Author's Note

This story is a commission for my friend HaloKnight. Sorry for the long, long wait, but I managed to get the first chapter done for you, so I hope you like this chapter. And as always, thank you for your patience and support, be sure to stay tuned and keep on bronying on.

Well, We're Stranded

The sounds of the seagulls flying in the air, the ocean waves crashing and receding from the sandy beach and trees rustling in the wind were all that it took to wake up Halo Knight, a recent high school graduate with bright green skin, brown hair and blue eyes with glasses. He let out a groan as he sat himself up, rubbing his head as if he hit it against something. "God, that freaking hurts!" he said to himself. His eyes squinted, trying to look around him and see where he was exactly. In front of him was the sea.

Blue skies, white clouds, seagulls in the air... and a broken cruise ship that hit a couple of boulders and was barely staying afloat by using the boulders for support. And behind him... an island with rows upon rows of trees, he couldn't even see the other side.

However, the biggest surprise... was who he found resting on the beach. He recognized her by her light minty green skin and her dark forest green hair. She had beautiful brown eyes and was wearing a black, one piece bikini that hugged her body tightly in all the right places.He recognized her as Wallflower Blush, CHS' former invisible girl and former president of the Gardening Club. Before he could talk to her, she turned his way and gasped in surprise before running towards him and checking his condition. "You're awake! Thank goodness, I was getting a little worried that you wouldn't wake up." she said.

"What... happened?" he asked, still feeling a little woozy. Wallflower, however, just sat him down on the beach and stayed by his side. Before explaining what happened...

14 hours ago, Halo was just saying goodbye to his parents. His mom was crying tears of joy, proud of her son for all that he's accomplished so far. His dad looked at him with a proud smile, giving him the biggest hug any dad could give to their own kid. After bidding goodbye to their son, Halo joined his friends on the cruise ship before sailing off to their next destination: paradise.

Later on during the cruise, Halo was enjoying a nice, funfilled day having a bite to eat with his friends and drinking soda, or even fruit juice, or just plain water, whatever everyone was drinking.

Halo then turned his attention to the wide-open sea, admiring how calm it was from the way the sea sparkles, then turned his attention to the few clouds in the skies. He had a lot on his mind to think about now that his high school days were over. 'Where do I go from here? I could always apply to a good college, but... those tuition fees are a nightmare, I'd have to get a part-time job to cover the expenses. But I think I'll worry about that later, I've got a whole Summer to think about that and I should have fun.' he thought.

As he took a few sips of his can of soda, he turned back to his former classmates and then headed inside the ship where some of them were just chilling or napping. Specifically Rainbow Dash, who used this opportunity to snooze away like the napping champ she is.

Rarity was getting a well-deserved spa treatment, back massages, face mask treatment and fruit smoothies all around, which made Halo chuckle. It's no surprise she'd take advantage of something like this, but considering the misadventures she and her friends went through, she deserved it. Sunset and Twilight were out on deck, having some ice cream with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. AJ was... well... thanks to her family, they gave her some pills to take on the trip since she gets seasick.

Halo was happy to know everyone was enjoying their time. All those struggles, whether it be schoolwork or some crazy magic running amok and birthed some power-crazed magic diva, it'll be nice to enjoy a little peace and quiet for once.

Just then, Halo's eyes land on a certain girl with long, pine green hair and minty light green skin, looking even more sad than usual, staring into her cup of water. Halo knows her as Wallflower Blush, the former president of the gardening club. Unlike the rest of the school, who didn't know of her existence, Halo paid attention to her and even acknowledged her as one of his good friends. So, like any good friend, he walked over to her and tapped Wallflower on the shoulder, making her jump a little bit.

"Oh, sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you," Halo said.

"N-No, it's... it's fine, really." Wallflower replied. "Why aren't you out on the deck, mingling with the rest of your classmates or even swimming in the pool?"

"I could ask you the same thing. You're one of us, aren't you?" Halo asked.

True to her last name, Wallflower's cheeks heated up, turning ripe red. "I... I am, but... I'm still kinda trying to get used to being around big crowds. But right now, I'm... s-still kinda nervous around them. I still feel like I need to mentally prepare myself until then. So until then, I'll stick to small groups."

Halo nodded in understanding. "That's fine. I can respect that."

Wallflower gave her good friend a hug as a thank you for being so kind and understanding of her. "Hey, if you can, could you get me a plate of spaghetti with no meatballs?" she asked.

"Sure, no problem," Halo agreed with a chuckle.

