Go With the Flow

~~~

Flowing woke to a different sunrise.

Well, really, it was the same one. She’d just never awoken to it above the waves before.

It was... Brighter, than it was under the waves. It swept over the deck of the ship, and illuminated the plastic bin she was laying within, so that her silhouette was visible to the onlookers on the neighbouring ships.

She yawned, a torrent of bubbles floating to the surface as she poked her head outside and looked around as Herring Harbor woke up. The sound of shouting dockworkers percolated to her ears immediately when they penetrated the water. A few of them turned to look at the sudden splashing noise, and were met with a greeting wave from Flowing.

Star Point was nowhere to be found, but she could see one of the lights inside of the ship was illuminated, and the earth pony’s silhouette vaguely visible as he shuffled about within the ship’s superstructure. Beside her, the blankets and cot he’d dragged in from inside were still atop the deck, from where he’d slept next to her. Faces pressed against the plastic bin, one of them submerged, one of them not. Together for the most part, but apart for eachother’s comfort.

It was the best sleep Flowing could recall. She didn’t care that she felt exposed. She didn’t care about the relatively cramped space she was contained within. It felt so nice dozing off and knowing how close she was to the pony she was confident she wanted to spend her life with.

She was getting kind of sick of being cramped in the bin, though. She wanted to stretch her fins. And so, curling her tail inwards, she brought it against the bottom of the bin in a flexible arch, before pushing up and springing herself out, over the side, and flopping unceremoniously onto the deck of the ship.

“Ahh...” she let out a relieved sigh, flopping over to the side of the boat and looking over the edge at the waves gently lapping against the dock. The entire harbour was captive in a thinning white haze, as the rising sun gradually percolated away the morning fog. She watched the ponies go about their morning routines, the docks surprisingly busy for such an early hour, ships being loaded, or ones that had arrived in the night unloaded.

“Good morning, dear,” A familiar voice called behind her. Muffled slightly, and when she turned, and saw Star Point trotting towards her with a platter in his maw. A steaming tote and a pair of metallic mugs, and a pastry who’s name Flowing didn’t know. He set the platter down on the ship deck beside her, and knelt down to give her a good morning kiss.

“Sleep well?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I did. Not used to the sun waking me up so early, though. You? Wasn’t too chilly?”

Star Point waved a hoof. “It was fine. It was better than fine. That was nice.”

Flowing smiled. “Whatcha got here?”

“Coffee! I don’t... Think you’ve tried it before?”

“Cough Eee...” Flowing repeated. She watched with intrigue as he twisted off the lid to the tote and poured an inky black liquid into one of the mugs and passed it over to her.

“Beans, percolated in steaming water.”

“Oh! We kinda have that!” Flowing gave a quick nod. “We don’t use beans, though. We use a variety of different seagrasses, and then we generate a really, really rapid current that heats the water surrounding the seagrasses. It blends their taste with the water, and we drink it!”

Star Point gave an intrigued nod. “We call that 'tea.’ Coffee is similar, I guess. Give ‘er a try.”

Flowing took the mug in one of her fins, and gingerly she brought it to her mouth.

“Ack! Buck me, that’s bitter!” she gasped.

Star Point laughed. “More bitter than sea grass?”

Flowing gave a single nod. She took another curious sip. “It... Doesn’t taste great.” She confessed. “But...” Another testing sip. “But it feels great.”

“Yeah, I think that’s coffee summed up. It’s... Well, a wake-up drug.”

“Ahhhh...” Flowing gave a knowing look. “That explains why you drink it.”Another sip. Maybe it wasn’t that bad. “Those baked goods look delicious, though...”

“Muffins! Blueberry! I grabbed ‘em from the deli while you were still asleep.”

She munched on one, and let out a pleasured sigh. “Gods, you ponies make the best tasting shit, y’know that?”

Star Point snickered, and settled down beside Flowing. The idle chat of the docks filled the silence, until Flowing noticed Star’s eyebrow raise and a curious frown forming.

“...Huh...”

“What?” Flowing tilted her head.

