//------------------------------// // Chapter 029: Desert Hurricane (Part 2) // Story: Ultimate Equestria // by Leo Pachino //------------------------------// The Perfection, confined to a thin trail of hovering sand, was on a collision course with the guardian of the Breach, massive sandworm with a taste for blood. Korsan had only one option for survival. And he went for it. With a quick turn of the wheel, the entire vessel sharply turned left. It skimmed the outside of the turn. The crew drifted to the starboard railing, grabbing onto it as the speeding vessel tilted over the black abyss. The worm stuck close to the inside of the opposing curve and accelerated. With the two massive bodies approaching the middle, tension rapidly built inside the bystanding ponies as they watched in fear. Rarity, perhaps the most scared, turned to Korsan, his face showing a bold face of determination. The sandworm charged at the ship straight ahead. The head pulled from the sand and revealed itself, opening its gaping mouth for the kill. Just as the two are about to collide, the long boat suddenly veered to the other side. The side of the wooden boat scraped against the thick dusty skin of the beast. The ship teetered at whatever was free of the second curve as it squeezed against the sandworm. Korsan held onto the slowly disappearing sand trail, hoping the end of the beast was near. With a third of the boat leaning over the void now, it drifted along the thin bank of sand. Finally, The Perfection finished the turn. As the enormous sandworm’s tail passed by, Korsan immediately set it straight with the sand current. The galleon continued forward, having barely survived. “That was too close for comfort!” Rarity gasped out. “Yeah! ...Well, at least we now have the head start.” Triumphantly, Korsan and Rarity looked back at the sandworm. The only way for it to catch up with them, it seemed, was to race the fastest ship of the sky and water. But the sandworm had another way. It fully removed its front half from the sand and stretched over the back abyss. It moved itself over the hap into a parallel portion of the current that ran right next to them. The crew watched its head poking from the thin layer of golden sand as it charged again This time, they were going to meet at a complete 180 degree turn. “Oh, this is going to suck.” Korsan groaned. Meanwhile, far from the Breach, the crystal blue waters of the ocean flowed gracefully under the regular salty sky. In this ordinary ocean, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applebloom, and Scootaloo, were sailing in their new watercraft, searching for their kidnapped friends and archenemy. “Wow,” Rainbow Dash groaned, looking down at an old biscuit in her hoof. “I’d never thought I’d be saying this, but I’m starting to miss apples.” “Hey, how’s Applejack doing?” Pinkie asked Dash. “I heard you and her talking last night.” “It was nothing. We all had to share the same bed, so it was nothing personal.” Rainbow Dash said. “Really? I thought I heard crying.” “Hey,” Applebloom interrupted, walking into the hull from outside. “You two talkin’ about my sister?” “Yep,” Pinkie replied.” “Do you know what’s up with her? She’s acting really, distant from Twilight a long while.” Applebloom said. “Don’t worry,” Dash replied. “AJ and Twilight are just going through a small disagreement, nothing to worry about.” “Are you sure?” “Do I look unsure to you?” The cyan mare casually swaggered. “…” “…Well I’m most certainly sure now. Go, please.” Dash dismissed Applebloom. “Okay then.” As the filly walked back up to deck, Rainbow Dash released a heavy sigh, lying back onto the bare bed. “This is stupid,” She groaned. Pinkie asks, confused, “What is? The ceiling?” “No, AJ and Twilight,” “Yeah, it is a fairly stupid concept when you think about it, putting such opposing forces into a non-platonic correlation.” “Huh?” “What?” “What I’m saying is that AJ’s defensiveness to Korsan and Twilight’s over reaction to it is really tearing them apart, and I don’t like it.” Rainbow stated. “What’s there to be defensive about?” “Something about Korsan’s belief that unicorns are better, I mean, who believes that bunch of hoopla?” “Why would AJ believe it then if it’s just hoopla? Is this a joke?” “No, no, Pinkie. She worried that she may not be able to protect her family because she can’t counter magic or