Chapter 12:

Thin Ice

Over a large lake with many ice floes, the Unusual Mane 6 continued as they seemed to be falling behind. Twilight looked behind herself and saw that Rainbow Dash was flying and lagging behind them. This was uncharacteristic for the speedy pegasus.

"Rainbow Dash, there are whole continents moving faster than you. Come on, we gotta catch up with the others!" Twilight said as she keeps moving.

Rainbow Dash continues flying nervously as she turns to a few puddles of water near her. She would never admit it, she was deadly afraid of the water.

Meanwhile, Starlight and Trixie were sliding across a ledge of ice and twirled into the air as they ran across the ice. Rainbow Dash landed on the ice softly and said, "Hey, knock it off!".

Starlight slid to a stop near Flash as Trixie slid by, but Starlight grabbed her tail and pulled her back.

"Oh, cry me a river, Fraidy Dash. Have some fun," Trixie said as Starlight nodded.

"Can't you Changelings see that the ice is thin enough without you two wearing it down?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, come on. The ice might be thin, but it's still strong enough to hold two tall Alicorns and two pony-sized Changelings. It's even strong enough to hold you," Pinkie Pie assured.

"Hmmm," Rainbow Dash said as she continues walking, still feeling something was off. She was still weary of the ice.

As The Unusual Mane 6 continued walking across the ice, a light brilliant gold, light violet, and light cerulean shapes swam under the ice beneath them. Twilight stopped, getting the same feeling she got back in Ponyville before they left.

She couldn't shake the sense that they weren't alone and she continued walking as behind her, a light brilliant gold sail fin rose up and dove back underwater, and a tail of the same color splashed the water. Twilight definitely heard that as she looked around thinking they were being followed by something. Or someone.

Twilight then looked beside herself to see Starlight and Trixie running by her, laughing. Trixie skids to a stop as Starlight slides by and knocks her off her feet. Then the two Changelings started hitting each other playfully.

But then suddenly, a large light violet Siren and a light cerulean Siren lunged upward through the ice. "Surprise!" Aria and Sonata yelled, breaking the ice as everyone was knocked back. Pinkie tries to make a run for it but Aria and Sonata have fallen back into the water as Pinkie Pie was suddenly catapulted into the air when the ice floe was hit.

"Equine Overboard!" Pinkie yelled as she fell through the air and landed in the water.

Rainbow Dash struggled to stay on an ice flow as she locked her hooves on the edge, holding on. Frozen with fear.

In the water, Aria and Sonata dove down as the yellow siren Adagio swiftly swam upwards and broke the ice near Twilight. Twilight quickly turned to Adagio as she let out a crocodile-like hiss and Twilight quickly ran with a frightened yell. "You aren't getting away that easily!" Adagio said before she dove back underwater and swam after her.

On the ice, Trixie, and Starlight quickly got to Flash who is now knocked out on an ice floe.

"Flash, come on!" Starlight shouted.

"If you don't camouflage now, you won't camouflage ever! Look at me!" Trixie yelled as she opened Flash's left eye and started slapping it.

Flash quickly woke up, shouted and they hurried across the ice as Sonata chased them. "Come on don't ya wanna play?!" Sonata asked with a vicious grin.

Meanwhile, Pinkie was wading in the water as Adagio swam underneath her. Pinkie then noticed Rainbow Dash standing on an ice floe and swam toward her.

"Dashie!" Pinkie yelled, calling out.

Rainbow Dash was still frozen in fear as she stared at the water panting. She wanted to help, but was afraid of the water.

In the water down below, Adagio continued swimming, as, above the ice, Twilight was still running as she looked back and saw Adagio is still after her.

Meanwhile, Pinkie was still swimming toward Rainbow Dash as she was still frightfully stiff.

"Dashie!" Pinkie said again, sensing something was wrong with her friend before she looked behind herself and saw Aria coming straight toward them. "Snack time!" She growled swimming toward the earth pony.

Pinkie panicked and quickly swam as she got to the ice floe, Aria begin to charge towards them as Pinkie quickly got on the ice floe and saw the violet Siren getting closer.

"Come on, Rainbow! We gotta get out of here! Come on!" Pinkie said as she tries pulling Rainbow but she locked onto the ice floe.

Pinkie saw Aria narrow her eyes as she got ready to jump. "Now just hold still, this will only hurt, A LOT!" She said, Pinkie yelped and ran behind Rainbow.

