(2 Weeks Later)
Vinyl, who had never been on a cruise before, stared out the window at the hulking blue ship. The thing was massive; it could probably hold a thousand ponies or more. From the boarding building's windows, she counted about fifteen enormous silver lifeboats on the right side. Up top were two huge cylindrical funnels, one at the front of the ship, the other at the back. In the middle of them spanned an elongated semi-cylinder forged of foggy scarlet glass. Looking back down at the open brochure on her lap, she found it to be a fancy restaurant by the name Princess's Court.
Up from the leaflet, she took a good look around the waiting room. With Lyra's pass, they were at the complete front of the line to board, but the wait was killing Vinyl. The bland room wasn't helping either; the grey carpets matched the grey walls perfectly, and both did a fair job of matching the grey ceiling. Out to her right, was a large open room - the customs area, where they had presented their tickets and such. Past that was the waiting area, which was just a plethora of bolted down chairs in the style of an airport.
The walls were no more forgiving, bearing only a few pictures of other ships from the Regal Eloquence line. She soon found that she was fortunate to be sitting next to a window; looking at the odd features of the ship was the only form of entertainment she was going to get. Sitting on the row beside her was, of course, Octavia, but she was reading a book and 'politely ignoring' Vinyl, as she had put it earlier. Adjacent to them, Lyra and Bonbon were snuggling close, barely restraining their excitement to mere smiles.
So she resigned herself to staring out the window, occasionally looking down at the pamphlet. From that little booklet, she learned quite a bit about the cruise: They would be entering the main foyer, which was a huge room with elevators on either side. This was also the ballroom apparently, and would be where Lyra would be playing on the more fancy occasions. Around that, on multiple levels, there was an assortment of shops, cafes, and other small things. Past that, heading to the forward of the ship were the cabins. Theirs were on the top level; suites, given only to esteemed guests or rich ponies.
On the very top deck, according to the booklet, was a covered bar and pool that surrounded the fancy restaurant. At the front, was a huge hot tub, with a pool attached. At the back there was a mini-golf course, surprisingly. In just staring at it, Vinyl was lost in her awe-struck stare.
"Boarding in 10 minutes." The intercom boomed loudly, no doubt disturbing the countless stuck up ponies in the large room. Vinyl herself was clutching her chest tightly, rocking in her chair. Octavia sighed, but did not turn up from her book. Though if there was one good thing she got out of the sudden jolt - and her marefriend's rudeness - it was a reason to complain.
"Lyra, why do I have to wear this while we board? Can't it wait till, like dinner or something?" Vinyl asked, examining her crimson dress with a hoof. The thing arched on her back, spreading down her plot, and drooping to the floor. A scarlet bow tie sealed the whole thing, while vivid red hoofwraps encircled her legs to complement it.
"Because," she said, turning away from Bonbon. "This is a fancy occasion, so you need to be dressed for such." Her own dress was a deep emerald gown that ended at the arch of her tail. Around her neck was a teal collar, with small ruffles on its end. Hoofwraps curled up her legs as well, mirroring the whole party's legs.
Vinyl huffed and observed Bonbon. She was wearing a simple saddle that was studded with tiny gems, all of which were a deep purple. The saddle itself was a nice, soft violet, with some artisan crafted ruffles on its borders. Her hoofwraps were the same color as the gems, and they did well to complement her overall look.
After Lyra and Bonbon had gone back to chatting about the cruise, Vinyl turned to her cold marefriend. Octavia was dressed in her simple pink bowtie, but complemented it with a pink gown that almost matched her own. But instead of hoofwraps, Octavia was wearing stripped pink socks. Vinyl couldn't help but blush, a small chortle slipping free.
Octavia, she soon saw, was staring at her with an annoyed look on her face. "Oh, ha, sorry Tav," Vinyl said with a chuckle, blushing and turning away. Tav grunted and went back to her book.
"Boarding in five minutes. Please have your ticket prepared at the gate." Once again, Vinyl was caught off guard. Her heavy breathing was faintly audible.
"Everyone have their ticket?" Lyra asked her crowd. She and Bonbon held theirs up, and so did Octavia, that annoyed look still on her face.
"Yep, right here," Vinyl said, pulling her ticket out with magic.
