"{Where are we going?}" White asked, tail twitching nervously as he eyed the water lapping at the boat.
"{Somewhere we'll be seen,}" Silver answered, his eyes scanning the horizon. It should be just— there! He grabbed the boat in his psychokinesis, pushing it towards their destination.
White's eyes widened as he saw where the boat was rushing to: the edge of the piece. "{What happens if we fall off the edge?}"
"{We die,}" Silver answered bluntly, not slowing the boat even as they fast approached the edge.
"{Awesome.}" White leaned forward, grinning widely.
Silver narrowed his eyes with concentration. The boat shot across the water, propelled by his telekinesis. It was only when the bow was hanging over the edge that Silver quickly jerked back. White nearly fell out of the boat before he dug in his claws. They hung, teetering on the edge of the world piece, suspended by a cyan glow.
"{What now?}" White asked excitedly, tail lashing with excitement. His fear of the water seemed to have been forgotten for the time being, drowned out by adrenaline.
"{Now we wait.}" Silver kept his eyes fixed on the sky as he remained crouched in the back of the boat, his psychic grip still wrapped around the wobbling vessel. Once he was sure he wouldn't accidentally let go, he started taking supplies out of the storage compartment and sticking them in his pocketspace. He had to leave some of the bulkier items behind, but hopefully they wouldn't need them.
White's tail lashed impatiently. "{How long? What are we waiting for? Why do we have to wait here? I thought we were going to fight pirates! Are we still going to fight pirates? I want to fight pirates, Silver, I don't think you understand how much I want to fight pirates—}"
For once Silver didn't shush him. Instead he kept his focus on the sky, ears pricked as he waited expectantly. Any time now… His ears twitched, and Silver rose to his feet as a distant hum came from above.
White broke off his rambling, his own ears swiveling forward. "{What's that? It sounds like…}" he trailed off, cocking his head with an unusually thoughtful expression.
"{Get ready,}" Silver said, pulling the boat back from the edge and releasing it from his grip. "{And keep still.}"
White blinked at him. "{Keep still? Why?}"
The hum grew louder and clearer. The growl of an engine broke the quiet stillness of the dark ocean. A vast shape emerged from the cloudbank. A ship flew down from the sky, its dark metal hull blending with the clouds behind it, three masts jabbing upward like spears, and a black flag with a skull and crossbones looming ominously over it all. As the ship drew closer, it swung around to turn its flank on Silver and White. Hatches on its sides opened to reveal cannon barrels, all pointed down at the tiny rowboat.
Silver smirked.
On the deck of the ship, its crew scurried about, adjusting the sails and turning the searchlight on their catch, nearly blinding the two below. The hum of the engine died off as the ship came to a hover. A massive brown-furred walrus, with large white tusks jutting out of his mouth and a sharp metal hook in place of his left hand, strode to the side of the ship nearest Silver and White. He was wearing a black tricorne hat, a green coat with red sleeves and collar, and a black eye-patch over his right eye. The thunk of his wooden leg echoed in the silence.
"Avast ye, poltroons!" the walrus roared in English. "My name is Captain Plunder, and ye best be handing over your valuables lest ye find yourselves in Argus's bedroom!"
"{'Poltroons'? What does that even mean? Who is this guy? Are all pirates like this? Oh! Are we going to fight him?}" White's mane mane bushed and his glow intensified with excitement at the prospect.
"{Nothing important, no one important, yes, and most likely.}" Silver analyzed the distance between their boat and Plunder's. "{Don't move. We're going up to say hello.}"
White stilled long enough for Silver to envelop both of them with a cyan glow (gently, don't want to hurt him). While Captain Plunder gaped, Silver flew himself and White up to land neatly on the deck. The pirates seemed too flabbergasted by the display to try and shoot them down.
"{There we go,}" Silver said, releasing his grip. White shook his mane out and grinned toothily at the stunned pirates. Silver addressed the Walrus in English. "Listen, Captain, I need—"
"What are you waiting for, ye scallywags!?" Captain Plunder roared, overcoming his surprise. "Send these insolent bilge-sucking landlubbers to the briney deep!" At his command his crew sprung to lie, rushing towards Silver and White with swords flashing.
Silver sighed. "Worth a shot."
He jumped back, dodging a swipe from a snarling fox, and quickly grabbed her sword with his psychokinesis. He barely had time to yank it out of her hands before his concentration was broken by a cat slashing at his arm. Silver ducked the blow and swept out a kick, knocking the cat's leg out from under him. In the meantime, the fox had recovered her sword and was swinging at him again. Silver rolled to the side, narrowly missing a cut to his head, and looked around. He spotted a loose barrel and thrust it at the fox, knocking her across the deck.
