In Darkness Where I Drawl You
A starry expanse hung over the Quade; Rainbow Dash couldn't fall asleep even if she tried.
The same couldn't be said of her marefriends—each of whom had long vanished into the harmonic void for the duration of that evening. There was a part of the prismatic pegasus that envied them... and another part that pitied them. The former longed to get the same rest and relaxation that her three friends enjoyed. The latter realized that they weren't in the same fortunate position as Rainbow was to admire the cosmic beauty hanging over the woven platforms, reflecting off the Quade's shallow waters with nebulous purple bands and silver glittering constellations.
The channel between the two mountain ridges was so still, its watery surface so calm that Rainbow could have sworn that she and the Desperadoes were suspended over a polished mirror. For the life of her, she couldn't imagine how anypony would be capable of meditating in a place with so much natural beauty to distract them. But then again, perhaps that was the entire point.
The mare exhaled with a shuddering breath, her eyes dancing between the stars and galaxies swirling at a distance. She tried to imagine that she wasn't herself, but instead something... someone larger... ancient... draconian... with the ambitious desire to fly out into that cosmic expanse in search of a long-lost soul. She imagined the colors of all reality surrounding her, the entire universe of life spreading apart as she rocketed through it all.
Rainbow Dash couldn't imagine how any of that could possibly... feasibly drive a soul insane... especially a soul belonging to someone as wise and contemplative as the Divine of Frost.
And yet—the mare mentally conceited—not every living thing born upon that derelict plane was capable of matching her awesomeness.
For the first time since she attempted—in vain—to fall asleep, the mare smirked. At last, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and—
“Pssttt... hey...” A hoarse drawl. “Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow Dash gnashed her teeth. After a calming breath, she muttered, “What is it, Bard?”
From two sleeping mats away, a stallion's shadow stirred beneath their protective lean-to. “Reckon yer gal-pals have fallen asleep, huh?”
“They're in the Vanilla Zo—...” Rainbow gulped. “They're safely away in their hiding place to rest and recuperate, if that's what you mean, Bard.”
“Ah. Oh yeah. Sure. Sure thang.”
Silence.
Rainbow Dash exhaled through her nostrils. She laid her head back on her mat and allowed her eyelids to flutter shut—
“Pssst. Hey Rainbow,” Bard whispered. “You asleep yet?”
Rainbow snarled, her eyes flashing open again. “No, Bard, I'm not.” A stifled groan. “What's on your mind, dude?”
“Naw, guess it could wait 'til morning—”
“A little too friggin' late for that, ya think?” Rainbow gazed to her right, looking past the curve of a griffon's beak in the pale starlight. “Just spit it out, ya yodeler.”
Bard's figure sat up, his eyes glinting. “Whaddya think about this whole Quade-place?”
“Jee, I dunno,” Rainbow droned. “It's cheap. It's got vacancy. The room service is super-nice. But I'm not sure I'd wanna bring my foals here for Spring Break.”
“I'm bein' serious, ya varmint!”
“And I'm being sleepy!” Rainbow rasped. “Couldn't it wait until morning?”
Silence.
“... ... ...you ain't sleepy and ya know it,” Bard slurred.
“Eeeeugh...” Rainbow covered her eyes with her hooves. “I don't know, Bard. Okay? I don't know.”
“Well...” Bard's figure shrugged under the veil of night. “Nopony's expectin' ya to have everythang figured out overnight.”
“Aren't they, though?” Rainbow frowned. “I mean... shouldn't I have some bearing on what's going on here? Or how to get into Yaerfaerda?! It's all...” She sighed, rubbing her forehead as she sat up in defeat. “... ... ...I think I much rather preferred hunting down a giant sea serpent over this kind of nonsense.”
“What kind of nonsense?”
“Mmmf... where do I even begin?”
“Maybe it'd help to rub noggin's with somepony else over it.” The hint of a smile formed across the lean-to. “Figure it out all quick-like, y'know?”
Rainbow Dash exhaled with a shudder. “I... did some looking around, Bard.”
“When we was bein' given the tour, right?” Bard nodded. “I know. This place is pretty amazin'.”
“No, I mean after that.”
“After that?”
“While you and Wildcard were sitting in on the... bullfrog concert thingy that Nicro was hosting.”
“Funny.” Bard scratched his head. “All I remember is you needin' to use the little filly's room.”
“Well, that was just an excuse,” Rainbow muttered. “I used it as an opportunity to go and do some... exploring.”
Bard gazed at her. The glint in his eyes flickered—indicating a hard blink. “Beg yer pardon?”
“I checked out this shack on one of the middle-to-lower platforms,” Rainbow said, gesturing towards the edge of the level where they all reclined. “It was two stories tall, super dark on the inside, and filled with quietly meditating monks. I figured there may have been a reason as for why it was built right up against the central shaft of the Reed and all, so I went to go get a closer look.”
“Wait wait wait...” Bard waved his hooves. He tilted his head at an angle, glaring. “You mean to tell me that ya lied to Kyron and the monks about havin' to make water... and instead went to go snoopin' around?”
“Well, yeah.” Rainbow blinked. “I mean, I could even tell before scaling these platforms that Yaerfaerda was pulsating from somewhere within the Reed, and—”
“Rainbow, darlin', have ya lost yer wits?!” Bard exclaimed hoarsely.
Rainbow sat in silence for a few blank seconds. “... ... ...not... anymore th-than usual. Why?”
“Rainbow, just think about it!” Bard swiveled until he was facing her completely from where he sat. “Here these ponies are, givin' us the finest hospitality since... since... well... ever! And you go behind their backs and start snoopin' around in their prayer chapels?”
