XX. Up a Creek
XX. Up a Creek
One last effort. One more synergistic combination of physical pull and magical push. In theory, that was all it would take for the Alicorn to roll free of its cradle of tree trunks and into the water.
This was, as the saying went, the moment of truth. Once the hull hit the water, it would not take long to determine whether the tremendous effort expended to bring the once proud racing airship back from the dead had been successful. The airship-turned-riverboat was either watertight, and would float, or it would fill with water and sink straight to the bottom.
Rarity was as exhausted as she had ever been, and she looked as worn out as she felt. Her coat was filthy, her mane a tangled, frizzy mess, and her entire body was drenched in sweat mixed with unknown varieties of grime. Worse, she stood pastern-deep in thick mud that sucked her hooves down with each laborious step she took. Though such a state of abject dishevelment would have, under normal circumstances, sent her into conniptions, at this particular moment in time she felt almost giddy. She was eager to see the first part of her wild scheme come to fruition, to stop the griffons, and to never have to fear another attack from Windlass again.
After breakfast, she had worked relentlessly to complete her repair work and patching of the Alicorn’s balloon, stopping only briefly for water and to address her body’s other unignorable demands. The others, too, had worked at a frenzied pace. Once Zips had decided he had a large enough pile of makeshift projectiles, he had joined his mother in slathering sticky resin over the hull. Meanwhile, Khufu and the two stallions had struggled with Blueblood’s limited maintenance tools to repair the Alicorn’s propeller and maneuvering surfaces, reconstruct the ship’s clockwork navigational system, and assure themselves that the steam engine would function.
They had even managed to assemble and bolt Buckaroo's monstrous cannon to the starboard hull, near the bow of the airship. Now, the hideous pony-sized agglomeration of dark metal parts and long cylindrical tubes perched like a huge mechanical vulture atop its swiveling wooden base, bolted to the deck. She supposed that the device was meant to propel the small steel cylinders filling the attached hopper, but the method of its operation was not at all clear to her. In any case, she did not really care how it worked, or even if it did. Buckaroo and Blueblood seemed extremely pleased with themselves, and very much into the spirit of competitive cooperation. That could only be a positive.
Yet more projects had been accomplished. The barbed steel missile that had been embedded in the Alicorn’s hull now rested on the upper deck, waiting to become the ship’s new anchor. The gaping hole the projectile had created was patched with wood cannibalized from the Alicorn’s cabin furniture, long iron nails, and copious amounts of Zinzi’s sticky resin. It was an ugly scab on the already scarified surface of the once-beautiful alabaster hull, but the patch appeared functional.
Now, as the sun sank low and the brash cacophony of daylight animals was replaced by the mellow chorus of the jungle’s crepuscular denizens, it was finally time for the battered, bandaged, and flightless Alicorn to take to the water. Rarity could not help but feel a kinship with the poor vessel, formerly so elegant and beautiful, and now reduced to this pitiable state. Both of them, she and the Alicorn, their fates now linked, would have to persevere in a state of unmitigated unfabulousity.
“One more good yank ought to do it,” Buckaroo called from in front of the ship, where he stood with the Khufu, Zinzi, and Zips. “Y’all ready back there?”
“We are ready,” Blueblood replied. “You have only to give the word.”
“Alright then, here …”
“Wait!” Rarity shouted, loudly enough to cause the others to trot out from the other side of the ship and over to her. She was feeling overcome with sentimentality, and she just had to speak up. There absolutely had to be a touch of ceremony for the occasion. The Alicorn deserved as much, and so did she.
“I just think she deserves a little something special before she goes into water.”
“She?” Blueblood inquired. “You’ve finally come around to calling the ship ‘she’?”
“Yes, I believe I have,” Rarity replied primly. “And I want to give her a proper send-off on this voyage. Do you still have the rum?”
“Seriously? Now?” Blueblood asked, eyebrows raised. “You’re incredible.”
Rarity rolled her eyes in response. “Just tell me if you still have it.”
“Ahem. There is rum?” Khufu asked, raising his eyebrow.
“Yeah, why am I just learnin’ about this now?” Buckaroo demanded.
“Yes, I have it,” Blueblood said, shrugging. “I was too unwell to even think of using it on my injuries, so I kept it with me. If you really must have a drink, now of all times, it is stowed under the bed with my other effects.”
Rarity did not answer, but instead raced over to the side of the ship. There, she paused. “How in Celestia’s name am I supposed to climb a rope ladder anyway?”
“Try bitin’ down on the rope and then hauling yourself up with your front legs,” Buckaroo suggested.
“What? That is not how to climb a ladder,” Blueblood huffed.
“Works for me,” the big earth pony shrugged.
“I am not using my teeth. Any other suggestions?”
“Here.” Blueblood’s horn glowed, and Rarity felt her entire body tingle as he levitated her bodily up onto the deck of the Alicorn. “Now hurry up.”
“Thank you.” Rarity hurried down into the cabin, magically retrieved the coconut still half-full of Gallopolian spiced rum, surmounted the stairs to the upper deck, and then carefully maneuvered over the side of the ship and onto the rope ladder. Descending was far easier and more intuitive than climbing, and she soon hopped lightly down to the muddy earth.
“Ahem, I would like to take this opportunity to say a few words to all of you.” When nopony seemed to be paying attention, Rarity added. “Afterward you can drink the rum.” All eyes now upon her, she thrust a hoof at the Alicorn looming behind her, and continued.
“Look behind me, at this ship. Yesterday morning, she was merely a wreck. Unflyable. Immoveable. Useless. After two days, we six have given her a second chance, an opportunity to reclaim a measure of respect from those who put her in this dreadful situation, and to prevent a catastrophe of unimaginable proportion and consequence. Blueblood built this ship, but we all gave her a new life, and now we charge her with the safety of our own lives. Now, look upon me. I too am a dreadful mess, a shell of my former self.”
“Aw, it ain’t so bad,” Buckaroo offered.
“Oh, but it is, darling! It really is.” Rarity placed a foreleg just under her horn and pantomimed a swoon. “I am covered in grime, sweat, muck, dirt, bruises, cuts, insect bites, piranhasprite bites, and my hair, my poor hair - where to even begin? The Rarity of old - last week, to be precise - is gone, wrecked, washed up on the rocks, an absolute lost cause! The pony you see before you is not her, but somepony new, risen from the dirt and mud just like this airship. The new Rarity is somepony who, instead of fretting about accessorizing, is about to navigate a river, at night, in an airship, to steal lifting gas from a fortified installation teeming with soldiers. I will do this, because I must, if Equestria and peace are to persist.” Rarity paused, and used a bit of magic to pop the cork of the coconut she was holding aloft with a spell, and took an experimental sip of rum. Strong. Piquant. She coughed lightly. “We are all like the Alicorn. We have all faced adversity and been given a second chance, and now we all set out together to do something meaningful for the greater good.” She addressed each of them in turn.
