Chapter II: La Mer
It was just after noon and Grand Galloping Central was teeming with busy commuters. As the largest train station in Equestria, there was a constant flow of ponies moving in and out of the busy Manehattan terminal. Its elegant decor and grandiose demeanor went largely unnoticed by its more frequent users, but the odd tourist could be seen taking in the sight for the first time, reveling at its beauty while others shuffled past obliviously.
Pinkie Pie stood in the arrivals section of the station, shifting restlessly on her hooves. She remembered when she first arrived in the big city and took in the sight herself. She had bounced around like a maniac, looking at all the new things to see and meeting all the new ponies to talk to. None of them had really wanted to talk to her though, and she was mostly ignored or told to go away.
That was something Pinkie never really got used to; the lack of compassion all city-folk seemed to share. She had been friends with everypony in Ponyville, and would casually chat with a few of them on her walks about town, or throw them parties to celebrate pretty much any occasion. Or just hang out and have fun with them! In Manehattan however, everypony tended to keep to their own circles.
It was hard to cope at first, and Pinkie considered packing it in and moving back many times. But then, as her business began to grow, she started meeting some very nice ponies who thought she was just the 'bee's knees'. She built up a base of loyal customers and soon enough, “Pinkie Pie’s Pastry, Party and Prank Emporium” became a common name among entertainment contractors and private party-holders alike.
“10:15 from Canterlot! 10:15 from Canterlot, now arriving,” a loud voice echoed over the sound of hurrying hooves.
Oh! Oh! That’s Rarity’s train!! Pinkie’s thoughts returned to the present and she started bouncing with excitement. This is going to be soooooo super-ificly FUN!!
Looking across the steamy platforms, Pinkie watched as the train pulled in and slowed to a stop. It was one of the newer engines, the kind that didn’t need ponies to pull it. She remembered hearing some hubbub about how the new trains needed unicorns to work the furnace that powered them, and that earth ponies were getting mad 'cause they were losing jobs. But ponies pulling trains had always seemed silly to her, and the new ones were way faster too.
Pinkie had to refocus again; in all the excitement her mind began to wander. She had way more important things to think about today than boring old trains and high tech stuff.
Though Pinkie’s hyperactivity had been diluted with age, and moving to a new city helped reign in her excess of emotion, the instant the beautiful purple mane of her friend came into view, she just couldn’t hold it in.
“RARITY! HEY! OVER HERE, RRRRRRRAAAARRRITY!!!!!!” She waved her forelegs frantically, drawing confused and annoyed looks from all around.
Standing by the train's exit, Rarity heard a familiar voice. She instantly spotted her in the crowd and noticed the stares being attracted. She looked embarrassed, but only for a brief moment. A huge smile replaced the quick falter, and she trotted over to her old friend double-quick.
“My, my, if it isn’t Pinkie Pie! How have you been?” Rarity beamed, speaking in a tone almost as thrilled as Pinkie sounded. She locked the giddy pink mare in a passionate hug.
“AMAZING! Ohmygosh, I can’t believe you’re here! I have been SO. EXCITED.” Pinkie gushed, happier than a filly at a toy store. Or even herself at a toy store! Finishing the long hug, Pinkie’s eyes shot to her friend’s lone suitcase. “Huh, I thought you’d have... more of those.”
“I decided to travel light.” Rarity said, then quickly changed the subject. “So, how are you handling the big city? Or, perhaps I should ask how it's handling you?” Pinkie laughed at the remark. Such a beautiful sound, I never realized I missed it so much, Rarity thought, basking in the potent sense of nostalgia.
“It’s great! Took a little while to get used to it, but now I’m a regular city slicker!!” Pinkie all but shouted, earning more looks of disapproval from the ponies around her.
For once, Rarity was willing to forgo her image and ignore them. She was on vacation after all. “And what shenanigans have you planned for the week, Madam Manehattan?”
“It’s...... A SURPRISE!” The pink pony’s grin was so big it nearly split her face in two.
Concern flashed over Rarity face. That could be a good thing.... or a very, very, VERY bad thing...
“10:25 from Ponyville!” The voice from before called. "Now arriving!"
“Oh! That’s Applejack and Fluttershy’s train!!” Pinkie bounced even higher in uncontrollable glee. There was now a clear path of commuters going around the two ponies.
