Twilight leaned against the rail on the main deck of the Harmony and watched as the waves rolling past the ship and clouds list lazily overhead. She inhaled deeply, smelled the salty but fresh air then smiled. She had never been on a ship before but after Celestia rewarded her for her efforts with the trip, she finally had a chance to discover what it was truly like. She watched as the marine life swam and flew past and thought back to the day of the christening and launch of the Harmony, the entire city of Manehatten showed up so they could watch the ship be launched from Manehatten dockyard. The Harmony was the first in a soon to be long line of sail and steam powered cruise ships and it was a thing of beauty, constructed out of a mix of an iron coated wood hull, the ship was roughly three hundred paces from bow to stern. Not to mention that it had several decks that held accommodations, a pool, a restaurant and even a shop. But as of right now all that Twilight focused on was the horizon and how breathtaking it looked as the sun slowly started to rise over the distant islands, she sighed and continued to stare, not paying attention to Rainbow Dash who was walking over to her.
"Enjoying the view?" she asked. Twilight didn't stir but nodded.
"Yes, it's so pretty this early in the morning."
"What are you doing up so early though?" Rainbow Dash asked as she leaned against the rail next to Twilight.
"I get up early a lot, it's nothing special."
"You gonna tell Celestia all about this when we get back to Ponyville?"
"Indeed I shall," Twilight said as she stepped back from the rail and stretched her hooves, "So then, you wanna come get something to eat with me?"
Rainbow Dash nodded and followed Twilight down to the restaurant deck. They passed several other passengers from Manehatten, Cloudsdale, Ponyville, and Canterlot and gave them a friendly morning greeting. As they entered the mess deck there were several other passenger ponies getting breakfast, two of them Twilight and Rainbow Dash recognised so they trotted over to them.
"Good morning Applejack and Applebloom," Twilight said.
"Howdy to you too," Applejack replied as she tipped her hat towards them.
"You sleep well?" Applebloom asked. Twilight noticed that she looked slightly sleepy but still cheerful.
"Yes, I did. Thanks for asking."
"I didn't," Rainbow Dash said, "The ship kept rocking me off my bed all night."
"Yeah, there were some rough waves last night but ah slept real well," Applejack said.
"Where's everypony else?" Twilight asked as she picked up one of the plates at the buffet line.
"Still sleeping I think," Rainbow Dash said, "At least Rarity and Fluttershy are, dunno about Pinkie Pie."
"She's up," Twilight said with a smile, "I know she'll be up."
No sooner had she said that, the pink pony burst out from behind the fruit bowl and landed next to Twilight, smiling widely.
"Gooooooooooood morning everypony!" she said cheerily.
"Hey Pinkie," Twilight said with a small laugh.
"How'd everypony sleep last night?"
"Good. How about you?"
"Oh I slept GREAT!" Pinkie exclaimed, "It's so quiet and the rocking of the ship really helped."
"That's a surprise, I thought you'd be up all night." Rainbow Dash said.
"Actually I couldn't, I was just too tired out from yesterday."
"Yeah, that was a really big party. But a big ship needs a big party, doesn't it?"
Twilight and her friends nodded in agreement, just as Rarity and a very sick looking Sweetie Belle walk into the mess and join them. Twilight was the first to see them.
"Uh-oh, is she okay?" Twilight asked as she examined Sweetie Belle. She seemed a little more pale than usual and had a green tinge on her cheeks, Rarity sighed and rubbed her younger sister's back.
"Poor dear was sick all night. Seems like she isn't one for boats."
Sweetie Belle groaned and wiped some sweat off her forehead.
"I still don't feel too good, I dunno if I can eat anything."
"Why don't you take her to the ship's hospital?" Twilight said.
"Maybe I'll have to. I don't want her to get any worse," Rarity said. Apple Bloom patted her friend on her shoulder and smiled.
"You'll be okay, me and Scootaloo will come and see you."
