//------------------------------// // Like Some Giant Goddess Salad // Story: Urohringr // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// Ebon Mane tossed and turned. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get comfortable enough in his cot. Even with all the blankets bundled around him to ward off the chill of the Jury's high altitude climb, he remained restless. With a groan, he sat up, rubbing his eyes with a burgundy hoof. Staring blearily across the dimly-lit compartment, Ebon groaned and plopped down onto all four legs. He opened the valve and shuffled out into the narrow corridor outside. Once there, he looked down towards the bow. Emptiness hung with shadows and more shadows. He turned and looked towards the mess hall— Eagle Eye's slender frame was obstructing the light from the lounge. Ebon did a double-take. Blinking hard, he shuffled down the passage. "Eagle Eye?" No response. The ex-mercenary stared gloomily into the bulkheads. "EE?" Finally, Eagle twitched. He glanced up. At first sight of Ebon, his features softened and he breathed, "Ebon? You're up." "Yeah..." The cook nodded, shuffling to a stop before the other stallion. "Seems to be contagious." Eagle fidgeted. "Yes, well..." He glanced down at the floor. "I couldn't fall asleep." Ebon leaned his head aside. "Too busy thinking about what awaits us in the crater?" "Uhhhh..." Eagle brushed at his silken bangs. He blinked and grinned mechanically. "Yes! That's... uh... that's it!" A dry chuckle. "Fear of death and gloom and spontaneous village murders!" Ebon raised an eyebrow. Eagle gulped. "Also some indigestion." He bit his lip. "Just a little." "For real?" Ebon leaned in and placed his fuzzy ear straight up against Eagle's side. "Oh jeez! I hope it wasn't because of what I cooked!" "Uhhhh... buhhhh..." Eagle flushed deep red and gently pulled Ebon back up into a standing position. "Nah! It's... it's fine!" "Eagle, I'm a little worried about you." "Ehhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Eagle grinned. "Why?" "Well..." Ebon's brow furrowed. "You seem so... preoccupied lately." "Isn't everypony?" "Honestly, no. Not really." Ebon shook his head. "Ever since Abinadi, we've been really chill." "We h-have?" "Yeah. Even Roarke is starting to come out of her shell. Haven't you noticed?" "Well... uhm... I-I guess I'm just not used to being... er... weaponless!" Ebon's eyebrows were flat. "Weaponless..." "Yeah! I lost my sword in Stratopolis! And my shield is practically garbage now! Why, back in Foxtaur, I used to practice with my sword every morning, noon, and evening! It got my mind relaxed. Heh... although Zenith used to say I'd go blind sooner than later." "... ... ..." "Eh..." Eagle Eye avoided Ebon's mane. "I guess that's only a joke that the old stallion would laugh at." "Eagle..." Ebon leaned forward, speaking within a warm whisper's distance. "If... if s-something was troubling you, you'd tell me wouldn't you?" "Oh, t-totally! I mean... why wouldn't I?" "Because I think... that is..." Ebon exhaled quietly and murmured, "We have something special, don't we?" Eagle stared back. He simply smiled. Ebon's eyes wandered into the shadows. Suddenly, his lips curved. "You know..." He leaned in again. "If you're having trouble sleeping in your quarters... you c-could always try mine." Eagle blinked. "I mean... at th-this point..." Ebon played with his mane and giggled aside. "Why not?" "Heh... heheheh..." Eagle wheezed through a crooked smile. "Yeah, why n—" He suddenly flew forward and collapsed into Ebon. "Gaaaah!" Ebon fell hard to the floor, his legs tangled up with Eagle's. "I-I didn't m-mean like th-that!" "It w-wasn't me! I sw-swear!" Eagle stammered, struggling to disentangle himself. The bulkheads around them shook with massive turbulence. "It was the ship!" "Wh-what's happening?!" "I can't t-tell! I can't even get up!" The ship shook and rattled some more. One by one, bleary-eyed jurists slipped out of their rooms. "What in Spark's name...?" Belle and Pilate reeled. "Unnnngh..." Props