After a luminous magical pop filled the air, the desert streets of the small town of Irwind at the edge of Equestria saw two rather untidy and leaf-covered Princesses appear in its warm vernal midst.
"Well, this little camping in the Arimaspi Lands really was a blast!" Princess Celestia joyfully exclaimed, shattering the calm morning atmosphere of the small town as she started walking through its sleepy streets along with her lunar sister.
The latter didn't seem as fond of the experience though "It may have been slightly too extreme…" she grumpily mumbled "Perhaps choosing to stay next to one of these creature's lair wasn't your greatest idea…"
Still happy, but slightly troubled, Celestia brough her gaze to her sister "But isn't this just like what you did in dreams?" she playfully asked "You just can't not miss it at all!"
Meanwhile, Luna tried shaking off the dirt and leaves that stuck to her coat only to fail, resolving to cast a quick spell that made it all disappear instead "Yeah, except for the feeling rested afterwards part…" she pleadingly retorted with a deep sigh.
"Oh, but don't worry! This town has a harbor, doesn't it?" Celestia happily exclaimed, making a small tourism manual appear in front of her before holding it in her magic "We'll get ourselves a nice boat trip! Doesn't that sound relaxing? I'm sure the marine views are amazing over here!" she assured looking at Luna with an eager smile.
Gladly sighing, Luna returned the smile "Well, that does sound quite nice." she agreed following her energetic (and still leaf-covered) sister with her eyes as the latter already started cheerfully trotting towards the distant sight of masts beyond the town's low roofs.
The masts now surrounded them. Well, as much as three masts could have surrounded anypony. Irwind really wasn't a big town. The few boats that stood at its docks had nothing of a cruise ship and only one really had somepony on it: a stern earth pony whose traits seemed oldened by the rough seas long before his time.
As he methodically set his ship ready to sail, his weary eyes glanced over the docks where an unexpected sight met him "Would that be the Royal Princesses themselves, here in Irwind? But why?" he mumbled in disbelief, his confusion matching the small spurt of pride that sparked in his mind. It was his hometown after all.
And how distraught he was when they came closer to speak! "Excuse me sir, but would you mind giving my sister and I a small trip around the coast?" Celestia, who still hadn't properly groomed herself, nonchalantly asked with a radiant smile as a small branch fell from her mane.
The pony however, remained speechless. He wasn't mentally prepared to be speaking with an Alicorn today. Not even with such an untidy one.
"Sir, are you alright?" Celestia insisted, her smile somewhat tainted as she noticed the pony's turmoil.
"Uh, yes, of course, your highness!" the latter panickily yelped after getting a relative hold of himself.
Hearing this, the Princesses just laughed "There's no longer need for that!" Celestia cheerfully explained "We've given up the throne, we're just like any other tourists now!"
After seeing the other's still skeptical face, Luna decided to intervene "And don't we perfectly blend in the crowd with these little outfits?" she added, gesturing towards the colorful flowery t-shirts they were wearing with a proud smile.
Completely halting his work now, the pony scanned the Princesses with his eyes "I'm lucky there's no crowd to prove them wrong…" he thought, averting his gaze from their welcoming grins.
"Of course, your highness!" he wanted to once again say, timely deciding to rather go for a forced "Yes, totally..."
Vague images of provoking newspapers with their sensationalist headlines he always refused to believe flashed through his mind "So they said true after all…" he internally sighed, suddenly realizing he still didn't give the Princesses in front if him any conclusive answer to their offer.
"Well, I had somepony already renting the ship towards Djenneigh…" he regretfully replied once his thoughts returned to a manageable level of turmoil.
"Oh, but we could just join you then, that'd be perfect!" Celestia gladly exclaimed, turning to Luna in search of approval "Don't you want to visit Zebrica next? I've heard they do safaris across cockatrice territory there! Doesn't that sound exciting?"
"Well, if it implies a relaxing boat trip first, I guess I can take it." Luna agreed, reluctantly at first "And then, I'm never against discovering a new culture. Also, pottery." her eyes suddenly lit up with wonder as she passionately exclaimed "Oh, they're just the best at pottery! You know what? Actually, that's just the perfect place for us to go!"
