Rumble and his friends gawked at the large obstacle course that was built in a clearing by Soarin and the other guys.
Flash went up to them and commented, "Quite the sight, isn't it?"
The boys nodded dumbfoundedly.
Soarin explained, "Flash and I combined our training expertise to make this and Spike, Capper, and Big Mac were kind enough to help build it. We figured you boys could use it to occupy yourselves instead of looking for trouble and also to help you build skills to help you survive."
Button Mash blurted out, "That is so cool!"
The others agreed excitedly.
Flash inquired, "You ready to get started?"
"Yeah!" they shouted.
Soarin lifted his hoof up, "Okay then, ready… set… GO!" when his hoof came down, the boys ran like the wind with Rumble taking the lead.
The first obstacle was to climb the net ladder to reach the rope bridge. From there they had to swing down a rope to reach the hurdles going over and under. Next was a dirt-made tunnel where they had to crawl inside and at the end of the tunnel were dodging panels. Then the balancing beam came next followed by a ditch that the boys had to jump over. Then they had to climb up an apex ladder before going down again to make it to the final obstacle which was a large mud puddle and the boys had to make a long jump to get across.
Soarin watched carefully to see how each of the boys were doing. Pipsqueak's small size made it hard for him to be a fast runner and good jumper but at least he was able to get through the hurdles and could get through the tunnel faster. Button was doing fine but he did have trouble keeping his balance. Skeedaddle was doing good too but he got dizzy at the panels. As for Rumble, he was a one stallion army being able to combat through every obstacle with ease.
Flash saw the same thing in amazement and whispered to him, "You weren't kidding."
Soarin whispered back, "Told you he needed the obstacle course."
When Rumble jumped over the muddle puddle he landed in front of his mentor and panted.
Soarin patted his back, "Great job, kiddo!"
"Hey, it was easy." he smirked before dropping in exhaustion.
Button, Skeedaddle, and Pip finally caught up to the puddle and they hesitated to leap. Finally Button took the jump but he barely made it and ended up getting mud on his hooves, he groaned. Skeedaddle tried to get a running start and but like Button he ended up in the mud too but face first. Pip eyed the mud then his short legs and decided to just forgo it and went around the puddle.
Spike and Capper chuckled at the colt's obvious solution.
Button and Skeedaddle saw this and kicked mud away in frustration.
Rumble then got a sneaky idea and jumped right for the puddle, yelling, "Cannonball!" and splashed his friends! Pip joined right in and the colts started a mud fight, laughing playfully.
Flash tried to get their attention, "Uh, boys- boys!"
Soarin stopped him, "Let them have their fun, after all, when we were colts, could you resist a giant mud puddle?"
Mac shook his head, "Nope."
Flash snorted, "Okay, you got me."
Soarin called out, "Just make sure you wash yourselves off before coming back to the village, boys!"
"Okay Soarin!" they called back.
On that note, the guys left the younger generation to their fun.
Spike inquired, "Have you come up with any more plans to get off the island?"
Soarin replied, "Not yet but Rumble and I have been working on his brother's raft to see if it'll work. We decided to forgo the idea of making it bigger because at this rate it would be better to have a couple of ponies make the journey and come back with a ship outside the island's borders and remember those breathable currents we talked about? Well, by having that ship ready the others can swim under the storm and they'll finally be off!"
Capper complimented, "Hey, that is a great idea!"
Spike and Mac agreed.
Flash voiced in concern, "It is a good plan, but I worry of how well it can work. The raft would have to get pass the reef and then get pass the storm…"
Soarin said, "I know, but it's something I have to try…" he frowned and stomped his hoof in anger, "Because I can't take it anymore! Every night I dream of her and it's becoming more frequent with each passing day! I just want to get back to her!" he leaned his head against a coconut tree in sorrow.
The guys exchanged sad looks behind him before Spike put a claw on his shoulder for comfort and the rest followed.
Flash declared, "Let's get that raft done."
Soarin looked back at him with a determined look.
Rumble and the boys had so much fun in the mud that it was taking longer to clean the sludge off. They were washing next to the waterfall, and Pip put his head in the pool. He briefly opened his eyes and marveled at the sight of colorful rocks and fish living at the bottom. But then suddenly he spotted something like a bigger fish but it had the head of a pony! He yelped and nearly forgot he was holding his breath that he lifted his head out of the water and gasped loudly.
