There was a single point of light. Gingersnap could not feel his legs. It was minutes before he realized that he was laying on his side. Later still he realized that his jacket was gone. His skin was damp, and he was frozen to the core.
He tried to move, but every muscle ached. He felt like he was weighed down with lead.
“Coral Frond?” He said. His lips moved sluggishly, barely able to form words. He mumbled the name again and again until he could hear it for himself.
The sound of hooves on stone came suddenly. There were three ponies in the group. Gingersnap groaned and covered his eyes when a lantern appeared in front of his face.
“Can you stand?”
It was Morning Breeze, whispering in the voice of death himself.
“You’re on an island,” he said. “My island. One of them, at least. Come on, the town’s not far.”
Two ponies came over and helped him to his feet. Craning his neck, he saw two others stooping over Coral Frond. One of their lanterns skimmed over the water at the back of the cave, and what he saw chilled his heart entirely.
Half a dozen faces were staring out of the water. The creatures were covered in little scales in shades of green and purple, and instead of manes sheets of colorful membrane drifted about their heads. Their metallic eyes flashed in the light. They appeared to him like drowned sailors peering longingly at the world of the living. He tried to scream, but only a soft moan left his lips.
Morning Breeze had his right hoof in a sling. His muzzle was bandaged, and the fur around his wounds was matted with salve. His gaze lingered on Gingersnap before he gestured for him to follow. In his eyes Gingersnap was surprised to see more sympathy than anger.
Coral Frond was put on a stretcher. yet another pony helped Gingersnap up the tall narrow passage.
The frigid sea wind was made worse by his damp coat. Taking notice, the pony beside him reached into her bulging saddle bag for a heavy wool cloak, which she draped over his back and fastened around his throat.
The cave entrance was a cleft halfway up a rocky hill. A narrow trail led down into an open field of yellow grass and leafless bushes. Gingersnap could hear waves breaking on rocks somewhere nearby, and a light salty mist hung in the air.
“Where are we?” he asked.
“Just an island,” said the mare who had given him the cloak. “Come on.”
Once they got off the hill the walk was easy enough. As he breathed the fresh sea air Gingersnap felt more and more like himself. There was a packed dirt road leading over several rounded humps before descending into a valley. The town below had plenty of stone buildings, none higher than two storeys. Looking to his right, Gingersnap caught a glimpse of an impressive sea wall topped with shining black cannons before the houses blocked the view.
He was led into a long stone building. The sharp smell of alcohol told him that it was a hospital even before he saw the metal frame beds. The mare made him get onto one of the beds and pulled over a tray of tools. She had only checked his pupils when Morning Breeze put a hoof on her shoulder.
“Do that later,” he said. “I doubt they're seriously hurt. Get the other one awake and bring us some food and drink. Something hot. I need to talk with these two.”
Gingersnap pulled the thick grey blanket close around his neck. Moments later Coral Frond came to with a long scream. Fortunately the doctor had tied him to the bed.
“It’s alright,” Gingersnap said. “We’re not on the ship anymore.”
They bandaged his wounds and gave him a pillow to rest his head on. Through the chaos Gingersnap struggled to keep Coral Frond in view. The young unicorn was surrounded by five ponies, all of them talking in hushed voices and reaching all over him. A yellow unicorn mare carried in a plate with bread and jam and a pitcher each of water and milk, and then the three were cut off from the rest of the room with heavy curtains.
“Your captain told me that you have been in these waters for four months,” Morning Breeze said without preamble, picking up a slice of bread. “Is this true?”
Gingersnap stared at the stallion as he dipped the bread in one of the jam jars.
“Well?” He snarled suddenly, startling the bedridden ponies. “I have ships patrolling the Chain Islands seventy miles north of here to six hundred miles south. How did you hide a ship that big? And where has it gone?”
Coral Frond had retreated entirely under his blanket.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gingersnap said.
Morning Breeze glared at him with a fire in his eyes that Gingersnap had never seen before. He recalled the frightening apparition in the Spectre's sickbay. Now there was no doubt in his mind that it had been real. Morning Breeze could do that, and much more.
“It was magic!”
Gingersnap’s head snapped to the side. Coral Frond had worked up the courage to expose his muzzle to talk. His whole body was shaking.
“It’s the tiles!” He continued, half sobbing. “It... It has to be! I was ordered to put magic into them whenever I was on duty. All the other unicorns did it as well! That's all I know, I swear!”
