//------------------------------// // . // Story: 80 Days: Under the Waves // by Sharp Spark //------------------------------// I clung to the back of one of the sharkponies as we swam away. Yet I could not resist looking over my shoulder at the city as we fled. The glowing dome that had once held such a thriving metropolis was darkened and cloudy, the swirls of smoke from burning structures trapped within. I dared not imagine the fate of the equines who were trapped there as well. My lungs were burning and crying out for oxygen by the time we finally breached the surface. Above us, countless stars shone down from a cloudless night sky. We floated for a moment, bobbing between gentle waves as my mistress negotiated with the leader of the small sharkpony band. “They will take us east,” she finally said. “But we must move slowly, and watch for other survivors as we travel.” “We are lucky to have survived.” “We are over a week behind schedule,” she coldly informed me. “We will require more luck still.” [ENDING C]