“Blueblood, your life has been stolen out from under you. You and I are both dead and gone, so far as Equestria knows. Prince Khufu, your birthright is lost, but now you have a chance to stop a war and absolve your mistake in trusting General Karroc. Buckaroo, if we survive, you will be welcome in Equestria once again. Zinzi and Zips, Equestria is not your home, yet you chose to stay with us. Whatever else any of you may have done in the past, this is a noble thing we are going to attempt. I may be be a fashion designer by trade, but I have seen real bravery before, and I see it now. I believe in us, and I believe that we will stop this war!"
“Hear hear!” Buckaroo proclaimed.
“The words you speak are fine, and prove you have some spine,” Zinzi said, nodding.
“We are with you to bitter end, Lady Rarity,” Khufu said. “I knew when I first saw you, you possessed heart of hero. You have proven it time and again. I remain at your service.” He lowered his long neck and bent his forelegs in a small bow.
“Thank you,” Rarity said with a smile, before taking another swig of rum. She magically swung the coconut against the hull, and was rewarded with a dull thump. “Hm. Not quite the same as a bottle of champagne, but it will have to do in a pinch. To the Alicorn. May she carry us home with the dawn.” Rarity took a third, somewhat larger swig, replaced the stopper, and tossed the coconut to Buckaroo. The stallion reared back and caught the unorthodox drinking vessel between his forehooves. “Cheers.”
“Much obliged!” Buckaroo pulled the cork with his teeth, then tilted the coconut and drank, before resting it on a broad hoof and presenting it to Khufu. The rum was then passed around until all but the last sip was gone. Rarity finished that, before turning to Blueblood with a shrug.
“My apologies, but somepony has to steer the ship,” she said. “Now, are you ready?”
“I was ready before you felt the need for hard liquor and an inspirational monologue,” Blueblood grumbled. “But I admit that this has already gone better than the last time you and I attended a launching.”
“As terrible as we both look, I assure you that you have no need to fear any unwanted advances from me this time,” Rarity said, chuckling. “Oh my, things truly must be getting desperate if I am able to make jokes about that awful occasion.”
“Not desperate enough for your joke to be in good taste,” Blueblood muttered. “And in any case, I have decided that the jungle look works for me. I was always ruggedly handsome, but all these scratches and the dirty coat really showcase my masculinity. Plus, my compass mark really is the perfect cutie mark for this sort of adventure.”
“Really. Shall I call you ‘Daring Blue?’ then?” Rarity asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You do act like somepony out of a children’s story, I’ll give you that.”
“Funny, but I’ll have you know that many perfectly mature adults enjoy the Daring Do novels.”
“Whatever you say,” Rarity smirked. “Be honest, though, you’re looking forward to a warm meal and a hot shower just as much as I am.”
“Perhaps more so,” Blueblood agreed. “Though the shower may come sooner than you think. The Alicorn’s water reservoirs are full of clean water from the storm. Once the boiler heats up, you’ll be able to have your hot shower. I would take advantage, since it might be your last.”
Rarity gasped. “A hot shower? Here? Tonight?”
“You never noticed the head has a shower built into the ceiling? Now that we will be running the engine, there will be plenty of heat.”
“Why? Why did you not tell me?” Rarity demanded, giving Blueblood a small but aggressive shove. “How dare you let me waste all this time? We must get under way at once!”
“I have been attempting to do so.”
“We are ready, Your Grace,” Khufu said. “Buck will give the signal.” The camel and his cohorts retreated to the front of the ship. Giddily anticipating the possibility of being clean again, Rarity planted her hooves and gathered her magic for one last big push. Blueblood moved to stand beside her.
“This is it, everypony!” Buckaroo shouted, his baritone voice resonating throughout the clearing. “One … two … three … go!”
Rarity loosed what energy she had managed to gather in a bright flash of blue light, releasing her normally carefully controlled telekinesis in a single blind push, as strong as she could manage. She must have been still suffering the after effects of Windlass’ attack, because a jolt of pain shot down her horn and her forelegs buckled, sending her sprawling in the mud. In any case, she cared not a whit for the pain. There was only elation as she watched the Alicorn slide forward into the water with a mighty splash.
“Are you alright?” Blueblood asked, extending a foreleg for support. Rarity accepted the proffered limb, and leveraged herself against it in order to pull herself up.
“I am fine,” Rarity said, attempting to brush off the worst of the mud. “Better than fine, even. Look! We did it! Isn’t it amazing?”
“It certainly is something that I never expected to see,” Blueblood replied. “I’ll grant you that much.” He turned his attention to the sky above. “The sun has almost set. We should go aboard now so that I can begin testing the modifications that Prince Khufu and I implemented. The sooner we get on board, the sooner we may be able to begin our journey.”
Rarity nodded, and the two unicorns stepped gingerly across the wet earth to the water’s edge. There, Buckaroo was tying ropes: one to secure the Alicorn and prevent it from floating away, and one to tow the stolen river barge, complete with its precious cargo of tinned minnows.
“All aboard, then,” Blueblood suggested. He wasted no time before splashing out into the shallow water toward the side of the ship. Rarity watched the other unicorn's horn glow, and the rope ladder dangling over the side of the hull instantly turned rigid, and extended outward. Blueblood then simply trotted up the rungs and onto the upper deck, as if the ladder were a flight of stairs. “And that is how a unicorn uses a rope ladder,” he called down.
Rarity had to admit, Blueblood's method was more elegant than using one’s teeth, or allowing another pony to unceremoniously hoist one’s body into the air. More importantly, it was a very simple spell, one that even she had learned long ago. She splashed into the lake after Blueblood and soon stood next to him on the deck. Together, they helped the others aboard by magically hauling in the ladder each time somepony took hold of it. Soon, the five equines, and one camel, stood together.
“Now the real fun begins, I reckon,” Buckaroo drawled. He walked a few steps over to the ungainly cannon that marred whatever aesthetic integrity the Alicorn might have otherwise maintained, and experimentally swivelled the bundle of metal tubes back and forth.
“Sounds about right to me,” Zips concurred. He had already gathered the miscellaneous weapons he had crafted into neat piles on the deck of the ship, and now the young half-zebra stallion picked up something that looked to Rarity like a tough green vine with hoof-sized rocks lashed to either end. He held one of the rocks in his mouth, and spun the other above his head so fast it was nothing but a blur. When Zips let go, the spinning projectile arced through the air toward shore, where it wrapped tightly around a large tree branch hanging out over the lake. “Griffons won’t dare get any closer than that.”
“Remember, we are not spoiling for a fight. That is why we travel at night,” Zinzi said sternly.
“I suppose it never hurts to be prepared, though,” Rarity offered.
Blueblood turned to address Khufu. “Prince, will you accompany me to the engine room? I believe it is getting dark enough to hide the smoke from the boiler fire.” The camel nodded, and both disappeared down in the innards of the floating airship.
