//------------------------------//
// Call, and Raise 
// Story: Titanic 
// by Imperator Chiashi Zane 
//------------------------------//

Quartermaster Hitchens stared at the ship, and the whistle, “We can’t go back.  The suction will pull us down if we don’t keep going.”
“We go room for lots more.  I say we go back,” Mossy Brown was quite forceful, but the quartermaster refused to back down.
“No!  It’s our lives now, not theirs.  And I’m in charge of this boat!  Now row!”
Mossy Brown released her oars and stood, her powerful Earth pony build a great deal larger than Hitchens’ slight Unicorn frame, “Who’s rowin’ the damn boat here!  Ladies!”
None really wanted to defy the quartermaster though, and most just kept rowing in the direction away from the sinking ship.
__
Kale and Lovejoy entered the foyer from the corridor, to see one of Kale’s fellow noblestallions in full ensemble, with his valet.
“Bean, what’s the occasion?”
“We have dressed like gentle-stallions, and are prepared to go down as such.”
“That’s admirable, Bean,” Kale passed the elderly stallion and started up the stairs, “I’ll be sure to tell your wife…When I get to New Yoke.”
__
Two card games continued as the ship sank.  In the smoking hall, everything was quiet and civilized.  No panic.  No servants or crew either, but none of the stallions sitting around the card table minded.  One Pegasus snagged a cigar off a silver serving cart as it rolled past, and snipped the end off, sniffing it appreciatively.
“Seems we’ve been dealt a bit of a bad hand tonight, eh.”
The response was laughter, and a lighter being hoofed over to light the cigar.
“Indeed,” a Griffon dropped a couple of bits on the table, “Raise.”
__
Kale and Lovejoy moved aft with purpose, passing the head chef, who is tossing the floating deck-chairs into the water to help those who have already gone overboard.
__
Light-foot growled at the press of passengers, now from all three classes.  One crew-pony, a broad Earth pony, swept the deck with the tiller of the boat he was standing on.  Light-foot pulled his revolver and pointed it at the crowd, “Get back!  Keep order!”
The passengers backed down, thankfully, and Officer Lowe began ordering the boat down.  Light-foot sighed and turned away from them, flicking the pistol open with his magic, revealing it to be empty.  “Dammit.  Why tonight, Celestia.  Why now?”
__
Kale and Lovejoy reached Merdock in time to see him lowering the last boat, “We’re too late.”
Merdock turned to them, “There are still some more boats further forward, sir.  Come with me.”
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A small panic developed at the water, as boat thirteen caught in the outflow of water from the pumps.  It slid underneath boat fifteen, which was still coming down.  Right on top of them.  Passengers inside shouted and screamed while stallions braced themselves in a valiant effort to catch the descending five ton boat.  Finally, one of the occupying crew, a stoker who had evacuated when a little coal-streaked filly had told him to get out, leapt to the aft falls and whipped his horn at it, slashing through the rope with a magic spade.  Another Unicorn in the boat slashed the forward falls, and together they pushed themselves to safety.
__
Kale looked over the rail to see Officer Lowe, using his pistol to discourage ponies from jumping on as it passed the open promenade, “Stay back you lot!”  Twice, he fired.  Four times the shots echoed.
“It’s all starting to fall apart.  We don’t have much time,” he noticed Merdock moving away, and started after him.  Now, though, Merdock didn’t seem to care if Kale was there, or not.  “Mr. Merdock, I’m a business-stallion, as you know, and I have a business proposition for you.”
__
Jack burst onto the deck, followed by his building retinue just aft of the third funnel.  Rose wass the first to actually notice, having already been on deck, and knowing where to look, “The boats are gone!”
A quick spin, and she spotted a large Griffon escorting two finely dressed ladies back inside, “Sir!  Are there any boats left?”
The Griffon looked at her, tiredly, “Yes, miss.  There are still a couple of boats up front.  This way, follow me.”
Before he had the chance to turn to lead them off, Jack darted past, scooping up Rose, and trailed by Tommy and Honor at a full gallop.
The Griffon turned back to the two ladies he was escorting, shrugged his powerful wings, and started walking again, “I guess they didn’t need to be shown.  Shall we?”
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As the group passed the band, Tommy paused for a split second, gaping at the bass player as he deftly stepped to an angle nearer to the wall, “Ah, music to drown by.  Now I know I’m in First Class.”
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Water started pouring over yet another bulkhead, and deep inside the boiler-rooms, a coal-streaked filly settled her hooves onto the catwalk.  Bulkhead H.  It was spilling into boiler room two.  She scratched a note into the wet dust on her fore-hoof.  She was getting so, very, very tired.  It was becoming hard to remember the way, and the angles were shifting.  It was throwing her off.  She started flapping again, making use of the boiler thermals as much as possible to reach the engine-room once more.
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Water spilled onto the forward boat deck, a few meters from where Officer Merdock and a team of stallions worked to drag the first of the four collapsible boats into the davit.  The crowd is sparse, most of the passengers still being near the aft end, further from the water.
Kale levitated one of the stacks of money out of his pocket and into Merdock’s, “So, we have an understanding then?”
Merdock nodded, “You, your servant, and one mare.  As you stated.”
