//------------------------------//
// Chapter 23 
// Story: Sea of Misfits 
// by M48 Patton 
//------------------------------//

	Stepping through the doorway, Trade Breaker was greeted by the sight of Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Culinary all using the galley for their own purposes. Culinary stopped as soon as he saw Trade Breaker and set his pan over the stove before rushing to his captain. 
“Cap'n!” He said. “T'ank da reaper yer alrigh'!” 
Trade Breaker looked over the hippogriff as Culinary shook his hoof. The cook had a freshly stitched scar over his left eye and his right hoof was held in a splint. 
“Culinary, are ye well?” Breaker asked. 
“Oh don' be worryin' none aboot me, Cap'n.” Culinary laughed. “Jus' a scratch he'er an' 'dere.” 
Storm Stalker stepped around them and looked at the white unicorn who was stirring a few gallons of soup with a ladle held in her magic. 
“Miz Rarity, Ah didnae expect tae see yew in da galley.” She remarked. 
Rarity smiled at the pegasus and shrugged. “Well, it's the least I can do to help out around here. Twilight and Sun Flowers have already taken care of those poor dears in the infirmary, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash are helping steer the ship, so when Pinkie Pie volunteered to help cook, I tagged along.” 
Culinary leaned in close to Trade Breaker held his talon up to whisper to him. 
“Good thin' Miz Rarity's he'er ta keep 'dat Pinkie in line. She been tryin' ta bak' a cake 'da whole time.” The hippogriff said silently. 
“And I would have baked you guys the bestest cake ever if I could only find some flour!” The pink pony yelled from across the galley. 
Culinary rolled his eyes and turned to face her. “I tol' ya 'da flour wen' bad a month'ago!” 
“What sort of self respecting cook doesn't even have cake mix!” Pinkie shouted back. 
Storm Stalker shot the two a glare before moving closer to Rarity in order to not have to shout to be heard over the two bickering cooks. 
“Ah see Culinary gave yew his prize ladle.” She said. “Ah didnae think he woulda let it go so easily.” 
Rarity nodded. “Yes, I was quite surprised to find that almost all of the utensils aboard are magic resistant. Mister Culinary Beak was kind enough to loan me one of his ladles from Equestria.” 
“Ah must say, yew are a mare of many surprises. Ah thought yew was a seamstress only.” Storm said while sniffing the soup. 
Rarity giggled slightly before raising the ladle up and taking an experimental sip. “Yes well, it seems as though the only fabric aboard is bedsheets, and magic resistant ones at that, so as much as I would adore giving you and your crew a new wardrobe, it will have to wait until I can return to my shop in Poneville.” 
“Yew'd be better off makin' clothes fer fishes than this lot!” Storm laughed. 
Rarity laughed alongside her. “Yes, that may be true, however I still intend to dedicate an entire clothing line to you to celebrate your actions last night.” 
Storm shrugged. “Do what yew will, but if'n yew make us clothes, give 'em ta the cap'n. If it weren't fer him, we woulda' left yew in Longhorn's clutches.” 
“Oh.” Rarity said, suddenly very unsure of what to think of Storm Stalker. “Well, I suppose. . . Um, well yes, I will be sure to thank the captain for his gallantry.” 
The battle scarred pegasus noticed the hurt look on Rarity's face and rolled her eyes. “Look, don' take it personal, but Cap'n an' Ah are cut from a different cloth. Ah've always been taught tae cut mah losses an' run. Cap'n is the type tae never leave a crew behind. Ah guess that's why Ah admire him so much.” 
Rarity caught Storm looking at Trade Breaker and instantly caught on. 
“Oh, I'd say it goes far beyond admiring the dear captain.” She giggled behind her hoof. 
Storm's face turned a dark shade of red and she whirled on Rarity. 
“An' jus' what do yew mean by that?” She demanded. 
“Oh nothing.” Rarity said while calmly stirring the soup. “Nothing at all.” 
Storm glared at the smug unicorn for a minute before turning around and stomping out of the galley. 
“Storm, where ye goin'?” Trade Breaker called after her, chasing the angry pegasus into the passageway. 
“Infirm'ry's this way- Aah!” Breaker started to say before screaming in pain. 
Storm was at his side in an instant, ready to grab him at a moment's notice. 
“Cap'n! Wha's wrong?” She asked. 
Breaker waved her off with his hoof. 
“Ah me wing, I tripped on the door an' tried to put it out fer balance, but I fergot it t'was broken.” He explained. 
Storm sighed in relief. “Yew scared me there. Yew need tae be a bit more careful, what wit' yew bein' injured an' all.” 
