KABOOM!
The sea exploded in a red spray, catching everyone by surprise.
"GAH!", Rabbit cried as Gopher's bloody helmet fell from the sky, striking him on the head.
Recovering from the effects of the blast as quickly as they could, the gang readied themselves for the next attack.
They waited…and waited…and waited.
"S-See anything, Owl?", Rabbit asked, looking furtively into gloom.
"N-no.", Owl replied, in pain from his festering wound.
"Can ya hear me, Piglet?", Tigger asked, tapping the small, limp form on the shoulder. "Pooh?"
The still form of the bear sat there, silently bobbing in the waves.
A sense of dread came over the group, the worse all but confirmed.
They sat in silence as the moon rose higher, then lower.
"I-I see something.", Owl gasped suddenly, the fear evident in his voice. "S-something big…"
Following Owl's pointing wingtip, they all turned their heads to look.
Silhouetted against the ocean's surface, a narrow shape cut across the waves towards them, moving fast.
"What do you suppose it is?", Tigger asked, his sword held at the ready.
After a minute or two, they recognized the shape from one of Christopher Robin's old nautical books, a Bermuda sloop.
"M-maybe th-they can help us?", Roo suggested nervously, watching the vessel over the rim over the barrel.
The vessel was now but a few yards from them and they could begin to make out the shape of its crew.
Seals.
"D-don't panic everyone.", Owl said weakly as he waved his uninjured wing at the approaching sloop. "My great-great uncle was a negotiator…"
At that moment, several small explosions suddenly went off around them, stunning them in abject terror.
One of the explosions caught Owl in the chest, knocking him back into the sea.
The sloop pulled alongside their raft, reveling its occupants.
Seals.
A few of the seals dove off the sides of the ship and began circling around the raft, brandishing vicious-looking short swords, axes, and spears.
Tigger looked up at the ship and saw yet more seals, each armed with a crossbow.
Another seal, larger than all the others, stepped into view on the deck of the ship.
"Surrender.", it ordered authoritatively, gesturing towards them with a whip.
Tigger, Rabbit, and Kanga looked at one another, then at the still forms of their friends about them.
Rabbit dropped his mallet and held his hands up.
Kanga followed suit, doing her best to shield Roo from view as she did so.
Tigger still held his sword, unsure of what to do.
WHAP!
Something connected hard with the back of Tigger's head, knocking him flat on his face.
He looked up blearily, seeing another seal looming over him, swinging a sap down.
And then there was darkness.