Captain's Journey

by Sphinx_Herald

Chapter 36

The crew of Misfortune watch in horror at the churring water where the island used to be. Some how Rose’s ship had survived, it leans heavily on it portside and it’s easy to see that it’s missing it’s sails and one of the masts. Slowly the water begins to calm down, until it shows no evidence that it just sunk an island, save for the number of trees floating in the water.

“Rose!” Ebony’s wings buzz to life and she hoovers a few hooves in the air. But, before she can fly over to the crippled ship there is a flash and pop onboard the Misfortune. She whips around to find Rose crumpled on the deck, her breathing is shallow and slow, Starlight stands nearby. Ebony zips over to Rose, closely followed by Starry. “Rose! You’re going to be okay, just stay with us.”

The rest of the crew quickly crowd around the barmare. Howler picks up Rose and rushes her down into the hold. Ebony splits off the group and heads over to Starlight and gives him a hug. “Thank you for bringing her back.” With that she heads down into the hold as well.

Captain slumps down against the railing slowly coming to terms with what he saw. He sank an island, a whole island… Only a few trees dot the area where the island had been. Just gone… He looks over at the ship retreating in the distance. You’ve gone too far, Gale.

Getting back to his hooves he once again steers his ship for Rose’s schooner. There is another flash and pop and then Starlight is gone, probably back to the schooner. Captain spots Twigs walking toward him, the smaller stallion gives him a concerned look when he gets up to the helm. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Stop that thing from sinking, then go hunt down Gale.”

---

Starry and Ebony start to cast healing spells as soon as Howler sets her in one of the cabins. With a respectful bow he leaves, quickly ushering everyone else away as well. Starry slowly strokes her wet mane. “You’ll be okay.”

Ebony tries to focus on the massive bruise that covers her back. “What can simply get rid of an entire island?”

“I don’t know, but I would guess the trident,” Starry replies. She gets up and heads out of the cabin, she comes back less than a minute later with variety of medicines in her magic.

“And now Gale has it.” Ebony finishes on the back, it’s not great, but it is better than before. “Is there even any way we can beat that?”

Starry starts applying some ointment to the burn on Rose’s side, getting a groan out of her. “Probably not, do you think that’ll stop Captain?”

“No, it won’t. Gale’s going to need more than that toy to stop Captain. He’s going to need more than that to stop me, he hurt Rose and I ain’t just letting him walk away.”

They hear some chuckling coming from the bed, Rose smiles up at them. “Dream come true, waking up with two mares in my bed.” She chuckles again but it quickly turns into a coughing fit.

“Rose!” She barely manages to stop herself from hugging the barmare, instead she starts tending to the wounds again. “Calm down, you shouldn’t even be awake.”

She groans and rolls over, much to Ebony’s dismay. “Sweetie, there’s something a little more important than that right now.” Stumbling onto the ground she uses the bed to try and balance herself. “I remember fighting Gale, where is he?”

---

Misfortune easily bats the tree trunks way with it’s ram as it cuts through the water where the island should be. The usual crystal blue water is a murky brown, thankfully hiding what happened.

“It’s a miracle that thing’s even floating,” Twigs mutters. Indeed, Rose’s ship has several massive gashes in the portside, even the remains of a tree sticking out from the hull. The mast it lost is floating about two hundred hooves away.

Captain looks back over to where Gale went, the ship is little more than a dot in the distance. Where are you going now? Shouting from below deck draws his attention, Rose comes limping out of the hold followed immediately by Starry and Ebony. She seems to be barely able to walk, but still she makes her way toward Captain.

“You recovered quickly,” Captain says.

“Ha ha,” she says wincing. “Not that I’m grateful, but what are you all doing here?”

“I may have told them,” Willow says from off to the side.

She smiles at the deer, then turns back to Captain. “Well, thanks for the help. But, you should really shouldn’t get involved, this isn’t exactly your issue to deal with.”

Captain slams his hoof into the deck cracking a few of the boards. “I have nothing to do with this!? Gale is my problem to deal with and not yours!”

