Shipwreck Adventuring “I have to admit I was skeptical when you told us you found a perfect beach spot, Thunderlane, but now I get to eat my own words,” Caring Hearts said as she descended onto the ground holding a bag hanging from her shoulder. “Hey, I’m not a Wonderbolt for nothing, mom!” Thunderlane barked with laughter, smiling widely and making no effort to hide his smug side. “And how did you find it, big brother?” Rumble asked, landing a second later. He let out a sigh of relief as he spread his wings and flapped them slowly a few times. “I really need to fly more often, I thought I was going to get wing cramps.” Caring Hearts giggled before kneeling in front of her son. Using her arms, she brought him closer to her chest, sinking his face in between her breasts. “There, there, my wittle Rumble, you can fly with mommy during her afternoon workout sessions,” she said as she petted her son’s mane. Rumble blushed but didn’t pull away from the affectionate hug of his mother. Blushing slightly, he pressed his face harder against her chest and passed his arms under them. “I-I’m not a little colt anymore, mom. I’m nine.” “You will always be my little colt, Rumble,” Caring Hearts replied, kissing his forehead gently. “What about me, mom?” Thunderlane asked with a fake hurt tone in his voice and teary eyes whilst pointing a finger at himself. “Am I too old to be spoiled?” “My poor colt!” Caring Hearts yelled, imitating her son’s fake hurt voice before letting go of Rumble, grunted in disappointment, before turning around and leaped at her oldest son. Thunderlane caught her easily before she proceeded to bury his face on her breasts, nuzzling lovingly. “You’re also my big baby boo~” Thunderlane blushed but enjoyed the hug his mother gave him and did his best to return the affection. A few moments later, they let go of each other and the three of them laughed lightly at the whole event. He then set a backpack on the sand while Caring Hearts did the same with the bag she was carrying. Silently, the family of three began to mount a small carp, towels, and magically frozen food and beverages. When they were done several minutes later, they had everything they needed for a relaxing afternoon at the beach. “Hey, who’s up for a quick dip in the water? Don’t worry, I checked the zone when I found this place and it’s perfectly safe,” Thunderlane said once everything was set. “Ah-ah-ah, Thunderlane, you know the rules. No fun under the sun without protection from Celestia’s wrath,” Caring Hearts said before pulling out a bottle of sunscreen from her bag. “Right, right, glad you remembered, mom, I was so excited I forgot about it!” Confessed the dark grey pegasus as he began to take off his shirt. “That's a new one, big brother,” Rumble said whilst also taking off his shirt. “Everyone can be forgetful at times, Rumble dear. Did you not forget your favorite game at Button’s house the other day?” Caring Heart mentioned as she began to remove her summer dress. Rumble didn’t reply as his attention was focused on his mother’s movements. He watched as she removed her dress gently, almost teasingly. The bottom of her dress was only reaching her neck when her prodigious breasts were set free. Rumble blushed at the same time he felt a now-familiar sensation stirring in his loins the moment he saw her grey areolas and juicy nipples while the large juggers of his mother, each bigger than his head, bounced and swayed freely with her movements. With her dress gone, she tossed it aside only to then pull her panties down. Next to her, Thunderlane removed his shirt and his shorts, revealing his muscular body and his long semi-erect cock to join their mother in nudity. Taking a breath, Rumble began to remove his clothing. It’s okay… nopony else is around. It’ll be just like home, he thought as his hands removed his shirt. With his chest exposed, he hesitated only for a moment to look around, making absolutely sure no one else would see them. Satisfied, he removed his shorts to reveal his erect cock standing at attention. It was much smaller than his brother’s, but that was only due to age and size, though his mom praised how large he was for his age. Now nude, Rumble stared at his family members and smiled when he saw they were already stretching their limbs, happy to be naked once more. When he was much younger, he thought it was natural for ponies to be naked, but as he grew up and began to understand that his family was odd, he finally came to the realization that they were doing something that most ponies around Ponyville only did in private. He was relieved to know that his family and him being nudists wasn’t as uncommon or weird as he feared. His best friend, Button, and his mom, Cream Heart, along with pretty much everyone else in Ponyville were nudists. He actually suspected that were it not for the law prohibiting public nudity, everypony in town would never wear clothes again. And he sure enjoyed watching Caring Hearts, his mother, walk around the house butt naked. He’d started seeing his mother for what she was: a mare. And