Zinzi spoke up next. “We should inspect the hull to ensure there are no leaks. If this ship sinks, our chances would be bleak.”
Rarity agreed. It would do them no good to learn of a potentially serious problem halfway up the river toward the griffon base, in the dead of night. She followed the other mare down through the deck hatch, leaving Buckaroo and Zips alone on the upper deck. As she and the slender zebra worked to pry up decking, searching in vain for any water seeping into the bilge, strange hissing, popping, and metallic clanking sounds issued from the engine room at the aft of the ship. She looked up from her work as Blueblood emerged back into the main part of the cabin.
“The boiler is fired,” he announced. “We have only to wait for sufficient pressure now. It won’t be long, since we will not be running the engine any harder than idle power.”
“Idle?” Rarity repeated, dismayed. “You must realize that this is a rather urgent matter, do you not?”
“Of course, but you must understand that the Alicorn was never designed to be a riverboat. The main propeller is almost entirely out of the water, and therefore completely useless here. Prince Khufu and I temporarily decoupled it from the drive shaft. Now, all the engine power is being fed into the maneuvering fins, which have been locked into a rotating cycle, so they should essentially act like oars. At anything more than idle, I am one hundred percent certain the fins would would break clean off the ship. I suspect they may do so even at minimum power.”
“I do not care how anything on this ship works, so long as we arrive at the base at the proper moment,” Rarity stated. “Will we?”
“I have no idea. We will not know until she begins to move, if she ever does. It will be another hour before the boiler reaches supercritical temperature and pressure.”
Rarity sighed. “I suppose that means I need to wait for that shower you promised.”
“Oh no, by all means, go right ahead. The hot water tank is heated by waste heat from the boiler, so you will not be slowing anything down by showering now. If only I did not need to monitor the boiler pressure, I would like nothing more than to join you.”
“Blueblood!” Rarity exclaimed, her face instantly turning red.
“No, no, that isn’t what I meant!” Blueblood’s face flushed as well, and he half-turned away. “I meant, I would like a shower as well, not that I wanted to shower together.”
“Yes, yes of course,” Rarity backed away. “I knew what you meant. It was just a little joke. Ha ha.” Of course he had not meant that.
Sheepishly, she muttered something to get away from Blueblood and then returned to her work inspecting for leaks. Perhaps she would take a cold shower. No, mortifying misinterpretations aside, this truly might be her last chance to get her old self back, and she was going to take full advantage of it. She would boil herself if that was what it took to get clean.
Rarity rushed through the remainder of the search for hull leaks, and then hurried into the Alicorn’s cramped bathroom before anypony else got the idea to try to beat her to the punch. This was her time! She had earned it. Rarity looked around the room, searching for the details that had not previously clued her in to the presence of a shower system.
The small porcelain sink was cracked, and only a few small shards of the shattered glass remained in place. It was a good thing, Rarity was certain, that she could not see her full-sized reflection. She would soon be a walking disaster no longer! Looking around more closely, she saw a copper drain in one corner of the floor, and the many pinholes in the ceiling overhead that constituted the shower. There was no separate shower area, which she supposed conserved space, but rather only a slight grade to the floor so that the water would drain into the airship’s wastewater tank instead of pooling throughout the cabin.
Unlike the ostentatious shower in Fancypants’ apartment, or even her own modest bathroom at home, all of the pipes here were concealed within the hull. Only a pair of brass handles protruding from the interior wall provided any outward sign of plumbing. Blueblood’s design was elegant, she had to admit. Rarity also found herself grateful for the stallion’s vanity when she found a small basket containing soaps and shampoos lying on its side on the bathroom floor. To her great delight, several of the toiletries inside were the same exclusive Canterlot products she herself used. She filed away the knowledge that Blueblood used beauty products for mares for future use, and concentrated instead on her immediate objective. She cast her telekinesis, turned both brass handles, and was rewarded with warm water issuing forth from the ceiling like a tropical monsoon. She adjusted the handles until the temperature was at hot as she could stand it, and then stepped under the steamy, cleansing torrent.
The first sensation she felt was pain, but what glorious, rejuvenating pain! The hot water bit into her innumerable cuts and scratches, scouring them clean. Her coat, matted with sweat and filth, was beginning to look bright again, and this was only the first stage. Rarity levitated soap, shampoo, a brush, and a sea sponge out of the basket and set to work on herself, building up a lather in her coat, mane, and tail until she was a vaguely pony-shaped sudsy mass. Brush, brush, brush - scrub, scrub, scrub - it wasn’t the spa, but Rarity could not recall feeling better than this. She kept at it, losing track of time as she carefully worked every particle of dirt out of her coat, and ran the brush through her hair until even the most irksome of tangles was gone. If this truly was to be the final curtain call in her fabulous, too-short life, then she would look the part of the leading lady.
When she finally felt clean from nose to tail, Rarity cringed at the slurry of dirt and unidentifiable debris at her hooves, and wondered how much more had been washed down the drain. She felt pounds lighter, and idly hoped that the Alicorn's plumbing would stand up to the dirt and grime that she had worn like a second coat these last few days. Not that she felt even slightly guilty about her shower. Storing less water in the tanks would only make the airship lighter when it came time to take flight, right?
Now began the next phase of her personal restoration. There was a snow white towel hanging from a hook, but Rarity hesitated to take it, unsure as to whether it had already been used. No, of course not. Blueblood had filled his veins with so much wakewort at the start of the race that he would never have been able to shift his concentration from racing to something so mundane as personal hygiene. Rarity took the fresh towel and wrapped it tightly around her mane, squeezing it with magic until she had gotten out as much water as she could. She repeated the process with her tail, and then gave her body a good once-over.
In the absence of any more advanced hair care tools, magic would have to suffice to restore her hair. She called up her mental image of what she meant to look like, and magically “popped” her mostly-dry mane and tail into what she hoped was a decent semblance of her trademark style. Turning her head left and right, she could feel the oversized curls of her mane bouncing, and the feeling left her overjoyed. Excited, she craned her neck and turned to look behind. She lifted her hindquarters and swished her beautiful coiled tail back and forth. Pure bliss! True, she had no makeup. True, her hooves were chipped. True, soap and hot water would not by themselves heal her cuts or take away the bumps and bruises she had suffered. She ignored all of that for now. She was clean. She was fabulous. She was … Rarity!
She threw open the door, and, upon stepping out into the Alicorn’s main cabin, immediately struck a glamorous pose while loudly and dramatically declaring her return. She was being flamboyantly silly, of course, but she didn’t care. As beautiful as she felt in this moment, she actually hoped for an appreciative audience. As luck would have it, though, it had been an audience of one. Zips sat at the drafting table in the cabin, holding a sharp piece of stone in his teeth and whittling something deadly-looking out of a stick.
“Was that for me?” the young stallion asked after spitting out the rock and bolting upright. “I knew you saw past the age difference.”
Rarity blinked twice. “No. No it was not.”
