The black spheroid of a vessel hovered so close to the Noble Jury's port side that the ponies on the top deck could see their reflections in the dark gloss. Every expression was contorted, full of dull shock and confusion. For over five minutes, the strange ship hovered within this anxious proximity—not moving, not drifting, not making a sound.
All the while, thunder broiled in the east, carried aloft by the bulbous heads of dark rolling clouds. The early morning sun broke through the Flurries every now and then, but no sheen of light revealed any change in the isolated aircraft.
At last Eagle Eye leaned into the center of the group and hissed, "Do you think it sees us?"
"It's not an 'it,' fruit basket," Josho said in a gruff trone. "If anything, it's likely a 'they.'"
"Well, they certainly are very comfortable staying as an it."
"It or they or crap, too closely to Nancy does the glimmer hover!" Floydien growled from the cockpit. "Floydien has a good mind to give them something to mind over!"
"Easy there, big fella," Rainbow Dash said, waving a hoof at the pilot without looking. "No sudden moves. For all we know, this ship belongs to ponies who are in charge of this place."
Eagle Eye's muzzle scrunched up. "In charge of the frozen wastes?"
"Floydien has seen stranger things."
"Yeah, well, that much is certain," Josho said with a nod. "But out here in pointed nipple country?"
"Elma?" Rainbow Dash squinted towards the cockpit. "Elma, what's wrong?"
The oversized snapping turtle hid from view, shaking her scaled head and breathing heavily. In the meanwhile, two stallions swiftly climbed up from the floors below.
"Hey! Blue Mare Group!" Zaid shuffled briskly across the top deck. "Senor Mane and I here totally saw a big black watermelon floating about outside? You guys see it—Holy Jumarenji!" Zaid jolted in place at the sight of the sudden ship.
"Ooof!" Ebon bumped into the stallion's rear and winced. "What in the name of croutons?" His eyes twitched. "Uhhhhh... guys?" He gulped. "What's with the floating bowling ball of death?"
"It's not here to kill us," Rainbow droned.
"How do we know that?" Josho retorted.
"I refuse to believe that everything that exists out here wants us dead!" Rainbow's voice cracked.
"Then your colored mane's doing a really darn good job of leeching the smarts from your brain 'cuz live and learn, sister! Out here we is screwed immaculate!"
"Will everypony just calm down?" Ebon remarked, then took one glance at the cockpit. "...and turtle." He cleared his throat and looked at the group again. "I'm with Rainbow Dash. Let's not assume the worst until the worst happens. Now, where's Propsy and her uncle?"
"Yeah! Let's get Beardo up here!" Zaid grinned wildly. "I'm sure he's got a super scope on that boomstick arm of his!"
"No! Nononono..." Elma stammered beneath a rattling beak.
Rainbow turned towards her. "Why not...?"
"Just... don't bring Prowse up here. I have a bad feeling about this."
"Floydien thinks that shelled boomer has bad feelings about every spit."
"It's k-kept me alive this long, hasn't it?"
"Uhm... guys?" Eagle Eye spoke up. "I think I saw movement."
"Movement?" Rainbow turned towards him. "Where?"
Phhhhshhhhhhhhhh! A wave of mist was expelled from the front of the craft. Josho instinctively unholstered his shotgun while, Eagle Eye levitated a sword and shield. Even Floydien's antlers were sparkling wildly. Rainbow Dash had to fly swift circles in front of them, gesturing the group to lower their weapons. All the while, she had her head turned, ruby eyes staring at the spectacle before them.
Slowly, the forward front quarter of the ship's dome-like structure rolled back, sliding inside its own shell. A flat, semi-circular platform appeared, with gray metal surfaces that contrasted greatly with the glossy exterior. After the initial burst of steam, tiny jets of vapor continuously emanated from the outer rim of the exposed ship. The Jurists shuddered, their faces and coats pelted by a curtain of heat wafting off of the ship.
"The crap is this thing?" Josho murmured through a twisted expression. "A muffin delivery ship? That thing must be full of ovens."
"Ooooh!" Zaid grinned wide. "I could go for some blueberry!"
"I was being sarcastic, dumbass."
"And I was being optimistic, snotcrotch!"
"Guys! Knock it off!" Rainbow hissed. "I swear! Stallions are such hotheads—"
In the space of two seconds, seven dark and hooded figures scurried up to the middle of the strange ship's platform and froze in place.
With a gasp, Eagle Eye jumped into Josho's telekinetic field so that the older stallion could "hold" him. Josho rolled his eyes and dropped the ex-mercenary with a thud ("Ow!").
Zaid blinked while Ebon Mane and Floydien gaped. Elma was nowhere to be seen at this point, even by her fellow peers.
