A sigh of relief escaped your lips as the zeppelin came to land at your destination. Your stomach still woozy from your trip, due to the sea sickness that you suffered on board the large aerial vessel, though whether you could truly call it seas sickness or air sickness was still a matter of discussion. Sure you were on a airship, but you also had been flying over the ocean. It had been the matter of debate of more than a few of your fellow passengers much to your bemusement.
While you were certain that the causes for both ailments were different, you couldn't recall what they were at the time. You mind was focused on... Other matters.
You had been very excited for the trip since this was the closest thing you had had to a vacation in a long time. Of course that was before the ship took off and you began lurching the contents of your stomach into the sea below. Hopefully some fish were able to make good use of it.
Either way, you were happy that you would soon be on land and wouldn't have to worry about Iron Will's Aerial Transport for a long time to come. Soon you would be enjoying your time and research on the Haywaiian Islands. You had followed your publisher, Spring Rain's advice and had brought some extra money for your journey, as well as her reminder to be on your best behavior.
'Be respectful to the natives.' You could remember her telling you. 'They are very hospitable and as long as you are polite you will have a good time.'
She had also given you a Haywaiian shirt to wear, made of a red fabric with yellow flowers periodically set out on a pattern. There was a part of you that thought this might be a little redundant considering where you would be spending the next few days.
You and your fellow passengers were organized into a line by a goat wearing a headset, who directed you all in single file down the ramp to the airship docking bay.
"Thank you for riding our zeppelin!" An abrasive voice that belonged undoubtedly to the minotaur in charge. "Please consider riding with us again!"
It wasn't like you really had any choice in the matter, you would need to take the same airship in order to return home on time.
Stepping into the docking bay, you looked around for your guide. According to Spring Rain, they would possess a sign with the name of the publishing company you worked for, RP Books. Looking through the crowd you spot a sigh matching the description, being held by a creature you had never seen in person, but had heard a great deal about.
Holding the sign was a diamond dog with brown fur, amber eyes and a white spot on her nose. A green scarf was tied around her neck, and there were some wrapping around her legs, like something an athlete might wear. She examined the passengers as they left the airship, occasionally sniffing the air as they passed.
Expecting that she was your guide you made your way through the crowd toward her.
"Hello, did Spring Rain from RP Books send you to meet me?" You asked.
The diamond dog's eyes lit up when you greeted her. Before you knew it a necklace of tropical flowers was placed around your neck.
"Greetings," the diamond dog answered, "my name is Holly and welcome to our lovely island. You must be the writer, Rain told me about."
"Good things I hope."
Holly let out a little chuckle, "Yes, now do you have all your luggage?"
"I just have one suitcase," you answer, "I just need to fetch it from the baggage claim."
"Very well, then let's fetch your suitcase." Holly smiled before waving a paw toward the baggage claim.
As expected the line to pick up your bag was a long and annoying one, with more than a few ponies whining about the delay. Despite this, Holly was very patient as you crawled your way to the front of the line. There a large, gray diamond dog with a red collar, stood behind the counter. The expression he had indicated that he might be a little irritated.
"Hello." The diamond dog growled.
"Hello," you replied, "I am here for my luggage."
Pulling out you luggage tag, you displayed the ticket to the clerk. The numbers 1636, were marked on the tag in black ink. After examining the piece of paper, the diamond dog barked a few words in a language you weren't familiar with, to somepony in the backroom.
Shortly after a smaller, brown diamond dog came out with a suitcase, which he gave to the clerk. Taking the bag, the gray dog placed the luggage on the counter for you to take.
You were about to take it when you realized, not only was it not your suitcase, but the tag attached to it read, 9391.
"Uh sir," you spoke up apologetically, "this isn't my suitcase. I think you might have misread my tag."
The clerk merely let out an annoyed snort, before pointing for you to move on.
"I'm sorry, but this really isn't my bag."
You give Holly, a nervous look, uncertain how to progress. Your tour guide merely smiled.
"Allow me."
Walking up to the clerk, Holly spoke in what you had to guess was Haywaiian. After a brief moment, the clerk let out a hearty laugh, his mood changing immediately into a joyous one.
It was at this point that you wish you had taken Haywaiian as a foreign language in college, instead of the dead language of ancient Ponish.
A few more words were exchanged before the clerk called to the backroom and a familiar looking suitcase with the tag, 1636, was set before you.