Skeedaddle asked, "Pip, you okay?"
The colt exclaimed, "I just saw a seapony!"
"WHAT?!" they yelled.
"Just look!" he put his head back in and the others followed.
They looked around and saw only fish and rocks until they saw the seapony! Their eyes widen in shock as seaponies were only legends but yet there was one actually there! It was white with bright blue fins, and when it spotted them, it looked just surprised as them before timidly waving at them. Rumble motioned the seapony to come closer. The creature did so and slowly rose up to the surface where the boys were able to take a breath.
"Hello!" the creature spoke.
The colts gawked at him.
Skeedaddle slowly pointed, "Are… are you… an actual seapony?"
"Well yes, and no."
"Huh?" the boys voiced in confusion.
"Let me explain, my name is Terramar, I am a seapony but my true species is hippogriff but given how invaders once threaten our home of Mt. Aris we had to live under the sea as seaponies but thanks to Princess Skystar we were given a piece of the magic pearl that's our sacred treasure and can transform at will of being either a hippogriff or seapony. Watch." he held up his pearl piece and it glowed making him a hippogriff!
"Cool!" the boys proclaimed.
Terramar flapped above them then lowered to the ground.
Rumble questioned, "Can your pearl turn other beings like us into seaponies too?"
"Hmm, you know I don't know."
"Can you try?"
"I suppose but I don't know who you are."
Skeedaddle said, "Sorry about that, I'm Skeedaddle, that's Rumble, Button Mash, and Pipsqueak."
"I'm pleased to meet you all." Terramar smiled.
Pip asked, "Do you live in the pool, Terramar?"
The hippogriff shook his head, "No, I just come by to visit, it's my secret hiding spot. There's a secret underwater cave that connects to Mt. Aris and it's a good thing too because we can see the storm clouds that surround this island and it's not pretty."
Rumble said, "So even if we do want to get off we won't be able to with those storm clouds?"
"Yup, sorry to say."
"Do you think you can try changing one of us into a seapony now?"
"Sure." he took Rumble's hoof and touched the broken gem. In a bright glow they find themselves in the water and… they were seaponies!
The guys gasped at seeing Rumble's transformation.
Rumble was amazed as he swam around the pool with his new fins. He made a few flips and jumps out of the water. He exclaimed, "This is so incredible!"
Button declared, "I wanna try that!"
Pip stated, "Me too!"
The both of them jumped into the water where Terramar helped them transform.
All three colts swam in their new bodies in joy.
Button told their shore side friend, "Come on, Skeedaddle join us!"
"That's okay! I'm not a water pony anyway."
Rumble had a bright idea, "Hey, I know what you can do instead…"
The raft was completely finished as they had added the sail to it and put in the lagoon. Soarin had volunteered to test to it out and steady himself on the floating device. He told himself, "Okay, this is it, the day that changes everything…" he touched the compass around his neck, "For Rainbow Dash…" and he started to sail himself to the reef where the wind and waves started to pick up and made the makeshift boat toss and turn. Soarin tried to steer the raft but the waves kept tossing him around to the point where it pushed him back toward the lagoon and the raft split apart making him fall into the water and washed up back onto the beach.
He saw the guys looking on in pity and he turned away his head in shame.
"You don't have to say it… I failed. Miserably…" he smacked his face in the wet sand.
Spike uneasily said, "We can… make another one?"
Soarin shook his head, "It won't work." he slowly got up, "I'm… I'm never getting off this isle, am I? None of us are…" he touched his compass again in despair. I'm so sorry, Dash… I thought I could find my way to you but… I didn't… A tear formed in his eye and it dropped.
Capper frowned and expressed, "Come on now, we can't just give up. We'll get you ponies off the island somehow."
Flash sadly said, "No… it's over. Soarin's right, it was pointless to think we could escape when we couldn't…"
Big Mac sighed, "Eeyup…"
Spike and Capper looked at their melancholy friends helplessly, wishing someway to fix this for them.
Suddenly Skeedaddle ran in and yelled, "We found something! Come quick!"
