A Taste of Serene Things
"So, I've been thinking..." Ebon stammered, hopping down from a ledge of earth and landing on an overturned tree trunk. "Maybe when the pegasi landed in this part of the world, whatever brought them here somehow caused the crater, destroying a whole bunch of the vegetation and animals and stuff." He continued descending down the craggy landscape, following Eagle Eye at a distance through the woods. "So, they felt bad about it. And—according to Rainbow, at least, pegasi are really keen on maintaining balance in nature. So they probably took it upon themselves to stay in this crater and re-plant all of the damaged trees and nurture the animal species back to health." He grunted as he landed on grassy earth and trotted up behind Eagle Eye. "I mean, I know it's a bit of a stretch to believe that all of this lush jungle is the product of winged ponies doing horticulture, but given enough centuries or—heck—millennia—"
"Shhhhhh!" Eagle insisted.
Ebon jerked to a stop, blinking. "What... what is it?"
Eagle pointed forward. "Just look."
Ebon plopped down beside Eagle, squinting curiously. Soon, his breath left him.
Before them stretched a shallow pond beneath a tiny trickling waterfall. Above was a cliff overhanging with vines and loose tree roots. As the two stallions sat and stared, a flight of butterflies fluttered across the scene, their brilliant wings reflected by the immaculate surface of the pond.
"I... I-I've never seen them so large!" Ebon stammered.
Eagle smiled. "I don't think they have anything that preys on them. So they can get as big as they want in this crater."
"Huh?"
"Crimson used to explain it to me. With less predators, you have bigger herbivores and pollinators. It's probably the same reason those so-called 'leatherbacks' are so huge and—"
Ebon giggled.
Eagle blinked curiously at him.
"You don't have to explain it," Ebon said, straightening his mane. "It's beautiful enough as it is to look at." He exhaled. "Thanks..."
"Uh..." Eagle smiled awkwardly. "You're welcome?" He shrugged. "Not like I put the butterflies here."
"Heeheehee..."
Eagle raised an eyebrow. "Now what?"
"Oh, you know how to put butterflies somewhere, alright."
Eagle chuckled. "You sure are goofy when you're far from your kitchen."
"Yeah. But I like goofy."
"No complaints here."
Silence.
Eagle felt a gentle weight against his shoulder. He said nothing, stealthily bringing a forelimb up and wrapping it around Ebon's side as the stallion leaned into him. A few breaths later, and Eagle leaned his cheek against the top of Ebon's mane as both gazed serenely into the placid scene.
Rainbow Dash gazed down into the ravine from where she hovered. She watched as leatherbacks flew from one end to the other, bellowing and groaning to one another. Their booming voices echoed loudly across the steep walls of the enormous canyon, making the branches of the flanking trees flounce.
Rainbow smirked. As the leatherbacks she was watching retreated into deep tunnels and caverns, she spun towards the group of Durandanans.
"Wow. Who'd a thunk it? This place totally reminds me of Ghastly Gorge back at—" She stopped in mid-sentence, blinking wide.
Everypony was bowing down low, facing southeast with wings outstretched. They both murmured as one: "The Towers Rise."
Rainbow blinked. She heard the loud clanking of wood and metal issuing over the treetops. Glancing up, she saw a different tower than the day previous. This one was thicker, bulkier, and had a stone frame at its summit. Just like the tower she had seen before, its topmost piece was hollowed out with windows facing east and west.
Nevertheless, as it lifted, Rainbow Dash swiftly dropped to the floor. She glanced mutely at her companions, ultimately copying their body postures with a stretching-forth of her wings.
Not long after, a beam of golden light flew into the tower, then arched overhead. Rainbow looked up from her position to see the laser piercing the mists and shooting its way due west where—she figured—it would inevitably pierce the hollow of the tower she and the Jurists had seen the previous day.
Just then, Sivrem and the rest of the ponies around Rainbow Dash chanted in a low voice: "We swear to secure and to protect the Gold Lights forever. So promise the foals of the Valkyrie forever. From First-Born to Last."
"Erm..." Rainbow gulped. "'From First-Born to Last.'" She smiled nervously.
Everyone stood up, catching their collective breaths.
Sivrem turned around in time to see Rainbow Dash standing up along with them. He raised an eyebrow. "So, you feel as though you're one of us now? To quote the sacred oath?"
"Er... s-sorry..." Rainbow bit her lip. "Guess I-I just felt like fitting in..."
"Nothing to be sorry about," Jerrio said as he suddenly touched down alongside Kitsune, Rayvinne, and a smattering of other pegasi. "Everypony dwells in the shadow of the Valkyrie's wings. We're pleased that you would honor us."
