Sea of Misfits

by M48 Patton

Chapter 10

Twilight felted the rumble beneath her hooves cease almost immediately after Storm's frantic yelling. The deck thundered with the sound of running hooves as several pirates barreled past her and into the rear structure. They jumped down the stairs and exited the tower onto the rearmost deck and lined the railing, calling and looking for the seapony.

A smooth splash sound from over the railing to Twilight's right, and she looked at Storm in confusion. Storm ignored Twilight and began to walk towards the bow of the ship.

“Comon, this'll be a good time tae show yew the engines.” She said.

“Wait, what's going on?” Twilight asked.

“Four Eyes jumped ship agin'.” Storm said calmly. “An' seein' as how he always loses his glasses when he hits the wa'er, he cannae see the ship, much less swim tae it. So Henry has tae fetch him an' the glasses.”

“Wait, whose Henry?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Yew can meet 'im when he's back on deck!” Storm barked. “Now shift yew'rselves, Ah don' like the engines, so it'll be a quick tour at best!”

Twilight and her two friends dutifully followed Storm Stalker below decks where they met up with Big Sail who was guiding Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie down into the depths of the ship. Together, they approached a somewhat plain looking door, one that Storm was rather apprehensive to open.

“Car'ful where yew put a hoof. Many a time Ah burned mahself on those cursed pipes.” She cautioned.

The door opened and a blast of hot air engulfed the ponies. Storm bravely lead the way into the scorching room, taking care to keep in the middle of the grates and avoiding every pipe that snaked its way across the path.

“Beaker!” Storm called. “Beaker, where are yew?”

The sound of metal slamming into metal rang through the engine room followed shortly by a mare cursing. A black unicorn with a gray mane stumbled out from behind a huge box that radiated heat.

“Storm, you brainless brigand! Do you have any idea what I was doing?” She yelled angrily.

Storm Stalker shrugged. “No. Yew never tell me anythin' anyways, so Ah don' expect yew tae start now.”

The unicorn glared at the pirate for a moment before turning to look at Twilight and the rest of her friends. Her expression didn't change.

“What do you want?” She asked accusingly.

Twilight was about to speak up, but Storm beat her to it. “Miss Princess here woul' like a tour o' the engines if'n yew woul' kindly oblige her.”

“No.” And with that the unicorn turned around and went back to whatever she had been working on. Storm looked at Twilight and shrugged.

“Sorry. No tour.” She smirked.

Twilight pushed past her and made her way to where the unicorn had vanished. She found a hole in the floor grates that led to a pair of giant pipes, one of which had several loose bolts in its connection. The unicorn was currently hefting a giant adjustable wrench with one hoof and her back, forcing another bolt loose.

“Um, excuse me?” Twilight said, trying not to startle the mare. “I was wondering-”

“No.” The mare interrupted, blowing a stand of her mane from her face. “The main steam line on boiler two is losing pressure, and that means that there's a leak.”

The mare grunted with exertion as she loosened another bolt. “A leak in these lines is not something to be taken lightly, there's enough heat and pressure going through these pipes that pin sized hole could not only take off your hoof, but cauterize the stump as well. So, I'm sorry Princess, I cannot give you a tour of the engines.”

Twilight's eyes widened at the information, and she leaned down into the hole. “That's amazing, what kind of iron does it use?”

The mare snorted, sweat dripping off her like fresh dew. “I just told you, I don't have time for a snotty little Princess sticking her muzzle in my engine room.”

She paused. “And it's not iron, it's steel, only it's the most high quality steel I've ever seen.”

“Incredible!” Twilight exclaimed before offering her hoof. “By the way, I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship. But I'm also a bit of a nerd sometimes.”

The unicorn stared at the hoof for a moment before reaching up and touching it with her own.

“Poisoned Beaker.” She grimaced. “Former alchemist. Though at the moment, I'm nothing more than a glorified mechanic. Pass me that hammer.”

Twilight looked over and saw a hammer lying on the grate and ignited her magic to pick it up. The hammer lay still as the magic simply passed around it.