"Alright good. We should get up to the gates now, just in case," she said and winked. Lyra fell to her hooves from the chair, and Bonbon came after. The couple smiled, and hooked out of the block of chairs.
Octavia smiled back to them, then, when they had gone up to the gates, turned to Vinyl. She scowled. "You and I are having a very serious talk when we get to the cabin, understand?"
Vinyl just gulped down her words and nodded. They both stood on their hooves - Vinyl letting the little pamphlet fall - and headed up to the gates with the rest of their party. She was not particularly looking forward to this talk, but she would do anything for Octavia at this point, so she would just have to see where it went. No fighting, she reminded herself. She would have none of that on the cruise.
The two ponies met up with Lyra and Bonbon, their tickets ready in their mouths. The gates were also what a pony could expect form an airport - a royal airport, that is. Large red felt ropes funneled ponies into an organized line, leading up to a security check, then to the boarding tunnel. Lyra, Bonbon, Octavia and Vinyl were lucky enough to be at the front of the line; from the length of the felt ropes, Vinyl was sure it would get packed.
"Boarding in one minute," the intercom announced.
Behind them, a line of ponies began to form. Most of them were content to chat with each other, their uptight tone filling the tense air. Though, there were the few who shot Vinyl looks. Scores of flutters churned in her stomach.
Vinyl looked to her forward at the large grey security pony. He was giving her an evil eye behind his sunglasses, she could tell. Anywhere else, and she'd tell this colt off. But a quick glance to Octavia puckered Vinyl's open lips.
"C'mon girls!" Lyra said, slicing through the tension with her giddy chimes. "We're boarding!"
Octavia scowled at Vinyl once more, then turned and followed their bouncy friend and her marefriend. Vinyl felt like she was getting scolded left and right, when she hadn't even done anything. If she was going to be talked down to the whole time she is on this cruise, well, she may as well jump overboard. She was a good swimmer. The thought tinged in her head as she handed the grey stallion her ticket. He took it with his mouth, slid it into a bucket, then turned to the huge line behind her.
Sighing and hanging her head, she sauntered behind them, her red hoofwraps protecting her form the cold floor. The dress was warm enough, she found, to keep the chilly air of the boarding tunnel off of her. The shaft - like everything else - was a terribly bland grey. Vinyl hoped the cruise had at least one more color aboard it, or she would die of the dullness. "Fancy ponies," she grumbled under her breath.
Octavia darted a look that commanded silence, causing Vinyl to bite her lip and retract. "Tell me darling, do we have to go through the card process?" she asked, turning from Vinyl. The way she could regain her formal rhythm eluded her mind.
Up ahead of them, Lyra was already nearing the entrance to the ship. "Nope! Isn't that great? All of our cards are being sent to the suites," replied Lyra.
"Carding process?" Vinyl's gaze fell to her hooves as she bit her lip.
"Yes, dear," Octavia said to her, "Everypony on the cruise must have a card given to them by the company. It proves that they belong on the ship. If you don't have it, you can't buy drinks, or even enter the bars... I may just take yours away." She tossed a hoof beneath her chin, rubbing it in thought.
Vinyl growled. "There you go again, treating me like I'm a filly!" she said.
"I told you before, when you act as one, I shall treat you as one!" Octavia snapped back.
"Girls, please," Bonbon said, turning to face them. "Can you put the fighting off till later, or something?" She nodded over to Lyra, who's head hung low. "Please?"
The two bickering ponies simply huffed and turned away from each other.
"Thanks." Bonbon sighed, turning back to Lyra. Her comforts and condolences were barely audible, but Vinyl could pick them up.
***
Soon they entered the ship, stepping past a grated entryway and through the ballast. Vinyl found herself looking in awe at the foyer; it was truly awe-inspiring. She continued through the side boarding door in which she came, soaking the whole place in. The floor was glossy wood, with glass laying over a finely carved recreation of a meteor shower. The floor stretched into a square, just as the room was. The walls on either side were in the continuing arch shape of the boat, lined with windows which were separated by finely crafted columns. Blue seemed to be the main theme here, as the horizontal columns on the walls were deep blue with white trim.
