My little pony:Adventure of Seresia

Outside the window, lightning and storm put on a dazzling performance, accompanied by the chaotic symphony of raindrops and crashing waves. Everything happened in an instant, as the frail ship struggled to navigate the turbulent seas. Inside the helm room, Applejack was desperately trying to steer the ship, attempting to keep it steady and prevent it from being capsized by the relentless waves.

However, no matter how hard she tried, the control lever in her hooves no longer moved as smoothly as it had initially. It was as if an invisible force was working against her. Every maneuver required several times the effort she’d previously expended, and even the slightest lapse in focus would see the lever pushed back with overwhelming force. Her intense concentration quickly drained her stamina.

“I... I can’t hold on much longer!” Applejack’s cry for help jolted Twilight into action. She rushed to assist, but as the destructive roar outside reached her ears, regret flooded her heart. She now deeply regretted ignoring Meng Yu’s warning and stubbornly insisting on chasing Feng Chen. Not only had they failed in their pursuit, but she had also dragged everypony into this perilous situation. However, no amount of regret could change what had already happened. Twilight knew that survival depended on finding a way out, not succumbing to despair and becoming victims of the unforgiving sea.

Her mind raced frantically, recalling every bit of information she’d ever read about sea navigation. Yet the chaotic surroundings made it impossible for her to concentrate and sift through her memories, only amplifying her anxiety. Suddenly, a noise came from below the deck. At first, Twilight thought the ship might be taking on water, but then she saw two familiar faces emerge from the hidden floor hatch: Jin Yun and Xiao Ling.

“Jin Yun? Xiao Ling?!”

“It’s just as the Chancellor foresaw. If we’d left you to embark on this journey alone, you’d all be lost to the sea with not even your bodies recovered!” Jin Yun’s words were blunt and unkind, but Twilight no longer cared. She felt as though she had seen a savior and rushed forward to greet them. Jin Yun, however, coldly pushed her aside and exchanged a quick glance with Xiao Ling before pushing open the door and stepping into the howling storm.

“Jin Yun!” Twilight was baffled by her actions and even more puzzled about when they had boarded the ship. Now, with the situation so dire, why would she rush out into the storm? Could it be to rescue Rainbow Dash and the others? As the thought crossed her mind, Twilight’s heart sank. She prayed for Rainbow Dash’s safety and worried whether Jin Yun could return unharmed. If anything happened to her, Twilight had no way of explaining it to Meng Yu.

Meanwhile, back in the helm room, Applejack’s strained expression had eased slightly with Xiao Ling’s assistance, allowing her a brief reprieve from the battle against the invisible force. Together, the earth pony and the leopard worked to regain control of the ship.

Outside, the storm battered the ship relentlessly, but neither the surging waves nor the fierce winds could impede Jin Yun’s agile, graceful steps. As she neared the center of the deck, she looked up toward the ship’s mast, which was visible only during flashes of lightning.

Just as they had speculated while still hidden below deck, the sails were still fully deployed. In such a violent storm, the fact that the mast hadn’t snapped yet was nothing short of a miracle. Normally, all sails should be stowed during such weather, not left fully unfurled as they were now. Leaving the sails up only made the ship more vulnerable to the wind, which explained why Applejack had been struggling so much to steer the ship.

In a flash of lightning, Jin Yun pinpointed the location of the rigging. Her horn glowed with magic as she drew the longsword hidden beneath her cloak. Stabilizing herself against the swaying deck, she slashed at the ropes one by one, severing them completely. The loose rigging flailed like fallen leaves in the wind before disappearing into the darkness. Once the task was done, Jin Yun moved toward the compartment where Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were hiding. She pried off the metal grating above them, preparing to evacuate the ponies to the helm room. Xiao Ling had warned her that if the ship began to flood and they remained trapped below, escape would be impossible.

“Celestia bless us! I don’t want to die yet! I still have so many brilliant designs and masterpieces to create!”

Inside the compartment, Rarity was crying and clutching Fluttershy tightly, both trembling in fear and having completely abandoned their usual composure. Pinkie Pie, in stark contrast, wore a carefree smile as if the situation was just an exhilarating roller coaster ride. Jin Yun found her demeanor simultaneously exasperating and darkly amusing—a true display of forced cheerfulness.

When Jin Yun approached, the ponies were both surprised and overjoyed. They hurriedly gathered around her, bombarding her with questions. Jin Yun offered no detailed explanations, only instructed them to follow her carefully. One by one, the group emerged onto the deck, where they finally grasped the severity of the storm.

Thanks to Jin Yun’s protection, the group managed to reach the helm room without incident.

“Where’s Rainbow Dash?! Where is she?!” Twilight’s relief was short-lived. Seeing that Rainbow Dash was absent, her anxiety surged anew. She rushed to Jin Yun, her pleading eyes fixed on her as though demanding an answer from her savior.

Jin Yun furrowed her brow, her expression disdainful. “I didn’t see the rainbow-maned pegasus you mentioned. If she’s smart, she should be hiding in the lower decks like the others,” she said, gesturing toward Rarity and the others.

Twilight’s face froze at Jin Yun’s words. She didn’t want to imagine what might have happened if Rainbow Dash had been caught in the storm.

“What?! But... she was at the lookout post earlier... keeping watch for us! She must still be there, right?”

“Speaking of the lookout post, do you know what mistake you made?” Jin Yun’s tone was sharp as she stared at Twilight, leaving the latter at a loss for words.

“You should feel fortunate, Princess Twilight, that this ship is well-built. The main mast hasn’t broken despite the storm and your mistake of keeping the sails fully deployed,” Jin Yun said. After a deliberate pause, she continued, “I’ve cut the rigging, so the ship will be easier to control now. As for your friend... I only saw an empty lookout post during a lightning flash.”

“No... that’s impossible...” Twilight whispered, her face pale with despair. At that moment, her world seemed to collapse. She refused to believe what she’d just heard, praying it was merely a cruel joke.

Before she could act, the ship lurched violently, accompanied by the deafening sound of a collision. Everypony lost their balance and was thrown against the walls. Twilight, ending up at the bottom of the pile, had no choice but to let the temporary chaos distract her from her sorrow.