It's All According To the Plan
Inside the Tarkington, King Lunarius' jaw hung low beneath a shocked expression. He exchanged stupified glances with Queen Azira. Together, the two stood on teetering limbs besides Zetta and the Tarkington's communications array.
“Wh-why... that's preposterous!” The King's nostrils flared as he leaned forward. “The Queen and I have experienced some fantastical nonsense, but what you're proclaiming is—without a doubt—the most absolute ridiculous—”
“With all due respect, Your Highness, I didn't inform you of this to get your approval,” Rainbow Dash's voice said. “I am telling you... this is how things are. Ebon Mane knows what he's witnessed. He's tapped into the very mind of the Soul Sentries and he knows who's controlling them.”
“And just how is this 'Ebon Mane' capable of such a feat?!” Lunarius asked.
“...because he is a changeling himself,” Rainbow said.
Several crew members of the Tarkington exchanged wild glances. Arcshod shifted uneasily while Seclorum did a double-take. Phoenix and Crimson exchanged blinking expressions. Meanwhile, Josho silently leaned forward and rested a hoof on Eagle's shoulder.
Rainbow's voice continued. “For all we know, he's the only offspring of Chrysalis located within central Val Roa. I don't think the changeling queen expected one of her own kind to show up here of all places. Because of this, he was able to exploit the one chink in her armor. Now we have the drop on her.”
“And does she suspect a thing?” Queen Azira asked. “Does she know what you've discovered?”
“I don't believe so,” Rainbow Dash's voice said. “Her minions have completely lost track of—”
“—Kera and Prince Eine, even with all of the Soul Sentries on her side!”
Bellesmith, Pilate, Props, and Zaid huddled inside the engineering room of the Noble Jury, listening intently to the communications array.
Rainbow's voice continued. “My friends and I came here to Val Roa in order to put an end to Chrysalis' plans, and we've just now started to make her trip. Now that we've ruined her march, we just gotta lay the hammer down.”
“Rainbow, this is Pilate,” the zebra spoke up. “Just how exactly do we intend to do this?”
“We gotta round up all the suspects,” Rainbow said.
“In what way?” Belle asked.
“Chancellor Fishberry's called an emergency assembly of the High Council tomorrow morning. You can't very well have a coronation when there's no Prince to... erm.... coronate. She's gotta play face, and all of Val Roa will be watching. It will be the perfect opportunity to ruin everything that Chrysalis has worked to accomplish.”
“Uhhhh... aren't you forgetting something, Miss Awesomesauce?” Zaid asked.
“We've got a bunch of death-hugging goblins flying this way!” Props exclaimed. “You said all of Val Roa will be watching at the High Council?! Well the Cartel wants to make the High Council go boom!”
Rainbow's voice lingered slightly. At last, she spoke up. “The goblins can't be allowed to wreak chaos and destruction across the Capital. Exposing Chrysalis' plot is supremely important, but there'll be no point in enlightening King Lunarius' and Queen Azira's subjects if they're all dead.”
“And just what can be done to stop them?!” Zaid exclaimed. “We're talking about one... two... maybe even three hulking battleships! I never thought the number 'three' could be so dayum unsexy, but there you have it!”
“And Uncky Prowsy's ship is so far away!” Props added. “Right now, the Noble Jury is the only thing standing between the Cartel and Val Roa!”
“Yes, Props,” Rainbow's voice gravely said. “I know.”
Zaid and Props paled.
Pilate's ears drooped on either side of his metal head. He took a deep breath and tilted his face towards Belle.
Belle swallowed a lump down her throat and said, “I'm not sure we're physically capable, Rainbow Dash. Even if... even if we gave our all.”
“I'm well aware of that, Belle. That's why I don't want you to try and eliminate them.”
Belle blinked. “Huh?”
“You just need to keep them away from Val Roa... just long enough for us to eliminate Chrysalis and her control over the Soul Sentries. Once the elite reindeer guards are all freed from her possession, then the capital should have the defenses it needs to ward off the goblin attack.”
“A distraction, then?” Pilate said.
“Right. Totally.”
“For how long?” Zaid asked, blinking. “We could become toast three times over while waiting for you to do your Han Soloats thang.”
“I wish I could say, Zaid. No matter how many ways we shake this, we're dealing with a battle on two fronts.”
“Yeah! Heheh...” Zaid went cockeyed. “Only our front has the most incendiary rounds involved!”