To Vinyl's left, there were the elevators. Two of them shot up the wall, creating the line of symmetry that ran down the ship. On either side was a hallway that led deep into the ship; she could see signs for various bars and clubs, and also what seemed to be a casino behind them all. A grin grew as she had found her first destination.
Above the first floor, but only on the left, were about five more stories. The railing on these were blue with a golden trim now, and also expertly crafted to resemble waves. All the way at the top, the theme of the ship was revealed as Vinyl saw a huge mural of Princess Luna hovering above the clashing waves of a stormy sea, the moon and stars behind her. That would explain the name of the ship: Lunar Maiden.
On her right, Vinyl saw the eloquent stage that Lyra would perform on. On the far side of it was a large doorway that she could not see into. The stage itself though was raised about three feet from the floor, with wavy blue pillars creeping up its glistening white-gold side. On either side was a staircase, white marble forming each step. As of now, the stage's dark blue floor had only a grand piano, but Vinyl was actually looking forward to seeing Lyra up there.
"Vinyl, we're waiting on you," said Octavia. She was holding the right elevator's doors open with her hooves.
She snapped from her daze and galloped to her party. "Oh, um, sorry about that," she said with a blush. Her wide eyes did not droop.
"Just pay more attention next time, will you?"
Bonbon placed a hoof on Vinyl's dress, a pleading look in her eyes. VInyl shook her head with a long sigh. "Sorry," she said with a sneer.
Nopony really said anything after that: Vinyl was content to watch the elevator rise above the foyer from the glass, and Octavia refused to even look at her. Lyra and Bonbon just kept giving each other nervous smiles, as if there was a way to ease up the tension that filled the elevator.
Behind them, the doors glided open, revealing the top floor. "Alright, this way. We need to get to the next set of elevators," Lyra chirped, bouncing off the elevator. Her enthusiastic demeanor did its job, and soon all four of them had at least a small grin.
***
Up the internal set of elevators one measly floor, the crew got out and took a right. They were in the cabin section now, the suites being the closest to the foyer and such. This area was rather small, almost box-like, with two elevators on either side of the small area. The red carpets offered a nice change of scenery here, though, and Vinyl had found her vanity comparing the awesome carpets to her eyes.
At the forward center of this room, a fine staircase topped off. On either side of the staircase loft, two hallways split off in an L shape. Lyra and Bonbon were leading them down the right hall, into another vivid area. The red carpets seriously clashed the blue walls here, but the white trim in the corners blended it in a way that made it seem attractive. She was surprised to say the least. The hallway was quite cozy.
Doors spanned down this hallway on either side, and between each was a small candle fixture that lit the place through soft scarlet glass. The gaps between them were great, but as Lyra had said, these were first class suites! Butterflies ahoy in Vinyl's stomach, she took up last place as her party stopped at a pair of doors.
"Alright, one-thirteen! This is yours and Vinyl's," she said, levitating the room key to Octavia's mouth. "We're right next door here, so if you need us, don't hesitate to come over! Now, the luggage should be brought up in about an hour, if there aren't any problems. Um, dinner is at six I think; its earlier tonight than it will be the rest of the time. So, yep, if you two need anything else, just ask!" She turned to Bonbon. "C'mon, I think they delivered champagne for us." They both giggled, and entered their suite together.
When their door closed, Octavia slid the room key into their door. The white wooden door swung open easily, and Vinyl was greeted with her new abode. The walls here were a nice, light shade of blue, with the darker blue of the room laying in the carpets. The entryway was small - the first bathroom was right there apparently, closed in a small area - but it was no problem as she barged in behind Tav.
The door slammed shut behind her, letting her prance around in private. She dashed past Octavia, and two wooden armoires, to the large countertop that spanned the left wall of the room. It was loaded with soaps, shampoos, chocolates, and even a bucket of ice that was chilling a champagne bottle.
Tempted though she was, Vinyl decided to leave it and check out the balcony next. She threw open the curtains, and slammed open the blue stained glass doors, throwing herself out onto the balcony that overlooked the Great Equestrian Sea. It wasn't as big as she'd imagined - it only spread out about twelve feet - but it was furnished. A midnight blue couch was bolted into the stained wood, a small wooden table in front of it. The couch curved around the far right corner. Above it was a blue wooden board; this separated their balcony from their neighbor's. The railing on the balcony was wavy and blue, just as most of the other railings on the ship.