"Jerrio, you handsome scamp." Sivrem smirked. "Were you flying as the towers rose?"
"Please." Jerrio rolled his eyes. "Don't think as if you can catch me being direspectful." He gestured. "We were a few trees away. We heard your flock chanting too, so we gusted this way."
"You actually herded all of the leathernecks into the ravine already?" Kirstune exclaimed, trotting up to the edge of the ravine and staring down in surprise. "That's amazing..."
"Well, we had help!" Smythe exclaimed, smiling wide. "Rainbow showed some true gust!"
"She's no gull!" Jagold said, giggling.
"Mmmmm..." Rayvinne trotted right by Rainbow, brushing her side with a few of her feathers. "I could have told you that."
"Eh heh heh heh..." Rainbow blushed and took a firm step away from Rayvine. "Ahem." She slicked her mane back and said, "I just contributed what I could. Can't let you guys do all the work."
"You sure you're not one of us?" Jagold remarked, blinking. "I can't help but think that all of this 'outsider' stuff is made up."
"Yes, because Rainbow was able to make the floating Valkyrie Silver appear out of nowhere," Jerrio groaned.
"Now now, let's not get too feathered over what Rainbow and her companions have plainly explained to us," Kitsune said. "She's our guest, and if she wants to learn more about us, what better a way than to be one of us?"
Jagold giggled and did a little cheer, backflipping through the air.
"Uhhh..." Rainbow raised her hoof. "Question."
"What's up?" Smythe glanced her way.
Rainbow pointed at the enormous tower stretching southeast of them. "Why'd you face that while giving the oath today?" She pivoted west. "Yesterday, you faced that tower."
"It's simple," Kitsune said with a smile. "It's whichever tower is closest to us when they rise."
"Ah. So, that is—"
"Central D," Rayvinne said. She smirked. "Where our smartest and most dedicated Gray Feathers live."
"Also the best place to be the opposite of smart and dedicated..." Smythe nudged Jerrio's side. "Am I right?"
Jerrio sighed through a weak smile. "We are most certainly not taking Rainbow Dash to the feather lounge. She's here to fill her mind, not her other organs."
"Maybe you're not taking her, Mr. 'I-can't-wait-to-be-a-boring-and-stale-Gray-Feather.' But what about the rest of us who aren't First-Born?"
While the pegasi around the group collectively laughed, Rainbow spoke up: "Not that it... doesn't sound awesome." She cleared her throat. "I gotta take Jerrio's side on this one. I really wanna know more about what makes you guys tick."
"Like what?" Kitsune asked, staring straight at Rainbow.
Rainbow blinked. She fidgeted. "Oh. Well. Uhm..." She gestured up at the beam of light shooting out of the enormous tower. "What do you suppose is so big about the Light from Above?"
Jerrio did a double-take. He opened his mouth—
"Allow me, friend..." Sivrem said, stepping forward with a smirk. "Your passion will only make your muzzle explode."
"Nnnnngh..." Jerrio folded his forelimbs and frowned. Pegasi chuckled.
"The Sun is what gives Durandana its strength," Sivrem explained, staring firmly at Rainbow Dash as he trotted around her. "It renews life and accelerates the motion of the elements. Without it, we couldn't exist. The Valkyrie knew this... which is why she dedicated her life to serving the Sun's glory."
"Yeah... fancy that..." Rainbow nodded, fumbling with her mane as she said, "You ever think that—just maybe—there was a reason why she was so big on the Sun?"
"Why wouldn't she be?" Rayvinne asked. "She saw its glory up close in the days before the foundation of Durandana."
"Yeah, but... like..." Rainbow bit her lip, finally blurting, "What if she knew the pony who was responsible for the Sun?"
Smythe and Jagold blinked stupidly at one another.
"Would you mind repeating that?" Kitsune said with a confused expression.
"She doesn't have to," Jerrio droned. "I heard her the first time." Clearing his throat, the First-Born trotted until he could look at Rainbow dead-on. "The Light From Above is a force and nothing else. The same as the Gold Lights. The scrolls maintain this."
"Yes, but—"
"Being an outsider from Durandana, it can be understood that you wouldn't grasp this," Jerrio continued. "But that's fine. When you visit the Gray Feathers of Central, they'll most certainly be able and willing to educate you on the full history of the Valkyrie and her sworn devotion to the Sun."
"Oh... t-totally..." Rainbow sat back with folded ears. "She certainly sounds like a loyal p-pony..."
"Our Mother couldn't have been anything less," Jerrio said, smiling. "The Sun enriched her life, and the essence of that blessing has made its way through the fiber of our very being. We all owe it to her for preserving the glory until the end of her days."
