'Welcome To Harmony'[FINISHED]

Bakewell slowly calmed down from the warmth of her surrounding friends and their soft assurances. This is what she wanted and needed more than anything; Ponies who would be there for her and support her and forgive her for being terrible. She never wanted to let go.

But even amazing hugs have to end eventually, though perhaps they aren’t all interrupted by things as drastic as the ship going out of control. Bakewell stepped back out of the embrace as the announcement aired.

“Zestari’s right, Scrap. You should go help with the bridge. I’ll be fine. You don’t need to wor-“ She stopped, jaw dropping to the floor and eyes wide with surprise as Happy Trails suddenly joined the group, gave Zestari the sappiest kiss Bakewell had ever seen, and carried the zebra off to wherever he thought he was going. She stared after the two for a moment as they retreated before turning back to Scrap, glancing at him with a raised eyebrow and a rather uneven grin.

“Don’t get any ideas, Romeo. You’d probably break your back if you tried something like that on me.” She joked. See? She was fine. Look how happy she was! “Now go save the ship. I’ll be fine on my own.”

After Scrap left, Bakewell would take advantage of being alone to remove her party attire- it had been hard enough to move in before the rain started. She certainly didn’t want to try swimming the thing. She would have to leave her hair in the 'quickly melting bun' style for the moment, though. She didn't have her headband and didn't feel like getting it. After removing her clothes she would bundle them onto her back and trot chipperly back to the mostly abandoned party room while humming a little happy tune about friendship and magic to herself.

‘You’ve just had at three breakdowns in rapid succession, you silly little mare. Credit where due, any other Stallion probably would have refused to touch you with a ten foot pole after the second.’ The earth pony thought to herself with a chuckle as she snacked on one of the party’s food items and poured herself some tea. Mmm. This tasted like Zestari’s. It was even cold from having sat out for so long! More please!

Something in her brain kept insisting that she panic, but Bakewell found as she sat in the rain and poured herselves seconds, then thirds, then fourths that she was somehow perfectly calm. How dumb.

Of course the boat was crashing. Everything was starting to go good again-thats probably why, something about this universe seems to hate happinesss.

When the embrace regrettebly ended with Sky breaking off and Zestari being carried off to somewhere by Trails. Scrap followed what the others told him to do and headed off to the bridge after saying a brief goodbye "I'll be back after I fix whatever is wrong with this thing."

Reaching the bridge after only a few dead ends Scrap burst in to the room surveying the chaos around him.

"What in Luna's name happened here!? Actually don't answer that. Its not important. What's wrong with the ship? Where should I start trying to fix whatever the problem is?"

Kestrel had to resist the urge to smack Sawdust over the head and chuck her overboard. So the paranoid one had infact had another breakdown, and managed to knock out the captian.

No time to panic, it was time to act.

Kes took charge and began giving out orders to the others in the room with his usual cold, calm gruffness.

"Scrap, Arc. Get on th' consoles, get this boat under control. Now." He said moving over towards Rodeo and Sawdust. He looked down at Dust, narrowing his glare at her.

"Relax."

Dash made his way over to the controls and looked them over, "Yeahhh... This isn't supposed to look like this at all. Even I know that." he said. He looked back at Scrap, "It looks like some pony decided to help themselves to all the original bells and whistles like the wheel and all that... Not really much we can do about that... But... this..." he looked to the mess of jury-rigged controls, "I mean, can ANY pony work with this? I'm surprised the crew was able to operate with a mess like this."

Winter Bell was worried and unsure what to say as Cross motioned to Kes what the problem was. Things were happening fast and words were being exchanged that she didn't fully understand. So far she had managed to learn that Sawdust thought some pony was trying to hijack the boat... or something. She wrapped her hooves around Cross as he held her and remained silent as Kes began taking charge. The rain began to beat against the glass and her ears pointed down as she looked up to Cross, "Cross, I'm scared... what's going to happen" she said, a sad frightening feeling building in her chest. It was apparent that the boat wasn't in any ponies control now and they were heading towards something dangerous.

