Ships on a shipby PonyXpressChaptersPrologueS.S RarijackS.S TwidashS.S PinkieshyEpiloguePrologueA bright swirl of green fire burst out of Spike's mouth, the flames rippled and twirled in the air before shrinking to virtually nothing, with a flash and in it's place was a scroll. The scroll glowed with a purple aura as Twilight brought it over to herself. "I wonder what this is...I'm not expecting a letter from the Princess...at least, I hope I'm not" She unraveled the scroll with curiosity. Tucked safely away inside it was 6 shimmering silver tickets. "What? What are these?" Twilight pondered taking the tickets aside to read the note. My faithful student Twilight, As I'm sure you are very aware, Hearts and Hooves Day will be upon us tomorrow. I was informed by your friend spike that you had not planned anything for this occasion. So, taking this into consideration I decided to give you and your six friends tickets to an overnight cruise. You'll spend the night out at sea, I can assure you the moonlight on the ocean is something to behold. The boat is will be yours for the night, it'll be for you and your friends only so please enjoy your time out there. Yours truly Princess Celestia Twilight read the letter twice over to make sure she didn't miss anything. Her cheeks filled with a bright pink. "A trip...with just the six of us?" Twilight questioned herself "Why would the Princess give this to us?" She lowered the scroll down to her bench. "I dunno" Spike grumbled as he slumped back down in his basket. "Well...I guess it does sound like fun, and I'm sure the sunset over the ocean would be a nice sight to see as well" Twilight's horn glowed yet again as she brought the six glimmering tickets to her face. Each ticket had their names printed on them, which meant they were the only ones who were able to use them. Even if Twilight had decided not to go, she couldn't give the tickets to someone else. "Well, I guess I better get everyone to meet me here so we can talk about this" Twilight talked to herself. "Yeah, yeah, just try not to make too much noise" Spike muttered from under his blanket. Twilight gave him a stern frown, which was disregarded by Spike, being buried in his 'cove' the way he was. ---Later That Day--- "A trip? Sounds like fun. I'm in, I'm sure everyone else is too!" The blue pegasus gestured from her position in mid flight. Twilight's library was occupied by 5 familiar ponies, ones she knew well. They all stood around each other discussing their plans for the vacation trip that the Princess herself had given to them. Each of them nodded, some with a smile, some with nothing more than a blank face. The 6 friends exchanged glances with each other, looking forward to the vacation that awaited them. "It's gonna be so much fun!" Pinkie squealed giving a leap into the air. "It should be quite interesting, if I do say so myself" Rarity brought a hoof to her cheek. "Perfect! So we'll all meet at the docks tomorrow then? I know it's very short notice but the tickets only arrived not long ago" Twilight explained slightly distressed. The lavender pony was one for organisation, having to plot out a vacation for the 6 of them on such short notice was a nightmare. However she'd managed to gather all 5 of her friends in time to sort out the details of the trip. "Aw, it's no problem Twi, just be thankful none of us had anything planned already" Applejack took a few steps forward in an attempt to comfort Twilight. She'd obviously been stressing out a little too much over the whole thing. "Um, excuse me, Twilight, where exactly are the docks? I don't think I've ever been there before" Fluttershy had been quiet almost the whole discussion, no surprise really, though Twilight had wondered if she really did want to go. Something like this felt like it'd be pushing her out of her comfort zone. She had asked several times, to which Fluttershy responded positively every time. She'd have to take her friend word for it. "It's just outside Ponyville, south side"Twilight wavered her hoof in it's general direction. Fluttershy gave a silent nod affirming that she understood where Twilight was talking about. There was a brief moments silence as the 6 ponies did nothing but look at each other with awkward glances. "So...everything's set then I suppose" Twilight's voice shattered the silence before it carried on too long. "So I'll meet you all at the docks tomorrow afternoon?" "Mhmm" all 5 ponies simultaneously nodded their heads in agreement. They each gave one another friendly smiles and before long, each of Twilights friends had left her, heading to rest up before the big night they had tomorrow. The day was long and arduous. Each of the 6 ponies went about they day thinking about nothing more than the night that lay ahead of them. Both excited and nervous, they had no idea what to expect. Being together as a group was not something new, however, the way things had been set and on Hearts and Hooves Day no less, got them on edge to say the least. As the sun crept slowly across the sky, ponies pairing off enjoying their day together with the special somepony they had chosen. Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity and Applejack went on with their days as normal, trying not to get hooked up in all the commotion outside. The sky slowly began to shift to shades of orange, one star finally managing to show itself in the darkest ends of the empty space above. That star was the first of many the 6 friends would be seeing. Twilight approached the docks with a frown, her mind full of worry. She'd felt nervous almost all day and she couldn't quite put a hoof on why. Sure enough all five of her friend were already there and waiting at the gates, they didn't seem to be saying anything to each other. As she got closer, she noticed that both Rarity and Fluttershy had decided to wear scarves, she figured they must have thought it'd be cold out there. A fair assumption to make for ponies who have never really been out to sea. "Hey guys!" Twilight attempted to greet them without awkwardness. Each of them turned their heads to give her a warm smile. "Hi Twilight!" Pinkie jumped in her place waving one of her hooves around frantically. "You all ready?" Rainbow flew over the top of them as though she were talking about a race. Twilight approached the fencing, looking out at the boat. It looked magnificent. The outside was painted a light shade of purple and was decorated with fine white patterns all over. Almost as if it were the Princess's private boat. It was a small cruise ship, but definitely big enough for 6 ponies. It seemed to be decorated with food and drink all set and served even decked with some comfortable looking chairs. The Princess had really gone all out on this. "Yeah, what about all of you?" Twilight said The other five ponies gave a modest grunt of approval. "Well then, shall we?" Rarity took a few steps toward the gate that lead to the docking platform. One by one they each followed her though, showing their tickets to the white unicorn the stood behind the gate. As the last of the six ponies stepped onto the boat, the docking board was pulled away as the cruise ship slowly began to set sail off into the distant empty space that was the ocean.The six of them fumbled at the sudden movement of the boat. Twilight leaned on back railing of the boat. The sun was setting just behind Ponyville. The town glowed with a mysterious aura, the sun aiding the brilliant lighting perfectly. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Twilight whispered to the pony sharing the view behind her. "You know Twilight...yeah, it kinda is" Rainbow Dash replied The rest of the ponies joined in the sight seeing as they crawled further and further away from land, until the town was no more than a smudge of black and orange in the distance. The sunlight reflecting off the waters surface quickly faded as the sun slipped out of view. "Not something you see everyday I assure you" Rarity murmured in admiration "So have any y'all every been out in the ocean?" "Nope!" Pinkie answered abruptly Despite it being there all this time, not many ponies visited the shoreline too often. "I've been here a few times but I've never gone out this far" Fluttershy's voice was easy to hear against the humming of the boats engine and the gentle laps of the water below them. Pinkie spun herself around and headed for the snacks table before anyone else could take anything. The other five simply sat by the back end of the boat, looking out at the water. "So...does anyone actually have any plans on what to do on this here boat?" Applejack questioned "I think, we should all just sit back, relax, and simply, enjoy each others company. It's peaceful enough out here to do so, is it not?" Rarity explained as she trotted over to one of the chairs. Rarity kicked back and laid herself out on the chair, letting out a sigh. "Sounds like a fine plan to me" AJ responded. S.S RarijackThe sun had completely set, not a trace of sunlight could be seen. The night sky lay sprawled over them like a glittering blanket. Pinkie stood by the bar taking in as much food and drink as she could. The other five lay on the chairs on the back deck of the boat, doing nothing but engaging each other in small talk. "So...is it just me or some something feel off about this whole over night vacation thing anyways?" Rainbow said coming back from a quick flight around the boat. "What you do mean Rainbow?" Twilight sat herself up looking at the hovering blue pegasus. "I dunno, maybe it's just in my head" Rainbow took a seat beside Twilight. "Don't let it bother you dear, just enjoy the night" Rarity encouraged Dash to put the thoughts beside her for the time being. The tension that lay between the ponies for not visible but it was clearly there. The six of them, Pinkie aside, were unsure of how to react to being together on a boat, on a day like this. Emotions were stirred, feelings began to rumble within them, begging to break free. "So are we just going to sit here the whole night?" Applejack murmured "Of course!" Rarity gasped "Alright, alright, simmer down" Applejack taunted "Well what would you have us do then, hm Applejack?" Rarity retorted with a sneer "I dunno, 'ts why I asked" The boat began to slow, all six ponies could feel the deceleration beneath their hooves. "Are we stopping?" The question was aimed at no one in particular. "It would seem so" The white unicorn answered The humming of the boat ceased as the boat slowed down to a halt. It was almost completely silent, the only sound that could be heard was that of the small waves splashing against the side of the boat.The breeze was gentle, almost caressing each of the ponies as it drifted across the back deck where the ponies resided. Suddenly a soft harmonic melody could be heard. The ponies perked their ears and for a moment, just a moment, Pinkie paused her eating. It filled the air around the ponies as they all leaned back, taking in the delightful sounds. The music felt soothing, relaxing, like all of their worries with seeing out of the bodies, only to evaporate into the air. The quiet and peace of the romantic music was hastily interrupted. Pinkie hung her head over the side of the boat, groaning in discomfort as the contents of her stomach made it's way into the swirling waters below. "Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy quick sprung up and rushed over to her pink coated friend in an attempt to comfort her. Twilight soon followed over to see if her friend was alright. Pinkie seemed to have a little case of seasickness, who would have guessed? "Are you okay Pinkie?" Fluttershy asked, her eyes filled with worry "Come on, you need to lay down" Fluttershy put a hoof around Pinkie and guided her to one of the free rooms. Twilight watched as the pair of ponies slipped into one of the rooms. Twilight headed back for her chair, figuring Fluttershy would take care of things with Pinkie. "What happened Twilight?" Rainbow asked, tilting her head over her shoulder. "Pinkie seems to have gotten sea sick" Rainbow Dash suddenly burst out into laughter, rolling off her chair and onto the wooden flooring of the deck. She flailed around maniacally laughing to her hearts content. "Pinkie! Sea sick!!! Bahahaha!" Twilight looked at the hysterical pony rolling on the floor with complete and utter surprise. "Wow, who would have guessed, that Pinkie, of all ponies would get sea sick!" "Oh please Rainbow, it's not that funny at all!" Rarity exclaimed "How could you be that insensitive?" Rainbow's laughing stopped immediately at the sound of her verbal attacker. "Oh, come on! It's funny, how can it not be!? This is Pinkie Pie, getting sea sick!" Rainbow forced a snicker Rarity sat herself up in the heat of the debate "Would it have been just as funny if you had gotten sea sick?" "No, because I'm not Pinkie!" "Oh sure, I" "Excuse me, Rainbow" Twilight interrupted Neither of the two arguing ponies had noticed Twilight aimlessly staring out at the sky. The stars hypnotized her as they slowly danced across the sky. They were like little lanterns, held by the darkness in the void of space. "What is it Twilight?" Rainbow stood herself up off the floor. "Do you think...you could, maybe take me for a flight up there" She asked politely as she raised her hoof up into the sky. "I'd love to get a nice clear view of some of the stars" Rainbow turned her head over to the white unicorn sitting quietly beside Appjack, before turning back to Twilight. "Sure Twilight" Rainbow took of scooping Twilight up around her chest with a woosh. She rocketed upward as fast as she could. Before long the two had disappeared into the dark shades of purple of the night sky. Rarity and Applejack stared at the sky for what felt like hours. neither said nothing to the other, they simply sat, watching the sky, the stars, the moon. The music still played, dancing in and out of their ears, tugging at every emotion it could. Applejack's chest started to liven up, her heart increasing it's pace. Rarity laid back, relaxing her muscles. She let out a sigh as her eyelids closed over her deep blue eyes. Applejack fidgeted with her hooves, attempting to build the courage to talk about what she wanted. If she ever had a chance, this was it, she'd hardly get another like this. Applejack attacked herself under her breath, she'd talked to Rarity before and it was never this hard this hard. She'd even argued with her before, heck they probably argued more than they actually talked to each other. Arguing felt comfortable to her, she had no idea why that was. "Hey Rarity" Applejack managed to choke out "Hm?" Applejack paused, unable to keep the conversation going at that point. "Do..." The orange earth pony's lips locked up. "Do...?" Rarity attempted to egg her on, rolling over to look at Applejack AJ swallowed hard, looking into Rarity's eyes. "Do you...happen, to have a..." Rarity looked at AJ with confusion, trying to make sense of what she was trying to say to her. The silence between the two ponies was unbearable. Rarity leaned forward in anticipation of the earth ponies next words. "Do you have...a special somepony?" AJ finally manged to finish Rarity's ears perked up straight at the sound of the inquisitive question. "Well I...no...I don't" Applejack rolled onto her back looking at the sky once more. "Huh..." "Why is that?" The unicorn said her face now lightly tinted with red. Applejack didn't answer. Her mind was thinking everything through, she didn't want to say something she'd regret. "Well..." The silence was almost torture to both ponies. They could do nothing except wait of the other to answer and if it was their turn to speak, they had to spend a moment to think about their words carefully. "Well?" Rarity asked "Well, please don't look at me any different" "Yes?" "But" Applejack slid a hoof behind her head into her hat. Her hoof soon reemerged carrying a lovely red rose, which she held out to her companion with high hopes. "Applejack..." "It's alright if ya say no, I...I just wanted ta give it a shot, I know we argue a lot" Applejack gave a sheepish grin "But...ya know, I realized after that slumber party at Twilight's all that time ago, that you mean a lot more to me than I thought" Rarity's eyes began to tear up. The music forcing every ounce of feeling she had towards Apple jack out into the open. "So, how bout it?" AJ finished. Rarity could do nothing but stare at the flower the was held out in front of her. Seconds ticked by, with no answer, the seconds soon turned to minutes. She was speechless. "Applejack...I...I had no idea" Rarity sniffled Applejack smiled with a shrug, before she knew it a white unicorn was flying at her. Rarity locked her lips with Applejacks, the sudden impact forcing the two ponies off of their chairs. They fell to the deck with a thud rolling over each other, until they came to a halt. Rarity sat on top of AJ, their mouths still very much locked in love. Rarity pulled her mouth away, breaking the kiss as she fell to her side next to Applejack. "Wow" Applejack muttered through her shocked state The pair of ponies lay on