//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11 
// Story: Sea of Misfits 
// by M48 Patton 
//------------------------------//

	“Oh no darling, the fashion industry is simply booming!” Rarity said. “In fact, I have a shop in Manehattan and Canterlot in addition to my original Carousel Boutique back in Poneville.” 
“No!” Sun Flowers gasped. “And you run all three shops?” 
“Well, it's more of a managing position really.” Rarity explained. “I design the dresses and am responsible for each store, but I do have dedicated seamstresses in the Manehattan and Canterlot shops for when I'm not there.” 
The mint colored earth pony across from her sighed wistfully, a strand of her white mane falling in front of her eye. “I remember those Canterlot nights, the Grand Galloping Gala, oh the dresses were so beautiful that evening.” 
“Oh! You attended the Gala?” Rarity squealed. “Oh you must of looked fabulous darling! I can only imagine what you were wearing!” 
Sun looked at Rarity, her eyes betraying her emotions. Gone was the fond remembrance of a life once surrounded by beauty, instead was the sadness of a mare  betrayed. 
“It was a blue dress.” She sniffed, tears threatening to form. “Simple, yet elegant. It flowed like a river down to the floor.” 
Sun lost the battle and tears began to fall. 
“I had just made it as a singer, my name in lights at the theater.” She sobbed. “He saw my play and met me backstage. He offered me the chance to see high class up close. The Grand Galloping Gala was my chance to be something more than a performer, more than the songbird I was known for.” 
She placed her forelegs on the table and buried her face in her hooves, crying uncontrollably. “It was all an act. He kept giving me drinks, and  when I woke up the next morning, he was gone! He left me! He used me and then he left me! With Water Rose on the way, the theater fired me. I couldn't find work in Canterlot, so roamed the country looking for a job. My name had been blacklisted by the theater community, and I ended up working as a waitress in Manehattan. When the owner found out I had an illegitimate daughter, he started to threaten me. Said if I didn't do what he wanted, I was going to get fired.” 
Rarity moved to the other side of the table and began to rub Sun Flowers' back. The desolate mare turned around threw her legs around Rarity's neck, her tears soaking into her coat. 
“I met the captain by chance the night before the owner planned to fire me, and when he offered me a chance to get away, I took it. I took it and I ran. I was so scared and desperate, I would have gone anywhere to get away. I didn't care that the crew looked funny, I didn't care that the captain got lost in the harbor, I just wanted to get away.” 
Sun dissolved into a sobbing mess as she hung onto Rarity, her barrel rising and falling as she gasped for breath. Rarity gently stroked her mane as she quietly comforted her, letting the mare cry on her shoulder. 
“I'm sorry.” Sun said in between her crying. “I'm sorry for just unloading this on you, but you're the first mare on this ship that actually cared enough to talk to me.” 
Dusk Maiden, the thestral who was talking with Storm Stalker, had paused the conversation with the pirate to listen in on Rarity and Sun Flowers, turned back to Storm with a frown. 
“I care, how come she never approach me?” She pouted. 
Storm shrugged. “Prolly 'cause yew look like a bat.” 
Dusk rolled her eyes. “Well, we know why she never came to you.” 
“Nopony ever accused me o' bein' a nice mare.” Storm said. “An' Ah'm stabbin' the firs' one that does.” 
Meanwhile, Culinary Beak silently approached and offered Rarity a clean towel, which Rarity had to grab with her hoof because the towel was immune to magic. Pulling away from Sun and using the towel to wipe away her tears, Rarity slowly got the mare to stop crying before pulling her back into a hug. 
“Listen, you have a beautiful daughter.” Rarity whispered to her. “And you've done a wonderful job of raising her, even with everything that life has thrown at you. Never let anypony tell you different.” 
“Thank you.” Sun sniffed. “Thank you for everything.” 
