//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Troubles of Many Kinds // Story: Quarterdeck, Half Size // by Chrome Masquerade //------------------------------// As the ponies zoomed off to do what they could, Houghton took his horn and called out, "Backup on deck! They're a mite funny lookin' but they're here to help!" He then looked to Kydd, finding him still staring incredulously at what was happening to him. "Kydd? What seems to be the issue?" Houghton asked. "One of the ponies bit m'earlier. Seems t've... 'infected' me somehow." Kydd replied. "By the indicat'n of their leader there, i'm t' become one o' them afore th' storm is through." he added. "Will it stop ye from functionin'?" Houghton asked, in a rather monotone way, "Can y'still be of use?" "Nay, sir." Kydd said. "By all means, I should be an ev'n bigger aid t' the Tenacious. If'n i can get the crew t'takin' me serious-like." "Then I see no reason for ye t'be lef' idle. Do ye?" Houghton quirked an eyebrow. It took a few seconds for Kydd to process that. But when he finished doing so, his face took on a stern expression. "Understood, sir." He then rushed to help the rest of the crew. "Godspeed, Kydd." Houghton said, before going to see what he could do, still minding the storm on the horizon. Every hand was needed, after all. This was no time to be idle himself. Applejack and Rainbow Dash arrived safely on the Lord Woolmer, At the puzzled glances they got, Applejack spoke up. "Don' worry, y'all. We ain't hallucinations or nothin'." she said. "Yeah." Rainbow Dash added. "In fact, we're here to help. There's a grandmare of a storm coming. You'll need all the help you can get." Immediately, Applejack went to their mainmast, thinking for a moment. With a split-second's concentration, she summoned a length of rope from seemingly nowhere. "Dash! Tie this 'round th' mainmast, would ya?" The cyan pegasus went to work at just that, going upward as she went around. Meanwhile the rest of the crew made to literally batten down everything that was moveable. Then the flyng mare halted. "Wait, why an I doing THAT?" she said. "I can probably clear up this storm, no sweat!" She proceeded to fly right into the dark clouds. Applejack rolled her eyes. "Five. Four. Three. Two..." Right on cue there was a flash and a crack of thunder a half second later. Her headstrong friend started falling, right back toward the ship. "YEOOOOOWCH!" she exclaimed. Applejack judged her timing accurately and took a galloping leap to catch the falling blue mare. "You were sayin?" she said, arching an eyebrow. "Heh. That could've gone better. Mmmmaybe I was a bit hasty?" "Ya think?" Rarity was doing much the same, using rope, leather straps, spare blankets, pretty much anything that would hold down what needed it. Masts, sails, whatever she could. Just in case, she used a bit of magic to strengthen the sails themselves, should all else fail. Starlight, meanwhile, was doing the same with the heavy cannons. She also used her magic to keep the ship relatively steady as she did so. She knew that if a cannon went loose, it could mean disaster, possibly punching wide holes in the hull of the ship. Being a 64 gun ship, doing both at once was harder than it sounds. Pinkie Pie was moving back and forth, swiftly delivering treats to any who were getting tired or hungry. Where she got those, she never said. But the men were far too busy to question the pink pony''s proffered providence. Fluttershy was more actively charging up the crew members with her magic(1), giving them a boost. Occasionally one got hurt by something or other, be it splintered wood or lightning burns. These she used her magic to heal, before they went back into the fray. Twilight herself was tracing runes along the ship in various places. Wards against cold here, greater durability runes there, and so forth. She stopped to charge each with her magic before moving on. When finished, she did much the same to the other vessel. When all was done, she said to the captain, "Well, everything's as secure as I can make it." she said as her colours muted somewhat, if not returning to normal. "Well done, lady Twilight." he replied, nodding once. "And may I say that the designs complement the ship's rustic design wonderfully, darling." Rarity said, reuniting with her friend. "I didn't exactly do that for the look, Rarity." Twilight admonished slightly. "I'm aware. But if style can meet practicality, so much the better." Rarity replied. "Either way, I don't see how much more we can tie anything down." she added, powering down as well. Starlight came along a moment later, horn still aglow. Clearly she was starting to have trouble with the spell she was using, even with the added boost. A testament to the storm's growing ferocity. "You can let that go, Starlight." Twilight said, not even looking toward her. Starlight did just that, flopping on the deck a second after, the ship beginning to rock slightly. "The... t-th-the cannons. Secure." she said, between pants. "Bang up job, ladies." Houghton praised. "Not sure... why'm... so tired." Starlight added. "That's my fault. A miscalculation." Twilight said. "Do you have any idea how much magic it took to cast that spell? That's why we were unconscious briefly when we arrived. Why we resorted to using Rainbow Power for something so... typically mundane." "Why I couldn't bash those storm clouds, even with that." Rainbow Dash reasoned as she and Applejack came to report. "It makes so much sense now. Either way, the hatches are battened down." she added. Pinkie and Fluttershy came up slightly thereafter. "All done~!" Pinkie said. "So... what now?" Fluttershy asked. "We can't do much now but wait and hope." Twilight answered. Suddenly a voice behind them said, "Ugh. 'mnot feelin' so good..." They all turned around and gasped. There was Thomas Kydd, looking way different from before. His body was now mostly covered in midnight blue fuzz. But that was nothing compared to the other changes. His feet had become hooves and he now had the head of a pony. "Oh, Celestia! He's getting worse!" Twilight exclaimed, as Kydd blacked out.