruise, Lily had taken a serious interest in the finer details of how my ship worked. And so, as the crew unloaded in the recently completed Eagleland harbor, I continued our educational tour of the ship.

"Okay," I murmured as I led her to a bit of the rigging before tugging on a rope. "So, what is this?"

"A line," she chirped with a bright smile. I nodded before tilting my head back.

"Which is what?" I pressed, causing her to pause.

"Uhm," she tapped her chin before slowly nodding. "A rope that does a thing on the ship."

"Good," I purred with a smile that she quickly matched. I nodded at the line in question. "Can you tell me what this line does?" She blinked and looked up at the mainmast.

"I got my sails mixed up, but it moves that one on top," she said after pointing to the sail. I laughed and clapped.

"Good," I declared before considering the sail in question. "And you were close without even realizing it. That's a topgallant." I turned back to see her now just staring up at the clouds.

"You listening?" I asked.

"Mhm," she hummed, still staring off.

"Lily?" I pressed.

"Huh?" She squeaked, blinking back to reality. I nodded my head at the sails.

"What's that sail called?" I asked. She tilted her head and considered the sail again.

"Gallant," she declared before jolting and raising a hoof. "Ah, topgallant." She offered me a smile with her answer and I nodded.

"Good," I declared before noticing her eyes kept drifting skyward. "What's on your mind?" She continued staring for a moment before snapping her wings and turning back to me.

"What if we put wings on your ship?" She eagerly asked, spreading her wings. "Make it so it can fly like Momma Orange and I do?" I tilted my head at her question and she fluttered her wings to fly up to my eye level.

"Wouldn't that be better? We can turn and zip around way better," she added, demonstrating her maneuverability and causing me to laugh.

"That would be nice," I replied before wagging a finger. "You'd need some pretty big wings to pull it off though. And keeping them flapping would be a challenge in and of itself." I folded my arms and leaned on the rail which she had perched upon.

"Taking off would be a real pain, too," I continued causing her to bring a hoof to her chin in thought. Then she jumped with a gasp.

"Oh! Oh! What about lanterns?" She cried, desperately prancing in place. "You know, like those paper ones we use at Hearth's Warming?" She paused and scowled.

"How do those work?" She said in a tone she used when she was asking herself rather than us. After a moment she jolted and fixed me with a bright smile. "Like we put a big candle inside and tie a string from the boat to the lantern?" I hummed in approval with a nod.

"Makes sense," I declared, before winking. "Still have to use a pretty big lantern and candle, though." I huffed hard and shook my head at her.

"And good luck convincing any navy officer to cough up the coin to pay for it," I said leaning in to whisper. "Budgets and all that." She frowned hard and stamped her hoof.

"I hate budget meetings. You always come home all grumpy when they happen," she declared, causing me to laugh and scoop her into a hug.

"Yeah! I hate 'em too," I replied.

"Papa!" Lily squealed as she shot into my chest the second I cleared the front door. As often as this had happened over the past few years, it still left me gasping to her thorough amusement. She nuzzled me a few times before looking up a time. "I thought you'd have to go to a meeting the second you made landfall." I looked at her in surprise before chuckling.

"Hey, hey! You're better at keeping track of that garbage than me! Yeah, we were cutting our return voyage close this time," I said as I adjusted my grip on her. "But I'd rather be here with you and Momma Orange." She beamed before tilting her head.

"Aren't the other admirals going to be upset?" She asked. I snorted as I carried her inside.

"I sent Bay Leaf to report on my behalf," I declared before she squirmed and I set her down. "Honestly, he sailed with me enough that if he can't guess what I think needs done on the sea this quarter, then who can?" I looked around the foyer for Orange before turning back to Lily.

"Momma Orange had to go into town to talk with my teacher," she declared, nodding her head to the door. I recoiled and raised an eyebrow at her.

"You didn't get in trouble did you?" I asked at which she shook her head.

"Mm Mm!" She hummed with an innocent smile. At that moment, Silver came trotting into view.

"No, Sir, she's just been excelling lately, and Ms. Quill was just too eager to share," he declared causing Lily to blush and swish her tail. He nodded his head at me. "Just as I'm all too eager to share the new recipe our cook concocted for you."

"Sounds good. C'mon kiddo," I declared as Silver led us to the dining room. As soon as we'd eaten, Silver brought me a local paper to relax with while Lily practiced writing. I hummed at the mostly dull trade details it initially reported. However, as I reached the second page, I lurched with a quiet gasp. My eyes darted across the print for a moment before focusing and reading it again.

Following the blockade of Litterbox Ridge as we reported two weeks ago, Baron Whitetail, whose holding was directly impacted by the blockade, commissioned Lieutenant Mayflower of the Equestrian Navy. The lieutenant was visiting Abyssinia along with certain nobles attempting to broker a trade agreement with the feline and, seeing it as an opportunity to strengthen the agreement in Equestria's favor, accepted the baron's request, armed a pair of sloops, and set off to locate and arrest the pirate Catarina.

Despite rumors of Catarina possessing magic that controls the tides, Mayflower and his consort were not deterred. Instead, knowing that she had fled into a particularly rocky area, full of places to hide, Mayflower had his consort ship sail ahead a decent distance in order to signal him ahead of time if they spotted the pirate.

When the consort spotted her and signaled to Mayflower, who being further back was hidden from the pirate's view, he acted quickly.

Mayflower ordered the majority of his crew below decks. As a result, when the pirate sailed forth to engage either ship, seeing Mayflower was evidently weaker and had already run up a white flag, she chose to board his ship.

The trap was sprung, and Mayflower's crew erupted from below, quickly surrounding and overcoming Catarina's crew.

The Abyssinian herself fought on, using her magic to toss the ship, but it afforded her little advantage. She was run through three times before she finally fell to the deck stone dead and the magic amulet which Mayflower discerned was the source of her power, was confiscated.

According to Mayflower, the pirate's final words were "cut her" though the individual she was threatening is not at this time known.

I slowly sank against the back of my chair in a mild daze. "Shit," I quailed.

"Bad word," Lily chirped with a giggle. When I didn't reply she looked up at me. "Papa?" I slowly set the paper on the table and stared ahead.

"You read something sad?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Yeah," I whispered, my hand slowly brushing the page. "A friend of mine died." She recoiled and then wilted.

"Oh," she murmured. After a moment she set her writing tools down and fluttered into my lap before nuzzling me. "I'm sorry." I blinked before hooking my arm around her and hugging her tight.

"Yeah," I huffed, considering the article again. "I'm sorry, too."

"Were they Momma Orange's friend, too?" She asked, to which I nodded. She perked up and tilted her head. "Were they a pirate?" I managed a smile as I nodded.

"Yep. The Flying Gang, like I told you. That was us," I said. My smile wavered as I considered the sketch of her face that went with the article. "Just me now." I was shaken out of my gloom when Lily reared up on my chest.

"We can make a new one!" She declared, causing me to flinch.

"What?" I huffed, fixing her with an incredulous look.

"A new Flying Gang!" She said with a firm expression. "You, me, and Momma Orange!" I blinked at her before uttering a curt laugh.

"Well, well, look at the gumption on you," I said, looking her up and down before poking her in the nose. "You don't even own a boat." She recoiled slightly and frowned at me.

"Yeah, well!" Her head swiveled before falling upon my paper. "I can make one!"

"How?" I demanded with a bemused snort. She pulled a page from my newspaper.

"Folding paper! Watch," she leaned on the table and began folding the page. Before I knew what was happening she whirled around and dropped a little paper boat into my hand. "See? Like that but way bigger!" I balked at the construct and marveled at how shockingly intricate it was.

"Hoo, that's pretty good," I said as I held it up. Amazingly, I discovered it actually unfolded a little to sort of match the shape of a proper sailing ship, without the rigging. "Wow. Where'd you learn that?"

"Huh?" She hummed, tilting her head.

"Did your schoolyard buddies teach you this?" I asked.

"Nuh-uh," she replied, causing me to pause and leer at her.

"What, did you just figure it out?" I huffed, shaking my head.

"Yeah-huh!" She chirped. I paused again, looking at the folded page.

"Really?" I murmured to her, earning an eager nod. "How?" She frowned slightly with a shrug.

"I dunno," she said, gesturing to the rest of the paper. "I saw the lines and the shapes and all that."

"What?" I asked, looking at the paper in abject bewilderment. Seeing my expression she wilted more.

