An Audience With The Snow Queen
“Say... uh... Rainbow... eheh...” Bard fidgeted besides Wildcard. “...ya sure ya dun need no jacket or nothin' for where ya goin'?”
“I only need a break from your charming sense of humor, twanger,” Rainbow muttered. She waved a hoof without looking back at the stallion. “Just sit tight with your boyfriend, bright-eyes. Where I'm going is where you're going. I just... gotta have a little chat first, and then we're out of here. I... uh... Pinkie Promise.”
“Y'know, darlin', for what it's worth...” Bard shuffled in place. “If all of this goes south, and you disappear, and us Desperadoes end up dyin' of cold and starvation way down here at the bottom of the ocean...”
“...yeah...?”
“...well... I-I just want you to know that we ain't cross or nothin'.” Bard smirked nervously. “All thangs considered, it's a mighty purdy way for a bounty hunter to bite it.”
Wildcard gestured madly.
“But I am speakin' for myself, ya buzzard!”
The griffon face-talon'd.
“In the words of a good zebra I know, don't panic.” Right as she said this, the golems all marched in. They closed a cold blue circle around her, surrounding the pegasus. “Hello. How ya doin'?”
The suits of armor leaned forward and tilted their helms at such an angle that the empty space within directly faced Rainbow Dash. One by one, the magically sculpted skulls and muzzles melted, revealing the gaping blue hollow within each headpiece. Cold, blizzardy air billowed out of each armored figure, carrying thick flakes of frosty snow. This sudden storm of sleet swirled counter-clockwise around the mare, twirling faster and faster, forming a cylindrical curtain of pure white that surrounded Rainbow Dash on all sides.
Wincing from the close proximity of the knifing bits of ice, Rainbow Dash peered back over her shoulder. She caught a brief flash of frightened faces—and then both Twilight and Rarity vanished completely. Rainbow Dash was alone inside the vertical column of snow. Her ears rang from the constant howl, and she felt like her insides were going to freeze from the heart and outward.
And yet, as the seconds wore on, the painful chill of the snow lessened. At first, Rainbow thought it was her limbs going numb. But—rubbing one hoof against the other fetlock—she found that she was in perfect control of her senses. Raising a limb to her pendant, she could clearly feel the cold kiss of metal. She wasn't warm inside the opaque cylinder, and yet she wasn't freezing either. Gradually, as the next howling minute passed by, she became aware of a dim blue light encasing her like a cocoon from beyond the miniature blizzard. The golems of armor had all vanished at this point. The only real thing was the weather they concocted, and soon even the ear-piercing howl had quieted into a dull roar.
Panting, Rainbow Dash peered left and right. If it weren't for the tiny flakes of snow zipping from right to left at murderous speeds, she would have guessed she was lost in a gray fog. The tiny circular patch of golden metal beneath her was her only anchor to the Machine World. Otherwise, Rainbow could just as well have imagined herself in another dimension.
This distracted her so much that she didn't notice the shadowy figure lurching by until it grazed her peripheral vision.
“... … …!” Rainbow spun to her left.
She caught the supple flank of the figure. The dark patch bore four legs, a long neck, and a mane. Casually, the figure circled the entrapped mare, wandering the snowy blizzard “outside” like a deer shuffling through a dense forest. It looked just as innocent too.
Rainbow craned her neck, eyes squinting. “Bard? Twilight? Rarity?” She leaned forward. “Is that you?”
Instantly, the figure froze. A long, thick tail lashed out from its rear, ending in a forked shape. When it turned to face Rainbow Dash from beyond the blizzard, five savage horns tapered off from the top of its skull. A pair of slitted blue eyes opened in the middle of the shadow's head, glowing like an icy reptile's.
Rainbow leaned back, frowning. “Verlax.”
“Ah. A name.” The voice was soft, feminine, motherly. It resonated with the same metallic tone as that which broadcasted from the golems earlier, only this time it crackled with an ethereal quality, like ice breaking in the corner of Rainbow's hearing. “I'm quite flattered by that, actually.”
Rainbow blinked, and in that blink the shadow disappeared. Muzzle agape, she glanced left and right.
“Of course...” The voice came from behind.
“!!!” Rainbow spun to see the shadow hovering on the other side of the blizzard, flapping on angular wing-shapes.
“...I have many names. One for each shoreline... for each island... for each fish in this tiny ocean that fears me... needs me... worships me.”