"There you go." Holly said with a smile.
"Uh, thank you very much."
Using your magic, you took your suitcase off the counter and followed Holly off the dock.
"What did you tell him?" You asked.
"Oh, I just explained that it was the wrong bag and that you were a visitor," Holly explained, "I then told him his collar looked nice and exchanged a few pleasantries."
"That was very kind of you."
Holly turned and gave you a concerned look, "Just be careful. As long as you are nice and respectful to the natives and their customs, they will be accepting of you. You don't want to earn the reputation as a growler here."
"A growler?"
"It is a term used to refer to rude tourists," Holly explained, "I have heard more than a few stories of such tourists being tossed into the ocean for their behavior."
"I wasn't being a growler back there," you inquired, "was I?"
"No," Holly answered, "he was just having a bad day."
As you and your guide exit the airship dock, you find yourself outside on the edge of the town of Haikuvasz. Holly pointed toward one of the streets.
"This is the route we will be taking into town," Holly explained, "we will be taking a bit of a scenic route to your hotel."
"That sounds good."
As you followed Holly, you could look to your right and look down at the city below as well as the forests, the docks, the beach and the ocean beyond. The slight scent of salt on the breeze.
Holly lead you through the streets, gradually moving downward toward the shoreline houses and buildings. More diamond dogs and pony tourists became apparent as you were guided further down the mountainside.
"I thought that on the way to your hotel, I would take you by the fish market," Holly said, "there should be an auction soon as well."
You recall reading that the Haywaiian Islands main resource was fish. While most ponies lived on a vegetarian diet, diamond dogs and to a small extent unicorns enjoyed the taste of meat. In the case of unicorns, they required a regular amount of protein to keep their horns healthy.
Due to the magical properties of their horns, unicorns had to absorb more protein than the other pony races, to insure that their horns worked properly. In fact, a few magic disorders could be traced back to a lack of vitamins or low protein levels. Before the unification of the three pony tribes, unicorns used to be more carnivorous. However, once they joined forces the unicorns had to conceal this, out of fear of offending the other tribes.
While a few ponies tried experimenting with soy as a more "civilized" method of protein intake, the extreme amounts of estrogen could cause numerous hormonal issues. As a result most unicorns relied on fish or even a few species of grub for such protein based meals.
You yourself would eat grub meal or a grub paste smoothie from time to time to gain the necessary amount of protein for your size. While you had tried fish in the past, there had been mixed results. Sometimes a tasty meal other times a rumbling stomach. Of course, in your research of the islands you had learned that eating fish was customary here and had brought some medicine along, just in case your intestines didn't agree with any of your meals.
You gave Holly a brief smile, "That sounds like it could be fun."
The smell of fish became more apparent as you entered the fish market. Vendors had booths holding fish of all shapes and sizes, most of which you had never seen before. One fish you didn't recognize was yellow with a slender body and a blue sheen along the dorsal point.
"That is a Moana Kali fish," Holly said, noticing your intrigue.
As Holly lead you through the streets, you could hear the sound of a few ponies yelling. It wasn't like the outburst of anger or a cry of distress, more like an announcement.
Turning the corner, you found yourself in a section of the marketplace with a large white canopy with a few aisles with palettes holding ice and the fish on top. The fish on these small platforms were being examined by ponies, diamond dogs and a few members of the other races that interacted with Equestrian society. There was even a yak, which looked a tad odd wearing a Haywaiian shirt.
Just giving the scene a quick look, you find it difficult to discern what was going on.
"So what is happening here?" You asked Holly as you pointed a hoof at one of the groups.
"Well, on one side is the auctioneer, someone who has been hired by the Fisher to help auction off their fish," Holly explained, "On the other side are the individuals seeking to bid on the fish. They will haggle for the highest price and the auctioneers will keep them all up to date."
"How are the prices determined?"
"Usually by the fish's weight and size," Holly answered, "as well as its species."
Holly brought you forward for a closer look. Now that you understood what was going on and had a better view of the spectacle you could see it was actually quite organized. Loud certainly but organized.
"Oof!"
As you were watching the auction over a large round fish, you accidentally walked into somepony else. Surprisingly enough, the contact knocked you off balance and you toppled to the ground.
"I'm so sorry." You said, worrying that the person you had bumped into had fallen over as well.