What was it with the young ones? She ascended the stairs to the upper deck without another word, and promised herself never to think of the incident again.
Her first observation upon emerging from the hatch was that night had fallen completely, and a fat gibbous moon shined in the sky overhead. Apparently, she had been in the shower longer than she had thought. She next noticed the feeling of wind rushing against her face and through her mane. Though the sensation was pleasing, it was also surprising. There had been a dead calm before. Now that she thought about it, Rarity could also feel a slight undulation as the deck moved beneath her. The Alicorn was moving. Blueblood stood at the ship’s wheel, while Khufu, Zinzi, and Buckaroo clustered at the bow.
“You’re still driftin’ right!” Buckaroo called back.
“I am aware!” Blueblood shouted. “If you will call out specific course corrections, instead of merely complaining, we shall be fine.”
“We are under way,” Rarity observed, moving to stand next to Blueblood.
“Oh, there you are. I was beginning to fear you were water soluble, and had simply washed away in the shower. It has been over an hour since you went in there. I …” Blueblood finally turned his head to look at her. “You …” He gaped openly at her, and then abruptly snapped his mouth shut. “You look … clean,” he finally managed.
“Yes, it is quite an improvement, if I do say so.” Rarity tossed her head playfully. “I, for one, am not going to leave this world looking like some sort of vagabond. To tell you the truth, though, I feel a new sense of confidence about what we are about to do. It really is amazing what a little hair product can do for a girl.”
“I am not sure how being well-coiffed makes this scheme of yours any more likely to succeed, but I am glad you are in good spirits.”
“Never underestimate the power of good hair,” Rarity replied.
"Or strong rum," Blueblood added.
“Well, perhaps," Rarity admitted. "Now, how long have we been moving?”
“Not more than ten minutes. To my surprise, it seems that the fins are working well as paddles, and we are making good headway against the current. As long as I can avoid hitting anything, I believe we will arrive at our destination before morning.”
“Port five degrees, if you so please!”
Blueblood adjusted the wheel pursuant to Zinzi's instructions and continued speaking. “Not only can I not see what is in front of the ship from back here, I was unable to correct the flaw in the Alicorn’s navigational mechanism. Even in the water, she wants to veer right.”
“Sakes alive! Is that Miss Rarity back there, shinin’ like a brand new silver twenty bit piece?” Buckaroo shouted back. “I hardly think we even need the moon to steer her by, with you lookin’ like that. Shoot, Princess Luna herself would probably be jealous if she saw you shinin’ brighter than her charge.”
“Laying it on a little thick, eh ‘pardner’?” Blueblood shouted back. “Please, just give course corrections.”
“Why, thank you, darling!” Rarity exclaimed, shooting Blueblood a dirty look and walking toward Buckaroo at the bow. “You are simply too kind.”
“I just call it like I see it,” Buckaroo said. “Port ten degrees! And right now, what I see is a right pretty sight.”
Rarity hoped it was too dark to see her blushing. “What are we looking for?” she asked.
“River is shallow and treacherous,” Khufu said. “There are many rocks. We must ensure ship keeps to deepest part, and away from obstacles.”
“I suppose we dare not risk anything as bright as magical illumination. Still, I would like to do my part to help. I suppose we are to avoid that large boulder directly ahead?”
“Whoa, missed that one!” Buckaroo exclaimed.
“I take that as a yes. Starboard fifteen degrees!” Rarity shouted back to Blueblood.
“Great. Now everypony is telling me what to do,” the unicorn stallion grumbled, turning the wheel right.
“You have good eyes, young Lady Rarity,” Khufu said. “And, I should say, you look very fair this night.”
“Thank you very much, Prince.”
Rarity settled in amongst the others, and continued to search for and call out obstacles. It was a minor miracle that this night had coincided with a moon that was waxing nearly full, or there would have been no way to see without the giveaway glow of a spell.
As time passed, and the afterglow of her shower - and the rum - wore off, Rarity could feel anxiety begin to gnaw at her confidence. Each minute brought the Alicorn closer to the griffons’ claws, but also closer to their potential ticket home. She had been through dire situations before, but always with Twilight and the others, never with Blueblood and a patchwork assortment of ostensibly enlightened outlaws. She would just have to prove that fabulosity and determination were legitimate substitutes for the Elements of Harmony. At least she did not feel tired. She remained keenly aware of what Windlass could do to her if she fell asleep, and she was not going to allow that to happen again. Rarity steeled herself and focused on the moonlit water ahead.
To conserve energy, the spotters eventually agreed to work in shifts. After Rarity left the bow to Zinzi for a second time, she set about twining together the three remaining mooring lines into one thick and extremely strong rope to secure the Alicorn’s new, makeshift anchor. She was putting the finishing touches on her project when she heard a commotion at the front of the ship. Blueblood and Zinzi were conversing about something, and Buckaroo rushed from wherever he had been standing back to the bow.
“We have reached the outer navigational markers the griffons set in place,” Blueblood shouted to her from his position at the ship’s wheel. “It is almost time. Is the anchor ready?”
“Of course.”
“Are you ready?” Blueblood asked.
“Look at me,” Rarity called back. “I was born ready.”
“You were born ready to lure in a school of giant fish?”
“Oh, shut up. I am ready for whatever comes next. And you?”
“Not at all,” Blueblood replied. “If I can get that earth pony lug to shore, hopefully he and the unhinged young one can keep me alive long enough to escape. In any case, there is no point in returning to the Equestria my brother is trying to create. I will do what I must to stop him.”
“You know, Blueblood, I can hardly believe we are the same ponies we were only a week ago,” Rarity mused. “It seems a shame that all this …” she made a sweeping gesture with a foreleg, “could be erased in one night. After everything, I find I rather like who we are now. At least, you’ve certainly improved. I, on the other hoof, did not leave much room for personal betterment in the first instance.”
“I suppose not,” Blueblood said dryly.
“What I am trying to say is, I just hope we all make it through this. Perhaps, if we do, this new amicability between us may remain.”
Blueblood sighed. “Rarity, I am beginning to learn who I am, and what my place in this world can be. That I am more than a name and a fading dynasty. I have many reasons to make it back to the ship tonight. I can help save Equestria, expose a pack of traitors, and set about creating the life I thought was denied to me on account of my family legacy.”
“Good, you …” Rarity paused as Blueblood cut her off.
“There is more. This is as fine a time as any to say it. You are another reason for me to make it back alive. No matter how you feel about me, no matter what kind of stallion I am and will always be to you, please be here in one piece when I return.” He smiled weakly. "I would hate to have gotten shot for nothing."
So there it was. Rarity had listened to Blueblood, but could not find the words to respond. Just as Zinzi had guessed, he really had developed feelings for her, and now she would have to deal with them.
