Trade Breaker carefully closed the door, leaving the five friends to tend to their unconscious companion. He leaned against the metal wall and let out a long sigh of relief, the meeting had gone much better than he had been hoping for. A small cough turned his attention to the two thestrals standing nervously by the corner.
“Yes?” He asked.
The female of the two stepped forward, her eyes darting at the door. “Um, Captain, couldn't help but notice you were talking to the Elements for a while, and, um. . .”
The male stepped up. “We were wondering whether or not you told them about us and our little stunt in Canterlot.”
Trade Breaker nodded solemnly. “Dusk Maiden, Night Watch, I understan' yer worries, but ye know that I be not a backstabber. All those mares know is that two thestrals signed aboard me ship some time ago. If'n they find out, it will not be from a single soul aboard this ship 'ceptin fer the two standin' in front o' me.”
The two thestrals hung their heads in shame.
“Aye captain.” Night Watch said. “Sorry for not having more faith in you.”
“Perfectly fine.” Trade Breaker said, dismissing the conversation without a second thought. “Now, be ye knowin' the location of Four Eyes? I need to talk wit' him.”
Dusk nodded. “Aye, he's taking a swim.”
“What! Is he mad?” Trade Breaker exploded.
“Henry hooked him in one of the mooring lines!” Night said hurriedly.
“Oh. Well, I'll go reel him in then.” The captain said nonchalantly.
Culinary carefully poured the exact amount of spices into the pot as he stirred the concoction of various vegetables. Setting aside the ladle, he looked into the small oven that currently housed a loaf of bread. Satisfied with the crust, he grabbed a mitten from the nearby hook and pulled out the pan, sniffing the bread with a satisfied sigh.
Although he had failed to receive a cutie mark, he had always known his calling would lead him to the kitchens. Well, galley as the the captain had called it.
The door opened and Woody stepped into the galley, a branch getting stuck on the frame. He pulled it free with a crack and a grimace.
“Oy! Woody! Car'ful where ye step! There's been no shor'age o' yer parts lyin' round the decks, an' ye cannae stan' tae lose no mo'!” Culinary admonished.
The timberwolf slunk into the galley, his paws clicking on the metal deck.
“I am to bring food to the fires below for my master.” His raspy voice scratched out.
Culinary nodded. “Aye, soup's don', 'dough I doen' know why ye always com' fer Missus Beaker an' she don' com' 'erself!”
“My master is far too busy to retrieve her own food.” Came the raspy reply.
Ladling the soup into the bowl, Culinary rolled his eyes. “Aye, an' I'm a uneycorn! Will ye be needin' a bowl fer Mister Dead Fire?”
Woody growled slightly at Culinary's disrespect of his master, but nodded. “Yes, the dragon is down in the fires as well.”
Culinary ladled the soup into another bowl and skillfully picked both bowls up in a single talon and passed them to Woody. The branches on the top of the timberwolf spread open slightly and a pair of vines wrapped themselves around each of the bowls, pulling them into the nooks of the branches and securing them. Woody turned to leave, but Culinary stopped him.
“Now hold on 'den, ye have tae eat as well.” Culinary said, walking back to a sizzling pot and pulling out the fried fish.
Woody stared at it, drool forming at his mouth. “You're efforts to cook the fish are wasted. I am incapable of tasting, and therefore you should not waste any more time on my food.”
“Why dae ye t'ink I gave ye the flounder?” Culinary said, tossing the fish at Woody who caught it in his jaws. “Besides, it's good tae stay in practice.”
The wolf gave a low growl, not in hostility but acknowledgment, and walked through the open doorway. Captain Trade Breaker's voice could be heard greeting Woody moments before he stepped into the galley with a tired expression.
“Cap'n! Yer jus' in time fer breakfast!” Culinary said happily. “Veg'table soup an' fresh bread!”
Trade Breaker managed a small grin. “Grand, anything special today?”
The hippogriff winked conspiratorially. “Aye, them chunks ain't potatoes.”
Breaker's bowl paused halfway to his mouth. “May I ask what then, is floating in me soup?”
“Trout!” Culinary exclaimed with a broad grin.
Breaker smiled. “Ye've a wicked sense of humor, Mister Beak. I take it there's been a bit o' meat in the pris'ners diet as of late?”
