After several minutes of walking the trio have finally arrived at their destination. They arrive at a large house. Ebony knocks on the door and a young earth pony mare answers the door.
“Yes?” she asks.
“We’re here to see someone,” Captain says.
“He told me was expecting someone, right this way.
She leads them through the house to an office near the back. Opening the door they find a dark grey pegasus stallion sitting at a desk in the middle of the room. He perks up when he sees his visitors. “I’m guessing that you’re the pirate Rose told me about?”
“Did you say that to every pony who came in here?” Ebony asks.
“No, she told me that he has an unmistakable mane.” He points at Captain’s pink mane. “And I do believe that is unmistakable.”
“Why does everyone make fun of my mane?” Captain grumbles.
“Right, my name is Stormy Weathers. I suppose you’re here for the job?”
“Yes we are,” Ebony answers.
“Good, there is a shipment going to Kigerston soon; I need you to sink it.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, why do you want us to sink it?” Ebony asks.
“He’s a competitor of mine. If you sink his ship it’ll show everypony that his company unreliable. If someone wants to make a shipment they’d want to make sure it gets there.”
“What’s the pay?” Captain asks.
“Three thousand bits good enough?”
“We’ll do it.”
“Good.” Weathers slides a slip of paper across his desk. “This should be the route they’re taking. Come back once you sink the ship and I’ll pay you.”
They trot back to Misfortune after meeting with Stormy. They had learnt that their target, is a cargo ship crewed by unicorns. Not going to be easy, magic is unpredictable and long range. We’ll need a plan, Ebony thinks. They turn another onto another street toward the harbour. Captain had convinced them to use the main roads, though he now has to wear a dark cloak. She glances back at him and Willow. She slows her pace until she is next to Captain.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Why do you always do that?”
“Do what?”
“Help, why do you always help someone when you’re against impossible odds? You help me out of the fort, you saved Jade, you freed Willow. What made you so… you?”
Captain thinks over the question. “I guess you could say it’s something I picked up from my mom. She always help everyone she could…
A young Captain and Flintlock walk along the worn road to their home. They both have a wooden sword tucked into their belts. Captain wears a fake captain’s hat.
“Why do you always have to be the captain?” Flintlock whines.
“Because my name is Captain.”
“You have the earn that title, you can’t just have it because it’s your name!”
“What was that cabin boy; if you don’t watch your tongue you’ll be walking the plank.”
“I’m starting a mutiny tomorrow,” Flintlock whispers. “Well, a pirate captain can’t have pink hair.”
Captain shoves the hat further over his head trying to cover his mane. “No one can see my mane with this on.”
“Yes we can, and we can also see your pink tail.”
Captain growls as he ponders shaving his mane and tail. Flintlock open the door. “Mom, me and Pinkie are home.” He laughs as a loud growl comes from behind. He is quickly tackled to the floor in a flurry of blue and pink. “Mom, get him off of me!”
“If you want him off stop calling him names,” Silk replies from the kitchen counter.
“Ow! He’s biting me!”
“Captain stop eating your brother. Dinner is almost ready and I don’t want to ruin it.”
The two continue to wrestle. They run into a small table, sending a vase to the floor with a crash. The colts feel large talons crab them by the back of the neck and lift them into the air. They turn to see a grey feathered griffon, a large scar runs down the side of his face. Captain and Flintlock quickly glance at each other then back at the griffon. They both let out a horrified scream.
“Flintlock, Captain, stop screaming, you’re going to scare the neighbors,” Silk calls.
“Mom, watch out! A griffon soldier is here to kill you!”
“Oh, stop that you two and Mister Grey, could you please put my sons down? They seem to be a little scared.” The griffon complies and puts the two back onto the ground. “Captain, Flintlock, meet Grey. He’s a nice griffon that’s going to be staying here for a while, at least until his wing heals.”
“Is he the griffon that escaped the prison?” Flintlock asks.
“Yes, he is, and I’m looking after him until he’s better.”
“He’s a griffon, he’s an enemy sold--” Captain is cut off by a quick hoof to the back of the head.
“He’s not our enemy, he’s only called that because there is a war between them and the military. We’re not the military,” Silk says as Captain rubs the back of his head. “Either way, I believe it’s better to make friends than enemies. Now, sit down, dinner’s ready.” The two colts reluctantly sit down across from the griffon. The only sounds for a while are those of Silk eating her food as the griffon simply stares down at his and the colts glare at the griffon.