“Nothing, just...” he nodded his head, at some point behind her. She turned, but it was hard to see what he was referring to amidst the bright white haze. “Weird seein’ an airship here. Looks like it’s comin’ in for a landing, too...”

Flowing stopped mid-bite, a bit of muffin falling out of her open mouth. “...what?”

Star pointed with a hoof. Flowing still couldn’t exactly see what he was motioninig towards, but then again, her eyesight also wasn’t really as adapted to sights above the waves. Plus, she was still half-asleep.

“Airship. It’s... Well, like a boat, but...”

“No, I know what an airship is.” Suddenly, her mind was reeling. Her eyes were wide, her heart was pounding. Gods, what had she done? How could they have found her here?

“Please tell me you have a spyglass...?” she gasped out.

“Everything okay, Flow? You look scared.”

“Star, please... Does the ship have a symbol on it? Can you see?”

Evidently, her grave tone was enough to override his desires for information, because he abandoned his questioning immediately and cantered across the deck to the other side of the ship. There were a few emergency kits stowed in the gunwhale cabinets around the ship, and it was from one of them that Star Point promptly withdrew a pair of binoculars and brought them to his eyes.

“Uh... Can’t... Really see. It’s spewing up a lot of smoke, though. I don’t usually see Equestrian airships do that. Okay, hold on...” Flowing saw him purse his lips as he looked closer, a hoof twisting a dial on the top of the binoculars. “Yeah, okay. There is... Two blue thunderbolts... Does that mean anyth--”

“I need to go, Star. I need to go right now.”

“What? Flowing, please tell me what’s going on!” Star Point was already heading back to her, and now his expression seemed just as terrified as Flowing’s.

“It’s the Storm King. The tyrant fella I told you about. It’s him. They’re coming for me.”

“WHAT?!” Star Point whipped back around, to look at the airship. “You’re sure?”

“Yes. It’s gotta be,” Flowing shuffled to the edge of the ship. “Seriously, it’s been nice and all, Star. But I can’t stay here.”

“You can’t go out there alone!” he shook his head. “Buck, Flowing! How... How did they...”

“It doesn’t matter.” Flowing was surprised at how firm her voice sounded, given how horrified she truly felt. “And I can’t involve you in this. If they’re hunting me, then you’ll be in danger too. I can’t do that to you.”

“Flowing, if you go alone, and you get into trouble, I can’t help you. If they know about you, maybe they know about me already anyways. One way or another, we’re both in this together. Please don’t run off without me.”

Flowing bit her lip. One fin on the deck, one on the gunwhale of the ship, ready to leap off. “...How fast can we shove off?”

“Already ahead of you. We should get you below deck, first. C’mere.” Star Point knelt down immediately, and she clambered aboard. The strong stallion quickly trotting his way into the ship’s superstructure. Down a set of stairs, the inside of Star’s fishing vessel wasn’t particularly large--a kitchen, a little storage area, and a bunk room that was a claustrophobe’s nightmare. Flowing presumed that the rest of the ship’s hull was devoted to the fish-holds themselves.

He deposited her onto the bunk. Their previous conversation last night about the downside of her sleeping with him on the bunk seemed laughably unimportant, now.

“Stay safe, Flowing. I’ll come get you when we’ve shoved off and the coast is clear.”

“W-what if I...” she bit her lip. “What if they search the ship?”

“They won’t. If I see they’re approaching, I’ll come get you first.”

“...Okay...” Flowing gave a shaky nod. “D-don’t be long, Starry.”

She curled her fins together, feeling utterly vulnerable and helpless out of water and atop a bed in a strange environment, with no way of knowing what was immediately outside of her. Like she were a wee fry once again, exploring an old ship wreck with her friends as a dare.

“We’ll figure this out.” He gave her a kiss. “It’s gonna be okay, Flow. I promise.”

She kissed him back, and her ears fell flat on her head as she heard his hoofsteps trot up the metal stairs, leaving her alone.

The ship rumbled, sputtered, and the whole thing began to shudder as Star Point fired up the engines. She could tell without visual reference that he was pulling them out of harbour, and that he’d cracked the engines. The waves beat the ship relentlessly as he took them on an unsafely accelerated escape, Star Point’s few affairs falling off the walls or shelves as the ship rocked dramatically.

It’s gonna be okay, Flow...

Gods, did she hope so.

