The Ocean Above Us

“All of this time, we were headed in the wrong direction. We need to make something that can assist the Big Daddy better. The struggle between the Big Sisters and the Big Daddies is driving the whole purpose of this project into the ground.” -Dusk Shine, on the creation of a secret project.

The center of the plaza was dimly lit, like everything in the city. There was a Big Daddy with a drill hanging from his flank, looking for any signs of trouble. His gaze set itself on Nimbus as he exited the Boutique. A Little Sister romped around in front of him, a needle in her mouth and a smile on said mouth as she plunged the needle into the body of a corpse. Her white coat reflected her cheery mood, and her curly light purple mane bounced as she sang a cheerful song. Upon her head was a short horn: she was a unicorn filly.

“Now,” Rarity said, “Would you kindly get that Big Daddy’s drill for me?”

“Yeah, fine, whatever,” he replied, and readied his machine gun. His radio went off again, this time with another voice.

“Hey, you there, kid?” It was Athena.

“Yeah, I’m here. What happened?”

“There was something screwin up my signal, sorry about that. Where are you now?”

“He’s doing some work for me, thank you very much!” Rarity said, the conversation broadcasting to her radio as well, “Just get the drill, please.”

“Do what she asks, kid.”

“Alright,” Nimbus said, and prepared his weapon again. Then, he remembered that his Hypnotize Plasmid might be able to get the Big Daddy to just give him the drill. The huge stallion still eyed him from across the plaza. Focusing on creating a polyp, Nimbus whipped his foreleg around and threw it right at the Big Daddy. Instead of it hitting him, the Big Daddy removed his drill from his flank and swatted the projectile aside, his visor turning from yellow to red.

The metal beast growled and pushed his Little Sister behind him, and he revved up his drill and began to charge at Nimbus. Nimbus instinctively fired at him with his machine gun, but his charge was not broken. He sidestepped, and the Big Daddy slammed into the wall of the Boutique. Nimbus got a few more shots off on him while he was stunned, but it didn’t seem to be doing enough damage. He focused on forming a polyp again, but his concentration was broken when the Big Daddy headbutted him, sending him to the ground.

As he prepared to bring his drill down on Nimbus, an Electro Bolt from Nimbus hit him, stunning him, but not nearly as long as it did to the Splicers. Nimbus just narrowly escaped the drill’s tip as he rolled to the side, and the drill smashed into the ground next to him. The barrel of his weapon turned to meet the Big Daddy’s face.

He pulled the trigger of his weapon, but heard only a dull click. He tried to use Electro Bolt again, but his breath escaped him, and only a meek spark jumped from his hoof. The Big Daddy slammed him into the wall with his free hoof, and raised his drill to strike. Nimbus closed his eyes and braced himself for the pain that would definitely follow.

It didn’t come though, and as the drill’s buzzing died down, all he heard was a loud clanking noise, and the Big Daddy in front of him grunting in pain. Opening his eyes, he saw that his foe had turned around to look at something, and when Nimbus saw what it was, he nearly died of shock. Another Big Daddy, with a more head fitting helmet that had a smaller visor and glowed with a faint green light, stood in the entrance to Carousel Boutique. His armor was almost entirely scorched black and held in one hoof was a rivet gun.

He took a limping step forward and fired again, causing the hostile Big Daddy to turn his attention towards his attacker. The drill spun up as he lunged forward, crashing into the other stallion and sending him spiraling on the floor. Nimbus’s legs and head didn’t want to move, but he pushed himself up anyway, and did his best to find something to fight with.

The hostile Big Daddy was seriously overpowering Nimbus’s friend. The rivet gun did some damage, but he had a hard time using it when the other one was so close. The drill came down on him, but he returned with a punch in the chin. This knocked the hostile one back, long enough for him to get a few shots on him with the rivet gun, but he was promptly struck down with the flat end of the drill.

Nimbus had found a barrel with a "flammable" warning on it. He waved at the friendly Big Daddy, and he nodded in reply before getting punched in the face. The helmet cracked, and blood began to leak from the opening. He was now on his back, with all four of his legs sprawled out. The hostile Big Daddy brought the drill tip down on his chest, and mangled his armor and body with it. With the last of his strength, in one last feat of defiance, the dying Big Daddy raised his rivet gun, and fired it.

The victorious stallion was perplexed, as he had missed him entirely. He looked over himself, trying to see if he had indeed been shot. What he wasn’t expecting to see was the flammable container beneath his hooves, which quickly caught fire and sent him into the air in an explosion. His body crashed down into the blaze below, and Nimbus rushed to his dying friend’s side.

“You came back for me... thank you...” Nimbus said, looking at the gaping hole in his body. It was a gory sight indeed, and he wondered how he was still alive. He soon found that his friend's life was truly ending now, though, as he held out one of his giant hooves and looked at Nimbus. As Nimbus put his hoof against his friend's, he saw the light in his cracked visor slowly flicker, and then fade away with his spirit.

