Author's Note

For where this cruise is, please see this map (near the bottom right):

Prolog: A Three Day Tour

Apple Bloom came to the front of the ship where her friends and sister were waiting. She could see there was some hubbub about as the various tourists took pictures and Rarity & Sweetie Belle oohed and aawed. Rainbow Dash simply rolled her eyes and trotted off to sunbathe on the side of the ship, Scootaloo following close behind.

"Ah, isn't it great, Apple Bloom?" Applejack asked, turning her head away from the sight of the wales. "It was so nice of Rarity to bring us on this cruise after helpin' her with the fashion show in Baltimare. The Celestial Sea is even better than I expected!"

"Think nothing of it, darling." Rarity said politely as she flipped her mane in the light breeze.

Apple Bloom nodded. "Thank ya kindly." She then noticed a familiar brown pegasus filly trotting over. "Say, what's Zipporwhill doin' here?"

"Oh, she has family in Baltimare she's visiting. I figured that you three could do with one extra friend, so I bought her a ticket." Rarity said with a smile and a wink.

"That's awesome! Thanks again!" Apple Bloom replied before rushing off to chat up the brown filly, leaving the mares giggling.

It wasn't all sunshine and smiles for long, however, as suddenly a massive thunderstorm formed directly ahead of the ship. The crowd, in predictable pony manner, began panicking and fleeing to the rear of the ship, while the captain ordered hard to starboard. It was no use, however, as there was simply no time to dodge.

In the panic, the foals were left behind and trampled slightly despite the best efforts of the three mares.

Sweetie & Scoots, both looking a bit worse for wear, met up with Apple Bloom & Zipporwhill on deck. "Where do we go? The lifeboats?" Apple Bloom asked frightfully as wind and rain began to batter her.

"I don't think so, we should get inside! I think Rarity ran in, but the doors are locked! We gotta tell them we're out here!" Sweetie Belle let out, hyperventilating a little.

Several thunder strikes in the clouds at once brought the attention of all four fillies. They looked up, seeing that the storm looked...rather odd. It seemed to be almost flat, with strange dark purplish gray clouds emanating outwards. When lightning struck, one bolt would happen at the center, then another a split second later further out, and another, until it reached the edge. The fillies held each other tight, shaking.

Scootaloo pushed the other three away and gestured to follow her. "Come on, if we get in the lifeboats, we'll at least have some shelter! I don't wanna get fried!"

"I'm with her!" Zipporwhill shouted, and the four went off in unison.

When the cruise ship reached the eye of the storm, the rains and winds stopped. The fillies all breathed a sigh of relief...only to then hear an ominous rumble that definitely wasn't the thunder. Their fur stood on ends, and they peaked out to see a huge fireball, crackling with electricity, coming directly towards the ship. For a bit, they all just stared, eyes and mouths large, at their likely imminent demise.

Apple Bloom, being a very practical pony, snapped out of it and grabbed the two next to her (Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle) and dragged them back down. Meanwhile, the meteor exploded on touching the deck of the ship, unleashing a strange purple wave of energy. Thankfully, the ship didn't appear damaged by it, but the wave rapidly came to the lifeboat...
Apple Bloom reached up to get Zipporwhill, grabbing her by the neck and yanking hard, turning the brown filly upside down to pull her in fast. However, she was a bit too late, as the wave arrived just in time to hit Zipporwhill's butt, and the brown filly got the magical spank of a lifetime, making her scream in surprise before sparking a bit and passing out. The other fillies screamed as well as the lifeboat was knocked off the ship and sent skidding across the surface of the ocean and spinning around its middle. The strange wave seemed to carry it along, keeping it from slowing down.

Apple Bloom hurled and held on to the unconscious Zipporwhill while Sweetie Belle & Scootaloo hugged for dear life, briefly looking at each other with a mutual understanding that Scoots' normal hate of hugs didn't apply and that they'd rather go out together.

After a few minutes, the spinning had stopped, but the lifeboat continued to surf the magical wave through the ocean. Just as it was dissipating, allowing the lifeboat to slow down to a more reasonable speed, they slammed into something, sending the fillies flying out of the lifeboat, screaming.

Apple Bloom closed her eyes and only lost control of her bladder from the terrifying finale, while Scootaloo & Sweetie Belle had their eyes open, and lost control of their bowels as well, resulting in some rather comical sputtering sounds amid the screams.

Four thuds later, the fillies realized they were all alive, and slowly calmed down. Scootaloo was the first to speak. "That was...NOT AWESOME! Blegh, I even pooped!"

Sweetie, in between short breaths, managed to get out a response. "Well...we're alive...and so did I...I won't tell anypony if you don't..."

Apple Bloom looked at the two somewhat cross. "Girls! We ain't got time to talk about who pooped! Zipporwhill hasn't woken up yet, we gotta help her or at least figure out where we are!"

The next several hours were spent both fumbling with ideas on first aid and scouting the island with Scootaloo. The whole place was smaller than the Apple farm, with mostly palm trees and bushes; the only edible things seemed to be coconuts, which each filly knew wouldn't last forever. Eventually, it turned to night, and the three managed to overturn the lifeboat and prop it against a palm tree to provide shelter. The 3 huddled up together around Zipperwhill, who as far as they could tell was alright as she'd started snoring.