Tropical Travelings {Open}

[Skipper]

The large liner chugged along quite smoothly through the beautifully calm cobalt ocean. Soft jazz music tinkled from the speakers littered throughout the different levels of the boat, culminating in a rather ornate dining hall. Ponies sat at tables talking quietly as they ate and clapped as the musical performance on stage came to an end.

A bluish white pegasus sat staring out the window at the sun setting over the sea. She scowled at the excited voice that broke through her comfortable reverie.

"Mom, mom; look! Look! Dolphins!" 

The pegasus glanced out the window and saw that the kid was right - there was indeed a pod of dolphins playing alongside the ship. She smiled. It was something to break the monotony of this travel.

 Coconut Cup was 3 days into this cruise and she was bored. She put her head in her hooves and her sea-green locks cascaded down over her face. They were due to dock in a few hours and then she'd have a whole tropical island to explore - sun, sand and sea.

And best of all, she could retrieve King from the pet center in the luggage compartment. The poor bird had been cooped up in a cage - it was a strictly no pets allowed interior, but they had accommodation for pets down below deck. Just a few more hours and she could be reunited with her best friend.

She wondered what to do now for those few remaining hours. 
 

 

[Polyblank]

- An Hour later -

- A few kilometers away -

 

"Nipnip."

 

"...."

 

"NIPNIP."

 

"...."

 

"NIPNIP!"

 

The Hippocamp awoke with a startle, rearing her head. She hadn't completely dozed off, but she had been scaled-damned near, and was prepared to give whoever had woken her a good bellowing. Turning, the hippocampus swallowed hard. Nevidia, elder of the swarm was poking her in the tail with his hoof, scowling. Nipnip shook her head and saluted him, with nervous enthusiasm. It didn't have the effect though, only adding to his scowl.

.

"Nipnip Malia, You have a single job. a single, simple task, which we bestowed to you only because you were unable to complete any other we've offered. I am not going to come back here and see you sleeping again, because if I do, you will be outcast form this swarm. I am not going to give you another chance, and you will not have any way to escape banishment, because frankly, you've had more chances then a score of fish, Which might be better at scouting then you are! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"  he bellowed, raising his voice to a peak.

She nodded feebly, hearing the snickers from his gaurds. It hadn't been that long... just a few seconds... or hours..

 

They swam away, which gave her time to think. She'd only been tired because of the dolphin pod last night. she had stayed up later, waiting for them to arrive. most of her kin considered them the lower class, but they carried all sorts of secrets if you knew how to ask. one old dolphin had been through the rivers, seeing all sorts of creatures and equines. the pod last night hadn't anything really interesting, but they had spoken of a ship heading in the general direction of the swarm. That had interested her, and she thanked them kindly. It had been several hours though, and no ship had been seen. Perhaps they were wrong about the direction? or mistaken a large piece of driftwood. They weren't usually incorrect, but dolphins were easily excited, and perhaps weren't always that patient to figure things out... So it surprised her when  several minutes later, a loud horn sounded in the distance. she glanced back to the reef. Had  anyone heard it but her?After several minutes, it seemed she alone had heard it.

 

A smile crept across her snout. Her job was to scout and watch for danger after all, so shouldn't she investigate this possible threat? It was a few hour's swimming away, but that wasn't an impossible distance.

 

Smiling, she kicked her tail in the direction of the horn.  

[Skipper]

Coco tapped her hoof on the mahogany oak of the bar as she waited for her drink. An hour later and she was still here, listening to the same repetitive jazz riffs, in the same fancy hall. She was beginning to hear the accusative cries from King once he was free from his prison cell - ahem, luxury pet accommodation. It was going to take a lot of treats to sweeten him up again.

After she had received her drink, the pearly pegasus went back to her seat by the window and sipped it slowly, wondering if she could find a unicorn that knew how to speed up time.  All she wanted to do was to set her hooves onto solid ground and explore some tropical jungle with her best friend. Was that so much to ask? She really should have inquired about the length of the journey before she booked this trip. 

 

Shrugging to herself, she set up a tab with the bartend and settled into her seat, waiting and waiting for something, anything to happen. 

 

~

 

After another long time, she got up to stretch her legs. She made her way out onto the balcony and rejoiced as the fresh sea air rushed through her hair. She wondered.. Yes, the boat was moving just slow enough that she should be able to keep up. Besides.. It was only for a few minutes.. 

Stepping up onto the railing, Coconut Cup opened her wings slowly and caught the air in her feathers. Diving from the ship, she plummeted until she was nearly about to hit the water, and then she pulled up, sailing happily alongside the boat.

"Aw," she thought to herself. "King would love this."

[Polyblank]

*Puff*...."Fi...Finally."

 

Nipnip stared up at the metal beast that was the boat. She wasn't much for construction, but she had to admire it. the streamline body, point and wickedly fast turbine were all things that she'd never be able to compare their flimsy coral huts with. It hadn't been hard to find the boat, the ship's turbine had been so loud she'd felt like covering her ears as she arrived. she'd been correct on her assumption, the sounds were similar to the pony babble of stories. She'd been relieved on finding it was an equine ship, because stories about griffons and....fishing (She shuddered) were enough to turn tail at. glancing alongside it, She noticed several windows. Scales and tails, she couldn't let them see her.The last time ponies had taken interest in her kind, she'd been told of a great hunt, until eventually they gave up as the swarm reached deeper water, where sonar magic couldn't pierce.

 

Carefully, she hugged the side of the boat, the upward angle hiding her from onlookers. She was safe, but what to do? Nipnip had no idea if this ship was a danger or not, and with no way to find out, what could she do? Nipnip stroked a hoof along her chin, considering her possiblities. As she was in thought, a soft 'whumpf' above sounded. Quickly, she dived into the water, just in time as a Pegasus dived downward, pulling up at the last moment. she gazed at the grey outline from under the boat enviously.

 

To fly, must be glorious. No constraints of currents, no sharks to worry about... Nipnip sighed, watching the pony fly alongside the boat, so close to the water she could reach her hooves out. Carefully, she swam out a little from the ship's safe underside. Nevidia's voice rung in her head.

 

"The ponies are confused, different species. Nothing good has come from attempting speech with their ridiculous forms. Secrecy has kept us safe, and it will for many generations forward. Keep it that way."

 

But... He could be wrong. What if she's a friendly pony? And what if she had information... Nipnip flicked her tail, moving foward. She was going against every code she was taught as a spawnling... But scale-damn those rules. Thanks to them, we're ignorant, stupid folk. We haven't had contact with the land races in centuries!

 

Nipnip moved towards the Pegasus, still underwater. My shadow must be visible by now... She did not surface yet. Instead, she stayed close to the side of the ship, a small shadow. She would wait. Observe this pony. Surely her swarm would understand...