He looked at the other Big Daddy, who’s body was roasting in the dying flames of the fire. Nimbus picked up his friend’s rivet gun in both hooves, which was still attached to his back, and fired several shots into the Big Daddy’s head, ensuring his death. Out of anger, he fired more times than necessary, but it didn’t bother him. He looked at the drill, and remembered why he battled him in the first place. With great effort, he hefted the heavy drill off of his hoof, and tugged at the tip of the drill with his mouth.

The taste of blood filled his mouth, and he instantly regretted his decision. How was he going to get the diamond off?

“Lady Rarity, I got the drill...” he found that even talking was exhausting him, “I.. how do I... get the diamond out?”

“Oh, just give the drill to me, I’ve got the tools to remove it. Also, deal with that Little Sister out there, her crying is disturbing my work.”

Nimbus didn’t realize it, but the little filly that had been accompanying the Big Daddy was now sobbing over her dead father. Her glazed yellow eyes looked at him in sadness, her white coat stained with tears.

“Daddy! No!” she wailed, pounding her hooves on the ground. Suddenly, a window from the top floor of the Boutique flew open, and an angry looking white unicorn with a curly purple mane shook her hoof angrily out of it. Her blue eyes were drenched in frustration, like her forehead was drenched in sweat.

“Would you keep it down out there-” she gasped when she saw the little girl. Her voice came back up over the radio. “Is that... Is that my little Sweetie Belle?”

“Who?” Nimbus asked, looking up at the window. Rarity looked just like that little filly in front of Nimbus.

“That’s...” She began, her voice cracking like it did when one was crying, “That’s my little sister...” Sobs were also heard on the other end of the radio. “She disappeared and I thought she was dead but... She... she...”

“She’s alive, at least...”

“No, you don’t understand! She’s different! She’s not the sweet little filly I remember, she’s... a monster...”

“Whoa, whoa,” Athena’s voice cut in, “Your sister is a Little Sister?”

“Yes, thank you very much,” Rarity’s tone became angry, but that facade soon faded into despair, “but now... Please... Just... Just end her suffering!” Another cry. “I can’t take it...”

Nimbus reached out to pick up this Sweetie Belle, but Athena cut him off.

“Hold on, you don’t have to kill her. Just... do that thing ya do. Save her.”

“How do you know about that?”

“Word gets around fast, kid, and I’m the first one to get any and all new information that goes around Rapture. Don’t drain all of her ADAM, but only drain enough to save her,” Athena instructed.

“No! Even if you cure her, she’ll never be the same! Just take it all, and all of my pain with it!”

Athena sighed, “It’s your call, kid. You’ll get more ADAM from her if you take it all, but she won’t make it.”

Nimbus thought about his options. It would probably be best to rescue her. That’s what Twilight asked, and that’s what Athena asked. That’s two votes against one. Would it make it any worse, though? How would that affect who she was? The other Little Sister he saved seemed to be just fine.

“You gotta make the choice,” Athena said.

“End her suffering, and end mine in turn!” Rarity moaned.

“Rarity, you’re such a drama queen.”

Nimbus approached the Little Sister, who was now curiously looking up at him, and the mare in the window. As Nimbus picked her up, she squeaked in fear.

“Shh...” Nimbus put a hoof over her forehead, “It’ll be okay.”

“No, No! No! No!” She struggled, but then became still as a bright light washed over her. He felt her ADAM entering his body, and he let her go when her form had returned to normal. She opened her eyes, her big, green eyes, and looked up at Nimbus, and thanked him.

“Your sister misses you,” Nimbus said, “She’s up in the Boutique.”

Her face showed concern. “Rarity? Rarity, it’s me, Sweetie Belle!” The white filly trotted up to the entrance, looking up at the window. Her squeaky voice made both Rarity and Nimbus flinch.

“Go away! You’re different now!”

“Rarity,” Nimbus began, then corrected himself, “I mean, Lady Rarity, your sister is still your sister.”

“What would you know about sisters?” She said with a huff.

“I...” Nimbus’s words died, as he remembered his own sister, “I have a sister of my own, who’s lost down here.”

Sweetie Belle entered the Boutique, and in a few minutes a loud knocking was heard over the radio.

“RARITY!!!” Sweetie Belle called, which Nimbus heard from both the radio and the window.

“Sweetie Belle, you must understand, you’re not the same anymore...” Rarity answered.

“Maybe not, but I’m still your sister, and... and I love you!”

“...What?”

“I love you Rarity! You’re the best sister I could ask for, even though you may be arrogant, and selfish, and... stuff.. sometimes, but I wouldn’t want it any other way!” All of that came over the radio. "And... I'm sorry I ran away..."

Rarity was silent, but after a moment she spoke. “Sir, please come up here, and bring the drill as well.”