"Uhm," she gently traced along the face of the paper. "I started noticing them everywhere after you showed me your map stuff, like your compass and all that." I flinched at her explanation and looked at her in wonder.

"No kidding?" I huffed, causing her to nod.

"Mhm! I started paying attention and figuring out numbers from them and stuff," she declared before tilting her head. "Why? Isn't that how it works for you?" I barked a laugh in response.

"Heck, no! That's why I need the tools!" I cackled before holding up her construct. "I sure couldn't do this without someone showing me how."

"Really?" She gasped.

"Yeah," I urged. She looked at me in surprise before suddenly humming in a tone like she'd just discovered something for the first time. Then, with a shimmering light and a chime, she gasped and jumped to the floor, inspecting her rear.

"My cutie mark!" She cried.

"Whoa!" I cried as well before flinching at the mark she'd earned. "The heck is that?"

"I dunno," she murmured as she twisted her head this way and that to get a better look at it. I narrowed my eyes at the collection of stylized lines, triangles, and numbers.

"That looks like- Hey, Silver!" I yelled, twisting my head as well to get a better look at her new mark. "Get in here."

"Yes, sir?" Silver replied once he entered the room. Then, he noticed Lily. "Oh hoh!"

"The heck is that?" I demanded, pointing at her mark. He hummed and raised an eyebrow.

"Seems like simple calculus," he replied before beaming. "Ah, a talent for mathematics, perhaps?" Lily beamed as well before I choked.

"Ain't no way," I coughed a laugh before fixing her with a smirk. "Your special talent is being a nerd?" She gasped and recoiled.

"Hey!" She spread her wings and jabbed a hoof at me. "It's not-"

"Nah! Too late!" I cried, jumping forward and sweeping her up, earning a squawk of annoyance from her. "Your talent's being a nerd, and we're gonna go show everyone! C'mon!" To her continued frustration, I charged out of the room, cackling all the while.

Long after Lily had gone to sleep and the excitement of her cutie mark had died down, I found myself standing upon the shore. My gaze drifted up and down the horizon. "Just me," I whispered. Suddenly, Orange nipped at my hand, and I looked down at her. She sniffled and wiped her eyes free of tears before nodding at me.

"Just us," she urged. I considered her for a moment before slowly nodding as well and wiping my eye with a thumb.

"Just us," I replied before kneeling and dropping the bouquet we'd prepared into the tide. As it slowly rolled away, I sank to a sitting position and wrapped an arm around Orange, watching the tide carry it off.

Chapter 26

"Happy birthday!" The entire dining room cheered, much to Lily's embarrassment as she tried harder to bury herself under her hooves on the table. The sight earned a laugh from all the adults, many of whom were the parents of her friends who were in attendance. Eventually, Orange crept up beside her and nudged her, at which point Lily hastily poked her head out and blew out the twelve candles on her cake.

As we applauded for her, I scanned the crowd of attendees. I knew my staff, and I knew Orange, but I couldn't place almost a single fucking one of the ponies who were currently in our home. I moved up beside the only guest who I recognized, who upon seeing me approach, fixed me with a bright smile.

"Thank you for the invitation, James," Celestia said with a slight bow. I nodded my head at her as we stood side by side and watched Lily chatter with her friends. "You've raised a wonderful young lady."

"Thanks," I chuckled, observing Lily with a smile for a moment. Then my eye twitched and I quietly huffed. "Truth be told, I'm scared as hell." Celestia's ear swiveled and she turned to me.

"As close as Cat, Amethyst, Orange, and even my crew and I were," I said, folding my arms. "I dunno." I shook my head hard until Celestia gently brushed my back with a wing, at which point I turned to her.

"I think if something happened to her," I shuddered. "It'd hit different." She hummed with a nod as she gently swept her wing across my back.

"It's understandable to be afraid as a parent," she replied as we watched Lily dance with her friends. "You've invested over a decade of your life into her. Poured most of your being into her." I winced at Celestia's words before she nudged me, drawing my attention to her.

"It's the fact you're capable of fearing for her that proves your love for her is genuine," she said with a warm smile and a nod. "And rest assured—You're no wayward pirate anymore, you're a member of my armed forces. Her safety is a concern for us as well." To my shock, her words offered a degree of comfort and I felt myself relax. As if sensing my weakness, she curtly giggled.

"And considering what occurred when you merely believed somepony had harmed one you love, I think it's best we avoid seeing the results of a genuine attack," she offered with a wry smile. I grunted and looked away.

"You heard about that, huh?" I huffed causing her to scoff.

"James, it was all over the news," she chided, before humming. "And I may have heard members of the post-war council, shall we say, capering over it? Specifically the effect it had on illicit activities along Equestria's eastern coast."

"Capering?" I groused, turning back to her. She nodded with an eye roll.

"To speak freely, they and many others view you in the same light as Discord or Nightmare Moon or Sombra," she explained before fixing me with a sad look. "Thus, the idea of having you be at their command is very appealing to them." I screwed up my face in thought, caught off guard by one of the names she'd used.

"Nightmare- Oh," I grunted upon realizing who that was. I folded my arms with a sigh. "Well, fuck 'em. So long as I get to live in peace with my girls, who cares?" Again she brushed me.

"I care," she replied with a nod. "And I assure you that I am making efforts to sanitize your reputation and shine more light upon your positive traits." She frowned hard and looked off to the side.

"You have certainly not made that easy," she grumbled before perking up at me. "But! Everypony loves a single father and his adorable daughter." I balked at her words.

"Single?" I murmured.

"Technically, yes," she said with a nod. I pursed my lips and considered Orange and Lily.

"Yeah, technically. Fair," I relented before a thought occurred and I folded my arms again. "Speaking of reputation, you know any decent universities?" A few moments passed in silence and so I turned to find Celestia leering with a raised eyebrow at me.

"What?" I asked. She blinked a few times in rapid succession before clearing her throat.

"Do I know of any decent universities?" She parroted, tilting her head toward me with her eyebrows raised. I frowned and nodded.

"Yeah. Do you?" I pressed causing her to recoil with her jaw hanging. She blinked and sputtered before scoffing with a sharp sigh.

"Yes, I know a few," she groused.

A gentle creak was all the warning I received. Before I'd even opened my eyes, I felt the air get punched from my lungs just before my guts stung like they'd been lit on fire. I wheezed out as hard as I could, looking up to see a hooded figure standing atop my bed. Through the corner of my eye, I saw my window was sitting open. That mattered less than the silvery sword currently stabbed into my belly. The figure wrenched their sword out hard enough to send me tumbling off the bed.

As I rolled over flat on my back, all the warmth and strength slowly draining out of me, my attacker slowly stalked closer and loomed over me. My breath caught in my throat.

"Seven lives, Admiral Cutter," Arnoso growled. My vision was going blurry, but I still got a look at his body. Where I'd sliced him, he was crudely and gruesomely stapled together, with a bloody rope bound over the metal bolts holding his hanging and bloated guts together. As I looked up at him in dread, I heard my door crack open. Looking over, I froze. "Cute kid~. She yours?"

"Lily, run!" I croaked, or at least tried to. Instead of heeding me, she stood there, wide-eyed as Arnoso slowly stalked toward her, dragging his sword across the floor as he approached. Then, finally, as he obscured her with his cloak, she screamed.

I jolted and shot to a sitting position. My vision swirled and slowly I realized I was alone in my room. The window was shut, I wasn't stabbed, and Lily was-

I sat there for a while, panting and heaving, struggling to overcome the image of Arnoso flashing through my mind. When I failed, my eyes fell upon my nightstand. With a grimace, I pulled open its drawer and popped open the secret compartment in the drawer's base. Inside, was one of the new vapor sprayers used for fast-acting doses of lucid laurels. I'd snatched it during a smuggling raid a few weeks prior and decided to keep it on a whim. The stuff was still positively booming in the underworld, and so it seemed like every ship we stopped that had illicit goods was carrying.

As I sat there, turning the vaporizer over in my hands, still struggling against the nightmare I'd had, I certainly understood why. Before I could even ponder taking a hit from it, my door slowly creaked open, so I dropped it in my drawer and pushed it shut.

"Papa?" I heard Lily call. Once the door was completely open, I saw Orange leading her in, but once she saw me, her ears shot back and she turned. "Sorry." Orange flinched and then whirled around, catching her with a wing.

