“Hot damn!” Bard grinned as Wildcard flew back to his level. They met in the clouds high above Rust. “Guess one of us still knows how to save the day!”
The griffon struggled to catch his breath, gesturing with his metal talon while he held Echo with the other.
“Well, yeah, we butted heads a few moments ago,” Bard said. “But I ain't fixin' to beat her pretty skull in!”
Wildcard snapped his beak, swiping at the air with angry digits.
“'Cuz ain't no profit to be made in kickin' the teeth out of mares who dun deserve it!” Bard frowned. “I just think yer gettin' yer feathers ruffled as always, partner!”
The griffon was ready to retort when a loud whistling noise issued from below. Both Desperadoes looked past their dangling limbs. A prismatic streak rocketed their way.
“Shiet...” Bard cursed. “She's like our dayum shadow or somethin'!” Clakka-clakka-clak! He extended his staff and pointed at the griffon. “Better make this a flashy exit, ya reckon?”
Wildcard nodded. He adjusted his grip of the struggling Echo, reached deep into his satchel, and pulled out a metal pellet.
“Alley oop!” Bard was already swinging his staff like a golf club.
Wildcard tossed it.
Clank! Bard knocked the grenade straight downward. Within a blink, both mercenaries sailed off, plowing through a thick white cloud.
Down below, Rainbow Dash gnashed her teeth against the biting winds.
Rarity gasped. “A metal object! Incoming!”
“It's enchanted with a photonic spell!” Twilight squeaked. “Shut your eyes—!”
“Thanks!” Rainbow hollered, clenching her eyes shut and twirling to the side.
POWWW! A bright flash of light exploded right next to the mare. Even with her lids shut, Rainbow felt the furious glowing lines stabbing at her vision.
“Gughhhh...” Rainbow shook the pain away and squinted forward. “That would have knocked me out for sure.”
“These rogues certainly are crafty,” Rarity said.
“Yeah, but they're also chumps,” Rainbow grumbled, her gaze searching the clouds. “Trust me. I once went head to head with a bounty hunter who was worth over five hundred of these try-hards combined.”
“Be that as it may, they've still gotten away with our precious sarosian,” Rarity said.
“Oh no they haven't.” Rainbow glanced aside. “Egghead?”
Twilight was already pointing. “Three o'clock! Up high!” She gulped. “The sensation's faint. I-I'm afraid they've made a good distance!”
“They can't friggin' outfly the wind.” FWOOOSH! Rainbow shot like a blue bullet into the clouds. “Keep your soul eyes peeled!” The air around her thundered as she effortlessly broke several speed barriers.
Echo's leafy ears twitched.
Wildcard saw it. Beak squirming, he looked worriedly at Bard and gestured with his free talon.
“Pffft... will ya relax?” Bard smirked. The two mercenaries coasted over the top of a lengthy bed of clouds, soaring northeast. “It's an easy twelve hour flight to Mudtop! Our clients will be meeting us there!”
Wildcard's metal talons clicked and clattered.
“Look, so some random daredevil gave us a lil' tussle,” Bard said. He adjusted his hat and stared dead ahead. “It'll make for a sassy tale to tell once we're both handsomely paid and lyin' belly-full in—”
Poof! Rainbow burst up out of the cloud bed ahead of them, trailing fluffy mist.
“—shiet!” Bard braked in mid-air while Wildcard bumped into his flank.
“Httt!” Rainbow twirled, kicked one body of mist at him, spun again, then launched a second cloudy projectile.
Bard dodged the first wave of froth. Frowning, he swung his staff and smashed the other to bits.
As the cloudy mist cleared, Rainbow came barreling through, hoof first.
POW! “Ooof!” Bard spun three times from the blow, falling limply.
Rainbow Dash ripped past him, spiraled, and charged Wildcard head on.
Wildcard switched talons and blocked Rainbow's attack with his metal talon. He gripped her limb tightly. Then, with a spark of mana, the prosthetic spun completely around on its base. Wildcard used the new grip to effortlessly fling Rainbow behind him.
Rainbow twirled, contacted a cloud with her hooves, and sprung back towards the griffon. She saw her angry muzzle reflected in his goggled lenses—and then she saw nothing but Bard's face.