Picking up the drill and hanging it on his flank, Nimbus entered the Boutique, going up the stairs to the living quarters. He saw Sweetie Belle in the hallway, knocking on a door that was most likely the door to Rarity’s room. All of the doors were shut. He approached the door himself, and knocked gently on it. He heard Rarity over his radio again.

“I think I should thank you, sir. You have done me two services today. You’ve fetched me materials to continue my work with, and more importantly, brought my little sister home.” Rarity opened the door, and Sweetie Belle instantly gave her a big hug that was returned, making the pegasus standing in the doorway smile. “She may not be exactly the same, but nopony is after things have happened to them. You helped me learn to look past these things, and see who we really are. If there’s anything I can do, anything at all, just tell me.”

He recalled Twilight’s advice again, about staying on Rarity’s good side, and how something had happened between them. Should he come clean and tell her what was really going on.

“What can you tell me about Twilight Sparkle?”

Rarity recoiled at the question. “Well, we’ve had our... disagreements, but I think now that my Sweetie Belle is back, I owe her an apology.”

“An apology for what?”

“I’d rather not talk about it... Just, if you ever meet her, do tell her that Rarity apologizes. She’ll know what it means.”

Nimbus smiled, “I will. Now, I do have one thing that I need...”

Rarity returned the smile, “Yes, what is it?”

“Do you think... Do you think I could get your genetic key?”

“Of course...” she said, with a quizzical look on her face, “But whatever do you need it for?”

“Well, I recently met somepony down here, a researcher, and she said that she was...  studying DNA samples,” Nimbus tried to lie, without actually lying, “And I told her that I’d try to get her a good sample, and you seem like a nice mare. Not to mention a pretty one.”

“That’s so flattering, I, I don’t...” Rarity blushed and bit and quickly grabbed a small chip off of a desk with her magic, “Here, it’s all yours. And next I’ll be preparing you a nice ensemble for the next time we meet! And...” she looked over at the blood stained drill on his flank. “I’m going to have to wash that.”

As Nimbus exited the Boutique, he waved to Rarity and her sister, who looked out from the window and waved back, smiles on all of their faces.

Before the window shut, he heard Sweetie Belle say, “Gathering ADAM is definitely NOT my special talent.”

This made Nimbus chuckle, but then he remembered his own flank. Looking back, he was reminded of how bare and markless it was. He was an adult, and hadn’t found his special talent yet. He didn’t mind the idiots who teased him in school, because they were idiots. What bothered him is that he truly wasn’t able to find his special talent. This was no time to worry about that, though. Now, he had the key, and could return to Twilight.

As he neared to the transition room, though, something kept bugging him. What happened between Twilight and Rarity, and how did it involve Sweetie Belle? He eyed something on the floor, a shiny plastic recording device. Picking it up, he pressed the playback button. The scratchy recording played back as he entered the transition room and shut the door behind him.

“This day has been terrible,” it was Rarity’s voice, “Sweetie Belle has gone missing, and ravenous Splicers have attacked my boutique! I need to find Twilight, maybe she knows what’s going on...”

He set the recorder down. Maybe this was a clue as to finding out what happened between them. He went to open the door, but heard a voice behind him.

“I see you’re putting the pieces together,” a stallion’s voice said. Nimbus whipped around, ready for a fight, but only saw two tan unicorns, both with a brown mane and tail. One was a stallion, and one was a mare. They were the same ones from before.

“Why do you two keep following me?”

“Following you?” The mare asked.

“Our paths are simply crossing more times than you’d like,” the stallion said.

“What? What are you doing here?”

“We’re helping you,” the stallion replied, “You might want this.” He held out a small card in his hoof, and Nimbus took it. On it, there was a diagram of a pony, with scientific scribbles all around it, and arrows pointing to different places. Nimbus couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

“What’s this?”

“Advice,” the mare stated, “For your friend.”

When he looked back up from the card, but the strange pair had disappeared, leaving no evidence that they had been, were, or would ever be there.

“Advice for a friend, huh? Wonder what that’s supposed to mean,” he said to himself, “Probably should ask Twilight.” He froze, realizing what he had just said. It was probably something that Twilight could understand. They must’ve known that he was going to see Twilight, and had meant for him to give it to her.

But why, and more importantly, how did they keep disappearing and reappearing at will? Couldn’t they have just given it to Twilight directly if that were so? He focused on the task at hoof, as he opened the door to Artemis Central and made his way to Sparkle Simplicities.

About halfway there, another glint of light caught his eye, this time from inside a trash can. There was another recorder inside of it. When he pressed the button, he heard Rarity’s voice again.

“I saw Twilight just moments ago, and Sweetie Belle was with her, but she... she was one of those... those things! Twilight Sparkle, my friend, went and turned her into one of those... Oh... She told me that she was trying to cure her, but that look of fright on her face, especially when she saw me... It hurts...”

Nimbus could tell why it was thrown in a trash can. He put it back where he found it and looked up at the sign for Sparkle Simplicities.

He had a few questions for Twilight.