"Nah, nah, nah, you were asking for him. Come back," she said, using her wing to push Lily my way. Lily blushed hard and looked away as she rubbed her eye with a hoof. Looking from her to Orange, the latter smiled and gently rubbed Lily's back. "She had a nightmare, in case you didn't hear her scream."

"Yeah?" I murmured, tilting my head. Lily whimpered before nodding slowly. "Me too." Lily looked up at me and blinked before considering my bed. I hummed and scooted further back, at which point, she hopped up beside me, followed by Orange. Lily sat beside me with her head hanging.

"I was-" She croaked and sniffled. "I was on the porch again." I furrowed my brow.

"The porch?" I asked, looking up at Orange who nodded her head towards the front of the house. "Oh." Lily sobbed and rubbed her eyes.

"You shut the door," she squealed. I hummed and pulled her into a hug she hastily returned.

"Well, obviously I didn't," I said, cradling her. "You wanna stay in here, tonight with us?" She nodded, and so I gently set her down before Orange and I made ourselves comfortable on either side of her. Despite giving her space between us, she scooted slightly closer to me.

"Sorry," she hiccuped.

"Nah, don't be," I replied after pulling the blanket over her. "Love you, Lily."

"Love you, Sugarfly," Orange added with a yawn.

"Love you both, too," Lily replied in a quiet murmur.

"Hey, Papa, can we buy several tons of cloudstuff?" Lily suddenly asked. "Maybe a hundred?" I blinked and looked up at my smiling teenage filly from my newspaper.

"Cloud what?" I asked, causing her to smile even brighter.

"Cloudstuff! It's what they build pegasi houses out of," she explained before squinting and tilting her head. "I mean, technically it's just clouds, but when they use it as building material, they call it cloudstuff." She gave me a nod and I furrowed my brow.

"Oh cool," I hummed, scanning the rest of the lounge for any of her friends to see if this wasn't a prank. "Why do you need several to a hundred tons of clouds?" Lily clapped her hooves and dropped a stack of drawings on my lap.

"Okay! So, I was crunching the numbers and I think if we took enough cloudstuff and fixed it under a pegasi-down canopy attached to a small sailing ship, it would float!" She declared, using her wings to sweep the papers around, displaying various designs and equations that I blinked upon seeing. "Then, we could use sails fixed to the sides as oars to catch the wind and make it fly!" I slowly scanned the scattered pages on my lap with a dazed expression.

"Oh," I replied, finally catching on to what she was talking about before nodding. "That's actually pretty neat." Then, I paused.

"Wait, why are we trying to make a ship fly?" I asked, fixing her with a curious frown. She beamed again and spread her wings.

"It'd be a huge innovation! Like, think of the speed of a chariot but with the storage capacity of a ship!" She declared, offering me a bright smile. Despite her smile, I held my frown and considered the numbers on her paper.

"A hundred tons? How much even-" I blinked as she quietly and nervously chuckled before tapping a page with her wing. My frown and eyes widened as I tallied up the zeroes. "Huh."

"It uhm," she cleared her throat and adopted a bashful grin. "It usually costs a lot for non-building purposes, since it's kind of a pain to wrangle and compact."

"Yeah?" I murmured, still blinking at the price tag. "Uh." She waved a hoof.

"Okay, okay, it's alright," she said, offering me a brighter smile. "I just figured I'd check." She giggled as I nodded and handed her her papers. But, before I could respond and before she took her papers, she hummed.

"I just," she took a breath and threw her head back with a squeaking sigh. "Hah. I just remembered being a little filly and being all excited about making a flying boat with you." Her head rolled forward and drooped with a quiet whimper as her wings sagged. She miserably sighed again and slowly began collecting her papers, letting one slip to the floor.

"Whoops, I dropped that one," she sulked. Looking down, I saw that instead of being a ship design or list of calculations, it was a, seemingly, deliberately crudely drawn picture of what must've been me and Lily standing side by side aboard a ship with wings, and surrounded by a big pink heart. I furrowed my brow hard at the picture and fixed her with a critical leer, at which she sulked harder, considering the picture for a moment before looking off to the side with a quiet and subdued and very forced sob.

"You know what they used to call me?" I demanded in a strained growl. She whimpered and shook her head, still looking away. "They called me Throat-Cutter. You know why?" She shook her head again and took a huge breath before sighing even harder. My lip twitched and my gaze fell on the drawing again.

"Cause God damn it, they couldn't see what I'd turn into," I snarled before groaning, snatching the drawing, tucking it into my coat, and rising to leave the lounge. "Silver! Where's a mother fucker buy cloudstuff?" I didn't make it to the door before Lily leaped up onto my shoulders like Orange always did and kissed me on the cheek.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" She squealed, nearly causing my scowl to melt into a smile.

I stood with my hands folded behind my back, my eyes focused on the heavy round clouds hovering just above Trottingham's town hall in the distance. My gaze drifted down to my side, where Lily stood with her head hanging and a heavy blush on her face. Just before both of us, at the gate to my yard, was Admiral Bell, regarding Lily with a sharp and critical leer.

"You're very lucky your father is who he is," he declared, causing her to nod hard. Bell's eyes snapped to me. "Though, I must say his judgment in this matter is somewhat questionable." I shot a smirk back at him, causing him to snort and roll his eyes.

"Now! While I must again reprimand you for causing such a disturbance and scare, I simply have to know," he hummed, drawing Lily's face up. "Where did you get such a craft as the one you crashed into Trottingham's town hall?" She blinked and wilted again.

"I uh," she cleared her throat. "I made it."

"You made it?" Bell gasped, tilting his head back in astonishment. "On your own?"

"Well," Lily murmured, nodding her head at me. "Papa paid for the stuff to make it." Bell furrowed his brow and looked me up and down.

"And did he also pay for the design, or?" He pressed, shaking his head.

"No, that-" Lily grunted and looked away. "That was me. Sorry." Bell shared a look with me that I knew all too well. Then, noticing she was still looking away he turned his head and snorted hard to avoid chortling at the situation. The noise caused Lily to shiver, and he cleared his throat.

"Do you have the designs put to paper?" He finally asked, at which she nodded. "May I see them?" She somehow wilted harder before reaching into her saddlebags and pulling out her papers.

"Sorry," she murmured after turning them over to him. Bell sat and studied them for a moment before slowly nodding.

"I'm going to have to confiscate these for now, I hope you understand," he declared, offering me a wink.

"Yes sir," Lily murmured with her head hanging. Bell tucked the papers into his coat with a huff before glancing back at the rain falling upon the town hall.

"And Cutter?" He said, fixing me with an annoyed leer. "For Celestia's sake, Sir." I shrugged in response as he trotted away. Once he was gone, Lily let out a single, quiet sob before I scooped her up and carried her back inside.

"C'mon," I urged, gently patting her back as she hugged my neck. "Let's go have some ice cream."

Lily continued to prance around the lounge, squealing all the while as Blood Orange covered her ears with her hooves and I gently rubbed her back. Finally after completing another lap, she flew right up and landed between us on the sofa, nearly dropping the letter she'd received earlier.

"I thought Admiral Bell was mad at me! I can't believe he showed my designs to the university!" She cried as she re-read the acceptance letter again. Orange hummed in discomfort as she rubbed the inside of her ear with a hoof.

"Well, like he said," she huffed before smiling at me. "You're lucky your dad's who he is." I smirked at her words and Lily giggled and nuzzled my arm.

"I'm lucky whoever he is," she declared before sighing and leaning against me as she studied the letter again. "Oh wow. The second I'm done with secondary school, I'm in!" My smile vanished and I shrugged slightly.

"Well, not the exact second," I said, causing her to twist her head to look up at me.

"Why not?" She asked as she slowly sank to my lap and began counting off to-dos on her hooves. "I mean yeah, I need to get some things together and wait for my first semester to start up, but nothing is keeping me from starting other than that!" She beamed up at me, but my expression continued to sour.

"Well, it's also in Canterlot," I explained with a frown. "That's- That's pretty far away." Lily tilted her head as Orange fixed me with a concerned look.

"Maybe you take a little break from schooling and just hang out, you know?" I offered with a quiet laugh. In response, Lily blinked and eventually snorted.

"You make it sound like you're scared I'll be gone forever," she chuckled, causing me to sulk a little.

"Maybe a little," I murmured, looking away. I felt Orange scoot closer and nuzzle my arm and after a short period of silence, Lily sat up and hugged my neck.

