While the crew of the Rusty Reel was working on keeping the boat afloat Rarity, Twilight and Spirit were sitting in the crew
quarters riding out the storm. The boat rocked back and forth in the heavy winds and rough waters.
“Ugh I don’t see how this doesn’t bother you” Rarity said to Spirit as he was looking out a porthole
“I’ve been on boats before. Never in a storm this bad though or in a boat this small”
“Something isn’t right about this storm” Twilight said as she attempted to keep her balance
“You mentioned something about telling the pegasus’ to hold off on storms. How do they manage that?” Spirit asked
“It’s simple really. Most weather in Equestria is controlled by Cloudsdale occasionally natural storms do occur. When we
don’t want storms to happen we ask them to keep an area clear. Before we left I sent word for them to keep it clear for our
journey.”
“So maybe they are busy and missed this place?” Spirit sat down next to Twilight
Twilight continued “I doubt it; Pegasus’ are very meticulous when it comes to the weather and if they did forget the storm
wouldn’t be this bad. It’s like it was suddenly forced to happen there wasn’t a cloud in the sky when we left Canterlot.”
A loud thud vibrated through the boat causing its occupants to fall to the floor.
“What was that” Rarity said as she stood up
“I don’t know but it didn’t sound good” Spirit said as he walked to the hatch leading outside “I’m going to go see what
happened.”
Spirit pushed against the wind when he opened the hatch. Once on deck he saw the crew running around frantically Capt. Fin.
“Captian” Spirit yelled over the noise
Capt Fin turned to Spirit when he called out he walked toward him as Spirit bent down to speak Capt Fin easier.
“We heard a loud thud from below everything ok?” he asked
“We hit something” the colt said “we tried our best to avoid it but it caught us in the stern.”
“How bad?”
“Not sure yet.”
The skinny deckhand wearing a rain coat ran up to the Captian.
“Capt Fin Sir its bad sir” the soaked colt reported.
“How bad?” a concerned Fin asked
“Whatever we hit ripped a hole almost half-way down the port side sir”
Capt Fin thought for a moment “Abandon ship men!”
“Aye Aye Cap’n” the colt turned and ran off to spread the order
“You can’t be serious we won’t last five seconds in this storm” Spirit asked
“We won’t last long on the Reel either!” Capt Fin replied
“How far are we from or destination?”
“Another hour maybe two. Why?” Fin asked
“If you can keep the boat afloat that long you can run it aground there it will give you time to fix it and we don’t have to risk
the water in lifeboats.” Spirit suggested
Capt Fin thought over the Spirits plan. “Worth a try but I want everypony ready in case it gets worse” Capt Fin turned to his
crew “Belay my last men keep on our current course, if the Reel is going down let it be known she completed her last
mission.”
“Aye aye Cap’n” the crew said slightly relieved that they would not be abandoning their boat
Spirit returned to a waiting Rarity and Twilight.
“So what’s going on?” Twilight asked
“The boat hit something it caused a hole and we are sinking” Spirit said
“SINKING... mares and fillies first!” Rarity said as she dashed for the door.
“Now hold on” Spirit said grabbing Rarity back “Capt Fin is going to try to get the boat to our destination and crash there so
we don’t have to risk it in the lifeboats.
“Why does that not sound any better” Rarity asked
“It isn’t much better” Spirit added “Is there anything you girls can do magically to aid the crew?”
Twilight thought for a minute “I might be able to place a barrier between the water and the hole, but I’ve never made one in
the middle of a storm on a sinking boat.”
“Rarity?” Spirit asked
“I’m afraid I won’t be of much use my magic is nowhere near as powerful as Twilight’s.”
With the entire crew and the help of Twilight the boat was still afloat, albeit sitting slightly lower in the water, after an hour.
Spirit and Rarity were standing next to a concerned Capt Fin. The storm had not subsided at all.
“How are we looking Captian?” Spirit asked
“We are almost there” he said “if we can hold on just a bit longer”
Captain Fin had just finished his sentence when was rocked by anther thud. The crew along with Rarity, Twilight and Spirit
were scattered across the deck.
“Report!” Capt Fin yelled to his crew. One of them looked over the side of the boat
“Looks like something caught the same side the hole is bigger now.”
“Doesn’t matter “ Capt. Fin said “ I can see the beach were looking for” he pointed toward the shore. “ALL AHEAD FULL
RAMING SPEED!”
“What does that mean?” Rarity asked Spirit
“It means we’re going to crash hold on!” He said as he grabbed Rarity and held onto the side of the boat
All occupants of the Rusty Reel held their breath and waited for the inevitable crash. They could hear the boat catching on
various things in the shallow water. The boat finally came to rest in a gravel beach. They all cheered as they were no longer
in the rough waters
The skies eventually cleared to reveal the evening sun. With the storm gone the waters retreated and left the
Rusty Reel stranded on the beach. They all stood on the beach to see how bad the damage. A large gash on the left side
stretched all the way to the rear of the boat.
The group slept overnight in the beached boat before they headed off into the lava fields.
“Will you be alright here?” Spirit asked Capt. Fin
“Don’t worry about us” Capt Fin replied “We are due back in Canterlot in three days we have enough supplies to last two
weeks. Once we don’t check back in the harbor will send a search party out they also know our destination so this will be the
first place they look. I’m more worried about you all I’ve never met a group wanting to go into the lava fields.”
“We have too” Spirit answered
“I wish you luck and uh to you Ms. Rarity I wondered if after you completed your trip would you like to get a private cruise on
my new boat? I promise much a much better time than this one.” Capt Fin said as he trotted closer to Rarity
“Oh would you look at that” Rarity said as she pushed Twilight and Spirit away from the beach “Got to get going lava fields,
dragons, and what not….”
The group left Capt Fin standing on the beach as they disappeared into the forest. One of the crewmembers approached
Capt Fin.
“Cap’n you want us to move supplies off…” the crewmember began
“Tell me boy do you think I’m the most handsome Captian around?” Fin said still watching the forest
“Uh sir” the confused crewmember said “you feeling alright?”
“Bah of course I ‘am “Capt Fin said as he trotted back to his boat