“Zaid...” Belle sighed.
“But wait!” Props perked up, smiling. “Roarke's sneaking her way onto the goblin battleships as we speak! For all we know, she's probably taken one... two... or even all three of those big hulking things out by her smexy lonesome!”
“If that was the case, why haven't we heard back from her?” Pilate asked.
“Huh? She's doing what?!”
Both Zaid and Props winced. “Wuh oh...”
“Rainbow Dash...” Belle sniffled, leaning closer towards the communications array. “I... I am so dreadfully sorry that we haven't told you. Things have been going by so swiftly and every chance we've had to talk has been curtailed by one thing or another—”
“What's going on, Ding Dong? Where's Roarke?”
Belle opened her mouth, but hesitated. She felt a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. Shuddering, she leaned over to nuzzle Pilate, then said: “She snuck aboard a single goblin battleship over a day ago, Rainbow Dash. The last we heard from her via soundstone, she was planning a heroic raid on the other two vessels as they launched from Cartel headquarters to the south. She... did not make the situation sound very promising for an escape.”
Silence.
“I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash,” Belle said. “I feel like I've failed you as a friend. But, with Roarke, there's never... there was never any convincing her otherwise. I'm so very sorry...”
More silence.
The Noble Jurists shifted anxiously where they stood.
Then, at last: “I'm sure we'll be hearing from her soon enough.”
Belle did a double-take. “Rainbow...?!” She gulped. “Did you not hear me? I said that Roarke went on a perilous mission to sabotage the battleships!”
“Oh, I totally heard you, girl.”
“And you know Roarke!” Belle blinked, eyes glossy. “There's very little chance that she will have—”
“You're right, Belle. I do know Roarke. That's why I have every faith that we will be hearing from her soon enough.”
“But... b-but...”
“Don't beat yourself up for not telling me. I understand. Seriously, I do. But I didn't fall in love with that mare because she had a fetish for expiration dates. Or else, if that is the case, then she's been lying to me all this time about the ear-nibbling thing.”
Props giggled while Zaid smirked.
Belle exhaled, smiling awkwardly. “Very well, Rainbow Dash. I... w-won't lose faith either.”
“Don't lose sleep either. Tomorrow morning, everything is—”
“—going to come down to the wire,” Rainbow's voice crackled through the speakers. “And for this to work, we're going to need everypony in their places.”
“And just where do you fancy us bein', lass?” Prowse asked, leaning his good limbs against a bent bulkhead. “What I wouldn't give to blast some goblins out of the sky!”
“From what I hear, you pretty much have a friggin' army on board that flying sausage of yours!”
“Yes!” Seclorum nodded with a smirk. “And, in addition to that, we have a bunch of ponies who aren't Arcshod and his two warrior buddies!”
The three Xonans exchanged blinking expressions. “Mulien trenna dren vemeel?”
“Dreit.” Arcshod nodded.
“Hah hah hah hah...” The two soldiers grinned at the communications array. “Saka vrem theel...”
“Great,” Rainbow said. “We're gonna need them, Crimson, and any other battle-hardened hoof on the ground! With what Ebon and I have planned, there's no telling just when or how the Soul Sentries might go haywire.”
Eagle Eye blinked. “You mean we might actually have to battle those guys?!”
“For a little while, yeah. Sorry, EE.”
Eagle Eye grimaced. “...I think I prefer the electro-death-eels.”
“Close your eyes and listen to the mana explosions,” Josho said, cracking his neck joints. “We've been through it all before.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Rainbow continued. “Once everypony is on place in the ground, then Prowse can lend the Noble Jury all the assistance necessary to—”
Just then, the mana console flickered and flashed brightly, accompanied by an obnoxious buzzing sound.
“The bloody Hell is that?!” Prowse cackled. “The ghost of Aatxe?”
“Don't even joke, ya scrawny blood turd,” Seclorum grumbled.
Basso shuffled up behind Zetta. “What is it, Z? Another signal?”
“Seems to be bouncing piggyback over Rainbow's soundstone enchantment,” Zetta said, fussing with the controls. “I think someone's trying to contact her, not us.”
“You getting any of that, Jury?” Crimson asked.
“Yes!” Bellesmith's voice crackled. “Props' array is picking it up too!”
Phoenix glanced aside at the others. “Who in Spark's name could it be?”
“Somepony who doesn't believe in busy signals,” Tweak said, grumbling.
