Shining Armor's Voyage

          A massive horn blew, awakening the young prince from his slumber. Immediately, he galloped to the top deck and felt slightly blinded as he was struck by sunlight. With tears protecting him slightly from the sun, he galloped to the furthest edge of the ship to catch a final glimpse of his wife. He was too late. Braeburn, Big Mac and Vinyl stumbled out of the lower deck's cabins, following Shining. Each one moaned slightly, cradling their heads in their hooves and faced the floor to escape the onslaught of the sun. Octavia, however, strolled through as if she had always been sober. The cellist trotted to her partner, with the goggles in her hoof. The grey earth pony handed the blue-maned DJ her goggles. Graciously, the bass-dropper put on the amethyst goggles and, for the first time that morning, smiled. Spitfire was the only pony doing anything even slightly productive. The Wonderbolt was steering the boat with expertise and a compass in hoof and a stern expression on her face.

         The sun rose and the land sank. By mid-afternoon, land was completely submerged behind the endless waves of the ocean. The crew, now with grumbling stomachs, started up the temporary kitchen under the sunshine on the main deck. Braeburn was told to get some food from below. The Appleoosan farm pony headed into the storage room. Once inside, he heard a childish giggling. It sounded like it came from a filly. He gulped.

"Applebloom?"

Hiding behind a couple barrels of apples, Applebloom came out with a massive grin on her face.

"Howdy Braeburn!"

With an expression of confusion and shock riddling his face, the stallion in question answered

"What're y'all doin' here?"

"Playin' hide 'n seek with Sweetie and Scoots!"

The knowledge of more fillies on the danger headed ship struck him like a hammer to an anvil, leaving him breathless. He wheezed slightly.

"Where're they then?!"

"I dunno, they're hidin'."

Braeburn could feel panic creep upon him, its cold grip resting inside him. Frantically he galloped about trying to find the other two fillies. Applebloom watched as if she was fully entertained, giggling on occasion. The panicking stallion galloped to and fro in the storage room searching in between barrels. It was to no avail. It wasn't until he tripped over a pile of spare rags did he stop moving. He turned slowly and stared into the pile of rags. He saw a pearly white horn and a speck of her mane. Ripping of the rags, he revealed a very giddy Sweetie Belle. The unicorn filly trotted over to her friend and the two of them giggled together. The farm pony wasn't amused.

"Where is Scootaloo?"

There was a pause from the giggling. As luck would have it he heard a very tomboyish cough emitting from the chicken coop. The Appleoosan headed towards the sound. Looking inside the chicken coop, he a flash of a purple mane, next to a scooter.

"Scoots, get outta there now!"

The orange Pegasus moved from inside the chicken coop, eventually exiting with her scooter. A big smile was on her face and an egg comically laid on her head. Scootaloo put the egg back. Braeburn huddled the three fillies together and forcefully sat them down.

"Okay, now that y'all are all here, how 'bout y'all go upstairs and introduce yourselves as the stowaways of The Sea Pegasus!"

Nodding slowly, the CMC marched themselves upstairs beneath the farm pony's stare and their tails between their hind legs. Recovering from the shock of seeing the youngsters, Braeburn followed them to the top deck. Everypony turned their necks so that their heads faced the three young fillies. The CMC had just started to realise the consequence of their actions.

          "We can't turn the boat around, it'll take too long!"

Shining nodded in agreement to Spitfire. It was sunset and everypony gathered around the top deck to debate upon the actions to be taken considering the arrival of the fillies. The fillies in question each had an expression that rivalled that of a colt to the snow, excitement and worry. Soon everypony was shouting over each other making it difficult to undertand exactly who was speaking.

"They're all too young to make it back in the rowboats."

"Eeyup!"

"Perhaps Spitfire and Derpy could fly them over?"

"No, that'd take too long and cause a lot more worry than any alternative."

"Even insuring that at least one will make it?"

"That's not what I-"

"THEY WILL HAVE TO STAY!!"

The booming voice akin to thunder emitted from the grey mail-mare, catching everypony by surprise.

"I'll even look after them myself."

Everypony turned their heads to look at the mail-mare in awe. As if on cue, the CMC appeared behind the mare, looking up to her with some new found respect.

"You should now that they'll be your responsibility Derpy."

"I know."

Derpy nodded to the young captain. For once her actually challenged Shining's completely, a very subtle change that was noticed easily. Nopony spoke for an uncomfortable amount of time.

          The tension was broken when the three fillies yawned, one after the other. Smiles spread like wildfire through the older ponies at the innocent, cute yawns from the youngsters.

"I reckon tis 'bout time to hit the hay!"

"Eeyup!"

Small chuckles left the firm grasp of everypony's lips. creating a bright atmosphere once again. They all headed down to the cabins in the lower decks and to the bunks that they had chosen. Shining laid his head down on his pillow and closed his heavy eyelids. The gentle lapping of the ocean's waves were interrupted by a distant sound of thunder. Thinking nothing of it, Shining fell into a heavy sleep, dreaming of all his happy moments with Cadence and her reaction of coming home. Through his dream, Shining smiled.