Rainbow Dash's eyes flew open.
A bitter cold wind blew into her face.
She looked left and right, shivering.
“Twilight...?”
She glided over a rippling ocean.
The sun was setting in two horizons.
Or perhaps it was rising.
The world was a dark plain of water growing dim on both ends.
“Rarity...?”
There was no answer.
There was no movement.
Save for Rainbow Dash's slow lurch forward...
A glide that grew swifter and swifter with each heart-pounding second...
The mare hyperventilated, unable to move her legs... her wings.
“Guys... wh-where are you?!” her voice cracked. “I can't... I can't control it!”
“Or perhaps that's what she wants you to believe,” boomed a feminine voice, haunting yet soft.
“Wh-what...?” Rainbow stammered, sweating.
Her eyes darted left and right.
The ocean rolled with the voice, like thunder.
“She has her eyes on you. It must be for a reason. What do you bring here, Rainbow Dash?”
“Have... have I...” Rainbow shuddered, flying over the ocean like a bullet. “...have I heard you before?”
The voice carried on: “Do you bring peace and harmony?”
Directly in front of her, the ocean exploded.
The water took the shape of a long neck, a snout, and a thick fibrous mane.
The head surged towards her on a tidal wave of rumbling noise.
“Or is it something else?!”
The churning waters formed a mouth and swallowed Rainbow Dash's screaming body whole.
“Aaa-aaaugh!” Rainbow shot up like a bullet, tossing the bed covers off. She sat in place, awash in sweat.
Twilight Sparkle and Rarity looked over.
“Rainbow!” Rarity flew to her side. “Darling!” She tried nuzzling the mare, only to phase through her. “Oh, it is so heavenly seeing you awake again!”
“I... I...”
“You were unconscious for several hours,” Twilight said in a far calmer tone. “And your... sleep was fitful for the last few minutes.”
“Oh! You were tossing and turning and whimpering in your sleep like Sweetie Belle having night terrors!” Rarity sniffled, fanning herself. “I swear to Celestia, I've never felt so helpless in my life! Just watching you!”
“Are... are you alright, Rainbow?” Twilight leaned forward.
Rainbow Dash's face was still pale. Instinctively, her hooves reached up, touching her ruby pendant. “Water... horse...” she murmured.
“I beg your pardon?” Rarity remarked, cocking her head aside. “It's okay, Rainbow. You're safe. You're with friends.”
“Mrmmfff...” Rainbow rubbed her muzzle, then leaned back in bed. “That... that voice...” She grimaced, staring up at the ceiling. “Haven't felt anything like that in my head since... since...”
“Since what?” Twilight asked.
Rainbow gulped. “Whitemane.” Her brow furrowed. “But I don't get it. Just who...?” She paused, blinking. Her hooves fiddled with a comfy duvet, then a cluster of bedsheets. She looked around at the tiny, claustrophobic cabin she was in. “...where in the buck are we?”
“Do you like it?” Rarity smiled wide. “It's not exactly Canterlot Five Star material, but they make do with their confined space, don't you agree?”
“I'm serious...” Rainbow Dash kicked the last lengths of covers off and sat on the edge of the bed. Her saddlebag was gone. All she wore was her pendant. “How... just how did I get here?”
“As we said,” Twilight spoke, her voice firm and sterile. “You were unconscious for a long time.”
Rainbow blinked at the glaring unicorn. “Twilight, the... the chaos that's inside me. It's just—”
“—a good thing it didn't paralyze you while you were performing the hiest!” Twilight's folded back and her voice took on a sensitive shudder. “Rainbow, you have a problem! And if weren't for these companions of yours—”
“Where am I?!?”
“She's right, you know,” Rarity said, her eyes moist. “You poor darling. I was beside myself in panic the very moment I saw you suffering from an inexplicable seiz—”
“Will somepony just tell me where I am?!?” Rainbow Dash growled. “Please?!?”
Hoofsteps.
Jumping, Rainbow looked aside. At the edge of the cabin was a metal door with padded velvet. A pony marched up from the other side, opened it, and peered in. Rainbow's heart slowed the moment she saw the stubbled face of Bard, followed by his smile.
