We Are Two Mariners, Sole Survivors...
While Flare steered her canoe swiftly southwest, Kaji flew more towards the right in order to cut Ultimo off at the pass. The winged Nealender glided low over the head crest of the beast as it breached the water. Once he was within spitting range, he spun about and flew backwards, hollering at the top of his lungs.
Ultimo submerged for a few seconds, then—SPLOOOSH!—lunged upwards at a forty-five degree angle, glowing jaws snapping at Kaji.
Kaji flew swiftly out of the way. Meanwhile, Flare jerked her canoe to the right. She, Sora, and Theanim Mane sped courageously under the shadow of the beast's raised chin.
“Ohhhhhhhhhh sleet,” the photographer wheezed. His camera's flash lit up a series of water-slick scales descending upon them.
“Good spotter!” Sora shouted, letting a spear fly. Schlunnnk! The weapon embedded into the serpent's throat, but didn't deter the beast one bit. Flare was having a hard time pushing the raft out of range of the monster's collapsing girth.
Swissssh! Rainbow dove in, grasping the side of the boat. She added her wingpower to Flare's, and together both pegasi shoved the canoe out of the space where serpent flesh met the ocean.
“Quick, landwalker!” Sora tossed a spear up. “Give it something to whimper about!”
Rainbow was already vaulting backwards from the canoe when she caught the pole. “I'll settle for a pained yelp!” With Twilight floating along her side, she skirted past several jets of water and flung the javelin at what she thought was the beast's gills. “Nnnngh!”
Clank! The spear ineffectually bounced off.
Kaji flew in, dodged a swinging fin, and grasped the deflected lance. “Nice try, Rainbow! But the gills are the soft spot!”
“It's the eyes or bust!” Sora hollered, hoofing a pair of spears at Flare. “Up and at 'em, girl?”
“Thought you'd never ask!” Flare bounced off the canoe like a spring-board. “Whoop!”
“Wait!” Theanim grimaced, shivering slightly. “There goes our propulsion! What if he makes for the boat?!”
“Nah...” Sora grinned wide, eyeing the flying bodies in the air. “I think he'll be too distracted. Get your soul stealer ready!”
Theanim eagerly took snap shot after snap shot. Each blink of the shutter caught winged equines in flight, buzzing around the lashing length of the sea serpent as it spun angry circles in the brine.
“Haaaaugh!” Flare stabbed both spears into the side of the beast. It immediately zig-zagged, throwing her off balance. SNAP! One pole shattered down the center, and she clung to the other, turning her head to look at the others. “It feels it!”
“Can we just put it out of its misery?!” Rainbow hollered, chasing after Kaji.
“Are you joking?!” Kaji spat, blindly tossing a spear back towards the mare. As Rainbow caught it, he braced his with both forelimbs. “If he wanted none of this he wouldn't be hanging around on the surface so much!” He backflipped and dove straight down towards the beast's undulating backside. “Time to really bring the pain!”
“Let him know we mean business, brother!” Silver hollered from the distance.
“Yaaaaaaugh!” Kaji landed, thrusting the spear meatedly into the creature's spine. Within the same breath, he bicycle kicked—landing his hoof straight down into the back of the pole, driving the javelin even deeper like a nail.
The sea bubbled on either side of Ultimo, followed by a deep bass roar.
“Hah!” Flare grinned, yanking her spear out with a spray of crimson. “He felt that one!” She aimed for the eye a few meters ahead. “Let's see if he feels this—”
Suddenly, Ultimo performed a roll, tossing ocean water everywhere. Flare was dragged down towards the undercurrents.
“His muscles are coiling!” Kaji hollered. “Sister, let go—!”
Just as he was saying that, the lengthy beast seemingly contracted. Its upper half scrunched to half its size, then suddenly stretched out and lashed skyward. Rainbow Dash and Kaji were far enough to avoid the thrashing movement. Flare on the other hoof—
“Oh no!” Twilight gasped, holding a pair of hooves over her gaping muzzle. Her purple eyes reflected the pegasus being pounded heavily into the ocean water by an errant spine.
