Past Actions, Future Consequences

by Rill

Ch.3 Tranquility

As his ship sped down the backside of the wave, Captain Main Stay’s laugh was drowned out by a crack of thunder that he felt in his chest. His laugh - a combination of excitement and anticipation - came to a sputtering halt as the Tranquility’s bow slammed into the base of the next wave, a wall of spray flying across the deck and into the captain as he held onto the wheel like his life depended on it - which he knew for a fact that, despite being roped to his ship’s wheel stand, it did. Wiping away the Great Ocean’s latest attempt to drown him, the Tranquility’s black maned master chuckled as his ship began to climb the next wave. With the wave’s crest growing closer and closer, Main Stay felt that familiar flutter in his chest and stomach, as if a flock of gulls had suddenly decided to take flight.

Main Stay ducked his head as the front of his ship cut through the top of the wave, this time anticipating the blast of spray from his ship’s bow. Watching in undisguised anticipation as the bow of his ship began to tilt forward, the stallion felt his brown fur stand on end as a shiver raced down his spine. Without thinking, the earth pony shut his eyes as tightly as he could as he ducked behind the ship’s wheel. Despite his best efforts, the world still disappeared in a flash of blinding light as the bolt of lightning struck the top of the ship’s main mast. Opening his eyes Main Stay felt, rather than heard, himself laughing over the ringing in his ears as the Tranquility raced down the wave’s backside, the siren-like whine of the wind whistling through the ship’s rigging slowly rising in pitch as the ship picked up speed.

Looking up, between flashes of lightning the captain could see that the ship’s masts were still intact though slightly blackened as the protective spells had done their job, deflecting the bolt of energy into the surrounding ocean. Despite the cost to get the spells placed, the stallion was glad that he had listened to Sea Breeze - not that he would ever admit it to her. The mare wouldn’t let him forget it for months. Of course, she probably wouldn’t let him forget his decision to sail into this storm anytime soon either. While the Tranquility rode the waves, Main Stay found himself second guessing his decision. It was something he hated to do and found more distracting than the sheets of rain slapping him in the face. Despite rumors to the contrary, he would probably admit that leaving Dragon’s Bay so soon was most likely a mistake. The rock walls of the town’s fjord provided the perfect protection from any storm for a ship, especially an aging merchant vessel like his. Plus, they could have waited out the storm in one of the wharf-side bars, warm and dry, with full bellies as they watched Sea Breeze drink her challenger under the table and win that small chest of silvers. Another thing the mare wouldn’t let him forget anytime soon. Shrugging, the stallion turned back to the task at hoof. In the end, he was the captain; he had made the final decisions.

Glancing around from where he stood Main Stay could see that the Tranquility and her crew were surrounded by monsters. They rose, seemingly as tall and formidable as mountains, before crashing down and carving deep, foreboding valleys in the ocean. Their roars echoed around the captain, adding to the song the wind whistled through the ship’s rigging as it pushed the lone ship along its course. Steering his ship through the howling storm, the waves - monsters to most ponies - continued their dance; rising and falling, roaring along with the wind’s whistles and howls. Occasionally one would try to challenge his ship, try to show that it was superior to the wooden vessel, only for the Tranquility to take it head on, splitting the impudent wave with its steel clad bow as if it was nothing, before sailing on to face the next challenger.

These waves, these monsters, the captain and his ship knew well. They had sailed together for too long to not learn how these creatures of wind and water behaved; how they seemed to think. Together, they had sailed the world, from the gentle waves of the tropical south that played and almost seemed to sing, to facing down the waves of the far north that liked to throw chunks of ice hard enough to pierce the hull of the strongest ship while growing to sizes that made the waves around him seem like newborn foals in comparison. From the gentle south to the unforgiving north, the waves demanded his respect and got it, though not his fear. Main Stay knew the waves his ship faced and that she could handle them, which was one of the reasons he had sailed when he did. What Main Stay feared wasn’t visible at the moment and the captain prayed to any power that might have been listening that it stayed that way. The thing that he feared most he had seen only once and despite the decade since that day, the memories still stalked him, invading his dreams and filling them with the screams of lost friends, twisting otherwise pleasant dreams into the kind of nightmare that he doubted even Luna could deal with, his only escape being to wake up screaming. By the time a passing ship had happened upon him and pulled him from the sea, Main Stay had made peace with his fate and had vowed that if he survived, he wouldn’t abandon his ship or friends again if that thing attacked; he would stand by his Captain and fight to the end. He had also vowed that day to live for his lost shipmates; to live a life they never could and since then he had tried his best. Yet despite his best efforts, the greatest thrills, the things that made him feel the most alive, were at sea. He had tried many of the things that other ponies found thrilling but try as he might, things like roller coasters and cloud diving failed to get anything other than a yawn from him. Feeling the Tranquility starting to pick up speed as it plunged down another wave, Captain Main Stay laughed at the top of his lungs, hoping that his friends were laughing too, wherever they were now.

