//------------------------------// // The Castle of the Deeps // Story: Reformation... It's a Pony Thing // by Lets Do This //------------------------------// On the foredeck of the Phoenix, the scarlet-furred soldier standing beside the helm suddenly perked up and pointed. Celaeno considered for a moment. "Three points to starboard, then hold her steady, quarter-speed." "Aye, Cap'n." Boyle adjusted the wheel. "They're on the move again. You think we're getting close now?" "Your guess is as good as mine. Our job right now is to stay in range of 'em... and hope!" Boyle glanced at her. "We're gettin' close to the edge of the shelf... the drop-off to the Deeps. What happens if they head down into that?" "Then we see if this ship can actually float. Until then, steady as she goes!" "Aye, Cap'n!" Turning, Celaeno saw Lix Spittle approaching. "How are our guests doing, Lix?" The pink cook shrugged. "Well, the city ponies are a bit stressed out. But the ones from Appleloosa and the Badlands are fairly self-sufficient. They're helping keep things calm down there." "Thank heaven for that. Wasn't looking forward to dealing with complainers." Lix waved her spoon. "I'm gonna make a start on supper. Gonna need the large pot to feed this crowd. I really wish we had better grub to offer 'em, though... some of 'em look half-starved!" "With any luck, this'll be over soon. We can send them all home for a solid meal. But you can break out some of the fresh cornbread that's left, we need to use that up anyways. How's Tempest's crystal doing?" "Mullet's on watch, with those other soldier fellas. He said it's steady as an oil lamp." "Good to hear. Carry on, Lix!" "Aye!" As Lix Spittle waddled away, Celaeno noticed the hippogriff captain, Skyranger, standing aft on the deck near the starboard railing, in heated discussion with one of his guards. Hmm... that looks like trouble... she said to herself, and started towards them. Across the deck, the lieutenant of Skyranger's guards was having a hard time accepting what he was hearing. "But are you sure, Captain?" the lieutenant whispered. "Her Majesty seemed to have full confidence in Princess Sparkle and her friends!" "It's not for you to question, Ragefeather!" Skyranger hissed back. "Just get back to the city, alert her Majesty. Then get back here with the full wing, including the mages. We may need them... no telling what other allies these traitorous ponies may have!" "Yes, Captain. At once, sir." Reluctantly, the lieutenant flung himself over the railing and took wing, heading back towards the distant spire of Mount Aris. "That looked... intense. Something up, Captain?" Celaeno said as she approached. Skyranger turned about to face her, and glared down his beak at her. "Nothing that concerns you for the moment, Celaeno!" Brusquely, he swept past her and crossed to the far railing. "Sorry I asked!" Celaeno muttered, glaring after him. Then, with a thoughtful look, she turned and headed toward the rear compartment door, to have a word with Mullet. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - It was like a royal procession, almost. Twilight, Tempest, Skystar, Capper, and the others swam in line by twos, escorted to either side by Tempest's soldiers. And fore and aft of their party were two of the orcas, swimming with easy, powerful fluke-strokes. The remaining orca swam escort, to one side of the line or the other. Now and again the escort would swim to the surface to breathe, after which it swept down and took the place of one of the other two, who then became the side escort in its turn. It was all done with a smooth, confident choreography and it sent a clear message: if you give us any trouble, we'll have no difficulty giving it right back! Twilight glanced at Tempest. She could see the maroon pony looking at the orcas with a measuring eye, working out whether she could take on even one of the behemoths with her soldiers... and not coming up with an answer she liked. They were all steadily ascending a massive, coral-frosted slope in the seabed, getting ever closer to the shimmering ocean surface above. And at the top of the slope there was a massive, multi-spired hillock of jagged coral, almost like a palace set atop a mountain peak, its topmost spires all but brushing the water's surface. As they neared it Twilight could see there was a large natural cleft running through it. The lead orca swam straight into it, unhesitatingly. Twilight's party followed... ... and it was like suddenly entering a massive cathedral, made entirely of stained glass. Gemstones of every color encrusted the floor and rose up the coral spires in frond-like streams of color. These were interspersed with inlaid gold and silver, swirling lines of pearls, and dark onyx accents. Under the brilliant sunlight streaming down from the surface, the entire cleft glittered breathtakingly. The cleft swept downwards to a large intersection with another shorter one, like a transept, and beyond that it flattened out, terminating in a broad circular space with an open rear wall, like a huge balcony. And beyond the open balcony there was... nothing. Nothing but blue shimmering ocean depths. The coral castle was right