WHUMP! The stallion pressed against her with the length of his metal staff. Together, the two went sprawling through the lower atmosphere, twirling between thick cloudbanks.
“Rrrrgh!” Rainbow snarled, struggling for the dominant grip of his weapon.
“Ya could have just flown away from this, darlin'!” Bard hollered as the blue world rippled past them. “Dun ya know that there's plenty of fish in the sea?!”
“That's some pretty stuffy proverb, coming from a winged blowfish!” Rainbow hollered.
“Yer cute.” Bard winked. “Unfortunately, t'ain't no kindergarten game!” With a growl, he used his strength to swing Rainbow around. Unbeknownst to her, they were gliding up the vertical side of an anvil cloud. Throwing all his weight against the staff, he grinded her pegasus muzzle against the edge of the compact storm cloud as they soared upwards.
TH-TH-TH-THWWWOOSH! Rainbow's cheek grew red and sore from the misty friction. “Rrrrgghhh!” She gritted her teeth, buckling under his weight.
“Lights out.” Bard reared his front right hoof up to knock her out.
“Bright idea.” She lunged her neck forward, clamped her teeth over the brow of his hat, then yanked it down over his eyes.
“Augh!” Bard fumbled, blind. “Dog gone it—”
WHAM! Rainbow uppercutted him with a savage kick. He went flying off—staff and all—and she was already swooping down towards the location of his griffon partner.
Wildcard hovered calmly in place, watching her incoming charge.
“I... don't like the fact that he's waiting for us,” Rarity murmured as she and Twilight glided along.
“Shhhh...” Rainbow narrowed her eyes. “...this guy's always got something up his sleeve.”
Sure enough, Wildcard spontaneously tossed Echo straight up into the air. “Mrmrmmmmfff!”
Rainbow looked up, gawking.
“Rainbow!” Twilight shouted, pointing straight ahead.
Rainbow followed the gesture.
Wildcard unsheathed both nightsticks, spun twice, and flung them violently at the mare.
“Careful—!” Rarity began.
“I see 'em!” Rainbow twirled left and then right, nimbly dodging both projectiles. Th-Thwisssh! She evened out, panting. “Hah!” The mare grinned. “Whatcha got now—?!”
Wildcard quietly held his metal talon out. The clawed tips glowed bright blue.
“Rainbowwwwww...” Twilight looked behind them.
“Huh?” Rainbow turned around to see the double nightsticks returning, magnetically attracted at twice the speed. WHANGGG! One slammed into her ribs, sending her into a wild spin. WHACK! The other struck her flank, causing her to topple over and over like a club.
Cl-Clap! Wildcard caught both clubs, then held his other arm out in time to catch Echo on the return. “Mrmmmmmfff!” Thwpp! The griffon then stretched a lazy paw out, stopping Rainbow's dizzy body in place just in time for—
“FORE!” Bard came sailing down with a massive swing of his staff. WHAMMM!
Rainbow Dash dropped like a heavy stone. Somewhere amidst the throttling pain, she caught her bearings, then spread all four limbs out. She landed on a flat cloudbed two hundred feet below. The misty surface undulated, then shot her back skyward like a spring.
Wildcard's goggles rattled.
“Oh for cryin' out loud—” Bard couldn't finish his sentence. Rainbow uppercutted him, sprung off his body, then landed a kick in Wildcard's feathery chest.
The griffon flew off, letting go of Echo. “Mrmmmfff—!”
“Gotcha!” Rainbow stammered, grasping the Sarosian's shoulders. She heard a loud yell and spotted Bard rushing in at her side. Gnashing her teeth, she flung the shrieking bat pony skyward, spun, hurdled over Bard's flank, then dove for Echo's body—
WHAM! Wildcard speared her, knocking the two of them against a bordering cloudbank. Meanwhile, Echo plummeted yet again.
“I got 'em!” Bard dove after the body while the two other combatants duked it out above.
“Rrrrrgh!” Rainbow Dash wrestled her way to the griffon's backside, throwing his neck into a vicious limb-lock. “Somepony should put a friggin' bell on you—!”
Struggling, Wildcard wrapped his tail twice around Rainbow Dash's and pulled heavily.