The young man then stepped away to get his friend her refreshments while she stared out the window, feeling a bit more happier with herself. However... her smile suddenly went away when she saw some really, REALLY, big clouds heading their way and they didn't look too friendly. The clouds were dark grey-ish and she could just ever so slightly make out the flashes of lightning. Wallflower was getting worried about the danger getting closer towards them and there's no way to outrun such a fierce storm.

"Here you go, Wallflower, I brought you--" Halo paused when his eyes caught sight of the storm coming closer and so he put the plate of food aside. "I'd better alert the others."

Halo then ran out onto the deck to warn the others, but he wasn't fast enough. It looked like the storm clouds had caught up to them and everyone was in a blind panic. But, for the Rainbooms, they took drastic measures by getting the life boats ready and getting nearly everyone on board. The only ones who were still on board were Halo and Wallflower Blush.

Rainbow Dash tried to fly over to them, but the lightning strikes and huge tidal waves were preventing her from doing so and Twilight couldn't keep the boat steady because it was too big.

The waves rocked the boat like it were a toy. Halo and Wallflower were still trapped inside, unable to escape and soon a big wave came and not only flipped over the entire ship, but also separated the two remaining friends from the rest of the entire group. As the ship was flipped over, Halo felt like he was weightless and saw Wallflower fainting from the thought of her actually dying. Halo reached out and grabbed her, holding onto her tight before feeling the impact of hitting something solid and blacking out.

"After that, I woke up and saw that we were stranded on an island. I got worried that you might be seriously hurt, so I brought you out of the ship," Wallflower finished.

"I... I guess we're lucky to be alive, huh?" Halo brought up. She nods. Halo takes another look at the island they're stranded on and thinks to himself. And then... "OH!!!" Halo then reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, but when he turned it on... no service. What's worse, his battery was low. "Ugh... well, it looks like we can't get into contact with the outside world. We're gonna have to try and hold out and make do with our current living quarters until help arrives."

"But what if no one finds us?" Wallflower asked, worried.

"They will. We just have to find a way to relay a distress signal so they can be able to find us. I'm gonna head back into the ship and see if I can get one out." Halo said, getting up. While he headed inside, Wallflower just sat there, still kinda worried for her friend and for their lives. No doubt her family is worried sick about her, thinking that she might be dead. Wallflower wanted nothing more than to make it back home and the thought of never seeing her loved ones again left her in tears.

Meanwhile, Halo was back inside the ship, looking for a way to turn on the ship. Sadly, he found nothing, so he left the ship with a defeated look. Once outside, he saw Wallflower crying.

Halo went over and sat down next to Wallflower, hugging her. "Shhh, it's okay, Wallflower. Look, I understand how you feel, but we can't just sit around doing nothing," Halo whispered. Wallflower hugged Halo back, not knowing what else to do. She was, by far, grateful that she had a very close friend by her side. In her vulnerable state, she needs all the encouragement and support she can get. And right now, the two need each other if they're going to survive on this deserted island.

And so, after stealing their nerves, Wallflower and Halo got to work in setting up a spot for shelter. They both worked hard throughout the entire day with Halo working hard to build a proper shelter while Wallflower went around the island, gathering food.

Halo had to make sure that he set up their shelter close to the beach, but not too close to the ocean waves, otherwise they'll catch cold when they sleep on the ground or their shelter falling apart. Sadly, the only thing they could use for blankets were the clothes they had brought with them on the trip. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but the thought of sleeping near the opposite sex under the same roof... topless, was kind of embarrassing, but it's not like either one had any other choice.

With the sun setting over the horizon and their straw beach hut nearly halfway done, the two friends decide to turn in for the night and have some of the food Wallflower gathered.

It was an awkward dinner that night. Like, they didn't know what to say. All that was heard was the awkward silence... well, unless you count the ocean waves crashing and receding and the wind brushing against the many trees on the island. Finally, as they were half done with their meals, Wallflower set down her food and turned to Halo, who looked back at her.

"What's the matter, Wallflower?" Halo asked.

"It's just... I really owe you a big thanks for what you did for me earlier. I felt so defeated... helpless... hopeless... doubtful... and yet you gave me a small glimmer of hope with your optimism. Even so, I still feel like we're pushing our luck here. Who knows how far we are from civilization. It'll probably be days, weeks, months... or even years before we're rescued." Wallflower said, looking down.

"We'll be found eventually. Not sure when, though. But until then, we gotta make do with the life we have right now and try to stay as positive as possible. Who knows, maybe our stay here won't be such a bad thing, considering we're on vacation," Halo replied.