~~~

Star peeled out of port and out of Herring Bay faster than ever before. He’d yanked the throttle to full and the waves churned and battered against the side of the ship. He’d probably get a stern talking to from the harbourmaster when he returned, as the wake from his hasty departure would no doubt causae a bit of problems for those still docked in waiting.

He had bigger concerns. The airship remained on the horizon, for now, sweeping into the town of Herring Harbor and apparently not pursuing the boat that had swiftly left it.

Good. He waited until he was positive they were out of view from even the best spyglasses before trotting below deck to go fetch Flowing. He kept his ship running at full throttle and used a rope-tie to keep the steering wheel in place, shooting forwards in no direction in particular, besides ‘away’. He’d sailed these waters a hundred times, he knew them as well as any map. He didn’t have much to worry about in terms of running aground, at least for a little bit.

Flowing perked up as soon as he started down the stairs and turned the corner into the bunk room. The way her eyes lit up with a combination of terror, shame, and relief the moment she saw him nearly tore his heart in two. “A-are they following?”

“I don’t think so.” He gave her a gentle nuzzle. “Wanna come up?”

She gave a quick nod. “Kinda... Er. I don’t like... The walls, and stuff.”

Star thought of the net, after she’d accidentally gotten caught up in it. The way she’d thrashed and fought to get out of it, and nearly torn through the thick polyester ropes designed to hold hundreds of pounds of fish.

“Bit claustrophobic, eh?” he asked, softly. Kneeling down to let her climb aboard, which she did swiftly.

“I guess so.” Flowing gripped his neck tightly. “Never been... ‘indoors’, like this. I mean, I’ve been inside shipwrecks, and that’s pretty scary, too, but... At least I can still move around properly.”

“Well, let’s getcha above deck.” He nuzzled her as he trotted back up the stairs, carrying her over to the front of the boat and gently lowering her down. She let out a lengthy exhale of relief the moment she was back up in the sun.

“I’m sorry, Star Point.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t... This. I couldn’t leave well enough alone.” She sunk her head into her fins. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly. “I couldn’t stop myself. I just wanted us to be together and now...”

She trailed off as he knelt down next to her. Taking her trembling fin in both of his hooves. “I asked you to stay, Flow. Remember? You wanted to go home.”

Shakily, she nodded, remaining silent.

“It’s gonna be okay, Flow...” he kept holding onto her fin. Gently, her tensed, shuddering form stilled. “If we’re safe, I want to be by your side. If we’re in danger, I would feel better knowing we’re keeping each other safe.”

“...Okay.” She managed a smile. “Love you, Starry.”

He nuzzled her back. “Love you, Flowing.”

He lay down beside her. The boat was still moving forwards swiftly, and the waves striking against the bow rose high enough that they were both coated in a near constant torrent of sea spray. It seemed to lighten Flowing’s mood significantly, because after several minutes she was no longer looking at the deck of the ship in fear but instead at the distant horizons they were hastily speeding towards.

“What are we going to do, Starry?”

“Well. For now, we’re going to get some distance between us and that airship,” Star Point said. “Then, we need to get you somewhere that the Storm King wouldn’t dare search. I think he’s only got the guts to look for you here since we’re so far along the outskirts of Equestria.”

“So, what? We’re going deeper into Equestria?”

“Well, right now, we’re not. We’re going out towards deep sea.” Star frowned. “Do... Should we be taking you to Seaquestria, maybe?”

Flowing clicked her tongue. “Well. They might be tracking us, yeah?”

“Yeah... That’s true.” He frowned.

“I don’t want to go back to Seaquestria if it means I might be leading a Storm King airship right to them, y’know?”

“Yeah.”