"I love you, Papa," she muffled as she squeezed me. I slowly hooked my free arm around her and returned the gesture.

"Love you, too, Lily," I replied.

I dragged my hand down my face as I slowly stalked up the path to my front door. The southern sea near Naysow was hot as ever, but due to it being summer, it was especially sweltering. I yanked my uniform jacket off and slung it over my shoulders as I approached the door, but before I could reach for the knob, the door swung open.

"Welcome home, Sir," Silver chirped, holding the door open. "Miss Blood Orange is away doing some shopping and you have a guest." I furrowed my brow, but before I could ask, the air was punched out of my chest.

"Papa!" Lily squealed as I fell flat on my back from her tackling me into a hug. She'd long since outgrown the ability to safely perform that maneuver even before she left for Canterlot.

"Oh my God," I wheezed, slowly hooking my arms around her. "Hey." Despite the pain she'd put me in, I managed a smile as the nostalgic sound of her giggling met my ears. After I recovered and we made our way to the lounge, she hugged up to me as she unloaded detail after detail about her first year at university.

"And then! The freaking unicorns came stomping in, talking all this big talk about 'magic being their specialty' and for us to step aside while they worked!" She snorted hard before her smile returned. "And guess what happened?"

"What?" I chortled, resting my head on my hand.

"They got into an argument about which way to drive the cart and broke the front axle!" She said before cackling and waving her hooves. I couldn't help but laugh along with her, but I settled down first and sat with a warm smile plastered on my face and aimed her way. Eventually, she sighed and nodded. "So yeah. After that, things settled down and here I am!" I nodded at her story and she snapped her wings, glancing off to the lounge's entrance for a moment.

"How've things been with you and Momma Orange?" She asked, causing me to shrug slightly.

"About the same as ever," I said with a nod. "I've been home a lot more since it seems like every quarter there's less to do at sea."

"Ooh, that's fun!" She hummed before raising her eyebrows and scooting up beside me. "Soo, you'll be home for pretty much my whole break?"

I barked a laugh. "Most likely, yeah!"

"Yes!" She squealed before hugging up to me. We sat like that for a little bit before she cleared her throat. "Ah. Papa?"

"Yeah?" I asked, looking down at her as she scooted away. She blinked and nervously snapped her wings again. She took a shallow breath and nodded without looking up at me.

"I met somebody," she finally replied causing me to jolt. She blushed hard and looked off to the side. "He's-" I stared at her in shock as she chewed on her words for a moment. Finally, she held up her hooves.

"We were working on a larger scale model of my airship design together, and wound up staying up and talking," she explained, slowly tapping her hoof-tips together. "And uhm." I blinked and stared at her expectantly.

"He uh, he-" she rolled her head side to side. "He had trouble growing up like I did." She looked up at me with a sad frown.

"You know, dealing with poverty and all that?" She jolted and waved her hooves. "Ah! Before you and Momma Orange, I mean!"

"Right, right, right, go on," I urged, rolling my hand at her and sitting up straight.

"Right! Anyway, uh," she cleared her throat and nodded. "He managed to impress some important folk and won a scholarship as part of a special program Celestia launched after the war ended." She sucked in a breath and bristled her wings.

"I uh, sympathized, and told him that, and uh," she grumbled and slowly nodded. "We kept talking and spending more time together outside of class and projects and." She swayed to and fro for a minute before nodding again.

"Yeah," she chuckled briefly before fixing me with a nervous smile. "I think we're- together now." I met her eyes for a few moments before a smile broke across my face.

"That's great," I quietly replied, reaching over and pulling her into a hug. "I'm happy for you." She giggled and hugged me back. We sat like that for a moment before I pulled back and snapped my fingers.

"Where is he? 'Cause you're crazy if you think you're gonna keep him hidden from me," I warned, wagging a finger at her. She perked up and nodded.

"He's here! He-" She paused and offered an incredulous snort. "Oh gosh, he was scared stiff about meeting you. Especially once I told him who you were." She waved a hoof at me and I smirked.

"Hah! Good," I declared, before waving at the door. "Go on! Go get him." She beamed and flew out the door. Once she was gone, I took a deep breath and sighed before folding one leg over the other. A smile was still plastered on my face as I waited. Eventually, I turned as I heard hoof steps at the door.

My heart sank.

My face shifted to an even frown.

I began slowly and unconsciously drumming the arm of my seat with my fingers.

With every step he took, I felt my breathing become heavier and heavier.

Finally, he stood in front of me, right beside her, and with an abjectly shaken smile leveled my way. Lily beamed at him before turning to me.

"Papa, this is Gerry," she chirped, gesturing to him.

"He- He- Hello, Admiral, Sir!" The griffin squawked, desperately clearing his throat, adjusting his glasses, and nodding at me several times. "It's nice to meet you!"

"I see," I whispered.

Author's Note

Next one's the last one. Silver lining: It's multiple choice!

Ending A: The Sad One

"Papa! Stop! Don't!" Lily screamed as she pulled on my leg. She might've been an adult and I might've been old, but the anger driving me mixed with all the hardship I'd endured in the course of getting old meant I was able to pry myself free. And so, I made it to the front porch and spied the griffin she'd brought home, running for his life away from my house. He probably would have flown if I hadn't sliced his wing.

Either way, he was still in range.

I leveled my old blunderbuss and squinted as I lined up a shot. As always, even with my age catching up to me, he was vibrant and easy to track. Despite that, as I pulled the trigger, my shot went wide as I was thrown off my feet. After the boom of my gun subsided, the first thing I heard was Lily sobbing. Looking up, I saw Orange standing on my stomach and reaching over to console her until she saw I was looking, at which point she leveled a deathly glare my way.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" She screamed, stamping a hoof on my gut before hopping down and draping a wing over Lily's back. I grunted and sat up.

"Me? She brought a griffin into my house," I snarled, hucking my gun aside.

"Yeah? So? Why'd you try to kill him?!" Orange yelled back, causing me to recoil. She turned to Lily. "Did Gerry do something?" Lily sniffled and shook her head.

"No! Papa just-"

"You knew?" I huffed, drawing her attention back to me. I shook my head and blinked. "You knew?" She looked me up and down before furrowing her brow.

"I met him when they first showed up," she finally replied, holding up a hoof and shaking her head. "He seemed nice." I groaned as I climbed back to my feet.

"You saw what he is," I hissed, at which Lily sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Yeah?" Orange huffed with a scoff. "What, do you just hate all griffins now? I thought you sailed with one or two back in the day!" I growled as I made my way back inside, where the house staff were currently cleaning up the mess I'd made chasing the bird out.

"That was before they killed the Quicksilver," I spat before heaving a breath. "And it's beside the point! You don't get it, do you? You don't see what they're doing." I turned to leer at Orange and Lily as they slowly followed me.

"Who?" Orange demanded, at which I balked.

"Who!" I cried, throwing my hands up and then thrusting them to the side. "Them! The birds. It's all a fucking conspiracy against me." I knelt before her and jabbed myself in the temples.

"They couldn't get revenge on me any other way," I snarled before shooting back to my full height and throwing my hand up. "God knows their navy's ruined. God knows I'd kill any bird who squared up with me!" I barked a laugh and turned to Lily.

"You said he impressed someone and won a scholarship? Convenient!" I cried, causing her to wilt and blink at me. "I have to wonder if that scholarship wasn't conjured the same moment they learned you would be attending school yourself?"

"Papa, what the heck are you saying?" She squeaked, shaking her head. "That- This is crazy!"

"Crazy?!" I screamed causing her to hug the ground. I took a step toward her and Orange stepped between us. "No. It's called being awake and alert." I fixed them both with a grim smirk and tapped my skull.

"I'm wise to their schemes. The schemes of everyone out to take more from me," my smirk faded to a snarl and I swept my arms in front of me. "I'm not going to let them take you from me, too." Orange narrowed her eyes at me, but after a silent period, broken only by the gentle hoof steps of the maids as they swept up broken glass and plates, Lily stood up and approached me.

"No one's trying to take me from you," she sniffed, slowly shaking her head and holding her hoof out to me. "I'm not-"

"No. You clearly don't get it," I snapped causing her to stumble. I jabbed a finger at her. "If you did you would have known better." She blinked and her ears shot back as I loomed over her.