the wooden deck holding one another. The romantic melody still wafting through the cold night air, aiding the pair in their embrace. "Rarity..." "Hm?" "I think we should head to one of the rooms, before anypony sees us" S.S TwidashThere were a few clouds scattered though the sky. They looked a great deal softer than they do during the day. The stars glittered all of the sky as Twilight couldn't help bu stare at each one with fascination. Rainbow on the other hand paid no heed to the stars that lay all around her, trying to keep her balance. The pair of ponies were far above cloud level, the boat could only just be seen from their position as a faint orange light below them. The height came with some rather chilling side effects. The high altitude air was cold as it was, even more so with the breeze. Rainbow looked down at the lavender pony residing in her arms. How she admired something so simple, so regular, entranced by the dancing night lights before her. "It's beautiful..." She wheezed under her breath "Don't you think Rainbow?" Rainbow fumbled slightly at the sound of her name, her wings faltering ever so slightly. The sudden movement causing Twilight's muscles to jerk with a squeal. "Sorry!" Rainbow apologized "It's okay Dash" Twilight looked up at her carrier with a little smile. She turned back to looking out at the stars yet again, her eyes carefully scanning through the empty space. Rainbow felt her heart pick up it's pace. There was something setting her off watching Twilight happy like this. It made her brain fire off all kinds of signals, some she didn't understand, others were clear as crystal. The beating grew faster, the pair blissfully unaware of the slow decrease in height. Twilight pointed out star after star beaming up at Rainbow every so often. The blue coated pegasus could do nothing but stare at her with a bright red face. Rainbows arms tightened their grip around the lavender pony, as would a child their stuffed animal. Holding her, in the sky, felt right, it felt safe, even though they were countless feet above the sea. Her mind couldn't help but phase out into it's own world, filled with fantasies. Her relationship with Twilight was always somewhat solid. Sure she poked a bit of fun at her every now and then, but that was because, secretly, she sort of liked Twilight. She'd always wanted to try reading just to gain a few extra points but she'd always shrugged it off in fear of her own reputation. That, however, had long since changed, especially after she'd started reading several Daring Do books. Most of with were in her company. Twilight was an invaluable friend, someone she could trust with everything. She felt her eyes dampen, tightening her grasp just a little more. Twilight let out a little grunt "Rainbow...a...are you ok?" Rainbow turned her head away, in an attempt to hide her blushing soppy face. Despite what she was feeling, she didn't want to let on, not in the slightest. "Y...yeah I'm fine Twi" Twilight could feel something wasn't right, there was something about how quiet she was. Usually she'd be bored by now, asking to head back down to ground and continue on with her day. Rainbow could feel her chest warming up, the feel of Twilight's body held tightly against hers, in some sort of death grip. Her mane, the lighting, Twilight's joy. Her mind raced, puzzled with the thought's buzzing and whirring away inside her skull. She felt the question rearing itself up, it was right on the tip of her tongue, she wanted to ask but it wouldn't spill. "That one's pretty, Dash" The unicorn said raising a hoof. Her voice was gentle and soft, filled with feeling. "Funny...." Twilight gazed at the sparkling dot of light with a slight sense of lust "It kind of reminds me of you" Dash's eye shot open, had she heard that right? The awkward silence between the pair was excruciating. The pegasus had no idea how to respond, was it supposed to mean what she thought it meant? The statement had definitely broken the ice of the situation but now what? Where were they supposed to swim in a lake of icy water? "What do you mean Twilight?" Dash managed to mutter under her breath "Well...It's one of the brightest, almost as if it were showing off" Twilight began to explain her mental thoughts. "Oh..." Dash's heart sank back to a corner in her mind. It wasn't what she'd hoped, Twilight was only trying to make a joke, she figured. "That....and it's pretty" Twilight looked away from the star in embarrassment. it was hard to see in the dull blue light of the moon, but the pink that covered Twilight's cheeks could be felt from a mile away. Dash built her courage up from those words, which was strange in it's own right. She'd been so used to simply rushing into things, with no thinking involved. But with words like this, words that would either shatter everything she loved about their relationship, or at the same time, could improve it by means that nothing else could. Dash opened her mouth and took a breath to speak. "Hey Dash?" Twilight interrupted Dash felt like screaming, of all the times to speak! Instead she muttered all she could muster. "Hm?" "Do you have a special somepony for Hearts and Hooves day?" The pegasus' body tensed every muscle in it's body. The question struck her like a cold bucket of water, leaving her in shock. Unable to think rationally, she tilted her head down and nuzzled her friends straight, purple mane. Rainbows grasp was iron clad, Twilight began to wheeze, trying to keep her breath. The grip loosened as Rainbow pulled her head away from her unnecessary urge to make more contact.Twilight cocked her head up at the dull pink eyes that looked down her her. "No Twilight...I don't" "Oh" Rainbow leaned forward pressing her lips firmly against the lovely unicorns that lay below her. The pair shut their eyes, each of them exploring the others mouth with complete and undivided passion. Rainbow's wing ceased flapping as the connected duo started to fall. Twilight abruptly pulled away from the kiss in panic, before she could react, the blue pegasus held her closely. Their bodies fell straight down, head first, towards the watery depth beneath them. Twilight squirmed in Dash's embrace trying to break free. "Twilight, just trust me" Rainbow smiled "It'll be fun!" "Bu...What!" "Do you trust me?" Twilight tried to look at the approaching water until a blue hoof reached over and pulled her face away, back into Dash's dark pink eyes. "Do you?" Twilight hugged Dash with nothing else to go for. The pair fell for what seemed like years, the dark ocean water below them approaching them with greater and greater speed. Dash's wings draped behind her, rustling in the fast blowing cold air. Rainbow held Twilight tightly against her, until moments before they hit the water. Dash suddenly flared her wings out as far as she could. Slowing the fall to nothing but a slow dive. The two ponies broke the surface of the water with a splash. They reemerged from the water with a gasp, their manes soaked lugging over their faces with water. They pushed through the water, paddling until they met with a kiss. Twilight's horn gave a crackle as a few sparks fired off into the air. Their muzzles broke away from each other. Silence raided the air as they stared at each other with nothing else to say. Until dash brought the courage up, to say the words she'd almost said way up in the sky. "I love you Twilight" Rainbow had seen some awesome sights in her life. Looking back at the wonder bolts resting on her shoulders, Rarity's wings, multiple wonder bolt shows and countless stunts performed by various famous pegasi. Even what she saw as they both plummeted towards that water passedoff in her awesome books. However none of those could beat the face Twilight gave her. It was a mix of anger and confusion but that the same time it was that of acceptance and love. Dash held her hopes high as Twilight reached over to her drenched pegasus friend and held her close. regardless of what happened in the past, she'd made Twilight happy. "I love you Rainbow" And that's all that mattered. S.S PinkieshyPinkie lay in the bed hiding under the covers in shame. She'd never gotten sea sick before! But she'd also never been on a boat before, so she had no idea sea sickness was a weakness of hers, or so she considered it a weakness. All that food she'd eaten, gone, with no trace left but a memory and a bad taste. The taste hadn't been to much of a problem however. Fluttershy had given her some special drink that cleans the mouth, leaving it fresh a pleasant smelling. She knew Fluttershy