The room around her creaked with the force of the waves against the ship's hull. Rarity opened her eyes slowly and stared at the wooden ceiling rafters above her.
"Dear sweet Celestia... not even a day into luxury and I already feel awful."
She swung herself up and out of bed, staring at the floor. She tried to forget that the ship was moving, shaking off the nauseous feeling that lingered within her.
"No! As a Lady, I must act the part, despite how I feel." She said out loud to herself. She always found that was an easier way to convince herself. "I'm going to relax at the juice bar, and enjoy the warm sun beside the pool, even if- *HMMPH*"
Rarity raced to the cabin bathroom with a hoof over her mouth, slamming the door behind her.
***
"One ice water please..."
Rarity sat down at the bar, removing her sunglasses. With her head in her hooves, she groaned quietly and rocked back and forth.
"Here you go!"
"Thank you dear." She exhaled.
The merciless rocking back and forth of the ground beneath her started to take its toll on her patience.
"WHY IS THE OCEAN SO DARN RO-er... eheh... I beg your pardon."
Rarity looked to the clean-cut gentleman who had mysteriously and inconveniently appeared beside her, and went crimson with embarrassment.
"No problem! Hi, mah name's Brine." He proudly exclaimed, taking a seat beside her.
"Pleasure to meet you, er, Brine." Rarity took a sip of water to stop herself from giggling.
"Yeah, I get that a lot. I'm the Captain of this cruise liner."
Rarity nearly choked. "With all due respect, Brine, shouldn't you be driving the boat?!"
Brine looked around, over each shoulder, and leaned in towards Rarity, speaking out the corner of his mouth.
"Between you and me? I have a whole crew that'll basically drive this damn boat for me. Being the Captain is the easiest job on this damn cruise!"
Rarity took another drink, feeling more nauseous.
"You must be the only person who ain't seasick on here." He chuckled, looking around at the empty deckchairs and the deserted swimming pool.
"Isn't it fantastic?" She said, using every bit of strength to force a smile across her pale and ill face.
Brine awkwardly shifted, resting his chin on his hoof. "Ya know ya got really pretty eyes...anyone ever told ya about yer eyes?" he mumbled, as a goofy grin swept across his face.
"Well, heh, thank you darling!" She replied, avoiding eye contact nervously.
"How about we head to my quarters for a little drink or two? or six?" he giggled with excitement. Just at that moment, a wave crashed against the hull, and sent another jolt of sickness into the pearly white unicorn.
"I, *urg*, might need to get back to you on tha-*hurp* *mmph*" she put a hoof against her mouth and leant back as Brine kept leaning in further, his eyes gleaming.
"C'mon! it'll be fun! I got a sweet-ass hi-fi system in there that'll blow your-"
"I GOTTA GO I'LLSEEYOULATEROKAYBYE!" Rarity frantically scrambled off the barstool and raced to her cabin as fast as her legs could take her, leaving Brine sitting at the juice bar by himself, confused and saddened.
"Idiot! Why do I always gotta use the hi-fi card?! No chick digs a guy's stereo. It's 'cause my damn nose is too big, that's why!..."
***
The night crept in on the cruise ship, and Celestia's sun set behind the distant and hazy clouds. Every pony was bedding down for the night, and Rarity was reclining on her cabin bed, enveloped her blanket, and her favourite novel. She felt herself falling into dreamland, and set the book down by her bed, rolling over and pressing her face into the pillow, praying she would forget the torments of the boat's undulation.
As minutes rolled by, she found herself tossing and turning.
"Ugh... I'm exhausted. This bed just isn't... ahh!"
She kicked the covers off, flailing her limbs around in hopelessness. "I need some air."
Rarity slowly crawled out of bed, and got to her hooves. She nonchalantly brushed her still styled hair, making sure she looked ship-shape in the mirror across the room.
As Rarity made her way out of her room, she felt the cold night air roll through the corridor. The hairs on her coat stood on end as she uneasily walked down the carpeted corridor and out onto the balcony.
The air was crisp, and a choppy, strong wind blew gusts in her face. She continued towards the railing at the edge of the boat, keeping her balance as the floor beneath her was constantly changing slope.
"My word..." she murmured to herself as she looked over the edge of the railing. The waves were astonishingly huge, causing a light spray to reach even her height above the water as they crashed against the ship.
-
"Hey Brine, you okay to man the ship for a few hours? Gotta call my mom, she's freakin' over the damn weather report again. It's only a few light storms, I mean seriously it's like there's a hurricane or somethin' the way she's carryin' on. Can't a stallion just be on the sea in peace once in a while, I mean-"
"Yeah okay, Starboard, I'll take the ship."
"Uhm, yeah. 'kay thanks!" Starboard gave a quick salute and gallops off out of the cabin.
-
"Oo! Oo! Oo! Wait! I've always wanted to do this!"
Rarity looked around, making sure the coast was clear. She got up onto the railings with her front hooves, and stepped up onto the lowest railing. Slowly and carefully, she raised her arms into the air, balancing on the bottom railing, and leaning against the top on where her hooves were.
She stood up, spreading her front legs out and feeling the rush of wind and rain. The wind blew through her hair, but she ignores it completely. Fun. That's all she wanted. She closed her eyes, taking in the sensations.
"WOOOHOOOOOO!!! I WISH THE OTHER GIRLS WERE HERE TO SEE THIS!!"
-
"Phew... I. AM. SO. BORED." Brine got up out of his seat and trotted over to the window at the side of the cabin. His eyes wandered over the deck before him, as the sleet battered against the steamy window.
His eyes caught a faint figure, waving their hooves in the air at the edge of the deck.
"What in... is that..?"
He shot out the cabin door and raced down to the deck. Nopony is allowed on deck after midnight. It was a chance to bust some punk kid who was probably out there trying to light up a clover joint.
Brine burst through the door to the deck. The wind and sleet hit him hard and he shielded his face with a hoof, trying to make out who the figure was. As he approached, the blurred pony revealed itself to him. That mare from the juice bar.
"HEY! YOU!"
Rarity span around.
"AAAAGH!"
Rarity reeled back in fright. Her hoof slipped. She felt herself falling back. She cried out as the railing fell away from her.
-
"Nooooo!" Brine exclaimed as the mare before him fell out of sight. "DAMMIT!!" He ran up to the railing and looked out over the edge down into the sea, praying that he could see her.
Seconds past like centuries as he scanned the ocean. A single, purple blur appeared.
"STAY CALM!! I'M GOING TO THROW YOU A LIFESAVER!!"
Brine raced through the weather to grab the lifesaver, which she could hold onto while he ran to get the rescue team. He grabbed it in his mouth, galloping back to the railing. He looked over the edge.
Just above the waves he saw a purple mane and sighed slightly with relief.
"C'mon... C'mon!" Brine tried to fasten the rope to the railing, slipping with the knot.
"BAH!" He threw the round float over the edge. The float hit the water and was rocked by the high waves.
"SWIM TO IT!!!" He shouted, his voice barely above the roaring wind.
The float sat empty.
"SWIIIIIM!!"
Brine's face twisted as the purple mane he saw had vanished. The float sat empty for no-one, and he slumped down on the railing, with his face in his hooves.