"Thanks, Apple Bloom. Say, where is Scootaloo?"
"Ah think she's in the ship's arcade, ah'll go find her later."
Sweetie Belle groaned and smiled as Rarity led her out of the mess hall and to the ship's hospital. Twilight let out a sigh and looked at Apple Bloom who seemed deeply worried for her friend.
"She'll be okay," Twilight said as she placed a hoof on Apple Bloom's shoulder, "We'll go see her later, let's get some food first at least."
"Okay," Apple Bloom said. Applejack nudged Apple Bloom and gave her a warm smile.
"It's okay lil sis, Rarity'll make sure that Sweetie Belle's taken care for."
As the ponies gathered up breakfast and found a table, they sat and ate as they talked about how they were enjoying the cruise ride and how amazing the Harmony was. As they ate their breakfast, Scootaloo trotted over to their table, smiling and with a plate of food between her teeth. She hopped up on the seat between Apple Bloom and Rainbow Dash and smiled.
"Hey everypony, what's going on?"
"Good morning to you too squirt," Rainbow Dash said as she ruffled Scootaloo's mane, "How'd you sleep?"
"Okay, sorta hard to at first with the ship rocking but I fell asleep soon."
"That's good," Pinkie said, "So how's the arcade?"
"Really amazing," Scootaloo said, "Say, where's Sweetie Belle and Rarity at?"
"Sweetie Belle's sick," Apple Bloom said, "Ah was thinking we should go see her soon."
"Why don't we go see her now?"
"Yeah, she'd do that for us if we were sick. Can we go see her, Applejack?"
"Sure, let me come with you too. Ah wanna see if she's okay."
"I'll come up later too," Twilight said, "I just need to see if Spike's awake."
"Okay, we'll meet you outside your room so we can go and see Sweetie Belle too," Pinkie said, "Ooh! That reminds me, I need to get her something."
"Okay, I'm gonna go with AJ and the fillies," Rainbow Dash said, "I'll make sure that we meet up outside your room so we can all go together."
Twilight gave Rainbow Dash a nod and smiled.
"Alright, see you later."
Twilight trotted out of the restaurant and down the well crafted and pristine hallways until she made it to her suite. For a suite on a new cruise ship, it was very well designed and rather large. The only problem with it was that since Twilight was the first time using it, she felt as if she couldn't touch anything that wasn't directly hers in case she broke something. Fortunately, Spike was allowed to stay in her room and he made sure that everything stayed where it was but he did seem to clean it a little too much, a point proven when Twilight walked into her room and saw Spike cleaning the dresser for the fifth time since the trip started.
"Spike, cut that out. We aren't home you know."
"Sorry Twilight," Spike said, "I just wanted this place to look as clean as when we got here."
"It's okay," Twilight chuckled as Spike hopped down from the dresser, "Come on, we're gonna go the the ship's hospital."
"Why's that? Is somepony hurt?"
"No, Sweetie Belle is just a little seasick. It's her first time on a ship."
"Aww, well we gonna go see her?"
"Yes, let me get some stuff first. I want to send a letter to Princess Celestia, she'll probably be wondering how everything is going."
"You gonna write it now?" Spike asked as he fetched Twilight a quill from a bag.
"I might as well, after all, nothing's going on."
Spike nodded and started to pack a few more rolls of parchment and quills as Twilight wrote her letter, she hummed old Equestrian sea-songs to herself. Spike looked towards the open porthole he saw that there was a low-hanging fog starting to accumulate a good distance away, he thought about telling Twilight but then he decided to let it go since there were fogs in Ponyville and this seemed no different aside from the fact that they were at sea. Twilight finished up her letter just as there was a knock on the door, followed by Pinkie bursting into the room.
"Twilight! Are you done yet? We gotta go nowwwww!"
"Relax Pinkie, we can take our time."
"But I wanna give Sweeite Belle her cake before it melts."
