Beyond The Sea

by MrPockets

Welcome Party

Chapter V: Welcome Party

A reserved quiet descended on the worn-down welcome center. From outside its large, glass-panes was a soft green light that poured in onto the wall's faded posters and advertisements. Nearby, a pair of destroyed staircases stretched out of the light and into blackness, leading to a second level. A whale glided peacefully between the tall skyscrapers of Rapture, singing a deep, resonate song that harmonized with the strained groaning of the underwater metropolis.

“Ummm, hello? Are you guys still there?” Twilight’s distorted voice filled the stock-still room.

Her five old friends from Ponyville sat slack-jawed around the ornate, crystal-filled box it originated from, too dumbfounded to articulate their shock. It had been more than 15 years since any of them had seen Twilight Sparkle, and the bottom of the ocean was the last place they expected to just run into her.

Pfffffff- POOF!

The delicate silence was utterly shattered when Pinkie Pie's flat mane suddenly re-inflated with a hiss and a pop; and she brightened back to her vibrant, rambunctious state of being.

"Twilight!" the pink earth pony exclaimed with a huge, open smile. "Oh my gosh- I can’t believe you’re really here! Why are you here!? Oh- wait! Tell me all about Saddle Arabia!” Her face fluxed between thinking of what to ask and gesturing wildly with absolutely no pause for breath “No, wait- tell me about the Griffin Kingdom! No- Aaah! It’s just so amazing you’re here!” She began to bounce excitedly around the glowing box and her bewildered friends as they slowly regained their wits.

“It’s good to see you too, Pinkie!” Twilight’s voice said with a hint of relief. “It’s good to see all of you. Really, it is.”

“You... you can see us?” Rainbow Dash stammered her reply, still working through the initial shock. She looked around the empty welcome center for any sign of her favorite egghead, but came up empty.

“Yes, I’m monitoring you through Rapture’s security system. I’ve been watching and listening since you arrived in the Bathysphere, but I can only speak to you through these crystal Talk-boxes.” Twilight took on her age-old lecturing tone while she spoke. She didn’t notice, but the other five mares all adapted calm, reflective looks upon hearing their old friend in her element. As per usual, they didn’t understand much of what she was actually saying, but she had given the strange, bronze craft and glowing crystal communicators equally strange names.

There was a long pause once she finished speaking. No-one knew how to follow up, and Pinkie was still busy giggling, smiling and bobbing up and down.

Rarity was the next to regain some semblance of composure and speak to the unicorn. “Twilight... my word, how have you been? And what in Equestria are you doing in this dreary place? In your last letter, I believe you said you were in the far West, not stranded underwater.” How many months ago had that been? She couldn’t remember exactly.

“Hi Twilight!” Fluttershy said quietly, her fear momentarily forgotten, “I hope you’re doing well, I’ve really missed you!” The yellow mare was incredibly relieved she had a friend in this frightening place; one who could help them get back to the surface.

“Hello Rarity, Fluttershy, I’ve missed you both, too.” Twilight said, a smile evident in her tonality.

“Uhh, Twilight... it’s great to hear from ya and all, but Ah think ya got some explaining ta do here.” Applejack cut in, changing the subject. As happily surprised as she was, it was well past time for some answers. “Fer starters, what is this place? Why are ya here? And why are we here!?”

“I know you have lots of questions, and I will answer them...” Twilight answered her with a soothing voice, before moving onto a more serious tone. “...But there’s no time to get into it right now. I can tell you that I was sent here by Princess Celestia herself.”

Celestia, Applejack thought with a snort. Ah guess the Griffon Kingdom wasn’t far enough, she had to send mah friend to the bottom of the sea...

“OH- TWILIGHT! Where’s Spike?!” Pinkie cried, peering into the strange box as if they were both hiding inside of it. “I bet he’s soooo big now! I’ve missed so many of his birthdays... and yours too! OH! We should have a BIG party for you guys!”

It appears Pinkie’s back to her regular, old self, Rarity thought, glad she was no longer handing out insults like candy on Nightmare Night.

“Spike? He... isn’t with me right now.” She sighed, her voice getting heavy as she spoke, “As you can probably tell, things went very bad around here. They started out well enough, you would have loved this city in its prime, Rarity! Even I was astounded by its beauty... But- everything fell apart; I was captured and held prisoner by Summer Rain, Spike too. I eventually managed to escape, but he's...”

“You were captured?!” Rarity gasped, “Whatever for!? Where are these scoundrels? I’ll give them a piece of my mind!”

“They’re not... still around here, are they?” Fluttershy whimpered, scanning the corner's of the room nervously.

“I was... look, it’s not important right now. I really need your help, and so does Spike. Rapture lies in ruins, but it’s still alive and under Rain’s crazed rule. She controls what’s left of the population with promises of freedom and salvation, though they’re essentially her mindless slaves. What I’m about to ask of you all is possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever done... I need your help, I’ve all but failed on my own, girls. Now that you’re here, we can save this whole city, together.”