She felt his eyes roving over her body, and she quickly moved to cover some of her more serious wounds. It was a futile gesture, they were too obvious for a simple adjustment of her posture to hide. Trade Breaker didn't say anything though, he simply turned and walked towards the infirmary as if nothing had happened. 
Storm, however, knew better. Even though she had only known Trade Breaker for a little over a year, she could tell when something was bothering him. Unfortunately, she didn't know how to solve the issues of her wounds so easily. 
She started to chase after him, but a yellow pegasus stepped out of a door and accidentally got in her way. 
Fluttershy eeped in surprise when Storm nearly ran her over, but the pirate had excellent reflexes and easily stopped before a collision. Storm was about to simply pass her by when she noticed that Fluttershy was wearing a heavy coat and her teeth were chattering. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she stopped to find out why the yellow pegasus was in such a sorrowful state. 
“Miz Flutters, what 'appened tae yew?” She asked. 
Fluttershy shook some frost from her mane and explained her predicament. “I wanted to help Henry after the poor thing was crushed by that cage, but it seems that the best place for him right now is the freezer.” 
Storm looked her over. “Ah judge that yew tried tae stay wit' him?” 
Fluttershy nodded. “I managed to make it all night before I had to leave him.” 
Storm blinked a few times as she tried to process what the yellow pegasus was trying to accomplish, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure it out. With a shrug, she pushed past the still shivering pegasus and rushed to the infirmary. 
The sound of laughter greeted her as she entered, but quieted down when the room's occupants noticed the first mate enter. 
“What's all this then?” Storm demanded. 
One of her crew cleared his throat before answering. “Oh, nothin' that would interest ye, Miz Stalker.” 
Storm's glare could have cut through metal. Several of the crew began to sweat in their beds under her eye, although it was Night Watch, the thestral, that finally cracked under her gaze. 
“Okay, we were making a bet on when you and captain would get together!” He blurted. 
Storm's train of the thought was rather abruptly derailed by the statement, and it took her a full five seconds before she could begin to formulate thoughts again. 
“Ah. . . Yew. . . WHAT?” She screamed. 
“Now Miz Stalker, t'was just a little joke!” One of the crew started. “What wit' Miz Flowers kissin' Drip an' all, we was-” 
“AH DON' CARE ABOOT YEW'RE DUMB IDEAS!” Storm yelled at him, red in the face for an entirely different reason than she wanted. “FER THE LAST TIM'! ME AN' THE CAP'N AIN'T A COUPLE!” 
Immediately, Storm regretted her outburst. The crew tried to hide the smirks and chuckles in a valiant but futile effort not to embarrass the unfortunate pegasus mare even more. 
“Ah, um. . .”  
Storm whirled about and fled the room, slamming the metal door behind her as hard as she could, but before she was able to take two steps, she realized why she had gone into the infirmary in the first place. The door once again slammed open and the flustered first mate glared into the room. 
“Where'd the cap'n go?” She demanded. 
Blank stares greeted her. 
“Um, I thought he was in bed?” One of the crew hesitantly suggested. 
Storm shook her head. “Nae, he was up an' aboot, said he was comin' this way.” 
“Well, I thought I heard somepony outside the door.” Night Watch hazarded. “But they never came in.” 
The door slammed shut a second time as Storm bolted from the room and to the deck. The moment she was outside, she took to the air and circled the ship, letting the cool breeze calm her down and searching the ship for any sign of Trade Breaker. 
Glancing around, Storm Stalker finally found the captain standing on the aft deck staring back at the Bloodhound and dove downwards. 
“Cap'n, I've been lookin' for yew.” She said as she floated down next to him. 
Storm Stalker stopped and looked at her captain. His attitude was sour and his eyes were roving, full of sadness. She followed the path of his eyes looked over at the Bloodhound, deciding to make conversation in order to find the root of her captain's problem. 
“Bloodhound's a fine ship, I wager we can fetch a fair price for her in Tortoise Island.” She said. 
“No. She'll be yer ship, a pro'er pirate vessel for a real pirate.” Trade stated. 
Storm Stalker glanced at him, worried. “Cap'n, I enjoy the prospect of a flotilla, but we ain't got the crew to sail both the Marblehead and the Bloodhound.” 
“Ye'll be takin' the crew wit ya.” He turned to her, his face set in determination. “I've made me mind up. The crew will join ye on the Bloodhound and I will take the Marblehead to the 'Questrian fleet an' surrender her.” 
There was a brief moment of silence before Storm's already taxed mind was finally overloaded. 
"WHAT?"