Looking up you saw a curious sight. Not only was the pony still standing upright but she didn't look like any pony you had seen before. Her body didn't have a coat but consisted of grayish skin. Inside of having a tail like a normal pony, she possessed a long gray tail with aquatic fines. There was an actual dorsal fin on her back. Her mane was purple with neon blue highlights.
Was she a shark pony?
Her punkish style of a spiked collar, sharp ear rings, fishnet stockings and even her style of mane, were almost a sharp contrast to the clothing of most of the others here on the island.
The shark mare looked down at you with yellow eyes examining you curiously. As she grinned, her smile revealed rows of razor sharp teeth. In that brief moment you became very concerned for your own personal safety. Thankfully your bladder hadn't voided itself.
"Hello, there visitor." The shark mare said in a rather intimidating manner. That was until she noticed whoever was standing behind you.
The feeling of a paw on your shoulder hinted that it might be Holly, a fact which was confirmed as she spoke.
"Jagged Nibble, fancy seeing you here." Holly said, her tone seeming anxious.
The shark mare frowned.
"So your calling me by my full name now," Jagged groaned, "I told you Holly, I hate that."
"What are you doing here?"
"I fish," Jagged answered, "what do you think I am doing here?"
The tension at the moment was so thick, you felt that a chainsaw might be inadequate to cut through it.
Jagged Nibble looked away from Holly and back to you. Her smile now looking less threatening and more playful.
"Let me guess," Jagged chuckled, "she is your guide here isn't she?"
"Uh, yes." You said as you pulled yourself to her hooves.
"Well, just remember not to get on her bad side." Jagged's mood turned foul. "She might try avoiding you from that point on."
Looking back toward Holly you saw that some of the hair on the back of her neck was raised and she was possessing a defensive stance. Her mannerism more like a protective mother, her gaze solely focused on the shark mare.
"I think we're done here," Holly said, "I think it is time we take you to your hotel."
Holly stepped past you and walked straight forward seeming to almost be ignoring Jagged as she walked by. Even as you followed you could feel the electricity in the air.
Both you and Holly managed to make a few steps before the shark mare called out to her, "I've already said I'm sorry! What else do you want?"
For a brief moment, you could see Holly's ear twitch at the outburst, however she continued to move. Eventually you managed to catch up with her.
"What was all that about?" You asked.
"I really don't want to talk about it," Holly let out a deep sigh. "Let's just get you to the hotel."
While there was a part of you that wished to dig deeper, your intuition informed you that this was neither the time nor the place. Perhaps a better opportunity would appear later.
You followed Holly through the streets until you came across a large white building overlooking the harbor. The hotel appeared to be made with various concrete segments painted white, with brown tile roofing. The sign out front marked the location as the Cracked Coconut Hotel.
Stepping inside you encounter another diamond dog who explained that room twenty eight had been reserved for you by your company. With your reservations in order, you were given a key to your room.
"Go ahead and bring your bags up," Holly said, "once you're done we will head to the submarine tour."
"That sounds like it could be fun."
"Most of our visitors seem to enjoy it." Holly replied, "The Coltlantis Underwater Submarine Tours is one of our most popular tours."
Now you were really hoping that it was airsickness you had felt on the zeppelin ride and not seasickness.
"Well, I'll go drop off my things and be right down."
"Alright, see you soon." Holly smiled.
Going up to the second floor you found room twenty eight and unlocked the door with your key. Turning the knob you stepped inside.
The room consisted of a main bedroom and a small bathroom off to the side. The walls were painted white with various wooden pieces of furniture decorating the interior, one cupboard had a television sitting on top and the table next to the window had a radio. A comfortable bed sat in the middle of the room.
Wanting to clean off the stench of your airsickness, you set your suitcase down next to the bed, before removing a bottle of shampoo and a personal bar of soap from the rest of your supplies. Taking off your Haywaiian shirt, you made your way the bathroom to take a shower.
"Ahhh!"
You nearly jumped and slipped in the shower as freezing cold water came down from the faucet. Fortunately, you were able to catch yourself before you face planted into either the wall or the floor.
Testing the knob you found that the temperature was stuck on cold.
"Just my luck."
After taking a moment to grow accustomed to the frigid water, your proceeded to apply the shampoo to your mane and to suds your body.