“I think seeking refuge in Equestria might be a better idea...”

“Alright. Well, we’re going to have to either double back... Or leave the ship somewhere in Griffonstone and take the train. Griffonstone would be further, but a more or less straight shot. And doubling back... Well... We don’t know where that airship is, right?”

“Yeah...” Flowing exhaled deeply. “Star, I’m so sor--”

Her apology was cut off as Star suddenly leaned forward to kiss her on the lips, tenderly and warmly for all of the abruptness of the gesture.

“We’re gonna be fine,” he promised. “I’m gonna go slow the engines, so we don’t go burnin’ all our fuel. Ship ain’t built to run this fast for this long, and I don’t wanna overheat it and cause a fire. Then, we’ll figure out where we’re headed.”

When Star Point returned, he had an old but detailed map of the Celestial Sea and its surrounding coastlines. He spread it out an old barrel for him and Flowing to pore over while they plotted their destination, with the ship itself idly putting forwards towards some point to the north-west.

“So, Seaquestria, by the way...” Flowing said. “Is right here.” She didn’t want to soak the map with her fin so she used her nose to point it out on the map. “See this big ol’ mountain? That’s Mount Aris. When the hippogriffs fled, they tried to make a colony nearby, but the water there is so cold that far south that it’s... Not exactly easy.”

“I see...” Star Point frowned. “Is that when the native seaponies came in?”

“Got it in one.” Flowing nodded. “As the old tales go, we used to just trade with them, until Queen Novo decided it’d be better if the hippogriffs became full-time residents of our community.”

“...y’know, Flowing, it’s kinda increasingly sounding like this Queen Novo kinda screwed over your people.”

Flowing tilted her head. “...Really?”

“You don’t think so?”

“I guess I never thought of it like that.”

“Well, let’s recap real quick. They fled their home, and started living adjacent to yours. You seaponies lent a fin because...” He trailed off, looking to Flowing for an actual reason.

“’Cause it’s our thing. Shoo be do, remember?”

“Right. You shoo be did your best to help them, and they shoo be stole your waters in response.”

“I wouldn’t say stole... Queen Novo just... Well, moved in with us. And it’s not like we had our own Queen to say no. We’re usually nomadic, remember? We have our homes we come back to when the fish spawning season starts, but we kinda traditionally just... Go with the flow. That’s why not everypony even knows we exist.”

“It sounds like you got given a bad deal to me. You’d be fine right now if Queen Novo didn’t call herself and her people ‘seaponies’ and take over your waters.”

“Yeah, well. The hippogriffs wouldn’t be fine right now if we refused them, Star Point.” Flowing returned. “I told you. It’s what we do. I know it just sounds like a... A goofy little character tick to you. Like some silly thing us fish folk do. But I really mean it. We don’t turn down calls for help. The ocean is such a scary, terrifying place. There’s about a thousand things out there that want you dead. And I think it’s our duty as it’s residents to try and make it a safe and nice place to be.”

Star Point was quiet for several seconds, a small smile forming on his face as she spoke. “Well... Okay. If you’re not bothered by it...”

“It really wasn’t a problem until the Storm King started hunting down the hippogriffs,” Flowing said. “At first, it was great. Suddenly we had a whole bunch of new friends! And they had all these cool new customs and traditions, and yeah it was a little annoying that Queen Novo expected us to all pamper her like a queen, but... Well. It was nice. Even in hiding, it’s nice.”

“But not nice enough for you. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have met.”

“I guess not.” Flowing gave a helpless shrug, her wing-fins splaying out as she did. “So... Seaquestria is due south. When I swim--which, by the way, is pretty fast, it takes me a good... Seven? Hours? To get to Herring Harbour. Now... Assuming those bad ponies are still following us... I kinda don’t want to lead them in the direction of Seaquestria.”

“Right. So, we should keep north?”

“You said Griffonstone. Is there water there?”

“Er... Some? I think it’s kind of mostly rock and cliff...”

“Damn it. Er...”

“I can carry you, if we need to...”