"Plus, it's pretty snazzy being alive." Jagold rolled over Smythe's body and leaned in to nuzzle his neck. "Mmmmm—isn't that right, Smythe?"
"Heheheheh... your damn right."
"Enough talk!" Sivrem extended his wings. "We've got some time to kill before the hour we told the elders that we would arrive in Central!" He grinned devilishly. "Perhaps we can show Rainbow here what we Durandanans are truly made of—"
"Oh, no. Please." Rainbow nervously shook her hooves. "Really. I'm not that kind of—"
"Who thinks that they can outrace me?!" Sivrem said, hovering upwards.
"Oh... whew..." Rainbow exhaled, smiling dumbly. "Yeah, that sounds like fun."
"Hah! Please, Sivrem," Kitsune said, chuckling as she hovered up alongside him. "Don't even pretend to be unfair to an outsider. She's still got the feathers of a gull. You can clearly see that."
Rainbow looked up. Slowly, wickedly, she grinned. Woosh! In a blink, she was hovering in front of Sivrem and Kitsune, making the pegasi below gasp. "You're just afraid." She winked. "Afraid to have your tail whooped by an ordinary outsider."
"Rainbow, you're the only outsider," Kitsune said. "Nothing ordinary about it."
"Or extraordinary!" Sivrem said, smirking around at the crowd below. "I bet she couldn't outfly a mosquito!" Several ponies laughed.
"You wanna put your ego where your eggshells are?" Rainbow said.
Several ponies whooped and chirped.
Sivrem turned, gawking at the mare. "You're certainly not asking me to go easy on you..."
"Then how about I agree not to be easy on you?" Rainbow smirked. "I'll race you. But not just you—you and all the buddies you choose!"
"Hmmm..." Sivrem tapped his chin, smirking. "Sounds doable. How about from Central to West D and back?"
"Pfffft. What am I, a foal?" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I flew with you guys this morning to get the full Durandanan treatment." She folded her forelimbs, smirking. "So... show me what you've got."
Jerrio glanced up at Sivrem.
Sivrem squinted, then cracked a grin. "Very well." His voice rose as he hovered above the crowd. "I think Rainbow Dash here could use the traditional Rite of Gusting!"
The air filled with bird-like shrieks and whistles.
Rainbow glanced all around, curious.
"But, I assure you..." Sivrem chuckled deeply. "It certainly isn't easy."
"Where I come from, I used 'easy' as an outhouse." Rainbow spat. "Bring it on."
"Very well. Let's see how well your wings work..." Sivrem pointed towards the massive canyon below. "...with very little wind."
Jagold gulped. Smythe leaned forward while Rayvinne trembled ever so slightly.
Rainbow peered into the deep ravine, and she smiled. "Now we're talking..."
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Clearly the 'Valkyrie'failed to mention a certain someone...
Hmm, so they pray like the Army salutes the flag at Reveille and Retreat: salute the closest one.
Also, heresy inbound...
Thirty pushups, ):(. Knock 'em out!
Oh dear... the knowledge Dash is withholding from them might be tantamount to heresy...
This might not go over well later on...
Nooo, don't go into the cave! There are always monsters there!
Gasp! A your/you're error! How dare you!
I don't know if i can ever trust you again...
This went from YEAH to goshdarnit really quickly.
That said, it'll be interesting whenever Celestia is mentioned, if at all.
4747165
It could be that they've just lost that information over time, or it was vague to begin with.
I'm calling it now that they are likely to be chased out of here after Rainbow,or one of the Jury;Roarke maybe,contradicts the Grey Feathers. Or they see the sword and talk to Celestia.
4747189
No Rainbow-flank for you!
Perfect. I want in on that race.
4747197
Hey. Rayvinne just feather marked RD!
4747219 I'm not sure, feathermarking is specifically on the cutiemark rather than the side... though I'm guessing it's a similar idea. There's definitely attraction there (although it seems more like lust than anything
)
I fear the fallout when RD reveals she came from the original country Hurricane came from, and that she has a phone line to the mare who controls the damn sun.
I fear the pegasi aren't going to react very well when they find out the truth about the sun and everything.
4747197
4747219
Oh yes.
Wonder if they have Quarrey Eels shooting out of the sides like at Ghastly Gorge, or massive briar tangles or rockfalls down that ravine, or if its going to be rapidly variable dimentions with gusts and gales , only?
If the locals donr know about Hurricane and Celestia, then someones doing the editing for purposes of containment?
This chapter makes me giggle.
When it comes to blows, I'm guessing Celestia would be willing to lower and raise the sun a bit just to humor them.