was there, watching over her with complete care. Pinkie felt fine, in fact, she'd never felt better, but the thought of leaving her safe haven under the covers of the bed she had been kindly laid in frightened her. She had heard that laugh from Dashie as they left. Making people laugh was her gift, a talent no one else could take from her. Having served to you in such an ungracious manner felt degrading, embarrassing even. Fluttershy sat patiently by Pinkie, resting her head on the table that was propped beside her. Seeing Pinkie sit still for this long set her on edge. Even when she was sick, Pinkie would, at the very least, make an attempt to move around, to get herself going again. Yet, there she lay, as motionless as a deceased animal. Fluttershy sat up "Um...Pinkie?" The yellow pegasus' words hit Pinkie's ears hard, her body shuddered as though it had been tickled. "What?" She grumbled "Well...I..." "Well what?" Fluttershy swallowed hard, she knew she shouldn't be scared, but something felt wrong about her, she wasn't herself "A...Are you ok?" "I'm fine" Pinkie's voice was sharp and harsh. Fluttershy didn't know how to respond, she wanted to help but it seemed that any attempt was met with bitterness. Silence once again reigned over the room, for a time that no one was keeping track of. Fluttershy rest her head on the table again, waiting patiently for Pinkie to feel better. The rooms on the boat had been lovingly decorated in cheer for Hearts and Hooves Day. Flowers were scattered, on the walls, on the tables, even some petals had been scarcely scattered on the floor. The shades of pink were contrasted by the yellow in the room, it was definitely well done Fluttershy thought. Pinkie shuffled her body, the bed creaking ever so slightly beneath her. She rolled over looking at Fluttershy sitting by her bed. Their eyes met and locked. They stared at each other continually, neither of them moved, neither of them spoke, they simply sat and looked into each others eyes. They both pondered what the other was thinking, if there ever was tension between the two, this would be it. 'Why is she still here?' Pinkie's mind rambled on it's own. 'I wonder what's got her so upset' Fluttershy thought to herself, this wasn't like her. "Pinkie?" The pink pony muffled a grunt. "What's the matter?" Fluttershy frowned with worry Pinkie said nothing, dropping her head to the bed keeping all eye contact with the yellow pegasus pony before her. Pinkie's stubbornness almost instantly vanished at that time. Fluttershy's eyes, had an incredible soothing effect, it was too hard to stay upset while in her company. The earth pony pulled herself up right on the bed, taking a moment to think about her words and her actions. "You don't look very sick anymore" "I'm not anymore, I feel fine" Pinkie admitted "I'm sorry Fluttershy...I was being silly...I heard Dashie laughing at me and...yeah" Fluttershy's mind relaxed knowing that Pinkie seemed ok, she lifted her head up off the table, giving Pinkie a friendly smile. "It's okay Pinkie, I won't laugh at you, I promise" Pinkie seemed shell shocked. Her face was almost blank, except for the occasional blink. She stared in the pegasus pony's eyes as though she were searching for any signs of doubt. "Why?" Was all she could mutter "Well I....Because...I know you don't like it" Fluttershy's response was quick and to the point, yet still felt like every word was backed with emotion. "I would never to anything to make you upset Pinkie...never" Pinkie's eyes welled up with a tears, she couldn't help it. A single crystal droplet broke free from her eye, trailing it's way down the side of her face. She managed to stifle a giggle with a sniffle. Those words struck her chest like a dagger of feelings. She didn't know how to react or what to do but she knew that Fluttershy meant a lot more to her than she'd first thought. She could tell that Fluttershy felt the same way, it was mutual. "Did...I say something wrong?" Fluttershy hopped of her seat and walked over to the sobbing pink earth pony sitting on the bed. Pinkie slowly gave her head a shake. "Fluttershy" She stammered "Can I give you a hug?" Pinkie was greeted with a heart warming smile, her arms reaching out and around the yellow pony. Pinkie embraced the kind pegasus with everything she had. They held each other forever, doing nothing but enjoying the others company. Each breath they took, they took in sync with the other. "Hey Fluttershy?" Fluttershy's ear flicked at Pinkie whisper. "Y...yes?" Pinkie rolled her body backwards, shifting her weight until she jumped off the bed. Reaching over to the table, she grabbed a rose out of one of the vases. Spinning back around with the rose firmly in her mouth, she made her way back to Fluttershy. Pinkie ducked her head down, looking up at the quiet mare. Her head slowly rose up, presenting the sentimental gift to the pony she'd always held a liking for. Pinkie's face gave a sincere smile, gripping the rose between her teeth. Fluttershy could do no more than gasp. Her eyes became misty as she graciously took the gift in her hooves. She leaped out throwing her arms around the earth pony, knocking the both of them on to the bed. The two ponies snuggled each other, the warmth of one, fueling the other. Pinkie tucked her head over Fluttershy's shoulder, nuzzling the back of her neck. The pair, finally comfortable in each others embrace, slowly began to drift off into unconsciousness. "I love you Pinkie" Fluttershy muttered There was a moments silence, she'd figured Pinkie had already fallen sleep. Pinkie's grasp around her partners body tightened ever so slightly, their tailed twirled and entwined into one. "I love you too, Fluttershy" EpilogueAs the night crept on, the moon slid across the sky, along side the stars. The boat sat in wait with the 6 friends, who had each discovered unpolished feelings for one another. The ponies had long since retired to their rooms to rest. Applejack and Rarity lay side by side. The orange earth pony's light snoring having no effect on the unicorn that huddled behind her, her arms draped over her earth pony companion. Twilight and Rainbow Dash lay curled up with one another. Their manes still a little damp from their late night swim. The blue pegasus' wings spread out and over the lavender unicorn, as thought to protect her from anyone or anything that might harm her. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie cradled together showing no sign of separation. Pinkie's head resting firmly atop Fluttershy's, their tails still firmly entwined together. The night was peaceful, quiet and serene. Each of the 3 couples slept without a bump in the night. The moon had run it's course and the sun was ready to take it's place. As that big flaming ball was light shone brightly across all of Equestria. Each of the ponies woke up heading for the back deck to see Ponyville slowly coming into view. The stunned looks on their faces at the sight of each of them coupled as they were, quickly turned to giggles of happiness. The boat parked itself by the docks, as the boarding bridge was set in place. The ponies disembarked the boat with complete satisfaction. They each made their farewells and continued on with their regular days. The new found relationships quickly becoming a regular part of their day. Dear Princess Celestia Relationships are strange and magical thing, even more so than friendship. Sometimes a friendship is already more than a friendship and just needs a little push to go further. Sometimes, relationships can bloom out of nowhere, when there previously existed very few feelings at all. Sometimes they can be formed though debates, what may seem like spiteful arguments and yelling, could actually evolve into something much, much greater. Sometimes, they don't always work out and it can be world shattering to hear so. However, I've found, the best way to decide if are pair of ponies share feelings for each other, is to give them free time alone. And even after the relationship has sparked, it takes time, effort and love to keep it healthy and strong. Your Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle "Excellent! Luna!" Celestia grinned "What is it now?" The dark blue alicorn groaned. "I knew Twilight, liked that Rainbow pony, and it even seems she's learned that sometimes they need a push" "What about the others?" Luna asked rather agitated with her big sisters antics. "Oh they were just fortunate accidents, I had no idea they would pair up the way they did. Everything went better than expected" The regal white princess gave a cheesy grin.