"No daughter of mine is going steady with a fucking griffin," I declared. My lip twitched and I snarled. "So think carefully about what you do or say next." Lily swayed and stumbled back before falling on her haunches. After staring at each other for a while, I was nearly knocked off my feet when Orange flew up and socked me in the mouth.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" She screamed, hovering over me as I reeled. She landed and huffed at me through her teeth before turning to Lily. "C'mon, Sugarfly." I blinked as I massaged my jaw and then turned to see them both making their way upstairs.

"Come on? Where the fuck are you going? This isn't about you," I yelled after them before pushing to my feet and chasing after them. By the time I caught up, they'd made it to Lily's room and collected her bags before pushing right passed me. "Oh! Oh, I see. Yeah, fine. I'm just crazy. I'm just a moron." Lily paused and tried to turn to look back at me, but Orange pulled her with a wing.

"I'm the idiot when YOU'RE too fucking blind to see what's happening here!" I yelled as I stomped after them. They made it to the stairs and hurried down for the door. Lily's ears were desperately pressed against her skull. "Too fucking stupid to see it's all happening again!" I paused at the top of the stairs and swayed for a moment as I watched them open and slip through the door. Finally, I snarled and bolted after them.

"All my fucking sacrifices for all of you, and you all fucking walk out on me one after the other," I hissed as I raced for the door. Once I arrived, I threw it open and saw them halfway to the gate.

"Fucking stab me in the back," I spat, leaping to the edge of the porch and glaring death her way. "And the one time I see it coming?" I heaved a laugh and slapped myself in the chest.

"I'm the crazy one?" I squealed just before the gate slammed behind them, at which point I lunged and screamed. "TO HELL WITH YOU!" I stood there, huffing and puffing as I glared at them through the bars until eventually, the hills and trees blocked my view of them completely. When my head finally stopped swimming, the sun was slowly arching toward the horizon. When I finally turned my back on them and returned inside, the moon was up.

The staff had long since finished cleaning and retired for the evening. All except for Silver, who stood dutifully at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for me. I stood before him, leering miserably down at him and he nodded. "Some sleep might help clear everypony's heads, Sir," he offered, at which I scoffed and made my way upstairs.

"I meant what I said."

I was gently jostled and snorted before batting at whoever was trying to wake me. When they jostled me again, I scowled and opened my eyes. There, beside my lounge sofa, was a white pegasus mare with a red mane in an overcoat. She fixed me with a firm and disappointed frown and I blinked.

"Lily?" I murmured before a coughing fit overtook me that quickly turned into a bout of nausea. I threw my legs over off the sofa and bent at the stomach. As my feet hit the ground a few bottles from the previous night clattered out of the way. When the pain subsided, I blinked and looked her up and down. "Lily?"

"Hey," she quietly replied, looking off to the side and scanning the mess of bottles and plates I'd left around. Turning, I saw one that wasn't empty yet and grabbed it before reclining back on the sofa. I combed my fingers through my itching beard, pulling out a mess of grey hairs that I let fall on my disheveled uniform that I must've left on all night. Lily huffed at me before nodding.

"Mama Orange passed away a few weeks ago, Papa," she declared, placing one hoof on my arm as she frowned. "She wanted me-"

"Is he here?" I demanded as I nudged her hoof off. "Your bird?" I took a swig from my bottle as she blinked.

"She wanted me to try and reconcile with you," Lily continued, reaching up and touching me again at which I nudged her off again. She grunted and turned away from me slightly. "She said as sad and miserable as you let yourself become, I still needed at least one parent in my life."

"Is he," I growled, my eyes fixed on the curtained window. "Here?" She stared off for a moment before her ears shot back and she scowled.

"No. He didn't think it'd be smart to show up," she declared in an even and distant tone. "But he's waiting for me in Trottingham. If things didn't work out with you we were going to set sail right away." She took a quiet breath.

"We're moving back to Canterlot on a royal commission," she added, slowly shaking her head as she adjusted her coat. "We figured out a new method for travel using lighter-than-air gas and-"

"Orange said you needed at least one parent, hey? Guess you're shit out of luck," I snorted, folding my legs over and tipping my bottle her way. "I ain't your dad. You ain't my daughter." I leered at her, earning an even look in response. After a moment she turned and trotted around the sofa for the door.

"You're just some sad, lost little critter I found on my porch one night," I hissed after her, tracking her as she left. "And I'm starting to think you were planted in my life, too." I sat up to glare at her over the sofa.

"Just another method they'd use to hurt me," I snarled, jabbing a finger at her. "Just another knife to cut me with." She slipped through the door and vanished from sight.

"That's all you are," I growled, heaving a few times before continuing. "So, why the hell did you come back?" I hurled my bottle through the door after her.

"Just to rub it in?!" I screamed, but no answer came. "I'm talking to you!" I sat there for a few moments before slowly sinking down and reclining again. I stared at the ceiling for a bit before reaching into my coat pocket, drawing my laurel sprayer, and taking a hit.

I grumbled as someone jostled me, but this time I opened my eyes right away, only to wind up confused when I saw I wasn't in the lounge and it was Silver trying to wake me. He gave me a warm smile when he saw my eyes open.

"The fuck am I?" I groggily demanded, rolling onto my back and rubbing my eyes.

"We moved you to your room, Sir," he reported. "Terribly sorry, but we had to clear space in the lounge."
"What the fuck for?" I yawned.

"It's your birthday. We had to do something special," he chirped, drawing a grunt from me.

"Fuck no, you didn't," I scoffed, draping my arm over my eyes. "Lemme sleep."

"Well, even if we didn't you must understand," he pressed, nudging me and drawing my attention from under my arm. "The officials from Trottingham and Eagleland were eager to celebrate their admiral's achievements over the years." He bowed his head and held his smile, but my scowl only worsened.

"Good for them," I grumbled as I shut my eyes again.

"They're quite insistent you at least make an appearance," he replied, nudging me again. "Five minutes, that's all they ask." I sighed hard and stared at the ceiling.

"Is Celestia here?" I finally asked, looking over and seeing through my window that it was already dark out.

"They didn't invite her," he replied causing me to sigh. "Granted most folks don't know you two know each other as well as you do." My eyes went hazy as I stared through my window.

"She did stop by earlier, however," he added causing me to blink and twist my head to look at him in surprise. His smile wavered and he nodded. "You, ah, shooed her away while in a stupor." I stared at him for a while with my brow furrowed. Finally, I hummed, sat up, and scooted to the edge of my bed. He nodded and made his way to the door. The second he was out of sight, I pulled open my nightstand and drew my laurel sprayer from its hidden compartment. For a moment, I held it to my lips, ready to just blow the night and the townies off. But after a moment, I slipped it into my coat pocket and smacked my lips before standing up.

To my surprise, as I made my way to the door, I saw dressed in one of my cleaner uniforms. I grunted at the sight before carrying on down the hall, toward the steadily growing rumor of quite frankly way too many guests in my foyer. As I stepped onto the second-floor landing for the stairs, I got a glimpse at the spectacle being hosted in my house. At the same time, some pony in a top hat noticed me and raised his hoof at me.

"There he is!" He cheered before turning to everyone else. As I made it to the stairs, all eyes fell upon him. "Ready everypony? For! He's a jolly good fellow!" I balked as the crowd began to sing.

"And by what metric do you determine that, hey?" I yelled causing them to stumble on their second line. I glared at the guy in the top hat. "You don't know me." I threw my hand up at him as he wilted.

"I don't know you," I said, scanning the crowd of strangers and throwing my hand at each of them. "Or you. Or you. Or any of fucking you." I scanned the whole crowd again, shaking my head as I stalked down the stairs.

"You don't know me," I hissed causing the ponies nearest the stairs to retreat out of my way. Even the serving ponies had paused in their work to leer at me. "You don't know what I've done. The people I've killed." I winced with a subdued sob as I glared at the guy in the top hat.

"The people I've hurt," I murmured as I finally stood before him. "Jolly good? What a load of shit." He frowned and averted his eyes so I pivoted and jabbed a finger at the rest of the party.

"If any of you were actually worth having attend a party for me, you'd know better," I accused. A few noble mares drew fans and hid their faces before whispering to their dates. "But you don't. You're just a bunch of parasites. Infesting my house." The entire party began whispering to each other as I snarled.

"If I were a decade younger," I heaved before making a huge, sweeping motion and lunging. "I'd cleave every last one of you!" A few nearest me jumped before giggling. I huffed and glared at the party again.