While examining the controls Scrap responded to the the pony that he didn't know that had started to talk to him. "I have no idea why somepony would do this or what would have possess whoever did this to think it was a good idea..." he trailed off. The more that he thought about it the more he hated the drunken captain "I bet that idot captain sold the parts for rum money..."

Figiting with the control system didnt seem to do anything and he didnt have the time to take it apart to learn how it worked. This wasn't good. He couldn't fix it. They were going to crash.

"Umm...guys I can't fix this...It's too screwed up..."

Looking at the the controls, or more accurately, the lack of them, Arc could not agree more, and if the control panel itself was in such a state of chaos, Arc did not dare to think how the engine room must have looked.

"Right, i agree, whilst we could pry the whole thing open and try to run the engines manually, i dont think that is a good idea, for all we know they could just explode. Best we can do is to prepare for the inevitable, make the ship as light as we can, bolt the entrances and hunker inside."

"Figures." Kes thought, already on the move towards the announcemnt panel. He grabbed the radio and in his dead calm, gruff tone he delivered orders to the rest of the ship.

"Lock the hatches and gear up. We are headed into a storm, keep together, keeep calm, and you'll be fine."

His orders given he turned and glanced over the others in the room. Winter was panicing, Cross was trying to stay calm, and the others didn't know what to do. Well Kes wasn't going to stick around and let the boat go down without doing anything. Kes was no tech expert, he was far more experienced with destroying than he was with fixing. However he did know how to lock a door, and should the worst come to pass he knew how to swim.

"Okay, wait a minute." Blazen said, closing his eyes for a moment and opening them back up. "Dont these boats have some sort of anvil? Something else that can hold the ship down, or at least slow it down?" The gryphon took action and went to the annoucement panel, saying that there was a storm. A lot of clouds in the distance confirmed this. "Well...damn."

By the time Mona got to the Ballroom, there were only a few ponies left inside, the others apparantly having run off to deal with the engine problem.

Socialites. You can barely get them to do anything normally, but the second they're in danger, they're off like a flash...

She thought to herself...there was barely any point in trying to contain the guests now, since the group had already been split. She was about to head up to the control room, when Kestrel's voice rang out over the loudspeakers.

Once the Loudspeaker had finished it's message, Mona quickly spoke up as loud as she could manage with her monotone vocal condition. She needed to get the attention of the remaining guests.

"Everyone, just stay calm. Do just like the loudspeaker said, stay together in a group, and don't panic. Now, we need to secure this room."

She said, before pulling the door she had just come through shut with her telekinesis magic, the lavender glow giving the wheel on the front of the door a spin as it secured itself nice and solid.

Sawdust returned the angry Kes Glare with a pleading stare of her own. Didn't he understand? This was all their fault! The hijackers had hurt the captain and put a usurper at the 'wheel' and now they were doing terrible things to the ship! Her voice of reason was pinned against the ground, sitting under Rodeo's flank. She couldn't turn to look at her, to ask her what was going on, why nopony was listening to her.

She struggled some more as Kes's orders began to take effect and her mind clicked over, dropping kes into the 'Bad Ponies' bin with everypony else who had or was still trying to stop her from 'saving' the ship. Though that was how she understood what was going on now, she remained silent then, she had to plot and plan, figure out who was who to really do some damage when Rodeo finally let her up.

As she listened however, that even the most cunning plan she could imagine a group of hijackers might think up and try to pull off would have included more ponies that knew how to pilot the ship than just the one. Particularly if the ship really was as jacked up as they were acting like it was. Sawdust's lucidity returned in a flash.

... "Shut up." She mutters. ... "I know. Shut up!" She says louder, on the verge of tears. Her plans to 'save' the boat she now realized had doomed it instead.

