“Hah!” Kaji flew around the sudden, glaring obelisk in the center of the Lagoon for what had to have been the hundredth time. “Will you just look at this thing?! Whoop! I bet we could take killer dives off of this thing!”
“You kidding?!” Sora stammered from halfway down the length of the tower. He braved the tropical winds as he climbed higher and higher. “This makes a great lookout!”
“Sora!” Flare fluttered up to the stallion. “I know you are good at harpooning! But you've got no wings on you!”
“Ohhhhh don't yellow yourself, sister!” Sora stuck his tongue out. “This thing is totally climbable! See?!” He gestured at the various notches built into the golden framework of the spire. “We could totally make a lookout post! It'd help us spot cyclones early!”
“So... ehhhh...” Far down below, on board the Swan Song, Theanim Mane posed with his camera. He wasn't even remotely alone. Aside from Nick and Sinrar, the Lagoon's waters were buzzing with Nealenders—both swimming and in canoes—as they all drew in close to examine the new monument. “I take it you fine lads and lasses aren't angry about this cataclysmic change?”
“As if!” Silver exclaimed, rowing up with a raft full of wide-eyed Continentalists. “Screw Ultimo! Now we've really got something to be proud of!” He gazed up at the immense tower, grinning. “Fill me with shells... we could spear so many seagulls using this!”
Theanim fought the urge to cringe. “But... b-but the Shard of Verlaxion!” He gulped, gazing forlornly into the waters below. “You... you do realize that there can't be any piece of the Queen's gift left...”
“Aye,” Flare said with a nod, hovering lower. “It shattered completely when we surfaced along with the tower.”
“I am so very... very sorry,” Theanim said, holding his goggles to his chest. “Surely, if Rainbow and the rest of us had known that such a terrible thing would happen—”
“You say that as if it's a bad thing!” Silver gestured up at the tower. “Look! Verlaxion's given us the greatest gift of all!”
“Whoop!” Kaji dove down. “A heck of a lot better than a useless glowy rock of magic ice!”
“Heeheehee!” Flare hugged herself in midair.
Theanim exhaled. “Well...” He smiled awkwardly. “I suppose it... must fall within the Queen's divine will...”
“Doctor Mane!” one of the Continentalists in Silver's raft called out. “Is it true that you went under with the Colonialists' ship?”
“Erm... yes.” Theanim nodded. “I submerged along with Rainbow Dash and her companions.”
“Verlaxion's Sleet...” Another foreigner gasped. “And you're still alive!”
“Tell us...” Yet another leaned forward, gaping at the Swan Song. “What did you see down there?”
“Erm...” Theanim instantly resumed trembling. He pivoted aside, but he couldn't get the glaring sight of the tower out of his eyes. So he looked straight down at the trimaran's deck. “It's... it's rather difficult to describe, really—”
“No it isn't!” Flare chirped. She flew in front of the occupants of Silver's raft, grinning from ear to ear. “It was this huuuuuuge underground lair! Only everything was made out of shiny gold metal instead of dirt! And there were giant gears and machine parts!”
“Machine... p-parts...?”
“And then Rainbow Dash opened a door and absorbed a plume of red flame! With her body!” Flare spun and pointed at the tower. “And then this happened! Isn't it righteous?! Whoop!”
“Ha ha! Whoop!”
“Whoop!”
The Continentalists gazed at one another, breathless.
“How... how could this be possible...?”
“The Order makes no mention of... of machinery beneath our islands...!”
“It must have been built by one of the Six Tribes before Unification.”
“Impossible! Theanim and his companions were clearly hallucinating!”
“But how would that explain the Tower?!”
“Uhm... I took photographs,” Theanim said.
The ponies blinked at him.
“I... I-I took photographs of the entire place,” he reiterated. “I assure you... what Flare speaks of is quite real.” He gulped. “In less than a day, I'll have the images developed... and you'll have your proof.”
“But... but what could it all mean?” asked one of the foreigners. “None of this makes any sense!”
“Why would Verlaxion will such a thing into existence?” exclaimed another. “Surely you must have a hypothesis, Doctor. You represent the Higher Echelon of the Order!”
“... ... ...” Theanim slowly shook his head. “I... I have no explanation.” He slid his goggles back over his mane and glanced towards the far side of the trimaran. “I... only have Rainbow Dash.”
A few paces away, Nick and Sinrar stood side by side. They caught the gaping expressions of Theanim and his companions.
“Hmmmm...” Nick's nostrils flared as he ran a hoof over his shaved head. “What do you suppose is going through those Rohbreddenites' heads?”
“What else?” The edge of Sinrar's wrinkly muzzle curved slightly. “Bet their dead goddess is turning in her grave.”
“Oh, be nice to them, old stallion.” Nick bore a tired smile. He had to speak loudly to be heard over the chatter of the nearby Nealenders. “You and I would be freaking out too if we didn't have Rainbow's testimonies to prepare us.”
“Heh...” Sinrar looked up, up at the tower. “Who's prepared?”
“I can't believe we made it out of there in one piece!” Nick exclaimed. “Or that we got inside there in one piece!” His purple eyes twitched. “You saw Rainbow Dash! She knew exactly what to do and when! She's obviously been through this sort of stuff before!”
“Mmmm... indeed.” Sinrar's jaw tightened. “I suspect the harpy's been through worse... or at least she will be. Either way, she's prepared. We were just two fortunate featherjobs along for the ride.”
“'Featherjobs'... heh...” Nick gulped. “That's a good one, professor.”
“Just a matter of time before you laughed at something I had to sputter, peewee.”
“And I can't remember the last time you actually hit me for saying anything.”
Silence.
“Uhm... Professor?”
“Hmmmf?” Sinrar huffed.
Nick fidgeted. “...am I the only one who's starting to think that Rainbow's journey is beyond us.”
Sinrar turned to glare at the youngster. “Beyond us?” He waggled his gray eyebrows in Flare's direction. “A lot of stuff used to be beyond you, mon petite cheval!”
“Yeah... well...” Nick flicked a tail that wasn't there, all the while smiling bashfully. “When in Roam.” He blinked. “Egads... I about made myself throw up there.”
“But I understand where you're coming from, even if you're anchored there by your testicles.”
“Jee. Thanks.”
“Neither of us have what it takes... not like Rainbow does,” Sinrar grunted. “You saw her. We'd be buried alive in a stuffy gold coffin if it weren't for her and her Western magic.”
“Oh. Totally.”
“If she wants to get anywhere, she'll need other friends... her old friends.”
“Right...” Nick's ears twitched. “Still... uh...”
“Hmm?”
Nick smiled nervously. “Do you... regret having come along?”
“Why?” Sinrar growled. “Do you, imbecile?”
“Pffft...” Nick fell back—only to be caught by Flare with magical timing. “What do you think, old stallion?” he drawled, nuzzling into her embrace.
“Heeeeee!” She kissed the top of his head. “My favorite, squishy melon!” She blinked up at the professor. “...has anypony told you that you're really... really gray?”
“Snktt—hahahahaha!” Nick giggled in her grasp, leaning back to kiss her chin.
“Hrmmmm...” Sinrar looked off towards the undulating seascape. “Not as much as I used to be.”
The ship hung in silence.
“Do... do you suppose it worked?” Nick murmured as he and Flare gazed at a lone pegasus situated on the trimaran's bow. “Is... is her other friend back?”
Sinrar exhaled, adjusting his beret as he gaze at Rainbow's windblown figure. “Only the harpy can tell, my little pony. Only the harpy can tell...”
Nick, Flare and Sinrar gazed on, silent and curious.