I had never been on a cruise ship before.
I thought I'd be pumped.

Adventure? Ocean air? No rules? Yeah, sounded like a dream. But now that I was standing in line, watching the gangway stretch up toward this massive white boat with flags snapping in the wind, my stomach twisted into knots.

It was too clean. Too perfect. Too quiet.

Something about it didn't feel right.

But Applejack's hand brushed mine, and just like that, the world calmed again.

"You good?" she asked, her voice low.

I nodded. "Just nervous."

She smiled. "You? Nervous? That's new. Now you're always cheery!"

I rolled my eyes, but my heart jumped a little. She'd barely let go of me all morning. Brushed my shoulder, tugged me out of the crowd, leaned in close when we joked. It wasn't just friendly anymore. It was something.

And it scared me in the best way.

We boarded right after Twilight's group. She was carrying four clipboards and muttering about schedules, while Pinkie was already bouncing over deck chairs and trying to find the snack bar. Fluttershy stuck close behind, gripping her suitcase like it might run away.

Sunset and Rarity looked like they were going on a fashion tour instead of a school cruise. And AJ?

AJ was in denim shorts, a white tank, and a tied-off flannel shirt. Casual. Effortless.

Perfect.

I caught myself staring and looked away so fast I nearly tripped.

Smooth, Dash. Real smooth.

Our rooms were tight but decent. Two to a cabin. I'd been bracing for Dhalia to pull something shady with the rooming list, but she hadn't touched it.

Yet.

I got Fluttershy. AJ was with Pinkie next door.

Dhalia ended up paired with some poor junior named Tara who looked like she was already regretting breathing the same air.

Small win.

The rest of the day blurred in a soft haze of salty wind and shouted names over the intercom. Sunset wanted to explore. Rarity wanted to nap. I just wanted to not think. So AJ and I wandered the upper deck instead.

There was something weirdly peaceful about being surrounded by nothing but ocean. No fences. No roads. Just sky and blue and the occasional seagull like a scream with wings.

AJ leaned against the railing, her hair catching the wind.

"I could get used to this," she said.

"Yeah," I murmured. "It's kinda... freeing."

We stood there in silence for a while.

No one bothering us. Just the waves, the breeze, and that steady pull toward something I didn't want to name.

Not yet.

By late afternoon, Pinkie burst into our room holding a beach towel like a victory flag.

"POOL. NOW."

I raised an eyebrow. "Did you even unpack?"

"Unnecessary," she said. "Fun waits for no one."

Fluttershy laughed softly, already pulling out her swimsuit. "You coming?"

I hesitated for a second, then nodded.

Yeah. I needed this.

Even if something in my gut still buzzed like a warning.

The pool deck was packed.

Kids running around with ice cream cones, music pumping from hidden speakers, someone doing a backflip into the deep end like they were auditioning for the Olympics. But all I saw was her.

Applejack stepped out of the changing cabana wearing a dark green bikini that should've been illegal. The kind that wasn't flashy, wasn't loud-just... unfairly good.

My brain? Gone. Deleted. Rebooting.

She caught me staring. Of course she did.

"What?" she asked, smirking as she tossed her towel over one shoulder.

I blinked. "N-nothing. Just-sun's bright."

"Uh-huh."

She walked past me, hips swaying just a little, and I was done.

I stood frozen for a full ten seconds before Fluttershy gently nudged my arm. "You okay?"

I nodded. "Yep. Totally fine. Just dying inside a little."

We found a spot by the shallow end, tossed down our towels, and kicked off our shoes. Pinkie cannonballed into the pool. Sunset rolled her eyes. Rarity immediately started reapplying waterproof mascara like the sun would judge her.

AJ and I slid into the water, and it was warm, perfect. The kind that made you forget where you were. I drifted close to her without thinking.

"Don't drown," she teased.

I stuck out my tongue teasingly too. "Shut up."

But we were close now. Closer than we'd ever been in public. Her arm brushed mine. And it wasn't an accident.