The quiet tap of hooves signaled the arrival of Water Rose as she slowly approached her mother. The little filly stood up on her hind legs and embrace Sun Flowers's foreleg, clamping down with all the strength that she could muster. Together, the abandoned mother and daughter held each other, refusing to let go. 



Twilight, caught halfway to Fluttershy's table, stared with wide eyes that threatened to tear up about halfway through Sun Flowers's story. Noticing Culinary was near, she turned to him. 
“Was everypony on this ship treated this badly?” She whispered. 
Culinary continued to wipe down the table, but looked at Sun as he spoke. “It be a recurring theme fer most o' us, 'dough I figure Miss Flowers 'ad it da worst, what wit' 'avin' a filly an' no job tae speak of. 'Dis ship be da firs' bit o' good luck tae hit arrr band o' misfits fer a good while, so ye can see why we be a might protective of her.” 
Twilight nodded slowly, the gears in her mind churning. “Yeah, I can.” 
She left Culinary to his cleaning and walked over to Fluttershy and the seapony. Fluttershy looked at her as she sat down, sniffling slightly. 
“That poor mare.” The pegasus said softly. “How could anypony be so cruel?” 
Twilight shook her head. “I don't know, but I'm definitely going to be getting the name of whoever took advantage of her.” 
Erasing her frown and replacing it with a small but kind smile, she turned to the seapony and spoke. 
“So, what's your name?” She asked. 
The seapony shrunk down, but thankfully didn't run like last time. “Four Eyes.” He said quietly. 
“Well, that's just a nickname right?” Twilight said, causing Four Eyes to nod slightly. 
“Okay, what's your real name?” 
Four Eyes looked down at the table in shame. “He Who Swims Blindly.” 
“Oh, I'm sorry.” Twilight apologized, suddenly feeling even lower than before. 
“It's okay.” Four Eyes protested. “I like the name Four Eyes, it makes it sound like I have two sets of good eyes, rather than the pair I have now.” 
Twilight sucked in a breath and tried to change the subject. “So, um, how does a seapony end up on a ship like this? I mean, seaponies so rarely venture out of the ocean that a lot of ponies think you're a myth.” 
“It was an accident.” He said, his gaze never leaving the table. “I could never see from the moment I was born. I always had to be lead around, which made me a bit unpopular. Then one day, my pod mates took me far away from the village and then swam off and left me there. I called out for help, but nopony heard me, and I couldn't find my way back. I wandered the ocean for about a day when I heard a strange noise and swam towards it. I was a lot closer to the surface than I realized, but I didn't dive back down like I usually did. I saw something big and gray coming towards me, but I couldn't tell what, when suddenly Miss Storm came down on me and pulled me from the water. I was scared, blind, and on a ship. I had heard stories that the ones who lived above water would torture and kill me and I began to beg for my life. That's when Captain Trade Breaker gave me his glasses.” 
His eyes lit up, glowing with joy. “For the first time in my life, I could see. I asked how I could ever repay him, and you know what he told me?” 
“What?” Fluttershy whispered. 
“He told me to quit crying.” Four Eyes said, smiling broadly. 
Both Twilight and Fluttershy were speechless, but the seapony was perfectly content with the way his introduction to the ship was handled. 
“And since then, captain put me in charge of inventory, I've never felt so happy in my life!” He finished. 
“But what about how the crew treats you? Storm Stalker was yelling at you earlier today, and isn't hard to move around the ship?” Twilight protested. 
“Princess.” Four Eyes said. “Have you ever felt as though you were useless? A burden for others to carry around? Have you ever seen nothing for your entire life?” 
Twilight couldn't answer him. 
Four Eyes continued. “The captain didn't give me a pair of glasses, he gave me a purpose, a family, and a home. Three things that I've never had. Being able to see was just a nice bonus. This ship is my home, even if it is above water, and the crew are my family. Sure, they yell at me and make jokes about me, but whenever I lose my glasses, they're always there to pick them up. My purpose, Princess Twilight, is to help my family. I'm happy, and as long as I'm onboard this ship, I'm going to stay happy.” 