Rodeo sat still, using all his weight to easily pin the smaller pony. He'd love to let her up, but not quite yet. What if she tried to run? Or did more crazy things? Rodeo looked around for something to bind her with. He had nothing on his person, and he didn't see anything in the room. Maybe a rope, or some hoof-cuffs.

Rodeo looked up to the other ponies in the room. "Ah need somethin' ta bind her with, anypony got rope er some cuffs?" he asked.

That was about the worst thing to say. Sawdust might have returned to not thinking anypony here was hijacking the ship, cause that was getting pretty obvious that they weren't, but nopony but nopony tied her up or put cuffs on her! "NO!" Sawdust went into full struggle mode, attempting to pull her legs in under her so she could burst upwards and flee. "Get off me!"

She wasn't weighed down much by gear or loot so it was just Rodeo stopping her and he had hooves, not hands with which to hold her down with. If she could just slip out from under them enough to get all four legs under herself, she'd be free! And would be able to flee from the room.

The loudspeaker came back on and broadcasted Kestrel’s voice. Bakewell mused that she had heard the griffon speak more today than ever before as she finished off her fifth- or was it sixth? - cup of tea.

Kestrel seemed to have a pretty good track record concerning not-dying, and whoever this bored blue-y mare was seemed to agree. Good enough for Bakewell, let’s close these doors!

“On it, chief!” The brown pony grinned as she easily pulled the heavy door closest to her shut, securing the door with ease. Look! She was helping! So helpful. Were there more doors? She could totally close more doors. Oop! There was one! Bakewell scurried over and shut that one, as well. More doors? Hrrmm…


“Doors are shut and locked.” The earth pony would eventually report, mellowing back out slightly in the time taken to close what doors were open, and ensure those that were closed had their locky-things turned. “What next? Do you know how those in the captain’s area are faring?”

Cross looked at Winter worried, he started breathing in deeply but didn't know what to tell her. He didn't want to lie and say okay if it wasn't.

But he had an idea....just maybe...

Cross grabbed Winter by the shoulders.

"Winter, I need to go...if Scrap and Arc can do it then I need to try something myself...." Tears began to fall down Cross's face, he would only have one shot at this but he wouldn't risk her trying to do so....

"Winter...no matter what, I want you to remember, I love you, everything I do...I do for you." Cross moved in for a kiss, forcing himself to break it off after a moment when Rodeo asked for some restraints, Cross pulled out his old cuffs from his pack and tossed them to Rodeo.

"I'm sorry Winter....I'll come back, I promise..."

*FLASH*

Cross now stood on the very bow of the ship....hanging onto the guard rails as the wind threaten to push anypony who was exposed over...

Twisted sat down and listened to all the panic going around the ship. To anyone looking at her she seemed as if she was listening to a beautiful piece of music. She quickly got up however when and idea sprang to her head. Walking into the kitchen she grabbed a bottle of booze and started to drink. "If you can't beat them! Join them!" She said laughing.

Rodeo watched the cuffs go over his head and skid across the floor. Damn sloppy toss in a hurry, he didn't even get them close. Rodeo glared at them from his perch atop the squirming pony. "Damn!" he swore loudly.

He looked back down at her, then back to the cuffs. He had to think... There was nothing he could do. So, he stared to reach out for them with one of his front hooves, giving Sawdust a little more room to wiggle. It was a mistake, but Rodeo figured by applying more pressure, he could contain her. Probably not the best thing to do.

He looked back up to the ponies in the room. He spotted Kes. "Kes, block the door!" he called out, trying his hardest to stretch and contain Sawdust.

Chaos. Just total chaos on board the ship right now. Apparently, a large storm got the jump on them and now was threatening all the ponies on the ship. Lightning didn't have to think twice to get inside the ship when that started to happen. There was still alot of panic spread around and the pegasus wanted to know what the hell was going on. The first logical place to check was the wheelhouse so he would run up there, seeing all sorts of ponies there. The pegasus would stop and look at each one of them with a 'What the hell is going on?' face before letting out a sigh and saying, "What can I do to help?"