"This might sting a little," Pinkie warned as she grabbed Rainbow's tail and bit down on it.

Rainbow Dash let out a whinny as she was snapped out of it and she and Pinkie leaped off the ice floe as Aria lunges out and missed them. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie rushed across the ice floes with the siren leaping right behind them as they quickly got to solid ice, and Aria bites down on each one but misses, "I said hold still you land walkers!" Aria complained before she bit down on the solid ice.

Then Sonata, who was distracted by chasing Flash and his sister, accidentally crashed into her, and both smacked their head onto the ice chunk, before sinking and saying in unison, "Ow!".

After Rainbow and Pinkie got away, the two resurface and shook their heads as Sonata smiled sheepishly at Aria who looked at her angrily, "Eh-hehe, Sorry," Sonata said, Aria growled before she slapped her on the head with her tail fin, "Watch where you're swimming you guppy!" Aria demanded as they went back down underwater.

Pinkie went over to Rainbow Dash and then dropped flat on the ice, completely wet and exhausted.

Meanwhile, Twilight was still on an ice floe as she seemed to have lost sight of Adagio and looked around to see where she'd pop up. But she sees no sign of Adagio as if she vanished into thin air or water.

"Where are you?" Twilight whispered, keeping her eyes on every direction until...

"Right Here!" Adagio yelled as she suddenly lunges out of the water in front of her and slid to a stop as she starts snapping at Twilight as she tries to avoid her jaws, "Hold still so I can bite you!" She yelled. Soon, Twilight was quickly near the edge as she looked back. Adagio hissed as Twilight turns back to her.

Adagio saw that she has Twilight cornered and then begins to approach her as the ice floe starts tilting. "Hehe, Nowhere to run now," Adagio smirked. Then Adagio launched herself into the air as she dove towards Twilight with open jaws.

Twilight had her eyes shut for a few moments. But when she opened her eyes, she saw that she has caught and froze Adagio, with her jaw opened, with her magic as the Siren tried to break free. Twilight looked behind herself and saw Flash, Trixie, and Starlight on the solid ice with worried and stunned looks.

Then Twilight turns back to Adagio with a determined look and walks forward as the ice floe tilts down on the water. With all her strength, Twilight swung Adagio into the air, releasing her from her magic, and Adagio yells before she hits a nearby ice floe head first as she bounces off it and lands on Aria and Sonata, and all three disappear under the water.

Twilight, satisfied, turns and headed off the ice floe before she looked back with her eyes narrowed.

Adagio, Aria, and Sonata also had their eyes narrowed, "You haven't seen the last of us," The Yellow Siren warned with a growl as she and her sisters dove back underwater.

Twilight then heads off as she joins Pinkie and Rainbow Dash where Aria has left a bite mark on the ice.

"What in Equestria were those things?" Pinkie asked, still completely stunned at what she saw.

"I don't know. But I do know that from now on: the Land is safe, the Water is totally not safe," Rainbow said.

"Sirens, ancient fish-pony hybrids that eat first, ask questions, never!" Twilight explained, glaring at the water, knowing the three sea monsters were still in there, somewhere. "They move with the water. Once the flood comes, they'll be coming with it," She warned as they headed off, but Pinkie took one last look at the water, making sure their attackers were really gone.

"Twilight, that was the bravest thing I have ever seen anyone done before," Flash said with a smile.

Twilight simply rolled her eyes, thinking it wasn't really a compliment, "You're probably saying that because to you, bravery's just…," Twilight said, thinking he might say bravery isn't amazing or something.

"No, Twilight, I'm serious. That Alicorn Bravery is pretty amazing, I've never seen any creature as brave as you," Flash said as he headed off while Twilight was stunned with a serious blush.

"Yeah, nice job, Twilight," Starlight said as she headed off following Flash. She agreed that the Alicorn was definitely braver and faster than she first thought.

"The Great and Camouflaging Triiiixxxxiiiieee…congratulates you as well, I guess," Trixie says plainly, also walking off following Flash. Compliments were not easy for her to give.

"You know, I always thought Alicorns had gone extinct because they've put themselves in danger too often. But you sure prove me wrong, Twilight," Flash said with a wink making Twilight blush even more.

"Well, in that case, thanks for the compliment, Flash," Twilight said in a high-pitched tone and blushing.

"You're welcome, Twi," Flash said as he walks off with Starlight and Trixie riding on his back.