Twilight nodded, the gears in her brain were currently stuck and she was having a hard time getting them going again. She thanked Four Eyes for his story and left the galley, thoroughly confused. 
Big Sail was waiting for Twilight outside the galley, using his magic to stuff tobacco into a pipe. He noticed her distracted state of mind and struck up a conversation to find out what ailed the mare. 
“You body stands before me, but your mind be missing. Tell me, Princess, what thoughts have stolen it away?” He asked. 
Twilight took a moment to register what he meant. “I was just thinking.” 
“I could tell that, but can I help ease your burden?” 
She studied the unicorn. “You're the perfect example of my problem.” 
“Eh?” 
“You're not like a pirate!” Twilight burst. “Your speech is better than most Canterlot nobles, you're appearance is clean, you're smart, and you're extremely polite! It doesn't add up, this was supposed to be a pirate ship, but so far the only one to act like a pirate is Storm Stalker!” 
Big Sail's only reaction was a raised eyebrow. With a bit of magic, he lit his pipe and took a couple of puffs. 
Finally he spoke. “It seems to me that we're not the problem. You are.” 
Twilight frowned. “I get it, you're mad at me for getting you in trouble with Equestria-” 
“No, you're way off.” He interrupted. “This ship was already in trouble with Equestria before you came along. That's the reason you tried to ambush us, isn't it?” 
Twilight nodded. “Yeah, I guess that's true.” 
“So, when I say that you're the problem, I'm not talking about you being on this ship, I'm talking about your perception of this ship.” 
“I don't get it.” 
Big Sail rolled his eyes. “You're the reason that you're confused, not the ship or the crew. You came onboard expecting to find just a ship that was just a hoax and a bunch of mean, smelly stallions that were going to be nothing more than bullies to be cowed into submission. Instead, what you found was a ship that was the real deal, crewed by creatures that have more in common with you than you'd like. And now you're angry about it, because it's your job to bring us to justice, but after hearing our tales, you don't want to. So, it all boils down to this Princess, are you going to follow your duty, or your feelings?” 
If Twilight's jaw could have fallen off, it would have. She blinked a few times and tried to gather her thoughts. “I-I'm not sure, I mean-” 
“Think about it, you'll figure something out that reaches a nice compromise.” Big Sail said, blowing rings with his pipe. 
Twilight nodded, stunned at the unicorn's perception. 
“Hey, can you tell me why Storm Stalker's always so aggressive?” She asked. “I get that we're technically enemies, but she's really hostile towards my friends and I.” 
Big Sail chuckled. “It's not your fault, it's just the way she was raised.” 
“Can you tell me about it?” Twilight prodded. 
Big Sail remained silent for a minute, ignoring Twilight's begging. 
“Oh, alright.” He finally relented. “I'll tell you, but Miss Stalker will never learn of our conversation.” 
Twilight nodded eagerly, preparing her mental journal. 
Big Sail took a deep breath, looked down the passageway to check for hidden ears, and began. “In order to know who Miss Stalker is, you have to know where she comes from. Does the name Storm Killer sound familiar?” 
Twilight's eyes nearly popped out of her head. “The most feared pirate to ever sail these waters? Legend has it that he was so powerful, and commanded such great respect among other pirates that he could have assembled a pirate armada capable of rivaling the entire Equestrian Navy.” 
Big Sail nodded. “Aye, and do you know what happened to him?” 
“He disappeared around two years ago, some say that the very sea turned on him and sucked his ship down, while others claim that he took on Princess Celestia in a duel and lost, although I personally know that one to be false.” 
The unicorn smiled. “The real explanation is a lot simpler than that. He retired.” 
“Retired?” Twilight asked, her expectations shattered. 
“Aye, he finally called it quits one day and left the seas to live in Mare's Point. He owns a mansion and spends his days cloud busting and drinking the finest wine available.” 
“Then. . . what happened to his ship?” Twilight inquired. “It was legendary.” 