Rose meets his glare in full. “You guys are in no condition to fight him, just leave him to me.”

He snorts and nudges his head to the portside as his ship pulls up next to the schooner. “I think you’re in worse condition than us.”

She looks down at her crippled ship, her crew running around trying to keep it afloat. Her crew has been cut down to less than half of what it originally was. “Sweetie, I understand you want to do this, but you don’t know what he has. He--”

“Has something that can sink an island , I don’t care. He has it, and he’ll use it against anyone that’s in his way. I’m not going to let that happen.”

“Trust me, sweetie, this is not something you want to deal with.” She takes a step forward, but there is a green flash and she stumbles to the deck. Her vision fades and her eyelids become heavy.

“Sorry, but I don’t want you getting anymore hurt. We’ll handle it,” Ebony says, her horn still glowing green as Rose slips into a sleep.

Captain nods and takes a step forward. “Howler, get her back onto her ship. Twigs, make sure it doesn’t sink and make it fast, we have some water to cover. Craven, help with the repairs. Smokey, Ebony, load the cannons. Starry, I want a course to wherever they’re heading. Willow, go get Arrel, we’re sending him back as well.”

“No we’re not,” comes a voice from the hold. A light blue pegasus limps up to the group, keeping all his weight off his broken leg. He looks downs at the crippled ship then back at Captain. “Not sure what’s going on, but I’m helping.”

“Arrel!” Starry runs forward and takes him into a hug, completely ignoring his yelp of pain. They stay like that for a moment before Starry holds him back out at arm’s length and gives him a stern glare. “You’re leaving, I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Too late for that, honey.” Before he can let her protest he points down at the schooner. “Also, I’m not about to let anyone get away with hurting a member of our crew.”

Captain smiles down at him. “You sure you want to do this, do you even know what we’re up against?”

“What?”

“Gale with a god-weapon.”

---

Several hours later, Gale leans against the mast of his ship smiling at the harbor of Kigerston. He tightens his wing against the trident at his side. Let them quake before me, or let them sink under me.

Out in the harbor one of his rowboats paddles toward the docks, but is cut off by a navy galleon. Gale watches silently as the galleon takes everyone onboard the boat and heads back to the fort. “I don’t think they’re going to pay the ransom,” he says. He turns to look at the other galleon in the harbor, Nightmare’s Revenge.

“What are you gonna do, Flint?” he says under his breath.

“Well, that was a bust,” someone mutters. Gale gives him a quick glare, causing the sailor to skulk away.

“I haven’t shown them what I can do, I don’t expect them to pay it… yet.”

“Sir, the ship is back.”

“Hm?” Gale turns to spot Misfortune in the distance off the stern of his ship, but is quickly approaching. He laughs and looks back at Flintlock’s galleon as it and the other navy ship leave the port and head toward him. “Would you look at that, it’s a little reunion!” Swinging the trident into his hooves he points it at the harbor. “Let’s show them the power of a god.”

“Sir, should we be doing this?” one of the braver sailors ask.

“Hm, what do you mean?”

“Think of how many lives you’re about to take. I’m one for money, but I don’t want to kill an entire city to get it.”

“I don’t really care,” Gale replies bluntly. He focuses on the weapon in his hoof. The water to the bow of the ship begins to swell as he prepares a tidal wave. “Well Flint, let’s see how well--”

Distant cannons roar and a volley of cannonballs slam into the hull of the pirate galleon jerking the whole thing forward a little. Gale stumbles forward and swings the trident around to balance himself, unleashing the wave in the process. The wave tears across the harbor before crashing into a small neighbourhood. The two navy galleon veer away from the Sea King.

Gale whips around to face Misfortune as the ship sails through the cloud of smoke it let up from its volley. He growls and tighten his grip around the trident, winds begin to blow and the ocean’s waves begin to pick up. “Fine, if you want to fight, so be it!” Swinging the trident around he lets out a massive wave toward the brig.

---

With the wind at their back, the Misfortune races over the waves as the island comes over the horizon. Captain can see the black sails of Gale’s ship sitting outside the harbor. Thank the seas we’re faster.