"Well, this isn't a surprise," someone close snorted.

"What was that?" I yelled, whirling around to glare at him. He jumped and looked at me in terror. "WHAT WAS THAT?" He shivered as he slowly hugged the ground, earning a nod from me.

"That's what I fucking thought," I spat, scanning the crowd again. As a result, I spotted a serving tray with cheese and wine on it being carried by one of my staff. I snatched the whole tray and stomped toward the front door, waving my free hand at the crowd. "Well? Go on. Wish me well." I turned once I reached the door.

"Here's what you came for, hey? The Great Admiral Cutter?" I asked, sweeping a hand in front of me. "Here he is." The crowd leered at me and I sucked a breath.

"Bow, you fucks!" I bellowed. After a few more moments of staring at me, the crowd resumed their party like nothing had happened. My lip twitched and I slammed my back against the door before grabbing it and yanking it open.

I trudged outside for a little bit before plopping down in the yard just off the path, before I popped open the wine and took a bite of cheese. I sat there for a minute, scowling at the open air until I looked up and saw the moon shining down on me. I chewed slowly as I pondered it, but when I moved to take a swig of wine, the bottle slipped from my grip.

"Delightful party," the old and grey unicorn beside me chirped as he drank my wine and snatched up piece after piece of my chees. As I looked at him dumbstruck he nodded and smirked at me. "Very lucky for me! I was worried I'd never get the chance to meet you in person." I blinked a few times and scoffed before twisting to face him.

"Alright, I'll bite," I said in a bemused tone, leaning on one knee as I propped my leg up. "Where do you find the gall?" He paused as he took another drink, and leered at me with one eye.

"You don't know?" He asked, tilting his head. With a hum, he shook his head and wiped off his mouth with a cloth from his pocket. "You knew my daughter." My eyebrows wagged in surprise before I scoffed again.

"Sure, alright," I sighed, throwing my head back in annoyance. "Who was your daughter?" I gasped as the air was suddenly punched from my chest, and I folded forward at the stomach. I uttered a strained groan as I discovered a long broad knife jammed into my gut.

"Her name was Quicksilver," he replied before twisting the knife and then ripping it out. I gagged and then fell onto my back. I lay there with my hands clutching over my stomach and heard his hooves hit the stones as he galloped away. Every breath came out in a wheeze as the very act of inhaling set my stomach on fire. At some point, Silver appeared in my vision with a panicked look on his face.

"Admiral! Admiral!" He cried, holding a hoof to my face. I blinked as I looked around, finding I was suddenly surrounded by all the strangers who'd been in my house. "Somepony find a doctor!" My eyes were going hazy, but I could still see them all as they leered down at me in horror.

But it didn't matter. I didn't know who they were, so who cared how they felt? Silver leaned over me again as I felt myself drifting off.

"Admiral. Admiral, Sir," he quailed. I sighed weakly and reached into my pocket. "James! Stay-" I drew my sprayer and fixed it to my lips. He gasped and snatched it from me.

"No! Ah! Damn you," he groused as I exhaled a cloud of sparkling vapor. "Find a doctor!" I slowly closed my eyes as all the warmth fled my body.

"James!" Silver cried. "James!"

"James!"

"James!" I opened my eyes and tilted my head back. Luna was beaming down at me just before Lily popped up and did likewise. I slowly sat up and looked around. The sun was shining down on my yard, and over by the front door everyone had set up a table.

Gab, Zama, and Holiday were there while the rest of the crew explored my new house.

Orange, Cat, and Amethyst sat at one end of the table whispering to each other until they saw me looking, at which point they waved me over. At the other end, Dreadless sat beside Ben as the latter continued shuffling cards, fixing me with an expectant look. Leaning against the house itself was Junior, just basking in the midday sun.

"There we go," I hummed as I scooped up Lily in a tight hug and gave Luna a smile. "Finally feels like home, again." She gave me a nod before we walked side by side to join the rest.

THE END

Author's Note

Ending B: The Sweeter One

I sat with my legs crossed and my head in my hands, just listening to the waves as they rolled up the shore and then back into the sea. Slowly, I clenched my eyes and took a shuddering breath as I dragged my hand down my face. My eyes were stinging from the breakdown I had the second I was alone out here but the spray of the sea was soothing. As I peered out at the horizon, the gentle crunch of the rocks and sand behind me caused me to lurch and turn around.

"Papa?" Lily said with a concerned frown painted on her face. I hesitated and she held up a hoof. "It's just me." I furrowed my brow as she slowly trotted up and sat beside me, at which point we both turned forward and stared off together.

"Did Gerry do something wrong?" She eventually asked with her ears back. I winced at her question and leaned forward on my knees.

"Ah," I sighed, slowly shaking my head and stuttering. "Momma Orange- She asked me a long time ago, when we first found you, that if-" I clenched my eyes briefly as I folded my arms.

"If I felt like I was- Was about to react," I glanced at her for a brief second before looking away again. "To be reasonable." Her ear swiveled and she tilted her head to look at me.

"I, ah, had to clear my head," I eventually added. She stared at the ground as she considered my words before scooting closer to me.

"What were you gonna react to?" She pressed, causing me to grimace and turn away.

"He's a griffin," I murmured, shaking my head. "I fought and killed a hell of a lot of them." I hissed and glanced down to meet her eyes.

"Some folks say I ruined their whole country all on my own," I grunted, a sour frown appearing on my face as I glared into the horizon. "That's bullshit, but that's what they think." Lily frowned at my words and I continued to stare off. After a second, I closed my eyes to hold in my tears.

"Every time I get comfortable," I huffed, curling my knees into my chest. "Every time I'm happy." I clutched the top of my head as I fought off another breakdown.

"Every time I find a home," I quailed, clenching my teeth. "Someone comes along and takes it all from me." The tide was the only response I received and I shook my head hard.

"I can't-" I paused with a sob. "If he's part of some scheme to get revenge on me through you, I-" I coughed and heaved as the tears began to stream down my face.

"I can't lose you, too," I croaked. I wept openly for a few moments, but I felt Lily rear up and wrap her hooves around my arm. I reached over and hugged her tight for a while until I finally caught my breath. Lily sniffled and wiped her eyes with a hoof before nuzzling me.

"No one's trying to take me from you," she replied, leaning forward to look me in the face. "I'm not stupid, Papa." She hopped in front of me and turned her side to me.

"Whats this mean?" She asked, gesturing to her cutie mark.

"It's your talent," I murmured with a weak shrug, earning a nod from her.

"What's my talent?" She pressed.

"Figuring things out," I grumbled, with a nod. She smiled weakly and turned back toward me.

"So, don't you think I could've figured it out if he was out to get you?" She asked, causing me to wilt with a sigh. She sat and scooted closer to me.

"I'll give you that I didn't realize how antsy griffins made you," she said with a shrug, reaching forward and resting her hoof on my knee. "But I figured since the war was over and you won, it wasn't a big deal." She leaned forward with a nod.

"I'm sorry," she added. After fixing me with a brighter smile, she shook her head. "But I promise, he's not out to get you and he's not trying to hurt me." She snorted and winked.

"If he tries, you'll be the first to know after I kick his beak in," she declared. I sniffed and blinked at the burning in my eyes as I stared at her. Her smile never wavered and I slowly nodded before hanging my head.

"I'm sorry, Lily," I huffed. In response, she scooted forward and hugged my neck.

"I love you, Papa," she said as I hugged her back.

"I love you, too," I replied.

Eventually, we made our way back to the manor and then the lounge where Orange was waiting and chatting with Gerry.
"And after that, he walked right in and just blasted him!" She chirped causing the young griffin to shiver at which Orange giggled. Then, she looked up and gasped upon seeing us. "There he is!" She flew up to meet me and hugged me.

"You okay?" She whispered as I hugged her back. I considered her question and Gerry as Lily trotted up beside him. He looked at her with concern before turning to me. I hummed and nodded.

"Yeah," I whispered back before letting go. I took a breath and strode right up to him before kneeling. "Alright, Gerry. Apologies for walking out on you like that."

"Ah! T-that's alright!" He said in an anxious titter. I nodded and held my hand out to him causing him to recoil.

"Let's try again," I offered. "I'm James Cutter." He blinked before glancing at Lily who nodded. Then, he cleared his throat and grabbed my hand.

