It's Not Easy Being Cheesy
The Noble Jury flew east.
It took minutes to clear the rest of the crater of Durandana. East D was an intricate, spiraling marvel of wooden architecture. Rainbow was amazed that she had never given herself the chance to lay her eyes on it before. There was no telling what things, creatures, and sights were left to be seen in that misty crater. Rainbow Dash briskly trotted below deck and didn't come out until the ship had cleared the Sky Stabs.
The world transformed into something frighteningly brighter by the time the Jurists had cleared the crater. With the mists and jagged topography gone, the continent appeared in all of its crystal clear glory. The landscape stretched green and beautiful as far as the horizon could reach. The air grew chillier, and the earth sloped down into sloping valleys dotted all over with fir trees and lush pine.
Floydien never looked so awake. Several crew members gave him double-glances, surprised at the bright luster in his eyes. When questioned, the elk conveyed in so few words that he was at his best when allowed to "glide, free from glimmer shimmer." Pilate sat by his side and the two discussed the finer mechanics of aeronautics for hours, until a melting sunset painted their healthy bodies amber.
Ebon Mane had a feast prepared for this latest leg of their flight. He sliced apart one whole cheese wheel for the occasion, which left Zaid an anxious, drooling mess. Props dragged the stallion into the mess hall where they joined Bellesmith, Eagle Eye, and Josho in felicitous conversation. Kera galloped all around, levitating Jerrio's feather over her head and pretending she was a pegasus. There was no shortage of giggles and warm breaths. As night poured darkness outside the portholes, the ship began to wind down as well. Soon, Floydien switched on autopilot and came trotting downstairs along with Pilate to enjoy the meal Ebon had prepared.
This was the scene that Rainbow Dash stumbled upon when she shuffled in from a nap in the observation room.
She waited in the crook of the doorway to the infirmary, catching her breath. Rainbow's teeth chattered loudly as she fought the last few waves of dizziness rocketing through her system. Then, with several solid breaths, she stood straight, feeling the blood rushing to the far extremes of her body. She flexed both forelimbs, and once she felt that she had completely recovered, she trotted bravely out into the hallway and marched into the mess hall beyond.
"...never go back to eating any other kind of sandwiches! I'm telling you!" Zaid rambled from where he sat at the long table, smiling. "The Durandanans were good cooks and all, but they didn't have the culinary skills of Sailbooty here." He pointed at the burgundy stallion hoofing sandwiches out one plate at a time. "I'm telling you, our mouths are gonna implode with cheesy goodness!"
"Jee, thanks, Zaid. I'm flattered." Ebon blinked. "I think."
"Heehee!" Props giggled. "No need for the preview, Zaidy Waidy! I had some grilled cheese the other night, remember?"
"Yeah. But this one will have considerably less of my hairs in it."
"Nnnnngh..." Josho grumbled, eyes rolling. "Must you ruin this before my colon does?"
"Sorry, Chins," Zaid said. "Whew! No offense to birds of a feather, but I'm super glad to be out of that giant stone bowl! It was starting to feel a little cramped, y'know?"
"No offense taken, Zaid," Rainbow said as she hovered to a chair beside Pilate and Bellesmith. "I know we all have things to do. It was... uhm..." She fidgeted, then took a deep breath. "It was really swell of you guys to let us stay in Durandana for as long as we did." She gulped. "It... really meant a lot to me."
"Awwwwwww..." Props cooed, blue eyes sparkling. "It's okies, Dashie!"
"Absolutely," Eagle said with a grin. "I enjoyed every moment of our stay." He glanced up with a smile. "And I'm not the only one." He winked.
Ebon blushed, biting his lip as he blindly placed down another piping-hot slice of grilled cheese.
"Gaaaah!" Zaid flinched, batting the cheesy mess out of his crotch. "Hot hot hot!"
"D'oh! Sorry! I'm s-so sorry!"
"It's okay..." Zaid hissed, eyes tearing slightly. He nevertheless sported a brave smile. "It's already been through a lot this week."
"Snkkkt—Heeheeheehee!" Props slapped the table, giggling.