That got the stallions out of their depressed mood and concern filled them as they followed after the colt.
Skeedaddle led them to the waterfall where suddenly Rumble, Button, and Pip leapt up from the water and shock overcame the grownups upon seeing the boys. The seacolts splashed back into the pool and then swam up to the adults with playful smiles on their faces.
Rumble said, "Pretty neat, uh?"
Spike sputtered out, "How- What- Huh?!"
Capper gestured, "Someone please offer an explanation."
The others agreed.
Terramar surfaced, making himself known and spoke, "I can." then he used the pearl to change into a hippogriff making the adults even more shocked and confused.
When Terramar finished the story, Rumble motioned him to change him and his friends back and the hippogriff did. The boys were back to being regular colts.
"That was so awesome!" exclaimed Button.
"It sure was!" agreed Pip.
Soarin just stared at the waterfall in bewilderment, since he first came to this place, never had he thought there would be an underwater cave this whole time. If he had the ability to breathe underwater he could have swam under the island to escape… His eyes widen as he slowly turned to look at Terramar and realized…
"Terramar." he said, "Is it possible to swim under the island as long as you remain a seapony?"
The hippogriff replied, "Well, sure. I do it all the time. In fact, my people have lived under the water for so long that some of us have stayed seaponies."
Spike asked, "Doesn't that get confusing?"
"It does. In fact, I have a hard time deciding which place I like most. Mt. Aris or Seaequestria."
Capper commented, "Ouch."
Pip suggested, "Well I think you should live under water, it's cool being a seapony."
Rumble pointed, "You should stick to air, I'm for fun in the water and all and transforming into another creature is awesome but nothing beats flying around in the sky."
Terramar stated, "But that's my problem, I like living in both worlds."
Skeedaddle mentioned, "Wow, Mt. Aris and Seaequestria must both be special if you can't decide between them."
"They are, but also my Dad lives on Mt. Aris while my Mom lives in Seaequestria."
Flash questioned, "They chose to live separately?"
Soarin added softly, "I can't imagine what that be like…" he clutched his compass to his heart.
"And that's what makes the choice harder."
Pip said, "I wish we can see your homes and help you decide."
Rumble's eyes lit up and declared, "Hey! Maybe we can! Terramar can turn us into seaponies and we can see for ourselves of what his homes are like!"
Button and Pip started cheering until the adults made them stop with Flash saying.
"Now wait just a moment, it's too dangerous for young colts like you to venture off to another location without adult supervision."
They groaned.
"Besides, it's time for you boys to head back to your huts, your parents will be wondering where you are."
Skeedaddle, Pip, and Button sighed, "Okay…" they said their farewells to Rumble and Terramar and went.
Terramar transformed into a seapony and splashed into the pool, telling them, "I have to get going anyway, my Mom will have dinner waiting for me."
Soarin motioned, "Wait, Terramar, I know we shouldn't be asking this, but we could really use your help."
The seapony was unsure, "I don't know of how much help I can be."
Soarin said, "You can help us get off this island."
Flash caught on, "He's right! We've been shipwreck for so long that we were just about to give up when you came to us. You just maybe our only hope of getting off!"
Mac nodded, "Eeyup!"
Rumble realized the stallions were right and told Terramar, "If there is any way you can help us, then we can help you with your problem!"
The seapony liked the sound of that and said, "Okay, I'll see what I can do, but first I would need to ask Princess Skystar if she'll allow me to bring visitors to our homes."
Soarin stated, "Meet us here tomorrow morning and let us know what she said."
"You got it!" he waved to them before diving underwater and was gone.
Capper inquired, "Do you think his princess will allow it?"
Soarin kept holding his compass, "Honestly, I really hope she does, because this just maybe our one last shot of getting off. I have waited so long to be reunited with the love of my life that I'll do anything to be with her again."
Rumble was surprised to see Soarin like this. He knew that the older pegasus was engaged to be married before coming to the island but he didn't show any hint of being desperate in getting back to his bride before now.
The colt told his mentor, "I'm sure Terramar will help us even if he can't get this Princess Skystar's permission. He needs our help as much as we need his."
Soarin slightly smiled at the young pegasus before wrapping a wing around him in comfort, "I hope you're right."