his body reacted accordingly, though it wasn’t something she found disgusting or awkward. If anything, she found it amusing and even charming. He was so focused on his own thoughts that he didn’t notice his mom approaching him until she kneeled in front of him. “Gaaah! You scared me, mom!” “Sorry, sweetie,” she apologized, smiling warmly at him. “Was I too distracting?” “N-No…,” he replied, blushing. Looking past her, he could see Thunderlane snickering at his predicament. “O-Okay… a little?” “It’s okay, honey. It’s only natural, after all. Now, why don’t you boys help mommy get sunscreen on her?” She asked before pouring a lot of the yellow liquid over her breasts. Rumble gulped but moved his hands towards the large mammaries in front of him. He pushed his hands into her warm flesh and they nearly sank in them. His cock throbbed and slapped a few times against the underside of her breasts before he began moving his hands slowly, which caused Caring Hearts to giggle once more. “Let me help you with that, little brother,” Thunderlane said before kneeling behind Caring Hearts, his hands easily joining the smaller hands of his brother in order to work in unison to cover her body in sunscreen. The two caressed her entire body from top to bottom. Thunderlane hummed as he worked, but Rumble couldn’t help but admire the erotic body of his mother up close. She had a shapely, jaw-dropping figure with huge breasts, wide hips, a toned belly, and strong thighs that fit her angelic, motherly face. Her mane was done in a simple bow cut up top and two braided ponytails that reached all the way to her wings. He could feel her strong muscles idly resting beneath her smooth skin, just waiting for a moment to use them in the favorite activity that all of them shared. When they were done, Thunderlane began to cover his body with sunscreen while Caring Hearts aided her youngest son, returning the favor. She was about to touch his cock when he tried to pull away. “I-I can do that part on my own, mom.” “Awww, honey,” grabbing his phallus gently but firmly, she began stroking it slowly, covering it with the lotion. “Let mommy spoil you, sweetheart.” “Nnmmhhh~ O...Okay,” Rumble mumbled, moaning and enjoying the gentle touch of her mother. He was used to her hand and fingers caressing his penis and nutsack thanks to their bathtimes, but the feeling was always welcomed and pleasant. “Just have to make extra sure every inch of your body is protected~,” she teased before grabbing his balls, fondling in between two of her fingers. A few moments later, she let go. “And done, honey~” “Hey, mom, care helping me with mine while I take care of my chest?” Thunderlane asked. “Of course, Laney.” Thunderlane rolled his eyes at the use of his old nickname. Rumble turned around, his cock throbbing madly but also feeling more at home and comfortable, and found Caring Hearts dutifully covering his brother’s much larger appendage in sunscreen all the way to his balls. He watched for a few seconds until their lovely mother finished. With the lotion put, they sat next to each other, idly waiting for the sunscreen to dry enough for them to enter the water. “Boop!” Caring Hearts exclaimed as she booped the muzzles of her sons, stunning them for a moment. “Last one to the water is a fallen feather!” She said before rushing over to the water. “No fair, mom!” Thunderlane protested, quickly getting to his feet and rushing after her. The young colt suddenly forgot all of his apprehension and shyness with the visage of his mother running; her voluptuous body moving in tandem with her running to create a hypnotic rhythm. Hearing her laugh and seeing her so cheerful was all that mattered to him as it enhanced her beauty. He jumped to his feet and ran after them, smiling and laughing as he did. “Hey, wait for me!” He cried out, which in turn caused them to laugh joyfully even more. They reached the calm and cool waves of the ocean in mere moments, feet and legs splashing freely as they came. Rumble jumped in the air aided by a strong flap of his wings aiming to tackle his beautiful mother. Caring Hearts saw him coming… and promptly stepped away, making him do a belly flop on the still shallow water. Well, shallow to the older ponies, since it barely reached their loins, but to him it was the usual depth of most kid pools. “Moooom!” Rumble cried out, protesting with a smile on his face at the same time he found his footing on the soft sand below. “Oooops, sweetie,” that was all he got from her before they all shared a short laugh. The family started to swim and dive on the water, enjoying the slightly salty but cool freshness of it, admiring how crystal clear it was despite the foam forming on the surface. Several minutes passed with them enjoying their time together, uninterrupted. “Thunderlane,” Caring Hearts said all of a sudden, startling her oldest son while Rumble looked at his brother with interest. Their mother rarely called them by their names, as it usually meant they were in trouble or she was going to tell them something serious and important. “When