Ebon gulped. "Okaaaaaaaaay..." He side-trotted. "I'm going to serve Floydien now..."
"Not too much of the yellow drip drip, sailboat."
"Yeah, yeah. Most of this is going to Josho anyways."
"Dayum straight."
"Mmmm!" Kera hopped into her stool beside Belle and Pilate. "Smells good!" She blinked, then glanced up at her guardians. "We're not gonna run out of good eats, are we?"
"Hmmmm..." Belle smiled. She reached over, straightening the filly's green bangs. "I doubt it, darling. Between Abinadi's generosity and the Durandanans', I think we're set."
"A welcome reprieve, if there ever was one," Pilate said.
"I gotta say..." Eagle smirked. "I'm liking this continent more and more with each passing day!"
"Enjoy it while it lasts, sissy saddles," Josho muttered, rubbing his hooves together greedily as Ebon reached his plate and started dishing out a solid stack of bread-and-cheese. "I'm sure the ugliness is waiting for us just a shout away."
"Ungh!" Props rolled her blue eyes. "Why is everypony on board this ship so paranoid?"
"Mrmmmfff..." Zaid gulped down a tasty morsel and murmured, "You seem to be doing just fine."
"I guess Nancy's womb shields me."
"Yes yes yes."
"Really, though, Rainbow..." Josho glanced across the table. "Shouldn't we be starting a game plan?"
"Hmmm?" She looked back at him.
"For Val Roa. I'm glad you got to peck it with the birds and all, but we've inadvertently given her one hell of a head start."
"Perhaps," Pilate said. "Perhaps not."
"Come on, stripes," Josho sighed. "You can't always be so dayum optimistic."
"Optimism doesn't necessarily signify ignorance." Pilate smirked slightly. "Chrysalis lost a great deal of power the last time we encountered her. I doubt that in all her eons of existence she's ever dealt with such a handicap."
"Yeah, but she's still got eons of existence. That's enough to make her a major threat. Never mind the ability to fart into whatever she wants to."
"Yeah!" Props blinked. "How will we ever find her!"
"We'd lose our heads from spinning if we even try," Eagle Eye said. "Best thing to do is approach Val Roa and seek audience with the royalty there."
"Heehee!" Kera giggled. "Yeah, that'll be rich!"
"For real!" Eagle Eye shrugged. "Every pony and turtle has been super friendly here! Is it too silly to expect the monarchs of Val Roa to be open to conversation with weary travelers seeking peace?"
"And just how is that going to go?" Kera stood up on her stool and cleared her throat. In a ridiculously eloquent tone she murmured, "'Allo Governor of Val Roa! Right fancy day for a stroll around the royal gardens! My name is Duchess Eagle Eye! Ya fancy helping us hunt down a bloody sod of a changeling!'"
"Oka-a-a-ay," Belle chided, nevertheless chuckling. She smiled through a blushing muzzle as she patted Kera's shoulders. "No standing at the table, darling."
"Ya see what I mean?" Kera sat back, smirking devilishly. "It's just stupid to expect the absolute best!"
Eagle Eye, meanwhile, slunked in his seat with a pout. "Only a duchess...?"
Ebon sat down beside him, leaned in, and kissed his cheek. "Muah. Just relax and eat, EE."
"Meh..."
"What about you, Rainbow Dash?" Kera asked. "What do you think we should do?"
"Mmmmrnngh..." Rainbow squirmed in her chair. Her wings were coiled tight as she stared a hole through the tabletop. "Really, it's just the first day of flight. Do we have to talk about it now?"
"Rainbow Dash..." Josho sighed.
"Less spit is fine for Floydien," the elk said, already halfway through his grilled cheese. "Mmmm... slime sublime..."
"It's not that I wanna overstress the issue," Josho said. He gulped and added, "I guess it's just the stubborn old soldier who refuses to die inside of me."
"And that's fine, Josho," Rainbow said. "I appreciate your focus. Really. It's just..." She sighed, clutching her head as she slumped against the dinner table. "My head's still spinning. It's hard to even sleep..." She felt a golden hoof on her shoulder. She looked up.