Finding this place to be rather boring, she pranced back inside. Octavia snarled as she trotted past, heading to the actual bathroom of the place. Through the opening in the wall Vinyl ran, examining the whole bathroom. It was an elongated rectangle that spanned the length of the suite. At one end, there were two sinks. At the opposite, there was a rather nice looking hot tub. Vinyl's grin widened as her face grew devious.
"Vinyl, get out here," Octavia demanded in a scolding tone.
Ears flat, Vinyl poked her head out of the bathroom. Octavia was sitting on one of the two blue beds, tapping her hoof impatiently. Cautiously, Vinyl left the bathroom and neared Tav, sitting next to her on the bed. The purple eyes of the Octavia stared into her soul, a seriousness about them that she only saw in her concerts or scoldings.
"First of all, I suppose I'm happy you came. But I am by no means happy with you, so don't even begin to think everything is fine," she said. "Now this prancing around has to stop. I will not tolerate you embarrassing me or yourself. Also, that dress was expensive; I'll not have you ruining it with your silly antics."
Vinyl examined the cloth of her scarlet dress and rolled her eyes. "I'm just having a bit of fun."
"Don't talk," Octavia said with a blunt tone. "I'll do the talking, and you shall listen. If not, you can have fun sleeping on the deck." She pointed to the deck with her hoof.
Vinyl bit her lip and fidgeted, but did not speak out. Instead she just nodded and stayed silent.
"And, while we're on the topic of sleeping, there are two beds in this room. You can have the one closest to the deck, and I'll take this one."
The cold arrangements brought a frown to her face, but she knew Octavia would let her in the same bed. She just had to give it time. For now, she simply nodded again.
"Dinner is in, what, four hours? Good, we have time to get settled. Our luggage should be up soon, and then we can-"
Vinyl cut her off, wrapping her forelegs around Octavia's neck and pulling her close. "I'm sorry Tav, I just wanted to start this off right."
Octavia fumbled with her words, but returned the embrace nonetheless. "W-Well, that's very good of you," Octavia said, blushing ever so lightly. Her soft socks pressed against Vinyl's red dress, and even though both of those things severed direct contact, Vinyl still smiled, her eyes closed and her breathing deeps and warm. Unfortunate as it was, they hadn't actually hugged in a good while. A very familiar rush of heat filled Vinyl to the brim.
"So, you wanna pop that champagne open?" Vinyl asked with a giggle.
But Octavia snapped back into her cold demeanor. She pulled away from Vinyl, giving her a harsh stare, and with a tone of authority said, "Oh no, you aren't getting drunk this early in the cruise. You'll be lucky if I let you have any alcohol at all!" The grey cellist placed her hooves on her hips.
"Whoa, and who are you to say if I can drink or not?" Vinyl fired back a harsh scowl.
"I am the responsible mare in the relationship!" she said.
Vinyl gave a cold look. "I'm very responsible, thank you very much!"
"Oh please, you are hardly responsible. Has all that vodka of yours damaged your brain already?"
Vinyl was fuming with rage now. "I can't believe you! You know what, I'm gonna go explore! Yeah! I don't need this right now!"
"Don't you dare get that tone with me!" Octavia hissed.
"I wouldn't if I didn't get yelled at every five minutes!".
Octavia, before she said anything else, took a deep breath in. "Fine. Go. Perhaps we just need a little while to 'cool off'. Just be back before six, okay?" Her composition came back much faster than Vinyl had expected.
She had to blink the shock off. "Yeah, I'll be back before dinner. Can I have my card though?" Her mood was nowhere near normal yet, but she could force it if need be.
Octavia picked up Vinyl's card from the pillow and handed it to her. "If you get drunk," she said, pulling it out of her marefriend's reach, "It's the deck. Understand?"
"Yeah yeah, I get it," she said. She snatched the card with her magic, eager to get going before any more words were flung. Once it was in her grasp, she tucked it away in a small pocket of her dress and headed for the door.
