Chapter 2
Chapter 2
“Fillydelphia!” Vinyl Scratch proclaimed as the group trotted over the last snow capped hill. It had been a couple days since Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Vinyl Scratch, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Surprise had set out from Ponyville, following the southern road towards the port city on Equestria’s eastern seaboard. Fillydelphia was the most important shipping port, not only in Equestria, but in the entire planet’s western hemisphere.
“Got to hand it to you Rainbow Dash, you certainly know how to take a girl nice places! You’ll want to hold on to this one Twilight,” Vinyl said with a grin.
Everyone in the group chuckled, with the exception of Twilight, who had just looked incredibly embarrassed, and Pinkie Pie, who had deliberately hung back from the rest of the group as to not have the expression seen.
“Thanks, but Fillydelphia isn’t where we’re taking our holiday!” Rainbow Dash said. “Our destination is... well it’s a...”
Rainbow Dash turned her head to eye the white Pegasus mare who grinned widely. “A SURPRISE!”
“Exactly,” Rainbow Dash said, ruffling her fellow pegasi’s mane.
“Rainbow Dash...” Twilight said. “You told me you were taking us to Fillydelphia...”
“And here we are!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed loudly.
“You didn’t say anything about going anywhere else...” Twilight said, eyeing her suspiciously.
“You didn’t ask,” Rainbow Dash said, feeling extremely proud of herself, although, the more she thought about it, wasn’t any different than how she usually was. “Come on! Follow me!” she said as she picked up her step and trotted off towards the harbour. The rest of the group fell in behind her, choosing not to ask questions that they knew they were not going to get answers to.
Down in the harbour, the group couldn’t help but look around at all the ships in mooring. Most of them were of Equestrian origin, and one could tell by the rigging and the wooden hulls. Most of them were equipped with a steam driven paddlewheel, and had a single smokestack between the two masts.
Ships like these were common in Equestria in this day and age. Steam driven ships were needed so that Equestria could compete with the likes of Welara, South Island, and Zhosa-Borwa on the world market. One needed to get goods to other markets relatively quickly.
Rainbow Dash led them all along the docks to the far end. There was a single ship moored at the end of the docks unlike any other that was around it.
This one had a metal hull, some sixty metres in length. At the front of the ship was a tower, which held the bridge, along the side were several fixed large gun emplacements. And scurrying about the decks or maybe it was more accurate to say... hopping about, where kangaroos.
Everypony’s jaw dropped in shock, even Surprise.
“Everypony?” Rainbow Dash said. “Meet the HMSIS Dash! Yes, that is it’s real name, no, I did not name it.”
“What’s HMSIS stand for?” Pinkie Pie asked, poking her head around the group.
“Not a clue!” Rainbow Dash pronounced.
“That would be, ‘His Majesty’s South Island Ship.’” Said a voice belonging to a kangaroo who was leaning against the railing on the side of the ship. Everyone turned to look at him. Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle and Vinyl Scratch recognised him immediately.
“Trooper Willoughby?” Rainbow Dash questioned.
“Fusilier Willoughby now, thanks.” Willoughby said, grinning down at the ponies below him. “I see you remember me now Rainbow Dash. Glad to hear it! How about you Twilight?”
Twilight nodded her head in affirmation.
“Benny? What are you doing here?” Vinyl Scratch asked looking up at him.
“Well a fine hello to you Vinyl Scratch, you didn’t write like you said you were going to, so I came to kick your arse!” Willoughby said with a grin. “Nah, when Princess Luna makes a request of the Governor General of South Island, in person, turning up in the middle of the night on his door step, he’s hardly in the position to say no. ‘A ship to take several Equestrian VIPs from Fillydelphia to Trotterdam, and Fusilier Benjamin Willoughby of the Royal Kingsland Fusiliers Regiment needs to be on it!’ I’m told it was quite a sight. I knew I liked her!”
“Trotterdam?” Twilight asked, glancing between Willoughby at Rainbow Dash.
“Okay, I can’t take credit for that part,” Rainbow Dash said with resignation in her voice. “That one was Princess Luna’s idea. I thought we’d all been under too much stress and needed a holiday, she helped me make the arrangements.”
Trotterdam was the most important port city in the world, a bustling city with millions of ponies, boer goats, schäferhund, and kangaroos. Situated along the Rijn River, it was the heart of the continent of Europa, the worlds most populated, and the heart of the Low Countries.
“We need this break, girls,” Rainbow Dash said. “It’s been nothing but conflict since we got back from the Hoofson Bay, we go much longer, we’ll crack under the pressure! So come on, let’s go! Let’s have fun! Equestria will still be here when we get back.”