Here we go... Rarity thought nervously. She was still a tad apprehensive about seeing all of her friends again, but it was far too late to turn back now. Noisette had been so sure this was a good idea, and she’s always right...
Soon, a very out-of-place looking cowpony with a timid tag-along appeared, eliciting another overjoyed outburst from Pinkie. The two quickly trotted over to their energetic friend and Rarity, ready to exchange a round of hugs.
“Pinkie Pie! I ain’t seen ya in a dog’s age!” Applejack exclaimed, grinning. “And, why, if it ain’t Rarity! It's great to see you both. How’s big city life treatin’ the two of yah?”
“Very well, Applejack,” Rarity said politely. “And- how are Harvest Moon and yourself doing?” She still felt awful about missing their wedding, but if this week was good for anything, maybe she could make up for some lost time.
“Oh... uhh, he’s just fine. We both are!” AJ smiled awkwardly, and Rarity smiled back, then gave her a sincere hug. Maybe everything will be okay after all! The two mares thought.
At the same time, Pinkie greeted her third long missed friend. “IS THAT FLUTTERSHY?!” Pinkie screamed, jumping onto the nervous pegasus hiding behind Applejack. They rolled onto the ground, but instead of recoiling with fear, Fluttershy was laughing her adorable little laugh, triggering another wave of nostalgia.
“Oh Pinkie! It’s just wonderful to see you again!” Fluttershy said, catching her breath and standing up. They shared a laugh and moved in for a group hug in the middle of the concourse.
Opening her eyes, Rarity noticed a security pony was now watching them intently. “Umm, perhaps we should move our little soirée outside?” She said when the hug persisted.
“Oh yeah! We gotta go meet Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie broke away from the group and lead them towards the exit. “Come on! Time’s a-wastin’!” They quickly gathered their assorted baggage and began to follow, when a stallion in a porter’s uniform stepped out of the horde of travelers.
“Excuse me, Miss Rarity?”
“Oh, yes, that’s me.” She replied. The others looked on in confusion.
“Here is the rest of your luggage, Ma’am.” He gestured behind himself where a veritable mountain of bags and suitcases were piled, all with a matching floral print.
Sensing the looks from the others, Rarity turned to face them. “What? I may be traveling light, but I’m not a savage.”
They burst into a giggling chorus at the unicorn’s expense. While most of the bags were full of spare clothes, accessories and several sun hats, the others contained notes, sketches and fabric samples. Rarity was planning to work on her Gala dress during the week, hoping for the inspiration promised by Noisette.
While the others laughed, a smile appeared on Rarity's face, replacing her momentary scowl. She joined the infectious laughter, going with the joke rather than spoiling the lighthearted mood it produced.
The four mares were still chuckling when they walked out the massive entrance to the station and into the warm summer sun. The beautifully engraved double doors had barely shut behind them, when a shout from above brought the waning snickers to a grinding halt.
“IIIIINNNNNNNCOMING!!!”
They all snapped their attention to the sky as a rainbow streak crashed into Pinkie. She flew backwards with her assailant, slamming into the finely crafted entrance and causing quite the raucous. Rarity winced, looking around for more security stallions.
“Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie cried, apparently unvexed by the vicious assault.
“The one and only!” the prismatic pegasus boasted
"I have miiiissed yoouuu," Pinkie cried. Despite being trapped beneath her friend, she leaned up and gave a rib-crushing hug. "Finding other ponies to prank with over the years has been impossible! Lyra was okay for a while, but you were the best!"
Rainbow Dash wheezed, her eyes slightly popping out from the pressure. "Ho- Easy, Pinkie!" She managed to take a deep breath after being released, and helped Pinkie stand back up. “Ehheh, so, did I miss anything?”
Pinkie shook her head. “Nope! You really made it here from Las Pegasus fast.”
“Wait, ya’ll flew here all the way from Las Pegasus, Rainbow?” Applejack questioned, “What the hay fer?”
Rainbow smiled uncomfortably. In truth, she had been training. Las Pegasus was way on the west coast, so she had divided the trip into segments, each the same length as the distance between Fillydelphia and Manehattan. After some trial and error, she was now sure she could cross the distance fast and still have enough energy to perform a Sonic Rainboom upon arrival. This meant she could spend three days with her friends, then take off for Fillydelpia to make the end of show.