“Is he going to flood Kigerston?” Ebony asks from his side.

“Seems that way.”

“You sure we can beat that type of power?”

“Yeah, but if we don’t it’ll be one hell of a blaze of glory.”

Ebony looks over at the ship for a few seconds, then down at the crew. “So, how are we going to beat a weapon from the gods?”

“Because I know everything about that ship. I can tell you we’re faster than it, and, unless he changed the cannons or ‘munitions, we have a longer range than it as well.” He takes out his spyglass and looks out toward the galleon.

He can make out Gale, barely, but can still see the one-winged pegasus. Gale is paying no mind to the Misfortune, rather he is smiling out over the harbor. The trident pokes out from behind his wing. “Well, he doesn’t seem to notice us.” One of the sailors comes up to Gale pointing in Captain’s direction, the pegasus glances at the ship then shrugs it off. “Or, he doesn’t care…”

Ebony looks down at the cannons. “How ‘bout we give him something to focus on rather than the city.”

Captain watches Gale draw the trident. He put the spyglass away and grabs the helm again. “Hold on,” he shouts and veers the ship hard to port. The crew grabs what they can to keep balanced, though Smokey starts aiming the cannons. “Aim!” The cannons glow with dark blue magic and turn to aim at the distant galleon. “Fire!” With a roar the cannons breath fire and launch the iron balls at the ship.

Misfortune veers again as Captain turns back toward the galleon, wanting to have the ship a bit further within their firing range. A small smile forms as the cannonballs find their mark and splinters of wood fly from the ship. “Reload the cannons!”

To his dismay he sees an abnormally large wave wash into the harbor and crash into a section of the coast. Houses are flatten, trees uprooted, and ponies washed out to sea with the water. Within seconds the water becomes rougher, the waves higher, the wind stronger, and the skies darker. “Captain, I don’t think we have the longer range,” Ebony says.

Captain looks back at Gale’s ship fully expecting a barrage to rain down on Misfortune, but what he sees is far worse. A wall of white water roars toward them hiding the ship behind it. “Oh, Celestia help us,” Starry mutters.

“Hold on!” Captain tries shouting over the approaching roar. He turns the ship toward the wave, and charges at it head on. The wave is as tall as the mast. Soon the roar of the wave drowns out any other sounds, save for the sound of the ship slamming into it. The water rises up to the railing of the ship, quickly washing across the deck.

Misfortune rears back as the wave simply starts pushing it along. The ship starts turning to the starboard and threatens to capsize. But, before long the ship bursts over the top of the wave and splashes down behind it.

“Arrel, Craven, distract him!” Captain shouts turning his ship back around. They nod and fly off.

The Sea King’s sails flutter flutter open and catch the strengthening wind. It begins to turn, aiming to get Captain in their range. Even before it gets into firing range Gale launches a torrent of high pressure water.

Gale smiles as it rips along the portside, leaving a large gouge in the ship. “You were always too stubborn to accept defeat.” He starts moving the torrent across the rest of the ship ripping away more of its planks. “You’re hopelessly outgunned, yet you--”

“Watch out!” one of his crew shouts as he tackles Gale to the deck. Less than a second later a pegasus slashes through the air where he had been. Gale kicks the crew mate off him and gets back to his hooves. He turns just as Arrel comes back for another strike.

The sound of the clashing weapons is unheard through the thunder of the cannons as Sea King unleashes a barrage. Arrel’s sword deflects harmlessly off of the trident and he starts circling around. Gale goes to launch a torrent of water at him, but finds something quite a lot larger before him.

Craven lunges forward, Gale catches it with the shaft of the trident and shifts it away for him. The pegasus rams into the him sending him stumbling back. Once he regains balance, he sees the blue tinted metal of the trident as it comes streaking at him. He tilts his spear and blocks with the shaft, but the trident simply slides along it until it hits the spearhead and snaps it off.

With a few flaps of his wings Craven skips backward a few hooves before he flies. He turns to fly back to the ship, but a tendril of water wraps around his torso. Gale motions toward the water and the griffon plummets into the sea. In the background he sees Misfortune cominga bit too close for comfort.

