The Elements of Creation

by NPC White Mage

0 : Prologue

Elements of Creation

0 : Prologue

A violent storm raged and churned over the Mareiterarrian Sea. Pounding waves and swirling waters threatened the few boats that dared venture into the temptest. One ship in particlar, The Rubicon, danced on the vicious waves in defiance of the Godly wrath that roared around it. However, regardless of the magnificent display of Mother Nature's fury, the crew of The Rubicon was unfazed and even unaware of the intense storm. For on the sandy sea floor, where the crew walked, the storm held no power. In fact, if it weren't for the reaction of the the aquatic life around them, the group would have never known there was a storm just overhead, pounding on the border between the surface and the untouchable world below.

The group was a small, rag-tag crew of about five members, and not a single one was a professional diver or sailor. Infact, three of them had never even been on a boat. Yet here they were, walking through Nemo's backyard, heading towards an underwater cave that looked anything and everything except safe. This was evident to the entire party, but only the foremost pony seemed to be resistant to heading into the submerged cavern. This hesitation was quelled when the hulk of a diver behind the worried pony gave a powerful headbutt to his flank, shoving him into the cave's narrow enterance. The force of the shove sent an echo through the water, spooking the surrounding fish. One-by-one each member of the diving crew filed through the narrow opening, and ascended into the trapped atmosphere of the cave.

The lead pony, still sore and being the first one to surface, limped onto the rocky shore and shrugged out of the pressurized suit. His white hide was bruised right by his cuite-mark, a pair of crumbling marble columns, where he was brutally shoved into the cave by the other diver. The black and purplish-blue of the bruise muddled his cutie mark and he shot a glare over at the brute as he too surfaced and climbed ashore.

"Spare your glares Professor. Buckshot would not have had to nudge you had you not decided to hold up our...expedition. Besides, we are all gentleponies here, so why not let bygones be just that?" The smooth voice came from a dark gray pony that had just shurgged out of his suit, shaking out the helmet-mane from his startling silver mane and tail. As the suit fell to the ground, his cutie-mark, a grinning silver mask, came into view. "Now please, prove yourself the distinguished Canterlot Professor you are, and lead the way like we agreed." There was something in Silver Tounge's voice that told the story of how Professor Marble Spire came into this crew, and it was obvious it wasn't by choice.

It was hard to refuse a request from Silver, his way with words was just too...persuasive. Reluctantly, the white colt took out his notes from his water proof saddle bag and began looking over them with haste.

"Vhat iz hold up?" Hissed a voice from behind Marble Spire. A rather angry and short tempered Griffon stepped forward, his one good eye regarding the professor with distaste. Marble Spire cowered closer to the ground, trying to focus on his notes.

"I-I-I j-just need to get my b-bearings..." The white colt stuttered, trying to keep his creacked glasses from spilling off his nose.

"Sven, come now. Let the good colt work." Silver Tongue slipped in, trying to diffuse a violent situation. Sven scoffed and sauntered over to the pool the divers emerged from, his eye gazing hungrily at the fish that swam lazily in the calm waters.

Marble Spire sighed with relief as he turned back to his notes. Instead of his oh-so familiar hand written notes, a map was pushed into his face. Stepping back, the Professor adjusted his glasses to look at the map, being held aloft by a rose coloured glow.

"I drafted this from your notes. I took the liberty of reading them while we were aboard The Rubicon. I know you don't mind." Her voice was as soft and sensual as the rosy glow of her magic. The unicorn Marble Spire had come to know as Compass Rose trotted into view, a lusty look in her beautiful eyes. "I figured if you didn't make it this far it would be a shame if we had to start over." She grinned, "however, before we waste any more time with your silly little notes and books, I can tell you we need to head that way." As if for punctuation, she rolled up the map and pointed it down one of the many tunnels that lead away from the enterance.

"H-how did you-"

"Darling, I'm Compass Rose! Directions are kinda my thing." She clipped, her voice sharp as she motioned to her cutie mark, a compass rose and rightly so.

"Oh...r-right. Yes...o-of course." Marble Spire's voice was shaking now. Growing up reading books and attending mystery theatres, Marble Spire knew his usefullness to Silver Tongue's crew was at an end, and he knew what that meant. Quickly he began to think of ways to save his neck, coming up with stranges ways he would be useful to Silver's crew; however, it wasn't to be. Before Marble Spire could open his mouth, Silver Tongue opened his.

"Now, now Professor, you wouldn't happen to be trying to stall our little expedition would you?" There was a darkness to Silver Tounge's voice that made Marble Spire feel no bigger than 3 inches tall. "Compass darling, you can read that map can't you?"

"Of course!" She snapped. There was a quality of her voice that made her sound like a snotty little filly all over again.

"Fantastic!" Silver Tongue replied, ignoring his cartographer's attitude. "Well Professor, why don't you just stay here, sit back, and relax. I'm sure you are tired, after all, we have come quiet a long way from your classroom in Canterlot." There was a warming smile on the gray colt's face as he stepped forward and began collecting all the Professor's notes and books into his own saddle bags. "Buckshot, be a good chap and help the Professor relax a bit won't you?" With the same large smile, Silver Tongue, Compass Rose, and Sven proceeded down the dark passage. Almost instantly, Buckshot stepped in front of Marble Sides, severing his view of the other three. The Buffalo looked down at the white colt, a grim look in his dark eyes.

Y-you'll never find the S-Soul of the Seas...it-it's just a PONY TAIL!" The colt stammered. The large Buffalo remained silent and grim. Marble Spire looked down and closed his eyes. The realization had finally set over him, and he understood that he stood before one of Death's many forms. The blow came suddenly and without warning. Buckshot's battering ram of a head connected with Marble Spire's shoulder and neck, breaking every bone in his body and sending his ragdoll form into the pool they emerged from. The blow wasn't instantly fatal, and as Marble Spire, the mythology and ancient history Professor of one of Canterlot's most renowned universities, sank into the dephs, he head a deep voice call out to him.

"I'm sorry Professor, but it is only business. Sadly, it is a pretty cut-throat market."

The last thing Marble Spire saw, was a buffalo walking off towards the dark tunnel.