“I’m sorry but I must leave,” says Grey.
“No you’re not,” says Silk.
“I don’t want you and your family to get hurt because you’re helping an enemy.” He is met by a swift hoof to the back of the head.
“You’re not our enemy. Also you’d hurt me more by not eating what I cooked.”
“But if anyone finds me, they’ll hold you as a traitor.”
“If they want to think of me as a traitor for helping someone, so be it. But I’m not about to turn my back on anyone in need.”
The griffon only stares at her before letting out a little chuckle. “You’re brave little pony, at least braver than anyone else I’ve met. I’ll have to remember to tell my officer to spare your family when we take this land.”
“Oh, hush you.” She glares at the colts. “And you two had better start eating.”
After dinner Silk Heart cleans the plates as Grey rests on a chair. Flintlock and Captain walk up to her.
“Mom, why do you want to help him so much?” Flintlock asks.
She looks down at her sons. “Captain, I would have expected you to understand. How helpless some ponies can feel when they’re alone and hungry.” Captain cast his gaze downward at the bad memories from not so long ago. “I just want to help because it’s nicer to see ponies smile rather than frown.”
“Is there any way we can help?” Captain asks.
“Yes there is, promise me, when you grow up you’ll help anyone in need. Whether they’re griffon, zebra, minotaur, or even a changeling. Promise me you’ll help them.”
...And so I said yes,” Captain says as they push their way through a crowd of ponies.
“She sounds like a nice mare,” Ebony says.
“She was.” Ebony flinches back when she feels a wave of anger come from Captain. They come out of the crowd and walk up the plank to the ship’s deck. “Crew I would like to introduce you to Willow,” Captain calls once they’re on the deck of Misfortune. The deer takes a half step back as the crew gathers up around her. She feels a large paw pat her on the head. She screams as she jumps away from the smirking diamond dog.
“Good to see someone new,” Arrel says with a chuckle.
“Hello, and welcome aboard Misfortune,” Twigs says.
“H-hello.”
“Captain, I think a new crewmate is means for celebration!” Smokey shouts.
Starry gives an annoyed sigh. “Why don’t you go get me a drink, slave?” Everyone stares in shock at her. Her eyes go wide and a blush forms on her cheeks as she realizes what she had said. “Oh… I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it! I’m so, so sorry, it was a force of habit.” She looks at Captain, who is glaring down at her. She skulks away to her quarters.
“Well… that went well,” Ebony says sarcastically. She looks at the gathered crowd on the dock. “If we’re ever going to come back here, we’ll need a different ship.”
“That’s something we’ll have to figure out later, but for now we have a ship to sink.”
The soldier looks at the bodies scattered across the lawn. The perfect shade of green tarnished by spots of dark red. He looks up at the house, a window is gone, a pillar cracks, and the door is shattered. Inside the house is just as bad, a dead dog laying in one of the rooms, a good amount of knocked over furniture, and a stallion with a large gash across his barrel. He looks down at the stallion with his dull grey eyes.
“And you say one stallion did this?” he asks.
“Yes, yes, he’s the pirate that freed the changeling a while back. Blue coat, pink mane, the exact same. He said his name is Captain,” says one of the plantation guards.
He turns back to the small group of soldiers with him. “You, go find out if that pirate ship is still in the harbour,” he says. He looks back at the body as the soldier gallops off.
“Something the matter, sir?”
He straightens his back and looks up from the body. He looks at a broken mirror, his jet black mane standing out in complete contrast against his white coat. He uses his magic to shift his uniform slightly trying to make it symmetrical. “No, nothing’s the matter,” he replies.
Soon the soldier that he had sent comes running back. “Sorry mister Gallows, the ship has left.”
Gallows whips around to face the soldier. His uniform, having been offset again, no longer covers the noose that is his cutie mark. “You will refer to me in my title or as sir! I’m not your friend and you’re not to use my name.”
“Sorry mister Gall-- uh, sir.”
“You’re useless to me, go and patrol the harbour. Let’s hope they just moved the ship and didn’t leave.”
“Gallo-- sir, I thought you would like to know that their ship is called Misfortune.”