“And you're going to build it?” The pretty mare asked, eyes glittering in the dawnlight wafting through the library windows. “All by yourself?”
“Well... I'll have a little help here and there...” Nick leaned back with a suave smile, gesturing towards the general vicinity of the ocean beyond the college's walls. “From my rich collection of nautical manuals. But—for the most part...” He winked and tapped his skull. “...I'll be relying on what I built in here, plus muscle memory. After all...” He cracked the joints in his neck and breathed. “I built three yachts back east before I transferred over here.”
“No way!” She beamed, grinning from ear to ear. “Just in the same way you plan to build this one?”
“Well, it won't be the same, now, will it?” Nick chuckled deeply. “I mean... now that the Blight has fallen, this means a whole new horizon of possibilities! Of danger! Of exploration!”
“It all sounds so terribly exciting.” The mare gulped. “And life-threatening.”
“Eh...” He brushed his chin, lazily glancing at the ceiling. “You can't really live without a little threat here or there. I, for one, won't settle for mediocrity. There's a big, mysterious world out there, and I aim to experience the best and worst it has to offer!”
“Aren't you scared?”
“Pffft! Who wouldn't be? But that's healthy for the soul too!” He winked. “And the body.”
“Heeheehee... I'd love to see what's beyond the Blighted waves.” The mare sighed dreamily. “Haven't you ever thought about it before? The whole world just... seems so small.”
“Well, funny you should say that.” Nick sat up again, smirking. “Because although I plan on going right after the semester ends, the trip is bound to be long... give or take fair weather. But I bet I know a way to help myself get past it all faster.”
“What's that?”
“Oh... y'know...” Nick brushed his mane back, avoiding her gaze with a coy smirk. “...if I had some help along the way. Especially from... mmmm... a smart, witty, self-assured major in physical therapy.”
“Wow... that's so strange?” The mare gestured. “I'm majoring in physical therapy!”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah! But... wow... how would I be useful on a long ocean voyage?”
“I don't know. But... I bet there's a way to find out.”
She leaned forward, eyes thin. “Yeah?”
He leaned towards her as well. “I mean... I'd totally protect you and all. But...” His voice became low, quieter. “It will definitely... expand your horizons... by being my first mate...”
“Hmmmm...” She waggled her eyebrows. “...and what if the Blight returns?”
“Then I guess we'll get stranded somewhere...” He cooed. “...together—”
Swissssh—THAP! Rainbow landed directly on the table between them. “Hey! Nicaragua!”
“Aaaaaie!” the mare nearly fell out of her chair.
Nick winced, fidgeting. “Uhm... a-ahem... it's just Nick, actually—”
“Whatever!” Rainbow Dash leaned forward and stared in his face. Twilight peaked down from where she hovered above. “I need your help with something! And fast!”
“Like what, Rainbow Dash?”
“Uhhhh... Nick?” The mare squinted. “Who is this mare... and how do you know her name...?”
“I need a map of this place! This whole area!” Rainbow stomped a hoof, her tail flicking in the mare's face. “Heck, maybe a personal tour, since you're so good at showing a mare around.”
“Uhhhh... d'uhm...” Nick sweated nervously, scooting away from the perched pegasus. “Why... wh-why me?!”
“Uhhh, Rainbow?” Twilight tried to whisper—
“Why not you?” Rainbow blinked, cockeyed. “You've been so helpful to me already! What, with you giving me breakfast in bed and all—”
“Yeah, okay.” The mare got up, shouldered her saddlebag, and marched off with a frown. “I'm so out of here. Mother was right.”
“No no no no no!” Nick squeaked after her. “Please don't go! I st-still need a first mate!”
“Go build yourself one!”
“I was just being friendly about the breakfast-in-bed thing!” Nick's voice cracked. “All I brought her was my meat! I mean... duaaaaah...” Thud! He head'desk'd, moaning.
Rainbow grinned. “So... you're free, then?”
Nick tilted his chin up to glare at her. “You have any idea what you just did?”
“Do you know what's beyond the western seas?”
“Mmmph... no...”
Rainbow grinned even wider. “Would you like to?”
Nick's eyes twitched. “Right.” He swiftly hopped out of his seat, floating his bookbag. “Buck her. I'm in. What do you need?”
“Maps,” Rainbow said. “Lots and lots of maps.”
“Well, I can get you started.” He gestured, heading for the opposite end of the building. “Follow me.”
Rainbow flapped her wings to follow.
“Uh... Rainbow?” Twilight murmured.
“Hmmmm?” The pegasus whispered under her breath. “What's up?”
“He's nice and deserves more than what you just did. You really are clueless, aren't you?” she said.
Rainbow blinked over her shoulder. “About what?”
“Unnnngh...” Twilight face-hoof'd and floated along for the ride.