Kale stepped back, satisfied, and glanced around.  Lovejoy still hadn’t returned with Rose.  He stood now, beside Bright Island, who did not meet his eyes.  No matter.  Lovejoy returned and tapped Kale on the shoulder, “I have her.  Other side.  With him.”
“Mares and Foals?  Any mares or foals?”  He glanced at Kale, “Anypony else?”
Kale looked at the boat.  His moment was here.  He could escape, leave that blasted mare behind, and get off the boat.  Or…”Celestia Damn it to Tartarus!  Come on then!”  He followed Lovejoy across the ship, taking a shortcut through the bridge.  Island, seeing an opportunity, and an empty seat, moved forward into the collapsible.  He stared straight ahead, not meeting the eyes of the officer.
Merdock, also carefully did not reciprocate the act of not looking into Island’s eyes as he raised a hoof, “Take them down!”
__
On the port side, Light-foot gestured passengers into the next boat, using his pistol to keep them moving, hoof off the trigger-plate.  Beneath them, the sounds of rushing water drowned out the shouts, but were enough incentive, as the ocean filled in staterooms on B-deck, to get them into the boat.
“Mares and foals, please.  Mares and foals only.  Step back Sir.
Even in Jack’s arms, under his wings, Rose was shivering.  Nearby, a mare with two foals in tow kissed her husband, “Goodbye for a little while,” he looked down at his two fillies, “Go with mummy, she’ll keep you safe until daddy gets back.”
The mare turned and helped her foals into the boat before climbing in herself.  She looked back, keeping the fillies heads pointed away from the ship, and their father, “Hold your mummy’s hooves and be good fillies, promise me.”  Both fillies uttered muffled promises, not quite understanding.
The stallion held his head high, refusing to let tears fall until his family was out of sight.  He knew he wasn’t going to make it.
Another stallion scribbled a note, and handed it to one of the mares on the boat, “Please, take this to my wife in Des Moines, Iowa.”
The mare nodded, and slid the note into a small bag, already filled with similar notes from other stallions.
Jack looked at Honor, “You better check out the other side.  Take Tommy.  He’s got better eyes.”
The stallion nodded, and dragged Tommy away to check the other side for more boats.
“I’m not going without you Jack.”
“Get in the boat, Rose,” Jack was just about to repeat himself when Kale trotted up, looking like he had just won the lottery.
“Yes, please Rose, get in the boat,” Kale looked at the two as Rose moved instinctively back under Jack’s outstretched wing.  In her wet slip and stockings, she was quite possibly one of the least modestly garbed passenger he could see, “Celestia, look at you…”  He slid his coat off, and wrapped it around her shoulders, “Here, put this on.  Cover yourself up.”
She shrugged into the coat and looked over her shoulder, as Light-foot hollered, “Quickly ladies, into the boat.  Hurry please.”
“Go on, Rose.  I’ll get the next one.”
“No!  Not without you!”
She doesn’t even notice Kale standing there, watching the whole exchange, jaw tensed in rage.  Kale leaned in close and in a low voice, growled, “There are boats on the other side that are allowing stallions in.  Jack and I can get off safely.  Both of us.”
Jack smiled reassuringly, “Yeah, Rose.  I’ll be alright.  Hurry up so we can get going…We’ve got our own boat to catch.”
“Hurry up, Rose.  It’s nearly full.”
Rose turned, and felt herself being bodily hoisted into the air and set in the boat beside a group of other mares and foals.  “Lower away!”
The two stallions waved as the boat descended out of view.  As soon as Rose disappeared, the two turned, and Kale nudged Jack, “You’re a good liar.”
“Almost as good as you.”
“I always win, Jack.  One way or another,” a toothy grin with a hint of sadness crossed his face, “Pity I didn’t keep that drawing.  It’s going to be worth a lot more by morning.”
Jack returned the sad smile, “There’s not actually any boats over there is there?”
Kale shook his head.  As much of an unimaginable bastard as he was to the Thestral, he knew they were both equally screwed now, unless one of the boats on this side started taking stallions.
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Rose watched the ropes travelling through the tackle as the boat lowered towards the water.  It was all in slow motion, soundless.  She heard nothing.  Not Light-foot’s orders.  Not the passengers clamoring.  Not a rocket bursting over-head.  Only her heart, pounding in her ears, blood rushing through them like a raging river.  She looked up to Jack as another rocket back-lit him and Kale, the Thestral’s wings trembling.  Tears began to flow.  Rose began to move.  She lunged across another passenger in the boat and clambered over the gunwale.  With a leap, she managed to get her fore-hooves over the rail of the A-deck promenade, one deck down from the boat deck.  She returned to the Titanic.
Jack spins around at the sudden shouting, and darted to the edge of the ship, to see Rose struggling up over the railing, “No Rose!  No!”
Kale, witnessing the same act, realized, right there, that Rose was willing to die for this gutter rat.  Rage welled up inside him as Jack performed a back-spinning wing-roll to drop the one deck to where Rose was.
Jack tugged Rose up over the rail and the two tumbled onto the deck, “Rose, Rose, You’re so stupid, You’re such and idiot...”  His lips pressed against hers between words, overcome with multiple emotions.  Love, anger, fear, disappointment.
“You jump, I jump, Right?”
Jack stared at her for a moment, “Right…”  He kissed her again, “But not back onto a sinking ship!”