“Right, but if they follow us there somehow. If we need to make a quick escape... It’s gonna be kinda hard with you lugging my fat ass around.”

Star Point laughed. “Okay, one. I know you like your fish and chips a bit more than most folks, but you are not fat. Second of all, good point. But I’d only be carrying you as far as the train station. And look, right here...”

Star Point used a hoof to point out a yawning mouth of a waterway on the map, which Flowing would’ve just assumed was a road if it hadn’t been labelled the Gusto River. It looked like it snaked it’s way deep into the hinterlands of north-eastern Equestria.

“If it comes to it, we can use this to get away. It’d take us deep into uncharted territory, but, well. Away from the Storm King.”

“Right. Okay. And if they’re not following us, we get on a train and take it...”

“I hear the Crystal Empire is nice this time of year. That’d be the first place the train would take us. And if I explain the situation I’m sure the train conductor would be willing to accommodate a seapony passenger that far.”

“Gods, I’m such a damn burden.” Flowing face-fined.

“Flow...”

“No, seriously. All this crap. All my fault, because I couldn’t leave well enough alone like everypony warned me I should’ve...”

“I’m glad you didn’t. And... Look, don’t take this the wrong way... But I’d rather be on an adventure with you than for our little meet-up to have been a one-night stand. Besides, how exactly is it your fault that you’re being hunted, right now?”

“Well I--” Flowing opened her mouth, and closed it when no answer came. “I don’t know.” She admitted. “I don’t even know how they found me.”

“Well, even if you let something slip, what did you say? You were seeing somepony from the coast? How would you have known they’d go blabbing to some Storm King official about that?”

“I guess I just assumed this sort of thing never happened in Equestria. That I’d be safe coming here.”

“And up till now, you have been. But... Well, Herring Harbour is kinda... On the edge. Technically we’re part of Equestria, but borders get real fuzzy when they’re not on maps. Go further south, and a lot of those fishing towns along the Badlands’ coasts are hairier.”

“I guess I should’ve known better.”

“Yeah, well. Let’s get you into Equestria proper. You’ll be safe there.”

“But...” Flowing sighed. “No, you’re right. Let’s just go.”

Star Point gave her one last kiss, and then turned to go alter their course back at the control deck of the fishing trawler.

And that was when he saw the hanging speck of the airship on the horizon.

“Oh Celestia above...”

Flowing turned too. Instantly, that fear was back in her eyes. “It’s them?”

“Yeah... Yeah, it’s them. Flow, you need to go now.”

She bit her lip. They didn’t really have time to hesitate, but she suddenly found herself frozen in place all the same. It was like an inverse to their previous talk on the subject, now given new context with the skiff now bearing down upon them on the horizon.“B-but what about you?”

“It’s fine. I’ll tell them I haven’t seen anything if they ask. But if they search the ship, they’ll find you.”

“I can’t leave you to them, Starry!”

“Ain’t askin’ you to. You can watch from below the waves. When they leave, we’ll reconvene. Now go.”

She breathed in a steely breath. “Okay. I’ll see you soon, Starry.”

“Sure thing. Be safe, Flowing.”

There was a splash, and then Flowing was gone.

As the airship approached, Star realized just how large it truly was.

It had been one thing, when it had been a mere speck on the horizon, no different from the gulls overhead. But as it closed the distance between them, its true scale became all the more daunting.

Star Point bit his lip, watching with barely concealed terror as the mighty airship came descending down upon him. It dwarfed his fishing vessel by nearly thrice it’s size. The way it hung above him, amidst the drone of slowing propellors, it was as though he was being confronted by a might dragon like the ones he’d heard tell of. It swept above Star’s boat, blotting out the sun and casting him and the rest of the vessel in shadow.

This ‘dragon’, however, had the recognizable sight of ponies already milling about on the deck watching the distance between them shrink. Or... No, it was pony, singular. A tall, imposing, muscular earth pony. Star Point could have sworn his entire fishing vessel shook as they jumped down from the airship and onto the deck of his vessel.