"Uhhhhhhhh..." Rainbow Dash could only drone.
Then, with icy grace, all seven figures rose at once, standing perfectly straight. Their forward limbs hid within the recesses of their tight, rubbery cloaks. As they all stared simultaneously towards the Noble Jury, Rainbow Dash could see streaks of glowing yellow light from between the creases of their black outfits. But that wasn't all she could see. Within the frame of each hood, there wasn't a face, but rather a mask—silver in color and slick with condensation, like sweating shadows. A pair of diamond-shaped eyeslits were set within the brow, and the "mouth" was formed out of a solid horizontal line consisting of several vertical metal links that rattled with the minute sway of the ship. What's more, the very outer edges of the masks—between the silver surfaces and the spongy black material of the robes—there was a deep yellow glow, as if some sort of luminosity was purposefully resonating from within the creatures' suits. It looked as though their masks' expressions were perpetually grimacing, and yet emotionally neutral. It was hard for Rainbow Dash to read anything from them, especially since the figures continually stood there, straight up in bipedal fashion, with no jerk or twitch to their icy frames.
"Er..." Rainbow cleared her throat, hovering forward a bit. "Hey there... dudes. My name is Rainbow Dash. These are my friends... the crew of the Noble Jury." She smiled nervously. "What brings you out to these parts?"
The seven figures said nothing.
"Have you... uh... have you gotten lost?"
The seven figures said nothing.
"Do you... know any way that we can get through the Strip of Flurries unscathed? Eheheh..."
The seven figures said nothing.
Rainbow Dash exhaled with a shudder. "Well, then. This certainly doesn't feel like shopping for pet rocks in the least."
"Psssst... Rainbow!" Eagle Eye hissed, leaning towards her while he kept his violet eyes locked on the craft. "Remember what they described? In Lerris?"
"Yeah..." Rainbow Dash nodded. "I totally do."
"So... uhm... what do we do?"
"I doubt we have anything that's worth trading."
"Don't tell me that! Tell them that!"
"Why can't you tell them?"
"Because they're creepy as heck!"
"Oh for crying out—"
"Hey there! Uhhh... Yoohoo!" Zaid suddenly waved his forelimb, speaking above the distant roll of thunder. "You guys wouldn't happen to have any grilled cheese on you, wouldja?"
The seven figures said nothing.
Zaid blanched. "Yeah. Right. Screw these guys."
"Floydien?" Rainbow Dash finally took her eyes off the seven. "Pull us further north, slow and steady—"
The centermost figure atop the ship suddenly twitched. His hood's glow switched from gold to a crimson red. Vapor squeezed through the links of his mask's "lips" as he pulled his forearm out of his vest. Five elongated digits held a black disc, and with one squeeze, an image of a stallion appeared in flickering holographic glory.
"This stallion," a voice crackled, like a recorded voice being broadcasted through six sound stones back to back while suffering leyline feedback. It was difficult to make out the words, and he appeared to know it, speaking in slowly pronounced syllables and elongated verbs. "Have you seen him?"
"Huh?" Rainbow Dash did a double-take as the rest of the crew flinched at the sudden outburst.
The gloved hand held the hologram higher. "Have you stumbled upon this stallion in your travels?"
Rainbow Dash stared. She studied the hologram's pale coat, red beard, and metal left prosthetic. She glanced towards her peripheral vision, but Elma was nowhere to be seen. She cleared her throat. "No. I can't say that I have."
The figure remained frozen in place, holding the hologram up high. "If you've encountered this stallion, it would be in your best interests to be rid of him."
"Uhhhh... have you taken a look around, dude?" Rainbow gestured towards the stormy mess below and on the immediate horizon. "Either it's farting thunder or it's peeing ice around this place. I seriously doubt any random stallion is just going to happen to show up."
"This place is dangerous to foreign travelers," the figure said. "But there are things hidden in these clouds, things that are far more dangerous. Malevolent, even."
"You don't say..."
"If you give this stallion to us, we will be on our way."
"Didn't you hear me?" Rainbow frowned. She pointed at the figures on the top deck of the Jury beneath her. "All the stallions on board are accounted for."
"And mares," Josho said, nudging Eagle.
"Old stallion!" Eagle Eye hissed. "There is a time and a place—"
"We estimate that you have a lot of space on board your ship," the figure said, his suit's red glow giving a bloody taint to the vapors pouring out of his mask. "He could be hiding aboard and you wouldn't know it. You could be in great peril."
"For real..." Rainbow Dash frowned. "What's it to you?"
The figure finally lowered the hologram with a sudden, jerky movement. "I am Razzar of the Lounge, and the stallion in question is responsible for the theft and murder of dozens of our clients. For the safety of this passage, and for the integrity of our enterprise, we must have him."