Below deck, Zetani jumped slightly in his hammock as another crack of thunder echoed through the ship, drowning out the creaking of the wooden vessel’s decks. As the peal of thunder slowly faded, the young zebra could hear the captain’s laughter despite the deck between them. A small shiver ran down his spine as his captain’s laughter stopped abruptly, seconds before his home rocked to the side. In the canvas sling above him, the pegasus mare muttered something under her breath as she turned to the next page in her book. Groaning, the black and white stallion swung his legs over the side of his bed, his muscles protesting the sudden movement. Shaking his head to clear what little sleep remained, Zetani didn’t need a mirror to know that his mohawk was now plastered to his head; the storm had seen to that. The young zebra chuckled to himself as he imagined what he must look like and how his older sister would react if she could see him. She’d likely chide him about how disgraceful he looked with his mane so thoroughly messed up. Knowing her, she’d voice her displeasure in that rhyming way that was so common among the shaman and their students, especially the mares. Spirits knew she loved to do so whenever he swam in the river back home, at least until he soaked her with a splash to the face. Taking a moment to run a hoof over his mane to loosen it, he started walking around the cabin with a rhythm that he had learned over the past two years. Moving in time with the heaving deck, Zetani slowly made his way over to where the second mate and another crew member were playing some card game on a small, heavily scarred table the two unicorns had pulled between their hammocks.

“What’s up doc?” High Tide said as he laid a pair of cards face down, replacing them with two from the deck.

“Nothing, just wanted to stretch my legs.” The zebra replied as he leaned over the other unicorn’s shoulder to look at his hand. Shaking his head, the zebra moved to look at the second mate’s cards, which floated face down to the table while the pony glared at the ship’s doctor. “What?”

“No helping him. He’s gotta lose fair and square.” Turning back to his opponent, High Tide watched the younger pony study his cards before looking into the second mate’s eyes. Shaking his head, the unicorn dropped his hand face up onto the table.

“I fold.”

“It happens to everypony, Spray.” High Tide said as a small pile of various coins floated over to him.

“I hafta hit the head.” The blue and yellow pony announced as he stood; twisting his head until his neck popped a few times before walking away.

“Wanna go a round?” The remaining unicorn asked Zetani as his opponent went to relieve himself. Shrugging, the lone zebra slipped into the vacated hammock as the cards began to shuffle themselves in mid-air. The doctor watched the pieces of printed paper become a blur as they jostled among themselves before dropping to the table. “Cut it.” Zetani grabbed the top third of the deck and set it aside. The new top card floated to him as High Tide dealt the cards. “So, what was so funny earlier?”

“Hmm?” Zetani asked, not paying any real attention to his opponent as he studied his cards.

“What was so funny earlier?”

“Oh, that” He replied while shuffling a couple of cards around. “I was just thinking what my sister would say if she could have seen my mane.” The zebra replied as he set a pair of cards aside and replaced them.

“Well, tell us.” The officer said as he replaced three of his cards with new ones.

The doctor paused for a second, trying to recall what she had said to him in the past. “‘Zetani, look at your mane. If anypony saw you, they might think you weren’t quite sane.’” He said, doing his best to imitate her voice as he discarded another card. Glancing up, he could see the yellow unicorn across from him trying to stifle a few chuckles and failing.

“Considering where you are right now? She was probably right.” Another blast of thunder roared through the ship, followed by the captain’s laughter. Looking up, High Tide locked eyes with the zebra before rolling his and returning to his hand. The crew had long ago learned to accept their Captain’s special brand of insanity.

“Anyways, she’d usually give me grief about my mane after I got back from the savannah or while I was swimming in the river near our village.”