A mare. Muscular, tall, built like a tank, but a mare all the same. And...

Star Point shuddered. Not an earth pony. Yikes.

He cleared his throat. “Hello there.”

The maimed unicorn didn’t immediately speak. She strode closer and closer to him, while her airship continued to hover immediately above her. Star Point didn’t shirk away despite her imposing form, though it was difficult not to when she was face to face with him, glaring down upon him. She was wearing a tight, armoured body-suit, and her hooves sounded out on the deck of Star Point’s ship as she approached. They glimmered in the light, as though they’d been sharpened and polished.

“Looking for a seapony,” she said, simply. She said nothing further, glaring down at Star Point as though reading his expression.

“You’ve, uh. Come to the right place for that...” Star attempted a chuckle. “Lots of, er. Water. To look through.”

Her glare narrowed. “Flowing Sands. Seapony.”

Star Point’s heart was racing, but he kept his gaze level. “Yeah? Friend of yours?”

“Friend of yours,” she returned. “You’re Star Point, yes?”

Oh dear Celestia, she knew.

He didn’t immediately answer. He was tempted to throw up another lie, play dumb some more... For all the good it would do him. This mare knew about Flowing. She knew about him. He supposed it shouldn’t have come as a shock—his and Flowing’s relationship had been the talk of Herring Harbor for several months, now, and all it would’ve taken was one of the regular drunks slipping up for that to get out.

“I hope whoever you wrangled that name out of is okay,” Star Point said eventually.

“They’ll survive,” the mare replied. “You will, too, if you tell me what I want to know.”

“What do you want from Flowing?”

“I’m asking the questions, earth pony. Tell me where she is.”

Star stared right back at her. He thought for certain he was about to pass out, with how quickly his heart was racing. “No. I don’t think so.”

“Mmhm. Not surprising.” She turned, trotting away from Star Point for a moment as a... Bewildering series of creatures began descending from a gangplank slowly lowering down onto Star’s vessel. They were larger than a pony by several heads, all muscle, fur, and, to Star’s eyes, lacking in the intelligence department.

“Search the ship,” the mare ordered. “Not many places he can be hiding her, if she’s on board.”

“You’re not going to catch her,” Star Point said. “Storm King, I presume. Y’know, I assumed the Storm King was a stallion.”

“General Tempest Shadow,” she replied, waving a hoof. As though the answer was beyond her, but she felt humoured enough to provide it anyways. “The Storm King’s head command. Hardly intimidated by the senseless words of some common fisherpony.”

“Uh huh,” Star Point sneered. A few of Tempest’s soldiers angled their spears in his direction. He amazed himself by hardly wincing. “She’s probably half-way across the Celestial Sea by now. She’s got a head start on you by three days.”

Tempest turned. “Liar. You left port today. The moment I had my airship swing back around and into sight. I baited you and, like a fool, you went ahead and took it. Why else would you be out here?”

“Why else?” Star Point rose an eyebrow. “It’s a fishing vessel, idiot. I’m fishing.”

“We’ll see,” Tempest returned, seemingly unfazed by Star’s jibe. Star could hear cluttered noises from deep inside his ship... Things being thrown about, overturned. Doors being opened and slammed...

Momentarily, the creatures returned. They shared a whispered word with Tempest, who then let out an annoyed huff and whipped back around to face Star Point. “Which direction, fisherpony? You have five seconds, and then I sink your ship.”

His heart sunk, though he’d been expecting such since the moment the airship had come into view. His options were running dramatically thin... He could lie to this mare, sure. And potentially buy some time for Flowing, even if it put him in the line of fire when his ruse was up...

“And, that’s five.” Tempest grumbled out. “Grubber! Cannons, armed!”

“Aye aye, Tempy!” A chipper voice replied, from the airship’s deck. Grubber, apparently. Star craned his neck, and spotted a creature similar in shape to the large brutish creatures occupying his fishing vessel, but much smaller and apparently capable of higher speech besides the grunts and grumbles he’d heard from the large ones.

“Wait!” Star cried out. Tempest was already trotting away, back towards the lowered gangplank of her vessel.