Rainbow Dash turned and looked directly at Twilight. “You always did say you wanted to see the Low Countries Twilight. Well now’s the time!”
Twilight found a smile forming on her face. “All right, let’s go!”
The group boarded HMSIS Dash causing Willoughby to smile brightly at them. “Great! I’ll let the lef-tenant commander know to depart!”
...
HMSIS Dash lived up to her name, she was a fast ship. Willoughby explained that the type of ship was called a “Corvette,” small, fast, and lightly armed compared to the Royal South Island Navy’s larger, heavier, slower, ships.
Twilight Sparkle found herself being sea sick for three days out of the week’s journey between Fillydelphia and Trotterdam, she spent most of those three days hanging over the side railing, vomiting profusely, while Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie held onto her for support.
“You know, Twilight, I happen to know of a seasickness remedy!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
“What is it?” Twilight asked between fits of vomiting.
“Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol,” Pinkie Pie said with a bright smile.
Rainbow Dash gave her an odd look. “Equestrian? Pinkie Pie?”
“What? That’s what it’s called!” Pinkie Pie said. “I’ve heard ginger works too.”
At the same time, Rarity and Fluttershy passed the time by lounging on the bow, the kangaroos had been kind enough to procure some deck chairs while they were in Fillydelphia, Fluttershy sat, wearing a sun hat and sunglasses as she read a magazine. Rarity was content to sunbathe and chat with the kangaroo seamen; February had just turned to March, in the direct sunlight, it was quite warm out.
Surprise and Vinyl Scratch had taken to more mischievous activities, like using the Dash’s guns to shoot potatoes as far as possible. Vinyl would shoot them; Surprise would fly out and try to catch them, and getting in trouble with the ship’s Lieutenant Commander for it.
Of the oddest of these groups, Vinyl Scratch and Surprise were clearly the oddest. The two had turned from hated enemies, to working together as a necessary evil, to forging an actual friendship, something which Twilight and Rainbow Dash had originally considered impossible to have happened, but looking at it discovered that it was true.
On the fourth day, Twilight’s seasickness subsided after Pinkie Pie found some ginger in the Dash’s galley. Vinyl Scratch had been forced to pay for a replacement gun for the Dash. Rarity had nearly fallen overboard, but Fluttershy had caught her and dragged her back over the rails using all the strength that she could muster, which actually had proven that the meek Pegasus was a lot stronger than she looked. Rainbow Dash had caught a cold after accidentally falling asleep on deck and was confined to bed so that the seamen wouldn’t catch it.
The fifth and sixth days had involved Twilight and Pinkie Pie spending a lot of time together, something that the pink party pony was very happy about.
On the seventh day, Rainbow Dash’s cold subsided, and HMSIS Dash pulled into the Trotterdam harbour.
The Lieutenant Commander had asked that they stay below deck during the time it would take to dock. The Equestrian “VIPs” had proven to be more trouble than they were worth and he wanted to keep them out of the way in order to keep them from damaging any more of his ship than they already had.
Vinyl Scratch had apologised for the eighth time at that point.
Willoughby came and fetched them when they pulled in and finished up with docking and led them out of the lower decks and up out on top. That was when they caught their first glimpse of Trotterdam. The huge port was quite simply, the most amazing city that they had even seen in their entire lives.
“Well, here we are girls,” Rainbow Dash said. “I don’t know about you all, but I’m ready to have a good time!”
Rainbow Dash was the first to step off the ship, Twilight following close behind her. This was going to be fun.
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Oh dear... jealous pinkie!
WHAT COULD GO WRONG
Not only is Pinkie jealous, it seems that Vinyl is using Surprise as a replacement for Ditzy. Like I said, even if nothing bad happens in this one, something horrible will happen down the road.
31452
Well, His Majesty's South Island Ship Dash, could sink...
31556
That, or we could end up referencing Bridge over the River Kwai.
Rainbow Dash turned her head to eye the white Pegasus mare who grinned widely. “A SURPRISE!”
“Exactly,” Rainbow Dash said, ruffling her fellow pegasi’s mane. - HNNG
Surprise and Vinyl Scratch had taken to more mischievous activities - Vinyl Scratch and Surprise friends?!! HNNNNGG!
Diabeetus coma for real.
“You know, Twilight, I happen to know of a seasickness remedy!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
“What is it?” Twilight asked between fits of vomiting.
“Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol,” Pinkie Pie said with a bright smile.
HAH!
Yay! It's only rated "sad"! That should wind up making this story turn out quite sunshine-y compared to the traditional Wheller cannon.
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Do you not see the sad Tag?