“Like what?”

“‘Wait until father has seen what you have done. He might not be pleased with his eldest son.’ If I was in the river, I’d just splash her and soak her mane. She’d always respond to that with ‘Fine, soak and play for a while. Just watch out for that cragadile’; got me every time.”

“Every time?”

“Yup, but since there were cragadiles in the river, you could never be too careful.”

High Tide snickered as he tried to imagine the doctor galloping out of the water while screaming like a little filly. In a nearby sling, one of the crew moaned as the ship was rocked by another wave, the pony’s coat looking decidedly paler than normal. “Aw come on Star Chart that was a small one.” The pony didn’t respond as he rolled onto his side, his back to the older unicorn. Smiling, High Tide continued, “It could be worse you know. The ones up north are like a roller coaster. Up and down… up and down… over and over, without end for days.” As if seeming to know the officer’s plans and approving, the Tranquility began to slide down the back of the latest wave that got in its way. For his part, the young pegasus managed to hold himself together for a few seconds before rapidly scrambling for the bucket near his hammock and retching into it.

Zetani glared at High Tide as the unicorn laughed at the younger crew member. “Not funny” He said as he moved to the pegasus’ side.
“Maybe not but I was just using the opportunity to show that some ponies don’t belong on a ship and this colt cuddler is one.”

The doctor heard the officer as he looked over the younger pony. “That’s your head-up-your-plot opinion, and I’m sure everypony else would be just as happy if you kept it to yourself.”

“Don’t get mad at me just because I point out the truth, Doc.”

Having been on the Tranquility for a few years, Zetani had seen the second mate point out the ‘truth’ on several occasions. While he had been able to ignore it up until that point, the young zebra decided that he and the crew had put up with it for long enough. Smiling, he rubbed the pegasus’ back before slowly turning around to face the older unicorn “The ‘truth’ huh? Remember when we were in Stalliongrad last year and you decided to get acquainted with some of the ladies there?” Zetani’s smile grew as he saw High Tide’s smile start to fade as he realized where the conversation was heading. Coincidentally, Zetani noticed, other than the noise from the storm, the cabin had become silent as the rest of the crew listened in. “If I remember correctly, it was because every last mare on this ship had shot down your advances.” Several of the mares nodded as they smiled at the officer’s growing discomfort. “Remember how you came to me later the next night with that rash on your face for me to cure that just wouldn’t go away on its own? You know, the one that you got after kissing one of the locals?”
High Tide’s head slowly shook as several of the crew sniggered.

“No? Come on, I’m sure you do. What was his name again?”

“It’s not my fault I thought he was a mare! This is Stalliongrad we’re talking about, even the mares look like stallions!”

“Right… and I’m sure the multiple coats didn’t help either, right? So how long did it take you to realize that she was really a he? After you paid her or after he took off his coats?”

“That’s enough Doc.” The now thoroughly embarrassed officer growled. Around the room, both ponies could hear the other crew members failing to hide their amusement.

“Don’t get mad at me just because I point out the truth, sir.” The smiling zebra replied as he moved to the less than happy officer. “Just remember sir,” he whispered, just loud enough for High Tide to hear, “I know things about everypony on this ship and plenty more about you. Keep that in mind next time you decide to target another crew member because you don’t like them for some idiotic reason.” Turning around, the doctor moved to help Star Chart to his hooves. “As for you, we got some work to do down in the hold but first I got some ginger root for you that should help with your nausea.” Letting the pegasus lean against him, Zetani turned his head to throw one last scowl at the second mate before leading Star Chart deeper into the ship.

“It’s such a shame. That was a good burger.” Star Chart said from the top of a stack of crates as he checked the knot at the top that held their net together. “I mean, I’ve had daisy burgers and hay fries before but that one was the best ever.”

Down below, Zetani hummed in reply as he checked the cargo as well. “At least you got the chance to eat some real food. I was just about to join you guys when you came rushing up the ramp.”

“I think Sea Breeze was the most pissed. She was about to win a nice sized pile of silvers when the captain yanked her and ordered us back to the ship.”

“How many shots did she do?”

“I lost count after ten.”