are you going to tell us why you really brought us here?” Thunderlane instantly sputtered, his wings twitching nervously. “I--I--uhhh, don’t know what you’re talking about?” “Thunderlane,” Caring Hearts repeated, this time slightly more sternly and narrowing her eyes. “If you don’t tell me within the next thirty seconds, you’ll have to wear condoms for a month.” Rumble flinched at that threat. He had tried having sex using condoms, fortunately there were for his size, and found the experience uncomfortable. It was like diving or swimming using a body glove swimsuit, ugghh, he thought, shuddering at the memories. “Fiiiiiine,” Thunderlane easily relented, no doubt having arrived at the same conclusion as his younger brother. “Look, I actually had planned a trip for us to enjoy, okay? But it was going to be on Las Pegasus rather than here. “Then what happened?” Rumble asked, confused. He’d never been to Las Pegasus, but many ponies said it was a fun place. “Well, it’s a bit complicated. Long story short, Soarin heard about a legend that, for some reason, Rainbow Dash knew about to be more of a myth, which then turned out to be based on an old story told by sailors, according to Fleetfoot. You know I’ve always dreamt about finding a treasure, right? Well, I got curious, snooped around here and there, and, well, I found that, if the stories are real, then it should be around here.” Caring Hearts, now smiling and crossing her arms, raised her voice. “Ohhhh! Treasure hunting!? Honey, why didn’t you tell us before?” “REALLY!?” Rumble exclaimed, excitedly flapping his wings. “T-Then let’s go! Let’s go! Treasure hunt! Treasure hunt!” “I think you’re forgetting something, honey,” Caring Hearts patted her son’s head softly. “Your big brother forgot to bring shovels or anything else for that matter.” “Ah, mom, you wound me,” Thunderlane replied, smirking. “Who needs shovels or tools when the treasure should be right over there?” He finished, pointing at a pair of jutted out rocks forming a small reef a few dozen meters away from where they were. “If the story is true, then a pirate ship sunk long, long ago in these waters. That’s the only place it could be resting just waiting for somepony to discover it.” “Sweetheart,” Caring Hearts clapped her hands and began to walk in the direction of the reef. “You truly know how to give us a good excursion, don’t you?” “Well,” Thunderlane approached the older pegasus before kissing her cheek, blushing slightly. “I try my best.” Rumble smiled at the exchange while following them. He soon reached a point in which he could no longer feel the ground and was forced to swim, not that he minded doing it at all. “Rumble, dear, climb on my back,” Caring Hearts said, offering him a ride. “It’s okay, mom, I can swim really well,” he said, smiling and showing his skills despite his young age. Caring Hearts giggled while Thunderlane rolled his eyes. “Yes, sweetie, you’re an excellent swimmer, but you’re still young. It’ll be better for you to save your strength for when you really need it, my dear. Now, don’t be stubborn like your dumb brother here-” “Hey!” “-and climb on my back, sweetie,” she ended with a glance at her youngest son, winking. With no other option at hand, she swam over to his mother and grappled onto her back. It wasn’t be the first nor the last time it had happened, so he knew to wrap his arms around her torso and under her tits, he rested his chin on her shoulder, and pressed the rest of his body against her back with his cock snuggly pressing against her tail and the crack of her asscheeks. “R-Ready, mom.” She nodded before exchanging another nod with Thunderlane. Then, they started to swim slowly towards the reef, mindful to not get caught by a current. Suddenly, Rumble was struck by a sense of dread. “Hey, big brother?” “Yeah, bro?” The older stallion asked a moment before both him and his mom could no longer stand on the shore and switched their movements to instead advance using wide, slow strokes but that propelled them at a steady rate. “A-Are there any hydras, sharks, jellyfish, or sea monsters around here?” Rumble asked as he began to inspect the water around them. “Haha! No, of course not, Rumble,” Thunderlane laughed in return. “There aren’t any sea monsters nearby, though I hear there are some sea serpents a few kilometers to the south. There aren’t any poisonous jellyfish, snakes, or even snails as far as I know -and I did my research, mind you-, and I’m pretty darn sure that hydras only live around swamps and marshes. There aren’t any predators bigger than moray eels.” Rumble sighed in relief. “G-Great. Awesome, thanks, Lane.” Caring Hearts hummed. “Tell me, Laney, what do you expect to find?” “Honestly? Not much. If there is a wreckage at all, then I’ll be happy to find a trinket or two. If there isn’t anything, well, we can explore the reef and have a proper dive. Haven’t got one ever since I entered the Wonderbolts Academy. Luna knows I need a good dive.” “I’m just happy to spend some much needed time with my boys! Exploring a beautiful reef or