The haunting voice of their missing friend hung in the air for a beat. In the background, a plank of wood paneling peeled off a wall and fell to the ground with a loud clatter, once again breaking the silence that had settled in.

“Really?” Applejack asked flatly, arcing an eyebrow.

“Yes.” Twilight replied calmly.

“Uhh, how long you think that’ll take?” Rainbow asked, remembering her prior engagements. Her question earned her a round of hard stares from the other four. “What?”

"Well... it shouldn’t take long once you’ve found the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight said, drawing everyone’s attention back to the Talk-box.

“The Elements?” Rarity repeated, “But... we aren’t their Bearers anymore...” Rarity had made peace with the loss long ago. She didn’t need a piece of jewelry to tell her she was generous, and she was too old to be going on ridiculous adventures... Like the one she was currently on.

“Plus, aren’t they in Canterlot?” added Pinkie, tilting her head in typical, wondering fashion.

“Actually, I think Scootaloo and the other Crusaders have ‘em,” Dash corrected. Scootaloo was her biggest fan as a filly, but once she earned her portion of the Element of Friendship, the little pegasus began believing in herself. Dash had never been so proud to be her mentor.

Applejack was getting suspicious, and worried. "Twilight, are you sure you know what you're talkin' about?"

“Not the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight began,. “Before I was taken prisoner, I helped create a set of artificial Elements, based on my direct experience with the real ones. The idea was to generate power out of feelings and emotions, such as friendship. It worked... and they are very powerful tools, which contributed to things going so wrong around here. I hid all of them but one when I escaped, to keep them out of Rain’s hooves. I have the Element of Magic with me, I need you to find the other five and bring them to me as fast as you can.”

Applejack mulled that over, then shook her head, “Wouldn’t it be a better idea ta get outta this place, double-time? Get the Princess maybe? Ah’m sure we can rescue Spike, too, but it just seems-”

“I'm afraid not; there’s just no time to lose- I need to make things right here; you have to-” Twilight was cut off by a burst of distorted static that made the others flatten their ears to their skulls.

“What happened? Twilight, you still in there?” Pinkie inspected the box closely, when more static made her fall back on her pink rump with a start.

“Leaving so soon? But you’ve only just arrived.” Another familiar voice emanated from the box.

“It’s Summer Rain!” Rainbow cried, flapping into the air.

“Th-The mare who cut off her cutie m-mark?” stammered Fluttershy fearfully, covering her own mark once more.

“Right you are, my dear,” Rain replied to them, her voice cool and stoic. “Which means it is my city you’re trespassing in. So, what am I to do with such unwanted guests? Guests who happen to have been Celestia’s personal lap-dogs, no less. What would my citizens think of me if I just allowed you to run amok?”

“Now, look here Miss Rain,” Applejack stormed up to the Talk-box. “Ah ain’t the threatening type, but if you don’t give us Spike and let me and mine go on our merry way, you and Ah are gonna have a big problem.” She punctuated the second to last word with a stomp, hard enough to crack the rotting floor.

After a brief pause, staticy laughter erupted into Applejack’s scowling face. “You forget yourself, my dear. Rapture is mine, you see; I make the threats here, and unlike yours, they are far from idle.”

“Idle? I’ll show you idle!” Rainbow flew in, wings spread and ready for combat. The others fell in behind her, forming an intimidating fighting stance. Even Fluttershy managed to put on a brave face, though her trembling legs somewhat spoiled it.

Rain’s silky laughter came once again from the wall. “How deliciously droll. Tell me, Bearers,” she said, her sarcasm clear through the distortion, “I’m sure you consider yourselves a rather ‘big’ deal, but if that were truly the case, how do you think Equestria managed to survive in the thousand years Luna was banished, and the Elements were absent?"

The mares held their tight position while Rain’s odd implication sunk in. Despite their tough front, not a single pony in the group could come up with an answer, they couldn’t even make sense of why that was important. So they stood, staring daggers into the crystal box while their minds twisted over the question.

"I thought as much." Rain continued, "Your little claim to fame is no more than a parlour trick, I’m afraid. A distraction from Celestia’s sickening power, meant to keep the masses placid while she plays benevolent princess. To maintain the status quo! There is nothing beyond her ability, and none who can oppose her.”

"That’s not true!" Rarity’s dampened curls bounced as she cried out. She may not be one for adventures anymore, but she wasn’t going to just stand there and listen to someone slander her Princess.

"Isn’t it? Even her own sister fell under her wrath. Equestria is her’s to do what she wants with, just as Rapture is mine. Her land, however, is stagnating, locked in a never ending dark age, and when it ultimately falls, we shall rise from the depths and create a new world order. One based on progress and the creative Pony spirit. Not silly gimmicks that determine one’s fate."

All five of the mares wore their own expression in response to the mare, Pinkie and Dash wore grim determination, while Rarity and Applejack wore a deepening fury. Fluttershy cringed... but her face hardened towards the end of the villainous speech, away from the fear that had sunk into her.