Zetani paused as he tried to figure out how much alcohol that was. Shrugging a moment later, he returned to his task. He wasn’t too concerned about Sea Breeze; on more than one occasion she had done twice that amount, with nothing but a massive hangover the next day to show for it. He’d probably drop by and check on her after they were done checking the cargo. Picking up his lantern, the zebra tapped on the glass a few times, the glow from the fireflies inside increased slightly but the insects stayed where they had landed. It wasn’t hard for the striped pony to see that they weren’t too thrilled with the weather as well. “Don’t worry. Just a little more, then you’ll be able to rest.” One of the bugs inside looked up at him for a moment before closing its eyes again as if attempting to stop the world from spinning. Quietly the doctor hoped that they’d get a few of those new glow crystals that were starting to be shipped out of the Crystal Empire. “So, you got somepony special waiting for you?”

“Why do you ask?”

The doctor shrugged, “You’re new to the crew and I like to know about my shipmates.”

“His name is Bright Palette. He owns an art gallery in Manehattan.”

“Painter?”

“Artist… sculptor… photographer when the mood takes him. We met when I walked into his gallery looking for a piece or two for my apartment.” The young pegasus smiled as he relived that day in his mind. “He was so cute and before I knew it, I could barely fly back to my apartment with the pieces I bought. I’m sure you can figure out what happened after that.” The pegasus’ striped companion could. “After a few months he moved in with me. We’ve been talking about adopting for a while so I signed on here to help make that happen.”

“Congratulations. I’m sure you’ll make an excellent father.”

“Thanks. I can only hope you’re right.” Star Chart said as he jumped from one net wrapped stack to another, his head barely missing one of the overhead beams. Pausing for a second, he sniffed the air. It took him a few moments before he found the scent but once he did, he knew what was causing it. “Hey Doc, you smell that?”

Zetani looked up at the pony above him, about to ask him what he meant, when the zebra caught the unmistakable stench as well. “Oh yeah, smells like somepony missed the bucket. Where’s it coming from.”

Star Chart fluttered among the stacks of crates before landing beside his friend a minute later. “Small stack of loose crates under the main deck hatch, I think.”

“We’d better check it out.” Zetani said, muttering something in Zebran as he followed his companion. Making their way to the center of the ship, the two ponies continued to check the cargo, since shifting cargo could sink the ship in seconds if it moved at the wrong moment. Ten minutes later the pair arrived at the small stack of loose crates, the stench becoming almost unbearable. Jumping into the air, Star Chart hovered, sending a small breeze into the area to help clear the air. As he landed, he heard some noise come from the bottom crate. One look at the zebra told him that he had heard it too. Crouching low, both ponies crept toward the slightly open crate. When they reached it, they looked at each other and yanked back the broken cover as one.

Instead of the fight they were expecting, they looked inside to find a young black and grey colt curled up on the floor moaning and half consciously asking for somepony to stop the ride. “I’ll be right back.” Star Chart said, before spinning around and galloping off. Finding himself alone, Zetani looked over the young colt. Other than the mess him and his saddle bags were covered in, he looked to be in fairly good condition.

“Hey kid, what’s your name?”

Shadow curled a little tighter, moaning as another wave of nausea washed over him.

“What are you doing on this ship?” Zetani asked, getting another moan in response. Behind him, he could hear the sound of hooves on wood echoing among the stacks of boxes. Moments later, Star Chart and a unicorn mare rounded the corner, skidding to a stop next to the doctor. From her back, the mare lifted a blanket and gave it to the zebra. Nodding his thanks, Zetani spread the blanket on the floor as the mare gently lifted the colt out of his wooden box and onto the waiting blanket, before wrapping him in it and laying him on the doctor’s back. “Thanks.”

“No problem Doc. Take care of your stowaway while I clean up this mess.”

“Tide probably won’t like that.”

“Oh well.” She replied; a smile lighting up her face at the thought of annoying the chauvinistic Second Mate.

“So, what are we going to do now?” Star Chart asked as the pair walked into the small room that served as the ship’s sickbay.

Groaning, Zetani gently deposited his passenger onto a small bed built into the back wall. “First, I make sure this little guy is alright and that he can keep his food down. Then, we have to tell the captain.”

“He won’t be very happy.”

“Who knows, he’s been rather happy today from what I can tell.” As if to back up the doctor, the sound of laughter filtered down from above.

“Is he always like that?”

