By flickering candlelight, Ebon Mane shuffled across the leaning interior of the Noble Jury's kitchen. Muttering slightly to himself, he scooped several pots and pans and utensils from the floor, shoving them into their respective places inside cabinets with widely dangling doors.
The candle suddenly went out with a gust of air. Ebon cursed under his breath and fumbled blindly for the matches. Just then, a lavender light lit up the room four times as brightly as the single candle. Blinking, Ebon turned and looked up.
Eagle Eye stood within the open doorway leading from the stairwell. "Sorry..." He blushed a bit. "I-I guess I brought a bit of the hurricane inside with me."
"It's fine," Ebon said with a sigh, glancing lethargically at the kitchen floor. "I wasn't getting much work done anyways."
"What makes you say that?"
"Unnngh... I gotta wash off all these dishes and junk! The darn things have been lying on the floor ever since we did battle with the Lounge! But I can't very well scrub them when the power's out! Besides, even if we somehow took off from this thing and flew victoriously to Alafreo, there's no telling what amount of turbulence would just propel them back onto the floor in the end!" He groaned and pulled at his mane. "So what's the use..."
Eagle bit his lip. "I-I could help you, y'know!" He smiled nervously. "One horn is better than eight hooves, where I come from."
"The only thing I'd need help with right now is fixing a group salad with tomato slices..." Ebon grumbled. "That needs a lot more light than what you've got."
"Uhhhhh..." Eagle Eye turned, illuminated the breezy stairwell, and then pivoted to face Ebon once more with a crooked smirk. "Considering where we are n'stuff, I really doubt the Jurists have munching on their mind."
"Feh. Josho does. Don't deny it."
"Josho can jump off the edge of my tail!" Eagle winked. "Big fat old stallion only knows how to do two things: fart and complain."
"Then why do you love the moron so much?"
Eagle giggled. "Somepony that plushie is impossible to not hug."
"Grrgghhh..." Ebon kicked at a clattering pot and slumped against a slanted cabinet. "I'm just so sick of this!"
Eagle squinted. "Sick of what?"
"It feels to me that—like—ever since we left Gray Smoke, I've been fumbling and stumbling to do anything right around here!" Ebon sighed heavily. He slid down to the floor and hugged himself. His eyes softened as he murmured, "I just... I-I just want to be useful, that's all..."
"Ebon, buddy, you are useful!"
Ebon sniffled. "Then why is it that everypony on board seems to h-hate me! I'm just the 'Sailboat Boomer' who can't prepare a soup right, I swear..."
Eagle smirked as he shuffled over. "Ebon, you're the ship's cook." He sat down right beside Ebon, slumping against the same cabinet. "I promise, there's nopony on board who hates you." He finished with a giggle.
Ebon raised an eyebrow. "Floydien hates me."
"Yeah, well..." Eagle scratched his neck and shrugged "That elk hates everyone. But I think that's his only way of loving everyone."
Ebon's face scrunched. "That doesn't make any sense."
"So, what about the magic space antlers that shoot electricity into stuff?"
Ebon nodded. "You have a point."
"Yes, and it's a good thing that it glows," Eagle squeaked before letting loose another giggle.
Ebon glared at him, then leaned his head back against the cabinet as he stared at the slanted ceiling. "You're really nice to try and cheer me up and all, but you don't need to bother, EE. I just... get into these crazy funks and I can't really pull myself out of it. It can't be helped."
"Why's that?"
"I dunno..." Ebon shrugged. "I guess I just go with the crowd." He gulped. "I feel it in my gut that this ship has just... been so miserable as of late. It keeps me awake at night, and I feel powerless to change any of it."
Eagle Eye blinked. "What about Zaid? You think he's miserable?"
"Idiots don't count."
"Good point."
"I feel like there's something that I should be doing to change all of it, but I can't." Ebon bit his lip as his eyes watered. "More than anything, I hate just... feeling so useless."
Eagle Eye shifted, his eyes darting to the cluttered floor. "Would you... like to be useful to me?"
"Hmmm?" Ebon's ears twitched. "Yeah, how?" He felt a soft mane against his neck. Blinking, he glanced aside.
Eagle was leaning his head on the stallion's shoulder. His violet eyes reflected his burgundy muzzle like that of a foal's. "Try not to look so sad." Eagle smiled weakly. "I really, really hate it when you've got a long muzzle."
Ebon stared at him. His face twitched, and he broke out an awkward smile. "Thanks."
Eagle immediately said, "For what?"
Ebon's skin pulsed from a jerk to his heartbeat. "I... I-I'm not sure yet..."
Dead silence fell across the room, during which neither stallion said anything. Calming down, Ebon leaned his head to his side, so that eventually the petite bodies of the two ponies were peacefully supported by one another. The wind howled outside, but the stallions took no notice of it. Neither did they realize exactly when it was that Eagle's light went out.