“Roarke!” Booster Spice spoke up from where he lay, his body bandaged in several places. “Perhaps it's Roarke! She could be signaling us finally!”
Josho turned towards him. “You really want her to find out about Whizzball, don't you?”
Booster instantly paled. “Hang up! Hang up!”
“Hello?!” Zetta raised an ear-piece to her head, squinting. “Who is this? How'd you get this signal?”
“Scrkkkk... Rainbow Dash?” a female voice gracefully came to life. “Rainbow Dash, are you there?”
Eagle Eye gasped. “The Duchess!”
“Who?” Lucky Strike blinked.
“Arcanista?” Rainbow's voice faded in.
“Rainbow, I seem to have caught you at an awkward time.”
“Arcanista! What's going on?! Where are you?!”
“It's quite a lengthy tale. First off, let me ask—are you planning some sort of heroic intervention at the High Council building tomorrow?”
Dead silence.
The crew of the Tarkington exchanged nervous glances.
At last, Rainbow's voice murmured: “Who wants to know...?”
Just then, a deep buck's voice crackled over the airwaves. “The General does, if you must ask.”
Azira gasped.
Lunarius' eyes narrowed. “Saikano...”
“Your Majesty. Somehow I am not surprised.”
Lunarius spat. “You will pay for this travesty, you insipid whelp! Putting my own son in danger—”
“Of that, I have no doubt. But first thing's first. You wish to slay this beast?”
Rainbow's voice responded. “We aim to put a stop to Chrysalis, once and for all, yeah...”
“Then allow me to assist you.”
“This can't be for real,” Josho muttered. “The Duchess has got metal screws in her eyeballs by now or something.”
“Arcanista...?” Rainbow's voice began.
“I would listen to him if I were you, Rainbow,” the Duchess' voice said. “We could debate who's real and who isn't all night, but I feel as though we've done enough of that. Time is of the essence. Do you wish to stop the Changeling Queen or not?”
Silence.
“I'm gonna need Ebon to do some fact checking...”
“Mmmm. No doubt. But make it quick, Rainbow. Thanks to the General, I do believe salvation is finally at hoof...”
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Good to have Saikano on the Jury's side. With that the Jury might not need to distract the Goblins for long, if they will have to at all at this point.
GAH! ):(, you tease! who's Chrysi!?!
I'm really curious what's going on with the general.
Also, props (no, not that props) to Rainbow dash for having faith in her marefriend.
I'm calling this now: right as things start to look grim for the Jury, Roarke is gonna swoop down with righteous fury and an unholy hoard of Lounge ships to save the day!
...wait, that's way too predictable. Just what are you really up to, IC?
Yeah. Why should the Prince be coronated when his father, the King, is still alive and kicking?
All this relaying of important information via sound stones is making me nervous. Are they absolutely sure that everyone is who they claims to be?
Assuming that's not the case, then this is pretty nifty!
Everyone keep yer panties on. We still gotta learn where Chryssy is.
Still on duty, but I'm feeling frisky, so gimme thirty-five flutter kicks, ):(. Knock 'em out!
5466411 Ebon already knows where she is hiding. IC is just teasing us, is all. >.>
Like EVERYONE is involved in this, it's crazy. Just wait till Roarke and the lounge show up.
i feel a subtle reference to mister Austraeoh Fact Checker himself has been made
So man, the real twist is that Chrysalis isn't even a thing. She's like trapped in some warped limbo, or just a spirit form thing. But nah, since she can't be one of the three main deer, or probably arcynista, she's either Nilla, Midnite, or someone I've forgotten existed.
I wonder if Chrysalis actually died, and the real changeling threat is the other changeling queen...
Rainbow won't be happy when she hears about Roarke's new job...
5466288
But it's also predictable enough that we won't consider it, meaning IC's gonna do it anyway.
5466625
Don't reckon it's Midnite since she's been beaten to crap and is currently unconscious.
Mother of God I can smell the manablasts now. This entire thing is building into a battle of epic proportions. Jury, Tarkington, Xonans, old friends, Roarke and her Most Rare allies, Easthorse (of course), and now Saikano.
My body may never be ready, BUT BRING IT ON
i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/493/172/38e.gif
Things will go well until Saikano discovers we the readers have called him Elk Shell, and, without knowing even why, he will be angry and betray everypony.
And then it all goes to shit!
