Fair Winds and Following Seas

by Iroh Legoman

Rocks

It was a beautiful day in the Vineyard. The sun was shining, the colts and fillies running about on the beaches, and the crew of the Sea Dart were getting a well needed rest. Seventeen ponies, of all colors, were lying on beach chairs in the sun, sunglasses on and drinking cola.

"This is great," called out one pony. A murmur among them broke out agreeing.

"Lets thank the Bosun for getting this cola," another one called.

"Thank you," fifteen ponies called out simultaneously, with the sixteenth one called after.

"No problem. All for the crew," said the Bosun, a navy-blue pegasus with a blonde mane.

The crew had came in from three days on the water, and a 10 days of non-stop work. They were now are the Vineyard for a three day rest. They were crew members of the Sea Dart, a one hundred foot long, twenty-five foot wide, eight foot draft, naval cargo vessel. It was an old vessel, with her hissy fits sometimes, but she ran.

The Bosun had negotiated with the Skipper to let all the crew off for one day, then get back on the watch rotation. it was because of this that all seventeen crew was on the beach.

"Hey Bosun," a yellow unicorn with blue mane called out, "rock race?"

The Bosun smirked at the request. The Rock Race is a past time while on the Vineyard. Two to four ponies would race, jumping across the L-shaped wave breaker and back again. The breaker was made of giant boulders and was a half mile from shore to tip. Also, nopony could beat the Bosun.

"You're on," replied the Bosun. Both ponies got up and went to the starting position. To prevent his wings from accidentally coming out, the unicorn tied a rope around them.

"Hey, does it have to be that tight?"

"Sorry sir." The yelow unicorn was part of the deck crew tying up lines, so it was no surprise it the knot was tight.

"On the count of three," yelled out a red earth pony.

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!" The yellow pony ran off getting to the rock start, but the blue pegasus was still standing. The fifteen crew members still resting sat up, confused as to why the Bosun was still standing.

"One, two," the Bosun slowly whispered, "eight, nine.....Thirty!" The blue pegasus rocketed off, the yellow unicorn just rounded the turn to the tip. The pegasus was at the corner at no time, hopping across the rocks like a madpony. As the Bosun got to the tip, the yellow pegasus was half way back to the corner. There was no room for error for the Bosun, any misstep could fault the timing and mean losing.

Just as the unicorn was rounding the corner, the pegasus was right on his heels. Looking behind him, the unicorn landed on a wobbly rock and lost his balance, as the pegasus jumped past him. The unicorn got up to see the blue pegasus passing the finish line, and made his way to there.

"Well, I though I had you when I was at the tip, but I looks like I slipped up."

"For the record Ion, I did give you a thirty-second head start. I would have beaten you by a literal mile if I hadn't. But you know the rules, ice cream."

"Alright alright, lets go." The two ponies and five others left the beach and went into the town. They made their way to the ice cream parlor, which was in the basement of a toy store which you had to enter around back. As they rounded the alley to the back, they saw an earth stallion in a dark blue uniform. The gang stopped and nodded in respect.

"Mr. Z, how are you?" asked the Bosun.

"Ah Mr. Kay, I knew I would find you here," said the blue-grey earth pony, "Skipper wants the crew back at the boat, we have another cargo run that needs to be loaded."

"What? We still have RnR til tommorrow. Why?"

"Order comes from up top. We are to take on cargo here and bring it to Block. We leave early tomorrow morning."

"Ok, I'll get the crew together. They are not going to be happy."

"Well, neither am I." The stallion started to leave then turned around, "oh two more things, one: their will be a storm tonight, it will be gone before we leave, but they are calling for 8-12ft swells. So get the sea sick pills. And two," he said reaching into his pocket and pulling out a brass pipe-looking thing, "you might need this."

"Ok sir, will do." Kay, the Bosun, turned to the six ponies, "Ion, raincheck. Head back to the boat. I'll get the others."

They left Kay, who went back to beach. He brought the pipe-thing to his mouth and let out a piercing sound(CAUTION it is very perceiving, please have your volume down before you click). Suddenly, the ten crew members, stopped what ever they were doing, swiming, sunbathing, volleyball, etc., and gathered in line inform of Kay.

"Sorry guys, the Brass called our skipper up for another cargo run, we need to get back to the boat to haul it on. Alright lets go."

---

"Where's that last shipment, it was supposed to be here an hour ago," complained a brown earth stallion with a purple mane on cargo watch.

"It is a small island, how long does it take to get here," joined cream colored unicorn with a charcoal also on watch.

"Well complaining is not going to make it come here faster," said Cleft Line, a crimson colored unicorn with a a two toned sea-green mane and the Chief Engineer. "It gets here, when it gets here. Besides we are not leaving until tomorrow morning. But any way, DJ," saying to the brown earth pony, "did you get the lighters?"

"Yeah, its going to go boom tonight. If we get that hour tonight."

"And we are," said Kay as he joined the conversation, "even better, we have until midnight. I just talked to Skip, and he agreed, but only after everything is packed to his liking. Which means, we have to wait until this last shipment to come in, which, is here." Pointing to a truck driving up. "Alright get it packed right and we can leave. I'll inform Skip that the last shipment is here."