She couldn’t tell them that, though. “I... just wanted to see how fast I could do it,” Rainbow lied.
Applejack eyed her skeptically for a moment, then smiled and pulled the stunt flier in for a combination hug/noogie. “Same old Rainbow.” Applejack laughed, taking in her reunited group of friends... but somepony was missing. “Hey, wait- where’s Twilight?”
“Yeah! Where is that egghead, huh?” Rainbow added, shrugging off AJ’s prolonged hold and leaping into a hover.
Pinkie’s bright smile lost a touch of its cheer. “Oh- well, in her last letter she said she was in the Griffon Kingdom, so I sent my invitation to the return address there... but, I didn't get a reply back.”
The whole group drooped at the news. None of them had seen Twilight in years, and she was the one who sparked their friendship in the first place! It just didn’t seem right for her not to be at their reunion.
Why did Celestia have ta send her off like that, anyway? Applejack thought, recalling the day Twilight told them she was leaving to study magic abroad at Celestia's personal request. It was the first time she'd ever felt upset towards the princess, and it never quite went away.
“Hey, don’t you girls frown!" Pinkie said, bouncing back to her normal, cheery self. "Maybe she’ll show up when we least expect it and surprise us all!”
“Oh yes, I believe you mentioned something about a surprise earlier?” Rarity asked. The others perked up with intrigue.
“A s-surprise?” Fluttershy asked warily. “It’s not a scary surprise, is it?”
“Oh yeah!” Pinkie grinned, causing the pegasus to gasp. “I mean, oh... no!” She giggled at Fluttershy’s visible relief.
“Well, what is it then!” Rainbow asked impatiently yet with a grin.
“The surprise? It’s what we’re gonna be doing this week!” Pinkie sang, clapping her hooves together.
“An’ that would be...?”
“We’re going... ON A CRUISE!” Pinkie shouted. She stomped her back legs hard on the marble stairs that lead into the station and an explosion of confetti shot out of her hooves. The others jumped back as the pink projectile shot straight up, did a somersault and landed in front of the dazed group. “SURPRISE!” Colourful paper fluttered down around her.
“Wh-What in tarnation... How in the hay...?” Applejack recovered first, stammering the question they were all trying to form.
“Pinkie Pie’s Exploding Horseshoes!” she boasted. “It’s a new item at the store, I came up with them myself! Only 10 bits a shoe! Ages 18 and up.”
“A... cruise? On a ship?” Rarity said next, regaining her composure. “Oh, I wished you would’ve told us, I would have packed completely different...”
“A... cruise?” Rainbow repeated. “Like, on the ocean?” Uh no, this could ruin everything... Her mind was already racing.
Fluttershy was still shaking on the ground, her face buried under her hooves and wings. Loud noises were not a forte of hers.
"Excuse me, I’m going to have to ask your party to leave the premises.” A burly stallion wearing dark sunglasses growled. He was flanked by two other large ponies and wore a shirt that read ‘Head of Security’.
“Good idea!” Pinkie cried to them, grabbing as many bags of luggage as she could, “We got a boat to catch!” Loaded with a dozen suitcases, she hopped down the steps and onto the busy Manehatten street, motioning for the others to follow.
Same old Pinkie, Applejack chuckled to herself. She tipped her hat to the guard, then calmly followed after her four friends.
A cool wind blew in from the east, bringing with it the wet, salty smell of the sea. Gulls squawked at each other and sailor ponies moved about the maze of criss-crossing planks that made up Manehatten’s harbour with practiced ease. Many boats were moored around the busy port, but one ship stood out, dwarfing all the rest.
"Booooooooy howdy.” Applejack whistled as she laid eyes on the massive ocean liner. “How does somethin’ that big even float?”
The ship towered above them, its high metal side was speckled with portholes and three monstrous smokestacks made the thing seem even taller. The five friends gaped at the behemoth from the dock in awe. None of the ponies were very familiar with the sea or the vessels that crossed them, but surely something like this was impossible.
“There must be some sort of magic at play... yes?” Rarity asked, eyes wide in amazement.
“Nope!” chirped Pinkie, “They only use magic to run the biiiiig engine inside. It floats all by itself!”
“But... how?” AJ asked, tearing her gaze from the steamship.