"Not if we stop you first!" Dash snapped her wings shut and she landed hard on the creaky floor with a snort.

Summer Rain chuckled softer this time. "And what if you should fail, hm? What if friendship cannot save you?"

A loud clanging echoed up the stairs behind them from the docking bay. The five spun around in formation to face the sudden noise.

"Wh-What was that!?" Cried Fluttershy, her eyes were darting to and fro trying to find the source. Behind her, her wings buzzed continually in a state of renewed panic.

"Well, seeing how you’re new to Rapture, I’ve arranged a little welcome party for you. That’s all...” Summer replied wryly.

“A party!” Pinkie Pie abandoned her grimace for a toothy grin and hopped in front of the others towards the noise.

Applejack bit down on the excited, pink party animal’s floofy tail and reeled her back in. “Ah don’t think you want anything ta do with this party, sugarcube.” From downstairs, she could clearly make out several sets of hoofsteps rushing towards them.

“No need to thank me for the hospitality, now if you would all be so kind as to excuse me, I must go deal with my other little stowaway problem. Try not to get killed now... Ta-ta.” Summer Rain’s voice fizzled out with another burst of static as the galloping steps got closer.

“Killed!? What did she mean by killed!? Nopony kills, that’s just- Oh no, what do we do!?” Fluttershy wailed, pressing her face to Rarity’s equally fear stricken face. “They’re getting closer, oh no, everypony what do we do!?”

“Cool it ‘Shy, we ain’t lookin’ fer a fight.” AJ remarked, trying to keep her own cool. That Summer Rain nag was obviously bluffin’, tain’t nopony that would just kill wantonly... She scanned the broken steps leading upwards, but even from her position by the far wall she could tell they were unclimbable. Dash could fly us up... but that would take too long, and maybe they got a pegasus with ‘em... Her mind struggled to find a solution.

“If anypony comes looking for a fight, they can count on getting one from me!” Rainbow pumped a hoof, taking a position above the orange farmer.

The five ponies readied themselves, swapping looks of equal parts worry and determination. All the while the noises got closer and closer and closer...

Suddenly, the Talk-box cracked back to life behind them. “Girls! A group of Splicers are coming! You need to get out of there, now!” It was Twilight again, her voice quick and frantic. “Like NOW-now!”

Applejack rounded to face the box, “Twilight! What the hay is a Splicer?” There were voices now, her eyes fixed back on the room’s only viable exit, becoming more fearful of the wicked taunts and jeers that floated up.

“They’re what is left of the population; you do not want to fight with them!” Twilight sounded deadly serious about that.

“Speak for yourself, egghead,” Dash shot back stubbornly, flapping her wings with more fervor. She prepared to take off and meet these ‘Splicers’ head on. Before she could, Applejack chomped down again, this time getting a mouthful of Dash's rainbow-hued tail. “Hey! What gives?!” The hovering mare cried.

Applejack spat out the tail after jerking her back a whole stride. “Ah already said we ain’t splittin’ up, or fightin’!”

While Rainbow and AJ exchanged harsh words on strategy, Rarity tried to calm down and get more information from Twilight. “So... what happened to the rest of the population?” Rarity asked in a whisper. She had a feeling she wouldn’t like the answer.

“Some of them escaped, I think... That would explain the missing Bathyspheres. As for the rest, they were... all murdered by Splicers.”

“WHAT?!” Five mares all looked up from one another and gasped in unison.

Pinkie Pie bit her bottom lip, looking around frantically in perfect form with Fluttershy, then held the velvet box between her hooves and yelled into it. “Twilight, you gotta help us, there’s no way out from here!”

Twilight made a pained ‘ow’ through the speaker, then replied. “Okay... Just hang on girls, I’ll try to get that door to your right open!” With another burst of static, and Twilight’s voice was gone, leaving her friends alone with the fast approaching killers.

Applejack took charge immediately, “Come on! Everypony to the door!” She charged away from the oncoming noise, leading the way to the closed metal entryway embedded in the glass wall.

Oh no, this is bad! Fluttershy’s thoughts were chaotic and frenzied. She stood there, frozen in place and unable to do anything but tremble with fright while the others ran to their only hope for escape. They... They killed everypony!? Now they’re coming this way!

“Come on, Fluttershy, get yer rear in gear!” AJ shouted back to the petrified pegasus.

Fluttershy blinked and stared back vacantly. She gulped, then took a slow, shaky step towards her friends. Her hooves managed to get into something that resembled a trot, while the rest of her began sobbing. From behind, a deep, raspy voice caused her to stumble and freeze in place.

“Heeeeeeere fishy, fishy, fishy!” The sickening voice echoed from somewhere below. “I got a little surprise for yah!” A cacophony of laughter followed the jeering catcall.