“Only when the weather and the sea try to kill us” The zebra said as he moved over to a cabinet and pulled out a lumpy, tan root. Walking over to his patient, Zetani gently shook the young colt until he managed to partially open an eye. “Eat this” the doctor said, gently handing the root to the young vest wearing unicorn.

Shadow looked over the proffered root for a moment before taking a small bite out of it, taking his time chewing before swallowing it. After a few minutes, he took another bite out of it, finishing it off half an hour later. Realizing that whatever he had eaten wasn’t going to try and escape, Shadow slowly sat up, finally taking the opportunity to look around without the world trying to make him sick again. A few feet away, a strange striped pony slowly moved around the room, his back turned to Shadow. “Where am I?”

“You, my young stowaway, are on the independent merchant vessel Tranquility which is somewhere on the Great Ocean. And you got some explaining to do about what you’re doing here but first you’ll probably want to clean yourself up.” Zetani said, walking around the table in the middle of the room to face his young guest. Lifting up a hoof, he gently pushed a half full bucket of water next to Shadow’s bed, a small wash cloth gently floating inside.

Grabbing the cloth with his magic, Shadow set to work wiping and scraping the dried crust off of his fur. “Thanks” He said as he dunked the towel back in the water, before he started working on his face.

“No problem…” Zetani replied, pausing for the young pony to fill in the blank.

“-Shadow.”

“Shadow” The zebra watched his young patient clean himself up. As the last of the crusted filth came off, Shadow turned his attention to his saddle bags, which had managed to mostly escape getting coated, unlike their owner. “So, what are you doing on our ship?”

Shadow shrugged as he re-soaked the wash cloth. “Last thing I remember was taking shelter in some boxes from the storm. After that until now, it’s mostly a blur.”

Zetani pondered the colt’s story. He had checked the crates before loading them in the hold, right? Normally he would have assumed he had and the colt was lying but something held him back. Closing his eyes, Zetani mentally retraced the previous day, groaning as he remembered that he was rushing to load the last bit of cargo so he could join the rest of the crew at the tavern. Besides being hungry, he knew from experience that large amounts of alcohol did not mix well with some of the crew, which meant that he’d probably be needed before too long.

“You alright?”

Zetani opened his eyes to a look of concern from the young stowaway. “Yeah, though the captain isn’t going to be happy with either of us when he finds out.” He paused as a thought occurred to him. “And neither will your family.”

“My family is beyond any point of caring right now.”

“That’s rather harsh. I’m sure they’re wondering where you are.”

“They’re dead.” Zetani stopped at that. “They’re dead and all I could do was watch them die.” The young colt seemed to hitch at this, his face visualizing the emotional battle he was fighting inside. Before any tears could escape, Shadow dried his eyes on the back of a leg before giving his bags one last examination. “So no, I doubt they’re wondering where I am.”

Before he could say anything, the doctor jumped as the nearby door swung open with a bang. “So the rumors are true,” High Tide said as he slowly walked into room “we do have a stowaway on board.” The unicorn slowly walked over to the lone colt. “What’s your name?”

“Shadow.”

The smile that bloomed on High Tide’s face unsettled the room’s other occupants. “Welcome to the Tranquility. What the fuck are you doing on board?” He saw the ship’s doctor glance at the stowaway. “Don’t worry Doc, you’ll get your chance to explain yourself but for now I would appreciate it if your little friend would answer the question.” The colt before him seemed to hesitate. “No? Well, that’s not a problem. Get off your plot; you two are coming with me.” He replied, turning around to leave.

Shadow looked over at the striped earth pony, who closed his eyes and nodded, looking as if he was trying to fight off a growing headache. Jumping down from the bed, Shadow found himself slamming into the side of a cabinet as the ship was heaved by another wave.

“If I have to carry you, you won’t enjoy it.” The second officer barked without turning his head. Stumbling through the door, Shadow walked as fast as he could as the ship rolled about in the waves. Shrugging off the doctor’s help, Shadow found himself having to resort to his magic to help keep himself upright as he tried to climb a set of stairs that refused to stay still for more than a heartbeat. At the top he paused to catch his breath, closing his eyes in an attempt to make the world around him stop moving. Next to him, he heard the older unicorn mutter something before knocking on a door. Shadow didn’t hear a response, yet the older stallion opened the door and all but kicked Shadow into the room before following the doctor in.

