//------------------------------//
// In the End, All Stardust 
// Story: Utaan 
// by Imploding Colon 
//------------------------------//

	"Just stay still, dammit," Flynn grunted, leaning in with the burning manacrystal.  "My money's on there still being plenty of flank to kick between here and the Midnight Armory.  So lemme get this talon patched up."

Wildcard nevertheless stirred where he sat, perched on the Stardust's bow.  He stretched his metal arm out so that the balding unicorn could tinker with the enchanted tools at his disposal.  The griffon's goggled eyes reflected the thorny spires of Bleak's Plummet emerging from the choppy waters ahead of them.

"Fascinating," Kepler remarked.  The wyvern stood beside the rudder wheel, following the motions of the submersibles around the vessel with his spectacled eyes.  "These devices arre highly mobile.  And yet... I cannot deterrmine what they use as defensive weapons."

"Yeah...?"  Logan sat in place, sharpening his axe with a stone.  "Maybe they just build up speed and ram their targets super hard."

"Don't be ridiculous," Flynn droned.  He levitated a pair of needles and reached deep into a side-panel of Wildcard's prosthetic.  "We all witnessed how the pirates got the drop on us.  They surface, pop their hatches, and swarm their victims en masse."

"Nah... can't be that simple," Logan huffed.  "You're telling me these bastards take on all of their targets hoof-to-hoof?"

"It would seem indicative of theirr fearrless warrriorr naturre!" Kepler exclaimed.  "You saw the scarrs on theirr leaderr's chest!"

"What about all the lunar spit-runes or whatcrap?" Logan exclaimed.  He gave his axe's blade a few more swipes of the stone.  "I wonder how big of a splash you could make if you armed torpedoes with that shit."

"Doubtful."  Flynn snapped Wildcard's panel shut and gestured to his arm.  "We're talking moon rocks.  They can't possibly have too many of them to spare."

Wildcard exhaled, flexing his metal arm.  He clenched and unclenched the claws, testing their dexterity.  At last, he turned to hand-signal at the others.

"Well, sure."  Logan nodded.  "I guess it does depend on who they're picking a fight with.  But I'm telling you—in a one-on-one grudge match against the whole Rohbreddenite navy, these guys would be toast!"

"Look!"  Ariel's voice cracked from overhead.  "What friggin' difference does it make?!"  She paced in fluttering circles, her forelimbs crossed as she frowned.  "Why are we standing here making small talk about these goons' military prowess?"

"Because..."  Logan glared up at her.  "These 'goons' might be all that stand between us and the royally-pissed-off supergoons of the Central Guard!"

"Do you think the midnighterrs would be willing to assist us in establishing an oceanic defense?" Kepler remarked.

"Look..."  Ariel huffed.  "We'll be frickin' lucky if Rainbow and her crew resurface from whatever stupid convention is going on down below!  So can we just talk about something else?  Please?"

Wildcard flapped his wings.  Calmly, he hovered up at her side and rested a talon on her shoulder.

Ariel sighed.  She rubbed her forehead and muttered, "I'm sorry, everypony."  Thunder rolled over the distant waves beyond the spires of Bleak's Plummet.  "It's just that... as soon as I think the stakes couldn't get any higher... this whole friggin' crusade throws me for a loop."

"Ha-ha!"  Kepler grinned through his tusks.  "It most cerrtainly wouldn't be an escorrt mission with the Rrainbow one if it didn't get morre and morre hyperrbolic with each turrn!"  He winked.  "Even if the Mountain Matrron hadn't prreviously warrned us, would you conclude otherrwise at this point?"

"And we know for a fact that you've been observing Rainbow Dash quite closely," Logan muttered.

Wildcard smirked.

Ariel gulped.  "Am I... uh... really that see-through?"

"I've got an even better question," Logan remarked, shouldering his axe with a breath.  "Do you actually think we buckin' care?"

"I want to make sure that the Austraeoh gets to the Midnight Armory, just like the rest of you," Ariel said.  "I guess... erm... I-I worry about her a bit more than everypony else."  She sighed, gazing off.  "Not that it matters.  So much of that... that 'worry' only works one way.  So... whatever..."

Wildcard gently stole her attention, hand-signing.

Ariel blinked.  "Yeah.  Trust me."  She bit her lip.  "She knows."

"Not like it's a damned secret," Logan said.

"Shhhh... stuff it, Big Show."  Flynn then turned to smile up at Ariel.  "Rainbow's been through worse than any of us have faced."

"Ew.  Now there's a freaky thought."

"But it's true.  Just ask her next time."  Flynn smirked.  "And there will be a next time."

Ariel exhaled.  "Yeah..."  She brushed her raven black hair aside and smiled nervously into the tumultous waters.  "...there will be a next time."

"Now that's the spirrit!" Kepler said.

Silence.

Ariel suddenly grimaced.  "You... don't suppose she'll come back smellin' of dead fish and bat poop?"

Wildcard facepalmed hard, causing a panel of his metal talon to pop loose.

"Goddess damn it, Ariel," Flynn groaned.