"Gerry!" He declared as we shook. "Nice to meet you!"

"Likewise," I replied, managing a smile.

I cried out in a wheeze as Lily, cause who else could it be, slammed into my stomach. My eyes shot open and I scanned my room in an abject daze. As expected, Lily was standing atop me giggling and just beside my bed Orange and Gerry stood by. The former was thoroughly amused while the latter had a pained grimace on his features.

"I told you that was too hard," he murmured, being the only member of this family who cared about my well-being. I groaned with a nod as Lily and Orange cackled.

"Listen to your man. Oh, you can't do that anymore," I heaved as she slowly slid off of me. I nursed my bruised gut and groaned. "You're gonna kill me."

"Sorry!" She chirped with a giggle, before tapping her hooves on my chest. "C'mon, the guests are all starting to arrive." I groaned and fixed her with a weary leer at which she nudged me toward the edge of the bed.

"Come on!" She pressed. When I refused to move, she smirked and leaned in close. "And you have a visitor." I furrowed my brow at her and she nodded toward the door. Turning, I jolted at who I saw.

"Hoh! Well hello, Your Majesty," I declared as I swung my legs off the bed to stand up. Celestia beamed with a nod as she stepped inside.

"Happy Birthday, James," she greeted once she was in front of me. I bowed my head slightly as she gave a smile to the rest of the family.

"How have you been? We haven't talked in a while," she asked, tilting her head at me. I scoffed in response while Orange hummed and hopped up on the bed to nuzzle my side.

"I can feel all my old wounds catching up to me," I huffed, massaging my leg where a certain cat had once stabbed me. I shook my head with a bemused scowl. "All the fuckers who tried to kill me just had to go for my legs, didn't they?" Lily hummed sadly at my words while Celestia nodded.

"I know of a tea that helps with such aches," she offered, earning another scoff from me.

"Hoh ho! So do I," I chirped gesturing to the wine glass on my nightstand. She considered it for a moment before chuckling.

"Well, I hope it doesn't keep you from attending Lily's seminar next month," she said, offering Lily and Gerry a proud leer as they shared a smile. "The Bureau of Transportation is very excited to hear her report on lighter-than-air travel. She's sure to go down in history, James." Lily beamed at her words, but I snorted and folded my arms.

"She damn well better!" I declared, wagging a finger at the princess. "I'll fucking haunt you in particular if you don't tell everyone about how aces my girl is." Lily balked and jabbed me in the hip, causing me to wince as Celestia laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind," she hummed, before nodding and turning toward the door. "I think they're ready. Shall we?" I smiled and glanced at the rest, who nodded in response. And so, we walked out as a unit, making our way to the landing at the top of the stairs. There, the gathering of local ponies all noticed us and went quiet as they turned their attention my way. I hummed as I looked over the crowd. Other than the staff who were currently serving the attendees, I didn't really recognize anyone.

I spotted a couple of Lily and Gerry's friends, but that was all. Regardless, I shared a look with Orange and Lily before holding my arm out to the party.

"Thank you all for coming and thanks to my head of household for putting this together," I declared, bowing toward Silver at the side of the foyer. I pursed my lips and rolled my head. "I'm probably expected to give a speech commemorating the advanced age I've reached as though that's some achievement to be proud of." A couple of the ponies chortled at my words and I nodded.

"Well, to that I'll just say you all have this lovely bat pony and the darling pegasus beside her to thank for my making it this far," I said, gesturing to Orange and Lily who beamed at my words. I fixed Lily with a smile. "I can't imagine the state I'd be in otherwise." A few ponies stamped their hooves in applause and I turned back to the crowd.

"That's the most you're getting out of me," I declared with a shrug before throwing up a hand. "Fuck yourselves. Carry on!" A few better-dressed townsponies balked at my language before falling into hissing whispers, but I paid them no mind. Instead, I descended the stairs alongside my family and the princess before making my way to one of the cheese platters.

The clock ticked by slowly and to my partial relief, many of the snootier ponies chose to focus on Celestia rather than me, giving me time to slip away outside. There, I leaned against the wall beside my door and just leered up at the moon, a warm smile fixed on my face.

To my surprise, a pair of hooves clicked against my porch beside me and I turned to see an older unicorn with a severe but thoughtful frown across his features.

"Oy, oy, party's in there, pal," I said as he trotted out. He offered me a weak smile and waved his hoof.

"Yes, yes," he hummed before sitting down and looking at the moon. "Just need a break from the noise is all, sorry to intrude." I slowly nodded before doing likewise.

"Ah, right, right," I replied. "No worries." For a few moments, the stifled murmur of the party was the only noise, but eventually, he chuckled.

"Honestly, seeing you up there with your family really changed my perception of you," he said, drawing my attention to him. He wore a genuine but still sad smile. "Especially when I saw the bright smile that young mare gave you." He looked up at me with a nod.

"She's a beautiful young lady, Sir," he hummed. "She reminds me of my own." I smiled back.

"Thank you, kindly," I replied, before considering the party through the window. "Is your daughter here? I'm sure she and Lily would-"

"Ah, no, no," he huffed, waving a hoof and looking up at the moon. "She- She passed many years ago." I recoiled with a quiet gasp. After a moment, I sighed hard.

"Aw, hell, I'm sorry," I murmured at which he hummed a laugh.

"No, no! Don't be sorry," he said, shaking his head. "It's not your fault." He turned to me and looked me up and down before winking.

"I just decided," he added with a smirk. I scoffed and nodded.

"Well thank you, I appreciate that as well," I laughed. Another pause fell between us.

"Be sure to cherish her on my behalf, Admiral," he finally urged before turning to head inside.

"Surely," I called after him. "Enjoy the party! Ah, hold on! Let me tell Silver to bring you a bottle of my good stuff." I paced up beside him and winked.

"My gift to you," I said. He stared at me for a moment before smiling again.

"Thank you, Sir," he replied.

"Ah," Gerry murmured as he considered his hand. Across the dining table, I raised an eyebrow as I idly shuffled my chips with one hand. He squinted his eye and then the other one before slowly nodding. "I. Raise." He slowly reached over and grabbed a single chip before dropping it in the pile with a confident nod.

I gave him a nod back before matching his bet. "Call," I declared, causing him to wince.

"Ah," he murmured as I displayed my cards. Considering my hand with a wide frown he sighed and did likewise. I leaned forward and grimaced at his cards.

"A pair of twos? Really?" I scoffed, at which he shrugged with a weak smile.

"I didn't expect you to call my bluff," he chuckled. I snorted and shook my head as I swept the pot my way.

"Man, Ben would've taken you to the cleaners," I chortled before stacking the cards and handing him the deck. Before he could shuffle them, however, Lily came trotting in.

"Papa," she murmured. I considered her for a moment before wilting and leaning on the table. Before I could sink too deep in dread, Gerry reached across the table and grabbed my arm. I looked up at him, and he gave me a firm nod which I matched.

Slowly, the three of us made our way upstairs, past the maids who were carrying old linens out, and stepped into my room—She'd specifically requested it when the doctors explained the situation, and fuck, how could I refuse her?

The doctor glanced at us as we entered before resuming his hushed conversation with Silver, gesturing to Orange occasionally. She hadn't moved from where I set her, but she was curled up tighter and nuzzling my pillow.

Her ear twitched. "Is that you?" She asked, craning her grey-maned head up with a hum. I winced before stepping up and sitting beside her.

"Yeah, it's me," I finally replied, reaching out and gently petting her. In response, she purred and weakly smacked my hand.

"Nah, you know what I want," she hummed with a weak laugh, opening her eyes to look at me. I tilted my head and she strained before scooting to the side a little and patting the spot next to her. As I considered the spot, she bent her head toward me and flicked her ears. "For old time's sake, Captain." I looked at her in surprise before smiling and depositing myself beside her. With a surprising degree of energy, she hooked herself against me and rested her head on my chest before cooing quietly as I began scratching her ear.

Elsewhere, the doctor gave Silver a nod before slipping out while Lily and Gerry hugged up on a nearby sofa. The former had tears in her eyes while the latter gently petted her back. I sighed hard and considered my long-time companion.

"There was a time when I had to practically beg you to let me stop," I said as she nuzzled me. A weak smile formed on my face. "Don't suppose I could convince you to dredge up some of that feisty spirit that nearly made me lose a prize more than once?" I reached down with my free hand and held her hoof.