PrologueA bright swirl of green fire burst out of Spike's mouth, the flames rippled and twirled in the air before shrinking to virtually nothing, with a flash and in it's place was a scroll. The scroll glowed with a purple aura as Twilight brought it over to herself. "I wonder what this is...I'm not expecting a letter from the Princess...at least, I hope I'm not" She unraveled the scroll with curiosity. Tucked safely away inside it was 6 shimmering silver tickets. "What? What are these?" Twilight pondered taking the tickets aside to read the note. My faithful student Twilight, As I'm sure you are very aware, Hearts and Hooves Day will be upon us tomorrow. I was informed by your friend spike that you had not planned anything for this occasion. So, taking this into consideration I decided to give you and your six friends tickets to an overnight cruise. You'll spend the night out at sea, I can assure you the moonlight on the ocean is something to behold. The boat is will be yours for the night, it'll be for you and your friends only so please enjoy your time out there. Yours truly Princess Celestia Twilight read the letter twice over to make sure she didn't miss anything. Her cheeks filled with a bright pink. "A trip...with just the six of us?" Twilight questioned herself "Why would the Princess give this to us?" She lowered the scroll down to her bench. "I dunno" Spike grumbled as he slumped back down in his basket. "Well...I guess it does sound like fun, and I'm sure the sunset over the ocean would be a nice sight to see as well" Twilight's horn glowed yet again as she brought the six glimmering tickets to her face. Each ticket had their names printed on them, which meant they were the only ones who were able to use them. Even if Twilight had decided not to go, she couldn't give the tickets to someone else. "Well, I guess I better get everyone to meet me here so we can talk about this" Twilight talked to herself. "Yeah, yeah, just try not to make too much noise" Spike muttered from under his blanket. Twilight gave him a stern frown, which was disregarded by Spike, being buried in his 'cove' the way he was. ---Later That Day--- "A trip? Sounds like fun. I'm in, I'm sure everyone else is too!" The blue pegasus gestured from her position in mid flight. Twilight's library was occupied by 5 familiar ponies, ones she knew well. They all stood around each other discussing their plans for the vacation trip that the Princess herself had given to them. Each of them nodded, some with a smile, some with nothing more than a blank face. The 6 friends exchanged glances with each other, looking forward to the vacation that awaited them. "It's gonna be so much fun!" Pinkie squealed giving a leap into the air. "It should be quite interesting, if I do say so myself" Rarity brought a hoof to her cheek. "Perfect! So we'll all meet at the docks tomorrow then? I know it's very short notice but the tickets only arrived not long ago" Twilight explained slightly distressed. The lavender pony was one for organisation, having to plot out a vacation for the 6 of them on such short notice was a nightmare. However she'd managed to gather all 5 of her friends in time to sort out the details of the trip. "Aw, it's no problem Twi, just be thankful none of us had anything planned already" Applejack took a few steps forward in an attempt to comfort Twilight. She'd obviously been stressing out a little too much over the whole thing. "Um, excuse me, Twilight, where exactly are the docks? I don't think I've ever been there before" Fluttershy had been quiet almost the whole discussion, no surprise really, though Twilight had wondered if she really did want to go. Something like this felt like it'd be pushing her out of her comfort zone. She had asked several times, to which Fluttershy responded positively every time. She'd have to take her friend word for it. "It's just outside Ponyville, south side"Twilight wavered her hoof in it's general direction. Fluttershy gave a silent nod affirming that she understood where Twilight was talking about. There was a brief moments silence as the 6 ponies did nothing but look at each other with awkward glances. "So...everything's set then I suppose" Twilight's voice shattered the silence before it carried on too long. "So I'll meet you all at the docks tomorrow afternoon?" "Mhmm" all 5 ponies simultaneously nodded their heads in agreement. They each gave one another friendly smiles and before long, each of Twilights friends had left her, heading to rest up before the big night they had tomorrow. The day was long and arduous. Each of the 6 ponies went about they day thinking about nothing more than the night that lay ahead of them. Both excited and nervous, they had no idea what to expect. Being together as a group was not something new, however, the way things had been set and on Hearts and Hooves Day no less, got them on edge to say the least. As the sun crept slowly across the sky, ponies pairing off enjoying their day together with the special somepony they had chosen. Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity and Applejack went on with their days as normal, trying not to get hooked up in all the commotion outside. The sky slowly began to shift to shades of orange, one star finally managing to show itself in the darkest ends of the empty space above. That star was the first of many the 6 friends would be seeing. Twilight approached the docks with a frown, her mind full of worry. She'd felt nervous almost all day and she couldn't quite put a hoof on why. Sure enough all five of her friend were already there and waiting at the gates, they didn't seem to be saying anything to each other. As she got closer, she noticed that both Rarity and Fluttershy had decided to wear scarves, she figured they must have thought it'd be cold out there. A fair assumption to make for ponies who have never really been out to sea. "Hey guys!" Twilight attempted to greet them without awkwardness. Each of them turned their heads to give her a warm smile. "Hi Twilight!" Pinkie jumped in her place waving one of her hooves around frantically. "You all ready?" Rainbow flew over the top of them as though she were talking about a race. Twilight approached the fencing, looking out at the boat. It looked magnificent. The outside was painted a light shade of purple and was decorated with fine white patterns all over. Almost as if it were the Princess's private boat. It was a small cruise ship, but definitely big enough for 6 ponies. It seemed to be decorated with food and drink all set and served even decked with some comfortable looking chairs. The Princess had really gone all out on this. "Yeah, what about all of you?" Twilight said The other five ponies gave a modest grunt of approval. "Well then, shall we?" Rarity took a few steps toward the gate that lead to the docking platform. One by one they each followed her though, showing their tickets to the white unicorn the stood behind the gate. As the last of the six ponies stepped onto the boat, the docking board was pulled away as the cruise ship slowly began to set sail off into the distant empty space that was the ocean.The six of them fumbled at the sudden movement of the boat. Twilight leaned on back railing of the boat. The sun was setting just behind Ponyville. The town glowed with a mysterious aura, the sun aiding the brilliant lighting perfectly. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Twilight whispered to the pony sharing the view behind her. "You know Twilight...yeah, it kinda is" Rainbow Dash replied The rest of the ponies joined in the sight seeing as they crawled further and further away from land, until the town was no more than a smudge of black and orange in the distance. The sunlight reflecting off the waters surface quickly faded as the sun slipped out of view. "Not something you see everyday I assure you" Rarity murmured in admiration "So have any y'all every been out in the ocean?" "Nope!" Pinkie answered abruptly Despite it being there all this time, not many ponies visited the shoreline too often. "I've been here a few times but I've never gone out this far" Fluttershy's voice was easy to hear against the humming of the boats engine and the gentle laps of the water below them. Pinkie spun herself around and headed for the snacks table before anyone else could take anything. The other five simply sat by the back end of the boat, looking out at the water. "So...does anyone actually have any plans on what to do on this here boat?" Applejack questioned "I think, we should all just sit back, relax, and simply, enjoy each others company. It's peaceful enough out here to do so, is it not?" Rarity explained as she trotted over to one of the chairs. Rarity kicked back and laid herself out on the chair, letting out a sigh. "Sounds like a fine plan to me" AJ responded.