even a sunken ship is merely a bonus to me. Thank you, honey~,” Caring Hearts said in a sing-song tone. Rumble let out a short laugh before relaxing a bit more against his mother’s back and enjoying the ride. As they approached the reef, Rumble noticed that the water seemed to change a little. No longer was it purely crystalline and pure, but rather it turned a bit more vibrant with the blue gleam of it intensifying. It made it next to impossible to see anything more than a few meters below them thanks to the brilliance of the water’s surface, but he also noticed that the waves and currents had turned even more calm. Reaching the reef was a matter of mere minutes and when they arrived, nopony said anything. They all exchanged glances between one another and nodded. They began taking deep breaths, then exhaled slowly a few dozen times in order to prepare for what could be deep, long dives. When they felt they were ready, they took in a large breath of air and slowly dived beneath the blue waters. Rumble opened his eyes only after his ears adapted to the new pressure around him but closed them again as the slightly stinging sensation of the salty water made contact with his pupils. He had learned that that was a natural reaction and had trained to overcome it through exposure, so, he opened them again, this time ignoring the sting and quickly adapting to it. Soon enough the stinging pain was gone and his vision became clearer and clearer as his eyes adapted to their new underwater venue. It certainly helped that the water was pure, revealing that below the deceptively murky surface a whole world of crystalline, pure water thrived. So much so that he nearly opened his mouth in awe at what he saw. There were small banks of fishes swimming all around the small reef resting atop the beach bed a good fifty meters below. He could see several bigger fish swimming around, paying them no mind. Just as Thunderlane had said, he spotted one moray eel munching on a fish. The reef itself was as colorful as the flower fields around Ponyville during spring and teeming with life! He felt a tap against his shoulder, breaking the spell of the wonderful vista. Turning to face who had tapped him, he encountered the smiling face of his brother while he pointed with his other hand at something. Following his finger, his eyes went as wide as they could and his hold against the mare carrying him tightened. A ship. A real black-wood sunken ship resting at the bottom of the reef giving the impression that it rested against the rocky protrusion. He couldn’t make out too many details, but he could see that the sails were long gone and that the mast was broken near the base. His admiration session was cut short again, but this time by his mother as she began to swim slowly downwards towards the sunken ship. At their side, Thunderlane swam at her same speed though slightly in front of them, both to protect them and lead the way. Rumble relented a bit his embrace around his mother’s voluptuous body to allow her a more ample range of movement, which she greatly appreciated by tightening her buttocks, which in turn squeezed his cock teasingly. While he enjoyed the trip down the bottom of the reef, he admired not only the scenery but also the changes around him. The pressure around him became more and more noticeable and his ears suddenly rang, though it wasn’t unpleasant. It was the signal that he was now adapted to the increasing high pressure that pressed against his lungs. The oxygen in his body was fighting to escape and make him float back to the surface, which was always a cumbersome thing to have when diving without weights, but one that he’d learned to counter. A sudden quick movement caught his attention and he turned to see what it was, but he saw nothing except for the silhouette of a large fish swimming around the reef and the scattering of a few passing banks of fish. Dismissing it, he turned his attention back to the shipwreck and now he could see the damages untold centuries had caused onto the ship’s hull. There were several breaches all over the place, some natural but others were the clear markings of an ancient battle, probably the one that sank it. The trio moved up to the wreckage, paying only a glance or two at the wonderful lifeforms of the reef that teemed with activity. It had taken them a little over a minute to reach all the way down nearly fifty meters under the water’s surface; an impossible feat to any other species of pony with the sole exception of the alicorns. It was fortunate that the three of them were pegasus, as they could make use of the advantages of their physiology that allowed them to slow down their metabolism, waste less oxygen, and handle sudden pressure changes far better than even the best earth pony swimmer. But even with those advantages they knew their time was limited. Moving onto the largest hole they could see at the side of the ship, the three ponies entered the ship without hesitation. Time had not treated the ship kindly, as it was now the home for several shrimp, algae, small