"I'd take it if it meant you stuck around," I added in a whisper. She hummed quietly and slowly shut her eyes.

"Sorry, Jim," she finally replied before relaxing against me. Her ear continued to twitch against my fingers for a little while.

Eventually, it stopped.

I stood on the shore, alone, a bouquet of jungle flowers hanging from my drooping arm. My eyes drifted across the horizon, just watching the waves roll and boil for a while. "Just me," I whispered before gently setting the flowers in the water and setting them adrift. As I watched them float away, a pair of hooves crunched the sand beside me. Turning, I blinked and then recoiled at who I found.

"Captain Cutter," a certain pale brown unicorn with a white goatee declared as he adjusted his coat and hat.

"Holiday," I gasped. He stood beside me and leered at the horizon, giving me a chance to look him over. "You got old. The hell are you doing here?" He raised an eyebrow at me before nodding.

"On a return trip from seeing our old crew and the deer. I'm making my way to Naysow, and from there to Abyssinia," he declared with a hum. To my profound shock, he drew his pipe and began smoking like it was nothing. "I've expanded my knowledge of medicines since our last encounter, so I wanted to share my knowledge with Mr. Pine Needle." I balked as he spoke and smoked without issue.

"We talked about you," he added after a moment, causing me to pause. He leered up at me and nodded. "They're happy for you, Captain. You and that girl of yours." I recoiled and he blew a plume of smoke to the side before smiling at me.

"I think she'd be happy, too," he added. I stared at him for a few moments before smiling back.

"Thanks, Doc."

I coughed myself awake and slowly bent over the side of my bed. Blinking the stars out of my eyes, I reached over and grabbed the glass of water I'd been left before straining with a gasp as I set my bad leg against the floor.

"Fucking feline," I hissed, against cursing Arnoso's name.

"That sounds like Papa's awake!" Gerry chirped from just beyond my door. I snorted a laugh just as the door opened.

"Papa! Papa! Papa!" Gilly and Jim Jr. squealed as the griffin and pale blue unicorn came galloping in. And fuck me if I understood how a pegasus and griffin could produce either of those. The pair of youngers jumped into my bed and all but tackled me from either side.

"You said a bad word!" Gilly cried, beating against my arm.

"Yeah!" Junior added with a huff. I smirked at both of them before tilting my head.

"Did I? What word was that?" I asked. Junior puffed up his cheeks and nodded.

"You said fu-" He choked and clamped his mouth shut before glancing at his dad, who first fixed him with a frown before glaring at me. As I smirked, the little unicorn grumbled and murmured before finally speaking. "Fu-eline!" He firmly nodded and jabbed my elbow. I fixed him with a bemused smirk.

"Huh," I scoffed, considering his words for a moment before nodding. "Whoops! My bad." I scooped them both up with a wink.

"Next time I'll just say fucking cat, how's that?" I offered causing them both to gasp and then cackle. Gerry's jaw dropped and then clamped shut with a smirking sigh.

"Thanks, Jim," he huffed as I strained and then stood up before carrying the pair out of my room, following his lead.

"No problem," I hummed before raising an eyebrow at him. "I ever tell you what Lily's first words after we first took her in were?"

"No, but I can put two and two together," he said in a chipper tone before we rounded a corner toward the foyer. "Not in front of the kids, please. Lily! He's awake!"

"Great! Everything's packed!" Lily called. As we rounded the corner and arrived at the stairs landing, I spied the staff down below hauling our bags out the door, but Lily came flying up to us. Once she arrived she nodded and straightened up before raising an eyebrow at me. "So, Admiral! You ready to partake in the maiden voyage of Equestria's first airship?"

"Sure am," I replied with a nod, squeezing Gilly and Junior. "Even got my boarding crew ready." She smirked at me as the kids giggled.

"Really? Cause you don't look it," she said looking me up and down. I furrowed my brow before looking down to discover I was still in my sleepwear.

"Aw, hell. Thanks, Gerry," I hissed before setting the kids down. "Be right back!" I stormed back to my room followed by a chorus of giggles from the little ones. Once I had gotten out my proper clothes and swept my coat on, I heard something rustle. Searching my coat pockets, I felt and pulled out a crumbled and old piece of paper. Upon examining it, I quietly gasped and smiled.

Then my arm sparked with pain and I bent over, gasping as I clutched my chest. I strained and gurgled quietly for a few moments before slowly breathing and blinking the tears out of my eyes. After a moment, the pain subsided, leaving me with a tingling feeling on my arm.

"Ah, damn," I panted as I flapped my arm. "You ain't got much time left, old man." I shook my head and took another breath before considering the paper again. A warm smile came across my face as I studied the old drawing of Lily and me aboard an airship.

"Can't say it was wasted though," I hummed before sighing hard as the tingling vanished. I looked up and surveyed my room before considering the drawing again. Nodding, I folded it and returned it to my pocket before making my way out. The family had moved to the bottom of the stairs, but Lily perked up upon seeing me and flew up to greet me. She gently pushed into my chest and hugged me, a gesture I returned with a laugh.

"Alright! Let's see get this cruise of yours underway," I declared. She beamed and trotted alongside me as we made our way through the door. Outside, just in the yard was a sloop hovering a few dozen feet off the ground, suspended by a massive balloon. Gilly and Junior squealed with delight as they scrambled forward and stampeded up the gangplank onto the ship. Gerry sighed hard before hurrying after them, leaving Lily and I to marvel at the invention they'd built.

I beamed with pride before turning to Lily who matched my smile before fluttering up to the deck. I gave one last look at the home behind me, giving a nod to Silver as he slowly closed and locked the door. When he returned the gesture, I faced forward and made my way up the gangplank.

There on the deck, to the audible alarm of the meager crew needed to keep the ship running, Gerry was scrambling and squawking after the kids as they scampered all around. I watched them run for a while before Lily fluttered up and stood on the rail beside me.

"I know you're used to seacraft, but I dunno, I feel like it's pretty similar," she said, gesturing to the lines that bound the ship to its balloon before tilting her head at me. "What do you think?" I watched the kids give their father the run around for a moment before turning to her with a smile.

"I think it feels like home," I replied.

THE END

Author's Note

Ending C

Gerry and I laughed as he told his side of the unicorn wagon story while Lily and Orange fetched dinner. I shook my head with a sigh and wiped my eye with my thumb.

"Hoo, boy," I said.

"I'm really glad we could hit it off so well, Admiral," Gerry chirped before adopting a bashful smirk. "Based on all the stories I heard, you, well, I was worried you'd react pretty poorly to seeing me."

"Ah, I get you," I said waving my hand and reclining against the back of the sofa. "But hey! The war's over! S'all water under the bridge, says I!" Before he could retort, I leaned in with a narrow-eyed frown.

"Now, tell me about this lighter-than-air business you two got going on," I demanded.

Lily, Gerry, and I paced the deck of their recently completed airship as it drifted across the Celestial Sea, bound for Canterlot.

"Took a lot of work and a lot of money, but I'd say it's all been worth it!" Gerry declared as he peered over the edge.

"Yep!" Lily added with an eager nod before turning to me. "What do you think, Papa?" I hummed with a nod as I rubbed my hand on the ship's rail.

"Aw, she's a beauty, she is," I declared before sighing. "Aw, if only Orange were here to see it!" I shook my head with a wistful sigh before turning to the pair.

"You two did a great job," I declared causing them both to beam.

"Thanks, Papa," Lily tittered before prancing in place. "I can't believe we finished it so far ahead of schedule!"

"Yeah, for sure," Gerry added with a huff. "I thought it wouldn't be ready until November at the earliest." I froze.

"November?" I groused just before a cold sweat began to overtake me. I desperately waved my hand at him. "Wait, wait, wait, what month even is it?" He recoiled and shared a look with Lily before shrugging.

"October?" He murmured. My jaw fell open and I grabbed my head with both hands as a pained expression came to my face.

"Papa?" Lily gasped. "What's wrong?" I bared my teeth and strained.

"Twenty-fourteen is only three months away," I yelped before falling backward over the rail and tumbling to my doom in the sea below. "Yaaar."

Lily and Gerry stood dumbstruck as James fell out of sight. After a few moments, Gerry slowly blinked and shook his head.

"I-I-I I don't get it," he declared, looking to Lily for guidance.

"I don't either, no," she replied, shaking her head as well.

THE END