Once you were comfortable, you rinsed off the soap, turned the faucet knob and stepped out of the shower to dry. It was a task that telekinetic magic with a towel and a small heating spell made fairly simple.
Completely dry, you stepped out of the bathroom and walked back over to your suitcase. After looking at a few of the shirts you had been given, you decided to wear a black Haywaiian shirt with lavender flowers.
"Okay, I guess it is time for another adventure."
The submarine was a large white vessel, large enough to hold up to fifty ponies. At least according to the sign that was on the top deck.
There was a section on top of the ship designed like the deck of a ship, where the tourists could sit and talk before the vessel descended into the deep. Here a few ponies, yaks, diamond dogs and some hippogriffs stood talking and sharing pleasantries. There did seem to be some foul air between the diamond dogs and the hippogriffs however.
It would seem the Holly could sense this as well.
"There has been some discomfort between the natives and the hippogriffs, since their return from exile." Holly explained.
"Do you have any idea why?" You asked.
"Well, when the Storm King invaded long ago, the hippogriffs fled, apparently disappearing to some unknown kingdom," Holly answered, "the diamond dogs stayed behind and did their best to defend against the Storm King. Now so many years later, they've returned and want their land back. However, my kind don't think this is fair as many of their ancestors fought and died to protect that land."
Looking at it from both sides and having read a little bit of the Haywaiian Isles history, you could understand where both sides were coming from. Both the hippogriffs and diamond dogs had resided on the island in peace. When the Storm King's forces attacked much of the hippogriff forces were taken out resulting in the entire race fleeing into the sea.
The diamond dogs stayed behind and fought for their independence. After nearly a decade of fighting the Storm King left the islands. Two decades later, the Storm King was assassinated and his successor lead the attack on Canterlot.
Logically the diamond dogs deserved to keep that land.
"Were there any attempts at a treaty?" You inquired.
Holly nodded, "About two years ago, both sides tried to come together and arrange a deal. It stated that the hippogriffs would give the natives some rare resources from beneath the sea along with creating monuments to the diamond dogs that perished there. Then things would return to the way they used to be. Unfortunately, it was never signed."
"Why?"
Holly took a deep breath. "On the day the arrangement was to be made, three Aumakanni washed ashore. The elder took it as a sigh and refused to sign it."
"Aumakanni?"
As you were listening to Holly's explanation, you failed to pay attention to anypony that was in front of you. If clumsiness was an illness, then today it would seem you had caught it.
Before you knew it you had bumped into another pony and was doing your best not to fall over. Fortunately, another hoof reached out and grabbed you, holding you fast.
"Are you okay?"
As a former resident of the city of Canterlot, it wasn't hard for you to recognize the stallion who had grabbed you. It was none other than Fancy Pants himself. Standing next to him was his wife, Fleur De Lis. Both ponies looked at you with concern.
"Ah, yes," you replied, "thank you."
Having recovered from the incident, you straightened yourself. It was also a difficult task not to immediately fanboy over the stallion that had been so generous in aiding you.
Fancy Pants was one of Canterlot's rich nobles. While responsible for the production and advancement of airship technology, Fancy Pants was known for promoting various fashion and modelling trends. He had even been knighted by Princess Celestia herself. A statement from him carried a lot of weight in the capital.
Then there was his wife, Fleur De Lis. The mare showed up seemingly out of nowhere, and with Fancy Pant's recommendation began modelling. Shortly after her reveal, Fleur and Fancy Pants were married and had been together ever since.
"I must say," Fleur spoke up, "I think that shirt is one of Rarity's designs."
With a hoof, Fleur gestured to the shirt you were wearing. Truth be told you had no idea if it had been one of Rarity's designs or not. It was a gift from Spring Rain after all.
Fancy Pants squinted and adjusted his monocle as he examined the garment.
"It does seem to match with her excellent craftsmanship," Fancy Pants answered, "you must have good tastes to be wearing one of her pieces."
You scratched the back of your head nervously, "Well, to be honest. It was a gift from my publisher."
"Your publisher you say," Fleur said, "do I take that you are an author then?"
"Yes, I work with R.P. Books and I am here doing some research for one of my novels."
There was a slight cough behind you, reminding you that you weren't alone.
"Oh, forgive me." You turn and give a polite gesture to Holly. "This is my tour guide, Holly. She has been showing me around and had suggested that I try out the Coltlantis submarine tour."