Our eyes met.

The music faded.

So did the world.

Then a splash broke the moment-Pinkie again, giggling like a maniac as she launched a beach ball at Sunset's head.

AJ laughed and swam away, but I stayed frozen.

One touch.

That's all it took to mess me up completely.

Later, after snacks and bad sunburn jokes and AJ helping me get sunscreen off my nose, I wandered off to grab another drink from the little smoothie bar near the stairs.

That's when she showed up.

Dhalia.

Hair perfect. Smile sharper than ever.

She leaned against the counter like she hadn't tried to sabotage my life three days ago.

"Looks like things are heating up," she said casually.

I didn't answer.

She glanced over at the pool. At AJ.

"You look like you've never seen her in a swimsuit before."

My hands clenched.

"You know," she went on, "it's sweet. The whole protective, loyal, broken bird thing."

I turned to face her. "You don't know anything about me."

She leaned closer. "I know you're falling. And I know how to make people fall apart."

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"And I'm just getting started."

I didn't say anything. I just grabbed my smoothie and walked away.

But something inside me burned.

Not fear.

Not even anger.

Something sharper.

Determination.

Let her try.

Because this time?

I wasn't going down alone.

That evening, the sky looked unreal.

The kind of cotton candy swirl you only get out at sea-pink melting into orange, blue fading to dusk. It felt fake. Like someone had painted it just for us.

AJ found me leaning against the deck railing, halfway through a soda I didn't really want. She didn't say anything at first. Just stood beside me, her arm brushing mine.

I didn't move away.

"Today was wild," she finally said.

"Yeah."

"Pinkie almost drowned herself trying to backflip off the floatie."

I laughed a little. "Worth it for the splash."

She smiled, but it faded quickly.

"You alright?"

I hesitated.

Because part of me wanted to lie. Say I was fine. Shrug it off. Play cool like always.

But then she looked at me. Not just at me-into me. The way she only ever did when she was trying to get me to drop the act.

And I caved.

"I don't know," I said. "I feel like I should be having the best time ever, but... I'm waiting for something to explode."

AJ didn't look away. "Because of Dhalia?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "And also... because I'm kind of freaking out."

"About what?"

I swallowed hard. "About you. About... everything. This."

There it was.

Not a confession. Not exactly.

But something.

AJ's eyes softened.

"You think I don't feel it too?" she said quietly.

I froze.

"What?"

She smiled. Not her teasing grin. Not her usual smirk.

A real smile. Small. Scared. Soft.

"I notice stuff too, Dash."

My heart beat like a drum.

The moment stretched. Tightened. The wind whipped around us, tugging at AJ's hair, and my fingers itched to reach out and fix it.

I almost did.

But before I could move, a voice cut through the intercom system.

"Attention passengers: All guests are to remain in their rooms after sundown due to unforeseen mechanical checks. Please do not explore restricted areas during this time."

I blinked.

AJ frowned. "That's weird."

"Yeah," I muttered, the moment slipping away.

And just like that, it was over.

Later that night, I went to grab my hoodie from my bag and found something... off.

My journal.

I kept it hidden, zipped in the bottom pocket. Pages full of things I didn't say out loud. Feelings I hadn't let myself unpack yet. Most of them about her.

It was open.

Pages bent. One page missing.

Panic shot through me.

I tore through the bag. Nothing else was touched. Just that.

I checked the page numbers. Page forty-seven was gone. Ripped cleanly out.

That page?

The one I'd written two weeks ago.

About Applejack.

And now, someone had it.

Not someone.

Dhalia.

I slammed the door to our cabin behind me and immediately locked it. Fluttershy was still at movie night down on Deck 2. Good. I needed the room to myself.

I tossed my bag onto the bed and ripped it open again, just to be sure.

Nothing had changed.

The journal was still there. Still open. Page forty-seven was still missing.

I stood there frozen, chest tightening with every second.

Someone had read it. Someone had taken it.

