Twenty Thousand Dashes Under the Sea
Even while just trotting out of the luxury suite, Rainbow Dash could feel the difference. The bulkheads of the Arrowfish vibrated a little less. The whole ship's hum had dropped to a low pitch.
Passengers and crew members congregated around the starboard port holes, staring out while murmuring in muddled conversation. Shuffling up to one window in particular, Rainbow Dash soon discovered why.
Gazing out, she caught a series of sharp rock bluffs sticking up out of the middle of the ocean. The earthen structures quite literally appeared out of nowhere—in the middle of calm seas lying otherwise uninterrupted for countless miles and miles.
Ships, yachts, and delivery vessels of all shapes and sizes congregated around the bluffs—but they were all dwarfed by the significantly larger assortment of thick iron plates forming a horizontal platform around the centermost promontory of rock. The metalworks here dwarfed the ramshackle materials that made up the bulk of Rust far up north. Rainbow could immediately tell that the structures had a great deal more time put into them, and they had been far better maintained over the course of the last few... decades? Centuries?
It was difficult to tell, but Rainbow could guess that the platform structures held a great deal more antiquity than the ones she had seen back in Rust. Their surfaces were a charcoal black metal. The iron was so thick that—if it indeed the material had rusted—she ventured to guess that it was so thick and layered that such oxidation didn't pose much of a threat to its structural stability. Even from hundreds of meters away, she could spot ginormous black rivets holding the various joints and lattices together.
Flanking the western edge of the platform, Rainbow spotted a very elaborate contraption about four times the size of the Arrowfish. At first, it was difficult for her to make out, but then the Mark Two came about, approaching the structure's broad side. She realized that—beyond an elongated metal plank that acted as a drydock, complete with a crane and loading platforms—she was looking at an elaborate transportation station. Two very large tubes—like cylindrical train cars—were hanging from steel girders affixed to the iron platforms. Thick, tight cables ran diagonally downward—straight into the drink—and they very obviously supported the weight of the two tubes waiting in their station. Around this contraption, several earth ponies trotted in tight circles, shouting towards one another, preparing for the unloading process about to take place. Several pegasi flew overhead, monitoring the docking procedures while signaling with brightly enchanted stones.
“What you're looking at is the Undertrolley,” Theanim Mane said out loud, answering Rainbow's questions before she could voice them. He pointed out the porthole in front of them. “Notice the thick metal hull and the iron-reinforced windows?”
“Is that...” Rainbow blinked. “...gonna take us to the ocean's floor?”
The stallion nodded. “Straight through the gates of Shoggoth.”
“So the real Shoggoth is underwater.” She pointed. “And this... this is just—like, I dunno—the transportation and ticket center?”
“Erm... that's an interesting way of labeling it.” He nevertheless smiled. “Suffice to say, it's the one part of the entire Shoggothan real estate that the Muddredgers absolutely one hundred percent own.”
“Lemme guess. The rest below the waters belongs to Camellia and the sirens?”
“It's governed by them. However, if it weren't for the diligent craftponyship of the earthen and unicorn equines who wanted to make something out of this amphibious union, then what we're currently docking with wouldn't be remotely possible,” Theanim said. “This particular Undertrolley has survived centuries of the ocean's hardest elements. It's transported hundreds of thousands if not millions of souls all these years, day by day. Even the Queen herself has used this transport.”
“Huh...” Rainbow exhaled, her breath slightly fogging the porthole. “It's kind of a crying shame that the Syndicate had to dirty the place up.”
“Mmmmm... yes. And yet no.” Theanim smiled. “I think you'll find Shoggoth quite a bit more hospitable than the likes of Rust.”
“Is that cuz of the royal sea horse's doing?”
“That's one way of putting it.” Theanim motioned. “Come, Miss Dash. If we're to make the first Undertrolley passage down, then we'll have to go about leaving the Mark Two swiftly.”
“Doc, wait...” Rainbow Dash held a hoof out towards him. She gulped and said, “I... uh... I know that Bard and Wildcard did something super generous to make sure I had a good place to crash over the past few hours. But... but I just know you had a hoof in it somehow. So, for what it's worth—”
“No need to thank me, my dear,” he said with a chuckling breath. “I was getting quite sick of sitting out in that most deplorable hallway as it was.”
“Still. I... uh... I-I can't always afford to be as awesome as I wanna be.” Her voice cracked upon saying that, but she nevertheless steeled herself. “I think of all the ponies I've met since I landed in these oceans, you've been... the most understanding.” She took a deep breath. “So, y'know, thanks for everything.”
He blinked at her, his ears twitching. “It... gives me great honor to hear that.”
“Yeah, well, it felt good saying it.”
Silence. A faint smile hung between them.