“No idea! Mr. and Mrs. Brulée asked me to help them plan their 40th anniversary, so I looked into White Line Cruises and learned a little about their boats, but I didn’t really understand the sciencey mumbo-jumbo.” That was Twilight’s thing... Pinkie ignored the pang of sadness that came with the involuntary thought. This week was about fun and friends, not being a mopy-pony-sad-pants.
“Oh... oh my.” Fluttershy whimpered quietly, “It’s... very big.”
“They have even bigger ships, too!” Pinkie smiled. Fluttershy shuttered at the thought.
“All aboard! Ship sails on the hour!” A pony called from the gangway, signaling they were ready to load up the passengers.
“Come on, let’s go! I know some of the ponies at White Line, and they gave us special tickets that let us get on first! And don’t worry, according to the Brulée’s, this ship’s 100% safe and 200% FUN!” She skipped quickly down the dock with her nervous friends in tow.
The group reached the plank that lead into the ship and Pinkie passed the tickets to the pony out front. He glanced them over and allowed them to pass, to the chagrin of the long line of passengers waiting their turn.
“Well, as long as it’s safe...” Applejack said under her breath, taking a careful first step onto the gangplank. "This is quite the surprise, Pinkie Pie. Thank you."
Pinkie grinned back over her shoulder. "Dooon't mention it!" she sang, already bouncing up to the ship.
Spotting the chance to speak privately with Pinkie, Rainbow Dash flew up ahead of the others. “Soooo Pinkie; how far does this thing go out anyway?” She’d never flown over open ocean before. This little ‘surprise’ had a chance of ruining all her plans to slip away early.
“What’s the matter Dash? Scared of a little water?” Pinkie joked, smiling with one part friendliness and two parts comfortingness, just in case her friend was afraid of water.
“Pssshhh, no," Rainbow shot back. "I was... I was just curious, is all.” Of course she wasn’t scared of the ocean, she was just being thorough.
“Don’t ye fret, landlubber!” Pinkie said, closing one eye and putting on a pirate voice, “Cap’n Pinkie won’t make ye walk the plank!” She burst into a fit of laughter and Rainbow found herself joining in.
Whatever, I’ll figure it out later, Rainbow decided with confidence. She could fly for miles without landing, after all! Unless they were headed for someplace like Saddle Arabia, she was positive she’d be fine.
Meanwhile, Rarity uttered constant apologies to other ponies that were behind her and Fluttershy, who were very patiently waiting to go aboard. Rarity did her best to hurry Fluttershy, who was slowly moving up the slanted plank and trying not to look down at the increasing distance from the water below.
“Come now, dear, I’m sure it will be fine once we get inside,” she said reassuringly. In truth, Rarity had never been on a ship before, though she did have some clue what to expect from the inner furnishings. Being in the-know constantly at Canterlot included not just fashion, but what the top socialites enjoyed. Cruises were one of the latest crazes. Whether this ship in particular was quite as fancy as some of the magazines she had read was left to be seen.
“Welcome aboard Our Majesties’ Ship: Endless Horizon.” the sailor at the top of the incline welcomed cheerfully. He turned the crank that opened the heavy door on the ship’s side and ushered the ponies inside. Fluttershy hurried on, ignoring the now distant sounds of water churning below her. She ran blindly into something and opened her eyes to see Applejack sitting there with the others, just staring at-
Fluttershy's eyes went wide as dinner plates as she took stock of the room she was standing in. It was positively beautiful, and an entirely different feel from the cold metal exterior. Twin spiraling staircases ran along the walls of an open shaft, leading to lower levels of the ship. Hanging down its center was a crystal chandelier the length of several floors that bathed the area with a soft and magical light. Every inch of wall space was covered in artwork and engravings.
“Oh my... Pinkie...” Rarity gasped, entering behind Fluttershy. “How did you get these tickets?”
Pinkie looked back and smiled. “I told you! I know ponies in the cruise game!” she chimed. “Okay, so I booked us three double rooms for the week.... but I guess that means somepony has to be by themselves.” Despite her wide smile, she sighed to herself. I was so sure she’d be here, too...
“Ah suppose Rarity should bunk with all her luggage,” Applejack said, getting a few snickers from the others.
Rarity, however, scoffed at the remark. Well, I am a fashion designer... what did you expect? She shook the thought away, surprised at the quickness of her own hostility. Now, now Rarity. It was just a joke after all. She managed to join in once again with a laugh, though it was a bit late.