That was more than Fluttershy could handle. Now in full-on panic mode, she pumped her yellow wings wildly, sputtering fearful gibberish and desperately searching for any means of escape. Her hooves flailed underneath her, and suddenly a wall appeared out of nowhere and smacked her senseless.

The yellow mare shook her head, gasping for air in gulps while trying to clear the pain and disorientation. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a corridor on the upper level of the welcome center. Without a second thought, she soared over the crumbling steps and shot blindly down the hallway to her left.

Pinkie turned in time to see the pegasus disappear around a corner. “Fluttershy! Come back!” she called out, face wilting as the severity of things sunk in more and more.

Applejack weighed her options, then made a call. “Dash, you gotta go after her!” The orange mare faced the locked door and frantically began trying to buck open the stubborn steel obstacle.

Rainbow Dash grimaced down at her. She was used to calling the shots these days... After a brief moment of hesitation, she relented and answered the farmer. “Yeah, I’m on it!” Air vacuumed the spot she had been in as she took off in a streak of rainbow light.

The Splicer's voices called from down the hall and the hoof-falls slowed. They were climbing the staircase now. “I smell fishies!” a different voice than the one before grumbled, another stallion.

“Maybe they gots some ADAM!?” Another crazed voice replied, this one definitely female.

“Adam? We don’t even know who Adam is!” Pinkie Pie called back fearfully.

“Be quiet!” snapped Applejack, sending one last futile buck at the solid metal door. “Both a' ya, get behind me. As soon as that door opens, make a run for it.” Come on Twilight, any day now would be just gravy...

Just then, a strange pony crested the top of the stairs, panting heavily. For a moment, he did nothing, just glowered at the three remaining ponies from behind a masquerade mask shaped like a rabbit’s face. It may have been white at some point, but was now stained almost as much as the stallions matted coat and mane. He wore the dirtied remnants of what was once a semi-formal outfit. In his front hoof, he clutched a rusty length of pipe, covered in dry, red flecks.

“Hello, little fishies,” the menacing shape snarled. Behind him, two others of similar appearance ascended the stairs; another stallion in a bird-shaped mask and a mare, whose face was completely wrapped in soiled bandages. A horn peeked out from under her gauze, glowing faintly with a pale, sickly green. They were similarly armed with assorted plumbing equipment and tools.

“Stay back, ya hear!” Applejack called to the bloodied marauders.

“Well, lookie what we got here,” the female Splicer jeered to the others. “This fishy fancies herself a lion!” They shared a sardonic laugh, then began to slowly advance.

“Ah’m warning ya!” Applejack yelled, backing up with Pinkie and Rarity against the fixed door.

“You’re gonna need a lot more than a warning, sister.” The first stallion raised his pipe and broke into a three-legged charge directly at her, laughing maniacally.

“Fluttershy! Come back!” Rainbow called down the cramped, carpeted passageway. Where is that little spaz? She rounded another corner of the unfamiliar complex, but found no sign of the pink-maned pegasus. Gaaahh, I could’ve sworn she came this way... It became annoyingly clear she’d just have to press further onwards with no idea where she was going or how to get back.

After another hundred wing-beats, Rainbow could make out a rhythmic tapping. Her ears perked up at the sound; like hooves pounding on metal.

Fluttershy! She sped up, tearing down the hall’s gilded red walls. A closed metal door like the one in the welcome center came into view, turning the would-be exit into another dead end. Slamming against it with all her might was a terror-stricken Fluttershy.

“There you are! Come on, we gotta go back, the others are in trouble!" Rainbow spoke in a dour voice as she landed behind the hysterical mare. "Not to mention there’s no way out here either...”

"No! I can’t go back! Those- those monsters... they’ll kill me! Kill me dead!” Fluttershy sputtered, sobbing even harder in the face of the abysmal situation. “I need to get out of here, I need to get home!” The mare hit the door one last time, then gave in to despair. She crumpled into a ball on the ruined carpeting, panting hard between weeping.

Rainbow stepped closer, “Hey, come on, we're here for you, ‘Shy. Now let’s go back already, we can’t just abandon our friends.”

“Y-You were going to.” A bloodshot eye poked through Fluttershy's pink mane, looking accusingly at the other pegasus.

Rainbow’s jaw dropped and she stopped in her tracks. “H-hey now-” she began, but was cut off by more tearful blathering.

“What if one of those... one of those monsters tries to... to kill me, and you abandon us? No, I need to leave. Now!” Fluttershy rose to an upright position and began bucking on the sealed exit again, while Rainbow watched too stunned to interfere.

Rainbow tried to regroup her thoughts, but the stinging comment was hardly the first her decision inspired. Pinkie had thrown the whole ‘Fillydelphia’ thing in her face a dozen times since finding out about it; but this was Fluttershy, Dash’s oldest friend, from flight school back in Cloudsdale, and the Element of Kindness. Was what I was going to do really that bad?

Rainbow sat, staring absently at the other mare while she continued her attempt to escape.