“Whoah—!” Rainbow Dash flipped off of him and toppled towards the clouds below. In mid-swing, however, she caught the air with her wings and then tugged on her tail, swinging the hapless griffon hard into a misty bank. WHUD!
“Hah!” Rarity hollered. “You're not the only one with tail talent!”
“They can't hear your taunts Rarity,” Twilight said.
“Well, forgive me for getting in the spirit of things—Aaaiie!” Both spectres yelped as Rainbow Dash plunged again.
Meanwhile...
“Hah!” Bard caught Echo by his tail, hoisting him up into a gentle hover. “'Bout lost our bits that time!” He felt a shadow crossing over him, and he looked up. “Oh come on!”
WHACK! Rainbow dropped hard on the stallion. Already preparing for Echo's next plunge, she dove off Bard's shoulders like a springboard and flew after the batpony. Within seconds, a griffon was gripping her from behind. “Aaaaugh! Luna poop!” She snarled and punched him repeatedly, only for Bard to grasp her from the other side. “Learn a new tune, ya Celestia-darn melon fudges! Grrrghhh!”
The three wrestled and struggled, hurling seaward after Echo's body like a conjoined missile.
Brilliant. Bloody fuckin' brilliant. Dialogue and all.
Well one thing's for certain, Echo is going to REALLY be in sorry shape once this brawl's all over.
Man, and to think Roarke's fight scene with Rainbow was nearly 90% suplex and it managed to tke 5 or 6 chapters. It's amazing the amount of moves that pop up when you're hundreds of feet in the air, so.....8 or 9 chapters, right?
I find it somewhat odd that Rainbow is being held up by these two when she took out an entire pirate ship by herself earlier this book. Would that not imply they could do the same?
Oh, how I've missed the leafy ears.
6145704 Well, the pirate ship was manned by incompetent buffoons. These two seem to be fairly experienced at what they do.
I wonder who would win a fight between Wildcard and Steelteeth.
I'm half expecting Bard to sneak a kiss while he's fighting with Rainbow Dash, only to be knocked out cold from her rage at the act ... worth it
Echo is being tossed around like a sack of potatoes.
6145690
I'm waiting for the barf to start spraying everywhere
I can just imagine Rarity and Twilight getting tugged along on some ghostly roller coaster ride.
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And it's gonna be either all over Dash or Theanim. Or possibly both.
I've missed these extended, multi-chapter fight scenes between only a few opponents. ):( does action great.
No pushups this round, ):(. I need to refill my popcorn...
Poor Echo.
Y'know, I don't think I've ever seen pegasus cloud-walking magic used that way in a fanfic. A nice touch.
Sooner or later, Dash is going to get annoyed, and start powering up the local weather to use with these guys. look at all those nicely conducting items they have on them, Sure they can manipulate shocjks and such, but primary Dash driven electric fields and lighting bolts? Not the little ones that fry muffins?
Bard forgetting rule #1 of the ):( survival guide: Don't say it's over unless you're 100% sure it's over. That just means you're getting suckered bucked in a second
This is indeed a wondrous pummeling of his illegitimate donkey
This is taking forever, but I love it. Although I would bet it has to end by chapter 100--perhaps something big will happen.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
6145713 i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/459/759/f0d.gif
Uh... Three chapters down, and a few (hopefully one) more chase/fight scene(s) chapter to go.
Watch the griffon girl, something tells me he's gonna make a grab for your pendant.
-Memories given light,ease a lonely flight.Ynanhluutr
Echo is gonna hurl soo hard! Beware the vomit comet!
Sonic Rainboom is coming!
I feel sorry for Echo. Poor guy can't fly and being tossed like that?
... No comment.
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This is now my expectation.
Hmmmm....
My main question is, why hasn't she used, say, that already mentioned storm cloud offensively? Hell, that griffon is part metal. Is it just me, or has she been relying more on physical prowess than on inherent magic throughout this series?
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I'm surprised the necklace's possibility of being removed doesn't popup more in action scenes.
Geeze Echo has been though complete help today, this has to be the worst day of his life by far.
Thank the gods RD has all that fighting experience from her adventures so far.
Yep... looks like everyone can't get enough of the bat.
