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