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Gazing to the Ocean of the Sky

by David Silver

Chapter 14: 14 - A Multi-legged Approach

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Cherry advanced bravely across the stone bridge that went over the jutting chasm below. "For being abandoned, this thing looks like somepony put a lot of time into." She tapped down at the bridge before continuing on. She was fairly sure it was artificial, as it didn't even remotely fit the look of the rock around it and none of the 'trees' looked like it either.

Spike nodded from atop Starlight. "Getting this bridge set up was quite a chore, but I'm glad we did. It's way better than the old swaying rickety thing that used to be here."

Starlight frowned a little. "It had a rope bridge? Color me glad we're not dealing with that, and I bet it was over a thousand years old too." She rolled her eyes as she trotted towards the massive doors of the refurbished castle. "Huh, maybe there isn't anything to worry about. The door's still closed and looks solid. How were the windows?"

Spike cast his gaze upwards. "All the broken ones were replaced, I think."

Cherry reached out a hoof and pushed on the door, but it wouldn't give. "How do you open it?"

Spike hopped to his feet atop Starlight, bounced across to Cherry's back and up onto the handle on the door. With a great pull, one foot on the opposing door, they began to open with a slow creaking, revealing the dim interior to the two sets of curious pony eyes that peeked within.

Starlight raised a hoof. "Wait here a moment." She proceeded past Spike and Cherry and advanced into the old castle. The air was still and musty from being sealed. She felt increasingly safe from random beasts and monsters wandering past. "Spike?" She turned, horn glowing, to face the front door. "Was everyone safe, inside? I mean, there weren't any monsters inside the castle last you checked, right?"

Spike and Cherry entered quickly with the clip, pitter-patter, and mechanical taps of their varied feet. Spike shook his head quickly. "The worst thing I remember are some creepy spiders, and they looked a lot scarier than they were in the end."

Starlight smiled. "Great, then we should be fine for now." She grabbed the door with her magic and pulled it shut firmly. "We'll stay here until things blow over. I don't suppose you stocked the place with any food by chance?"


Rainbow peered stealthily from a cloud, just her bright eyes visible from her fortress of fluff. Fluttershy was beside her, also peeking at the activity below, with Angel on top of her. The pegasi of the town all seemed to stay close to the ground, which let them sneak around undetected in their fortress of the sky.

"Why aren't they doing their weather duties?" Rainbow scowled disapprovingly. "It's gonna be a real mess to fix it up after this."

"Don't be mad at them," Fluttershy insisted in her timid voice. "I'm certain they would if they weren't being mind-controlled."

Angel suddenly thumped Fluttershy's back and pointed down below. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both looked to see a growing collection of ponies just outside of town hall, but that wasn't the mayor standing at the podium. They weren't even standing...

The creature that had everypony's attention looked like a pony, mostly, from the snout to their chest, where it transitioned to what looked like a great big fish tail that hovered over the ground. Embedded in the center of that chest was a lustrous brown gem that matched the rest of her. She spoke with a loud and clear voice. "Good day, loyal citizens. I'd love to tell you that all is well, but the interloper, the dangerous siren known as Cherry, is still at-large. We must find her to secure the safety of the town."

Bon Bon raised a hoof in the middle of the crowd. "How can we find her? We've looked everywhere."

The strange pony nodded her head. "It seems unlikely she's still within the town proper. She must be lurking nearby. Your safety is my number one priority, so--" Her statement seemed to make the ponies down on the ground smile, but made Rainbow's snout wrinkle with distaste. "--we'll send out groups in rotating waves to begin exploring the area around until we catch our siren. Does anypony have suggestions as to good hiding places?"

Rainbow clopped her forehooves together. "I can't take it! Wait, I have an idea. You stay here." Before Fluttershy could voice her objection, Rainbow was gone, streaking down to the ground away from the crowd and coming up trotting on the group, "I haven't found the siren yet." she announced to the group as she approached.

Several eyes turned towards her, including that of their new 'leader'. She nodded softly. "You're late for the meeting. As I was saying, we'll go in groups, for safety."

Rainbow thrust a hoof upwards. "Ma'am? I think I know where she is."