Blueblood had changed, to be sure, and had even demonstrated real courage when he took a bullet for her, but he was still Blueblood. There could never be more than cordiality between them, and they had needed to be forced into the absolute worst imaginable circumstances for even that to be possible. Back in Canterlot, he might very well revert to the stallion who had held her bodily and used her as a shield to keep from getting cake on his coat, and who had treated her with nothing but callous disregard.
She had gotten what she had yearned for and dreamed about since she was a filly - the affections of the handsome unicorn prince from Canterlot - but now, strangely, insanely, she dared not return them, or even give him hope. The Blueblood who spoke to her now, even if he was being completely honest in this moment, could at any time disappear, never to return. One did not simply erase decades of being a twit in one week, even a week such as this.
Yet … she could see his clear blue eyes shining in the moonlight, and his strong-featured, handsome face framed by a tousled blond mane. He looked at her with such sincerity, and for a fleeting moment, she wanted nothing more than to trot right over and kiss him, as foolishly and uncaringly as she had while drunk in Canterlot.
“I plan to be here,” Rarity said quietly. The words were not what she wanted to say, but they were all she could muster.
Blueblood looked like he was about to say something more in response, but he was not afforded the chance.
“Kill the engine!” Buckaroo hissed, running back from the bow at nearly a full gallop. “We’re almost on top of the inner marker pilings, and if y’all keep steamin’ ahead we’re gonna end up right out in front of that base for the whole world to see.”
Blueblood manipulated the controls in front of him, and Rarity could hear the hum of the engine fade and disappear, to be replaced by still quiet and the gentle sound of waves lapping against the hull.
“Our momentum will carry the ship upstream for only a moment longer,” Blueblood said.
“It really is time for me to go, then,” Rarity said.
“Reckon so,” Buckaroo observed.
Rarity took a deep breath to steel herself. “I am going to swim over to the barge. When we are close enough to one of the inner marker pilings, I will untie the tow line rope from the Alicorn, and tie the barge to the piling. How much time will the three of you stallions need to get to in position to swim across to the base?”
“Forever, since I’m headin’ straight for the bottom of the river,” Buckaroo said glumly.
“Ignore him,” Blueblood stated. “It should not take more than thirty minutes to reach the narrowest crossing by hoof, including the time it takes to anchor the ship in one of the hidden inlets along the side of the river.”
“I suppose if that is the best you can do, but remember, it is always rude to keep a lady waiting.” Rarity frowned. It would be terribly lonely on the barge, and more than a little terrifying.
“We will make all haste,” Blueblood promised. “Once we see signs that the griffons have taken the bait and are investigating your distraction, we will swim across. With luck, everything will go to plan.”
“We are due some luck, are we not?” Rarity asked, mustering a small smile.
“Overdue, I should say,” Blueblood replied.
“Then let us get on with it.” Rarity slowly walked over to a gap in the deck rail. She tossed one end of the drawn-up rope ladder overboard with a bit of magic, and it fell all the way down to the featureless black surface of the water. There were monsters there below, and soon she would be calling them to feed. She touched a hoof to the luminescent pearl resting against her throat. Please, she silently implored, for her sake, and the sake of a peaceful world, let its power be real. It would have to suffice as her only protection. The others gathered behind her as Rarity prepared to disembark.
“I have believed in you all along. Nothing has shaken my faith,” Khufu stated. “Be well, pony friend.”
“Good luck,” offered Zips. “Don’t fall in, and remember, the jagugars like to jump out of the water after their prey.”
Rarity shuddered at the thought.
“Be safe, Rarity,” said Zinzi.
“Zinzi, dear, did you not rhyme just now?” Rarity asked, surprised. “What a lovely gesture.”
“Just a little treat from me,” the zebra finished with a wink.
“Oh, you!” Rarity swiped a playful hoof at the other mare.
“Well, I’m probably not gonna make it,” Buckaroo drawled, his words as thick and slow as molasses. “So it’s been a pleasure makin’ your acquaintance, Miss Rarity.”
“Pish posh. You will be fine. Blueblood will have his pearl, and I will have distracted all the pony-eating fish. There really is nothing to swimming. You’ll see.”
“Yes, I will make sure nothing happens to this big oaf,” Blueblood said. “And I shall meet you back at the ship, with the lifting gas and anything else useful we might salvage. All seems quiet, so I suspect General Karroc has already departed. There are likely not many griffons left to guard the stores.”
“And I will be back here on the ship when the three of you return,” Rarity repeated, firmly this time. “Farewell, and good luck.” She knelt down and extended her hind legs cautiously, testing the rope ladder. She then quickly descended and, before she could reconsider, dropped into the black water.
Even without the heat of the sun, the river water was comfortably warm. In other circumstances, it would have been most pleasurable to take a dip. As it was, Rarity churned her legs and swam as quickly as possible toward the stern of the Alicorn and the barge floating behind. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, enabling her to see adequately well by the light of the moon, and she zeroed in on the barge quickly. It was not long before she was able to pull herself up onto the vessel’s flat deck, where she breathed a deep sigh of relief. Nothing had yet attempted to take a nibble of her.
As intended, the barge was drifting toward a cylindrical wooden post poking up out of the river. Rarity acted quickly, using her magic to untie the knot holding the craft fast to the stern of the Alicorn, and then sending the rope snaking through the air and around the piling. It would be more than strong enough to keep her from drifting downriver. Not so for the Alicorn. The flightless airship was already drifting back downstream with the current, and would continue to do so until Blueblood restarted the steam engine. Soon, he and the other stallions would be well on their way to sneaking into the base, and they were counting on her to keep the griffons’ claws away from them. She would have to get to work soon, but not quite yet. Rarity sat down on the deck, its planks wet from being splashed by the Alicorn’s wake.
It might have been the last time she would see some of them, just now. Perhaps even all of them. Put another way, it might be the last time any of them would see her. All of the confidence she had felt earlier would do her a fat lot of good if something went awry.
She had promised Blueblood she would be there when he returned. Dear Celestia, why? Why had she not been able to get out the words she had meant to say - that she appreciated his sentiment, but could never reciprocate anything more than friendship? Where had the sharp words gone, which she always kept ready at the tip of her tongue? That absurd, awful, terrible, frustrating, vexatious, charming, handsome stallion! What would come of it all?
Rarity pushed aside her emotions and magicked a crate of fish down onto the deck in front of her. Inside, as promised by the stamp on the crate, were dozens of thin, rectangular tin cans full of little dead fish. The entire concept was, in a word, disgusting. She would need at least two more showers when she was through with this, and she was not even planning to touch any of the fish physically.
Each of the cans had a metal pull tab for a griffon to grasp in his talons and pull back the lid, but nothing that could be easily grasped with teeth. No pony could open cans like these without magic. This sort of magic, however, requiring fine control and a fair bit of spell dexterity, was Rarity’s forte. She got to work, and quickly determined that she could open half a dozen cans at at time without straining her control, and then empty them into the river while working on the next set of six.