“Well! Mornin' to ya, sunshine!” He opened the door all the way and leaned against its frame. Behind him, Rainbow could see another cabin three times as large as the bunkroom, complete with chairs, tables, and a sofa. From afar, Rainbow could make out a sarosian lump on the couch, covered in a blanket. “'Bout time you opened them ruby peepers of yours!”
“... … ...” Rainbow glanced left and right. “...we're still aboard the Mark Two.”
“Dayum skippy,” Bard said with a nod. “And boy if it isn't good to see you sittin' and chatterin' in one piece. Here...” He trotted forward and reached for her skull. “...lemme feel yer forehead.”
Rainbow Dash batted his forelimb away. “I'm fine. Where's my stuff?”
“Huh? Oh! Uh... yer saddlebag's over by the starboard side windows. Nopony's gone through it. I swear.”
“Starboard... side windows?” Rainbow stammered, glancing briefly at her two marefriends. “We're on the other side of the ship?”
“Eeyup.”
“But... I don't get it...” Rainbow rubbed her face, groaning. “We... we didn't buy a suite for the trip.”
“Well, we got one now,” Bard said. “As soon as you kerplunked like a sack of potatoes—well—what else were we gonna do? Let you freeze to death in spasms? Heh... hell no, lil' missy!”
“Wait... don't tell me...” Rainbow's face grew long. “Theanim... used the last of his bits from the Midnight Dreary?”
“Nawwww... dun be ridiculous.” Bard rolled his eyes. “Dubya-Cee and I...” He coughed. “...used some of ours.”
Rarity and Twilight smiled at Rainbow.
The pegasus' jaw dropped. “But... but... your guys' cut from the heist—”
“Pffft. We've still got plenty of platinum bars to spare. And we're fixin' to have plenty more once we tear down the house in Shoggoth's... Maritime Auction Hut? Er, whatever. Mr. Mane ain't exactly simple in his explanations of things.”
“I hear ya...” Rainbow nodded. She shuddered, brushing her mane back. “I... I don't know how to thank you, Bard.”
“I can think of one way.” He nodded, then smiled coyly, his eyes rolling towards the far end of the cabin. “Buttttttttt reckon I'm too much of a gentlecolt to entertain nothin'. So just consider it our way of sayin' thank you for keepin' Dubya-Cee's goose from gettin' cooked... or drowned. Eheh.”
“Seriously, though, thanks,” Rainbow said. “But... most of all...” She gulped, reaching up and grasping her pendant. “Thanks for not taking this off.”
“Well, wouldn't want to free the ghost girls that are hauntin' you, now would we?”
“No, we definitely don't want to—wait.” Rainbow shot up, glaring. “What... what did you just—?”
“Hah hah hah!” Bard slapped his knee, nodding. “I know! Plum ridiculous, ain't it?! But hey... yer Doc's the scientist, not me! Ain't no point arguin' with him, no matter how much nonsense he spits.” Chuckling, the stallion shuffled off. “'Invisible marefriends'... Hah!”
“... … ….” Rainbow slowly trotted out of the room, followed by the two spectres. “Bard, where exactly... is Theanim right now, anyways...?”
Been a while since we had a dream/vision. RD's probably gonna get another recharge in the near future.
And why do I have a distinct feeling that the Poneidon thingy here is Camellia? Get it? Poneidon. Eh heh heh heh heh ... eh heh... eeeeh.
I have a distinct feeling that that's Camellia's voice booming inside of Rainbow's skull...
Jeez, several hours? I don't remember her chaos fits ever lasting that long.
It's been said already, but I'll say it again. I think it was Princess Camelia speaking to Dash.
I think we all know what Bard would rather be feeling.
So did Camellia (?) notice Axan or Verlax watching Rainbow?
If that was Camilla, then she doesn't sound too receptive of Dashie's intentions...
Thirty-five pushups, ):(. Knock 'em out!
Yeah. Her elbows. Those sweet, sexy Easthorse elbows...