fishes, and all sorts of small marine life. They were also lucky that the crystalline waters allowed the rays of the sun to reach so deep without losing too much luminosity. Though they couldn’t be sure if the same applied to the inside of the ship. Travelling together, they moved inside the ship and followed the first hallway they found. The first room they encountered was the kitchen or supply storage. Obviously, everything had been eaten or wasted by then, but they were surprised to find a pair of partially algae-covered skeletons and what looked to be knives hanging from a few places. Rumble wasn’t spooked by it at all and his eyes shone with wonderment. It was exactly everything the adventures of finding sunken ships said would be in his books and movies. Next to him, Thunderlane had the biggest, dumbest smile of his life and would be crying if he could. Caring Hearts noticed it and rolled her eyes, suppressing the urge to giggle at her sons’ antics. Suddenly, a tap against her shoulder made her glance back only to find Rumble staring at her with a pleading look. Nodding to him, she signaled to him ‘Stay with Thunderlane’. Thunderlane saw it and looked as Rumble dislodged himself from his mother’s back and fumbled for a moment to find his balance. Then, he signaled ‘You think is wise to split?’ ‘We cover more ground. Ship isn’t big. Finish faster. Too deep, can feel pressure starting to strain.’ Caring Hearts signaled, then she made a sign that they would return to that spot in two minutes. Thunderlane and Rumble agreed. Even with their advantages, the ship was too deep for them to stay for long. Nodding to one another, Caring Hearts moved out of the kitchen first and went to the back of the ship. Thunderlane signaled Rumble to follow him and they continued to explore the following rooms. Rumble stuck close to Thunderlane but not so much that he’d interrupt his paddling and measured strokes. He couldn’t help but admire his brother’s movements as they swam. Every stroke, every shift in his direction, and every tiny bubble of air that escaped from his nostrils had meaning and a purpose. He never strained himself more than necessary and most of the time allowed the flow of his momentum to take him along the way. After all, why burn off his energy? Thye entered another room but found nothing but barrels, canons, and small fish that escaped upon them entering the partly lit room. Scattered on the ground he could see swords, cuirasses, and scattered canon balls. With nothing left to find, they moved to the next room only to find a destroyed bed that had been reclaimed by algae and slugs. There was also a huge hole at the other side of the room leading to another hallway and all the way to an even bigger hole made on the opposite side of the hull. Thunderlane signaled him to continue, which Rumble obeyed, still marveled by everything they were seeing. He was about to leave the room when movement caught his attention. Shifting his gaze to the giant hole, all he was able to see was a blurry figure taking shelter outside the ship. “Brrgghhh,” he exclaimed as fear began to grip his heart, but managed to calm himself for the sake of his family. He was by far the weakest swimmer, and he had no desire to cut the expedition short all because he saw seeing things. The next four rooms were also nearly empty. They found a few skeletons scattered around, weapons, plates, clothes, but nothing of true value, though it didn’t seem to matter to the older pegasus who explored everything with a wide smile on his face. Reaching the end of the hallway they found that the only viable root led to the deck, which held no interest and thus turned back. Thunderlane grabbed his throat and let out a small burst of bubbles through the corners of his mouth. Giving his little brother a glance, he pointed forward and the two began to swim. “Ggrrmm!” A pained strained in his lungs forced him to exhale half a mouthful of precious air, but the young colt kept pressing on despite the growing strain and the now slowly rising burn in his lungs. And while he wasn’t doing bad, he noticed that Thunderlane was starting to struggle in keeping his eased movements for long. Arriving a bit earlier than what was agreed, the two were surprised to find their mother waiting for them. Both stallions felt a rush of blood circle to their still erect penises and throb at the visage of their mother floating calmly in front of them. Her tail and mane moved hypnotically in tandem with her voluptuous body; her breasts swayed peacefully under the water’s influence while her cheeks, comically sized like that of a chipmunk, held her air inside; a clear sign that she too was starting to feel the strain of their deep free dive. Using a finger, Caring Hearts pointed down, to which her sons nodded. Turning back, she spread her wings slightly and waited for a moment. Rumble got the message and once more climbed on her back, adopting his earlier position. With her now leading the way, they soon made it past three rooms of little importance but the fourth room had it’s