“Aye! 'Dough not but da broth.” Culinary said, returning to stirring the pot. “I figured dat da Princes an' 'er friends woul' find da meat a bit too obvious, so I been sneakin' it in a bit at a time.”
Gulping down the soup, Trade Breaker sighed. “That be a bold move, an' I would be indebted to ye if'n ye held off on releasin' that information for a few days, least until we know what their plans be.”
The hippogriff gulped. “Good think'n. I woul' hate tae have 'dose mares mad at me.”
Breaker laughed. “Aye, so I suggest that fer now, ye make another batch of vegetable soup, only this time make it according to the name.”
Culinary nodded. “Aye, dat be da smart 'ding to do.”
“It be.” The captain agreed. “Now, I was talkin' to Four Eyes, an' he says that our oil is a might low.”
“Problumatic.”
“That's why I wanted to discuss our next move wit' ye.” Breaker said. “Be ye knowin' o' any refineries in yer homelands?”
Culinary frowned as he thought. “Hmmm, griffons arrr not ones tae be known fer ind'stries, but I may know of a place 'dat may serve arrr purpose. Only be one problem.”
“What be that?” Breaker asked.
“Tis a hundred miles inland.” The hippogriff shrugged. “But knowin' me cap'n, 'dat won' be a problem.”
The pegasus frowned, but gave no further comment than to thank Culinary for the soup and information. He stepped out into the passageway, leaving Culinary to prepare more soup.
With a groan, Twilight opened her eyes to find five pairs of eyes staring back. She sat up, her dizziness fading quickly.
“What happened?” She asked.
“You fainted darling.” Rarity explained. “Right after Captain Trade Breaker mentioned all those creatures that were aboard.”
Twilight shot to her hooves, grabbing the white unicorn. “Where did he go? I have so many questions! How did he get all those different species to cooperate? Where are they? I need to talk to all of them!”
While her friends pulled Twilight off of Rarity and held her down, Applejack tried to talk some sense into the alicorn.
“Now Twi, Ah understand that you're anxious to learn about this ship and the crew, but you have to take it easy.” She said slowly. “Remember that we're still onboard a pirate ship, and we need to step carefully.”
Twilight nodded apologetically. “I'm sorry, it's just that when I heard that there's a. . . a. . .”
When Applejack saw Twilight's eyes start to take a crazed twinge, she hollered out. “There she goes again!”
It took some time before Twilight had calmed down from her information hungry frenzy, claiming that she needed a thorough examination of every body aboard. Thankfully, Fluttershy's stare combined with a few good knocks to the head from Applejack lead to Twilight's rational side finally taking hold once again.
Carefully opening the door, Rarity took Twilight's hoof and guided her out into the passageway. The six ponies were met with the grim sight of Storm Stalker and Big Sail waiting for them. The two groups stood for a few moments, neither one saying a word.
Twilight made a slight cough and stepped forward. “Um, I'm sorry about last night, and trying to take over the ship.”
Storm stepped forward, her face set in a stony frown. “Listen yew lot. Cap'n trust yew fer reasons that elude me. Ye 'ave free reign o' the ship, but let's make one thin' clear. If'n yew put a single hoof outta' line, Ah'll chop it off.”
Twilight audibly gulped, but forced a smile. “Understood.”
Storm huffed, but didn't push any further. “Cap'n says Ah'm tae give ye a tour o' the ship. Follow me.”
Twilight motioned for her friends to fall in behind the mare as she lead them towards a door. The unicorn Big Sail fell in behind them, effectively penning in the Elements in the narrow corridor.
Storm opened the door with little trouble and lead the group up a steep ladder and into another section. She pointed out various rooms as they passed them, crew berthing, bathrooms, storage. There were a lot of storage rooms. Finally, they exited the ship into the fresh sea air on the second level of the forward tower.
Twilight wasn't sure what to call it, and Storm didn't bother telling her. Pointing aft, the pirate mare explained that the four vertical cylinders were the smokestacks for the massive engines down below, and that the ship's speed could be attributed to the four massive screws below the rear deck.
Twilight was intensely curious as to how these screws operated, how the engines produced enough power to turn them, and how the engines themselves worked, but her only answer was an eyeroll from the pirate.