Big Sail nodded again. “Aye, the ship. Most powerful ship to ever sail the sea. Eighteen ballistas to a side, and capable of running down any ship at the time. Now that's where Miss Stalker comes into the story. You see, what most ponies don't know is that Storm Killer had a daughter, one that he kept hidden for years.” 
“Wait, not-” Twilight said, connecting the dots. 
“Yup, Storm Stalker is Storm Killer's daughter.” Big Sail affirmed. 
“Oh wow. So how did she end up on the Marblehead?” 
“I'm getting to that.” Big Sail said impatiently. “Now, Storm Killer trained his daughter hard, teaching her everything he knew about the seas. Her skills with a cutlass are unmatched, and her aim with a crossbow is better than Equestria's finest sharper shooter. She trained with griffons and dragons in hoof to hoof combat, and she defeated every last one of her instructors. To be honest, Princess Twilight, if you and her were to fight, I would bet on her. No offense.” 
“None taken.” Twilight replied. 
“Well, one day, the Storm Killer sails his ship, the Golden Curse, into Tortoise Island's harbor and sends all but his most trusted crew into the taverns to party the night away. Then he sails out with only twenty crew aboard and drops anchor in a hidden inlet near Mare's Point. There he gives command of the ship to Miss Stalker, telling her to become the most feared pirate in the whole world. A feat that only Miss Stalker alone could accomplish, and she was eager to do so. And with that, Storm Killer retired and Storm Stalker took command. The plan was to head to Tortoise Island and pick up a fresh crew, but that never came about.” 
“What happened?” Twilight asked eagerly. 
“Captain Longhorn happened.” Big Sail said bitterly. “He had seen us leave our crew in Tortoise Island and planned to take the Golden Curse for himself. Make no mistake, Miss Stalker is a fearsome fighter, but I would not take on that minotaur with both his legs sawed off. That, and he had a hundred and twenty able bodied crew to our twenty. For three days and three nights, Longhorn's ship, the Bloodhound, chased us across the sea until the third night. Miss Stalker had evaded and fought off every attack, outmaneuvered and out planned that two legged hell hound the entire time, but for the first time in her life, she was defeated.” 
“Longhorn caught up?” Twilight asked, barely able to take the suspense. 
Big Sail relieved her worries with a dry chuckle. “No, Captain Trade Breaker did. In the dead of night, during a slight squall, Miss Stalker held the tiller. Although she presented herself with just as much fire and energy as always, I could tell she was beginning to tire. The Bloodhound had nearly caught us and we escaped only by the skin of our teeth, but it wouldn't be long before our luck ran out. Then out of nowhere, the strangest ship I had ever seen bore down on the Golden Curse, cleaving her in half.” 
“Wait a second, Captain Trade Breaker rammed your ship?” Twilight said, stunned. 
“Not on purpose.” Big Sail said quickly. “The good captain was lost again, and didn't see the Golden Curse until it was on both sides of his ship. Well, in a strange turn of events, the Bloodhound was chased off by the Marblehead and we had to be pulled from the sea. Poor Miss Stalker was nearly drowned, and quite willing to finish the deed herself when she saw her father's ship roll keel up and sink beneath the waves.” 
Twilight sat down. “So that's why she's so angry all the time? She lost her father's ship?” 
“No, to be honest, I don't think she cares about the ship any more.” Big Sail said, taking a long drag on his pipe. “I think she stopped caring about that ship the minute Captain Trade Breaker pulled her out of the water. Truth be told, she hasn't been very angry at all except when you came aboard.” 
“What?” 
Big Sail looked Twilight right in the eye. “Princess Twilight, imagine twenty pirates, led by the fiercest mare on the sea, against a group of misfits that barely can agree on what to have for dinner. The Marblehead was ripe for the taking, and yet Captain Trade Breaker still commands this vessel, and Miss Stalker resigned herself to be the first mate. If that ain't love, I don't know what is.”