S.S RarijackThe sun had completely set, not a trace of sunlight could be seen. The night sky lay sprawled over them like a glittering blanket. Pinkie stood by the bar taking in as much food and drink as she could. The other five lay on the chairs on the back deck of the boat, doing nothing but engaging each other in small talk. "So...is it just me or some something feel off about this whole over night vacation thing anyways?" Rainbow said coming back from a quick flight around the boat. "What you do mean Rainbow?" Twilight sat herself up looking at the hovering blue pegasus. "I dunno, maybe it's just in my head" Rainbow took a seat beside Twilight. "Don't let it bother you dear, just enjoy the night" Rarity encouraged Dash to put the thoughts beside her for the time being. The tension that lay between the ponies for not visible but it was clearly there. The six of them, Pinkie aside, were unsure of how to react to being together on a boat, on a day like this. Emotions were stirred, feelings began to rumble within them, begging to break free. "So are we just going to sit here the whole night?" Applejack murmured "Of course!" Rarity gasped "Alright, alright, simmer down" Applejack taunted "Well what would you have us do then, hm Applejack?" Rarity retorted with a sneer "I dunno, 'ts why I asked" The boat began to slow, all six ponies could feel the deceleration beneath their hooves. "Are we stopping?" The question was aimed at no one in particular. "It would seem so" The white unicorn answered The humming of the boat ceased as the boat slowed down to a halt. It was almost completely silent, the only sound that could be heard was that of the small waves splashing against the side of the boat.The breeze was gentle, almost caressing each of the ponies as it drifted across the back deck where the ponies resided. Suddenly a soft harmonic melody could be heard. The ponies perked their ears and for a moment, just a moment, Pinkie paused her eating. It filled the air around the ponies as they all leaned back, taking in the delightful sounds. The music felt soothing, relaxing, like all of their worries with seeing out of the bodies, only to evaporate into the air. The quiet and peace of the romantic music was hastily interrupted. Pinkie hung her head over the side of the boat, groaning in discomfort as the contents of her stomach made it's way into the swirling waters below. "Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy quick sprung up and rushed over to her pink coated friend in an attempt to comfort her. Twilight soon followed over to see if her friend was alright. Pinkie seemed to have a little case of seasickness, who would have guessed? "Are you okay Pinkie?" Fluttershy asked, her eyes filled with worry "Come on, you need to lay down" Fluttershy put a hoof around Pinkie and guided her to one of the free rooms. Twilight watched as the pair of ponies slipped into one of the rooms. Twilight headed back for her chair, figuring Fluttershy would take care of things with Pinkie. "What happened Twilight?" Rainbow asked, tilting her head over her shoulder. "Pinkie seems to have gotten sea sick" Rainbow Dash suddenly burst out into laughter, rolling off her chair and onto the wooden flooring of the deck. She flailed around maniacally laughing to her hearts content. "Pinkie! Sea sick!!! Bahahaha!" Twilight looked at the hysterical pony rolling on the floor with complete and utter surprise. "Wow, who would have guessed, that Pinkie, of all ponies would get sea sick!" "Oh please Rainbow, it's not that funny at all!" Rarity exclaimed "How could you be that insensitive?" Rainbow's laughing stopped immediately at the sound of her verbal attacker. "Oh, come on! It's funny, how can it not be!? This is Pinkie Pie, getting sea sick!" Rainbow forced a snicker Rarity sat herself up in the heat of the debate "Would it have been just as funny if you had gotten sea sick?" "No, because I'm not Pinkie!" "Oh sure, I" "Excuse me, Rainbow" Twilight interrupted Neither of the two arguing ponies had noticed Twilight aimlessly staring out at the sky. The stars hypnotized her as they slowly danced across the sky. They were like little lanterns, held by the darkness in the void of space. "What is it Twilight?" Rainbow stood herself up off the floor. "Do you think...you could, maybe take me for a flight up there" She asked politely as she raised her hoof up into the sky. "I'd love to get a nice clear view of some of the stars" Rainbow turned her head over to the white unicorn sitting quietly beside Appjack, before turning back to Twilight. "Sure Twilight" Rainbow took of scooping Twilight up around her chest with a woosh. She rocketed upward as fast as she could. Before long the two had disappeared into the dark shades of purple of the night sky. Rarity and Applejack stared at the sky for what felt like hours. neither said nothing to the other, they simply sat, watching the sky, the stars, the moon. The music still played, dancing in and out of their ears, tugging at every emotion it could. Applejack's chest started to liven up, her heart increasing it's pace. Rarity laid back, relaxing her muscles. She let out a sigh as her eyelids closed over her deep blue eyes. Applejack fidgeted with her hooves, attempting to build the courage to talk about what she wanted. If she ever had a chance, this was it, she'd hardly get another like this. Applejack attacked herself under her breath, she'd talked to Rarity before and it was never this hard this hard. She'd even argued with her before, heck they probably argued more than they actually talked to each other. Arguing felt comfortable to her, she had no idea why that was. "Hey Rarity" Applejack managed to choke out "Hm?" Applejack paused, unable to keep the conversation going at that point. "Do..." The orange earth pony's lips locked up. "Do...?" Rarity attempted to egg her on, rolling over to look at Applejack AJ swallowed hard, looking into Rarity's eyes. "Do you...happen, to have a..." Rarity looked at AJ with confusion, trying to make sense of what she was trying to say to her. The silence between the two ponies was unbearable. Rarity leaned forward in anticipation of the earth ponies next words. "Do you have...a special somepony?" AJ finally manged to finish Rarity's ears perked up straight at the sound of the inquisitive question. "Well I...no...I don't" Applejack rolled onto her back looking at the sky once more. "Huh..." "Why is that?" The unicorn said her face now lightly tinted with red. Applejack didn't answer. Her mind was thinking everything through, she didn't want to say something she'd regret. "Well..." The silence was almost torture to both ponies. They could do nothing except wait of the other to answer and if it was their turn to speak, they had to spend a moment to think about their words carefully. "Well?" Rarity asked "Well, please don't look at me any different" "Yes?" "But" Applejack slid a hoof behind her head into her hat. Her hoof soon reemerged carrying a lovely red rose, which she held out to her companion with high hopes. "Applejack..." "It's alright if ya say no, I...I just wanted ta give it a shot, I know we argue a lot" Applejack gave a sheepish grin "But...ya know, I realized after that slumber party at Twilight's all that time ago, that you mean a lot more to me than I thought" Rarity's eyes began to tear up. The music forcing every ounce of feeling she had towards Apple jack out into the open. "So, how bout it?" AJ finished. Rarity could do nothing but stare at the flower the was held out in front of her. Seconds ticked by, with no answer, the seconds soon turned to minutes. She was speechless. "Applejack...I...I had no idea" Rarity sniffled Applejack smiled with a shrug, before she knew it a white unicorn was flying at her. Rarity locked her lips with Applejacks, the sudden impact forcing the two ponies off of their chairs. They fell to the deck with a thud rolling over each other, until they came to a halt. Rarity sat on top of AJ, their mouths still very much locked in love. Rarity pulled her mouth away, breaking the kiss as she fell to her side next to Applejack. "Wow" Applejack muttered through her shocked state The pair of ponies lay on the wooden deck holding one another. The romantic melody still wafting through the cold night air, aiding the pair in their embrace. "Rarity..." "Hm?" "I think we should head to one of the rooms, before anypony sees us"