He rises the trident, but a quick dot speeding across the sky catches his attention before he can crush the ship. Arrel makes a sharp turn straight at Gale again. Gale draws his arm back, ready to lunge forward and impale the pegasus.

As Arrel closes the gap between the Gale lunges forward. Arrel rears back and flaps harder, bringing him to a full stop almost instantly. Without anything in his way Gale tumbles forward, quickly going into a roll and comes out striking at the pegasus again, who is well above him at that point.

“Sir!” one of the crew calls out.

Before he can turn he hears someone else shouting, “Brace!”

With a the sound of crunching wood a terrible impact shudders through the ship. The force sends the ship turning to the portside. Gale falls to the deck, landing on his back. A another set of sails comes into view. Slowly the sound of snapping wood dies down only to be replaced by water as it rushes in through the damage.

Captain is sent slamming into the helm of his ship as the two collide. But, nevertheless he smiles as the ram of his ship cuts into the hull. He stands back up as the sounds of the impact fade away. “Howler, get rid of the interior cannons. Ebony, Smokey, clean up the top deck and disable the cannons. Arrel, cut down their sails, stopping them from running. Starry, and Willow, kill anyone that comes onto my ship.”

He vaults over the helm and runs for the bow of the ship. He jumps into the other ship through the hole in the side, landing with a splash in the quickly filling hull. Most of the pirates inside ignore him and try to patch up the damage, but those that go after him soon find Howler in their way.

A few sailors rush down the steps into the hold to help stem to flow of water. They don’t pay Captain any mind, more focused on the source of the flooding. It doesn’t take long before Captain is above deck looking at the chaos as Gale’s crew try to deal with the long range fire of Ebony and Smokey.

Gale himself is standing in the middle of it all, shouting commands at his crew, trying to restore some sense of order. That is, until he spots Captain, he growls and starts making his way him.

Captain unsheathes his sword and makes his way toward his old friend. “What’s wrong with you? Why would you attack Kigerston?” he shouts, but Gale doesn’t bother answering, instead he charges at him. Captain slashes at him, the pegasus drops and slides along the deck, he takes out Captain’s legs with the shaft of the trident.

The earth pony hits the deck with a thud, he rolls onto his hooves. Just as quickly Gale gets to his hooves. Gale lunges again, Captain’s blade slides between two of the three barbs that top off the weapon, stopping the lunge. With a twist he points the barbs away from him and taking a step forward winds up a punch. Gale brings the shaft up, but it doesn’t stop the punch. Captain’s hoof still sends him sliding across the deck.

He cringes against the throbbing in his shoulder. Bucking brute, Gale thinks. Heavy vibrations through the deck tell Gale that Captain is charging. He opens his eyes to see that Captain is almost at him. Captain jumps at him, prepared to crush Gale’s head.

“I won’t lose!” Gale shouts. He swings the trident over him, focusing as much energy as he can into it. It hits Captain in the side of the head and he falls down a few hooves to the side. Gale uses the trident to lift himself up as Captain staggers onto his hooves as well. Gale charges again, but three bolts of green magic cut him off and leaving small scorch marks on the deck.

Gale whips around to the changeling hovering off the portside, above the deck of the Misfortune. He jumps back as another volley of magic bolts hit the deck in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Captain getting back on his hooves. He looks back at Ebony, a grin forms at the growing line of water rising over the horizon. Captain follows his gaze and takes a step back at the approaching wave.

Slowly, the sounds of fighting and chaos die down only to be replaced by the roar of the wave and panicked shouts. Ebony and Smokey fly higher up trying to get above the wave. Before they can get too far the wave slams into the stern of the Misfortune. The impact pushes it further into the portside and the pirate galleon begins keeling over. The sound of the ram cutting through the barnacle encrusted planks can’t be heard over the roar. The water quickly washes over it and slams into the galleon.

Ebony zips between Smokey and the wave as though being there could stop it. The wave swats them out of the air and easily crashes over the deck of the large ship. For an instant the world becomes nothing more than blurred colors and a deafening roar for Captain as the water slams him against the railing. He barely even recognizes one of the mast snapping off and destroying the rail and few hooves away from him.