"I guess. But I'm still kinda worried about whether or not we can get off this island. I mean... I had plans to open up my very own flower shop. Maybe even set up my own green house to grow plants that only grow in different climates of the year. Maybe even sell some garden accessories to people who want to make their gardens look so beautiful." she said. "What about you? What plans did you have after high school?"

"Hmm... well, now that you mention it... I have been dreaming of earning a degree and get some kind of trade job, or maybe become a National Guard or join the Navy." Halo replied.

"Wow. Sounds like you wanna aim really high. I bet your parents must be proud of you. At first, my parents used to worry about my social life since I never had many friends in the beginnning. Now, they're a little more relieved that I have so many friends to turn to after that... well... you know. But still, now they're more concerned of what I wanna do now that my high school days are done. I haven't told them about wanting to open up my own flower shop, but hopefully I will tell them... if we ever survive," she said, looking down at her half-finished dinner with a saddened smile dawned on her face.

"We will, Wallflower. We will," Halo assures. "As long as we've got each other's back, we'll get through this mess together and return home with bells on."

Halo's confidence lights up a glimmer of hope within the blushing Wallflower and the two continue to eat their dinner while basking in the sounds of the ocean waves. Both parties looked out the doorway of their hut, seeing the beautiful full moon rising high in the sky. There's always something so magical about the moon illuminating glow that makes people so content. Perhaps this is one of life's ways of showing that even when things are tough, hope will never die out on anyone as long as they truly believe.

And so, after dinner was finished, Halo and Wallflower turn in for the night and lay down in their straw mats and slowly close their eyes.

Though they aren't fully asleep yet, the evening winds brushing past their bodies and the sound of the crashing waves are enough to help soothe their minds and bodies to make them fall asleep. 5 minutes later, they find themselves snoozing and exploring the wonders of the dreamland.

The next day, the early morning seagulls cry out over the horizon, stirring awake the two stranded besties, but Wallflower was still too tired to do anything.

With Halo having gotten plenty of rest, he got up from his mat and stretched out his body before heading out to grab some more building material for their hut. There's no telling if a strong breeze or summer rain might fall from the sky, so Halo had to act quick.

An hour later while he was still gathering building materials, Wallflower woke up with a cute yawn, stretching her arms out and taking in the morning sunlight.

She comes out of the hut and sees a whole bunch of straw and tree bark that Halo collected and put them in an assorted pile instead of cluttering them all together. Speaking of which, Halo is seen coming back from the island forest with a very large coconut split in two.

"Hey, nice find. I was feeling kinda thirsty." Wallflower said.

"Drink up, there's bound to be more of these on the island," Halo replied. He gives her one of the halved coconuts and the two drink up the sweet-tasting coconut water. Now that they're hydrated, they get to work on finishing the hut and gathering supplies and food. After all, there's no telling how long exactly it will take for help to show up on the island. Eventually, they both drank their coconut water and upon finishing, Halo resumed working on their hut.

Wallflower, on the other hand, ventured back into the forest in search of some more food, including a spot where she can get herself cleaned up. She couldn't really bathe in salt water, not with the knowledge of what goes on in the ocean below.

"There's gotta be something on this island I can work with," she said. She kept on venturing deeper into the forest, then stopped when she realized... "Hold on... how will I know where I'm going and which direction I've already been to?" she asked herself. Wallflower looked around to find something she could use to help keep her from getting lost. Then, at the corner of her eye, she finds a jagged rock, big enough to fit in her hand and sharp enough to cut into wood.

"Bingo." she said triumphantly. She picked up the little rock and marked one of the trees with an X and kept on going into the forest. With her trusty tool, Wallflower marked every other tree and then eventually... she stops when she hears some kind of sound.

It sounded like... like running water. But it wasn't loud like the receding ocean waves, it was more like... a type of medium waterfall noise. She followed the sound of the water, marking the trees she got closer and eventually, she came across a most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. In the clearing, there was a fresh, clean spring lake with a beautiful spring waterfall. The perfect spot for Wallflower to freshen up and even rehydrate herself, as long as the water isn't tainted.

Best of all, it was all fresh water and it was the perfect spot to freshen up and so with no witnesses around, Wallflower got out of her swimsuit and made her way into the water, only to be met with how cold it was, so she stepped out, shivering like a leaf. "This... could take a while," she said. "No! Just hold your breath and just jump right in, you'll feel better afterwards!" she told herself, stealing her nerves.

Taking a deep breath, she backed up and then bolted towards the lake and jumped right in before resurfacing, panting heavily from how cold it was, but it wasn't too cold. She quickly swam towards where the waterfall to take care of business.