entire floor collapsed. The three ponies felt a pang of fear cross their heart as they watched the almost entirely dark depths that awaited them; only the stray rays of light that reached the bottom and somehow filtered through the gaps and holes that littered the ship gave them some form of illumination. Thunderlane turned to his mother and brother and signaled ‘Up or down?’, giving them the option to either retreat now or continue at their own risk. The answer came without hesitation a moment later. Taking the lead again, he swam down to the lower decks of the ship, his eyes straining to see his way but managing to adapt to the little light that was found. The hole led to a large room stacked with broken bottles. This is where the pirates kept their rum! Rumble thought, elated and excited. But it was thanks to that same rush of emotions that made him squeeze his mother’s torso a bit more than necessary, causing her to expel some of her precious air. Seeing his mistake, he instantly loosened his grip. The hand of Caring Hearts reached out to him and patted his head, letting him know that she wasn’t mad. The family of three made their way out of the cellar only to then be surprised to find that the side to the left was blocked by debris. Taking the only other available, they continued their exploration thanks to the scattered rays of light illuminating them. Suddenly, the rays began to disappear one by one, almost as if something was blocking them. The creak of wood and the cry of metal echoed all around them but as soon as it began, it ended, and whatever stray cloud had blocked them earlier, it was also gone. Fast… that was too fast for any cloud big enough to block the sun like that, Thunderlane realized only thanks to his knowledge and training to become a Wonderbolt. “Bbblrrrggg!” A sudden straining jolt caused him to release more air. “Hhhggnn! “Mmmggghh!” He didn’t need to look back to know that his mother and little brother were also starting to lose the battle and would soon need to resurface. Last room, then we go back with time to spare. It’s not like the ship is going anywhere, he thought before entering the next opening he found. To the surprise of all three, the room had a lot of light thanks to several gaping holes on the ceiling that reached all the way up to the deck. The whole room was in ruins and nothing much could be found… except for a small chest resting directly under one of the stray rays of light. Thunderlane swam forth to get it and tried to open it, but it didn’t budge. Rather than waste energy and precious air in trying to open it, he picked it up, finding it quite heavy for a chest around the length of his hands but doable and easily carried. Turning around, he showed it to his family and they gave him a thumbs up whilst smiling and nodding, celebrating the find. ‘We go back up’ signaled Caring Hearts. As if to illustrate her point, Rumble chose that moment to release a mouthful of air. The strain was now visible on his face, but he kept going. Caring Hearts wasn’t fairing that much better as her lungs began to scream and demand new oxygen to fill them, having nearly depleted their existing supply already. Thunderlane nodded and the trio returned from the way they came from. Upon reaching the cellar again and swimming past the hole to secure their return to the surface, a great figure swam just in front of them. “GRRRLLMM!” “HHFFGG!” “BBLLGGHAA!” The three ponies let out a shriek but quickly covered their mouths as the large figure idly swam past them, almost as if it hadn’t noticed them. Tentatively, Thunderlane swam forth to catch a better look at the creature. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized the form of a five-meter long great white shark gently and almost gracefully swimming inside the ship’s halls. Panic gripped the hearts of the mare and younger colt and they broke the measured, crontolled beating of their internal flow, nearly throwing them into a desperate attempt to escape. Luckily, their training and survival skills kicked in just at the right moment, saving their lives and what little oxygen they still had. Thunderlane turned to them, finding their puffed cheeks and the strain in their eyes. He could feel his lungs compressing as the mistake of releasing that much oxygen in one go was now paying its toll. Ushering them to come closer, he advanced only after his mother and brother were at an arm’s length of him. Making sure that the shark was still within his visual range but far away, he began to move. Rumble would’ve peed himself if he hadn’t gone to the toilet before arriving at the beach. He couldn’t get his eyes off the massive shark just casually swimming a scant dozen meters in front of them. He was shaking and he could feel his mom’s shaking, too. And with good reason, too! Shit, shit, shit! This is like playing Subnautica but worse! Rumble thought angrily despite the burning pain in his lungs and the spasms of his muscles began to ache at him, riddling his body with pain. It was worse now that he and his family had to fight against