Silver barely had a moment to breathe before a monkey grabbed him from behind, wrapping their arms around his throat. A boar lunged at Silver with a hammer. At the last minute Silver ducked, forcing the monkey to release him as they scrambled out of the way of the hammer, screeching an insult at their crewmate. Silver took advantage of his new freedom and grabbed another barrel, slamming it into the monkey. He took a moment to catch his breath, resting his hand on the railing behind him. Hand-to-hand had never been his specialty. Maybe taking the fight to the pirates hadn't been his best idea, but he wasn't dead yet, was he?
Silver belatedly realized he'd turned his back on the boar and whipped around to see her charging at him, hammer in hand. Before she could knock him over the side of the ship, a white blur slammed into her. The boar screamed as she was thrown over the edge, hitting the water below with a distant splash. White screeched to a halt beside Silver. His mane was ruffled and his eyes were shining, his glow eye-searingly bright.
"You alright?" he asked Silver.
"Fine," Silver said. "You?"
White grinned, flashing his fangs. "Best I've ever been! We should do this more often!"
They both whipped around as a bear approached, a sword in each hand. White immediately dashed into her, darting around her too quickly for her blows to land. While White kept the bear occupied, Silver dodged an attack from a hissing snake. He grabbed the boar's abandoned hammer and slammed it into the snake's head, knocking him to the floor. Silver quickly lifted himself with his psychokinesis, trying to get a better view of the battlefield. He waslucky the pirates seemed to have little concept of teamwork or strategy; they seemed more occupied fighting with each other over who got the spoils then with actually capturing their prey, but even so they still had greater numbers and superior weaponry (which was to say, any weaponry at all). Maybe if he took out their Captain, the rest would surrender. Silver's eyes narrowed as he scanned the deck. Where was he…?
The blast of a gunshot was all the warning Silver got. He dropped out of the air, the bullet narrowly whizzing past his ear. He thunked on the deck and looked for the gunman. His eyes landed on the crow's nest. Captain Plunder's hulking silhouette loomed above, pistol shining in his hand, while beside him was a pale white flying lizard, glowing in the darkness. Another shot went off, and Silver quickly rolled to the side. The bullet hit the deck where he'd been standing a moment before, sending up a spray of wood chips.
"White!" Silver called, ducking an attack by a vengeful shark hoping to take advantage of his distraction. "White, I need you!"
Immediately White darted over to him, smoothly dodging several attacks on the way without breaking stride. "You called?" Another gunshot sounded, and White tackled Silver out of the way. His ears swiveled to the source of the attack and he squinted up at Captain Plunder's perch. "Why's he hiding up there? That's pretty lame for a pirate. These guys are terrible, why don't they just all attack us at once?"
"I'm going to throw you," Silver interrupted before White could critique the pirates further. "Hold still."
White stiffened, though his tail continued to twitch with excitement. He was at least still enough for Silver to grab him with his psychokinesis and thrust him toward the crow's nest. White landed on all fours with surprising grace and immediately pounced on the lizard.
Captain Plunder roared in frustration as their scuffle interfered with his aim. "Filch, you scallywag! Get out of the way!"
He backed away from the tussling fighters, futilely aiming his pistol at the white tangle of bodies. Silver narrowed his eyes and reached out, seizing the pistol with his mind. With the way Plunder was waving it around, he couldn't get a good grip, but he could tug on it sharply. This unbalanced the one-legged walrus, and with a yell he fell from the crow's nest. Silver quickly grabbed at the flailing captain. Getting hold of a moving person with his mind was even harder than grabbing a moving object, but Silver managed to get hold of the metal leg. Momenets before impact the captain was suddenly suspended upside down in the air, hanging from one leg, his tusks nearly brushing the deck below him.
The ship descended into silence. Plunder's crew stared in astonishment. On the crow's nest, White pinned down the lizard, Filch, and peered down curiously. Silver exhaled and looked the captain in the eye.
"Now will you listen, Captain?" When Plunder only growled, Silver psychokinetically lifted him by the leg, dangling him over the side of the ship. "Or do you want to—how did you say it?—'find yourself in Argus's bedroom'?"
Plunder's eyes narrowed. "What do ye want?"
"Answers." Silver leaned forward, returning Plunder's glare. "Now tell me. Where's Tooth?"
Bonus chapter for Pretzel Day! Not that Pretzel's in this chapter or even this fic at all, but y'know.