Just before she managed to slip through it, Octavia gave her final warning: "And don't get your dress dirty. You have to wear it to dinner tonight." Her tone was full of stress; Vinyl quietly nodded with pursed lips.
"Gotcha Tav," she promised with a wink, squeezing though the door. It promptly shut behind her, leaving her in the quiet hallway alone.
***
Vinyl eventually made her way to the foyer again. This time, however, it was packed with ponies dressed in extravagant suits and dresses, all chatting amongst themselves. The scattered mess she found herself in now was terrible as much as it was annoying; everypony seemed eager to escape the place before more could shuffle in, creating a hurried feeling that jostled her around. It was strange, too: she was simply trying to get to the information center, behind the elevators, yet she managed to get sucked into the middle of the room.
Things were getting ugly. The ponies around her were more than uptight, so every time she accidentally bumped into one of them, they gave her a slice of their opinion. A very, very angry slice, topped with long words and drizzled with insults. To top that off, her dress was at risk of being ruined. She didn't want to piss Tav off any more, so she was doing her best to preserve it, yanking it up above her hooves and hugging it close to her body.
Eventually she was spat out of the crowd in the right place, dress and ego intact. Now she was in the less crowded hallway that spanned beyond the elevators. It was tiled with marble, spanning down the length of the ship. So far as she could see, the only place where this hall and its twin met were right where she was standing; the information desk.
Surprisingly, there was no line here. She approached the desk, which was right on the elevator wall and rang the small bell on it a few times. Bells were fun, after all.
But an annoyed looking desk clerk thought otherwise. "Hello miss," he grunted.
"Hi," Vinyl smiled politely. "I was wondering when we head off."
"That'd be just before dinner, madam."
Placing her hoof under her chin, Vinyl looked up at the board behind him. This bright blue info board held a lot of interesting things to her: There was the massage parlor, the lounge hours, and even room service. That definitely peaked her interest. "Room service, eh? What kinda stuff can I get from that?" she asked the frowning stallion.
"Anything from the ship's restaurant. Would you care for a copy of the menu?" His face was twitching, and it seemed as though he had more to say.
Remembering seeing a menu on the counter in the suite, Vinyl declined. "Nah, thanks though. I do have another question though!" she told the retreating colt. "When does the massage place open?" The thought of a massage was nice, but Octavia was on her mind as she asked. That pony needed to chill, and this was the perfect opportunity.
"Nine to midnight, miss. But I'm afraid it isn't open today. You'll also need to make reservations-"
"Reservation for two in the earliest time you got!" Vinyl slammed her blue plastic card on the table.
The stallion picked up her card and inspected it. "Why, ma'am, you have a V.I.P. card," he said in an apologetic tone.
"So?" Vinyl asked. She examined the card with an unimpressed stare.
"You don't understand the V.I.P. system?" He gave her a confused look. When she shook her head, he proceeded to say, "Well, for starters, you can set up a reservation at any time in the spa. Just say when is good for you, and I can make it happen. Also, all of your drinks at the various bars around the cruise are completely free."
Vinyl's heart skipped a beat; free drinks, from every bar? A huge smile stretched across her face. "Anything else?"
"Your room service is free, of course. And your dinners, supposing you choose to eat in the cruise dining hall. This doesn't apply to the Princess's Court, unfortunately," he explained, his sorry tone unfailing. She must've been special or something. Everything was free for her, and now this chump was being nice all of a sudden. "Though it does apply to the spa," he winked.
"Do I need a reservation for that too?" Vinyl asked with a raised brow.
The blue stallion thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Just tell me when you want to come in, and I'll make the arrangements. So, is there anything I can do for you?"
Vinyl thought about it, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Yeah...Yeah, there is!"
***
"If she ruins this cruise..." Octavia muttered. Sprawled on her bed, she was as comfortable as she was going to get. A heavy sigh slipped her lips. "I'll have her hide."
Right now, she was stretched on her back, sinking into the soft mattress and blue silk sheets. Her eye, though, was on that champagne bottle. At first she scoffed at it; it was probably a simple Charles de Ravon. Petty in her opinion. But her mouth watered, and her eyes drifted back to it.