She had expected the odor would be difficult to stomach, but the collective smell of the canned fish soon forced her to lean out over the side of the barge. She had little in her belly that could come back up, but merely staring at something other than tightly packed, foul-smelling fish corpses gave her temporary relief.
Suddenly, she jumped backwards and landed hard on her rump. Something had been moving under the water, right in front of her snout, and whatever it was had been huge. Rarity immediately regretted not confirming with one of Khufu’s party just how large these jagugar fish really were. She was certain that she had felt them brush past while she was swimming across the swamp, though at the time she had not seen even a ripple on the surface. How large could they really be, to move so stealthily beneath the surface?
Nervously, Rarity backed toward the center of the barge and set to work again, opening cans of fish and dumping them into the river. She needed to pull herself together. The Alicorn was long gone now, the others were counting on her, and there was nopony to do this for her.
Bang! Fear gripped Rarity as a sound like a firestick going off reverberated across the water. Bang! Something large flashed in the moonlight in the periphery of her vision, right on the river’s surface.
Bang! Suddenly, Rarity saw it. The sound was not a weapon being fired, but the impact of a powerful broad tail slapping the surface of the river. A monstrous knife-shaped fish, three pony lengths from the tip of its tapering head to its wide, fan-shaped tail, leaped high into the midnight air before crashing down again and sending up a geyser of water that rained down on Rarity and everything else in the immediate vicinity.
Dear Celestia! That was what lurked in the water? Rarity could not be any further from the edge of the barge than she already was, but she was still far too close to the water for her taste. Another jagugar leaped clear of the water and then fell back with a mighty crash. What if one of them landed on her? What if they collectively decided to knock the barge over in order to get at the rest of the fish, or worse, decided pony was on the menu? She needed to remove any motivation for them to try, by getting the rest of the canned minnows into the water.
Rarity redoubled her efforts, and was soon throwing pounds of fish into what was rapidly becoming a churning maelstrom of horror around the barge. Every so often one of the nightmare fish would bump the underside of the barge, and each time Rarity was absolutely certain that she would tumble into the water. Surely this cacophony of tail-slapping, splashing, snapping mayhem was already attracting the attention of the griffons watching the base! She had to assume so. In any case, she had accomplished what she set out to do - the noise of the jagugars must have been audible for leagues. She levitated the last of the minnows over the edge of the barge, and then turned to focus her magic on the rope keeping her moored in place. It was time to drift away downstream, to safety.
At that moment, Rarity heard a series of sharp thuds on the deck behind her, and a pit of dread instantly formed in her stomach. She recognized the sounds at once, even without turning around to see. The griffons were already upon her; she had been too slow.
Rarity whirled around to face three griffons crouched aggressively, no more than two lengths away. All of them were big dark-feathered males. Those on the right and left clutched long firesticks of the sort she had seen in the jungle, and the center griffon worse a simple metal helm. There was literally nowhere to run, and no way to escape.
The realization that she was not going to survive crashed down over Rarity, knocking her breath away and buckling her legs. The centermost griffon took a step closer to her. “What is this madness with the jagugars?” he snarled. “Where are the others? Where is the other unicorn?”
“Oh, ha ha, look around. You can plainly see there’s nopony else here. Just little old Rarity,” she managed weakly. “You know, out feeding the fish. I do love how they splash about so.” She would not betray her allies - her friends.
“You will tell us where they are,” the griffon stated. “General Karroc will see to that, and he will be most pleased with the prize I am about to bring to him.”
“Karroc?” Rarity repeated, shocked. “Here? He cannot be here! He should be on his way to Gallopoli!” If Karroc had not yet left, then the base would still be crawling with soldiers. Blueblood and the others would stand little chance of retrieving the vital gas. She had made a terrible miscalculation!
“What?” The griffon stopped moving toward Rarity and eyed her suspiciously. “How could you know that? The ship is preparing to depart now.” He shook his head. “Never mind, you will explain everything to the general!” The griffon advanced, one taloned claw extended. Rarity screamed and backed away, toward the edge of the barge. Behind her, a massive piscine shape burst from the water and flopped back down, spraying everyone on the barge. “As you can see, there is nowhere for you to go,” the griffon rumbled.
If the griffon took hold of her with his talons, Rarity knew that there would be no resisting capture. She would be lofted high into the air in a second, and struggling free would only mean plummeting to her death. She might dodge the initial advance, but the other griffons were right there to snatch her. Before her were sharp talons and certain doom. Behind her was a frothing stew of powerful fins and snapping jaws. Rarity touched a hoof to the pearl gracing her neck, and continued backing away.
“Stop, pony, unless you want to be fish food.” The griffon continued forward, now almost close enough to reach her. His wings unfolded, ready to lift them both high into the sky.
“Ah, you know,” Rarity said, “you griffons really are lovely company, but I am afraid I am going to have to decline your invitation to meet with General Karroc.” Her next step backward met only air, and Rarity did not resist gravity’s pull. As the griffon swiped his taloned claw where her head had been a half-second previously, Rarity slid into the churning dark water.
As she swam down, she expected to feel the sharp teeth of a monster fish close around her, or to have her bones crushed by the swipe of a tail. There was no realistic hope of survival, but she would not give these griffons the satisfaction of taking her prisoner. Karroc, she did not doubt, would do far worse to her than the jagugars.
She could see nothing in the dark murky water, but she could feel the rough wooden bottom of the barge above her. She had managed to swim underneath it. Perhaps the schooling predators would not be able to isolate her here, but she could not hold her breath forever. She would have to swim out and to the surface, and there she would be shot, captured by the griffons, eaten, or perhaps a combination of those.
Her lungs were beginning to burn for oxygen, and Rarity decided she had to swim as far and as fast as she could manage, away from the barge, and hope for a miracle. She pushed off the underside of the barge and swam down into the all-consuming darkness, thankful that she could not see the spectacle of fins and teeth surrounding her. The pearl would keep her safe in the river, she told herself. That was its magic, after all.
A wall of water suddenly hit her, forcing her down even further and causing her ears to pop as a pressure wave blew past. A jagugar had raced past her, not more than a half length away. Rarity felt something aganist her hooves, and realized she was touching the bottom of the river. How deep had she been forced down? The need to breathe was becoming desperate, but she was not certain she could even reach the surface now. Fighting panic, she pushed off, cursing her lack of flippers or broad paws to pull her along as she struggled upward. When another surge of current forced her down again, she recognized that she could not fight it any longer. She had to breathe, now, and she had no more strength to swim. This moment was to be the end of her.
Drowning was a rather storied and elegant way to go, she supposed. Rarity let her body drift as she prepared to take in a lungful of murky water. With her last bit of magic, she tore free the useless charlatan pearl on its strand from around her neck; it had betrayed her, and did not deserve to adorn her body in death.
Floating motionless, Rarity opened her mouth and throat and gave herself to the river. To her great surprise, she did not drown.
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Good news. Two more chapters coming after this one before the end of the month.
autohotkey.net/~Pulover/Images/887053-futurama___farnsworth.jpg
Good news, everyone!