“Flare!” Silver hollered from the distance. “Verlaxion's sleet! What happened?!”
“Where is she?” Rainbow exclaimed, craning her neck hard. “I can't tell where—”
FWOOOOOSH! Ultimo's tail lifted, and suddenly the fins fanned out to a surprising width. When the appendage slammed back down, it produced a concussive blast so hard that the ensuing wave knocked Theanim and Sora out of their canoe. Silver held his breath, swimming through a massive swell.
As for Rainbow Dash and Kaji, the thunderous impact sent them sailing outward in opposite directions. Their wingfeathers split at the ends, and they lost friction. Within seconds, they were plopping uselessly into the ocean depths.
Rainbow Dash twirled as she descended rapidly through the bubbly currents. Kicking her legs like a frog, she looked all over in a desperate search for the surface. A lavender unicorn drifted into view, pointing in the right direction. Rainbow followed it, only breaking the surface at the end of her quivering breath.
“Gaaaugh!” Rainbow sputtered, bobbing in place. She squinted across the choppy waves and spotted Kaji having landed close to Silver. “Flare...!” Rainbow looked left and right. “Where is she?”
Twilight hovered up to the pegasus. “Rainbow!” She grimaced, nevertheless pointing northeast, towards the Atoll. “Look!”
Several meters away, Flare waded in the uneven surf. Her body was limp, barely twitching. As Rainbow observed her, she also saw a menacing wave of water surging in the mare's direction. Ultimo's spines broke through the waves, and they were cruising on a murderous intercept course.
“She's not moving!” Theanim shouted from a distance.
“Gnnngh!” Rainbow struggled to lift off, spear in grasp. “Thank you Professor Obvious...”
“Rainbow, what's taking you so long?!” Twilight's voice cracked. “Go and save her!”
“That last blow...” Rainbow hissed, trying to catch some air with her battered wings. “It messed up my feathers real bad.” She looked across the bobbing waves to see that Kaji was having the same kind of difficulty. Silver swam to him and summoned a burst of telekinesis to glide the two towards Flare, but Rainbow could already tell they wouldn't get there fast enough. “Dang it... dang it dang it dang it!” Rainbow yelled in the mare's direction. “Flare!”
“Flare!” Sora and the others added.
“Flare, you gotta move!” Rainbow sputtered, treading and fighting the waves to get closer. “He's coming right at you, girl!” She gnashed her teeth, fussing and flapping her wings. “Dang it! Verlaxion's not gonna be proud of you if you become friggin' fish bait, girl!”
Ultimo rose higher and higher, his snout emerging—bloody scars and all. His fins stroked faster, moving the beast straight for the helpless Nealender.
“Rainbow, if you can't fly, then nothing's going to save her from—” Twilight started.
“Hnnrkk!” Rainbow dove low, holding her breath. She glided diagonally downward, spreading her wings straight out. The friction of the ocean currents smoothed her wingfeathers straight. Clinging the spear to her chest, she twirled about, kicked her legs, then emerged from the water like a missile. She flapped her wings, caught air, then spun again. Twilight trailed after her as she cruised in Flare's direction.
But it was too late. The serpent's jaw opened, its glowing teeth chomping over Flare's body.
The Nealenders shrieked. Rainbow's eyes twitched—
“Got ya!” a young stallion's voice hollered, followed by the loud splash of ocean water in the Swan Song's wake. The trimaran had cruised by with milliseconds to spare. Its pilot—Nick—hung off the starboard side, dragging the limp body of Flare out of the range of Ultimo's jaws.
SPLASSSH! The ensuing contact of the monster's jaws with the ocean's surface nevertheless created a swell that sent the vessel spinning.
“Whoahhhh!” Nick yelped, nearly falling into the drink. To compensate, he yanked Flare's body upwards with all his might. Both he and the mare toppeled onto the top deck of the boat, with the Nealender on top. “Eeep!” he wheezed.