Both Fancy Pants and Fleur gave Holly a polite nod. It was then that both you and Fancy Pants were caught by surprise to hear Fleur say something to Holly in Haywaiian. The diamond dog giggled and replied still leaving you and the other stallion out of the loop. Both Holly and Fleur smirked in amusement.
"Uh... Okay?"
"Oh, it's just a little joke." Fleur snickered.
"Yeah," Holly chuckled, "something about how forgetful one can be in new situations."
You look at Fancy Pants, worried that perhaps he might be insulted but instead he seemed to be enjoying the conversation.
"Well, it would seem you are an interesting fellow," Fancy Pants said, "why don't you and Holly join us on the tour?"
You gave Holly a glance and she smiled.
"I think that would be fine." Holly said.
"Splendid."
It was then that an announcement came over the intercom.
"Attention all of you, who are joining us on this fine day. Please descend the steps and take your seats below deck. Thank you."
"I guess that's our queue." Fleur said as she moved toward the stairs and began her descent.
Making your way down, you discovered a long room with circular windows facing outward to the underwater paradise below the waves. In the center on the chamber were two rows of seats, back to back, facing outwards toward the windows.
Aside from the windows there was no light in this area of the vessel, except for the blue light that filtered through the underwater windows.
You managed to find yourself a seat, with Holly sitting one side, with Fancy Pants and his wife on the other side. Once everyone was seated you could hear the sound of the latch above closing and sealing shut. You could feel your ears pop slightly as the ship was pressurized. Then the submarine began to move.
Water rushed by as the submarine left the dock and began to move deeper into the ocean. Looking out the portal in front of you, you could see water and sand, which gradually gave way to pieces of colorful coral.
"We will now be passing through the Haywaiian Coral Reef." The voice came over the intercom.
Passing through the reef, numerous species of fish began to become apparent among the coral. Pieces of red, yellow, aqua green and purple coral stretched outward like branches and fans. It was like passing through a forest under the sea.
"We will soon be passing by the remains of the Fetcher," the announcer said, "one of our vessels that fought against the Storm King during the Storm Empire's invasion decades ago."
Slowly a large column of copper red coral came into view, its shape almost pony like. A large piece of green seaweed was draped around the coral almost like a flowing dress.
"What you can see is the mast of the Fetcher," the announcer explained, "the decaying wood covered with coral. The shape of the coral, along with the seaweed surrounding it has given this monument the name of the Mare beneath the Waves."
It was a fitting title considering how it looked like a mare looking into the distance.
The submarine continued to move and more species of fish came into view. Even a few species of shark would swim by, though most seemed to be cautious of the massive vessel.
The sight of the creatures reminded you of Jagged Nibble and her conflict with Holly. However you were completely distracted once Holly started pointing out and naming the various fish that passed by the glass.
"That is a Haywaiian Moon Fish," Holly said pointing toward a white fish that looked like a crescent moon. Its round, blue eyes looking through the window as it swam by.
"He looks kind of funny." You chuckled.
"Yeah," Holly giggled, "the males are that bright white while the females are a dark blue. This allows the males to draw away predators from his mate and their eggs."
There was the sound of somepony to you left gasping for breathe, soon the source became apparent as a large red tentacle came into view. There was a slight jerk as the submarine came to a stop.
"Oh dear," the announcer said, "it would seem that our ship has been gripped by a giant octopus."
You heard a scream as from one of the passengers.
"But not to worry," the announcer continued, "long ago the natives developed a song that would pacify such creatures. We shall play the recording now."
Slowly a tune began to creep over the intercom.
"Shou be doo! Shou, shou be doo!"
As the music continued, your ears began to ring. You glanced around but noticed that nopony else appeared to be having any similar ailments. Gradually the ringing began resonating through your skull painfully. You clenched your hooves against you temples, you brain seeming to throb.
"..."
You felt a paw grab your face and found yourself looking at Holly. The diamond dog seemed to be trying to ask you a question, but you couldn't hear it over the ringing. Your vision blurred and seconds later, all you saw was darkness.
When you came to, you could hear the sound of waves crashing.
"Do you think he'll be okay?" You could hear Fleur ask.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Holly said, "now that he is outside and that song is no longer playing."
You tried to open your eyes, but had to blink from how bright your surroundings were. As your vision returned you found yourself on the docks with Holly, Fleur De Lis and Fancy Pants looking down at you worriedly.