on the lip of an immense dropoff. Beyond, the sea floor simply plunged away into a dark, shadowy abyss. Displayed on the walls of the space, and standing on plinths around its edge, were works of art: delicate carvings, massive amphorae, and fine jewelry draped on coral-tree display stands. The missing seaponies and hippogriffs were there too, floating to either side of the open space, looking tensely frightened. Each wore a gilded collar from which a fine metal chain ran down to an elegantly sculpted deadweight block. The hippogriffs all had self-renewing air bubble spells cast about their heads. And in the center of the balcony area, looming huge and implacable, was a massive orca. She easily dwarfed the others, at least thirty feet long and twenty in circumference. She was gently sculling in place with her broad flippers, peering myopically with tiny, deep-set eyes at an elegant golden vase set on a circular stone table before her. And as they got closer to the orca Twilight saw, to her very great relief, that Rarity was there too, floating nervously alongside the orca's snout. The violet-maned fashionista was still in pony form, an air-bubble bobbing about her head. She clumsily floundered through the water, trying to stay level with the orca's eyes. Her efforts weren't helped by the gilded bracelet on one hind leg, chained to a steel deadweight ball a few feet behind her. The orca looked up sharply at the approaching party. Then she suddenly smiled proudly. "Ah, my boys! You bring Mama ponies at last! Is good!" She waved a flipper dismissively. "You wait, ponies! Mama want finish this!" She jabbed a flipper-tip at the vase, looking at Rarity. "You say picture of coral is not good? But palace is coral, so matches palace, da? Mama not see!" "Well, dahling," Rarity replied, in full fashionista mode, "it's all in the accents, really! You have to develop a feel for when things shouldn't match their surroundings... so they catch the eye, prompt conversation, start trends! It's not enough for your home to merely fit together, like a jigsaw puzzle. You need to be a trend-setter, a fashion-forward leader, someone everypony... err... every orca should know!" Rainbow snorted, her hooves crossed in disgust. "Seriously? We come all this way to rescue you, and you're trading home-design tips?" "Well, of course, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity replied haughtily. "Mama Orcina has such good taste in her living space. She simply needed an expert opinion, to help make it even more fabulous!" Seeing Mama was momentarily distracted, Rarity rolled her eyes at the gaudiness of the decor. Get me out of here, please! she silently mouthed. Then she quickly got her smile back in place as Mama looked her way. "Fashion pony have good ideas!" Mama said, gesturing toward her. "She help Mama make home better. Mama like listen, maybe learn things." With a casual sweep of her flipper Mama Orcina batted away the vase, which drifted over and landed with a clink in a pile of assorted glittering treasures to her right. "But back to point of discussion! Pony still not tell Mama about magic. Mama get impatient, want to hear about magic! Ponies tell Mama! That is why boys bring ponies to Mama!" The three orcas behind Twilight's group crowded around them threateningly, forcing them to approach closer. Tempest glanced about at the orcas angrily, but for the moment was forced to hold her peace. "Such good boys! They look after Mama!" Orcina said proudly. "Mama want fish for dinner, they are rounding up nice fish for her. Mama want pretty gems for walls, they are getting sharks to deliver pretty gems, and crabs to put up on walls. Mama want learn about magic, they are bringing magic ponies for Mama to talk to." She gestured at the seaponies chained up to either side of her. "Mama hear tell of how ponies of sea have magic, and Mama want learn magic from ponies. But Mama not need to go to ponies, Mama have ponies brought here. Much simpler, yes? Mama not like to travel!" Twilight desperately waved her outraged friends to silence. And struggled to stay calm herself as she replied. "So... you had ponies brought here... because you wanted to learn about magic?" "Da! Da! Mama hear all about spells seaponies know. Like bubble spell, so Mama not need to go to surface for air." She nodded upward toward her blowhole, around which an air-bubble spell bobbed about. "But Mama want learn about special magic spell. Ponies from sea not know magic Mama looking for. But... maybe ponies from land know different magic, yes?" "We can try to help," Twilight said cautiously. "What... kind of magic spell did you mean?" "Ah! Is good story!" Orcina gestured with her flippers. "Gather close, be comfortable! Mama tell!" Uncertainly, they gathered closer, in a semicircle around the table. Mama swung round and rummaged in the pile of trinkets to her right, coming up with a jewel-encrusted box. She brought this back over to her table and set it down proudly, then gently tapped one of its gems. Nothing happened. With a grunt, Mama picked up the box and hammered a corner of it on the table a few times. "Is not always working," she said. "Mama know how to fix!"