“Wooohooo!” Sora hollered, grinning madly. “And score!”
Theanim's jaw dropped. “I... I-I...” He gazed down at his camera. “I do believe I caught that...”
“Careful!” Kaji yelled from where he and Silver swam. “He's bending! The spines are coming about!”
“He's right!” Twilight exclaimed, extending a hoof. “Look!”
Rainbow could already spot the muscles of the beast twisting towards the hapless Swan Song. She dove without a second thought, stabbing her spear hard into the side of the beast.
Blood sprayed, colliding with the salt water. Ultimo slithered away from the Swan Song, shaking savagely to throw Rainbow off. Amidst the confusion, it glided past Sora and Theanim.
“Here!” Sora yelled, throwing the last javeling towards the scene. “Before he dives for good!”
Rainbow twirled away from her last impalement, grabbed the final weapon, and braced herself against the corner of the beast's jaw. Right before her lay a large wrinkly socket. A bulbous black sphere stared out, blinking once with a filmy lense.
“... … ...” Rainbow stared at it. In the eye of the beast, she saw the reflection of her water-soaked mane... and the Loyalty pendant hanging from her neck.
“What are you waiting for?!” Silver yelled from a distance.
Nick crawled out from beneath Flare's squirming body and barked: “You've got him where you want him!”
A deep moan came from the bloodied beast's throat.
Twilight floated up behind the pegasus. “Rainbow...” She struggled, and then her ears folded back as she murmured, “It's... it's just a b-big fish. Rarity—”
Rainbow bit her lip. She raised her spear to strike—
Th-TWHPPP! The entire serpent's body thrashed like a whip.
Rainbow didn't realize just how massive a gesture it was until she was flying backwards from the force of it. She twirled at such an angle that her wings couldn't catch the wind. When she hit the water, it was like concrete, and the impact knocked her lungs empty. The twitching mare dropped like a rock.
A lavender figure darted across her vision, and then all went black.
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Ouch...
...Crap.
Ominous much?
. . .
And that just happened.
But that Flare and Nick moment though.
I'd talk about the lengths he's going to just for a piece of tail, but, well, no tail.
I was actually fully expecting someone to die this chapter.
Twilight is going to get someone killed.
So what did Rainbow see in Ultimo's eye? Yes, she saw her reflection, but maybe there were chaos fragments in the piece consumed by him/it?
You know what would be really terrible? If the force of the blow from Ultimo and the impact of the water caused another seizure. Surely IC wouldn't do that to poor Rainbow? ...Right?
Welp... The hunt for Ultimo will drag on... The islanders won't be pleased after seeing RD's hesitation. Or maybe she saw something in the beast's eye?
For a moment I thought Twilight said that Ultimo was Rarity.
That threw me for a loop.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
EDIT: inb4 Twilight magicifies to save Rainbow Dash
Dang it, now I feel bad for Ultimo.
STOP SCREWING WITH MY EMOTIONS
6018992 That would explain the anger. UltiRari just wants to cleanse her beautiftul home from boisterous naked ruffian ponies who keep popping up to pester her.
6018941
I love that movie.
Lucky save there for Flare! Way to go Nick. Rainbows taken worse scrapes before, she'll be fine.
So... ready to repair the Swan Song again?
A big fish that's trying to fucking kill all of them, but besides that point, yeah, just a fish.
Nick might just get the girl after all. I hope his hips are up to the challenge.
Also, I kinda feel bad for the fish. Maybe he just needs a giant toothpick to get that shard out and he can be on his merry way.
6019035 It's amazing... and could never be made now.
WOOO! Nick ain't just the comedy relief anymore! Such Hype!
6018944 6018974
*looks at comments*
*looks at chapter title*
(They are both uniquely alone and plagued by a bit of chaos)
...
no Dash, you are the demons
6019109
Good ol' snu snu joke. Though the bucking hips of Ultimo seem a bit more intimidating at the moment.
Looks like Nick is getting laid tonight.