"What happened?" You asked as you tried to stand up.
"The song came on and you fell unconscious." Fleur replied as her husband helped you to your hooves.
"That is quite surprising," Holly answered, "apparently only one in a million ponies have that kind of reaction."
"With that kind of luck you should hit the lottery." Fancy Pants said.
Of course, you knew full well, that with your luck it was more likely that you would meet the mare of your dreams, be hit by lightning and swallowed whole by a Tatzlwurm, before you ever won the lottery.
Everyone went quiet as a low rumble filled the air. After a brief moment you realized that the noise had originated from your stomach.
"Perhaps we should find you something to eat." Holly insisted.
"Well, there is a nice restaurant that Fleur and I enjoy," Fancy Pants suggested, "why don't we go there?"
"Yeah Lunar Noodles is pretty good." Fleur agreed.
The sun was dropping low as the day drew to a close. Having agreed upon the place to dine for supper, you followed your friends as they lead you back into town to the Lunar Noodles restaurant.
The downtown district of Haikuvasz was bustling with activity, as diners, nightclubs and other tourist attraction sprang to life.
"Here we are?" Fleur said.
The restaurant was positioned on the dock, facing outwards toward the beach with a sign in front with the words Lunar Noodles written in both Ponish and Haywaiian with the image of a bowl filled with noodles underneath. The building itself was gray with blue trim, possibly to mimic the colors of the Princess of the Moon. Fancy Pants and his wife lead the way inside followed by Holly and you.
You were about to enter when something out of the corner of your eye, caught your attention. Turning you were surprised to see Jagged stepping into a neighboring building, a bar by the name of the Lime Bowl. The last you saw of her that evening was of her aquatic tail passing through the doorway.
"Are you okay?"
Holly was standing inside waiting for you to enter the restaurant. Glancing back you saw no sign of the shark mare.
"Uh, yes," you answered, "I think so."
Your hooves rested peacefully on your stuffed belly as you looked down at the empty bowl on the table in front of you.
"That was a pretty good meal." You said with a smile.
You were pleased you had taken Fancy Pant's suggestion for ordering the Shrimp Bowel. The dish had consisted of noodles, a semi spicy source, sliced green onions, along with some yummy shrimp.
"Indeed." Fancy Pants agreed.
Looking to your left you were surprised to see Holly happily eating out of a second bowl. Just one bowl had been enough for you and the others.
The interior of the restaurant was fashioned with some Kirin architecture. In contrast with the outside of the building, the inside consisted of wooden planks. The room's decorations had connections to the stars and the moon.
"So what are you two doing here in Haywaii?" You asked.
"Well," Fancy Pants chuckled nervously, "we decided to take a break from our work and visit some of the areas that Fleur had been at when she was younger."
Fleur cuddled up to her husband.
"So you've been to Haywaii before?"
"I did a lot of traveling in my youth," Fleur explained, "journeying along the coasts and a few islands."
Even still the Haywaiian Isles were a large distance away from the Equestrian coast. It wouldn't have been to odd if you hadn't heard the rumors that Fleur De Lis may have been a seapony of some sort. However, while you were tempted to ask about the rumor, you decided that this wasn't the right place for such an inquiry.
"So Holly," Fleur spoke up, "are there any other things you enjoy doing when you aren't being a guide?"
Holly finished her bowl before responding, "I have a few hobbies. I like to collect seashells and I enjoy playing Ultra-Fetch with my friends."
"Ultra-Fetch?" You had heard of this sport, but didn't really know anything about it.
"I suppose you could say it is kind of like a regular game of fetch," Holly explained, "you have two players. One who throws the ball while the other player fetches it. Once the Fetcher catches the ball, the pitcher hits a stopwatch. While the fetching player may return immediately to the pitcher for more points there are also flags on the field that they can weave through to gain additional points. Once the fetcher returns with the ball, their points are calculated and the players switch roles. Once a round is complete they move onto the next course."
The name of the game and the role of the fetcher reminded you of the sunken vessel that you had seen during the submarine tour before your... Incident.
"Wasn't that sunken ship in the tour called the Fetcher?" You asked.
"It was," Holly answered, "the game of Ultra-Fetch was originally a military exercise, however once the war ended it was adapted into a children's game. The vessel was itself named after the fetching role in the exercise."