Belle was smiling sweetly. "It couldn't have been easy, Rainbow," she said. "Giving up what you did."
"Heh... yeah, well..." Rainbow shrugged. "I didn't have the sword for that long anyways, and it's not like I'm totally loss on the princess front—"
"Rainbow..." Belle squeezed her shoulder. "We all know that you sacrificed more than that."
Rainbow bit her lip. At last, her voice cracked, "I-I would have given up more if I stayed."
Pilate and Kera smiled.
Eagle and Ebon stared, rosy-cheeked.
"Unnngh..." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "When it rains, it pours." She leaned in and nuzzled Belle dearly.
"Awwwwwwwwwwwwww," Props cooed again.
"Eep! C-careful, Rainbow!" Belle shuddered as the plate before them rattled. "The cheese!"
"I always have my eye out for cheese."
"Heeheehee!"
"It's so great to have you with us, Rainbow," Pilate said. "It wouldn't be the same Jury otherwise."
"Yeah, well..." Rainbow leaned back with a somber breath. "The you-know-what is still out on that one."
"Cute."
"Mrmmmfff..." Zaid muttered in mid-scarf, gesturing. "You know, Awesome Sauce... mmmfff... I was thinking..." He gulped a bite down. "There's no reason why you can't have another sword made for you!"
"Buh?"
"I've been told just how badflank you were with all the goonie slaying back in Stratopolis! Maybe—like—we can land in a town around here that has a blacksmith!"
"Unnngh... Zaid..."
"For real!" He grinned. "I've got experience in making some steel! We'll give you something new to bite between your teeth! Maybe something with a snazzier hilt. I mean, no offense to the righteously enchanted beacon connecting Durandana to Equestria, but that damn blade always looked a bit too plain to me."
"Really?" Pilate cocked his head innocently to the side.
"That's it! I'll get you one with a snazzier hilt! Bird wings and all that crap! It'll even match your eyes—"
"Look, Zaid, you want my opinion on that?" Rainbow droned. "Do whatever. For real. Knock yourself out."
"Pffft. Don't you care?"
"Not really, no." Rainbow sighed. "I'm just... through with fighting for a while." She slumped back in her chair. "I don't even feel up to kicking clouds at the moment."
"Nopony's going to force you to do any of the sort, Rainbow," Belle said.
"Yes, well, give it time," Rainbow said with a tired smirk.
"Now that's more like it," Josho uttered.
"Hrmmph... I think differently!" Eagle Eye stood up. "Let's enjoy this moment of peace and togetherness!"
"Ugh..." Josho rolled his eyes. "Somepony shoot me. Roarke?!"
"No! I mean it!" Eagle grinned wide. "How about a toast?"
"Erm..." Ebon fidgeted. "I-I didn't pour drinks yet."
Eagle tapped his chin, glanced down, and grinned wide. He raised a slice of grilled cheese. "Ahem...To peace! And Rainbow Dash living the dream!"
"Spkkkt... Ha ha ha ha!" Rainbow hugged herself, grinning. "You for real?"
"As real as I've ever been!" Eagle beamed.
"Snazzatron!" Kera hopped up on the table before Belle could stop her, levitating her own slice of cheese sandwhich. "To Rainbow Dash!"
"Heeheeehee!" Props hopped up and raised her slice. "To keeping things breezy!"
Pilate stood up, holding a plate out. "To continued civility..."
"Spark alive, beloved..." Belle stealthily replaced Pilate's plate with a sandwich slice and stood up beside him. "Hrmmm... To a warm reception in Val Roa."
"To panties!" Zaid shot up, grinning.
"Hrmmmf..." Floydien rolled his eyes and stood up. "To less of this boomer pooper pile."
Eagle Eye giggled.
Ebon glanced at his barren place setting. He hurriedly scooped up a slice from Eagle's plate and stood up.
"Heh... you guys are impossible..." Rainbow grabbed a slice and hovered up. "Just how do we do this?"
"We just do it!"
"To the Jury!" Ebon squeaked proudly.
