//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 - The Big Reveal // Story: GermBusters 1: The True Pilots // by Lukington17 //------------------------------// The eight ponies had returned to their boat inside Cuteamena's stomach lake, and a crowd of Micronauts were cheering and celebrating. A few colts and fillies had made posters and banners saying "Germbusters we <3 U" or "Come back soon" or"No GB no party". It all moved them very much, and encouraged them to pursue this in the interest of saving each other from health threats! Gathering their supplies, they tried to pick out Biley, Guidalina or the Mayors in the crowd. Cutea had texted the gang: "whatever you're doing in there, get out! I keep making myself look stupid here...", and so they were readying themselves for departure. Eventually the Mayors appeared on a large yacht which had Cutea's face in a goofy pose printed on the sides. "We want to thank you for everything you've done here!" "You've truly inspired us all and helped our communites so much." "Yeah, um come back again soon yeah?" Nodding happily at the Mayors' comments, the eight waved and settled as the boat launched off. "I think we'll be back soon," Chris said, "although any of us or our friends might need a visit sooner!" They laughed in agreement, and watched as the shore grew more distant. "I think I have an idea for our badge. The Mayors boat's Cutea face inspired me" Atrimy said, and they leaned in: he drew a minimalist stylised smiling face, like a masked helmet, which could be adapted to each of their colour-schemes. "And we'll wear this on our uniforms. I'll design them when I get home!" They all agreed as Sera patted him on the back encouragingly. Eventually the boat's captain stopped and anchored near the centre. "Um, actually yes how are we supposed to get out from here?" Flushie asked curiously. The captain smirked as he pointed to the throat's opening above, and an almighty roar of liquid came gushing down into the stomach. It was reddish-brown and fizzed loudly as it hit the waters, sending great ripples and knocking them to the floor. "Ah, of course" Flushie said. "She never could resist a soda..." Electric mused happily. The waters gurgled around them, and gastric bubbles began to surface around the boat. The captain used a special tool to drag a bubble over the eight of them, and then waved goodbye as they were raised off the boat and up into the air. "Hehee, this is cool!" Blaze cried joyfully. The bubble continued to ascend into the throat, the sphincter opening up to let them through. All of a sudden, they stopped halfway up the throat, and several other bubbles joined them. Eminence watched intently as the throat muscles tried to expand, and in a flash they felt it: a massive gust of air from the gaps burst through, scooping all the bubbles and sending them hurtling up towards the mouth. It all happened so fast and yet so perfectly slow, as they observed the throat with all its whacky signage, then a smack against the uvula (now nearly finished in refurbishment), and finally across the large tongue and out the gaping mouth through Cutea's teeth, into the outside air. They watched as their view changed from the back of the mare's throat to the mare herself, open-mouthed and belching super loudly as they shot away into the grass nearby. Picking themselves up, they watched Cutea blush and pardon herself. "Right, that does it!" She yelled, dialling into her phone. "Electric? Get out of there NOW!" As if by magic, all eight of her friends suddenly appeard behind Sunshine in the garden, some looking mesmerised as they wiped purple potion off their shoulders. "Hey hun, sorry for the interruptions" Electric said. "Sorry? Sorry?! I've just sneezed and burped all over our picnic here, and that's after having provided unwanted stupidly loud music to accompany it!" Cutea ranted at them. "Looks like the red Mayor's winning..." Blaze muttered cheekily to Atrimy, who laughed. "What?!" Cutea demanded. "Sweetie, sit down. We'll explain it all, just calm yourself. Here, have a nice cup of tea." Electric poured her a cup to drink, then watched gleefully as it went down her neck. "Ooooh did you have an adventure? Tell us!" Quinty chirped. "It's kinda amazing, what we saw...and did" Chris began. "You see, inside all our bodies are little tiny ponies, and they basically control our actions, and we were looking around when we came across some nasty bacteria - and we totally kicked their ass!" Cutea, Sunshine and Quinty all gave them quizzical raised eyebrows, but Blaze went on: "It's true, all the tiny ponies loved us because we were wiping the floor with these bad guys!" Electric added: "Then we got to meet the Mayors, who are basically tiny versions of you, Cutea." Cutea huffed in pleasant surprise, as her partner concluded: "we didn't mean to cause you any embarrassment. Your health was always the reason why we did stuff, and we genuinely discovered that we can fight germs together." "Yeah, cos we're the Germbusters!" Divinity squeed excitedly. The three picnickers found that cute, and they listened intently as each pony took it in turns to describe what they'd done. Cutea pondered and stroked her chin, until her eyes brightened up. "Sounds like a lot of fun...you better bring me along for the next trip hehe" The friends all laughed and sat down together to enjoy the rest of the evening, and they retold stories of their discoveries with each pony looking curiously at their own bodies. A real sense of wonder overcame them as they felt capable of tackling any bodily issues, knowing each of them would help each other. As night fell, Cutea and Electric turned on their fairylights dotted around the garden, and they all lay down and gazed up at the stars. As they sat there, Quinty suddenly sniffed. The ponies all sat up and looked at each other with smirks: "Ugh, I think I'm getting a flu again..."