//------------------------------// // Through the Door, Through the Window // Story: Ynanhluutr // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// “Move! Move!” Revan snarled, shoving a few clueless stallions aside as he rushed his way towards the far end of the Stronghold's corridor. One or two ponies gasped and leapt into opposite hallways, giving him an unobstructed path towards his destination. Once Revan reached the armory entrance on the far end, he shoved against it, but the lock held the door in place. Revan grunted and struggled. “Rnnnngh... dammit! Somepony—” “Here, Revan,” a Southern Hoof thug rushed up, entered the appropriate access code, and opened the chamber with a hissss. Revan, Cold Stone, and several other henchstallions burst in. They skidded to a stop, gawking at the sound of a metallic ringing noise. Remna stood to the side, wearing a brown stetson. He was currently in the process of yanking a dull black lever. Whurrrrrrr! Ahead of them, the metal grate separating the room from the wall of aquakinetic water slid shut. WHUDDD! The vertical columns of water shook, and as they settled the stallions could see three yellow figures furiously frog-stroking away into the jet black darkness. Revan's eyes twitched. “... ... ...the buck?!” “Hmmmm...” Remna blinked dully ahead of him, wearing Bard's hat. “I've always wanted to braid my mane...” “Looks like just about everypony is gathered inside by now,” Echo muttered, staring at the relatively barren courtyard bordering the edge of the Marine Auction House. “Their meeting thingy must be underway.” “No doubt.” Theanim Mane nodded, adjusting the folds of his robe. “Verlaxion-willing, Rainbow and our other friends are being rather timely with their tasks.” “And just how will we know when it's our turn to steal the spotlight?” Echo asked. Just as the sarosian voiced this, a random mare wandering by scuffled to a stop. The two stallions watched as she pivoted about, trotted directly to their shadowed pocket of the enclosure, and stood upon the fringes, eyes glowing bright green. “The moment is upon you, gentlecolts,” the citizen slurred. “Be swift, righteous, and—above all—honest.” Theanim blinked. He and Echo exchanged glances, then looked at the mare again. “Erm... by all means.” He gulped, tilting his head to the side. “Much thanks...Your Highness?” She nodded. “I'm secretly harboring arduous feelings for my roommate,” the mare murmured. Then, with a twitch of one ear after the other, she shook her head. The green light in her eyes completely faded as she teetered slightly. “Mrmmmff... I-I'm sorry...” She squinted. “You two are...?” “Erm... a pair of perfect strangers, milady,” Theanim said, bowing slightly. “Here...” He reached under his robe, produced a few bits, and placed them delicately in her hooves. “For... uhm... your troubles.” “And you want advice on your roommate?” Echo droned, winking one eyeslit. “Go in for the kill.” The pony did a double-take. “Wh-what...?!” “Blast it, old chap!” Theanim hissed, yanking the sarosian along as he rushed for the Marine Auction House. “Move it!” Echo saluted with a weak smile as the two scurried off. “... ... ...” The mare pivoted about, staring at the bits in her hoof. Slowly, a rosy blush spread across her cheeks. “Hmmm... candle-light dinner in the kelp forest...” “Mmmfff... gnnngh...” Remna suddenly stubbled back, dazedly shaking his head. “What... ? How...?” He gazed across the armory full of golden treasures. “...what am I doing here?” Revan galloped past him and yanked the lever again. The crate swung open, revealing an unobstructed view of the watery basin bordering the Muddredge structure—not that it mattered. There was no sight of the three runaway divers at this point. “What in Verlaxion's Sleet is going on here?!” one of the many thugs stammered. “Were there ponies in here just now?!” “Hey!” Another thug pointed at the open metal locker to the side. “The diving suits are gone! All of them!” “What?” A Southern Hoof guard shuffled over while Remna continued to rub his head. “But... there were more than three here! Where'd the others go?” Revan spun towards his subordinate unicorn. “Cold Stone?” The stallion stood in place, clenching his eyes shut. A beam of light pulsed at the end of his horn. “I sense three signatures... swimming... descending... curving towards the southeast...” He shuddered. “Seven other signatures... floating off at random...” “They ditched the other suits!” a guard exclaimed. “Well, did they steal anything?!” A Rust thug wandered around, shivering. “Looks like you guys keep all of your crap down here!” “Everything's in tact, as far as I can tell,” spoke a Southern Hoofer. “Doesn't look like they stole anything other than the suits. Even the money supply's untouched.” “You friggin' idiots...” Revan snarled. “They didn't need to steal anything to have screwed us down here!” He spun about, eyes flaring. “What we have down here is evidence! These manureheads carried a camera with them up in Rust! With just enough snapshots, they can bring this entire operation down on you and Jeryn as well!” “Oh Goddess...” A thug slumped to his knees. Frowning, Revan stomped across the room. “You!” He pointed an angry hoof at Remna. “What in the Queen's fiery pisshole were doing down there?! Helping them?!” “I... I don't get it...” Remna blinked blearily. “I was... I was supervising the front post...” He glanced across the many angry faces. “...I didn't fall asleep, did I?” His eyes trailed with a faint cloud of luminescent green. Cold Stone gasped. “Boss!” He pointed. “His eyes! It's—” “Siren magic...” Revan gnashed his teeth. “So, she's onto us... how terrific...” Remna's eyes crossed, spotting the brim of the hat. He reached up, felt the stetson, then glanced awkwardly at Revan. “...heh.” He bore a crooked smile, striking a pose. “Why, Boss Revan! Fancy meeting you here!” WHUMP! Revan punched Remna in the chest, grabbed the stallion by the shoulders—“Rrrrrrrggghhh!!!”—and flung him out into the water, hat and all. The hapless guard gasped and vomited bubbles, floating and flailing as he sailed off into the dark, drowning abyss. The other guards all flinched, wincing. SLAP! Revan yanked the lever, locking Remna's body out beyond the metal grate. SLAM! He spun and hollered at the ponies gathered, eyes flaring. “No stallion's guaranteed another night with their families until we catch those motherbuckers and string them up by their balls!” He spun towards the nearest unicorn. “Cold Stone! Where are they headed?” “Descending... descending...” Cold Stone gnashed his teeth, concentrating. “Well...?!?!” The stallion looked up, his horn pulsing. “Downstream! Towards the underground chambers!” “What—you mean the Tomb of the Sirens?” a Southern Hoof thug stammered. “Well, what the Hell are we waiting for?!” Revan shouted, galloping straight out the door. “We have to cut them off at the head!” “But... b-but...!” One of several guards protested, struggling to catch up with the stallion. “That place is off limits! Not even Boss Jeryn is allowed in there—” “This is beyond him! Beyond everything!” Revan galloped forward, frowning. “If they get away from us—we're ruined! Now move!”