Work Text:
“BOAT TRIP!!” Pinkie sang, skipping down the ramp to the dock. “Who’s excited, cause I’m excited!!”
Her friends cheered as they trailed behind. Rarity lifted her sunglasses to examine the different cruise ships tethered to the decks.
“This certainly will be a fun trip. I cannot wait to get my tan again.”
“We know, Rarity,” Applejack responded.
Rainbow smirked. “You only told us, like, 7 times today.”
She shrugged, as the group stepped onto the wooden planks of the dock.
“Welcome, welcome,” a large Scottish man exclaimed. His name tag read Captain Rockhoof. “What boat you lovely lasses on?”
Twilight checked her phone. “The Princess Cruise? The week long one?”
“Ah, I see. Right this way! Watch your step!”
- -
“Mistmane will take you lasses down to the bunkers,” the captain said once they boarded the ship. When they were safely aboard, he marched back to his own boat.
The old woman nodded and smiled. Rarity beamed back.
Ding! The elevator dropped to the middle of the boat where the bedrooms were.
The old lady lead them to the end of the hallway and pointed to the three doors on the left. “These are your rooms for the trip. Thank you.”
Once she left, the six stood in the hallway, surrounding Twilight as she dug in her bag for the keycards.
“Okay, girls. Who wants to share with who in what ro—“
Rainbow grabbed her girlfriend’s arm. “I call dibs on AJ!”
Twilight sighed. “I figured. Here’s your key.”
Rarity smiled at Fluttershy. “Would you like to share, darling?”
She blushed. “If it’s not too much trouble.”
“Oh, of course not. Don't be ridiculous.”
The two hugged as Pinkie jumped up and down. “TEAM TWI-PIE IS BACK!! WOOO!!”
Twilight handed the key cards to everyone then pulled her phone back out. “Find rooms? Check. Hand out keycards? Check… where should we eat?”
- -
Food arrived at the groups table, interrupting their focus on the blindfolded chef spinning knives and ingredients. Pinkie asked a million questions about how she doesn’t get hurt, but she just smiled and said to “have hope.” Sounded like a bunch of nonsense to Applejack but who was she to say.
“That looks…” Applejack started, staring at her girlfriend’s meal.
“Awesome?”
“Expired…” she poked her chopstick at the sushi roll that had a weird green tint.
Rainbow shrugged and stuffed it into her mouth. Pinkie followed suit with her rice. The group found a 24 hour sushi bar at the bottom of the boat, and Rainbow Dash dared herself to get the “most epic thing” on the menu which consisted mostly of really raw fish.
Before Rarity could also exclaim her disgusts, the announcements came on.
“Welcome, ladies and gents to the Equestrian Paradise Cruise! This is your co-captain speaking, Captain Flash Magnus. Just so you know, we will be setting sail in the next hour. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to find myself, or your other co-captain, Starswirl, at the top deck. And to those who get seasick, Doctor Meadowbrook’s office is also on the top deck.”
Fluttershy checked her watch. “It’s almost six o’clock. After this, do we want to—“
“Explore?” Rainbow asked.
“Party?” Pinkie suggested.
“Tan?” Rarity smiled.
“…Go back to the rooms?” Fluttershy finished.
Twilight laughed. “It is getting a little late. Tomorrow, when we’re at sea, we can do that, though.”
Pinkie clapped her hands. “OH OH OH!! Slumber party!! Twilight and I can host!!”
Applejack patted her cousin on the shoulder. “Ah’m in if y’all are.”
- -
The boat lurched forward and Applejack grasped onto the shelves in Pinkie and Twilight’s room before she fell over. The food from the sushi bar and the constant tipping made her entire body hurt and feel a little green.
“Applejack, are you feeling alright?” Fluttershy asked, placing a hand on her arm. “You look a little green. If you feel sick, I can go with you to Doctor Meadowbrook’s office.”
The blonde girl waved away the concern and tried to smile. Then the boat tipped again, a wave of nausea hitting her hard enough to make her wobble.
Rainbow Dash grabbed her before she collapsed.
“You’re not looking too good, AJ. You really okay?” she whispered.
Applejack swallowed back her bile and nodded, but she could see through her lie.
“Uh, Pinkie? This has been super fun, but I think we should go now. I’m not feeling too hot either. But see you guys tomorrow!” She waved and helped Applejack out the door back to their room.
Once they walked through and Applejack had a steady grasp on the bed, Rainbow turned back and put the “do not disturb” sign on the handle. Then she ran into the bathroom.
Applejack swayed. “What’re… ya doing?”
Rainbow came back with a wet towel and placed it on her forehead, under her hair. “Uh, helping you? Duh.”
Applejack blushed but shook her head. “No, no, sugarcube. Don’t stay here for me, Ah’ll be fine—“
She sat down beside her. “Yeah, I’m stopping you right there, AJ. You’re not getting rid of me.”
“But—“
“Nope. Nuh-uh. I’m staying here.”
The two were silent for a second, waiting for the other to give in. Eventually Applejack sighed but smiled. “If you say so.”
They sat there for a minute, holding onto each other, when the boat took a massive dip. Applejack spiked up and ran into the bathroom.
Rainbow followed after a grabbing a pillow and saw her girlfriend leaning against the toilet, her vibrant skin looking sweaty and grey.
Applejack noticed her standing in the door and tried to crack a smile, but it looked very forced. “Ya wanna go yet?”
Rainbow smirked in response and tossed the pillow over. “Nope. I can handle a little vomit. You can keep trying, though.”
She rolled her eyes and slid down the side of the vanity onto the cold tile floor. Her girlfriend plopped herself across from her.
However, a few minutes passed, and Rainbow started to feel sick. When the cruise dipped again, this time it was her who felt overwhelmingly nauseated. She lunged over the toilet and coughed out the rotten fish.
Applejack rubbed her back and held back her hair until she finished, then said, “Ah told ya that fish was expired.”
“Shut up.”
The sat staring at each other until they both cracked up. Applejack leaned her head back on the sink, Rainbow on the bathtub.
“Guess we’re staying in here for a bit, huh?” the blue girl asked, laying an arm on her empty stomach.
“Ee-yup.”
Rainbow smiled. “Remember when we got stuck in that elevator shaft?”
Applejack laughed again. “Sure do. That was the dumbest thing we’ve ever done. And that’s saying a ton.”
“No kidding.”
“What made ya think of that?”
Rainbow shrugged and leaned forward. “We were sitting like this. And it was the first time I really noticed your freckles. They’re popping out again right now.”
Applejack touched her face nervously, a small smile pulling on her lips. “Are they?”
Her girlfriend nodded. “I like them.”
“Well, Ah’d hope so, cause Ah can’t seem to get rid of ‘em.”
Rainbow laughed again and placed a hand on her cheek, brushing a thumb over her freckles. Then she tugged her in.
The world seemed to slow. The boat stopped tipping, breathing deepened, and their heartbeats matched. Rainbow slid her hand into her girlfriend’s hair, placing the other on her leg. They two melted together.
At least they did, before Applejack pulled back and whispered, hoarsely, “ya do realize we were both just pretty sick, right?”
Rainbow’s eyes met hers and whispered back, “yeah. What about it? I’m gonna throw up again in the next 20 minutes anyways.”
She raised an eyebrow. “That’s gross.”
“You’re gross.”
A smile broke her face and Applejack kissed her again.
“Thanks for being here, RD.”
“Of course. What’s more fun than puking your guts up with your girlfriend?”
“The not puking part.”