Traveling companion get?
Rainbow Dash: flying cockblock.
*Friendzoning and cockblocking intensifies*
What the fuck'd?
5856461 Chicken block?
Can it be? Am I fast enough for once?
Edit: Oh well, fourth is better than I ever was
....Ouch, poor Nick.
Hah! I bet this is going to be a running joke.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
Rainbow pls
Dash is a torpedo, she seeks out doomed ships and scuttles them.
-Memories given light, ease a lonely flight. Ynanhluutr.
Should have worded that differently.
fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/161/d/b/kissaloo_by_comeha-d7lso4c.png block
First the Noble Jury, now Nick's love life. Who will save us from the catastrophe that is Rainbow Dash the Shipwrecker?
Since when did you have a clue, Twilight?
5856482 Don't forget her raft, Scootaloo.
5856482 Why, you of course, dear Swanny. You are henceforth tasked with creating an unsinkable ship.
5856430 Heh. We'll I didn't have a chance this time. I just woke up!
Apparently Austreaoh is Old Pegasi for "Cockblocker."
Thirty situps, ):(. Knock 'em out!
As a fellow Nick, I feel your pain, man.
5856482 Rainbow Dash: worse than any iceberg.
Twilight Sparkle being more perceptive of social behavior than Rainbow Dash? Okay, RD wins the self-centered Olympics, but still!
5856513 Usually Europeans don't get the luxury to read them as they come out cause they update in the dead of night. So today was kinda refreshing. I don't know how to feel about it.
You know it's bad when twilight sparkle points out how socially awkward you are
Therell be danger, adventure, but Ill be there to protect you.
Yea right, Butt is the operative word.
Welp, looks like the secondary PC hard drive just failed in mid use. I Think Im up to date with the backups, logs, emails are duplicated etc.
Hmm.
Dont forget to back up regularly. Preferably not on the same drive.
5856429
Well, there went that joke.
Laying on the swagger nick.
Isn't it "Anchors Aweigh"?
blogs-images.forbes.com/anthonykosner/files/2012/04/Titanic-redo.jpg
poor ship, doomed from the start.
5855749
Hey now, I've been nothing but respectful of you, so there's no need to be rude.
My point was, if five towers bring back the five dead Mane Six, what would happen at the sixth, since there's no dead Rainbow Dash to bring back to life? Her element is still there.
Of course the sixth point could be Loyalty. It may not have been anticipated that the one going to restore the elements would be an element bearer and still alive. OR it could have been a different element bearer. Regardless having a point for each is a good precaution.
5856881 5856871
Of course, what could happen is Rainbow Dash is struck down by lightning when she's about to get to the tower and needs to be revived then. By the time she gets there, she might need a rez.
5856881 That's probably right, and I'm guessing that might be where Verlax is.
She's gonna' start building up a crew again. Hope this one doesn't die too.
5856881 I just thought of something. What if each point represented a element and blocked out that element. The point of magic where we found Twilight blocked the magic in the Grand Choke. So in the point of honesty, everyone will be forced to lie. Or in loyalty, everyone will be completely selfish. Etc. just an idea, but IC has yet to disprove it to my knowledge. I believe that Zadubadabu has given me insight as to a possibility. May we all be guided by the light of Zadubadabu.
Oh Rainbow Dash... You clueless featherbutt.
Dash, why would you... You are literally the worst right now.
Nice going RD, well done
Everyone almost seems to think she didn't know what she was doing.
Honestly, it read like she wanted Nick to herself, in a purely platonic way.
Also, ponies want to see what's west. Soon the world will be completely connected.
Didn't know that RD was a level 20 cockblock.
R.I.P. in Pepperoni Nick's relationship.
heheh
twilight thinks nick is nice?
potential this is
now if only we could get over the whole "she's a ghost" and "he can't see/hear her" problems
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/11/4/142502__safe_solo_twilight+sparkle_reaction+image_facehoof.jpg
Nick being smooth, trying to get his freak thang (or regular, I don't know what he's into) on and then damnit Rainbow don't be a cockblock
abcnotation.com/getResource/downloads/image/anchors-aweigh.png?a=back.numachi.com:8000/dtrad/abc_dtrad.tar.gz/abc_dtrad/ANCHRAWA/0000
Twilight is taking her incorporeal state and the death of her friends surprisingly well. I guess she hasn't quite processed everything yet.
5859309
One has to assume Rainbow Dash will stumble in a village where everyone has terrible fashion sense, and only releasing Rarity from the tower will save the ponies from the garishness.
Nick bounced back rather quick. Who knew knowledge about the outside world was more important than your average hookup.
Hopefully he has a map out of the friendzone
Friendship is Magic is Harmony. Dash is a beacon of friendzoning.
5856752
You are correct.