Tori recognised this place. It was the pig field, the place where Leicra had contacted her while she was in Autumns. The pigs payed no mind to her, casually snuffling about in the grass. Thankfully they knew when they were getting too close to the edge of the field and turned themselves back around. They looked so out of place here. And thankfully, there was no mech yet. She didn’t like the mech.

All was quiet in the small field. The wind rustled the grass. And then, a lurch. Tori looked around wide eyed. Was it the mech? Was the mech back? A deep whirring then filled the air, and the sky around her began to move. The mech wasn’t here, fortunately.

The midday sky went through shades of orange, then red, then purple, until it became night time. The stars slowly flickered into view, and it even gained the pigs’ attention. Tori and the pigs watched the stars, tuning out the whirring. It seemed like a few minutes later until a loud clank dragged her attention away from the stars. She looked around wide eyed, failing to find the source of the clank. But in the distance, she saw something. It was hard to make out what it was, but it was there. It was so close, and yet, so, so far away. She could even hear it from the small field. She could hear a tune playing faintly from it, and its name…

Its name… Its name was-

---

Tori woke up hacking. Oh God, she had swallowed some water. No wonder her mouth burned with the taste of sea salt.

“Not that hard!” Buzz Buzz wailed to Leicra, who was sitting beside her.

Tori looked around in a daze, trying to gather her bearings. Everyone was on a beach? How did they get here? She glanced up at Leicra, who- wait.

“Leicra…? Why are you wearing Gran’s hat?”

“Gran’s currently drying herself and her clothes out as much as she can. She asked me to look after her bobble hat, and then put it on my head.” They then looked up at the pink bobble hat, their eye softening with comfort, and said, “I like it. But I will give it back to her once she needs it.”

Gran looked up from her vest, which she was currently wringing out, then told Leicra, “You can keep it if you want. I don’t mind.”

Leicra’s eye went wide, and they replied, “Oh, no, I couldn’t! It’s yours, I wouldn’t want to take it away from you.”

“Well, if you don’t want to have it now, that’s fine,” Gran replied. “But if you ever do, don’t be afraid to ask.”

As Tori burst into another coughing fit and hacked up some more water, she figured out why she and everyone else were on a beach. They had charged the Sound Stone at Pink Cloud, and then they jumped off it, just like Thunder and Storm had told them to.

After one last cough, Tori hurriedly asked, “Buzz Buzz, is the Sound Stone okay?”

“Right here,” Buzz Buzz reassured her, holding up the Sound Stone, all four hands holding it.

Tori let out a sigh of relief, then another couple of coughs.

“Ugh, is there anything to eat around here? Like, at all?” Tori questioned.

“Are you hungry?” Leicra asked.

“Na, it’s just that the taste of saltwater is killingme,” Tori groaned.

“It is?! How do I make it stop killing you?!” Leicra exclaimed.

“Ah- No, Leicra, it’s a figure of speech!” Buzz Buzz told them.

Leicra looked up at him for a moment or two before asking, “Oh. So Tori is not actually dying?”

Buzz Buzz nodded.

“That’s a relief. Human speech patterns are so confusing!” Leicra said.

Gran put her vest back on and said, “I’m all ready now!”

With a quiet, “Oh!” Leicra scrambled to their feet and rushed over to Gran, then took off her bobble hat and handed it back to her. Gran put the hat back on her head, then she and Leicra wandered over to Tori and Buzz Buzz.

Tori had gotten to her feet, albeit a bit clumsily, then dusted the sand off herself. Only now did she notice just how soaking wet she was. From head to toe, she was drenched in water. It didn’t come as much surprise - she was just mildly annoyed at it.

“Right, well, I’m ready to go,” Tori said.

“So we’re off! ...Where, exactly?” Buzz Buzz asked.

Leicra looked over at Gran, who had blanked. Tori had done the same. Gran soon lit up with an idea.

“There’s a port town nearby, we could go there!” Gran suggested.

“Sure, not like we have much else to do,” Tori said with a shrug.

Without further delay, the four headed to the port town. Navigating the torn-up footpath again was hard, but manageable.

“Hey Leicra,” Tori said to the Starman, gaining their attention as they stepped around a spike in the path, “the Pigmask that attacked us in the hotel mentioned it; do you know anything about a rebel Starman captain? You seem like the right person to ask.”

“Oh, you mean Captain Zeta? Yes, I’ve heard of him! Though I never met him,” Leicra replied. “It wasn’t any of my business to meet him anyway. I did hear that he got a lot of human captives out of the base he was taken to, but no more than that in recent news.”

There was a silence as the four continued making their way to the port town.

“I do know more about the old captain, if you would like to know, Tori,” Leicra said.

“You do?” Tori gasped, looking at Leicra from over her shoulder. “Please tell me.”