"Alright, but we'll need to see what my client says first." the other pony explained, returning to his work "There ain't that much space on that ship, you know?" he added, regretfully shrugging.
Suddenly pausing as if he forgot something, he apathetically declared "Oh, and by the way, name's Loose Becket, no need to tell yours."
After waiting for several minutes, only notable by the fact Celestia finally realized her untidiness due to a leaf that suddenly fell onto her snout and promptly cleaned herself up, Loose Becket suddenly seemed to have his attention caught by something in the distance.
"Oh, and here she comes…" he mumbled, noticing a speedy, thin unicorn mare pop from behind a street corner, quickly reading through what looked like an especially ancient book that she held in her magic.
"Hey, miss, I've got some ponies willing to join!" he called out to her after she got closer enough.
Returned to reality by Becket's voice, the mare raised her eyes from her book "What? Who? I'm not sure if I can…" The next second her sight fell on the Princesses standing on the town's decrepit docks, just next to the ship she had booked "Oh."
"What do you say?" Becket apathetically insisted in the meanwhile.
"Well… Of course, why not, I'm totally up for it!" the mare rapidly agreed after Celestia and her met eyes. Nervously swallowing she nodded "Uhm, good morning, your highness! I'm Brushy."
Hearing the sign of agreement, Becket didn't wait for any further clarifications "We'll be getting off in less than a minute then." he disinterestedly declared, entering his ship's cabin.
After following him with her eyes, Celestia sorrily brought them to Brushy "So… How is your day going?" she decided to ask in hope of breaking the tension.
Though anxious, the other seemed quite keen to talk "Well, since it kind of just started, I couldn't say it really is going anywhere. Except to Zebrica that is." she hesitantly chattered "Oh, and have you heard that they've discovered new cave paintings there? Fascinating, isn't it?"
After having a short look at Luna to confirm that she also had no idea what the pony was talking about, Celestia politely replied "In all honesty, we haven't."
"Oh well, should have expected it." Brushy shrugged, slight disappointment visible in her eyes "Few ponies are interested in archeology nowadays… Anyway, that's why I was heading to Djenneigh actually."
"We're ready to go." Becket suddenly barked from his boat, making the others promptly climb on board as he slowly pulled the sails up the mast. Once he got back to the helm, the ship unhurriedly floated out of the docks and into the open ocean.
"Oh, I just love this little port!" Brushy happily exclaimed, looking at the small town getting further.
"There might be few ponies here, but still, the folklore is amazing. I've interrogated a few and they told me about things ranging from mysterious isles to enormous underwater creatures that crush ships. And in myths, there's often a part of reality, you know?" She grew pensive for a moment, staring into the surrounding waves "Who knows, we might be sailing right towards a new discovery at this very moment!"
Her reverie was however interrupted by a dry remark "Legends stay legends till I see 'em with my own eyes. I've heard many tales 'bout these waters but none ever proved itself true to me despite all these years on the sea." Becket sternly declared, giving the other pony a skeptical look "You really shouldn't get your hopes up."
"Perhaps." she simply agreed, impassively turning her gaze to her saddlebags before suddenly exclaiming "Oh, sorry, I almost forgot I still had some research to do!" The next second her book was back, hovering in her front "Tell me if we do run into something unusual, I'll be over there!"
She then headed for a small spot of shade on the deck, getting a cushion out of her saddlebags and quickly sitting down on it, continuing to browse through her book's oldened pages.
Meanwhile, Luna peacefully watched the clear horizon, relaxedly leaning against the ship's taffrail.
"Sorry, but do you have lounge chairs?" she suddenly asked, turning around to bring her inquisitive gaze to Becket.
Almost barking a dry "Why would I?" the latter timely realized who he talked to, replying with an apologetic "Uhm… no, but I can find something…"
Luna however, didn't seem to mind "Oh, that's no problem." she reassured as, in a small explosion of blueish magic, right behind her appeared said lounge chair on which she promptly sat with a satisfied smile.
Lose Becket sighed in a mix of relief and exasperation before returning his hooves to the helm and his alert gaze to the calm sea ahead "I ain't ready for this type of tourists." he internally griped, stirring the boat along the gentle waves.