/drool
6268414 Did I miss something with this whole exercise plan thing? I've been meaning to ask about it since I caught up, and I'm kinda lost here.
Dammit Thunker, revealing the backstory is Dash's job about 200-300 chapters after meeting a new companion.
6268251 Hah, that's pretty good! I'm going to be a little disappointed now if Camellia doesn't carry around a trident.
Dearest Bard,
We appreciate your prudence and pragmatism. So long be it your flirtations remain in jest, you shall keep our good graces.
Best regards,
The Prismatic Harem
Applejack, Gold Petals, Ember Spark, Rayvinne, & Roarke
technofile.com/images/bd/waterhorse.jpg
Mystery solved.
6268449
I just do them and don't ask questions.
6268148
Hmmm, doing so without dipping into spoilers is a challenge. The series is a reimagining of FIM as an epic fantasy, with prophecies and mythic undertones. LotR, Wheel of Time style, there is an overarching epic quest, while each book covers the adventures she has traveling towards it, Dash can't help but get involved in things on the way, so she's caught up in stories in the lands she travels through. Sometimes to the detriment of her epic (self chosen) quest, other times strangely in keeping with it. Like most fan fiction it's a what-if scenario. Dash, for reasons at first unknown, has left Equestria and entered the unmapped land to the east. But something is wrong with her. Something has happen that has changed the young daredevil. She travels alone, chasing the rising sun. Her conversations tinged with something painful unsaid (at first).
That was meandering and nonsensical.
Each book has its own beginning, middle and end; a cool, imaginative world explored and progress made. But they are connected by the greater quest, which grows in importance as the land is explored.
If you want to, you can read just the first book, it's sizeable but not to huge, or really any of the books and get a full story (with some begining confusion about how things have changed). Some cliffhang into the next like Empire Strikes Back or Back to the Future.
Anyway, unlike my post, this story doesn't meander down a slow path, there is always something new happening on the adventure. You won't be bored wishing for the plot to speed up, it's pretty damn fast.
Does this make any sense? I feel like I'm trying to sell you on a crack habit, but
TLDR, epic journey. Epic feels and epic fights. Epic heroes and epic villians. Never boring.
::mic drop::
Verlax has been built up as a master of deception. If Verlax has her eyes on Dash, I'm guessing that she's been pulling something from the very start of this book. I just can't imagine where the deception is, at this point. It's too cunningly hidden for me to spot.
6268565 Notarized evidence accepted. Prinsess Caramela confirm 4 best water hoers.
6268449 I'm afraid to -not- do the exercises after watching the news piece Jake was in. He's pretty buff.
Sleepy easthorse slept so long!
Sleep, Perchance to Dash: Sober, Hammockless and Sweaty Edition
A pissed-off boss with an uneven gait?
But seriously. I kinda got chills from that dream exchange.
Based on that water horse imagery, I'm inclined to believe that was Camellia talking to Rainbow in her dream.
How many days did Nick take to sail to the atoll, then we never get a direct run from machine point to machine point, but even so, the Arrowfish is doing a days travel in only a couple hours, so hundred 20, 50 knots ?
Still, a looooong way between points, ocean crossing class.
Or Author uses time skip to prevent problems of, hey look, its another seagull.
6268687
Going to go ahead and agree with you here, I'm thinking ol' Verlax has had Dash marked since the moment our prismatic heroin has arrived on the Divine's turf, and is currently observing Dash through various spies or shapeshifted avatars. Heck, Theanim might have his 'goddess' watching the situation through his eyes and he wouldn't even know it. When you got a eons on dragon whose whole schtick is duplicity and deception, literally anything is possible.
---
I'm thinking this dream sequence might also be Verlax's doing. Princess Cammy doesn't have any reason to know Dash is coming, and hence no real way to know to contact Dash via weird dream sequence. Also there's this line:
Doesn't sound like something some siren princess in charge of one city would say. Too cryptic, and honestly it sounds like Verlax refering to Axan. In fact I wouldn't be shocked if Verlax is well aware of what Dash has been doing well before Dash arrived in this country, possibly using some kind of scrying spells to view the world through the eyes of some of her Divine sisters. It has been mentioned that Verlax has access to magic that none of the other Divines do, so its not out of the question she could be remote viewing events through various eyes and ears. At this point i'm just gonna assume that Verlax Is Watching.