Fluttershy wailed in a final cry of defiance. Then, to the surprise of both mares, the door suddenly squealed and opened up a little, revealing a way out of the twisting hall. Both mares gasped and stared at the unexpected exit hole.

Before Rainbow could stop her, Fluttershy squeezed through with a giddy shriek.

“Hey, wait! I- I’m sorry, okay!” She took off after the crazed pegasus, only to have the door slam down in her face. “Hey! Open up!” She smashed her hooves against it, as Fluttershy had done not moments before, but the door remained stubbornly closed.

“How touching,” a voice said with a hiss of static, “and most unfortunate.”

“Rain!” Dash examined the walls and found a glowing Talk-box off to her side. She flew over to it and shouted into the crystals within. “You open this door RIGHT NOW! Ya hear me?!”

“Loud and clear, with extra emphasis on the loud bit.” Her sultry voice replied. “We’re indoors, darling, room tone will suffice, if you please.”

“OPEN. IT. NOW!" Rainbow roared.

“Or perhaps I won’t... On a side note, were you really planning on abandoning your friends?” Rain continued, undeterred by Rainbow’s demands. “Seems like a rather odd thing for the Element of Loyalty to d-”

The haughtily spoken sentence was cut short by Dash’s hoof driving through the ornate box, sending sparks and shards of crystal everywhere. Rainbow stood alone in the quiet hallway now, barely containing her seething anger. It wasn’t from Rain’s taunting, or the fact that she'd lost Fluttershy. She was mad at herself, because they were both right.

'Come on, Dash, don’t you still have your loyalty?' her own thoughts asked, echoing in her mind. Did I really lose it with my Element?

“No!” Dash flared her wings and cried out loud. “I- I can still help the others! We’ll work together and find Fluttershy. I’m still loyal, I am!” She snarled, then took off back down the long, winding hall. As she sped in a direction she hoped lead back to the welcome center, she looked sadly at the steel door one last time.

I’ll be back for you ‘Shy, I promise...

Clack!

The Splicers pipe slammed down on the floor, sending chunks of wooden splinters flying into the air. Applejack dodged at the last second, barely avoiding the crazed pony’s vicious blows. He laughed wildly as he raised the bludgeon once more, attacking again and again.

“Quit squirmin’ fishy!” he shouted in between cackles.

“Quit tryin' ta hit me!” AJ shouted back.

He roared in frustration and readied his weapon for another blow... but was stopped dead in his tracks by a rib-crushing buck, perfected by years of apple harvesting. He cried out in pain as he flew backwards, losing his weapon and crashing into a glass case in the center of the room that contained a scale model of Rapture. Broken shards rained down on the injured Splicer as the container shattered, and he collapsed into a bloody heap.

“Ah warned ya, didn’t I?” AJ shouted at her downed attacker, feeling the adrenaline pumping hot through her veins.

“Applejack! Watch out!” Pinkie yelled.

The farmer turned her head and ducked, narrowly avoiding a speeding wrench. The bandaged unicorn moved in, horn glowing, flanked by the other stallion. Her glowing weapon dive bombed from above, floating where AJ couldn’t see it coming. Darn unicorn magic trick, she grumbled to herself.

Having foiled the incoming ambush, Pinkie charged forward with a shrill war cry and tackled the mare outright, while AJ followed suit and locked hooves with the bird-masked stallion.

From the closed door, Rarity watched the fight unfold before her, too afraid to join in herself. I’m no pugilist, I’d only get in the way. I can’t believe we’re really fighting other ponies! Turning, she pounded on the door again. Oh, come on! Please open up!

“Get offa me!” The Splicer shrieked at Pinkie, who sat on her chest, pinning the strange mare’s legs to the ground soundly.

“Not until you stop acting all loko in the coco!” Pinkie Pie scowled down at what she decided was the worst case of waking up on the wrong side of the bed ever. The bandaged mare snarled and snapped her teeth, struggling violently.

Suddenly, she stopped, and her horn lit up again. Pinkie’s eyes widened, and a second later the whole room was filled with a blinding white light.

“What the- Hey!” Pinkie squawked, just as the Splicer broke free of her hold. She flipped Pinkie onto the ground with her magic and starting beating at the pink mare’s face and torso, landing several blows despite Pinkie’s best attempts to block. “Ouch! Hey, stop! What is wrong with you!?”

Rarity heard the increased commotion from her friends, and turned away from the door. Her expression darkened immediately. Pugilist or not Miss Rarity, Pinkie is in trouble. With a look of pure steel, Rarity gritted her teeth and galloped fearlessly into the fray, directly at the bandaged mare. “rrrrr-aaaAAAAA!” She screamed, prepared to knock the unicorn into next week, or possibly next month.

The cry, however, only alerted the other unicorn to Rarity’s incoming attack, and she was able to spin around and counter.

Rarity winced in pain as a hoof connected with her snout. She veered to the right, missing her target entirely, and slammed into a wall beneath the glowing Talk-box. The world spun in her vision along with her dazed eyes.

