"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