Chloe had managed to sleep the whole night without dreaming about Fienmond and his haunting presence in her past. She shifted around in the fabric sheets of her sailor's cot, more worried about Ramone and his departure. How could a friend of hers for so long, wish to be gone in a matter of a day? She turned aside to face him, trying to make her eyes shine while hoping that he'd probably change his mind.

"I see that look, my queen!" Ramone said, with curlers in his silver goatlike hair. "Sadly, the answer is no. I've only become more resolute in my departure from scoundrel lifestyle after that eelfingered psycho threatened to destroy the boat!"

"Ey..." Vinnie muttered, having had to sleep on the floorboards. "I was having one of those things you call an existential crisis. Dat happens to a red blooded deep sea killer every once in a while! Perhaps if there was a nice beauty of da sea to share her bed with me..."

Monica shook her head in disbelief. "This is why I sleep with my sword next beside my bed at all times, repugnante!"

"As do I, my beloved clam!" Vinnie said causing the young swordswoman to groan and bury her head in the pillow.

"As you can see, Annabelle," Ramone said, sliding out of his bed in his pinstriped pajamas. "A den of violence and suggestive dialogue is no place for a suave satyr like me. I will miss you, but I will be delighted when I'm gone!"

Who needs him," Rosemary sneered. "He's nothing but a beast of burden!"

Chloe smacked the demon side of her face, sending Rosemary's demon eye rattling around in her head. "Shut it, witch," Chloe growled. "He's still part of my crew and I lament when anyone leaves it."

The door to the cabin burst open with Abacab looking surely and cross. "None o' yar are going anywhere. There's a red sky this morning, and sailor's code #77 says that a red sky in the morning is when we sailors take warning!"

Abacab crossed his arms and scratched his beard. "At least, I think that's the case. Unless a red sky at night is when sailors have fright!"

"What about a red sky in the afternoon?" Chloe asked. "Does that spell sailor's doom?"

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Argh!" Abacab said, shaking his head in frusturation. "Too many sailor's rhymes! I need some flapjacks to fix my ailing brain. Luckily, I've stole some Aunt Clamima!"

"Aunt Clamima?!" Vinnie the Eel exclaimed. "Dats my favorite brand. I have plenty of that stocked up in my ship!"

"Err..." Captain Abacab said, whistling a innocent sea faring tune. "About that!"

***

As Captain Abacab prepared the flapjacks with the help of Hermin Hermit's living claw, the four pirates all sat at the table. Chloe was oddly silent as Ramone stacked his hooves on the table. Monica seemed to sense the tension brewing between them because she raised her accented voice nervously but politely.

"So, fellow marauders, where to next? I know we're supposed to be heading to the snake eye gap, but isn't that across the Ocean Kingdom Domain at the center of the four great seas?"

"I suppose we don't have a navigator," Chloe remarked, her eye glaring harshly at Ramone. "Perhaps we can trade this farm animal for one."

"I say," Ramone scoffed. "I'm not some cattle that you trade! Queen Annabell, you are growing more coarse by the second."

"Speaking of coarse," Chloe teased, sticking her tongue out. "At least I don't have sand up my butt crack!"

Vinnie managed to snicker behind his fingers as an infallible tension sizzled hotter than the flapjacks filled the air. Monica glared at him and the gangster quieted down. A loud crash of thunder boomed over head and the sound of rain pattered loudly on the rooftop.

"I learn more and more," Ramone said, turning bright red in the face. "That I am not wanted here. You may be of royal blood, Queen, but you clearly want to be princess of the paupers and I will not have any more of this!"

"Fine," Chloe screamed. "Why don't you try to get a boat in this weather and sail away to washed up Old Goat isle!"

"Oh..." Ramone said, standing straight up with his hooves clenched tightly. "I will. I'll find myself a nice ocean taxi to a place where I can be treated properly. Like the suave satyr I am!"

"If I really get your goat," Chloe began. "Good riddance!"

Monica and Vinnie watched helplessly as Ramone grabbed his overcoat, fastened it on, and marched over to the door, out into the maelstrom.

Chloe turned her head away, but watched out of the corner of her eye as Ramone stood on the deck, holding his looking glass and waving his hooves helpless. "Yoo-hoo!" he cried. "Any handsome men of the sea out there?!"

Monica stood up too. She glared at Chloe. "Captain," she said, "You need to order him to come back in! He's not safe out there."

"You tell him," Chloe said, crossing her arms and pouting. "Just the thought of him makes me seasick!"

"Chica..." Monica demanded. "You need to right now before..."

Suddenly, a big gust of wind lifted Ramone off his feet and carried him out to the stormy sea.

"Ramone!!!" Chloe screamed as loud as she could.

"Argh," Captain Abacab said with a stack of flapjacks on a platter. "Why you yelling? I got yeh flapjacks right here! Guarenteed to sweep you off your feet!"