He'll yeah more chapters. This is the best blueblood redemption fic I've ever read keep it up!
Great chapter!
Yay alicorn is back and it has not lost any of its greatness
Verrrrry interesting. Rarity still has her pearl, and now she can breat underwater and cavort with monsterfish? Oh I pity Karroc now. Him AND his underlings.
787590
Wait, what?
No, clearly Rarity was a seapony, all along. In retrospect, it was obvious. 
787604 Rarity is now Kelparity.
The pearls! Woohoo!!
Nice start to the base assault.
787107 Yes, YES!
I salute you for not giving in to the temptation to end this chapter a sentence earlier.
788123
Thanks. I already used up my quota of perilous cliffhangers. Plus, I don't think you all would have been seriously wondering if she was going to make it.
Time to start Rarity’s plan…and it immediately start to come apart. And she was doing so well… Time to see how badly things will go now that Karroc is still around to cause trouble with most of his soldiers.
Some nice character interactions here as we start to move into what I’m guessing is the climax of the story. Oh the crazy sexual tension on the Alicorn. I honestly do not know how the Blueblood and Rarity relationship will end. Figures Rarity would be the pony to be extremely concerned about how she looks right before heading into a potentially life or death struggle. Priorities, priories.
One minor mistake I found.
“Fear gripped rarity as a sound like a firestick going off reverberated across the water.”
-I believe you forgot to capitalize Rarity.
I look forward to the next two chapter this month! Seems we are getting to the climax of this crazy and awesome adventure, and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
788168
Thank you for the typographical correction! I always miss a couple, no matter how many passes I make! I'm sure there are others, though I do try hard. As always, I appreciate your comments very much - and I am especially glad you still think this story is crazy and awesome!
787210
You couldn't be more right!
Woo! New chapter! And it's a fun one, with action, romance, and a gratuitous and lengthy shower scene to boot. (Okay, so it wasn't saucy in any way, even if it was rather decadent of Rarity. Glad to see she's going into danger while looking fabulous. I'm sure the fish appreciated it.)
Interesting to see that, mentally at least, her heart hasn't truly thawed towards Blueblood to a degree where she would really entertain a relationship with him. I liked that fact, as it felt very honest. Of course, her little instance of being tongue-tied suggests that another side of her isn't ready to rule it out just yet.
Loved the launching of the Alicorn, and Rarity's pep talk. Looking forward to finding out just what happened in the water, and how they're going to survive first contact with the enemy!
BluebloodxRarity is sooo cute....this is by far the definition of what I look for in a story...thank u and I shall be awaiting the future chapters
Let's see. Possibility 1: The climax happens in Karroc's base and after the villains are thwarted it's a nice leisurely flight back to Gallopi. Possibility 2: Rarity and company get away but the bad guys now know their plan has been exposed. Karroc's flagship can't possibly catch the Alicorn but those cheap black knockoffs can and the real threat isn't the flagship's firepower its the heavenstone. Windlass and Karroc load the heavenstone into one of the Knock-Off Alicorns and its a race to Gallopi. While team Rarity will have a head start Windlass will doubtless use the heavenstone to give her ride the best possible flying conditions and a powerful tailwind. Unknown if she has sufficient fine control or range to boost her own airship while creating weather obstacles to slow down or crash Team Rarity at the same time. Possibility 3: Game Over Bad Ending the next book in the trilogy has a completely different protagonist struggling against the bloody tide of the Griffon/Pony war.
Just wanted to let you know that I love this series and that I'm super ultra glad that two chapters will be out so soon! Keep up the good work!
Also, Rarity, girl talk. If a hot male wants to take a sexy shower with you, you say yes, okay?
Let's see. Possibility 1: The climax happens in Karroc's base and after the villains are thwarted it's a nice leisurely flight back to Gallopi. Possibility 2: Rarity and company get away but the bad guys now know their plan has been exposed. Karroc's flagship can't possibly catch the Alicorn but those cheap black knockoffs can and the real threat isn't the flagship's firepower its the heavenstone. Windlass and Karroc load the heavenstone into one of the Knock-Off Alicorns and its a race to Gallopi. While team Rarity will have a head start Windlass will doubtless use the heavenstone to give her ride the best possible flying conditions and a powerful tailwind. Unknown if she has sufficient fine control or range to boost her own airship while creating weather obstacles to slow down or crash Team Rarity at the same time.
On another note I'm assuming most are assuming (There has to be a better way to phrase that
) that Rarity won't bond to the Heavenstone this book because it would make her overpowered and the next two books too easy for her. Another possibility is that she does bond to it but the problems she has to face in the rest of the trilogy are the kind that no amount of magical power can solve. Like say the legitimate grievances between the Pegasi and the Griffons that the conspirators exploited to help push things as far as they've already gone which won't go away when Karroc and Windlass are defeated. They might even be exacerbated if say the Griffons got word that Equestria has been concealing a country-flattening super-weapon for centuries and now said super-weapon is bonded to an Equestrian Private Citizen with no real checks and balances on her power?
Still one of my favorite fics and if we have more chapeters coming this month then all the better!
And again i am stating that that story have unique atmosphere and creative ideas.
This chapter is pretty awesome. it have action, romance.
Also, i can feel climax nearby, which is kinda sad. It's always sad when good stories are ending.
Anyway, keep the good work!
What a cliffhanger! I feel as though I'll be drowning myself until the next one comes along. And then with Blueblood's feelings coming out, sort of. THAT'S what I've been anticipating for so long. I got chills. CHILLS!
My favorite fic.
Ooh! I'm looking forward to the next two chapters, but I wonder who saved Rarity (My personal guess is that it was the Sea Ponies)
On that note this is one of the funnier chapters, the more dramatic moments were well done, especially Rarity's motivational speech. But one of my favourite humour moments has to be the rum particularly:
“Ahem, I would like to take this opportunity to say a few words to all of you.” When nopony seemed to be paying attention, Rarity added. “Afterward you can drink the rum.” All eyes now upon her, she thrust a hoof at the Alicorn looming behind her, and continued.
(Hmm, another case of alcohol and Ponies producing hilarious results)
The only thing I can think of is "Anything is possible when your Stallion has your ladies' scented coat wash....And is a horse")
I also particularly enjoyed the "shower discussion", I had a feeling that the inevidable shower conversation would be wonderfully entertaining and it still had a few surprises, such as there not being an arguement over who would be the first to use it and of course Prince Blueblood's "Mare's Shampoo" (Curse you advertising classes!
And then Zips' reaction to freshly cleaned Rarity was priceless; Congratulations Zips, you're now substitute Spike
Though looking back at the previous chapter, are you familiar with the concept of telepathic attacks? I've recently heard about them and it reminded me a bit of the previous chapter
787107
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WHY?! WHY DIDN'T SHE DROWN?! Stupid, sadistic cliffhanger...