S.S TwidashThere were a few clouds scattered though the sky. They looked a great deal softer than they do during the day. The stars glittered all of the sky as Twilight couldn't help bu stare at each one with fascination. Rainbow on the other hand paid no heed to the stars that lay all around her, trying to keep her balance. The pair of ponies were far above cloud level, the boat could only just be seen from their position as a faint orange light below them. The height came with some rather chilling side effects. The high altitude air was cold as it was, even more so with the breeze. Rainbow looked down at the lavender pony residing in her arms. How she admired something so simple, so regular, entranced by the dancing night lights before her. "It's beautiful..." She wheezed under her breath "Don't you think Rainbow?" Rainbow fumbled slightly at the sound of her name, her wings faltering ever so slightly. The sudden movement causing Twilight's muscles to jerk with a squeal. "Sorry!" Rainbow apologized "It's okay Dash" Twilight looked up at her carrier with a little smile. She turned back to looking out at the stars yet again, her eyes carefully scanning through the empty space. Rainbow felt her heart pick up it's pace. There was something setting her off watching Twilight happy like this. It made her brain fire off all kinds of signals, some she didn't understand, others were clear as crystal. The beating grew faster, the pair blissfully unaware of the slow decrease in height. Twilight pointed out star after star beaming up at Rainbow every so often. The blue coated pegasus could do nothing but stare at her with a bright red face. Rainbows arms tightened their grip around the lavender pony, as would a child their stuffed animal. Holding her, in the sky, felt right, it felt safe, even though they were countless feet above the sea. Her mind couldn't help but phase out into it's own world, filled with fantasies. Her relationship with Twilight was always somewhat solid. Sure she poked a bit of fun at her every now and then, but that was because, secretly, she sort of liked Twilight. She'd always wanted to try reading just to gain a few extra points but she'd always shrugged it off in fear of her own reputation. That, however, had long since changed, especially after she'd started reading several Daring Do books. Most of with were in her company. Twilight was an invaluable friend, someone she could trust with everything. She felt her eyes dampen, tightening her grasp just a little more. Twilight let out a little grunt "Rainbow...a...are you ok?" Rainbow turned her head away, in an attempt to hide her blushing soppy face. Despite what she was feeling, she didn't want to let on, not in the slightest. "Y...yeah I'm fine Twi" Twilight could feel something wasn't right, there was something about how quiet she was. Usually she'd be bored by now, asking to head back down to ground and continue on with her day. Rainbow could feel her chest warming up, the feel of Twilight's body held tightly against hers, in some sort of death grip. Her mane, the lighting, Twilight's joy. Her mind raced, puzzled with the thought's buzzing and whirring away inside her skull. She felt the question rearing itself up, it was right on the tip of her tongue, she wanted to ask but it wouldn't spill. "That one's pretty, Dash" The unicorn said raising a hoof. Her voice was gentle and soft, filled with feeling. "Funny...." Twilight gazed at the sparkling dot of light with a slight sense of lust "It kind of reminds me of you" Dash's eye shot open, had she heard that right? The awkward silence between the pair was excruciating. The pegasus had no idea how to respond, was it supposed to mean what she thought it meant? The statement had definitely broken the ice of the situation but now what? Where were they supposed to swim in a lake of icy water? "What do you mean Twilight?" Dash managed to mutter under her breath "Well...It's one of the brightest, almost as if it were showing off" Twilight began to explain her mental thoughts. "Oh..." Dash's heart sank back to a corner in her mind. It wasn't what she'd hoped, Twilight was only trying to make a joke, she figured. "That....and it's pretty" Twilight looked away from the star in embarrassment. it was hard to see in the dull blue light of the moon, but the pink that covered Twilight's cheeks could be felt from a mile away. Dash built her courage up from those words, which was strange in it's own right. She'd been so used to simply rushing into things, with no thinking involved. But with words like this, words that would either shatter everything she loved about their relationship, or at the same time, could improve it by means that nothing else could. Dash opened her mouth and took a breath to speak. "Hey Dash?" Twilight interrupted Dash felt like screaming, of all the times to speak! Instead she muttered all she could muster. "Hm?" "Do you have a special somepony for Hearts and Hooves day?" The pegasus' body tensed every muscle in it's body. The question struck her like a cold bucket of water, leaving her in shock. Unable to think rationally, she tilted her head down and nuzzled her friends straight, purple mane. Rainbows grasp was iron clad, Twilight began to wheeze, trying to keep her breath. The grip loosened as Rainbow pulled her head away from her unnecessary urge to make more contact.Twilight cocked her head up at the dull pink eyes that looked down her her. "No Twilight...I don't" "Oh" Rainbow leaned forward pressing her lips firmly against the lovely unicorns that lay below her. The pair shut their eyes, each of them exploring the others mouth with complete and undivided passion. Rainbow's wing ceased flapping as the connected duo started to fall. Twilight abruptly pulled away from the kiss in panic, before she could react, the blue pegasus held her closely. Their bodies fell straight down, head first, towards the watery depth beneath them. Twilight squirmed in Dash's embrace trying to break free. "Twilight, just trust me" Rainbow smiled "It'll be fun!" "Bu...What!" "Do you trust me?" Twilight tried to look at the approaching water until a blue hoof reached over and pulled her face away, back into Dash's dark pink eyes. "Do you?" Twilight hugged Dash with nothing else to go for. The pair fell for what seemed like years, the dark ocean water below them approaching them with greater and greater speed. Dash's wings draped behind her, rustling in the fast blowing cold air. Rainbow held Twilight tightly against her, until moments before they hit the water. Dash suddenly flared her wings out as far as she could. Slowing the fall to nothing but a slow dive. The two ponies broke the surface of the water with a splash. They reemerged from the water with a gasp, their manes soaked lugging over their faces with water. They pushed through the water, paddling until they met with a kiss. Twilight's horn gave a crackle as a few sparks fired off into the air. Their muzzles broke away from each other. Silence raided the air as they stared at each other with nothing else to say. Until dash brought the courage up, to say the words she'd almost said way up in the sky. "I love you Twilight" Rainbow had seen some awesome sights in her life. Looking back at the wonder bolts resting on her shoulders, Rarity's wings, multiple wonder bolt shows and countless stunts performed by various famous pegasi. Even what she saw as they both plummeted towards that water passedoff in her awesome books. However none of those could beat the face Twilight gave her. It was a mix of anger and confusion but that the same time it was that of acceptance and love. Dash held her hopes high as Twilight reached over to her drenched pegasus friend and held her close. regardless of what happened in the past, she'd made Twilight happy. "I love you Rainbow" And that's all that mattered.