She shoved herself off her bed, shaking her mane and tail back into place. Across the blue carpet she strode, hoisting herself up on the marble counter. Carefully with her hooves, she hoisted the bottle out from its icy bucket. To her surprise, the champagne was no Charles de Ravon. It was Bollinger, Blank de Noirs! This was almost a hundred bits a bottle in the Canterlot wineries! Octavia was blown away.
Eyes wide as saucers, she began reconsidering Vinyl's offer to crack it open. She quickly frowned and shook her head. Yet, her expression softened. "Ah, but she is my little Scratches..."
"It would not be right," she told herself. She dropped the bottle back in the ice. Besides, late night champagne was always the most romantic. Perhaps things could go well for a change.
Sudden knocks at the door sent her heart racing her. She pushed herself away from the counter, and trotted to the door. Out the small viewing glass, she saw Lyra and Bonbon patiently waiting in the hallway. Without a clue as to what they could possibly want - but glad for some well mannered company - Octavia pressed the door handle down and yanked it open.
"Hey girls," she smiled to them, "Come on in!"
"I hope we aren't intruding," Lyra apologized, stepping past Octavia. Bonbon followed, a large smile plastered on her face.
"Oh, no, no, no, it's quite alright," Octavia said. "Please, have a seat." She extended her hoof to Vinyl's bed. The couple gladly obliged, hopping up onto the soft mattress. "So what brings you here?"
"Well we figured we ought to let you know how today's laid out. But, um, where's Vinyl?" Lyra took note of the lack of energy the room had.
"Oh she, um, went to explore the ship," Octavia smiled.
Bonbon's smile fell, however, as she shot a raised brow to Octavia. "Did something happen between you two already?"
"It was a tiny scuffle, nothing severe," she said to the couple. "She said she'd be back before dinner, so I'm holding her to it. I've made ample threats to throw her out to the deck should she mess anything up."
Lyra and Bonbon just looked at each other with uneasy smiles. "Well..." Bonbon began, flipping her mane around, "Anyways, dinner..."
"Ah yes," Lyra said," the schedule! First off, we leave port at promptly five tonight. That's also when I disappear from you gals." She winked to Octavia. "Bonbon knows what to do, so stick with her when you go to the dining hall. And - OH!"
After checking the hanging clock - and finding that it was three in the afternoon - Octavia faced her green friend's exuberant smile. "Yes? I'm all ears."
"I was chosen by the cruise company, sure. But the captain apparently had a hoof in the matter too! We're all dining with him this Saturday!" She bounced in her place.
She winced. Saturday? That was only four days away. Octavia's eyes shot wide at the thoughts of Vinyl at the captain's table. The mess, the embarrassment...she bit her lip and shuddered.
"I see you're excited also!" Bonbon, who was hugging Lyra, said as she examined those wide pink eyes.
"Oh, um, yes! Yes, I am! And I'm very happy for you, Lyra." Octavia politely smiled back. But oh how she was dying on the inside.
A loud knock from the cabin door bounced through the room. The unexpected sound caused yet another startle to the ponies today, their hearts beating hard in their chests. All three ponies got to their hooves and walked across the room to the door.
"I assume that's your luggage," Lyra said, chuckling. "Well we'll get out of your mane. See you at dinner." With another wink, Lyra opened the door and stepped around the trolley. Bonbon did the same, and now Octavia was alone with the luggage pony.
"Room one-thirteen, two suitcases and a duffle bag," the grey colt said. The metal trolley beside him was loaded with multiple suitcases, but she could easily make out Vinyl's old green one. It sat next to her own red one, which was much better for the wear. Then of course was their grey duffle bag they had decided to share, containing their own shampoos and stuff of that sort.
Octavia gave a firm nod. "You can set them on that bed, over there." She pointed once more to Vinyl's bed.
The colt was dressed in a blue service suit, a uniform of the cruise no doubt. He took the two suitcases from the golden trolley first, lugging them to the far bed and gently resting them atop it. Octavia had taken the liberty of getting the duffle bag, curtly setting it down behind the door.
"Please, have a good day ma'am." The chivalrous colt smiled.
She blushed and smiled back. "You too sir." She closed the door behind him promptly; that situation had quite the awkward potential that she didn't want to stir. With a sigh, she turned back to her duffle bag.
It was time to get unpacking.