From the smashed glass case, the injured Splicer with the rabbit mask fought to get back to his feet. “Noir! Give ‘em ah taste o’fire already, will ya!?” He lept at Pinkie from behind, starting a double-team.

The bird-faced stallion swung at Applejack, missing the agile farmer yet again. “It would be my sincere pleasure.” He threw his wrench at the orange mare, using the distraction to pull out a large, blue syringe from his coat pocket. “You’re in for it now, little fish.” Noir stabbed the needle into his forearm, injecting himself with its luminous contents.

“What now?” Applejack asked, evading the sloppy throw and picking up the tool ‘Noir’ had been kind enough to lend her.

The stallion snickered grimly, then without warning, his leg burst into bright, yellow flames.

“In the name of all things apples...” Applejack’s eyes teared up as she tried to make sense of the horrific scene before her. The other pony’s flesh crackled and peeled, but he didn’t even flinch. He laughed.

“Take this!” There was no warning; the stallion thrust the blistering leg forwards, sending a stream of blazing fire at Applejack.

“Woah Nelly!” She gasped and dropped to the floor just in time. The fireball flew over her head, incinerating what was left of the center’s reception desk and singeing the tip of her long, flailing ponytail.

“Hold still, little bugger,” Noir growled, swallowing and resetting his stance. "I like my fish fried to a crisp!"

A few strides away, Rarity blinked away the pain in her face. She could feel blood pouring out of her nose and an intense heat to her left. “Please...” She hoisted herself up to the Talk-box. “Twilight, you have to open that door, now!”

“Got it!” A distorted voice responded. The stubborn door finally lifted, opening a way out of the burning room. “Go! Get out of there, now!” Twilight ordered.

You don’t have to tell me twice! With renewed purpose, Rarity scrambled to her hooves and made a mad dash to the exit. “Pinkie! AJ! It’s time to go!” She shouted as she ran out into the glass-covered tunnel beyond, leaving a broken trail of blood.

“Wait for us!” Applejack called, dodging another fireball a little too late and losing more hairs. “Ahh! Pinkie, we gotta go!” Frustrated and having had just about enough, Applejack hurled the pipe she'd acquired straight at the bird-masked feller.

The rusted tool slammed the stallion's shoulder with a crunch, and ceased his pyrotechnics. "Gah!"

“Okie... DOKEY!” Pinkie shouted back to Applejack. She punched through the bandaged unicorn’s defenses, landing a stiff blow to her exposed chest. An explosion of confetti shot out of her horseshoe, and sent the crazed mare rocketing away, right into a furious Noir. The two other Splicers collapsed in a tangled pile on the far side of the floor.

Pinkie let out a breath of relief, then hmphed and hopped into the long tunnel, following Applejack's scorched tail.

“Get up! They’re getting away! And where are the others ones!?” The first Splicer shrieked, somehow able to stand after his savage bucking. He kicked at his comrades, and in a heartbeat, they were up and giving chase down the underwater tube, heaving ravenously.

Applejack paused at the door to shut it, but it wouldn’t budge. “Twi’, can you close thi-” Her friend cut her off.

“It’s no use! Run Applejack!” The three pursuers were limping closer.

AJ and Pinkie turned and ran as fast as they could between Rapture’s buildings, closing in on the flailing purple tail of Rarity just up ahead and pulling away from their injured pursuers.

“Keep running!” Applejack bellowed. She spotted an open door at the end of the tunnel, just past a fork leading off to another large building. “There! Straight ahead!”

“Noir! Stop them!” The bandaged unicorn screamed.

The stallion panted, but raised his flickering, yet still burning leg again and fired at the fleeing mares.

Applejack heard the roar coming. “Watch out!” She jumped on Pinkie and forced her to the green-tiled floor. The flames soared over their heads with mere inches to spare, hitting the glass walls ahead and setting them ablaze. The thick panes quickly heated up and began to crack, then melt.

“Uh, oh...” Applejack muttered.

Behind her, the Splicers came to a screeching halt. “Nice shot, Noir.” The one in the bunny mask said, slugging the other stallion’s shoulder. “Let's scram, see if these fishies can swim, eh.” He turned tail and sprinted back towards the welcome center, his cackling companions close in tow.

The glass cracked loudly, springing leaks in numerous places as the plasma like fire clung to its surface and continued to burn.

Up ahead, Rarity made it through the open door and wheeled around in time to see the glass shatter under the tremendous outer pressure. Gallons of angry sea water surged in. “Applejack! Pinkie Pie!” she cried, tears already re-filling her eyes. Her hooves galloped back in to save them.

Or they would have, if the door didn’t slide shut right in her bloodied face, cutting her off from the two earth ponies trapped inside.

“C’mon Pinkie!” Applejack shouted over the gushing water. She grabbed her terrified, pink friend and made to sprint back the way they came... only to see that door slide closed too. Through the glass, the vicious group of Splicers pointed and laughed at them as the tunnel quickly flooded. That left only one option. “We gotta go the other way!”