“For you to lie to me again?” Tempest turned, raising an eyebrow. “Send us on a wild goose chase to buy your fish friend some time? I’m good, fisherpony.”

“You sink my ship, and you won’t ever find her!”

She laughed. “I sink your ship, and you drown. You start drowning, and your darling lover is going to be sweeping in in a jiffy to save you. I just have to wait.”

“She’s halfway across the Celestia Sea!”

“Sureshe is.” Tempest was already walking away. Her troops were following behind her, and the little creature hopped down from the airship to come to a landing upon her back. “Everyone off. Have a nice swim, earth pony.”

“Woah... that’s... cold, Tempy” Grubber chittered out, sounding amused. “What if the earthy’s tellin’ the truth?”

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Tempest said. They were on the gangplank, now, the ship already beginning to rise up again once they were.

The conversation continued out of ear-shot. Star Point watched the ship rise with blooming dread... It rose higher and higher and then, just as it seemed as though it might’ve been leaving Star Point’s fishing boat behind...

The blast that came from the airship was one of the loudest things Star Point had ever heard. He screamed out, as suddenly his entire ship shuddered and rocked as harpoon-like grappling hook impacted his ship, digging into the old wood with ease. The airship continued to fly away, and it actually succeeded in dragging Star’s ship behind it, it’s propellers whining out noisily with the added weight.

He could feel his entire vessel starting to yaw quickly. The impact had been enough to shatter the hull, which meant...

He cantered towards the stairwell. His heart skipped a beat when he immediately saw water filling up the lower-most chambers of the ship’s hull. “No, no, no...”

He was sent careening off his hooves as the ship began to pivot wildly, the more water flowed into the hull. There was another loud, cracking sound, as the grappling hook detached and was drawn back towards the airship, a sizable chunk of Star’s boat still gripped greedily in its metal talons. He collided against the deck of his ship and when he scrambled to his hooves, he swiftly realized that the banister he’d used to right himself was slowly becoming more and more parallel with the ocean’s waves...

He was sinking fast. Too fast. He could’ve scrambled for his flare gun, but it would’ve been a moot point by now, and he was quite certain there’d be nopony close enough to spot it regardless. He’d left Herring Harbor in a jiffy, after all.

Minutes later, and water was at this hooves. The airship above was hovering some distance away, where he knew the villainous unicorn mare was no doubt already watching the waves eagerly for signs of Flowing.

He hoped the damn fish was still swimming away. He didn’t know what the blazes he’d do to save himself, but that somehow felt less important to him in the moment than the thought of Flowing ending up captured by these horrid creatures.

Water was lapping against the ship’s super-structure, now. It’d been a clean puncture to it’s hull, so that no wreckage was left behind floating, and instead his ship simply continued sinking like a stone. He was standing, then he was wading... And eventually, sooner than he would have liked, his hooves left the surface of his ship’s deck for the final time as it continued on it’s pilgrimage to the ocean’s depths without him.

It’d been in his family for generations. It’d been the most valuable possession Star Point had. It had been his livelihood, his home...

And now, it was vanishing down into the darkness of the ocean, while his terrified hooves churned the water desperately. The superstructure drifted behind him, also descending into the ocean now. Then, the ship’s mast, with the new crane he’d just installed.

The whole while, the airship was there, waiting. Waiting for some sign of the seapony who would no doubt be coming in to rescue her stallion...

Star glanced down at this sinking ship, still visible but fading fast. Teand for a moment he could have sworn he’d seen a blinking light in the depths of the ocean...

A trick of the eyes. The sun bouncing off the waves in a funny fashion, perhaps...

No. There was something down there, in the darkness. The light grew brighter and brighter, and as it did, Star Point realized it was attached to something.

Flowing waved to him under the waves. She motioned him down, towards her. A few bubbles floated up to the surface around him, as she mouthed something to him. “Trust me?”

He did. He always did. He glanced at the hovering airship one last time...

Then, he took a deep breath, and dove down into the waves.