“Right.” Theanim cleared his throat. “I'd best summon Echo. He needs to play the part of a stallion in distress.” A roll of the eyes, and Theanim shuffled back to the suite. “That shouldn't be quite so hard.”
“Y'know, the dude's a lot stronger than he lets on.”
“I know, Miss Dash.” And the Mark Two shook all over from docking into place. “I know.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.075 seconds
Total duration
935 users online
455,849 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I know we've only seen just a mere fraction of the continent of Rohbredden and it's surrounding areas, but I think I already love this whole corner of the plane the most.
Huh, I thought the point of the arrowfish was to take them underwater...
Hmm.. no Lighthouse.
I thought there was always a mare, a city and a lighthouse.
I didn't even think the place would have a cargo crane. It does make sense, just a lapse in common sense on my part.
-Memories given light, ease a lonely flight. Ynanhluutr.
vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/bioshock/images/2/20/3-00-A-14.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140213165541
Welcome to
RaptureShoggothWell, it's time to call upon the seapon-- *gunshot*
I hope the sirens... Seaponies... Whatever they are... Are at least a smidge more hospitable. I just hope our man Mane is right.
''I am Princess Camellia and I'm here to ask you a question...''
Took me too long to catch on the reference in the title. Should we expect Nemo to pop up?
It's somewhat startling to witness how much Theanim seems to have mellowed since leaving Nealand. A most welcome change.
*waits for inevitable sub-aquatic stress levels to rise*
6276362
I reckon we could have another single-continent trilogy on our hands. It might be a stretch to fit every key location into two stories unless the next instalment ends up eclipsing Urohringr in terms of length. Or perhaps we're overestimating the scope of this corner of the world (I hope not).
Never mind! There's still a chance for the Northern Hoof to catch up with them.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
Well, we finally get to sea some sea-pony's.
Every time I see the word "Shoggoth" I momentarily forget it's the name of a city and wonder why ponies are talking about an amorphous, penguin-eating monster.
I'm awesome, take caution,
Watch out for me, I'm
Awesome as I wanna be.
I hope so but I feel like I've heard this before...
I do like the little bits of descriptive world building that crops up, even in the shorter chapters. I was half expecting some kind of submersible, or even the Arrowfish to turn out to have underwater capabilities, but this big tram station is pretty cool.
6276933 nice to see I'm not the only one to pick up on that.
6277256
derpicdn.net/img/2013/6/22/354455/medium.png
An underwater cable car?
Why am I humming the James Bond theme, and thinking of the movie, Moonraker?
You know its a pity Rourke isnt here, what with Dash being an aero smith.
Love In An Elevator.
If this is Rapture, maybe Dash will encounter sea slugs that grant super powers.
Dive Dive Dive!
I don't think it really hit home for me just how much Rainbow and Theanim had bonded until now. I guess that's what these scenes are for.
...Then again, one probably already happened that I'm forgetting about and I'm an idiot.
Once again Nightwish's The Islander plays in my head.
6276508 cdn-webimages.wimages.net/050f9fc9bb5f592700413edf35c14e61ac8d19-wm.jpg
6276442
Siren's song == W-Y-K?
Time for an underwater adventure! Really Dash is right Theanim has been extremely understanding of just about everything so far.
6276695
6276510
This is pretty much what I'm expecting will happen. I think this book and at least the next one will cover Rohbredden. If there's a third part, it'll be finding a way to the Dark Side. I don't think we'll be seeing the Dark Side until close to the end of the saga.
"Welcome to Rupt... I mean Shoggoth, now would you kindly destroy the syndicate?"
I DID IT! I CAUGHT UP!
Just insert some maniacal laughter after that.... I'm so proud of myself.
6279567 Welcome to the Lunar Ninth! Congratulations on catching up.
6279567 indeed, Congrats and welcome aboard.
6279567
Bout time I saw you're face around here again.
That's pretty cool, though I honestly thought that the Arrowfish would take them down there, not . . . this.
Underwater fun! But I am so freaking ready!
And down down down into the depths we go
Shooby dooby do down to Rapture.
Rohbredden, the steampunk Polynesia...
This story is about to get real deep.
Given the state of Rust, how could anything have the bits to buy a room on Mark Two? How did that boat even stay in business with their insane prices? A ride would probably be inelastic at lower prices, but at this point the price elasticity is through the roof. Especially with Rust's steady decrease in DI.
6870105
Well it's probably kept in business by the awesome folks of Shoggoth. Apparently they are the ones with all the bits. After all they were able to pay off 24 thousands bits as if it was nothing to get a Bounty Hunter.
Well, she probably didn't actually need it.
6276447
Are you in distress?
Hey! Hey!
Sad version of Awesome As I Wanna Be plays in the background...