//------------------------------// // They May Dash Our Lives... // Story: Urohringr // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// “You caught the Professor’s signal?” Elma Boreal asked with a quivering beak. “Errr… yeah. It took us most of the day to get here.” “How’d you navigate the icebergs?” “Well, we flew.” Elma gasped. “You’ve got an airship?!” Her reptilian eyes narrowed on Rainbow’s wings. “Err… or do you mean you personally?” “As much as I’d love to, I wouldn’t be able to carry robo-bronco’s niece on my lonesome.” Rainbow gestured towards the pool of water where Props had just emerged. “We’ve got an airship. Four of us came down here to the wreck to rescue who’s left. Tell me, how many of you guys are down here?” “Erm…” Elma brushed one foot with another, her shell rattling slightly. “Just us two. We holed up in here where it was better insulated, but we were starting to run out of food ever since we were stranded here.” “You were stranded here?” Rainbow squinted. “What exactly happened to you guys?” “Well, uhm, there were these pirates, you see, and they thought they could make away with this Alexian tech while there were passengers on board and--” “Haaaaugh!” Prowse shoved the overgrown turtle away with a savage metal hoof. “Stap yer havering, Tankette! Yer story doesnae hae enaw explosions in it!” He spun towards Rainbow Dash, wild eyes and even wilder whiskers. “A boorichie ay mingin' pirate mingers tried tae hae uir guts fur garters! Sae Ah gae them a taste ay th' auld professor's boomstick! Showed them th' sights ay th' abyss, Ah did! It was Spark's blessin' 'at we ran aroond ay a floatin' piece ay frizzen guff insteid ay sinkin' tae Spark's shadaw an' becomin' frost w'rm scran!” He grinned proudly. Rainbow Dash blinked at him. Slowly, she brought a hoof up and wiped the copious amount of spit from her deadpan face. Panning over, she stared at Props. “Care to relay that in your typical Bouncelish?” The blonde mare slid into sight, smiling. “Unky Prowsy here says that they ran into a bunch of pirates, but he blasted them away with his super cooly crispies prosthetic arm cannon! Then they luckily ran aground this iceberg!’ “Ach, pure barry!” Prowse nodded with a red-bearded grin. “Boggin buncha dobbers ran off! Ah hud tae slap together a communications array wi' th' baur scrap ay th' naf they left us!” He kicked a crate of metal junk on his right. “Thes is what's left ay th' lest attempt.” He kicked the box of junk on his left. “Thes is th' mince frae th' first thee.” Elma finally finished rolling over in time to stammer, “You only had to do it so many times because it kept blowing up in our faces!” “Ach, don’t get totally radge on meh, Tankette!” Prowse rolled his eyes. “Luckily, yoo've got a sheel an' aam guid at booncin' oan mah crease.” Elma hoisted Rainbow down by her pendant. “Pleeeeeeeease tell me you’ve got room on your airship for the both of us!” She gulped. “Or at least just me!” “Dornt be sassin' me loch th' pirates noo!” “Professor, you haven’t had a wink of sleep in four days! We need to get out of here!” “Anno!” The stallion waved his prosthetic with a smile. “Lit me jist gie mah triple sprocketed nick nacks an' bob's yer uncle!” “Weeeeeee!” Props hopped and hopped in place. “I get to sample Unky’s Tech! It’s been so long!” “Wait wait wait…” Rainbow Dash waved her forelimbs. “Hold on!” ”Scrkkkk! Rainbow?! This is Eagle! Are you and Props alright?! She just dove in and--” “Yes! We’re fine! We’re all fine! Just everypony stop talking and spitting for one second!” Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, her feathertips fluttering in the camplight. “Alright… this place is starting to crumble all around us, and we haven’t got much time.” “Just point me where to go and I’ll move my shell!” Elma said with a wide-eyed expression. “Between pirates and the cold and the constant threat of an leg cannon, I’m ready to jump through flaming hoops!” Prowse narrowed his eyes. “Ye pure cannae expect me tae lae aw ay mah patented doohickeys behin'!” “Believe me, buddy,” Rainbow droned with folded ears. “You’re doohickey enough. Now, let’s mosey.” “But at least lemme keep meh--” Crkkkk-kkkkkk-kkkk! The entire chamber shook. A savage crack formed in the bulkheads ahead, immediately showering the interior with snow and flakes of frost. Props gasped, her blue eyes blinking wide. She leapt aside and clung--trembling--to her stalwart uncle. “What in the turtle gods is that?” Elma stammered. “Uhhhh…” Rainbow gulped. She raised the sound stone to her muzzle. “Eagle? Josho? You feel that?” ”I’m pretty sure Crimson and Tweak back in Aurum felt it! We gotta get out of here!” The entire ship groaned once more, as if a large object was scraping at it from down below. “Whoopsie poopsie…” Props gulped. “I don’t like the sound of this…” “Ay, lass…” Prowse nodded inquisitively in Rainbow’s direction. “Ye didne by chance happen tae attract onie giant brine serpents wi' wee danglin' lanterns alang th' way haur, did ye?” “Uhhhhhhh…” Rainbow Dash’s forehead glistened with a single sweatdrop. Crkkk-kkkkk! The chamber shook violently. This time, the turbulence was accompanied with the noise of a deep bass roar. Two seconds of silence later… Crackkkk! A bulkhead in the far corner of the chamber exploded with a gust of water. “Bloody Hell!” Prowse gasped. Through the splashing water and rippling metal, a gaping maw lined with serrated teeth showed in the rippling firelight. “Frost wyrms!” Elma howled. “Show’s over, everyturtle!” Rainbow Dash darted towards the pool of water on the opposite end, motioning to the group to follow. “Time to get wet! Move it!” Her voice was swallowed up by the sound of bulkheads collapsing all around them.