“Okay! Let’s go! Hurry!” Pinkie fought against the strong current, following Applejack down the off-shooting tube. The water was already up to her neck when they got to the end of the passage... and found the door at the final direction's end shut tight.

“Dagnabbit!” AJ splashed a hoof in the rising water. Why are there so many locked doors in this dang city?!

“What do we do?!” Pinkie was panicking now, the frigid water was up to her chin and she had to do the pony-paddle to keep her muzzle above it.

“Ah... we...” Applejack didn't have a clue. The situation was hopeless; her hooves weren’t even touching the floor anymore, and the small tunnel’s ceiling was getting closer and closer. No, no! This can’t be it! She felt sick to her stomach all over again.

The distinct sound of buckling metal came from the door, drawing the immediate attention of the desperate mares.

“The door! It’s gonna give!” Diving under the churning stream, Applejack braced herself against the creaking metal and slammed her shoulder into it over and over. She resurfaced, inhaling the vanishing air left in the tube, “Take a deep breath and help me push!”

Pinkie nodded, sucking down the precious air and going under with AJ. Together, they pushed as hard as they could, causing the metal to dent and bulge inward, but it refused to rupture. Even the two mare’s combined strength wasn’t enough.

They came back up for more air, but found there was hardly any left.

“Now- What?” Pinkie gasped, her muzzle the only part of her unsubmerged.

Not much left to do now... Applejack thought about Harvey’s smiling face and messy mane, “Pinkie, Ah’m sorry but, ah guess this i-”

The last few words came out as a stream of bubbles. Opening her eyes she saw Pinkie floating in the green abyss, a panicked look etched on her face that made Applejack want to cry. Instead, she put on a brave smile and swam over to her slowly drowning friend, reaching out for a hug. Pinkie grasped at the outstretched arms and pulled herself close in the cold water. She tried to speak, but her words were lost, floating away as a swarm of bubbles. They held each other tight in the cold, muffled silence.

Goodbye, friend. Applejack thought as her lungs emptied. Ah’m sorry ah couldn’t save us.

…

…....

The tunnel bent and cracked around them, and with a thunderous crash, caved in. The door blew off its steel track, and they burst through on a tidal wave of seawater.

Applejack faintly registered that she was moving. Seconds later her head was in the open air again. She gasped desperately for oxygen, kicking her legs frantically with all the energy she had left to keep above the torrent cascading around her. “S-Swim!” She coughed at Pinkie, unsure if she could even hear her over the current.

Riding the speeding river, the two ponies were carried into another wide, open foyer, the water pouring in with them.

“Warning! Flooding detected.” A flat voice resounded over the din. “Initiating containment procedures.” A thick shutter slammed into place around the small concave antechamber connecting the room to the tunnel, effectively cut off the flow.

Inside, the water began to drain out through gutters along the sides of the empty room, leaving two mares splashing around on the wet, marble floor, gasping for breath. Around them, several unlucky fish flapped in the remaining puddles, along with a strange rainbow-patterned sponge.

“That... w-was too close,” sputtered Pinkie. She slowly stood, cocking her head and tapping it to clear the water clogging her ears. “I don’t think I like the parties this place throws.”

“You can say that again...” Applejack coughed, trying to do the same, but felt too nauseous to even stand.

“That was too cl-”

“Pinkie, I was being sarcastic...”

“Right! Sorreee.” Pinkie offered Applejack a hoof and helped her off the slippery floor. “I’m just a little shook up. You know, from almost drowning and stuff.”

AJ sighed, “Ah know... so am I. I’m sorry, too-”

Static interrupted the mutual apologies, followed by Twilight’s anxious voice, “Girls! Oh my gosh, are you two okay?!”

The two drenched ponies tracked the sound to another Talk-box, the glowing device providing the only source of light in the unfamiliar area. The strong smell like that of a greenhouse spread from the darkness beyond, overpowering the pungent odor of salt water.

“Twilight...” Applejack stepped up to the box, a look of pure anger creeping onto her face, changing it from pale to red hot in seconds.

“Applejack, I’m sorry, I should have warned you better-”

“Ya THINK?!” she exploded, her furious voice reverberating off unseen walls, “We nearly drowned in there! Not ta mention those 'Splicer' creeps... And what happened to everypony else?”

“I’m sorry! Don’t worry, they’re fine and I’ve got my eye on them, but I can’t speak too long. If I do, Rain will be able to trace the signal back to my hiding place! She’ll recapture me, take the Element of Magic and all this will be for nothing! I know things are rough, but we need to push forward, it’s the only way we can beat her!”

The farm mare ground her teeth together audibly. “Yeah, we. Guess that means ya ain’t gonna give that explanation ya owe us.”

“I’m... sorry. But I can’t risk it yet. No time!”