the urge to breathe at every moment. They advanced slowly, their eyes focused on the shark in an attempt to not catch its attention. Suddenly, the shark entered a room and vanished from sight. Not knowing where it was going or what was going to happen next, the three of them picked up the pace as much as their quickly agonizing bodies could permit. They were just a few meters away from reaching the hole they had used to enter the ship when things took a turn for the worst. A rumble and a crash made the entire ship creak before the shark swam out of the room. It saw them and they knew it had locked its eyes on them. Rumble was about to panic but his mother placed a hand over his mouth and forced him to remain as calm as possible. They didn’t struggle, they didn’t make any sudden movements even as the shark approached slowly, sluggishly, but growing in size with each meter that it covered. It opened its mouth revealing row after row of sharp, meat-tearing teeth and a dark abyss from which there would be no escape. Thunderlane grabbed them with his free arm and slowly dragged his mother and brother to the floor, giving the shark the space it needed should it decide to swim past them. They all rested on their backs, eyes fixed on the death machine that was the shark getting closer and closer. Then, it swam over them, mere inches apart from touching them. Rumble was equally terrified and mesmerized by the apex predator and before he knew it, he reached out with a hand to touch the beast’s underbelly. The shark didn’t seem to notice or care about the contact until the lower tip of its tail hit everyone’s faces as it moved. With it gone, the three ponies began to move again. Caring Hearts choked, clasping a hand over her mouth to prevent any air from escaping. Rumble wasn’t fairing much better, even if touching the shark helped him calm down a bit. He felt a numbness begin to spread across his limbs as well as the burning, painful, and gnawing sensation of his lungs collapsing whilst also demanding new oxygen to burn. They swam out of the ship and moved as fast as they could, fighting against the stiffness attacking their bodies. They couldn’t, wouldn’t, flee in panic. Any abrupt movement would attract the shark and most likely end their expedition in tragedy. Thunderlane was ready to serve as the sacrificial lamb should it come to that, but with each stroke of their arms and the light paddling of their legs, they approached the surface slowly but surely. Suddenly, a bank of fish swam agitatedly all around them, confusing them for a moment. Now that they were so close, they noticed that each fish was at least a meter or so long, probably tuna, salmon, or bass, they weren’t sure. But they knew what the even larger, deadlier fish pursuing them was. All three ponies watched in horror as the shark charged directly at them, jaws open. They didn’t have time to close their eyes as their final moments approached. A moment that never came as the shark moved upwards still a good distance away from them to catch two of the panicking fish. They watched the shark devour its prey only to then happily return to the depths and the ship it had, somehow, claimed as its home. “FFFBBGGH!!” “GGRRRMM!” “BBRRLLK!!” They all choked, their bodies starting to convulse as they reached the limits of their endurance. They swam more desperately now, their need for survival and breathing driving them more than the fear of the shark ever did. “GGAAAHHH!” “SSSHIIIT!” “FFHHAAA!” They gasped loudly and unevenly as they broke the surface, desperately filling their overburdened lungs with the precious oxygen they had been deprived of for over ten minutes. They moved to exposed rocks of the reef, crawling their way up the closest one until they could rest over the surprisingly smooth but hot stone. They were too exhausted and happy to be alive to care about the hotness of the rock, opting to lay there, gasping for air and resting. Minutes passed until Rumble found his voice again. “N-No sharks, huh?” “Don’t give me sass, Rumble! I’m sorry, how was I supposed to know a damn shark could be a hermit!?” Thunderlane replied, tiredly. “That was close, too close. I-I think I saw my life flash before my eyes a few times…” “It was terrifying and thrilling at the same time,” Caring Hearts said before sitting up. “L-Let’s dive again but in the safety of a pool next time, okay, dear? I don’t feel like encountering an overfed guppy again in my life.” “Overfed guppy! That’s a good one, mom!” Rumble chuckled, praising her joke. Joining her, he rested his head against her and turned to Thunderlane. “Hey, big brother, are you going to open that chest or what?” Thunderlane sat up and lifted the still-leaking heavy chest. He shook it around and to the surprise of everyone, something metallic could be heard inside of it. Rolling his hand around, he created a small black cloud. He squeezed it, aiming at the chest’s corroded lock, and a small lightning strike came out, breaking the lock. All three ponies gathered around the chest… and Thunderlane opened it. The End.