Leicra quickened their pace so they walked beside Tori, then began, “Captain Zeta joined Giygas at the start of the 199X invasion, and he helped conquer the Earth. And when Giygas’ second-in-command rebelled, he helped us. He fought him, and he won, and none of us Starmen had to go with him.” Leicra paused. “I’m not sure what made Captain Zeta rebel himself, though. But I’m sure he had a good reason.”

There was another silence, this one uncomfortable, before Buzz Buzz piped up, “I think the Sound Stone changed colour.” He then held up the Sound Stone for Tori and Leicra to see.

“...It did?” Tori questioned.

“A little bit - it went kind of blue,” Buzz Buzz told her.

“Ohhhh, I see it now!”

By now, the four were in the port town, and Gran had taken the lead. She led the others down to a dock, and waited.

There was a breeze that blew past them, which soon became a strong wind. From seemingly nowhere, a pirate ship sailed into view. It anchored at the dock, and a white ghost wearing a classic pirate captain hat and cloak dived down from the ship and hovered above the dock.

“Yar har! Amie, ‘s been a long time since I’ve seen ya!” the ghost captain greeted, a wide smile on his face. “How ‘ave ya been?”

“I’ve been just fine, thank you!” Gran replied, smiling with her eyes.

“Arr, ‘s good t’ hear. And who might these strapping young ‘n’s behind ya be?” the captain asked, looking over at Tori, Buzz Buzz and Leicra.

“Oh, they’re my new friends!” Gran told him. She pointed at each of them as she said, “That’s Tori, the little bug is Buzz Buzz, and that’s Leicra!”

“Arr, ’s good t’ meet ya!” The ghost captain held out his hand, studded with nubbly fingers, and told the other three, “Th’ name’s Cap’n Casey. It be a pleasure to meet ya.”

Tori just stared at Captain Casey’s hand before telling him, “...You’re a ghost.”

Captain Casey’s eyes narrowed. “Aye, I am. What of it?”

“I can’t… shake your hand. Because you’re incorporeal,” Tori told him.

“Oh. Apologies!” He then darted back to his original spot on the deck and told the four, “Th’ crew ‘n’ I are just about t’ head out. We can take ya to a place you’ll want t’ go.”

Tori, Buzz Buzz and Leicra exchanged glances, and Gran replied, “Of course!”

“ARRRR! That be what I like t’ hear!” Captain Casey cheered. “Then we’ve got not a moment t’ waste! Aboard the Bellyflop we go!”

Captain Casey then darted back onto the ship, then lowered the gangplank. Gran cheerfully boarded the Bellyflop, and Tori, Buzz Buzz and Leicra followed her on. Tori gave Buzz Buzz a look of distrust, which Buzz Buzz just replied to with a shrug.

Once all of the four were on, Captain Casey hollered, “RAISE THE ANCHOR!”

The anchor was raised, like Captain Casey had ordered.

“LOWER THE SAILS!”

Two sails fluttered down from the mast, and began billowing in a breeze from nowhere.

“LET’S SET SAIL!”

The breeze became a gust, and it propelled the Bellyflop forward on the sea.

“Um, Cah… Cap-nnnn?” Leicra asked, trying her best to emulate the Captain’s speech.

Captain Casey looked over to them, and asked, “What be on ya mind?”

“What kind of crew members do you have?”

A wide grin appeared on Captain Casey’s face. “All sorts! Mooks, Moldymen, an assortment of bugs - Ya name it, we got one on board!”

Leicra’s eye went wide as they asked, “Starmen?!”

“Ya kiddin’? Ransom’s me first mate!”

“And they’re all ghosts?” Buzz Buzz asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Wouldn’t be a ghost ship if they weren’t!” Captain Casey cheered.

A Ghost of Starman wearing a sailor’s hat and an old flag tied around his chest came out of a door nearby, and asked, “Captain? What’s going on up here?”

A lime green Mook near one of the cannons called out, “Amie’s back! And she brought guests.”

The Ghost of Starman frowned at the Mook, and told him, “I was asking the captain.”

The Ghost of Starman then approached the four and Captain Casey and asked the latter, “Captain, who might these people with Amienafleece be?”

“They be her new friends!” Captain Casey grinned. “The human’s Tori, the bug be Buzz Buzz, and the Starman be Leicra!”

“I see! Well, welcome aboard the Bellyflop.” Placing a hand to his chest, the Ghost of Starman introduced, “I am First Mate Ransom. But you can just call me Ransom.”

“Hi Ransom!” Tori greeted with a wave.

Leicra was silent, looking at Ransom wide eyed, as if he were a celebrity.

Ransom took notice, and asked them, “Would you like me to show you around?”

Leicra nodded excitedly.

“Then follow me,” Ransom told them with a wave of his hand. Leicra wasted no time in following him through the door he had come onto the deck through.

“Gran? Just how long have you know Captain Casey?” Buzz Buzz asked, buzzing over to the Shambler.