Things are looking like a climax for this whole story arc in just a few chapters. I expect this to last maybe 5 chapters until something goes wrong and we spend 20-30 chapters spiraling into chaos before we manage to pull it together and come out with minimal losses. At this point Shell returns from the dead with an armada and possibly a chaos dragon to kill everything in Val Roa. It then ends in another RD vs. Shell battle after everyone else is dead or dying. RD kills Shell again after a 20 chapter long battle thanks to a Roarke suicide attack that makes Shell trip. Then RD leaves for the dark side before getting a chance to mourn as Val Roa sits in ruin behind her.
Hmm, talking about Dash flying away from Valroa in ruins, I wonder how Spike is doing, and if things survive in any way, ValRoa would be running sound stone communications to the Crater, in order to link up with Celestia via the Sword?
If they have one last night, is the Moon up enough for Dash to talk to Luna, or is it new moon time?
Just how complex are these communications arrays, just relying on tight frequency controls, which can be picked up by someone with a sharp ear and an analog scanner, or by proper multilayer encryption methods, trying to keep it noise style? wouldnt be too good for Mr Psycho Goblin to be listening in on all this.
Crysalis is still in the General, all she has to do is make him be distracted when someones talking, so she can listen in, unless she can piggyback listen without having to take over.
The walls have ears, the potatoes have eyes.
And, some poor sod is going to be in real trouble for scratching the paint on Roukes ride.
I'm still suspecting an ultimate plot twist.
I'll guess that Arcanista is Chrysalis and she will lead them all into some sort of trap.
Well, someone was listening to the conversation about ear nibbling. Works every time. Rainbow knows what I'm talkin' 'bout.
5466543
i.imgur.com/Md0tsKk.gif
5467270
Yup. In fact, I have all the games (not counting GK2, of course).
5467378 continues to be a true hero to us all. excellent picture
5466637 Cute idea, but Ebon called her Mother.
Battle prep time. Load the cannons!
5467491 and that final sentence of that final chapter.
Idon'ttrusthimIdon'ttrusthimIdon'ttrusthimIdon'ttrusthim...There's still over a hundred chapters to go. I godd have faith, but I do NOT trust him...
I'm so stealing this line.
Ayyyy
Best father figure in the series. Who would have guessed, all that time ago when he was taking drunk potshots at RD in some random Ledomare small town?
Everything is coming together so quickly... They barely have enough time for a plan!
the revolution begins
5466658
Hell, even Roarke isn't happy with Roarke's new job.
5466844 Easy there Colon, why don't you spoil the rest of the series while you're at it?
I'm just hoping to Ebon and EE live through this.
5469682 Pssssh, she's gonna hand it over to Jex.
5467486
I guess I just miss the old solo travel days.
5467758
was it ever explicitly stated that Mother was Chrissy?
.
...
.......
5467378!!
I need your help here
Fuck all yall. I still have twenty bits on Winree being Chrysalis.
5471092 No. Gold Petals.
5470827
Not Ebon per se, but the chained changeling seems to make the connection quite clear
Elma too
Actually, Ebon does say it to Roarke. And Rainbow says it to Merigold before that.
I still have no idea where this is going, by the way.
The Jury (minus a Roarke and Dash) vs. 2 goblin battleships. Am I the only one worried about that?
Everyone's working together and coordinating to get this plan down, especially now with Saikano.
Now all we need are Kera, Eine, and Roarke to chip in on the call.
-Spirit
Will Saikano not betray them? Should I start a bettng pool?
Damn, we have a veritable army here! The Noble Army, or since we're dealin with ships, the Noble Armada? Regardless, Rainbow has picked up a big following...if we could get some of her Austraeoh buddies like Steelteeth or Sam Rose we'd be set!
5924001 I like the sound of Armada.
And I mean, Even if it's not a thing by the end of this book, I can picture it, The noble armada, A force of true peace forged from A nearly a dozen nations, but belonging to none Patrolling the skies and ensuring Safe trade, Travel and harmony wherever they go.
Oh my. <3
The plan is coming together, mate in six.
Good, trust but verify.
If saikano really is on their side, then shouldn't the soul sentries also be? At least, temporarily?
And suddenly it was an Agatha Christie novel.
RD has become genre savvy. (I just hope IC doesn't decide this is the time to go for a subversion.)
Rainbow Dash, the great Tactician!
The last fight gonna happen soon... Reaaaaalll soon...
By now she could put Shining Armor in his place and send him packing, wooo!
I think this song fits this chapter for some reason.
You know what, either version works.