Pinkie put a wet hoof on AJ’s shoulder, “Okay, everypony caaaaaalm down, I’m sure nopony wanted anypony getting hurt... Or drowned... Or set on fire...” She thought it might be best to change the subject, hoping to break the tension and still her own curiosity. “Oh hey, Twilight! How come that earth pony was casting fire spells? I thought only unicorns could do that!”

“He... must have found an Incinerate plasmid. They were designed to give earth ponies and pegasi the ability to use magic, just like a unicorn. I... kinda helped create them...”

“Ya don’t say...” Applejack snorted, removing her soaked hat and wringing it out as best she could.

“Yes... But you’re in luck! I know where you can find another one.”

“Really?!” Pinkie hopped with overt excitement, already over her recent near-death experience. “You mean I could throw fireballs and stuff?”

For the briefest of moments, Applejack pictured her pink friend with the power the Splicer pony had attacked her with. She shuddered and felt sick again. “No way!” she exclaimed. Uuugh, I’ll be havin’ nightmares about that for months... “That stuff ain’t natural, and it sure as Celestia didn’t look safe, neither! We don’t wanna be like them.”

“You’re going to need it if you want to survive down here Applejack.” Twilight urged the stubborn earth pony, “Didn’t you see how quick that fiend got up after you bucked him? Splicers are genetically altered; they’re strong, fast, and utterly insane. You’ll need every advantage you can get until we gather the Elements, trust me.”

Applejack thought back on the fight, and her inability to put a stop to the onslaught. She replayed what could have been her final moments in the glass tunnel, and realized there was no good decision to make here.

“Alright, fine,” Applejack relented. Pinkie jumped into the air with a gleeful cry. “But Ah’m the one who's usin’ it.”

“Awwww, no fair," whined Pinkie. AJ recalled her brief vision, and knew she’d made the right choice, if not the most ideal. At least this way, she’d be the one taking the risk.

“One thing though Twi’, is this plasmid business... dangerous?” Applejack raised an eyebrow suspiciously, waiting for the unicorn to answered her.

“Only in large amounts. The Splicers got that way from abusing it," Twilight explained, then comfortingly added. "So don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Now then, let’s go find you some Adam! Head into the Gardens, I’ll contact you when I can, but the others need my help right now.” The box flickered out, leaving the two mares alone in the dark.

After a moment, true light entered the space.

The light filled up the massive interior of a grand, marble foyer. A blue and green neon sign winked to life, the words “Rapture Gardens” prominently displayed above a line of boarded up turnstiles. The powerful smell of plant life wafted through from behind the entrance.

The two dripping wet ponies stood and stared, still unsure about their course of action, when the pink member of the duo spoke up.

“Wait, so then, who’s Adam?”

Author's Note:

Ain't no party like a Rapture party, 'cause a Rapture party don't stop!

Comments

[Tank the turtle]

Ya, "Twilight" got things set up.

[suijin228]

well... let's see where this goes. I'm a big confused on Twilight's part, but until I get more solid evidence, I don't think she's playing Atlas. Dr Tenebaum perhaps? Great story though, keep goin and stay golden^^

[Hard-Pressed Scribe]

Spike must have a Big Daddy suit and become Delta.

[SCP Pinkamena]

2561820
Please be Trixie....

[the silver-maned pony]

Calling it now: The Twilight that was talking is not the real Twilight. It's probably Atlas, or the pony variation of Atlas. Or Summer Rain.
I await for more!

[Cloud Cat]

Ok. I'm hooked like a fish on this story!
Every time I read the title, a song plays in my head:

[MrPockets]

2566517
I have the whole soundtrack, it's usually what I listen to when I write. I really like the Django Reinheardt version too, though I like most things he plays.

Also, thanks for the fav and watch!

[MerlosTheMad]

2566517

Dang, it got classy up in here. Good thing too, this site needs way more class. Good friggin' job pockets!

[Cloud Cat]

2567168
Who needs swag when you've got class?

[MerlosTheMad]

2573200

Oh I am just so happy to hear that. We over at the Collabists writing group wish to provide NOTHING BUT THE BEST rest assured.

Also, I squee everytime I think about where Pockets is taking this story, I'm sad I can't erase my memory to reread the finished project!

[MrPockets]

2573200
What was the cause of this skepticism, if I may ask?

[MerlosTheMad]

2588877>>2573200

I imagine it was the fact a lot of shitty game crossovers are out there. It's sorta the thing that gets undertaken a lot by highschool kids.

[Cheshirek4t]

Oh no, this is bad! Fluttershy’s thoughts were chaotic and frenzied. She stood there, frozen in place and unable to do anything but tremble with fright while the others ran to their only hope for escape. They... They killed everypony!? Now they’re coming this way!

Honestly, i know panic attacks are a serious thing and that she has recently been through a series of traumatic events, but i can't help but feel the need to bitch-slap Shy
Leave the panicking and hopelessness for after you've fought tooth and nail through the blood and flesh of your enemies