something like that-it’s pretty ridiculous.” “Shouldn’t you help her then if she’s worried? That sounds like a serious issue.” “Well, it’s-uh-it’s-well-uh-It’s complicated.” “Doesn’t seem like it to me.” “She’s supporting the villain. We heroes shouldn’t be supporting them. What would the ponies back home think of us?” “What about Discord?” Fluttershy chimed in. “Well, he’s different.” Rainbow Dash said. “Really? He did become one of our best friends after we supported him when he was still a villain.” Pinkie countered. “Well, yeah, but-” Dash stammered. “But what?” “He-he wasn’t some psychopathic killer. Discord was, more of a bully.” “A bully? I wouldn’t call nearly destroying Equestria a bully thing to do.” At this point, Rainbow Dash was stunned by the seemingly permanently gleeful nature of the pink mare beside her. She found Pinkie’s innocent demeanor both insightful and annoying. “Korsan did do a bunch of meanie things, and we are going to stop him from doing those meanie things, but maybe he does have a point, I don’t know.” Pinkie said. “…” “But of course, nopony’s better than me at juggling, baking, and throwing parties, except Cheese Sandwich, he’s pretty close-” “True. Hey, Pinkie, what were you doing on that deserted island two weeks ago?” Dash then asked. “Oh, doing this and that. Preparing a little surprise for the future,” Pinkie bluntly stated. “Surprise? Wouldn’t it have burned up with the island?” “Nope, it’s still there and is waiting for the right moment to be sprung.” “Huh-” Before Dash could ask about the surprise, the hull door loudly swung open. In came Scootaloo with the news. “We’re about to hit the Breach!” She said. “Well, gotta go, I wanna get a front seat to this!” Pinkie said, immediately running out the room. “Don’t worry, Rarity!” Spike proclaims at the bow, “I’m-I mean… We are coming to save you! …And Sweetie Belle!” “Brace yourselves!” Twilight commanded to the ponies onboard Lightning Bolt. “We are about to enter the Breach. We do not know what’s down there, we do not know how we’ll be able to fight Korsan, we do not know how to properly drive this thing, but together, we will find a way. We will save Rarity and Sweetie Belle, we will stop Korsan, and we will save Equestria from his tyranny! And we-” “Save the speech for Equestria, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash hollered out from the main deck. “Oh please, let me enjoy the moment of delivering a rousing speech that will undoubtedly make us win this fight.” Twilight replied, holding a proud pose at the wheel. “Not that! I mean that we’re about to fall!” “What?” Twilight looked ahead. She saw the massive black canyon approaching them rapidly. Even with her ship at ease, there wasn’t any sign of it stopping. “Ah! How did that sneak up on me?!” Twilight exclaimed. Forgetting the controls, Twilight frantically whipped her horn to the back of the boat. The anti-magic forcing the vessel to speed up even faster. “Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait!” The racing longboat charged over the liquid cliff and plummeted into the abyss below. As it fell, Applejack had only one thing to say before screaming. “Oh, this is gonna suck.” The Perfection fiercely swerved left and right as the sandworm chased from behind. On the gun deck below, ponies were scrambling all over the place. They frantically moved supplies around and sloppily loaded their cannons. Without their magic, the pirate members found it near impossible to manage the massive weapons. Korsan was practically destroying the paint and hinges of the wheel as he sharply twisted it as quickly as his could. He had to manage both the sandworm rearing up on him and the sand current ahead. It was pure chaos. “What’s going on down there?!” The captain screamed into the speaking pipe. “We’ve barely landed a hit on that thing!” “We can’t!” Maria’s voice echoed back. “It’s too fast and it keeps getting out of range.” “Well we can’t just turn sideways now, can we?!” Korsan sarcastically retorted. Rarity yelled out to Korsan, “Look out!” Korsan looked back. The sandworm was diving in for the kill. Korsan snapped the wheel right and flung the ship to the side. The great beast barely missed. Its gaping mouth hooked onto the port anchor and pulled it with it. The sandworm then burst forward, yanking the chain and the entire ship along the path. The