Rainbow blinked again. This time, the shadow was to her left, casually pacing through the storm.
“But you? You carry on your tongue the name that my sisters have given me... and my sisters' friends. I do suppose you meant that as an insult.” The shadow paused. It tossed its head back, and the five horns molded into luscious mane hair. “But, that's the nature of names. The more you have of them, the more certain you are of your godhood.”
Rainbow merely squinted, her limbs and hooves locked in place.
Eventually, the shadow turned towards her. Its tail flicked, turning into a mare's well-groomed appendage. “So then, Austraeoh... carrier of the machine world's Spark...” Step by step, the hoofed thing approached the eye of the storm. “...Rainbow Dash. From one Goddess to another, I must ask...” Its eyes widened into round, equine sapphires, and it stopped before Rainbow could make out a single hint of its facial features. “...are you truly prepared for what I am about to give you?”
“The flame was never yours to begin with, Verlax,” Rainbow grumbled. She frowned. “And I am no goddess.”
“Ah! But that's how we know you can accomplish great things! You can do that which I can't—not easily, at least.”
“And what's that?”
“Die.” The eyes blinked briefly into reptilian slits before returning to full, round lustre. “And save the world, I suppose. It's... quite preferable to do it in a particular order. But that's the nature of the trials: to see if your awesomeness and your luck are interchangeable things. And, if that was precisely the case, I don't think I'd be sharing this delightful conversation with you right now.”
Rainbow's nostrils flared. “I don't see what's so darn delightful about it.”
“It means we've had a breakthrough...” The shadow of feathery wings spread and coiled again from beyond the frost. “You're here... which means the circle has truly begun. And everything that begins ends to begin again. I thought I was the only soul—Divine or otherwise—who understood this. But then I learned of you... I learned about the Austraeoh. And now you're close... so very close to undoing what's been done to be undone again.”
“What... are you even talking about?” Rainbow murmured.
“The only thing that's ever been worth talking about since the end of the beginning of the end,” Verlax spoke, her voice practically singing beyond the ghostly winds. “It's all about the Sundering, my little pony.”
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Mmmmmhmmmmm. We kind of knew that already. Like, for a really long time.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
That was the most logical sentence I've ever read. It sums up life.
What is a god or goddess? Even philosophers and saints don't truly know that answer, so for all Rainbow knows she could be, at the very least she is bringing about change like one would.
Hope we finally get some answers about the sundering, and why it happened.
Face-talon'd. I'm going to use this. A lot.
Anyway, Verlax is almost exactly like I thought she would be. She's nearly the epitome of craftiness. No wonder she's been able to tie the races inhabiting these islands around her claws.
Backstreet'sAA's Back! (alright!)Is that like "Twang your magic Twanger froggie?" (From Andy's Gang? -- That was a children's show my mother watched)
As for Verlax, she doesn't understand, and I don't think she will enjoy when/if she does understand.
So we might actually learn what this great cataclysmic event was all about?
I'm... not sure what Verlax wants yet. It can't be to monologue, she wants Rainbow to do something. I'd say that she may ask her to not to light the flames--why else meet with Dash before she activates the Seed? But the dragon matriarchs are worried about the decay of this plane, so you'd think she'd be for Austraeoh to continue her epic quest. Maybe Verlax wants Dash to agree to something, and is using RD's desire to awaken her friend to drive her to agree without thinking about it to much. Like a drunken gambling addict at the roulette wheel betting the deed to his house on 00, I think it's deposing the Siren Princess.
I detect....exposition! We are going to get a rare taste of what the heck is going on.
Way to be an optimist Bard...
At this point in the story I'm starting to believe that it's a universal law that any being with powers greater than a normal pony must speak cryptically
6396575
Somewhere in the distance, a Wiki page trembles in anticipation
Verlax used the right a-word. This one knows what the Austraeoh-Dash is about.
I still can't figure this broad out. Just who's side is she on, and what's she hoping to gain? She seems too helpful to be evil, and too aloof to be good.
Does Verlax treat all goddesses this way?
I thought the Snow Queen had requested an audience with Rainbow Dash.
Anyone else automatically hear Verlax in the voice of the Gemling Queen from Path of Exile?