That caught everypony's attention in short order. The leader rolled a hoof. "And where would that be?" Her teeth became exposed, sharp and deadly as she smiled. "We can finally catch her and return to our peaceful way of life."

"Yeah, we should totally do that." Rainbow gave her own insincere grin in return. "But she has friends. Can you help me capture her?"

The leader brought her hooves down on her podium. "She's being protected?! She must have brainwashed some innocent ponies, the poor things..." She drifted out over the crowd towards Rainbow Dash. "You'll bring me there, won't you?"

"Of course, let's go, uh, ma'am." Rainbow turned and began leading the way. Of course, she had no idea where Cherry was, or if she even was a siren or something else, but that was far from her goal. A glance upwards showed Fluttershy was still in the cloud, drifting after them sedately.

Nothing could go wrong with this plan!


"How long do ya figure they'll be gone fer?" Applejack leaned off to the right, trying to peek through the thick doors of Twilight's castle. "This may be the best time to get while the gettin's good."

Twilight folded her wings tight against herself and squirmed, causing the ropes to fall to her hooves with a little wriggling. She quickly trotted over to Applejack and started pulling her ropes free one by one.

"Whatcha doing?" Muffins came soaring in from outside.

Twilight tensed. "Applejack needed to go to the little filly's room and I was giving her a hoof." She gave her best, exceedingly false, smile at Muffins.

"Oh, okay." Muffins bobbed her head, seeing nothing wrong with that.

Tensely, but without opposition, Twilight freed Applejack before glancing at Muffins. "Oh, hey, Muffins."

"Yeah?" She tilted her head, eyes rotating in that curious way of hers.

Applejack approached with a smile. "You've done such a good job watchin' us. I'm plum impressed."

"Aw." She waved off the compliment, blushing. "I'm just doing my job!" She frowned a little suddenly. "I thought it used to be delivering letters, but hanging out with you two is fun too."

Twilight bobbed her head. "But are you ready for the next step in your duty?"

Muffins brightened, a radiant smile on her face. "Oh! There's a part two?! Tell me, tell me!"

Twilight pointed to Applejack and herself. "Now it's time to find that siren, and you're going to do it, with us. Imagine how proud everypony will be when they hear you managed it."

Muffins clopped her forehooves with escalating joy at the idea. "Yay! That sounds way more fun, uh, no offense. Let's find a siren!" She hopped up into the air, then suddenly flopped back down. "But I don't know where the siren is..."

Applejack thrust a hoof at Twilight. "Ah reckon she does. That's why you were watchin' her, right? Now she'll lead us right to the critter."

Muffins frowned with sudden apprehension. "Wait... you were being controlled by the siren."

"Was." Twilight bobbed her head. "But you did it. You watched me for so long, I'm not controlled anymore. Let's go find a siren."

"Okay!" She hopped back to her hooves. "Let's go!" She began trotting along, singing about how she'd become a hero as she went and practically radiating joy with her every motion.

Applejack and Twilight followed along. AJ leaned in towards Twilight. "You sure she's workin' with a full basket?"

Twilight nudged Applejack. "Don't be mean. She's our ticket out of here, and we do need to find Spike, Starlight, and Cherry."

"Cherry?"

"The hippocampus."

"Hippowhat now?"

"Seapony."

"Oh." Applejack raised a brow. "Shoulda just said so."

Outside, Twilight directed Muffins away from the town and any other ponies that would stop them.

"But she'll get mad." Muffins pouted a little.

Applejack glanced at the town. "Who?"

"The one I can't say." Muffins shrugged softly. "She said not to leave town without permission."

Twilight rolled a hoof. "How are we going to find that nasty siren?"

Muffins frowned with obvious thought. "I... guess that's true... Alright, but if she asks, I'm saying you told me to."

Applejack smiled at that. "We accept that responsibility. Let's go, partner. We got a siren to lasso." Though she hoped to wrangle the one putting the whammy over the town, not the other thing Muffins seemed to be hunting.

Author's Notes:

Our curious three-way adventure continues! Rainbow may be onto something here! Or is she? Only the typos know for sure.

Next Chapter: 15 - Meeting in Isolation Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 58 Minutes
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