//------------------------------// // Prompt #464-It Kinda Makes Sense // Story: Ponywatching // by ThunderTempest //------------------------------// Four ponies held their legs over the railings of the ship as it pitched and rolled and yawed over the waves. One Pony moved back and forth with a herbal mix, and the last sat up the top of the ship’s mast, all but rolling around with laughter. “Come on, girls! It’s just a little movement!” cackled Rainbow Dash from her perch up in the rigging, as the ship hit a particularly large wave, its bow pitching forwards, nearly driving the figurehead into the deep blue. “Consarn it, Rainbow!” said Applejack, between heaves of her chest, “why ain’t you thowing your lunch up?” “Uh, pegasus, remember? I’d be a pretty lousy Wonderbolt candidate if I got motion sickness. Same with Flutters, too.” As one, the four ponies turned their glances to the yellow pegasus who had been running back and forth with buckets, tonics and whatever remedies the ship stocked since they’d hit open water. “Oh, um, sorry,” said Fluttershy, trying to hide behind a mane that was whipping and blowing in the swift wind that propelled the ship forward. She deposited another bucket by Pinkie Pie, who had just turned away from the railing. The party pony promptly picked up the bucket, and retched into it, a foul smell pervading through the air. “Too many cupcakes,” moaned Pinkie, as Fluttershy removed the bucket to throw over the rear of the ship to prevent anypony getting splashed with their own vomit. “Why are we out here again?” asked Rainbow Dash, dropping from her perch in the rigging, and only flaring her wings at the last second to land perfectly on the deck of the ship. Four sets of eyes glared at Rainbow, envious of the pegasus’ apparent iron stomach and inbuilt tolerance for erratic motion. Twilight relented first, letting her glare fade from jealousy into soft annoyance. “We’re out here because Princess Celestia wanted us to check up on the seapony clans: it’s nothing formal,” began Twilight, pausing as she covered her mouth as the ship hit another large wave, “but she hasn’t heard from them for a while, and Princess Celestia just likes to know what’s going on.” Rainbow Dash gave a cough that sounded oddly like ‘suck-up’, which would have earned her another glare had a wave not smashed into the side of the ship, causing it to roll to the left, and Twilight Sparkle was sent staggering to the railing once more. Rainbow Dash ignored all of her previous instincts and lessons on ‘not embarrassing her friends’, and collapsed on the deck, roaring with laughter, and even Fluttershy had the beginnings of a smile forming on her face. Rainbow’s laughter echoed around the ship, and continued all the way to the meet up point for the rendezvous with the seaponies.