clutched a blanket while rubbing her blue eyes, yawning. "I was dreaming of some really smexy soot..." Josho frowned. "By Ledo's balls, what's fartin' at us now?" "One way to find out!" Zaid hopped nonchalantly over the fallen stallions. "Hey Eagle. Hey Ebon. Nice pretzel." He rushed up to a starboard porthole within the brightly-lit lounge and squinted out. "Whoah... now that's a lot of squirrel homes!" "'Squirrel homes?'" Pilate stammered. Zaid craned his head. "I mean 'trees,' you silly magical zebra!" He galloped back down the narrow corridor and brushed his way past the sleepy ponies. "Looks like our boring days are over with!" "Oh great." Josho rolled his eyes. "How can there be trees up this high in the Sky Stabs?" Belle thought out loud. "That's what I aim to find out!" Zaid reached the vertical crawlspace and motioned down the hallway. "Come on up, Blondie! Anomalies are soooooo you!" "Oooh! Ooooh!" Props ditched her blanket and scampered—frazzled—after him. "I wanna be confounded! Wait for me!" "Me too!" Kera scampered towards them. "Hold it, little lady," Belle caught Kera by her tail. "Let's wait for some of the craziness to boil down first." "Awwwwwww..." Kera squatted, pouting with folded forelimbs. "How come only Props gets to chase Zaid around these days?" Belle glanced at Pilate while the zebra bit his lip. "Htttt!" Zaid climbed up into the cockpit and helped Props up after him. He looked towards the sparkling antlers while the cabin shook. "What's the story, elkbone?" "Grnnngh!" Floydien snarled, jerking left and right on the controls while foggy mists unfurled against the cockpit windows. "Nancy Jane's run into thermals!" "What, you mean like socks?" Zaid raised an eyebrow. "I'm afraid I left my copy of playcolt on board Khao's ship." "No, not stockings." Props leaned forward. "You mean rising warm air currents, don't ya, handsome?" "Pffft..." Zaid rolled his eyes. "Find, take Rudolph's side... "They came a'glimmering up Nancy's chest out of nowhere!" Floydien's red eyes darted to the corner of his vision. "The heat heat is starting to settle out, but it's still gonna fill boomers with bumps for a spit minute!" Knock knock knock! A hoof pounded against the outer deck's doors. "Really?" Zaid blinked. "This high up, and we're still being hoofed copies of Whinnytower?" "It must be Dashie!" Props jerked a handle, opening the doors wide. Warm air billowed into the cockpit as the pegasus stumbled through. "Dashie!" Props blinked. "You're all wet!" "I was knocking for nearly ten minutes!" Rainbow sputtered, slicking her mane back as she stumbled in and stood behind Floydien. "I'm guessing you couldn't hear through all the turbulence!" "Seriously, did you go for a skinny dip or something?" Zaid asked. "What, you mean this?" Rainbow pointed at her soaked hair. "This is from the frost! It's all melted!" "Melted?!" Floydien spat, "What kind of glimmer is this?" "I saw trees when I looked out the window!" Zaid said. "Damn straight, you saw trees!" Rainbow smirked devilishly, then patted Floydien's side. "Take 'er down a bit, why dont'cha?" "What?! Lower into the heat spit?! Is color wheel crazy?!" "Trust me! I have a reason to believe we'll be safer the lower we go!" "Mmmmff..." Floydien pushed at the controls. "Floydien isn't too sure of this..." "I'm not asking you to be sure. I'm asking you to have faith!" "When has that ever gone wrong?" Props said with a nervous titter. Zaid stood up, squinting over the shoulders of the pegasus and the elk. The ship lost altitude. Gradually, like spreading curtains, the thick of the fog faded. An enormous basin appeared before them, covered all over in sprawling flora and fauna. Thick, emerald tree trops dangled in wet, humid air. The gentle haze of a morning sun fell into the landscape, casting a lively glitter across the entire flouncing canopy. "Pizz fah whizz..." Props cooed. "It's like some giant Goddess salad," Zaid stammered. "Heh..." Rainbow Dash smirked, her eyes aflame with curiosity. "Now there's a title if I ever heard one."