Coming to a halt, Shadow threw the stallion a glare that did nothing as his target simply glared back and jerked his head to the side. Turning away from the second officer, Shadow took the chance to survey the room they had entered. The room itself was by no means big, though it was several times larger than the one he had woken up in. The solid wood walls had a number of paintings hung on them. To his left, one of the walls was dominated by a large map with a single main continent and a number of smaller islands surrounding it. Below it, a small globe sat on top of a small cabinet full of books. The back wall was almost entirely composed of glass that allowed everypony in the room an unobstructed view of the angry and roiling ocean waves outside. As he watched, a large wave sank from sight, only to throw itself against the wall of glass a moment later with a thundering crash that shook everything in the room. In the middle of the room stood a single pony who had his back to the new arrivals. As the wave sank away, Shadow could hear the pony break out in a laugh before saying something, as if answering the wave. Glancing at the striped pony next to him, Shadow saw the doctor roll his eyes as he shrugged.

“So, what brings you here this fine morning, Tide?” Main Stay asked as he grabbed a towel off a nearby hook to dry off.

“Afternoon, sir and we have a little situation I thought you’d like to know about.”

“Really? What kind of situ-” The captain turned around, the smile on his face freezing in place as his eyes fell on Shadow “-ation. Who’s this?”

“This” High Tide said, forcing the colt forward with a shove, “is a stowaway the doctor and Star Chart found and didn’t feel like reporting.”

“If they didn’t tell you, how did you find out?”

“I overheard Rain telling another member of the crew.”

“How did she know and why didn’t she report our young guest here?”

“I don’t know, though I plan on asking her real soon.”

The captain though about it for a moment before turning to the colt, “What’s your name and why are you on my ship.”

“His name is Shadow, sir and it’s my fault he’s on board.” Zetani said; speaking before Shadow could open his mouth. “I didn’t check the last load of cargo we took on before leaving. Star Chart and I found him while checking the cargo and I asked Rain to not tell anypony about him until I had brought him to you.” Shadow looked at the striped pony, whose attention was squarely on the captain. The colt didn’t remember much, but he was pretty sure the doctor was lying right now.

“What you were planning to do is kind of irrelevant at this point Doc. The question now is what are we going to do with our little stowaway here?”

“We could always keelhaul him?”

Zetani and Main Stay both looked at the second officer with shock and incredulity at his suggestion. “No.” They said and shouted at the same time. Both stallions looked at each other for a moment before the captain continued. “Nopony is getting keelhauled as long as I’m in charge, is that understood?”

“Yes sir.” High Tide replied, though he didn’t appear happy about it.

“Good. Now, why are you on my ship, Shadow?”

“It wasn’t by choice, Captain. I took cover in an empty box when it started to hail yesterday and the next thing I know I’m waking up with a black and white striped earth pony shoving a strange root in my face and telling me to eat it.”

A smile slowly bloomed on Main Stay’s face. ‘Striped earth pony’? “He’s a zebra, Shadow, though your description is pretty accurate.” Looking at Zetani, the captain could see that the ship’s doctor was barely restraining a laugh. “Second, I believe your story, though this ship is not designed for passengers. Third, I need you to empty your bags.”

“What.”

“Empty your saddlebags.”

“Forget it.”

The smile on the captain’s face started to fade. “It wasn’t a request, young colt.”

Shadow didn’t move as he stared at the captain, as if challenging him to try and make him. “Do it.” The youngest pony in the room looked up at Zetani. “The captain just wants to make sure you don’t have anything dangerous.” Turning back to the ship’s master, Shadow saw him slowly nod once, as if confirming the zebra’s words. Without removing his eyes from the captain, Shadow ignited his horn, loosening the strap around his waist before lifting the bags up until they hung in the air before him. Gently tapping the nearest bag’s lock, the bag’s cover opened with a snap. Reaching inside, Shadow levitated everything in the bag to the floor between him and the captain. Repeating the process, he gently lowered the four books to the floor before flipping the saddlebags upside down and roughly shaking them.
Slowly walking forward, the Tranquility’s black maned master eyed the displayed contents. One pile had a couple of apples, some oats and vegetables, a small pouch with a string around its neck and a hoof-full of bandages. The other bag’s contents hovered in the colt’s magic as the stallion inspected them. “Thank you, though this presents us with something of a problem. Normally we don’t take passengers and those we have taken paid. As it stands, everything you have wouldn’t be enough to cover your passage, though those books would go a good distance covering your fare.”