"What kind of cake is it?" Spike asked. Pinkie grinned and showed it to him. Written on it in pink icing was "Get Well Soon" and a heart.
"The best kind of cake around. Icecream cake!"
Twilight smiled and took her saddlebag, as she went to join her friends out in the hallway the ship rocked from side to side violently for a second, causing Pinkie to drop her cake on Spike.
"Oh no! Now what am I gonna get Sweetie Belle?"
"Well, you're not giving her this cake, that's for sure."
"It's okay, Pinkie." Applejack said, "Y'all just be there for Sweetie Belle and she'll be thankful for that."
Pinkie sighed but then smiled, knowing that Applejack was right. Sweetie Belle needed the support of her friends, not a cake. Also, after seeing how seasick Sweetie Belle was, she probably couldn't keep it down. Twilight patted Pinkie on her back and followed her friends to the ship's hospital. Spike still licking the icecream cake off himself. The friends talked as they made their way through the maze of the ship's interior, but thanks to several signs and friendly passengers the group managed to make it to the hospital. However, the rocking of the ship had slowly gotten worse over time, causing Twilight and her friends to stagger into walls and bump into other passengers. Once they made it to the ships hospital, a door swung open and hit Rainbow Dash in the face.
"Ow! This is getting really annoying, what's up with the ship?"
"It's just a little oceanic turbulence," Twilight said, "We'll be okay in a short while."
"I hope so. My nose hurts."
Twilight held the door open with her magic so that her friends could enter the hospital, Twilight entered last and joined her friends in the lobby of the hospital. One of the nurses walked over to Twilight and her friends.
"Can I help you?" the nurse asked.
"We're here to see a filly named Sweetie Belle, she was admitted here earlier today."
"Oh, the little unicorn filly? She's just down the hall. Don't worry though, she's doing fine."
Twilight and her friends followed the nurse down the hall and to the room where Sweetie Belle was being kept, when they entered they were surprised to see that she was giggling as Rarity tidied up her messy mane. Twilight noticed that Sweetie Belle had an IV drip in one hoof but she didn't seem to notice that it was there.
"Well, you're looking a lot better," Twilight said as she entered Sweetie Belle's room.
"Hi everypony! You all came to see me?"
"Sure did," Scootaloo said, "We Crusaders stick together."
"You feeling better?" Apple Bloom asked. Sweetie Belle nodded, holding up the hoof that had the IV drip in it.
"Yep, much better now I have this is me."
"Does it hurt?" Scootaloo asked as she hopped up on a chair next to Sweetie Belle's bed.
"Not really, it did when they put it in me."
Pinkie Pie then trotted over to Sweetie Belle and hugged her.
"Get well soon. Sorry I couldn't bring you the cake I got for you. I kinda dropped it."
"Yeah, on me," Spike muttered.
"That's okay, Pinkie," Sweetie Belle said, "Thanks for coming, that's all I needed."
Pinkie smiled and hugged her again, this time with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. Rarity huffed and shooed them away.
"Honestly, I appreciate your concern for Sweetie Belle but your hugs keep messing up her mane."
"Rarity!" Sweetie Belle said. Rarity ignored her and continued to fix up her mane. Rainbow Dash chuckled and smiled, but she something interesting out the porthole. She walked over to it and looked outside. There wasn't anything too interesting aside from a large fog, but as Rainbow Dash stared at the fog, she noticed something. There appeared to be something inside it. As the fog started to get blown away from the sea winds, it became clear that there was something in the fog, it was another ship.
"Hey everypony, check this out."
"What is it Rainbow Dash?" Applejack asked, taking her eyes off the fillies who were now playing with a game that Pinkie found. Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder and saw several smoke plumes drift from the side of the ship and heard whumping sounds.
"It's another ship, but I've never seen one like it befo-"
Rainbow Dash didn't have time to finish as the side of the room exploded in a shower of wood, metal and parts of the room.
