Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto

The Leviathan swam to Akalop - Part 3

"We've been able to find the bottom layer, or at least what might be the bottom layer," Twilight said. "We're not sure yet, we haven't been that far down. We've only detected it from a higher point. We'll be opening the next portal about halfway between the two, and going down from there. The trip should only take a few minutes, but visibility will likely be significantly reduced."

"And you want me to come, of course." Starlight toyed with a quill in her hooves, looking vaguely around the room. She found it could stand to be lit a bit better. Turning on some lamps or lights or opening the windows would have helped. She didn't say that though. She figured Twilight probably didn't need to be told, and if she did then either way that wasn't the time for it. "Any idea of what we might find there?"

"Water, water, more water, and maybe slightly different water," Twilight said. "Maybe, just maybe, some ground. I don't think we'll find anything close to the ruins of any civilisation, much less any creatures that might have been there." She took a deep inhale, stopped pacing around the room, and sat down in front of Starlight. "I know it seems like a waste of time, but sometimes research is like this. This is one of the few scales we have that we can explore in relative safety, but we haven't found anything worthwhile in yet."

"I get that." Starlight almost cut through Twilight's words. "I'm not..." She set the quill down, stretched her neck, and closed her eyes for a moment to focus. "I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm not saying any of this is wrong and I don't think bringing me along is wrong either. I've been there before and yeah, you're right in thinking what you're not saying, I would be bothered if you went there and found something without asking me to come first. Either way, I'm the pony best equipped for being down there with you."

There was silence then for a few seconds. A pause that shouldn't have been there, like a thread had been cut. Both mares sensed it. Twilight was the first to speak. "But." It wasn't properly a question. It was an invitation for Starlight to finish her train of thought, a stepping stone for her to pass over and keep going with whatever she'd been meaning to say. Twilight couldn't know for sure if Starlight would take it on, but she did know something was missing.

Starlight was still quiet. She stared forward, like she was staring at the single word Twilight had tossed her as it hung in the air between them. She swallowed, then finally she opened her mouth to speak again. "I'm not sure if I'm in the right head space for it right now. I'm not sure I wouldn't mess something up, and messing up isn't something I can afford to do in the conditions we'll be in down there."

Comments

[Speckle]

Nothing wrong with bringing along another pone-person. And, hey, Starlight can use the spare time to hang with friends, far away from Stella, maybe see a therapist. We don't want anything bad happening during an expedition.

[Saix]

"Water, water, more water, and maybe slightly different water," Twilight said. "Maybe, just maybe, some ground. I don't think we'll find anything close to the ruins of any civilisation, much less any creatures that might have been there."

Considering that the abomination of the world is named in the chapter title, the world/country/city they're in/near is named and that Leviathan rounds of the trio of Behemoth/Ziz/Leviathan, I'm expecting something really interesting down there.

Poor Starlight. Stella has a lot to answer for.