"To getting this over with!" Rainbow shoved her sliced forward.
Everypony followed suit. With a loud squish, their cheesy sandwiches collided above the table... and stuck together.
"Whoopsies!" Props blushed.
"You've got to be kidding Floydien..."
"You didn't think this out, glitterbutt!" Josho grumbled.
"Sorr-rr-rr-yyyy!" Eagle Eye managed amidst a giggle-snort.
As the group struggled to unstick the sandwiches, Props suddenly glanced aside.
"Uhhh... Zaidy Waidy?"
"Rrrgh... Yeah, Blondie?"
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
"... ... ..." Zaid's ears folded back. "Megacrud!" He dropped his sandwich altogether and galloped out of the room. "Gang way!" He shot into the tunnel, took a sharp left, and slammed the lavatory door behind him. Seconds later, everypony could almost feel the airship rocking.
"Hrmmmf..." The elk frowned. "What did Floydien just say?"
"Oh goddess..." Ebon rolled his eyes and giggled.
"Hoo boy..." Josho slumped back in his seat with a dumb smirk. "How the tables have turned."
"And the seats, for that matter," Pilate added.
The whole mess room filled with chuckles and laughter.
Roarke heard it from afar. She stared, unseen, from the kitchen door. Chewing on her lip, the Searonese mare almost stepped out to join the group. She lurched in place, wincing. Her lenses reflected the colors of the rainbow—then nothing as they retracted.
With a seething expression, Roarke turned from the group. She brushed her scarlet braids back, sighed, and trotted lonesomely across the kitchen and into the stairwell beyond.
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Roarke? What are you doing? Actually, somebody should probably have noted her absence by now...
For god's sake, you've turned into a girl twisting her skirts at a high school dance.
Say it. No
bodypony will think any the worse of you.Again. Gross.
I really like those first words.
The weight is not lost.
The Noble Jury flew east.
It takes a lot of cheese to do that.
Looks like we will have a chance to play the "who's a changeling" game for a second round soon.
Roarke is a mare with a plan, and I'm thinking the lack of a solid one is beginning to get on her last nerve.
Roarke really needs to talk to someone if she keeps bottling this up its not going to be good. I also liked the first sentence its really well done.
Roarke, what's wrong?
Seriously, I'm confused.
She was becoming more outgoing, but then bam! She's old Roarke again.
Dash is getting the attacks on a daily basis now. Val Roa is going t be Ground Zero for whatever comes next.
Meanwhile, Xaid is stressing the plumbing of the Jane and the Jake to the limits, after working out on Props.
Rorke not even getting to the cheese on toast though.
4892562
No, I don't think so. She's still in the process of changing. If she was old Roarke she'd be out there with them but still hiding what she feels. Now she's being more honest in her feelings but seems to be in constant, abject terror that anyone will find out that she's not so above it all as they thought.
Roarke pls
So
I'll continue to continue
To pretend
My life will never end
Zaid's going to forget every time, isn't he?
Oh, Roarke. Don't be so gloom.
Look, everyone is being happy and toasting with toasts!
...
To the Jury!
Baby steps Roarke.
Baby steps...
You know, I think chapters like these are my favorites. Just a solid, diverse cast of characters chillin', bickerin', and shootin' the breeze. If it wasn't for the worldbuilding and mythos that comes with the more dramatic chapters, I'd almost wish they were all this way. But perhaps a balance between the two is best.
Also, there's something appropriate about making a toast with grilled cheese.
And then there's Roarke. Come on, girl! You've been making progress. Just join them. What reason in the deepest pits of hell could you possibly have for thinking they wouldn't welcome you with open arms and cheesy goodness? Oh well. Character developments gonna develop.
GROUP HUG!!!
...No? Not for Roarke? Awww...
Ahhh...good ol' banter. Love chapters like this.
That glimmer of hope.
I Really want a grilled cheese now.
I could attempt to make a bad metaphor about the sticking of the cheese, but the scene speaks for itself.
Glad to be back off the road just in time to see the Jury get on again. May it fly far.