ship doubled in speed, which only doubled the peril. “Port anchor’s been snagged! Cut it!” Korsan demanded. “We can’t!” One of the pirates yelled out. “It’s jammed!” “Unjam it!” “Can’t at this angle, sir!” “Oh, come on!” “Wait,” Yu’s voice faintly reverberated from the pipe. “Did we grapple it or did it grapple us?” “Hold tight!” Korsan ordered. The rocketing airship was approaching a sharp series of turns. Korsan frantically prepared himself at the wheel. He steered the insane ship right, then left, then right, then left. There seemed to be no end to these whiplashing curves. They forced Korsan to switch rotations quicker and quicker, burning the wheel’s hinges. The ship begun to drift across the sand banks and lean over the edge as the turns grew more and more violent. “I’m getting splinters! Gah!” Korsan gasped. “Go any sharper and we’ll drop!” Rarity exclaimed. “Can we not catch a break today?!” As the massive airship was dragged on by the behemoth monster, the sounds of snapping wood and pony screams became deafening. Yet, a pale, yet all too familiar sound entered Rarity’s ears from above. “Do you hear that?” Rarity asked. “Hear what?” Korsan asked. “That screaming? It sounds like…” Within seconds, the vague sounds grew audible. Whatever the source was, it was approaching at an exponential rate. Rarity then immediately recognized the sound. “Them?!” She exclaimed. “Who?!” They and Isyan looked up at where the now ear-piercing screeches were coming from. A large grey object was dropping from the galactic skies directly onto them. “It can’t be…” Korsan and Rarity gasped. The long wooden object of above slammed onto the middle of The Perfection’s deck. Half of a mast dissipated under the crushing power of the object. The entire airship bent and folded to the smash attack, nearly throwing it from the edge and into the voice. Clutching tightly on the wheel, the captain continued to pilot his ship. He looked at what had just destroyed his ship. It was a grey and blue vessel, with large sails tangled in The Perfection’s rigging and torn up quite brutally. Korsan than saw, Twilight shaking at the wheel of the unusual craft. “What?!” He hollered. His eye quickly followed across the length of the invading ship and saw the rest of the heroes piled on top of each other at the bow. “How are they still alive?!” He exclaimed. “Twilight! Friends!” Rarity exclaimed with joy. “Rarity!” Twilight nauseatingly called out, glancing over to the quarterdeck. “We’re here to save you!” “Oh no you don’t!” Korsan declared. He turned to the pipe and screamed, “Twilight and her pest friends are onboard, kill them!” “No!” Rarity immediately protests. However, her refusal is not listened to by anypony as dozens of crew members burst from below deck. They each were holding their weapons by their teeth, running towards the invading vessel. “Korsan, call off the attack!” Rarity pleaded. “No way, this is the last time those ponies are getting in my way!” “But they’re my friends! You have to reconsider!” “I don’t give a-” “Turn!” A crew member at the bow screamed out. Korsan immediately realized he wasn’t focused on steering for too long. He immediately pulled right, snapping his ship around a corner. It teetered the outer edge of the thin bank of sand. Due to this, Twilight’s ship suddenly slipped and slid across the deck. Her front slammed into the quarterdeck and its sides smashed into the masts. The Perfection brutally jolted, flinging everypony into the air. Rarity flew over the port edge. She screamed as she plummeted down and into the abyss. “Miss Rarity!” Korsan exclaimed. “Rarity!” Twilight and the others screamed as well. “Juliana, Isyan, take the wheel!” Korsan demanded the nearby pony and bird. Korsan swiftly placed the ice phoenix on the steering wheel. He then grabbed a nearby rope attached to the wheel base and blitzed to the edge. “Wait, I don’t know how to drive this thing!” Isyan frantically replied. “That’s why Juliana is, you’re just giving her directions.” Korsan replied back. He then grabbed to the railing and leapt off of the ship as well. With a firm grip of the rope end, he swung into the abyss below. “You’re mad!” Isyan yelled out. “I know!” Korsan’s voice echoed. Now far below the sand dunes, Rarity knew that she would soon be a goner. The screams of terror echoed in the black. She flailed, knowing it was