And it wasn't just any page. It wasn't a throwaway list or a stupid vent from math class. It was her.

It was about Applejack.

The page talked about her laugh. Her steadiness. How she made me feel like I wasn't broken. How she made me feel-like I mattered.

It wasn't something I meant anyone to see.

Least of all her.

And now Dhalia had it. Or worse-someone else did.

I barely made it to the balcony before the tears hit.

Not loud. Not dramatic. Just quiet. Hot. Angry.

I clenched the railing with both hands, digging my nails into the wood, blinking up at the stars like they could fix me. The ocean was nothing but darkness below, the ship rocking gently like it didn't know the storm in my chest.

Footsteps behind me.

"Dash?"

Her voice.

I wiped my face quickly. "Hey."

AJ stepped out, her silhouette glowing in the low cabin light. She walked up next to me, close enough to feel the warmth of her skin.

"You okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Fine."

"Liar," she said gently.

My throat tightened.

"It's just-" I exhaled. "I think someone took something from me. Something personal."

She didn't ask what.

She didn't need to.

Her voice dropped. "Dhalia?"

I nodded slowly.

AJ didn't speak for a long time.

Then, she said, "If she did... we'll fix it. Together."

That word again. Together.

I turned toward her just enough to see her eyes.

There was something in them. Something I wanted to fall into and never leave.

She looked at me like I was more than what I thought I was.

Like I was worth protecting.

And maybe... worth loving.

"I'm sorry," I said, barely a whisper.

"For what?"

"For dragging you into this mess."

She smiled, small and soft.

"You didn't drag me. I walked into it."

I didn't cry again. But I wanted to.

For a minute, neither of us said anything.

Just stood there, shoulder to shoulder, breathing in the ocean air like we were the only two people left in the world.

And for once?

That didn't sound so bad.

I didn't sleep that night.

Even with Fluttershy back in the room, soft and quiet like always, even with the low hum of the ship beneath me-my brain would not shut up.

I kept replaying that moment in the hallway. That piece of paper taped up like a middle finger to my dignity. And then AJ's face. The way she didn't flinch.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to throw something off the deck.

But mostly... I wanted to make her pay.

I just didn't know how.

The next day was quiet.

Too quiet.

Rarity and Sunset weren't at breakfast. AJ was tense. Pinkie kept checking her phone like she was waiting for a bomb to drop.

I was pacing.

Then, right before lunch, it happened.

The intercom beeped.

"Would Rainbow Dash please report to the front desk in the main atrium."

I froze.

AJ stood up with me. "You want me to come?"

I shook my head. "Nah. I'll be fine."

I wasn't fine.

The front desk was empty when I got there.

Just a sealed envelope waiting with my name on it.

I opened it.

Inside was a photo.

A printed screenshot.

It was me.

In my bunk.

Writing in my journal.

The angle? Taken through a cracked door.

I stared at it, bile rising in my throat.

She'd been in my room.

She'd watched me.

And she wanted me to know.

I dropped the paper. My fists clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms.

I didn't care about playing nice anymore.

I didn't care about looking "cool."

She'd crossed every line.

I stormed out.

I found her on the deck, fake-laughing with a group of clueless juniors, sunglasses perched on her head like a crown.

I didn't wait.

I didn't hesitate.

I marched straight up and slammed the photo onto the table.

"Want to explain this?"

Dhalia blinked, her smile flickering. "Dash, you're causing a scene-"

"You took it," I hissed. "You posted my page. You snuck into my room."

People were watching now. Turning.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said smoothly, standing up. "Maybe you imagined it."

My hands shook.

"Stop lying."

She stepped closer. "You're unstable. Everyone's starting to see it."

And then-AJ appeared beside me like a thunderclap.

Her voice? Low. Controlled. Lethal.

"If you don't back off her right now, I swear to God I'll throw you off this boat myself."

Dhalia froze.

The juniors backed away.

And I?

I breathed again.

After AJ said that-really said that-no one spoke.

