//------------------------------// // Going To Need a Bigger Rainbow // Story: Ynanhluutr // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// “Hold on, everypony!” Rainbow Dash hollered. This was an important thing, for the waters hadn't finished bursting apart on all sides of the Swan Song. Off the port bow, something was continually surging. Row after row of glistening scales ripped through the surf, trailing water and sediment as it performed a grand, rolling arc through the morning air. “Is it just me, or did the ocean just defecate in our direction?!” Sinrar hollered. “Let's not get close enough to smell it!” Rainbow swung around the mast and perched along the starboard side. “Nick?!?” “I'm... tr-trying to steer away!” The stallion squeaked, struggling with the rudder. No matter how hard he turned the ship, it was still being dragged towards the inexplicable maelstrom to their left. “I could use a boost!” “On it!” Rainbow Dash held her breath, twirled about, and planted her forelimbs against the port side of the vessel. Flapping her wings, she pushed as hard as she could into the ship's side. “Rrrrrnngh!” “Mon dieu!” Sinrar hollered, pointing up as his body—and Nick's—were swallowed up in shadow. “Look at the size of it!” “Rnnrnnnghh... the s-size of what...?!” Rainbow sputtered. “Rainbow!” Twilight hollered, pointing up at the sky. “Look out!” Rainbow turned to look up— POWWWW! A ginormous webbed fin slammed into waters right next to her. From the sheer impact, it may just as well have been a three-story boulder impacting concrete. The concussive blast from the event sent Rainbow toppling into the drink. Splasssh! Rainbow Dash dropped like a cannonball. Spitting bubbles, she glanced around with twitching eyes. A pulse of ruby light emanated from her pendant, piercing the salty depths. Over the course of several suffocating seconds, she saw undulating scales and massive spines slicing through the waters. Something the size of a small peninsula was swimming past her... past all of them. Rainbow Dash tried swimming up to the surface, but the sheer drag caused by the hulking beast kept sucking her in. A lavender figure hovered in front of the pegasus, unaffected by the elements. With a desperate hoof, Twilight Sparkle pointed past Rainbow Dash, but the mare was currently incapable of making out her words. Just then, a dull brown beret floated past Rainbow's vision. With a muffled gasp, the mare twirled around. Looking past bubbles and brine, she saw Sinrar flailing helplessly underwater. Rainbow threw her lower legs through swift kicking motions, and she propelled towards the unpside-down professor. Once she grabbed him, she felt that she was significantly far away from the drag to swim to surface... so that's exactly what she did. “Guaaaah!” Sinrar wheezed for breath, eyes bulging, as soon he broke contact with dry air. Rainbow treaded alongside him, looking all around. “Heaven hump me!” the old stallion exclaimed. “My maps! Where did they go?!” “Calm down, Dr. Dude!” Rainbow stammered, gazing past the churning waters. “I think we have more to worry about besides...” A chunk of shattered hull floated past her, bearing the words “Swan Song.” She blinked. “...your m-maps.” “Zut alors...” “Nick?!?” Twilight hollered. “He can't hear you, Twilight,” Rainbow sputtered. “He can't hear what?” Sinrar asked. “NICK?!?!?” Rainbow hollered. “Aaaaugh!” Sinrar winced, clinging to the mare. “Can I please not go deaf before I drown?!” “Over here! Over here!”” Rainbow Dash and Sinrar twirled about, gazing across the rippling waves. Miraculously, the trimaran was mostly in one piece. A good chunk of the port side float had been broken off, and the ship awkwardly reeled towards starboard. Nick was visibly panicking, galloping left and right across the hull as he fought to give the thing balance. “Look what that thing did to my ship!” “What in blazes is that thing?!” Sinrar stammered. “It's everywhere.” Grunting, Rainbow flung Sinrar onto the ship's side. The old, shivering stallion clung to the hull while Rainbow Dash climbed up. “We gotta outrun it before it comes about for another strike!” “But that thing's so big!” Nick's voice cracked. “What's stopping it from gobbling us whole as we speak?!” “A little less speculating and a little more sailing, please!” “Easier said than done!” Nick tugged on several ropes, trying to keep the mast straight as the ship wobbled. “I couldn't get us to cruise straight now even if we were being pulled by a dozen siren!” “Well, better think faster, larva!” Sinrar hollered. “We don't pay you to bitch!” “You don't pay me anything, you big bag of jerk and boogers!” Nick yelped. “What did you call me?!” “Everypony just stop!” Rainbow shouted, stomping her hoof down. She inadvertently caused the hull to split a bit further beneath. Nevertheless, she spoke past her own wincing: “Luna Poop! If the Noble Jury was at each other's throats like this whenever manure hit the fan, we'd never have made it past Gray Smoke!” “Stop comparing us to your previous lovers,” Sinrar grunted. “Oh for Celestia's sake, they were not all my—” Twilight Sparkle shot up from the waters like a torpedo. This stunned Rainbow, who stumbled back, nearly falling off the ship's edge. “Rainbow...” Twilight murmured. “Did... did you see it?” Rainbow cocked her head aside. “Did you see what it looked like, Twilight?” Sinrar and Nick leaned in, breathless. “Mmmmmm...” Twilight's eyes glistened as she whimpered. “I'm t-too scared to describe it.” Rainbow bit her lip. “Well?!” Sinrar rasped. “What are we dealing with?” Nick asked. Rainbow turned and looked behind her. Almost instantly, her ears folded back. The ocean was boiling... frothing between every wave. Something massive had spun about, spilling water high into the air with the force of a waterspout. Right now, a massive line of muscle mass was cruising towards the battered Swan Song at an alarming rate. Shattered bits of coral and dead fish blanketed the ocean's surface in a straight line, and as the waves churned thicker and whiter, Rainbow swore she could see a pair of hideous, glowing eyes. “Quick... Quick!” Rainbow hovered up and pointed dead ahead. “Get her inside the Nealend Atoll!” “But we'll never outrun—” “You just worry about the Swan Song!” Rainbow Dash twirled about, planted her hooves against the mast, and kicked off. “I'll worry about our welcoming party here!” “Rainbow Dash!” Nick protested, gawking over his shoulder. “Non! You will not survive!” Sinrar hollered, waving his water-soaked cane. “It is a hundred times your size!” “I've fought dragons in the air!” Rainbow snarled, skimming the surface as she charged the thing head on. “You've seen one serpent, you've seen them all.” “Rainbow...” Twilight panted, floating effortlessly alongside her. “It's one thing to be brave, but don't be suicidal!” “It's been a long time since you've seen me do something awesome,” Rainbow spat, brow furrowed. “Close your eyes if you're squeamish.” SPLASSSSSSSSH! Just then, dead ahead, a herculean set of jaws opened wide, emerging from the sea. An eerily glowing throat with row after row of serrated esophagal muscles loomed before the pegasus, filling the air with the rancid smell of gutted fish and feces. Rainbow grimaced. “You were saying...?” Twilight squeaked. “Hckkkk!” Rainbow twirled to her right at the last second, drawing the massive serpent's lunge. The world exploded all around. Noise and water drowned Rainbow's figure, nearly plowing her under the waves while she narrowly avoided the enormous snapping jaws. She desperately flitted away from the Swan Song, and the monstrous might of the ocean roared after her.