Twilight then turns to Pinkie and Rainbow, with an excited smile, "Did you two hear that? "That Alicorn Bravery was amazing, Twilight. You sure proved me wrong"," She mimicked Flash's voice before she grins widely again. "He thinks I'm amazing!" Twilight squeals.

Rainbow gave her an unsure look and said, "Um, that's not exactly what he said-".

"Now it's only a matter of time before he starts getting the fact that he's an Alicorn and not a Changeling," Twilight said in determination.

"Oh, come on, Twilight, you're just saying that because you like him, don't you?" Pinkie Pie said.

"What? No, I don't, Pinkie," Twilight said, walking off while blushing and holding her head up.

"Don't worry Twilight, your secret's safe with me. Oh, and so is yours, Rainbow," Pinkie said, seeing Rainbow Dash walking past her.

"What secret, Pinkie?" Rainbow Dash asked with a raised brow.

"You know, the part where you can't swim?" Pinkie replied like it was obvious.

"That's ridiculous, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash said as she stepped on a small stone of a small stream.

"Okay. But I'm telling you our world's going to be full of water pretty soon Rainbow. Might as well face your fear sooner or later," Pinkie said as she stepped through the stream and rushed off.

Meanwhile, the carrot was still resting on an ice tower and some distance away, Scrabbit was on another ice peak with a slide formation. Then he got himself ready as he lowers down and kicks his back leg on the slide as he moves back and forth three times. Soon, Scrabbit launches himself down the ice and slides as he flew up into the air.

As he nears the top of the ice peak, Scrabbit soon grabs his carrot and hugs it as he flew and dove into the water.

Scrabbit opened his eyes and then panicked as he sees a large pack of Bite-a-cudas were watching him and then bared their teeth out. At the surface, all was quiet until Scrabbit jumps out of the water screaming as he avoids the snapping jaws of the Bite-a-cudas. Scrabbit hops on each Bite-a-cuda, trying to get away as they snapped at him. Then Scrabbit managed to get to an ice floe as Bite-a-cudas lunge out of the water and Scrabbit ducks avoiding one after the other.

Until one Bite-a-cuda clamped its jaws over Scrabbit's entire left arm and the carrot as Scrabbit's eyes widened.

…Before they suddenly narrowed in fury as a gong being hit was heard. Ever since he first tried storing away his carrot, he's been crushed, flattened, zapped, punted, soaked, frozened, squished, run over, stuck, tossed around, snowballed, and nearly eaten and killed more times than he could count!

He had just about enough of being pushed around!

A Bite-a-cuda leaped out of the water as Scrabbit caught it in midair by the tail. And let out a karate yell as the Bite-a-cuda biting his arm widened its eyes in surprise.

Scrabbit twirled the Bite-a-cuda he was holding swiftly and then struck the Bite-a-cuda on his arm. Like a karate master, Scrabbit attacks and kicks several other Bite-a-cudas as they were taken out quickly. The Bite-a-cuda that held Scrabbits' arm turns to Scrabbit and tries to make a getaway. But Scrabbit notices it as he jumps up and stomps on the Bite-a-cudas' side making him cough up the carrot as Scrabbit caught it with his hand.

Scrabbit begins to walk off with his prize until suddenly a foot snatched the carrot right out of his paw. Scrabbit turns and watches a Vulture Griffon flying off to an ice tower with a nest.

Scrabbit sadly stared. Here we go again…

Author's Note: Well, how about that? The Unusual Mane 6 were marching across an Ice Lake but they appeared to have been falling behind the others again. Along the way, our heroes and their new friends have encountered the Sirens. Pinkie, Rainbow, Flash, Trixie, and Starlight escaped Aria and Sonata but Twilight was cornered by Adagio until she managed to dodge her jaws and trapped her in her magic before tossing her away.

However, just because they escaped the Sirens, doesn't mean they have seen the last of them. Twilight knows they'll be back.

Putting that aside, Flash compliments Twilight on her bravery while she was fighting Adagio, which got the Alicorn blushing, and Pinkie obviously knows that means Twilight likes Flash even if her best friend is still denying it. And most of all, Pinkie tells Rainbow Dash that the secret of her fear of water is safe also save with her. But Rainbow will have to face her fear sooner or later before the flood comes.

Meanwhile, we see Scrabbit get to do some Kung-Fu and Karate on the Bite-a-Cuda fish. I guess that's what happens when you've been through a lot trying to store away your carrot...