S.S PinkieshyPinkie lay in the bed hiding under the covers in shame. She'd never gotten sea sick before! But she'd also never been on a boat before, so she had no idea sea sickness was a weakness of hers, or so she considered it a weakness. All that food she'd eaten, gone, with no trace left but a memory and a bad taste. The taste hadn't been to much of a problem however. Fluttershy had given her some special drink that cleans the mouth, leaving it fresh a pleasant smelling. She knew Fluttershy was there, watching over her with complete care. Pinkie felt fine, in fact, she'd never felt better, but the thought of leaving her safe haven under the covers of the bed she had been kindly laid in frightened her. She had heard that laugh from Dashie as they left. Making people laugh was her gift, a talent no one else could take from her. Having served to you in such an ungracious manner felt degrading, embarrassing even. Fluttershy sat patiently by Pinkie, resting her head on the table that was propped beside her. Seeing Pinkie sit still for this long set her on edge. Even when she was sick, Pinkie would, at the very least, make an attempt to move around, to get herself going again. Yet, there she lay, as motionless as a deceased animal. Fluttershy sat up "Um...Pinkie?" The yellow pegasus' words hit Pinkie's ears hard, her body shuddered as though it had been tickled. "What?" She grumbled "Well...I..." "Well what?" Fluttershy swallowed hard, she knew she shouldn't be scared, but something felt wrong about her, she wasn't herself "A...Are you ok?" "I'm fine" Pinkie's voice was sharp and harsh. Fluttershy didn't know how to respond, she wanted to help but it seemed that any attempt was met with bitterness. Silence once again reigned over the room, for a time that no one was keeping track of. Fluttershy rest her head on the table again, waiting patiently for Pinkie to feel better. The rooms on the boat had been lovingly decorated in cheer for Hearts and Hooves Day. Flowers were scattered, on the walls, on the tables, even some petals had been scarcely scattered on the floor. The shades of pink were contrasted by the yellow in the room, it was definitely well done Fluttershy thought. Pinkie shuffled her body, the bed creaking ever so slightly beneath her. She rolled over looking at Fluttershy sitting by her bed. Their eyes met and locked. They stared at each other continually, neither of them moved, neither of them spoke, they simply sat and looked into each others eyes. They both pondered what the other was thinking, if there ever was tension between the two, this would be it. 'Why is she still here?' Pinkie's mind rambled on it's own. 'I wonder what's got her so upset' Fluttershy thought to herself, this wasn't like her. "Pinkie?" The pink pony muffled a grunt. "What's the matter?" Fluttershy frowned with worry Pinkie said nothing, dropping her head to the bed keeping all eye contact with the yellow pegasus pony before her. Pinkie's stubbornness almost instantly vanished at that time. Fluttershy's eyes, had an incredible soothing effect, it was too hard to stay upset while in her company. The earth pony pulled herself up right on the bed, taking a moment to think about her words and her actions. "You don't look very sick anymore" "I'm not anymore, I feel fine" Pinkie admitted "I'm sorry Fluttershy...I was being silly...I heard Dashie laughing at me and...yeah" Fluttershy's mind relaxed knowing that Pinkie seemed ok, she lifted her head up off the table, giving Pinkie a friendly smile. "It's okay Pinkie, I won't laugh at you, I promise" Pinkie seemed shell shocked. Her face was almost blank, except for the occasional blink. She stared in the pegasus pony's eyes as though she were searching for any signs of doubt. "Why?" Was all she could mutter "Well I....Because...I know you don't like it" Fluttershy's response was quick and to the point, yet still felt like every word was backed with emotion. "I would never to anything to make you upset Pinkie...never" Pinkie's eyes welled up with a tears, she couldn't help it. A single crystal droplet broke free from her eye, trailing it's way down the side of her face. She managed to stifle a giggle with a sniffle. Those words struck her chest like a dagger of feelings. She didn't know how to react or what to do but she knew that Fluttershy meant a lot more to her than she'd first thought. She could tell that Fluttershy felt the same way, it was mutual. "Did...I say something wrong?" Fluttershy hopped of her seat and walked over to the sobbing pink earth pony sitting on the bed. Pinkie slowly gave her head a shake. "Fluttershy" She stammered "Can I give you a hug?" Pinkie was greeted with a heart warming smile, her arms reaching out and around the yellow pony. Pinkie embraced the kind pegasus with everything she had. They held each other forever, doing nothing but enjoying the others company. Each breath they took, they took in sync with the other. "Hey Fluttershy?" Fluttershy's ear flicked at Pinkie whisper. "Y...yes?" Pinkie rolled her body backwards, shifting her weight until she jumped off the bed. Reaching over to the table, she grabbed a rose out of one of the vases. Spinning back around with the rose firmly in her mouth, she made her way back to Fluttershy. Pinkie ducked her head down, looking up at the quiet mare. Her head slowly rose up, presenting the sentimental gift to the pony she'd always held a liking for. Pinkie's face gave a sincere smile, gripping the rose between her teeth. Fluttershy could do no more than gasp. Her eyes became misty as she graciously took the gift in her hooves. She leaped out throwing her arms around the earth pony, knocking the both of them on to the bed. The two ponies snuggled each other, the warmth of one, fueling the other. Pinkie tucked her head over Fluttershy's shoulder, nuzzling the back of her neck. The pair, finally comfortable in each others embrace, slowly began to drift off into unconsciousness. "I love you Pinkie" Fluttershy muttered There was a moments silence, she'd figured Pinkie had already fallen sleep. Pinkie's grasp around her partners body tightened ever so slightly, their tailed twirled and entwined into one. "I love you too, Fluttershy"
EpilogueAs the night crept on, the moon slid across the sky, along side the stars. The boat sat in wait with the 6 friends, who had each discovered unpolished feelings for one another. The ponies had long since retired to their rooms to rest. Applejack and Rarity lay side by side. The orange earth pony's light snoring having no effect on the unicorn that huddled behind her, her arms draped over her earth pony companion. Twilight and Rainbow Dash lay curled up with one another. Their manes still a little damp from their late night swim. The blue pegasus' wings spread out and over the lavender unicorn, as thought to protect her from anyone or anything that might harm her. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie cradled together showing no sign of separation. Pinkie's head resting firmly atop Fluttershy's, their tails still firmly entwined together. The night was peaceful, quiet and serene. Each of the 3 couples slept without a bump in the night. The moon had run it's course and the sun was ready to take it's place. As that big flaming ball was light shone brightly across all of Equestria. Each of the ponies woke up heading for the back deck to see Ponyville slowly coming into view. The stunned looks on their faces at the sight of each of them coupled as they were, quickly turned to giggles of happiness. The boat parked itself by the docks, as the boarding bridge was set in place. The ponies disembarked the boat with complete satisfaction. They each made their farewells and continued on with their regular days. The new found relationships quickly becoming a regular part of their day. Dear Princess Celestia Relationships are strange and magical thing, even more so than friendship. Sometimes a friendship is already more than a friendship and just needs a little push to go further. Sometimes, relationships can bloom out of nowhere, when there previously existed very few feelings at all. Sometimes they can be formed though debates, what may seem like spiteful arguments and yelling, could actually evolve into something much, much greater. Sometimes, they don't always work out and it can be world shattering to hear so. However, I've found, the best way to decide if are pair of ponies share feelings for each other, is to give them free time alone. And even after the relationship has sparked, it takes time, effort and love to keep it healthy and strong. Your Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle "Excellent! Luna!" Celestia grinned "What is it now?" The dark blue alicorn groaned. "I knew Twilight, liked that Rainbow pony, and it even seems she's learned that sometimes they need a push" "What about the others?" Luna asked rather agitated with her big sisters antics. "Oh they were just fortunate accidents, I had no idea they would pair up the way they did. Everything went better than expected" The regal white princess gave a cheesy grin.