"Yes... I suppose I shall require the extra space, thank you, Applejack,” she said dourly. Her baggage had been sent over from the station and was already loaded onto the ship. It would be waiting for her by the cabin she would now be alone in. I guess I’ll just have to do all my rekindling during the daytime.
“Gravy. Ah suppose Ah’ll stick with Fluttershy... so that leaves Rainbow with Pinkie,” AJ finished.
Rainbow Dash, busy looking around, gave a nonchalant nod and agreement, while Fluttershy did the same.
“Perfect!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Let’s get all our stuff stowed away, then we can head up to the dining room for supper!”
“Sounds good ta me!” Applejack said. “All Ah’ve had today is train food...”
The five mares picked up their bags and made their way down to their rooms, admiring the ships immaculate interior. After taking the stairs to deck E, they found bronze sconces lighting the way down carpeted hallways to the passengers quarters. Other guests passed by on their way to their own rooms and the friendly crew members were happy to give directions when needed.
“This is us, roomie!” Pinkie sang to Rainbow as they reached room E33. “You guys are just down the hall there, number 34 and 35. Dining room’s on deck B!”
“Splendid! I shall see you all at dinner then.” Rarity said, trotting off to the room with a pile of luggage in front of it. Applejack and Fluttershy moved onto their room with similar sentiments as Pinkie used her room key to open the cabin door.
She rushed in as soon as it was open and began jumping on the closest bed, giggling like a lunatic. “Ta-Da! Whaddya think, Dashie?”
Rainbow followed her in, still worried about her carefully laid plans. Despite her inner turmoil, seeing Pinkie having so much fun brought a smile to her face. Pinkie was a blast to hang out with, and she should be enjoying it. All her thoughts and worries about the Fillydelphia show would only lessen the experience, so Dash pushed them aside for the moment. She'd worry about it in three days.
With a powerful flap of her wings, Rainbow leapt onto the other bed and began jumping and giggling just as crazily as the mare beside her. Someone in room E32 banged on the wall to get them to keep it down. He was pointedly ignored.
“Pinkie, this is 100% AWESOME!” She shouted, jumping higher and taking in the cabin. It was compact, but not overly cramped, and decorated in the same fashion as the rest of the boat. Everything was designed to save space, from the small writing desk to the attached bathroom. It was sorta like a train car, though much fancier.
“I know right! I’m SO glad we’re sharing a room by the way! I was actually kinda sorta maybe worried you wouldn’t show up at all...” Pinkie said, jumping off the bed and landing heavily on the carpeted floor.
Rainbow stopped jumping as well. “Really? What made you think that?”
"Well, isn’t there that Wonderbolts show in Fillydelphia soon? I wasn’t sure if you’d be willing to miss it... but then I thought, hey! This is Rainbow Dash we’re talking about!” Pinkie finished with a giggle.
With a twinge of guilt, Rainbow laughed nervously. “Hehe... yeah, I wouldn't miss this for the world!”
“I know it! Come on, let’s unpack so we can meet up with the girls!” She bit down the bag Rainbow had left by the doorway and tossed it across the room towards her friend.
Still lost in guilt-ridden thought, the normally quick-reflexed pegasus didn’t notice the flying luggage until it slammed into the bedside table next to her. The crash brought her to full attention... just in time to see her belongings spill out onto the floor.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I’ll get that!” Pinkie cried, running over to administer her special brand of ‘help’.
“Pinkie! No, it’s okay... I ...!” It was already too late. Before Dash could even get off the bed, Pinkie was leafing through her personal effects. It only took her a second to find the bombshell hidden within.
“It this- You brought your Wonderbolts uniform?” Pinkie asked, holding up the incriminating garment. “But... why would you bring this?”
Dash was about to open her mouth and attempt to salvage the situation... when out of the folds in her blue uniform fell a map. It was marked from Las Pegasus to Manhattan with timed intervals, and an air route to Fillydelphia penciled in. Pinkie looked down at it, then back at her roommate with a sad frown.
“Okay, fine! I was planning on leaving a just a few days early to make the show,” Rainbow blurted out, knowing when her goose was well and truly cooked.
Pinkie gasped out loud, clutching the flight suit to her chest. “So that’s why you were asking about the boat...” she said, processing Rainbow’s betrayal. “How could you plan to ditch and not even tell us!”