Theatrics aside, this was a very eventful chapter. Points of interest:
- So, the Alicorn is river-worthy after all. Good, good. If all goes according to plan, she'll be back in the sky soon. Can't wait.
- Rarity is clean! And it seems that her mane managed to make a full, fabulous recovery. Thank Celestia.
- Blueblood has finally admitted his feelings for Rarity. And she... doesn't know how to respond. Hmm. Never thought I'd actually be rooting for Blueblood, but I guess I am. Also, putting a theory out there... I'm betting he's the reason Rarity isn't drowning. He probably worked out that the plan wasn't going to happen with griffons still swarming around the base, and came back to bail Rarity out. We'll see.
- Karroc hasn't left the base, yet. This is both bad and good. Bad, obviously, because Team Rarity just walked right into his army. Good, because he's not already on the way to Galopolli. Maybe the Alicorn can take off first and get a head start. Or even cripple his ship before it can launch. Whatever happens, Team Rarity's escape is now going to be (I'm sorry) at least 20% more exciting.
Anyway, glad to hear the next two chapters aren't far off. The suspense is already killing me.
Wow, great new chapter from one of my all-time favorite story!
Too bad Rarity gave important bits of intelligence to the griffons...
792004 Necklace of Waterbreathing, perhaps?
OOOOOOKAY! I've finally caught up to the most current chapter! (Reading only on 15 and 30 minute breaks at work makes progression slow,) but I've been enthralled with this fic since the very 1st chapter (also seeing the chapter sizes made me VERY happy, I love long chapters, showing that much thought was put into them before posting) I remember seeing this posted on EQD way back when, but nothing, and I was busy reading quite a few other fics at the time so I never got around to reading this brilliant bit of Blueblood redemption, but I saw the art piece that White Diamonds LTD posted since I follow her on DA and it piqued my curiosity enough for me to give it a trial run, I've been stuck on it since, and am glad to hear that there are more chapters coming before the end of the month, I couldn't imagine waiting long for the rest. You sir, have done an excellent job, deserve all the interenetz, and in the absence of that, at least a fav+follow+thumbs-up from me! Great work and keep it up!!!
792358
But she tore the necklace off. Unless its power stays in effect after removal, I don't think that's what saved her.
793741 Maybe now that she's using magic on it she gains additional benefits?
793937
I love your speculation, hehe. What a mystery! Seaponies???
Nah. 
793031
Thank you so much for the lovely comment. I very much appreciate your taking the time to read this story, and I hope to continue to put out a good product! It's wonderful to know there are readers out there who are really into it, and are following along intently. I'll do my best to keep up the good work.
792321
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you are enjoying the story!
791116
So fabulous!
Ooooh cliffhangers! Okay I got this one, 'ahem'...
**begins speaking with a cheesy 1950's narrator voice**
"Will the conspirators finally follow through with their nefarious plot?! Are Blueblood and company trotting into the jaws of certain death?! Will our beloved Rarity meet her end in a watery grave?! Tune in next time for the exciting conclusion! Same Bat time, same Bat channel!!"
Now then, I could be wrong about this but I think I might have some idea as to how Rarity will pull through this. Anyone remember back to chapter nine when the mayor of Gallopoli gave his little speech? ‘Should you e’er be cast adrift, and haven’t got an oar, the pink pearls of Gallopoli will help steer you to shore.’ Hmm call me crazy but that speech sounds oddly familiar...
This chapter had what must have been Rarity's third extensive shower scene in this story. You know, if this were any other kind of fandom I'd accuse of overdoing it a little bit with the fanservice. But these are ponies, they're (almost) always running around naked
That aside, it was a very good scene, it really felt like a transformation for Rarity that ended just perfect with her triumphantly bursting out of the bathroom – only for her to be hit on by Zips (that little guy keeps being creepy).
And Rarity was drinking again, with Blueblood once calling her out on it. That has to be my favorite running gag by now.
> “You were born ready to lure in a school of giant fish?” and > "Daring Blue"
BRILLIANT!
The last with Rarity in the river was creepy. And – as somebody else already said – thank you for not ending the chapter one sentence earlier. That would've been too much of a cliche.
My only regret is that I don't feel the romance plot as of yet. From the narrative point of view it makes perfect sense for them having warmed to each other (or more) by now, but I haven't had that "Dammit it, kiss already!"-moment I use have with stories like this. However, I don't think that's your fault, because really like your portrayal of Blueblood. This is rather me having trouble understanding Rarity's attraction to him from the beginning. Maybe because personally I have trouble separating personality and physical attributes when it comes to being attracted to someone else, so I project that onto Rarity and expect her not fall that easily for Blueblood's good looks anymore, after the way he treated her at the gala.
Anyway, I am – as always – looking forward to next part
NTL
Wow, these last three chapters took me ages to get around to reading! But, as expected, they were perfect.
I actually really like Blueblood now, I find myself supporting his arguments more than Buckaroo's or Rarity's. And I wonder if Windlass has any plans for getting Fleur out of the picture? Another mare's lipstick on Fancypants' collar, or another stallion's monocle in her dresser? Can't wait to see Fancypants again!
She's gonna need a bigger boat.
794192
SHOO BEE DOO SHOOP SHOOP BE DOO!
788164 *adds his trademark evil to the ending of the chapter* >:}
Rarity did not drown. No, instead a huge fish suddenly sucked her into its mouth and swallowed her alive before she had the chance to scream out a stream of bubbles.
She got digested and died and everypony else was killed by the griffons, who celebrated with a BBQ of pony, zebra, and camel kabobs (I had one, they're really good!)
Anyway, the war happened and lots of chaos and death and stuff, Discord broke free, like, 5 seconds after it started and did all sorts of crazy evil stuff and Equestria burned to the ground and everypony was dead. Then the world asploded just because.
The End!
Hair products or rum? Yeah, I'm gonna go with the rum for that one. Blueblood has the right idea!
818338
*nod* Makes sense. Those wouldn't have even stood out to me if I hadn't already been in the mindset of looking for details.
I was actually talking about your story with a friend tonight and noted how long you've managed to avoid falling into the trap of "characters X and Y get put into a bad situation and suddenly discover their true love for one another." The entirety of my long adventure fic could fit comfortably in the space where you've built up their relationship, and that's not a trivial accomplishment.
I'm still greatly enjoying the dynamic between Rarity and Blueblood, but then, I kind of enjoy seeing characters fight. I still have two chapters to go, however, so let's see what kind of developments there are in store, yes?
Alright, 300 likes! Thanks, anonymous reader!
Congratulations; you are the third person I have ever seen to use the word "piscine".
I love how the first half of this update is basically "
-- the Chapter." You just capture Rarity's delicate blend of silly vanity and genuine awesome so perfectly.
Another fantastic chapter! That ending! It went from :'(, to O_o, then to D:, and :'D.
Interesting...........these pearls........
Theme for the chapter.