4747349 I thought Luna's the one raising both the sun and moon while Celestia busy controlling whatever in Ponyville?
Jerrio's reaction here kinda makes me a bit suspicious of what's gonna happen once Rainbow reveals that she knows the pony that raises the sun...
4747349
Yeah, this is what I'm expecting to happen.
This will either make them believe, scare the hell out of them ("The world is ending OMG!!!"), or really piss them off on account of heresy.
I wish I could say I was keen on the first one happening...
I think that Rainbow Dash feels the need: The need for speed!
Ebon, you
Gee whiz, I'm dyin' over here. 
First the melons, now this?
4747236 Something tells me they won't react pleasantly, in denial, and wish to expunge.
And let the racing begin!
Well, they're in for a surprise.
She's gonna come out whooping and laughing.
Yes, because things always work well for Rainbow when she goes into caves and canyons.
With regards to the matter of the sun, I'm not sure what to expect. Except, a conflict between conventional wisdom and the reality of Celestia's badassitude. Methinks Rainbow will bring a schism to fair Durandana.
What is this, Vegas?
4747167
Yeah, the way Jerrio responded, I'm guessing we have some shit inbound on the fan
I was right.
Rainbow Dash is going to destroy their system of beliefs.
*sits up straighter*
4747520 DON'T ROCK THE BOAT, RAINBOW. DON'T YOU DARE.
So Celestia is definitely not the Valkyrie. Unless her not mentioning that she rose the sun was deliberate, or this was pre-Discord, or I'm looking too much into this. Anyway.
Let the race begin!
I just had a disturbing thought. Chrysalis is trying to destroy happy and harmonious places, right? How do we know she didn't secretly fly a skystone ship (seriously, they were in Zabudabadu[i know i misspelled that somehow] long enough they probably had enough for a ship. What if Durandana is already infiltrated?
4748060 I think the valkyrie is Hurricane,who also had a rainbow striped mane,like Dash,which would explain why the Durandanans first borns dye their manes with rainbow streaks.
4748026 Oh yeah...Statues of Celestia abound,and they'll want to keep the sword.
I have a theory.
Commander Hurricane had foals. Multiple. She had one before leaving Equestria. Rainbow Dashs' line. Depending on the size of the force that went with her(I imagine it was sizeable; the threat was real enough), she may have had a few romps for stress relief. She has more foals, but the threat is still present. Stratopolis is stuck above land and the wind is creating a crater-like structure that is immense. Hurricane's regiment figures out how to seal the doom, but it'll be costly so they find a way to leave behind the injured/sickly/elderly and the foals. Stratopolis goes away, but the currents above the crater leave it shrouded.
Hurricane may or may not have mentioned her first-born that she left behind. Or, just that the first-borns have to pick up the slack faster than others because they are first. The ones left in the crater make Hurricane's foals leaders and they start the system with first-borns being what they are.
I've got nothing on the buildings.
There is so much innuendo in this chapter.
W.A.S.P. - The Flame
4748179 all of the Bs and Ds need to be switched around, but otherwise it's correct. Zadubadabu.
Have I mentioned how adorable these two are?
Anyone else think dash might bust out a rainboom?
The Ebon Eye hype will never stop. That train has no brakes, only boosters. So many boosters.
Also, this arc is apparently the horny teenage years of the Austraeoh series.
I get the feeling Rainbow is gonna get on the bad side of the Grey Feather Inquisition
Tell me more about this "feather lounge"
Ebon Eye mush.... so...damn....adorable.....
also, this meeting with the Grey Feathers is not going to go well.....
4747799 "BURN THE HERETIC!" style
Uh oh.
Quit while you're ahead, Dashie. Some truths are better left unspoken. They've been perfectly fine for a thousand years.
>Kirstune
Who?
Feather lounge sounds hawt
>your damn right
*you're
okay, either Dash is going to kick some ass, or fail miserably, or crash in an incident like Ghastly Gorge (only cuz it was mentioned earlier)
so, yeah, 1/3 chance of making it, just makes it more fun. Lets GO!!!
Time for Rainbow to kick some flank. Show them who's boss!
-Spirit
They should have never even thought of challenging her. Of course, this is >inb4 they beat her.
Imminent sonic rainboom.
It's lovely to see Rainbow in an environment that's just so... her. Like Celestia said, she's got the fire in her eyes once again. Or the young tone in her voice, as it was.
Wait...you mean, like most of Dash's flying days in Ponyville? And they think this is gonna make it harder on her?
Eagle and Ebon are the cutest ship on this ship, and that counts the Tsundere thing Dashie and Roarke have going on.
I suddenly remember the race she had (well, will never have in this story) through the Ghastly Gorge. The music used in the show was Ride of the Valkyries, appropriately enough.