"So where will Holly be taking you tomorrow?" Fancy Pants asked.
"I don't know," you answered before turning to Holly expectedly.
The tour guide pulled out a small booklet, "Let me take a look at the schedule... Oh, dear."
A dismayed look stretched across Holly's face.
"What is it?"
"One of my nieces is having a birthday party tomorrow and I promised her that I would be there," Holly answered, "I completely forgot. What should I do?"
"Go to the party," you replied, "I can figure out something else to do."
"Or you could come with us for the day," Fancy Pants suggested, "we will be meeting one of Fleur's friends and exploring the sights."
You look back at Holly, who give you an apologetic smile.
"Would that be okay?" She asked.
Both Fancy Pants and Fleur De Lis seemed trustworthy. Also hanging out with them would allow for Holly to go to her niece's party and give you the chance to explore and perhaps see if there was any truth to those rumors.
"It will be fine," you answer, "go to the party tomorrow."
"Then it's settled." Fancy Pants smiled.
Overjoyed by the turn of events, Holly slurped up the soup at the bottom of her noodle bowl. She smacked her lips as she placed the now clean bowl back down on the table.
"Then I guess I'll see you in a couple days," Holly said, "have fun!"
Soon she was out the door and heading home. You found it a little odd that she ran out in a hurry, but shrugged it off and turn back to Fancy Pants and his wife.
"So what did you two have in mind for tomorrow?"
"A year ago I made friends with this mare who lives here," Fleur answered, "she is a little rough around the edges, but she's nice. We were invited to go fishing with her, I don't think she will mind having you come along, so long as you follow the proper etiquette."
"The proper etiquette?"
The waiter came over with the receipt for the food. Fancy Pants proceeded to write a check for the meal.
"Yes, there are special rules that guests on a ship are supposed to follow," Fancy Pants explained, "don't worry we can discuss it tomorrow on our way to the docks."
After paying for the food, the three of you stepped out of the Lunar Noodles restaurant and parted ways.
"Where are you resting?" Fancy Pants asked.
"I am currently residing at the Cracked Coconut Hotel." You answered.
"Oh... I see"
Something about Fancy Pant's tone, conveyed a feeling of surprise.
"Uh, where will you both be at?"
"We have a room at the Fourth Season Resort," Fleur answered, snuggling up to her husband, "it's so romantic."
"Right..."
Something told you that Spring Rain may have picked a hotel on the cheaper side of the scale.
"So where should I meet you both tomorrow?"
"Meet us at the docks," Fancy Pants answered, "once we meet up we will move on from there."
Going your separate ways, you made your way back to your hotel. Your journey was peaceful with the soft lighting and the sound of crickets playing there songs in the night.
Arriving at your hotel, you discovered that there was a different receptionist at the front desk. She sat there, filing her claws as she waited for any patrons to enter. Ascending the steps you made your way to room twenty eight and unlocked the door.
Stepping inside you closed the door and made your way to the television. Turning on the device, you eyes were met with static.
"Really?"
You try changing the channel but your efforts produced the same results. Complete static. You even tried hitting the top of the television with a hoof with no improvement.
A little frustrated you looked around the room and spotted the radio sitting next to the window. Walking over to the table you examined the contraption. It appeared to be in good condition with barely a scratch on its plastic surface.
Clicking the button you turned the knob until you found a decent sounding radio station.
"Welcome to Coldwave on Channel 93.9!" A strong feminine voice came over the radio. "I am your host DJ Sharp, here to bring you some amazing tunes both from the mainland and your fellow islanders!"
You can feel a smile stretching across your face as you hear the host's voice. It would seem that DJ Sharp had a pretty good radio personality. However, there was something about it that felt faintly familiar.
"This next song is brought to you by Vinyl Scratch from the mainland! Clap your hooves and paws for, Laser Dream."
A familiar upbeat song, you had heard a few times while walking through Canterlot. An electronic tune with whimsical beats played through the speakers.
Before you could get lost in the music something caught your eyes. Outside your window was a green gecko, looking in with curious eyes. Its large blue eyes seemingly following your every movement. Not wanting to be spied on during the evening you closed the curtains.
Tired from the days activities you walked over and laid down on the bed. You enjoyed the music as you rested, the tune serving as a siren's call, lulling you to sleep. Even as you began to drift off to sleep you could faintly hear the song in the background.