To say that Shadow’s reaction was quick would be an understatement as he pulled the books to him and projected a shield around himself that knocked the two ponies next to him off balance, sending them stumbling. “Forget it. The only way you are getting these books is over my dead body.”

“That can be arranged.” High Tide growled, glaring at the colt as he rubbed his nose which had had a sudden encounter with one of the cabin’s walls, thanks to the stowaway’s shield.

“Try it!”

“That’s enough!” Main Stay said, stopping the two before they could go any farther. He turned to his Second Officer, “Nothing is going to be arranged and don’t you have something better to do?”

High Tide tilted his head as he seemed to think about it for a moment “No, not really.”

“Then find something” The captain said “Preferably somewhere else.” Throwing a final glare at Shadow, High Tide growled something at the colt before stalking out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Gently depositing the books back in their bag, Shadow reinforced the spells on his saddlebags before turning back to the captain. Picking up the small pouch, he levitated it over to the ship’s master before pulling on the string around the neck and pulling out the remaining coins. “Here. This is all the money I have. I’ll pay the rest of my fare by working.” Shadow said as he put the coins back in the pouch and gave it to the captain.

“Doc, why don’t you take him back to your office and go over him. Make sure he isn’t infested or anything.”

“I. Am. Not. Infested!” Shadow shouted as Main Stay put the pouch of coins into a small chest on the floor.

“I don’t care.” The ship’s master said as he closed the chest’s lid. “Everypony gets checked out and you are no exception. Doc?”

“It’s true Shadow, even the captain gets checked.” Zetani said, as he turned away from a bed that Shadow only now noticed. “She’ll be fine in a day or so Captain, just the usual hangover and sensitivity to light.”

“Thanks Doc.”

Zetani nodded as he led the vest wearing colt away. As soon as the door was shut, the captain let out a groan before sinking into a plush couch he had found during a stop in Manehattan. For several minutes he just sat there, letting his muscles slowly relax and loosen. Outside, the waves still pounded against his ship’s hull, occasionally sending the ship reeling, or tried to sneak up from behind and break the magically strengthened glass. Sighing, he listened to the sound of the rain against the glass and the deck above, letting the sound drain the frustration he felt. Slowly he became aware of the gentle snoring coming from the cabin’s only other occupant. Feeling the hours of battling the sea finally starting to catch up, Main Stay slowly stood with a groan before crossing the small space between him and sweet temporary oblivion.

He had barely lifted the covers before the bed’s lone occupant rolled over, trapping the sheets beneath her. Glancing down, the captain found himself facing a single, blood-shot pale emerald eye glaring back. “Give me one good reason why I should give you any part of this bed” the mare growled.

“I’m the captain?”

Sea Breeze turned her back to him. “If that’s all you got, you can forget it.”

“What’s wrong?”

He winced as soon as the words had left his mouth. He knew he had stepped in it and judging by the painful silence he was getting, his mare friend knew it too. “What’s wrong?” She asked, sitting up and turning until they were eye to eye. “Let’s start with the raging hangover I got and all for nothing I might add, thanks to you. Or how about this storm you decided to sail us into as I was about to win a small fortune. What in Tartarus were you thinking?”

“The tide was starting to turn, and I didn’t want to miss it.”

“Ah yes, the tide… You could have told your beloved tide to go fuck itself but instead you decide to yank me before I could win!” She yelled, shuddering at the noise. The captain rolled his eyes, figuring that it was the hangover talking though he made sure she didn’t see him do it. “On top of that, you sailed us into the middle of what is probably the largest Celestia damned storm of the year! What the fucking hell were you thinking?” Before he could answer she turned her back to him again before wrapping the sheets around her once more. “Enjoy the couch”

Knowing that she was right and that arguing wouldn’t help, Main Stay slowly trudged across the small room, pulling the lone blanket off before climbing onto the couch. Throwing the blanket over him, he listened to the wind and waves outside, letting the slowly dying storm lull him into sweet oblivion.

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[TheCommunistDog]

Heh