Ooooh, looks like Mane's gonna get his flank kicked by our favourite prismatic pony. You don't just go around blabbing secrets, Theanim!
6268449
Not really. Just me being a soldier and trying to encourage general fitness in the Jury.
This place really is waterworld if they're still on route to Shoggoth
So, mysterious creepy voice is either Verlaxion or Princess Camile is a hybrid alicorn/seapony/siren
6268724 I dunno about you, but "Dash: Sober, Hammockless and Sweaty Edition" seems like a chapter title one of these days.
So either it was Camilla, or Verlax in her head. However given that she compared it to Whitemane talking to her I'm slightly inclined to side with the likely hood of Camilla more here as Verlax is a Dragon.
That was Camellia for sure, and the Her is Verlax. I'd bet my boots on it.
Like everyone else and their grandmother, I think it was probably Camellia. Though, it does intrigue me that she knows Rainbow is coming and knows her name. That's a mite ominous.
6268833
Does anyone remeber this chapter: Divine Intervention
In it Axan is talking to one of her sisters (Which obviously wouldn't be Nevlamas, and from context we can tell it's not Endrax), so either it's Sturke, (So Candace is heading in the completely wrong direction) or it's Verlax and so Rainbow has nothing to worry about here.
6268334
Getting worse. Getting closer to the edge. To the other side.
That reminded me a lot of Galadriel.
Whelp, that sure was nice of Bard and WC!
Uh, Dash sounds none too please with Dr. Mane right now.
6268833
Not just Theanim, although he's an obvious candidate. Everyone important is Verlax. Yes, even Nick and Flare.
Well, I suppose that at least spares Dash one awkward conversation...
Apples?
So she got eaten by dream Nessie?
...I can think of worse ways to have a dream end.
Sidenote: so I finished BP last night...It was...one hell of a ride. One I don't think I'll forget. I was wrong... I cried while reading it. I cried when I thought I'd be laughing at the end.
-Memories given light, ease a lonely flight. Ynanhluutr.
I'm still holding out for Revan to become the good boss that Shoggoth deserves, and probably the one it needs too.
Kelpies and Uisges and Tangies! Oh my!
6270619 Hugs.
It's totally Princess Camellia.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
6273119 y'know, Rainbow dash was the Last of the main six I expected to be meeting so much royalty and yet... Everywhere she goes it seems.
Looks like Camellia already has Dash in her sights. But is it to help or harm?
So Camellia had the ability of telepathy too, eh? I wonder if that's good or bad for the future.
So Camellia smells her coming. Has she been the voice all along? Really just a second Whitemane. No, something of those earlier encounters still smells of the Spirits of Harmony. But what about Verlax, what about her...
Oh Bard, you so silly.
Camelia knows Verlax is watching, but she's not sure why just yet.
6294642 Or it could be Verlax.
you know, it isn't until I take a closer look at the chapter titles that I realize how culturally meshed they really are. Sonic X, A Midsummer Night's Dream, MLP references (obviously, but still), Ernest Hemingway, Moby Dick, Weezer, etc..., not to mention the shoutouts to the fans of this series. The closer I look at this, the more impressed I am at the amount of references and originality of this work. Added with the frequency of the updates and the length of the actual series, color me cyan I'm so impressed. Thanks for the dedication and time it takes to make this sort of thing what it is.
6870052
Nah! Verlax's been the black stalker dragon that's been looking at Dashie since Urohringr.
It's definitely Sushi Princess.
6921293 Easily the longest and best story i have ever read on FimFiction. A
We meet at last, Verlax...
Edit: Or wait, Camellia is a siren. She's probably capable of doing this too, and then the "she" refers to Verlax rather than (as I assumed) Axan.
Call upon the
When you're in distress!
I’m gonna guess the voice is Princess Camellia, since she compared it to Whitemane.