useless, but still clung to some sort of hope. This can’t be the end! This can’t be the end! Please, have mercy! Don’t let this be the end! Rarity’s mind pleaded as she fell. Overwhelmed with terror, eventually, she stopped thinking. Korsan was quickly gaining up to her as he dived after her. In his metal claw, Korsan could feel the life-line rope getting tighter and tighter. As he descended closer and closer to Rarity, the growing fear of not having enough rope tingled his spine. If the rope came up short or broke, both his and Rarity’s lives will forever be lost. “Miss Rarity, up here!” Korsan yelled out. “Korsan!” The frightened mare shrilled out, catching only glimpses of him as she aimlessly tumbled. “Keep flat! Stretch out your hooves! And just stay calm!” Korsan commanded her. “I can’t!” “Rarity, look at me!” The flailing mare tried to follow his orders, only to flip over herself and fall even faster. “No!” Rarity screamed. “Look at me! Look into my eye!” Rarity tried once more, this time, focusing on Korsan’s ice blue eye. Eventually, she became mesmerized by its power and determination. Rarity slowly straightened out as the captain commanded. Fear started to slowly flow out of her head as Korsan grew closer and closer. His eye was her haven from this dark world, and she drew closer. Just as Korsan could skim Rarity’s chest with his hoof, a loud crack was suddenly heard. The rope had reached its limit. All that is left to feed Korsan’s fall was whatever elasticity was left in the rope. Thinking on the spot, Korsan released the rope end. With his body now free falling and inching closer to his target, in a split second, Korsan reached for Rarity. Two of his hind claws just barely grabbed Rarity’s dress. The pegasus chomped down on the tip of the line. He could feel his neck begin to snap as his head and body are suddenly wrenched apart. Immediately yanked back upwards by the rope’s recoil, the two ponies were sent flying upwards for a brief moment. Taking this opportunity, Korsan flung Rarity up to his side. He used his hind claws to grab his black cape and wrapped it Rarity in it as his front hooves grabbed onto the life-line. “Hoist me up you bag of bones!” He yelled out above. “Eep!” Rarity squeals as her body loosely shifted around in the cape in their ascent. Panic set in and tears formed in her eyes. Overwhelmed by what just happened, she begun to hyperventilate. Rarity was going into shock, and if Korsan doesn’t do anything, her organs might fail and die. “Calm down. Calm down.” He whispered to try and calm her down, but to no avail. Gently, he then rocked Rarity back and forth on his wrapped cape. He tightened the wrapping with his teeth and further secured Rarity. “I got you, I got you. You’re safe with me. I’m here for you.” He said to her. The hyperventilating started to die down, but Rarity was still greatly terrified. So Korsan decided to sing to her. Rather, it was more of a hum, but Korsan put the effort of an opera singer into it. He gracefully hummed to her, trying his best to put her at ease. The stallion closed his eyes, hoping for a response. Finally, a voice was heard. “No-no-n-no need f-for th-that,” Rarity sniffled. “Oh…” Korsan muttered. “Y-you saved me.” “You’re worth saving, my dear.” “T-Twilight, and the others,” “Oh, them…” “Please tell me you’re not going to kill them.” Rarity pleaded. “But I-…” “Please.” With Rarity’s soft white fur brushing into his stiff torso, the pirate captain grew more and more unsure of what to do. Would he risk everything he had worked up to this point to keep this mare happy? If Korsan killed her friends, surely she’d die of a heart attack. “They’ll only be here to get me and Sweetie Belle, and I’ll tell them to go.” Rarity said. Finally, after a long moment of thinking, Korsan told her, “…Fine. I won’t kill them.” “Promise?” With her shivering in his folds and her large blue eyes staring into his one, Korsan found it impossible to say no. “…I-I promise.” He said. A loud roar then tore across the Breach. Korsan and Rarity looked up and saw the sandworm heading towards their ship like a fish to a baited hook. “Oh come on, this?” Korsan groaned. “What do we do?” Rarity asked. Korsan thought for a moment, with a cocky smile slowly forming from his lips. He had a crazy idea brewing, one so crazy, it just might work. “…We’re going to ride it.” He said.