Poisoned Beaker gave a sigh. “Most tools around here are immune to magic, just like the ship. Why do you think I'm have to do this by hoof?”

Twilight blushed in embarrassment and picked the hammer up with her mouth before lowering it down to Beaker. The unicorn leaned the massive wrench up against the pipe and curled her hoof and the handle of the hammer. She proceeded to pounded on the stubborn bolt with a fanatical zeal before passing the hammer back up to Twilight.

Maneuvering herself under the wrench again, she pulled it over her body and set the business end on the bolt and pushed with all her might. The bolt came loose with a squeak, and she moved on to the next one.

Twilight would have been satisfied to sit and discuss the engines all day, but a polite tap to her shoulder reminded her of the other ponies in the room. All of them were sweating from the heat, and Fluttershy was extremely nervous because of the massive machinery that constantly hummed and squeaked around her.

Turning back to Poisoned Beaker, she spoke up. “I'm sorry, but it seems as though I have to go, I would love to talk later.”

The mare simply grunted in response as she strained at another bolt. Twilight left her to her work and followed the group through another door where a similar set of massive boxes and pipes radiated enough heat to fry most ponies.

Unlike the previous room, however, a dragon was carefully watching a set of gauges and turning valves. Storm approached him and got his attention before pointing at the six ponies stand behind Big Sail.

He nodded and started to approach when a ringing noise caught his attention. The dragon turned around and used his claws to open a small box on the wall and pulled a telephone off its hook.

“Okay.” The dragon said into the phone. “I can give you twenty knots, boilers one and two are shut down.”

With that, he hung the phone up and turned to Twilight's group. “I'm going to open the main steam lines down in the gear room. It's gonna' get loud, so I suggest you leave.”

“Wait, I have so many questions!” Twilight protested, but the dragon was already gone.

“Comon!” Storm said, pushing Twilight towards the door. “He was'nae jokin' aboot the noise!”

Dejectedly, Twilight allowed herself to be herded out of the engine room and above deck. By the time they saw blue sky, the ship was already moving. Cutting through the waves at a speed that most ship captains could only dream of, Twilight felt the wind whip past her as she walked to the railing and stared at the water rushing by below.

Big Sail came up beside her and took in a deep breath of sea air.

“Are you hungry?” He asked suddenly.

In an instant, Twilight was reminded that she hadn't eaten since last night, and food sounded very inviting right now. She nodded and followed the big unicorn towards the galley, Storm having already lead her friends there.

A strange sight greeted her as a hippogriff ladled soup into a changeling's waiting bowl. Storm was having a casual conversation with a thestral while a beautiful mare discussed the latest fashion trends with Rarity. In the corner, the filly that had retrieved the unfortunate seapony's spectacles was playing patty cakes with Pinkie Pie, and said seapony was currently being mothered by Fluttershy as he tried to eat his soup. Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat talking to themselves about Storm's rather explosive personality.

Big Sail pushed past the gawking Twilight and pick bowl up with his magic and floated it to the waiting hippogriff. The hippogriff ladled soup into the bowl and looked at Twilight.

“Is da kitchen nae up tae yer standar's yer 'ighness?” He asked.

Twilight blinked a few times and realized that everypony was now looking at her. With an embarrassed smile, she picked up a bowl from the nearby stack with her teeth and walked over to the counter.

The hippogriff sighed and shook his head. “Yer 'ighness, da bowls be from Equestria. Ye can use yer magic tae carry it.”

“Oh.” Twilight's embarrassed face took on an even rosier color as she levitated the bowl to the cook.

“So, how dae ye like da ship?” He asked.

“It's incredible!” Twilight gushed. “The complexity of the engines is astounding, and the ability of the mechanisms to hold such great amounts of pressure without the assistance of magic is simply amazing!”

The hippogriff stared at her. “So, does 'dat mean 'dat ye like it?”

Twilight smiled. “Yes, I like it.”

“Good!” He beamed. “'Den ye'll love me soup! Name be Culinary Beak!”

“Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight said, offering her hoof.

Culinary took it gently in his talon. “A ple'sure tae 'ave ye aboard.”

“Thank you.” Twilight said, starting to leave but pausing. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

The hippogriff nodded. “T'woul' be alright wit' me, but sit down an' I'll join ye in a moment.”

True to his word, Culinary was seated across from her at one of the tables as she finished her soup.

“Mmm, that was quite good.” Twilight remarked.

“T'ank ye, yer 'ighness.” He said.

“Please, call me Twilight.” The alicorn said, setting her bowl down. “Now then, I understand that you were part of Captain Trade Breaker's original crew?”

“Aye.”

Twilight really wished she had a journal right now. “So, what made you want to go to sea?”

Culinary frowned. “It tweren't a matter o' me wantin' tae go tae sea, so much as I had no udder place tae go. Ye see, in me home, I was a freak, a pro'duck o' too much booze an' a wild time. Me mither left me at me fadder's home, an' 'den he left me at da orhpanage. So from da beginnin', nobody 'as ever wanted me.”

“So, what Captain Trade Breaker said was true?” Twilight asked. “You were kicked out of your home for being part pony?”

“Aye.” Culinary continued. “An' it t'were da same in Equestria. Course by den I had met wit' Dead Fire an' Beaker.”

“What?”

“Oh, I may 'ave skipped a part.” Culinary explained. “Dead Fire an' I met up in Griffinstone, dat's when we made da decision tae travel tae Equestria. Along da way, we picked up Miss Beaker, freshly orphaned by a terrible acceydent. Poor 'ding, all alone an' wit' nobody but Woody tae keep 'er comp'ny.”

“Poisoned Beaker's parents were killed in an accident? Is that why she's. . .” Twilight trailed off.

“A might nasty?” Culinary finished, ignoring the fact that it was probably inappropriate to talk about a pony behind their back.

“Aye, 'dat be won reason.” He continued. “'Er parents weren't exactly prime material, 'dough, so she wasnae a prim an' proper filly tae begin wit'. As I was sayin, we made it tae Equestria an' start'ded lookin' fer work, but it wasnae comin'. We searched all over, but not a pony would look at us until me met da cap'n, drink'n his sorrows away in a Manehattan bar. He offered a job tae me as a cook, an' I too'kit on won condition, 'dat Dead Fire an' Beaker coul' join me. Seein' as how he was too stoned tae tell I wasnae a pony, he pro'bly said yes, but tae 'dis day I cannae tell what came out o' his mouth.”

Twilight blinked. “Well, that explains some things, but what about Dead Fire, why was he traveling through Griffinstone?”

Culinary stood up. “I'd ask him meself, if'n I was ye.”

Twilight groaned. “I can't, he's down in the engine, and Storm won't let me down there without her being present.”

The hippogriff chuckled. “Good luck wit' 'dat! She hates it down 'dere. But don' worry, Dead Fire will be up on decks soon enough, an' so will Miss Beaker, an' ye can ask 'dem tae tell ye their tales when 'dey are.”

Twilight frowned, but didn't say anything else. Instead, she looked around at the rest of the occupants in the galley. The changeling had disappeared, but everypony else was still sitting around talking.

Spying the seapony practically melting under Fluttershy's tender care, Twilight stood and made her way over to their table. It was going to be a long day, and Twilight intended to make full use of every second.

Author's Note:

Sorry about not posting yesterday, hit a bit of writer's block. Feedback is always appreciated.

Comments

[StarzGecko]

Twilight seems to have this idea of them knowing how the ship is made when they have said they only found it.

[GamePlayer64]

This story is great and shows that Equestria has a distasteful sight on anything that isn't normal or perfect. If some creature looks different from them; they gave them the stinkeye. If a different race has their ways of purpose; the ponies either get rid of them or stomped them out of their homelands just because they have a different way of life. I think that the Magic of Friendship is corrupting them, making things perfect in their ways as ponies. It makes me wonder if the Tree of Harmony is really a source of good since anything powerful comes with a price.