With a powerful thrust of her wings, Storm took to the air. “Ah cannae say how it is done, only tha' those screws be bigger than Celestia 'erself.”
Twilight flew after her, followed by Rainbow and Fluttershy. Storm pointed with her hoof below the waterline and said, “There they be.”
Twilight looked where Storm was pointing and saw that indeed, the screws were the largest that she'd ever seen, jutting out from the side of the ship and spinning with a speed that belied their size.
“But how?” She asked. “According to the Equestrian Naval Steam Bureau, the powerplant required for a steamer this size would take up half the ship, and yet it's projected top speed would only be ten knots! Also, the screws are spinning too fast for a conventional sealant, it would take a magical barrier to keep the water out! Yet Captain Trade Breaker says-”
“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash interrupted.
“Huh?”
The pegasus pointed at the rapidly receding pirate and ship. “She left about four words into your rant.”
“Oh.” Twilight said sheepishly. “Eheh, whoops.”
The trio easily caught up to the ship, finding Storm gliding alongside it.
“Ah see yew managed tae remember that the ship's movin'.” She grinned mockingly.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Still don't see what you're bragging about. Ain't that fast to me.”
“Aye.” Storm said. “'Course maybe that's 'cause yew're a useless landlubber wit' no sense o' size.”
“Hey!” Rainbow yelled angrily, her pride flaring. “I'm not a useless land-scrubber!”
The pirate rolled her eyes. “Right.”
Rainbow scowled. “Why you-”
“Help!” A pitiful cry interrupted the two prideful mares.
“Blast it Four Eyes!” Storm yelled, instantly diving for the ship with Twilight and her companions in pursuit.
Looking ahead of Storm, Twilight could see a small, blue stallion stumbling out of a doorway, only his hooves had caught on the large lip and the pony had fallen on his face.
“Help!” He wailed, his front hooves feeling the deck in front of him.
Storm landed on the deck, advancing on the struggling pony. “Fer pity's sake Four Eyes! Cannae yew keep yew're glasses on fer five minutes?”
Twilight made as to move after her, but stopped when she saw the diminutive stallion fully. The half that was outside the doorway was a dripping wet earth pony with a green mane, but about midway back, the body elongated itself into a long and muscular finned tail.
“A seapony?” She gasped.
Meanwhile, Storm was acting as if seeing a seapony onboard a ship was an everyday occurrence.
“I'm sorry, Miss Stalker.” The seapony sobbed. “But I slipped on something and lost them!”
“Oh the poor thing!” Fluttershy said, quickly moving past Storm Stalker and hugging the dripping wet pony.
“There, there.” She comforted. “There's no reason to cry.”
Storm Stalker rolled her eyes. “O' all the creatures in the sea, we 'ad tae get stuck wit' this one.”
Fluttershy's eyes would have bored through solid stone. “You be quiet! This pony's hurt and you should be more considerate of others!”
The seapony shook his head. “I'm not hurt. I just lost my glasses.”
“You're glasses?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yes, the ones Captain Trade Breaker gave to me.” The pony said, squinting at Fluttershy. “I can't see a thing without them, and—and. . . You don't sound like one of the crew.”
“Mistah Four Eyes!” With a clattering of hooves, a small, brown earth pony ran up with a pair of spectacles in her mouth. “Ye dropped yer glasses!”
The seapony turned to the sound of the filly and promptly smacked his muzzle on the door frame, falling over and clutching his bleeding nose, groaning piteously. Fluttershy was instantly nursing him, forcing him to let her look at his muzzle.
With a heavy sigh, Storm relieved the filly of the glasses. “T'ank yew, Water Rose.”
Walking over to the seapony, she placed the the spectacles over his eyes.
“Oh thank you, I don't-” He stopped talking when he saw Fluttershy, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash all staring at him.
With a frightened yelp, he struggled out of Fluttershy's grasp and launched himself gracefully over the railing. Storm's eyes nearly popped out of her head and she instantly took to the air.
“PONY OVERBOARD!” She screamed. “PONY OVERBOARD! ALL HOOVES TAE THE RAILIN'! HENRY GET OVER HERE!”