I'm really surprised that the force of RD hitting the water hasn't knocked the Element of Loyalty off. I almost hope it does happen, as I think that it's high time Twilight sees what happens when the pendant comes off.
6018952 And instead we get shipping. Wierd, huh? I thought Flare was gonna get swallowed whole and Rainbow would have to go in after her.
*popcorn munching intensifies*
6019329 Yeah,here I was actually fully expecting a Break the Cutie moment, where Nick is forced to confront the reality of death, and he has to decide if he can go adventuring with Dash after all, knowing that moments like those will pepper her journeys moving forward.
Dammit Dash, never hesitate.
Nice save Nick, Thunkers getting some good shots too.
Twi, if you're going to try and be a moral compass, wait until after the questionable deed.
-Memories given light, ease a lonely flight. Ynanhluutr.
6018985
Don't give him any ideas.
6019076 I think Twilight Spookle is trying to justify killing Ultimo with that line, trying to reassure Dash (or herself?) that this instance of bloodshed wouldn't be a terrible crime.
The moral ambiguity here is refreshing, evoking memories of Shadow of the Colossus. Killing should never be easy, lest we risk becoming monsters ourselves.
But seriously Dash, get the lead out. Hesitate, and ponies might die.
My hopes for a Monstrous segment grow slim, but do not fail entirely.
Also, Rarimo is a grand idea.
6019109 Dash's the wrong pony for that job.
i.ytimg.com/vi/lcNHrcLiFoQ/maxresdefault.jpg
6019309 But if the Element of Loyalty comes off in the water, what are the chances of getting it back?
Welp . . . hesitation only brings devastation and all that jazz. In the end, Nick really saved Flare's tail.
I'm sure he feels like a big damn hero.
Ah, well a-day! What evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the albatross
About my neck was hung.
Based on the title i was totally expecting Rainbow and Twilight to bee swallowed Ala
6019423 Not to mention the flak Rainbow would catch from Theanim and Twilight for leading an innocent mare to her death while under the assumption that she was serving the will of her Goddess. Heck, Rainbow would probably tear herself apart over the guilt.
Use the goddamn harmony pendant laser already. It's obvious those spears aren't doing anything.
Twilight's a distraction.
RD needs a good "shut up Twilight" session; then back to the Awesomeness.
"Rarity fed fish to her cat all the time. Pinkie fed fish to Gummy too. Fluttershy fed fish to the otters, the martens, the eagles, the pelicans, the bear, and even to Angel, even if she believed we didn't see that last one"
6018992 No, she meant Rarity was a big fish.
6019605
Huh, didn't even think of that way of interpreting it. It does fall in line with Rainbow's response of sucking it up and going for the kill. And never played shadow of the colossus so I have no idea what parallels there are. Is it any good?
6019722
media.giphy.com/media/plM9bNvfZSUzC/giphy.gif
KO...
6020485 I would call Shadow of the Colossus a 'must play' game, despite the occasionally frustrating gameplay. It's visually compelling art just as much as it's a game, and it tells an emotionally dark story with very few dialogue or cutscenes. Long story short, a disembodied voice in a temple instructs you to kill all these massive creatures in order to resurrect a girl that you love. Partway through the game, you begin to question whether or not you're doing the right thing, or whether you're destroying innocent constructs the likes of which the world may never see again. Or, perhaps what you're doing is much worse than that.
I say give it a shot, but I'm a huge, raving fangirl. So take it with a grain of salt.
6018941
I somehow knew, in reading that first line, that this line was already in the comments section.
I *hate* that cliche.
6021266
A Minty Fresh Adventure
6019000
6019076
As it turns out, Ultimo just wants a mustache.
Rainbow, become a true Nealender; shave your mane and tail and offer it as tribute. It is your destiny.
6019378
As I read your comment, I was eating popcorn. Loudly.
*high five!*
th03.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2012/042/a/9/oh_come_on__by_ohitison-d4paleq.png
6022316 Well, with all the times things in ledomare/Xona Cut off a few strands of her hair, It's impressive she's got any left to cut off.