Finally RD realizes it and proclaims, "I am the
lawwind."6146415 That idea doesn't seem stupid. It needs to have a more reckless or stupid parts of it to work. On a related note, neither Scarity or Spookle have learned the lesson that a plan being stupid means it has to work. Let's see how this skybrawl continues.
I'm glad Bard realized there's something up with the whole radar situation. Also Rarity is taking this crazy well, the whole kidnapping and sky duel and violence compared to Spookles, "Don't Punch the Pirate, they might have children!"
6146110 ...His funeral
I was seriously hoping for more respect for the moon mother from one of her Sarosian's.
Keeps getting tag-teamed. One might think she'd learn to keep an eye on her back after a while - especially when she literally has eyes watching her back, no?
If this is what Rarity felt for Spike in Dragon Quest, how would she defend Loyalty itself?
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Mind you, the episode this is from happened after The Return of Harmony, but I think the sentiment can carry over. Scarity literally can't dirty her hooves during any fighting...
I don't know anymore if I want her to rescue the guy and then they all go "so, where were we?" and forget about the musicians; or have them take the guy and have a long arc where Dash has to rescue him from the mobsters.
Either these are innuendos or me with a dirty mind.
It's been a long time since we've had a fight scene like this between Rainbow and competent adversaries. Looking forward to watching them beat the tar out of each other some more before Bard and WC eventually become the latest additions to RD's Mötley Crüe
This chapter makes me think the Durandana pegasi's Valkyrie religion will evolve to produce paladins of Austraeoh or "clerics of Awesomeness".
My autocorrect has auto-recognized Austraeoh as a real word!
You know, I found Rainbow's comment about Roarke being worth a hundred of these two really cute.
Now make your love interest proud, and beat these desperados into a bloody pulp!
Hmmm, the power creep is certainly felt here. Feels like these two shoulnd't be as strong as they are or Dash isn't at her best.
I really wish bard was somehow canine so i could say that he's barking up the wrong tree here.
6149960 narratives are highly malleable things, aren't they?
6155029 You have to remember though, Yeah she fought Roarke and won, but she also barely survived that fight, combined with the fact that whilst yes neither of these two are anywhere NEAR as tough as roarke, They are in fact good, There are two of them, and it's quite apparent that they have a lot of practice fighting together as a team. As well they are both talented fliers, Meaning they know how to handle Her kind of Airborne fighting tactics that tend to leave ground bound foes at a loss.
It's that teamwork that's throwing her off her game, most of the foes she's fought, Especially the Big Bads like Shell and Roarke, The Ursa or Lady pestiferous, Or even Axan and her sister like have been Solo targets, Most of them unaccustomed to fighting a skilled agile Flying opponent, or groups of hapless mooks, again usually not equipped with fighting something quite like her, or working effectively as a team. And even then when she ran into a Co-ordinated group of foes she "usually" Had the noble jury Backing her up in some way shape or form.(I.e. the goblins)
The major exception? The changelings, fliers, excellent co-ordination as a team, Skill set that allows them to quickly adapt to her style of fighting and overcome it. They may have been "Faceless goons" So to speak but they'd have had her beat if it wasn't for the one she saved.
Rainbow is having a tough time. Really shows how those who know how to work together, even if individually they are less capable (note that Rainbow has won every single one on one fight so far, or at least hasn't been taken out for long enough for it to be decisive) can give a more capable opponent a really really tough time. similar to how team tactics were developed by the US to allow its inferior Naval fighters to compete, and in many cases defeat the Japanese Zero fighter. Ironically Roarke would have had it easier since they seem to rely more on tools as force multipliers (grenades, staff, etc) than sheer capability as she has them beaten hands down in that department, just hit the both of them with a dozen missiles and a hail of gunfire each. Too bad these guys don't know that there is no option that allows them to win if they go against her.
Echo just wants the ride to stop at this point
No brakes on the vomit comet.
Y'know, a lot's changed in the writing and the story since Rainbow and Roarke's fight scene (was that the first multi-chaptered one? Maybe she had one with Shell prior), but it'll be a long time yet before I stop enjoying these.
6617809 Your comment made my night.
I think at this point Echo would prefer just to be handed to the Syndicate.
6617809
Gold.