Flapping her wings gently, Dash lifted up off the bed, “I’m sorry! I didn't want you guys to be upset! And I wasn't just going to up and go, I was gonna tell you before I went! I swear!”
Pinkie looked at the costume, then back at her floating friend. “Is that show is really more important to you than your friends?” Her lip quivered, she looked close to tears.
“No way!” Rainbow swooped down and wrapped a wing around Pinkie. “I’m here, ain’t I? I just... I can’t let down my fans. Think of all the little fillies and colts who’d be sad if they didn’t get to see their hero! You wouldn't want them to be sad... would you, Pinks?”
With a sniffle, Pinkie placed the suit back in Dash’s bag. “I... I guess not... You should have told us though!”
“I was! I will! Just... not yet. I want everyone to have a good time, yah know?” Pinkie nodded. “That’s why they can't know yet! It would ruin the whole reunion. This way, we can all have fun, and when the right time comes, I’ll tell them, okay? I'm still gonna be here for most of the trip.”
Pinkie turned and hugged Rainbow back so hard they both fell over. “Okie dokie, Dashie. I won’t tell them, but you should. And soon.”
Rainbow squirmed in Pinkie’s crushing grip. “T-Thanks, I’ll... play it by ear. Now, whaddya say we go get some grub?”
“Uuuh... Ah’d like ta propose a toast,” Applejack said, rising to her hooves and raising her glass.
The four other mares were seated at a round, white-clothed table in the center of the opulent dining area. A roaring fireplace gave the whole room a homey feel, and the warm orange glow of the setting sun shone through a large window behind them. The tall buildings of industrial Manehattan were slowly shrinking into the distance as the ship moved on its way far out to sea.
Looking around the table, Applejack had noticed a slight change in the group's demeanor. Pinkie Pie kept flashing worrisome glances at Rainbow Dash, who was trying to ignore her by looking out the window. Rarity seemed distant, and was doing a good job of keeping her wine glass empty. Fluttershy seemed scared and intimidated, but then again, she usually did.
“Uhhh, to the best friends a mare could ask for!” AJ continued her toast, hoping it would raise the group’s collective spirits. “Ah think Ah speak fer all of us when ah say it’s been too long since we’ve last been together.”
“Oh yes...” Rarity said, taking another healthy sip of wine, “I’m so glad we are all here, together.”
“Yeah... That's right...” Was that sarcasm? It was hard to tell with Rarity sometimes. Unperturbed, Applejack went on, “Well, Ponyville ain’t been the same since ya’ll left... I really mean that. Though, it’s been a might quieter since you did, Rainbow.” Maybe a little humor’ll do the trick?
“And what’s that supposed to mean, huh?” Dash asked defensively, meeting Pinkie's eyes and immediately looking back at the distant city.
Shoot, guess not... “Uh, n-nothing! Heh, ya'll remember when she started reading them Daring Do books?" Applejack laughed, hoping the others would join in. "She sneaked her way back into a hospital just ta get her hooves on one!" They did not.
"It would have been better if she just told us what was going on." Pinkie said, before folding her forelegs and burying her muzzle in them on the table.
Applejack coughed. This is ain't going well. "Uhh, yeah. That's right too... Ah just, well, Ah wish ya’ll would visit more is what Ah’m trying to say here. Ah think about ya all the time and well... Ah missed ya.”
Rarity scoffed. “Humpf! Not enough to actually come out to Canterlot yourself.” There was undoubtedly venom in her voice.
Applejack blinked. “Huh? Now hold on Rarity, I got a farm to take care of, and a husband. I can’t just take off to other cities all willy-nilly," she told the confrontational unicorn. What’s her problem anyway? “And last ah checked, you were the first one ta move away, and ya only came back... what, three times since?” Despite her better judgment, Applejack felt her own anger rising. She didn’t even come to mah dang weddin’...
“I was facing bankruptcy!” Rarity replied in a harsh whisper that was loud enough for surrounding tables to overhear. “I had to move to a bigger market! And I wasn't the first to leave, Twilight was.”
“Umm, maybe we should all just, calm down a little bit...” Fluttershy tried to say, but was drowned out by the bickering mares. Pinkie and Dash watched on in stunned silence, before again avoiding eye contact with one another.
“At least she takes the time ta send letters!” Applejack matched Rarity’s heated tone.