Well, hopefully this little chat with Verlax lasts a few chapters so we can try to get a good handle on her. Despite how ominous or evil her intentions may have seemed at the start of this book, she seems much more complicated than that. I have a feeling she's on the Austraeoh's side and nobody else's. Not Rainbow Dash, mind you, but the Austraeoh. It'll be interesting to see if she offers some advice or help or if she's going to put up more challenges in Rainbow's way.
6396670
I don't think she really cares about anything. Given her talking about stuff beginning and ending again It might be likely she doesn't actually care about any of this, this is more or less a game to her or a joke. This seems to be something that just doesn't matter because it will just keep happening and has happened before.
If she isn't either mistaken (and I'm reading it right of course) or lying about what she is saying I think I and Lightning Bearer might be right about that Cyclical time idea.
6396772
I never really thought she had evil intentions. Always ones that served herself or her country. Never anything like shells blatant destroy all in my path for morally questionable reasons.
Also, yeah, as mentioned, right A-word! Funny the first to get it right is someone who might be an antagonist.
6396552 That... Is both chilling and brilliant.
6396612
Not just a wiki page.
Do I even need to say it?
As the stage fills with players, one must make room.
If only Twilight was there to at least be present when Verlax explains The Sundering. She may still have that chance...
Dear Verlax, given the mind breaking size of eternity, one of you has died so far far too easily, admitidly by another divines cause. How far along the road of chaos suffused destruction are you? Given your use of it?
Bard loves Wildcard like a brother.
Why?
HE,S SO FLUFFY.
6396768 I rewatched Batman series recently and now I can't help, but read all the bold lines in Batman's voice even though it says "feminine, motherly voice".
I have a sinking feeling that by the end of the story we will be down to only one Dragon Matriarch...
Time Becomes
Are we getting the truth, or her interpretation of the truth?
We're about to learn the truth about the Sundering?
Urohringr was an inside job! Pegasi wings can't melt Machine World Beams! Find out next time of "
Alex Jones'Verlax's 'Inforwars'"6394550 Welcome to the Lunar Ninth! Congratulations on catching up.
6396873
Only natural, as "antagonist" is also an a-word.
So let us see: an actual god complex, morbidly obsessed with intellectual riddles and the concept of the ring - yup, there's another Divine off the deep end. Take into account what we heard about Endrax - and still didn't hear about Sturke - and I get the impression that indeed each of the ladies was broken in their own way.
I'll be the first to say I still take the cake though.
6396768 Well now I can finally use the Seymour voice! ...and make it female I guess.
6397614
How long do you have to live before you become broken?
6397709 [insert pseudo-philosophical crap here]
6397614 That's the nature of most, if not all, of the divines. They think themselves greater purely from the span of their lives. They only act when they are sure it benefits them, and are whimsical at best when it comes to aiding others. Are they wise? Yes. Powerful? Definitely. But I believe Axan said it best when she confronted Nevlamas:
On that note, I think whether or not Verlax is evil, she's gonna need an ass-whuppin.
6397709
Hmm... Broken... Sundered...
And then comes the Austraeoh and beats some sense into them...
So many levels of repetition.
(Or I'm just once again proving I chose my name right)
I still don't think Verlax is a villain.
Call me a fool if you will, you're probably right.
Deathwing is coming?
Is it just me or is Bard's use of country-isms increasing?
6396627
I'm surprised she use that word, but if she's been watching Rainbow she's bound to know just what to say to manipulate her.
This... is fascinating...
It's finally happening. The frost queen appears.
...how come I want Verlax to disguise herself and continue with rainbow on her journey now?
Even though I know she'd be a mary sue.
interesting character development for Verlax though.
So far, the divines we've met have been the incredibly old and strict creature stereotype... But the above line shows that Verlax is capable of humor even during a business meeting. And that she uses words like awesomeness denotes a youthful quality. An odd trait for the divine of ice.
Even if she is deceptive, Verlax is funny.
6659956 Deceptively funny.
6397770 Well spoken. It would be difficult to expect anything less from you.
6397614
Actually Endrax takes the cake. Since she was actually broken into numerous shards.
But you were a scary second. What with giving birth to demonic, partially digested pony soul, snake babies.
And the Divines don't really have a god complex. As much as they are physical dragon deities that've been around since before even Alicorns walked the earth. Possibly even before the sundering itself. But yeah ... so far they all are pretty much broken messes in their own way.
i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/000/288/653/844.jpg
What ego?
done to be undone again..
The Sundering was MEANT to be undone?
6399600
In the end it's going to turn out that Bard was AJ all along!