The Sun was shining bright above the horizon, the bright halo around it reflected by the waters. A few seagulls passed by, avoiding the ship's masts as they headed for the shore. Everything was going well.
A few hours have passed since their departure and the waves beneath the deck were not so gentle anymore.
As the skies slowly faded to darker shades, clouds menacingly gathered above the waves and it seemed the idyllic nature of the boat trip was starting to get compromised.
And as the ship went forward, it only grew worse. The air was getting heavier and an unpleasant chilly wind was rising, further stirring the waters below. The looming clouds even seemed to descend upon the ship, merging with the ocean in a thick, gloomy fog.
And as the rumbles of distant thunder resounded from the beyond the mist's murky veil, there was no more place for doubts: a storm was gathering.
"Gosh, I hope my things don't get soaked." Brushy agitatedly exclaimed as she noticed a small droplet fall onto her book. And in the next second, it was already back in her saddlebags on which she promptly cast a protective spell.
"And you were talking about a nice relaxing boat trip!" Luna whined, shuddering as she tried and failed to see something through the cold fog around them. She was now all curled up on her lounge chair, shielding herself from the wind and rapidly intensifying rain with her wings.
Also shivering, Celestia apologetically started "Well, I can't control the weather…" then, as her face suddenly brightened up in a smile, she suddenly exclaimed "No, actually I can and so do you, so let's fix this instead of complaining."
Seeing her sister's horn ignite in the flash of a teleportation spell, Luna didn't really gain any motivation "Oh, of course. That pegasus part of an alicorn we never really use except when it comes to flying." she mumbled under her breath "I see it can be practical for once."
The wind was getting faster though and the irregular droplets that just fell here and there at first were now turning into a true downpour. Overboard, the waves looked like small hills that relentlessly rammed into the ship's sides as it struggled to remain upright.
"No, wait! We're going to capsize. You can't just leave now." the captain desperately cried out, watching the Sun Princess disappear in a flash of magical light.
But it was already too late. As, while Celestia luminous form reappeared, battling the elements among the swarm of grey clouds above, yet another noxious wave came crushing into the poor vessel, flooding the deck and making it tip dangerously.
"Curse you, ravenous waters, this ship ain't going down yet!" the captain cried out, desperately holding on to the helm.
But still, only a few seconds later, the next wave arrived to finish the job, leaving the helpless passengers in the cold murky waters as their vessel slowly sunk within the ruthless abyss.
Their dismay did not last for long however. As, her eyes ignited by arcanic might, Luna shook off her discomfort, diving down to their rescue. Getting a hold of the poor ponies with her magic, she illuminated the seas with a protective shield that sealed the space around them.
Tediously flapping her wings to rise above the waters, she desperately scanned the surrounding sea in frantic search of a safety haven. The storm did not leave her any more time to decide though. And so, hurled to the side by a gust of vicious wind, Luna continued to struggle not to fall back into the midst of the merciless waves.
How great was her relief however, when, emerging from the mist and raging waters, the sight of a coastline met her eyes!
"I can do this." she murmured, steeling her resolve. Her forces were however fading, drained by the retreat of adrenaline and the inevitable shortage of mana. The light flickered in her eyes. Could she really do this?
When, all of a sudden, as a golden angel of light and hope Celestia appeared from behind the opaque curtain of mist "Perhaps cleaning the weather could have waited…" she sheepishly admitted with a small shiver. And the next second, as her soothing magical aura encompassed all, the four ponies found themselves teleported to a hard floor of cold rocks.
Luna immediately crumbled to the ground "Never again am I accepting any of your relaxing boat trips…" she murmured before sinking into the dark embrace of fatigued slumber.
The others simply stood there, quite shocked by the whole scene that just occurred, blankly staring into the raging rain for a long moment of silence.
All of a sudden, Becket spoke, contemplatively frowning at the dark abyss in which his boat now lied "I might have lost my ship, but at least, we haven't lost our lives." he sternly enounced, bringing his gaze to Luna, then to Celestia who was torn between being proud and ashamed of herself "Thank you, your Highness. You may no longer officially have the title, but you sure still earned it…"
After a second in silence, the former captain took a quick glance around the small rocky beach they stood on and his frown deepening "Now what really troubles me here is where we ended up landing…"