Blazen facehoofed. "Okay, this idiot," He said, pointing at Sawdust, "thought the ship was being taken over when it wasn't, and she has probably killed us. HOWEVER, i need to go outside. The storms coming, and i really need to search for some sort of thing to hold this ship down. If this ship cant stop..." He trailed off, and galloped to the door, getting out and closing it behind him. He did the same going outside, and looked at Cross. "Cross, you have an idea!?" He said, moving his head around and constantly looking around for some sort of anvil. "Dont do anything stupid!" Blazen said, nearly going off balance due to the storm.

Blazen Shield wrote:Blazen facehoofed. "Okay, this idiot," He said, pointing at Sawdust, "thought the ship was being taken over when it wasn't, and she has probably killed us. HOWEVER, i need to go outside. The storms coming, and i really need to search for some sort of thing to hold this ship down. If this ship cant stop..." He trailed off, and galloped to the door, getting out and closing it behind him. He did the same going outside, and looked at Cross. "Cross, you have an idea!?" He said, moving his head around and constantly looking around for some sort of anvil. "Dont do anything stupid!" Blazen said, nearly going off balance due to the storm.

Blazen, trying to fight through the storm to look for an anvil, tried speaking to Cross but the roaring wind made that impossible as Blazen was knocked off the deck and went soaring into the dark abyss.

Twisted Vision was enjoying her bottle of booze when she decided to go outside. Staggering towards the door she literally fell through the door and sprawled herself along the deck. Looking around she saw a group of ponies and staggered over to them. "Weeee~! Isn't this boat ride fun guys!" She screamed before laughing again. Suddenly she saw Blazen fall of the side of the boat and her mouth hung wide open. "I... I can't.... WHY ARE YOU SWIMMING WITHOUT ME!" SHe screamed, running to the side of them boat and tripping over the side railing.

She splashed into the water not far from blazen and laughed "Hi BLAZEN!" SHe screamed swimming over to him "You went swimming without me!" She said as she made it over, the alcohol on her breath obvious.

Trails kicked open the door to his cabin and set Zesty on the bed. With a dash he was back at the door, he forced it shut and locked it down. He shook himself dry and looked down at the mare on his bed. Shame this couldn't have happened under better circumstances. It wasn't panic that took him, only a heightened sense of things.

Trails made sure everything he needed was on him. Guns, ammo, pictures, all check. The only thing he needed now was waiting on the bed for him. He laid down and wrapped Zesty up in his arms. They'd wait this out, it would all be fine, he was sure of it.

Dash watched in horror as first Blazen Shield was knocked from the ship, into the water. Twisted Vision then... jumped, gleefully!? Dash couldn't attribute any sort of logic to Twisted actions, but he knew now that the earth pony and unicorn pony were now in mortal danger, "Sky, Flash, help me, we gotta save Twisted and Blazen!!" he shouted, then dashed out the door and went aloft, trying vigorously to maintain level flight in the howling wind. He spotted Twisted and Blazen on the churning waves and he dove at them, coming to a hover which he wasn't so sure he could maintain for very long given the wind and waves, "Twisted, Blazen, you two alight!? I called for some ponies to help me get you two back onto the deck, they should be along soon if they have any sense of humility!"

As soon as Dash lept up and tried to take flight, he was washed away by the moist black rain, being thrown about and nearly slamming into the water but barely managing to get his balance.

He was no longer on the boat and could barely see anything in the water around hi, his wings quickly soaking up water and slowing him down...the boat was moving quickly but if he went any higher he'd lose control

Boredom... such was the side effect of order, but Sparks was bored. Despite disliking the vastness of the ocean, for it hid many of things, but he was too bored to stay in his room once his he went through his magical therapy.

He stuck out his head and could not help but see the flood of chaos envelop the ship. He walked up to the nearest pony and asked, "Pardon me, I've been asleep for awhile, what's going on here?"