She climbs onto the rocks and sits against the waterfall, letting it wash away all the sand and dirt and dust from her body, enduring the chill. Within 5 minutes, she gets used to the cold water and even takes a few gulps and swigs of it, basking in its fresh taste. It was almost as good as filtered drinking water. After finishing, she get right to cleaning her swimsuit using the waterfall. Wallflower even hums a melodious tune as she's cleaning up her only piece of clothing.

Another five minutes go by and she was finally all fresh and clean. She puts on her clean swimsuit and leaves the spring lake to return to her friend. "I hope he's not too worried." she said, concerned.

Meanwhile, back at the beach, Halo had nearly constructed a door for their hut and even carved open a window so they can get some sunlight in. Halo had been working nonstop and decided to take a break and rest against the sand, exhausted. "I sure hope I'm not pushing my luck. But I gotta keep a positive attitude, at least, for Wallflower's sake, if we're ever gonna get outta here." he said to himself.

He stayed in the sand, resting without a care in the world, letting the small ocean waves brush against his legs, keeping him cool in a way. Not a minute later and he sits up, taking one more look at the crystal clear ocean and how inviting it looks.

"Ah, what the hell," Halo shrugged. He took off his shirt and with nothing on him except his swim trunks, he stepped into the salty water and went for a little swim. The water was just right and he swam and swam, splashing about like he was a little kid again. "Yeah... I needed this. Whoever thought up the phrase "all work, no play" obviously had major issues. He let out a chuckle before diving underwater.

Halo Knight felt like he was free as a bird as he swam with the ocean waves. Despite the fact that he and Wallflower are stranded here, they were still on Summer vacation.

Eventually, after 10 minutes of swimming, Halo came out of the water and shook himself somewhat dry and sat down for a little fruit snack. He took an apple and let the munchies take over. Around this time, Wallflower has now come back and saw how much Halo's improved on their hut. She walked over towards her friend and sat down next to him, grabbing a mango. She peels the skin off with a knife that Halo carved out from a rock and then took a bite while watching the horizon.

"Did I miss anything?" Wallflower asked.

"No, you're good. So, you didn't find any other fruits on the island?" Halo asked.

"I tried following my usual path, but... no dice. Sorry." Wallflower said.

"Aww, don't worry. As far as I can tell, we've got plenty of food for now. I feel like we've been working really hard lately, so I say we deserve a break." Halo said.

"You sure?" Wallflower asked. "What about if it rains?"

"That's a good question, Wallflower. You never know when it's gonna rain. But then again... even if it does rain, we'll still be okay because I made sure our hut's solid." Halo explained.

Wallflower sighed with a smile. "You're something else, you know that? Here I am, worrying about what will happen to us and yet you're always a positive thinker," she replied.

"I understand how you feel, Wallflower. To be honest, I'm worried about whether it rains or not, but at the same time, I also want to make sure I enjoy myself in case that ever happens. You see, Wallflower... life is filled with a series of events that we don't know will happen. But if we allow our fears to take control over us because we don't know what'll happen, then how can we enjoy the good aspects of life? The world is cruel and unforgiving, yes, but it can also be kind and rewarding at the same time. You just gotta know where and when to look at the bright side and that time is right now, do you understand?" Halo asked.

Her eyes shrunk in disbelief. Perhaps he's right. No... she can't deny the fact that he's 100% right about that and all she's done is question how long this peace'll last.

"I... I understand." Wallflower replied. "Halo... thank you. I guess I've been letting my fears dictate me my whole life and I never even got to enjoy life in such a way that you do. You know what, I think I've decided... no more doubting myself or anything else. If you say help is gonna come for us, then I believe you. If you say we're going to make it out of this alive, I'm with you every step of the way."

"Now, there's the attitude I like to hear," Halo chuckled with a thumbs up. "Alright, what do you say we get back to work on building our hut?"

"Right behind you," she nodded. She and Halo stood up from their spots and then resumed their work, now having a more positive attitude driving them. Wallflower would help tie together some of the thick straws with rope while Halo set them up in different parts of their hut. Eventually, as the sun began to set, the exterior part of the hut was finally complete. The only thing they had to get to work on was a couple of beds, but that can wait until later when the sun has arisen tomorrow.

Now, as the sun is setting, Halo and Wallflower look at each other, smiles all around.

Before he knew it, he's hugged by the blushing Wallflower. "Thank you." she said. In turn, Halo returned her affections with a hug of his very own.

"You're welcome." Halo responded warmly.

To be continued...