“Those tiles on the hull?” Morning Breeze asked. "What do they do?"
“I don’t know!” Coral Frond said, uncovering one eye. Seeing Morning Breeze, he retreated entirely under the blanket. “They didn’t tell me! I’m nopony important!”
“Right,” Morning Breeze said under his breath. When he looked back at Gingersnap, his anger had died down considerably. “What about you?”
“I’m an earth pony,” he said, pointing to his forehead. “I’m due to be promoted to ensign rank, but I’m not important enough to know much either.”
“I can see that,” Morning Breeze said. “But you know more than I do, and you can guess. Tell me: was the Spectre an Equestrian Navy ship?”
Gingersnap hesitated.
How much does he know?
“That’s complicated…” He began to say.
“Was it commissioned by the admiralty, built in one of the naval shipyard, and paid for by Canterlot? Did your captain inspect it, or have a say in its outfitting? Has it been tested like every other navy ship?”
“No,” Gingersnap said.
“Then where did it come from?” Morning Breeze asked. “You were dressed like a navy officer, and you say that you are one. Is the Equestrian Navy just a bunch of ships for hire now? Has it really come to that?”
“I was assigned to that ship by the admiralty,” Gingersnap said. “Most of my crew was. The captain, the mate… most of us came from a patrol ship on the northern shipping lanes.”
“And you weren’t suspicious?”
“We had orders,” Gingersnap said defensively. “The captain looked into it, but the paperwork was all there. Nothing out of line at all, but he said it felt unusual. We grabbed more crew to get a full staff, and then we set sail.”
“To hunt me down?” Morning Breeze said. “And those big guys who were tearing your ship apart?”
“Mercenaries,” Gingersnap said. “The admiralty wanted them onboard. They wouldn't have it otherwise.”
“You keep using that word,” Morning Breeze said, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Which admirals are you talking about?”
“I don’t know.” Gingersnap shrugged, and winced as sharp pain shot up through his limbs. “Honestly.” He paused. His eyes drifted to the plate of bread involuntarily. He forced himself to look into Morning Breeze’s eyes, and bit the tip of his tongue to get some moisture in his mouth. He had to speak now, or his heart would rattle him to pieces. “So what happens to us now?”
“For a start, you haven’t touched the food yet,” Morning Breeze said, gesturing at the plate. “The blue one’s saskatoon jam, the red one’s raspberry. That's goat cheese on the side. And don’t worry, this isn’t coming out of some poor shipping crew’s paycheque. It’s all grown in the Chain Islands. The plate might be from a raid though. You can’t expect me to keep track of every little thing that comes through here.”
After saying this he stood up and wobbled for a second, nearly stumbling before he stomped his good front hoof and shook his head violently. “My doctors and nurses will take care of you tonight. I’m going back to my house. And tomorrow… tomorrow we’re going to try to find your ship. Once they have you back, maybe your captain will speak to me as an equal.”
He lifted one edge of the curtain, and the attendants outside pushed them aside. Ponies in scrubs and lab coats returned, some of them wheeling machines.
The thorough examination took a whole hour. The staff seemed to hold no ill will against the two survivors. Soon Gingersnap was feeling rather at ease.
Coral Frond did not take it nearly as well. It took three nurses to wrestle him out of his cocoon. They wrapped his head tightly with bandages, and he spent most of the evening in a drug-induced haze. When they finally returned his blanket he immediately hugged it like an old friend, looking around with eyes pointed in two directions.
“He’s not doing well,” the doctor said when Gingersnap asked. “I expect some short-term memory loss. Do you know what happened?”
“I’m not sure,” Gingersnap said. “Those big guys on the ship… they hit hard.”
“You took quite a beating too,” she said. “I’m leaving some painkillers for you with the night shift. Once you start to relax, the pain might bother you. Try to sleep on your left side tonight.”
“Thanks,” Gingersnap said.
He didn’t realize how much he missed soft bread until he had his first bite. The nurses kept a close eye on him, but did not intervene except when he inhaled some crumbs. Coral Frond had to be fed, and only ate two slices of bread and half a glass of milk before losing interest. The whole time he had a dumb smile on his face, and he drooled perpetually.
By the time he went to sleep Gingersnap had washed the bitter taste of seawater out of his mouth entirely. He was warm and contented on the hospital bed, the Spectre a distant memory.