“Oh, since about the 1850’s,” Gran casually replied.

Tori sputtered, then echoed, “THE 1850’S?!”

“I’ve been around since the 1800’s, Tori,” Gran told her. This only prompted more sputtering from her.

“We ‘aven’t talked since at least the 1900’s!” Captain Casey added. “We gained quite a few crew members since then, ‘specially after that attack back in 198X.”

“I’m not one of ‘em!” the Mook near one of the cannons called out.

“I know, Mallory,” Gran replied.

A loud growl filled the air for a second.

“Sounds like someone’shungry,” Mallory remarked.

Tori let out an awkward laugh, then quietly said, “That’d be me.”

“Let’s go get ya somethin’ t’ eat, shall we?” Captain Casey suggested, then floated off to a door.

Buzz Buzz landed on Tori’s shoulder as she and Gran followed Captain Casey and handed the Sound Stone back to her, and Tori put it back in her pocket. Captain Casey led them down into the kitchen, where a wooden puppet worked at a bench.

The puppet glanced at the them, then screeched, “It’s PRETTY BOY TODD, not Handsome Tom, y’hear?!”

There was a moment of stunned silence before Captain Casey muttered to the three, “He… be a little touchy ‘bout that.”

Captain Casey then went over to Pretty Boy Todd and quietly told him, “I just be here to get one o’ these landlubbers somethin’ t’ eat. Ya wouldn’t happen t’ ‘ave anythin’ a corporeal could eat?”

“Yeah, I got bread dough,” Pretty Boy Todd replied. “That’s it, though.”

Captain Casey’s eyebrows arched, then he looked over his shoulder at Tori and asked her, “Are you okay with bread dough?”

“Better than nothing!” Tori replied.

“Cewl,” Pretty Boy Todd said. “I’ve just ‘bout got dinner ready for the crew, so the landlubbin’ corporeal can ‘ave it with us.”

As much as Tori, Buzz Buzz and Gran would have liked to watch Pretty Boy Todd work his magic in the kitchen, he demanded that he be left to work in peace, so Captain Casey showed them around the rest of the Bellyflop. The cabins were packed with shipmates - there was an intense game of Gin Rummy going on between one of the oldest Mooks and a Putrid Moldyman, and the rest of the crew were in their bunks and cheering at the top of their lungs. They ended up staying and watching by the crew’s request, and it was tight, but the Moldyman managed to scrape out a win. Dinner was ready soon after that, and everyone rushed into the kitchen to dine. Pretty Boy Todd handed Tori her bread dough, and she gladly ate it up. There wasn’t much organization - once somebody had finished their fill, they just got up and left, or waited for a friend, then got up and left. Captain Casey didn’t seem to mind, though. Once everyone was done and had left the hall, Ransom came into the hall, and Leicra rushed in with him, a look of sheer joy on their face.

“Tori! Buzz Buzz! Gran! Look at the bandana Ransom let me have!” Leicra gushed, holding their hands to the swampy green bandana that was now tied around the base of their head. Said bandana had a single dull yellow on it.

“That’s so cool!” Tori gasped.

“I know!” Leicra replied.

Leicra did a little happy dance while Ransom told everyone, “I believe that it is starting to get late. The rest of you should get some rest.”

As if to prove Ransom’s point, Buzz Buzz let out a small yawn.

“Yeah, I think it’s about time we got some rest,” Tori said.

“I’ll lead you to the cabins!” Gran told her, Buzz Buzz and Leicra. “We might be able to get one if we hurry, and if not, I should be able to convince one of the shipmates to give up theirs for the night.”

Gran then headed off to the cabins, and Tori and Leicra, the latter giving Ransom a small wave goodbye.

---

It was the early hours of morning when the Bellyflop anchored again. Captain Casey woke everyone up, and most of the shipmates were still drowsy, but got up anyway. There was no dock where the Bellyflop had weighed anchor, but none of the crew really seemed to pay mind. The ship had anchored on the outskirts of what once must have been a bustling city, but was now abandoned, evident by the broken towers.

“Well, we made it to th’ place I said you’ll wantin’ to go to,” Captain Casey told the four. “Be on the lookout of a magnetic mountain o’ sorts. It be ‘round these parts.”

“Thank you, Captain. We’ll be sure to look for it,” Gran smiled.

One of the Mooks lowered the gangplank, and Tori, Gran and Leicra walked off the Bellyflop and onto the dry grass of the abandoned city. The same Mook brought the gangplank back aboard, and the rest of the crew gathered to wave goodbye to the four as the anchor was pulled up.

As the Bellyflop sailed away, Leicra called out, “Bye Mr. Ransom!”

Though the ship was a bit further away now, it was still easy to tell that Ransom’s face lit up with delight. Everyone kept waving until the Bellyflop faded away, back into nowhere.