.... how and/or why would ponies wear those? (makes horrible error of judgment and looks it up).....
Come on Roarke, you were almost there. Be a beautiful social butterfly and break out of your metal cocoon. Also please talk to Rainbow at least once, i'm not sure if she is even aware of the existence of new Roarke.
Seething? Wtf happened to roarke!? She was doing so well with the others. Did she ever even talk to rainbow during the time in the crater?
Wasn't its hilt said to be made in the image of an alicorn stretching her wings?
I say give Roarke some time. Let her process this stuff.
If Rainbow talks to her, let it happen.
Very difficult if they're flying east. This will be allowed. This time.
4892562 4893700 Awwwww. Give her a break, guys. She's struggling through her first crush.
...
I miss Rayvinne.
4893868 Now all I can think of is a filly Roarke giving a filly Rainbow Dash an actually heart full of chocolates for Hearts and Hooves Day, and Rainbow thinking it's the coolest thing ever while Roarke just blushes and awkwardly stands there.
But instead we have near death RD and poor confused Roarke.
Why can't they all be happy?
4893868
Nah, Rayvinne was too "in your face" for me, Rainboarke is the only path of truth. Rainboarke is love. Rainboarke is life.
And so, after 25 chapters, I am finally out of the story. It's a little sad to see my character go, but
it was fun while it lastedoh, what am I saying? It was awesome while it lasted.Now, unfortunately, it seems the peaceful times are almost over. Queen Chrysalis has had a lot of time to prepare, so Val Roa is not going to be a cakewalk. Time to strap in for the final eighth of this story. It's going to be intense.
4892239
4893843 If I remember what the Noble Jury looked like, the door is at the back of the cockpit, and in scenes where ponies are at the flat part on top of the ship, they can interact with Floydien who is in the cockpit, so we can assume he leaves that door open when the weather is nice.
The problem is just if the glow of the skystone on top of everything would allow for the sunlight to paint anything past it.
Cheese party!
AND THEN IT GOT WORSE
EDWARD MURPHY IS ONE COLD SON OF A BITCH
Goodness, how are the two married ones on the ship the ones getting laid the least?
awwwwwww
Well gee, let's think.
Wait a minute...
Pinkie Pie x Cheese Sandwhich
Props X Zaid - Who is obbsessed with cheese
Was this intentional via the show, or does some pony have ESP?
i got nuthin
Enjoy the tranquility while it lasts, Rainbow. There are brown clouds on the horizon...
4967531 thanks to zaid there are now
Happy Jury times. Probably the last one for a long time.
Oh, Roarke...
-Spirit
I genuinely can't figure out Roarke's problem. I want to say jealousy, but they left Durandana. So what's still eating at her? Maybe her want to socialize yet her inability to feel confident in doing so? Hmm . . .
They encountered a peaceful civilisation, conflict arose over a character intending to stay behind, and Shell/Discord/the Smooze/Tirek/SCP-682/other destructive force is nowhere to be seen? What is this?
A toast. To the Noble Jury and all her crew may their wind never die and their sun never set.
5917585 Oh god if SCP's existed here.. Maybe SCP 447 turns purple when it comes in contact with dead bodies and turns into the purple smooze that made the Undead Pegasi
5853937
I think she can't handle being 'powerless' Roarke seems to me like someone who always has a plan and a backup plan.
But since she went along with the whole friendship thing she now has to face rainbows condition, something she can't kill to solve, she has a rather limited reportoire of solutions to things but stacking up weapons still won't help and i think thats whats getting to her, shes kinda like dash, she went with the whole friendship that she considered as weak before she experienced it, she opened up and now that Dashies condition reaches its final stage she is about to loose it again and she actually can see it creeping in slowly, without being able to stop it and i think that something that even with all her badassery she can't handle very well.
Roarke would like to join them, but her lactose intolerance is miles worse than Zaid's.
Damn, if I were lactose intolerant, this chapter woulda killed me. Surprised Zaid even surived that.
It's glad to know that Zaid has his priorities straight ^_^.
Although the sacrifice he makes between his tongue and his colon is a mighty one.