"At least I don’t boss everypony around!” Rarity hissed louder, still angry at her forced solitude. She had heard the others talking and laughing and having fun in their rooms while she unpacked her designs, and that had kept that anger simmering.
“Please, let’s just enjoy each other’s-” Fluttershy began again, only to be cut off by Pinkie.
“RAINBOW IS DITCHING US FOR THE WONDERBOLTS!” she shouted, unable to keep the secret a moment longer.
“Pinkie!” Rainbow finally met her eyes. “You said you wouldn’t tell!”
"I- I'm sorry! Uggh, shoulda Pinkie Pie promised that one..." Pinkie rubbed her shoulder sadly.
"Leavin'?" Applejack repeated.
Stares were passed around the table, then, but words failed them. A hush fell over the table and five of the former Elements of Harmony sat without making a sound. Outside, the sun continued to slip slowly behind the far-off city, turning the sky from orange, to pink, to dark purple.
Applejack stood first, leaving the table and her unfinished meal without a word.
The others followed shortly after.
Waves hit the side of the ship far below with a gentle rhythm. With the sun gone, the sky filled with Luna’s stars and her pale crescent moon. The twinkling lights reflected off the dark water’s moving surface, making it impossible to tell where sky ended and ocean began.
An endless horizon.
Applejack leaned against the railing of the ship’s topmost deck, looking out at the beautiful illusion. She couldn’t help but think about Harvest Moon.
Build the fire back up... her thoughts recalled. But what if the embers have gone out already?
She sighed into the night, wishing he was there to give her advice and promise her things would work out okay. She’d asked him to come, but he refused, saying this was a 'no boys allowed' kind of thing. That wasn’t true at all though; the letter said nothing about bringing other ponies along, and Pinkie really liked Harvest. If she had asked, Applejack was sure she would have let him come.
Harvey wouldn’t have it though, and now everything had gone sour. Within the first day, no less.
“Hey, Applejack?”
She spun at the noise, finding Pinkie Pie standing alone on the deck behind her. “Pinkie? Ya'll shouldn’t sneak up on ponies like that!” Applejack said, turning back to the stars and her troubled thoughts.
“Sorry- I just... Are you okay?” Pinkie moved closer, her pink hooves clicking softly on the wooden deck.
“Ah’m fine, just... a little queasy, that’s all.” It wasn't a total lie, the slow rocking of the ship was starting to upset her stomach. She was a farm pony after all, not a sea pony.
Pinkie took position next to her on the railing, admiring the night. “It’s pretty, huh?” She said, much lower than her normal volume.
“Look, Pinkie.” Might as well be honest... “Ah think this reunion was a great idea, and Ah want things to be like they used to just as much as you do, trust me. It’s just, well, you saw what happened in there. We’ve grown apart. There’s no denyin’ it. We ain’t the same mares no more...” She trailed off.
The two stood next to each other for a moment, listening to the bubbling surf and gusting winds. “I don’t think that’s true, Applejack.” Pinkie broke the silence.
“How do ya figure that?” She replied, grabbing hold of her hat to keep it from blowing away in a sudden gust. “We ain’t even the Elements of Harmony anymore.”
Lifting a pensive hoof to her chin, Pinkie said, “We may have changed a little, but we’re still the same ponies. I’m still Pinkie Pie, and you’re still Applejack, right? And we’ll always be the Elements of Harmony too, we just... need to remember how, I think.”
Pinkie smiled reassuringly, but Applejack wasn’t so certain. The friendship the six ponies had once shared was so much simpler. So many things were complicating it now, unspoken thoughts and feelings made everything said a gamble likely to set off one of the others.
“What if our friendship is beyond savin’ now?” she asked, looking out across the endless ocean.
“It’s never too late, Applejack!” Pinkie chimed. “You’ll see! Once Twilight gets here, things will be just like they used to!”
“...Twilight?” Pinkie nodded back to Applejack with another smile. “Ah hate ta tell ya this, but she ain’t coming Pinkie, she’s off doing her own th-”
Applejack was cut off by an abrupt lurch of the ship. She flailed her forelegs wildly at the railing to prevent herself from flying over it. Pinkie made a similar movement as the metal framework of the ship groaned, rocking with a metallic whine.
“What the hay just happened?!” Applejack cried.