Gale gazes in amazement at the water rushing around him. He leans on the trident held in front of him taking a closer look at the wall of water rushing past. It tears away at the deck outside of his protective circle. He leans further forward as the ship begins to turns over, but before it capsizes the wave passes leaving the ship at an odd angle.

“Not even Celestia can match me,” he says looking at the water filled with floating corpses, masts, planks, and panicking pirates. He sees Captain crumpled up against the rail, the rising and lowering of his chest showing that he is still alive. Gale sighs and walks over to him being careful to keep his footing on the angled, wet deck. “You really are too stubborn for your own good.”

He pokes Captain with the shaft of the trident earning a groan of pain. “You don’t sound too good.” He pokes him again getting the same response. “This would have never happened had you just let me be. But, you always thought you were stronger, tougher, always thought everything was your business.”

Captain reaches over and grabs the trident. Gale frowns down at him and tugs it away, but finds that it won’t move. Slowly Captain starts getting up, Gale kicks him to try and free the weapon, but it does nearly nothing. Soon Captain is back on his hooves.

He delivers an uppercut to Gale’s chest, lifting the pegasus and throwing him over his shoulder. Gale uses his one wing to roll midair to avoid being smashed into the broken mast. The quick twist make Captain lose his grip on the trident and Gale is sent falling over on the other side of the mast.

Gale swipes the trident upward, the deck under Captain begins the rumble and crack. He jumps back as a geyser of water shoots out of the deck where he had been standing. After a few seconds Gale decides to stop the torrent of water. As soon as the water stops Captain jumps over the newly formed hole and the mast and charges Gale.

The pegasus immediately starts the torrent again, but not before Captain jumps the hole. The water blasts some of the planks into the air. He sidesteps Captain’s slash, but Captain presses forward and rips his blade out of the deck. Gale deflects two more strikes, then tries impaling Captain. Captain catches the trident just below the blades, and as soon as he touches it the geyser of water stops.

Gale jumps back, bring the trident with him, and the geyser starts again. Captain looks back at it then to the trident. So, it doesn’t work when someone else is holding it? Before he can question it any further the deck starts the tremble again. He jumps to the side a moment before another geyser rips through it.

He quickly close the distance between the two again. Gale jabs at him to keep him away, Captain blocks it. Captain slashes at his head, but Gale ducks below the blade and bring the trident close. Gale lunges forward, the three barbed prongs sink into Captain’s gut, at the same time the geyser stop again.

Captain inhales sharply and doubles over. He feels Gale tug on the trident, but he grabs it to stop it from being pulled out. He stands up again and kicks Gale in the hip, earning a loud crack and screams from the pegasus. Gale falls back bringing the trident with him, Captain screams as the barbs rip through his flesh.

Through the pain Captain pulls Gale toward him, and punches at him again. His hoof connects with the side of Gale’s head, the blow knocks him out and send him crashing to the ground. Captain throws the trident out to sea and falls to the deck himself clutching at the gaping wound.

He looks over at Kigerston harbor and the two navy galleons. “Thanks for the help, assholes.” The docks lie in tatters from the massive waves and most of the building near the dock look a little flooded. Nightmare’s Revenge is docked on one of the few surviving docks helping manage the damages. “At least Flint’s helping someone.”

Then the boom of cannon ring through the air. Captain looks over at the other galleon, partially hidden in smoke as it open fires on the crippled ships. The deck around him explodes showering him with in splinters. The blast sends Gale falling into the sea and leaves Captain’s ears ringing. He tumbles down the deck until he hits the railing again with a sharp gasp of pain.

His vision slowly fades to dark, and the sounds become muffled. He only hear the roar of the next volley before everything goes dark.

Author's Note:

Again, sorry about being late, this seems to be becoming a bad habit. I just had to keep re-writing parts of this chapter time and time again. I'll try to have the next one up, on time. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed. Until next time,
-Sphinx

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[WanderingPhysicist]

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