The silence was deafening.

Even Dhalia looked stunned. Her fake-calm slipped for a second, replaced with something twisted. Furious. Feral.

She opened her mouth like she was going to say something snide, something sharp-but Rarity was already there, heels clicking like a war drum.

"Oh, darling," she said coolly, "I do hope you've enjoyed your little performance. Because the curtain's about to drop."

Dhalia's smile faltered again.

"What are you talking about?" she spat.

Sunset stepped out from behind Rarity, holding up a small USB stick.

"We got it," she said. "Everything. The camera footage from the lounge. You accessing the printer. You in the hallway outside Dash's room."

I stared.

"You got it?" I whispered.

Sunset nodded once. "We caught you."

And then? Twilight walked up, clipboard in hand, looking ready to ruin lives.

"We've already reported it to the trip supervisors. They're meeting with the captain now."

Boom.

Dhalia's eyes snapped to me, rage boiling beneath her perfectly curled lashes.

"You planned this," she hissed.

"No," I said. "You did."

She stepped forward.

AJ was faster.

"Try it," she said, stepping in front of me again. "Please."

Dhalia stood frozen.

Then-instead of a tantrum, instead of screaming-she smiled. Not nice. Not sweet.

Dead.

"Well," she said softly, "I guess we'll all remember who snapped first, won't we?"

Then she walked away.

Later that night, AJ found me sitting alone on the back deck, the stars smudged by low clouds rolling in.

She dropped something into my lap.

It was the journal page.

The real one.

Not copied. Not posted. Just folded once, like it had been protected.

"I found it," she said. "Sunset caught her trying to throw it away in the staff-only trash."

I looked at it for a long time.

Then at her.

"I meant every word," I said, quiet.

She nodded. "I know."

And she sat beside me.

And I leaned into her.

Not pretending.

Not hiding.

Just... finally letting go.

Inside, the ship creaked.

Overhead, lightning flashed.

And somewhere deep in the belly of the cruise...

The engines began to fail.

It started with a flicker.

The hallway lights blinked once, twice. Nothing huge. Just enough to make me pause, mid-step, outside our room. I tilted my head, listening.

Wind. Rain. Waves smacking against the hull harder than before.

Something wasn't right.

I stepped into the cabin. Fluttershy was on her bunk, hugging her knees, eyes wide.

"You feel that?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Stay here."

I turned and bolted.

I found AJ on the top deck.

Rain had already started coming down in sharp sheets, slanting sideways with the wind. Her hair was soaked, plastered to her neck, but she stood still-gripping the railing like it was the only thing holding her to the earth.

"What are you doing out here?!" I yelled over the storm.

"I could ask you the same thing!"

We stared at each other, both of us drenched and furious and scared.

Then the ship lurched.

Not a wobble.

A violent tilt that sent chairs skidding across the deck and the overhead speakers screeching out half a warning.

"...emergency override-passengers must-repeat-must remain in ca-"

Static.

We looked at each other.

AJ's jaw tightened. "We need to get inside-"

Then came the scream.

From behind us.

A small group of students was at the far end of the deck, panicked, trying to get back inside.

But one of the doors had jammed.

AJ and I ran for them without thinking.

She reached them first, grabbing one kid by the arm, yanking him clear of a sliding table.

I grabbed the door.

Yanked.

Jammed.

I threw my shoulder into it once, twice-and it finally cracked open just enough to shove them through.

"GO!"

The deck tilted again.

I stumbled.

A hand grabbed mine.

AJ.

But just as she yanked me back upright-

Another wave hit.

This one wasn't like the others.

It came over the side.

A wall of water, crashing across the deck like the ocean had finally had enough.

And it took us both.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't see. I heard AJ scream my name underwater and then silence.

My lungs burned.

I kicked.

Clawed.

Broke the surface just in time to see AJ a few feet away, gasping, eyes wide.

And the ship?

Getting smaller.

The lights faded into the mist like a dream dissolving.

We were alone.

In open water.