“Dude, we both know what we're here for,” Rainbow said. “How else am I gonna get a fix on where I need to go to get Fluttershy?”
“Pffft! Well, you can start by askin' nicely, ya silly fuzzhead!”
“Did it look like these guys were gonna start talking about anything other than Verlaxion or the Quade or how they like to gargle phlegm in the back of their throats and call it 'singing?'”
“Ughhh... Rainbow...” Bard face-hoofed. “I can't believe you ran off and did that...”
“And why not?!” Rainbow frowned, folding her forelimbs. “Jeez, since when were you so quick to judge? 'Snooping around' worked for us back in Rust and Shoggoth, did it not?”
“Rainbow... these ponies...?!” Bard shook his head. “These ain't the Syndicate!”
“Yeah, and I know tha—”
“They ain't Northern Hoof and they ain't Southern Hoof!” Bard exclaimed. “They're no hoof is what they are! We ain't talkin' about a buncha heartless bastards who'll sooner sell out their mothers and burn their neighbors alive just to make a bit!”
“Bard—”
“These here ponies just wanna live in their own little part of the world and make peace with themselves! Don't ya see? They ain't askin' for nopony to go... bargin' in on their sacred property and start pokin' at stuf!”
“Okay, for one thing...” Rainbow pointed a hoof. “I didn't poke nothing. And for another.” She frowned. “There's something super fishy about these guys! I mean... surely you've seen the scars and the crazy thorn hooflets around thei—”
“Kyron the Elder told me all about their so-called 'ascetic ways,'” Bard said with a nod. “And—y'know what? I ain't any bigger a fan of it than you are, darlin'. But remember... this is how these ponies have been livin' for hundreds... maybe even thousands of years!”
“Unnnngh...” Rainbow face-hoofed again.
“Only the real hardcore members do that sort of thang, and even they are well-off, all thangs considered!” Bard shook his head. “I don't see how any of that even remotely makes them like the Syndicate... to deserve us pilferin' through their thangs like this place belonged to us!”
“I never said they were like the Syndicate,” Rainbow growled. “Bard, just where... nnghh... does your friggin' dividing line lay?”
“Rainbow, I draw the line at folks who ain't done nothin' bad to one another and dun aim to,” Bard said, his glare palpable across the starlight. “Revan's gang? Jeryn's crew? They was keen to do a number on innocent families, day after day, week after week. Loads of ponies died on account of them... ponies who didn't deserve it. So, yeah, when push came to shove, and you done gave me and Dubya an opportunity to rob those bastards blind, I saddled right up to the rodeo!”
Rainbow took a heaving breath, avoiding his gaze.
Bard held a hoof over his chest. “I hoped you had figured us Desperadoes out by now, Rainbow. Sure, there ain't no gettin' off this train we're on, but ya always gotta check yerself at the station. Ya feel me?”
“And what if it turns out that these guys are... like... totally foul too, huh?”
“In what way?”
“I dunno! In... gghh... th-the same way that all crazy, dogmatic, crazy-worshipping ponies are!” Rainbow's voice cracked.
Bard sighed. “Is that speakin' from experience?”
“Pretty much, yeah,” Rainbow exclaimed, nodding vehemently.
Bard leaned back. “Well... that's a cryin' shame, Rainbow. But you gotta realize...” He gestured. “No two ponies are the same.”
Rainbow rubbed her eyes, grumbling.
Bard went on: “Sure, reckon it's a real big world out there... even bigger from the way you describe it. And I'll be the first stallion to tell you that history has a habit of repeating itself... more often than naught miserably so. But what good are ya gonna bring that same world if you run into every group of ponies expectin' the same dayum miserable thang?”
“I'd be a very smart pony,” Rainbow grumbled. “A pony that survives.”
“Wouldja have stuck it to Revan and made it to Shoggoth all on yer lonesome?”
“H-huh?!” Rainbow stammered.
Bard stared at her. “Wouldja have pulled off that heist in Rust and gotten yer friend out of Shoggoth all by yerself?”
“A little late to beg for compliments, ya think?”
“Just answer the question, darlin'.”
Rainbow sighed. “No, Bard. Without you, Wildcard, Theanim and Echo... I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have gotten Pinkie Pie back.” She gulped. “Heck, for all I know, I'd still be struggling to hammer my way into an Arrowfish as we speak. There. Is that what you wanted to hear?”
Bard leaned forward, propping his chin on a hoof as he smiled. “And just what reasons did Dubya and I give you to trust us from the get-go?”
Rainbow bit her lip.
“Or Echo, for that matter? From what I recall, even his buddy 'Theams' was stompin' a mudhole in the midnighter's reputation the entire time—”
“You wanna talk about precedents?” Rainbow spoke. “I once ran into a bunch of technofreaks who thought that tossing innocent foals to their deaths in a deep well would save their city from losing mana.”
“Oh Rainbow...”
“And then there were these pegasi who worshipped a dead ancestor of mine. They were too suffocated by their own superstitions to realize that all it took was a little bit of cloud-building to fly their way out of a single stinkin' crater—”
“You have an awful lot of experience hanging off yer neck, darlin',” Bard said calmly. “Reckon it's made you mighty paranoid.”
“Huh?” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Pffft! Paranoid?! Who's paranoid?!”
“All these trials and tribulations that you gotta hurl yerself over on a constant basis,” Bard murmured. “And with all yer friends in the balance, too. And let us not forget this whole 'Urine Hanger' nonsense.”
“Mmmmffgh...” Rainbow Dash rubbed her forehead. “Must you remind me?”
“Seems like you do a decent job of remindin' yerself. Constantly.” Bard leaned back. “And you ain't the only one.”
“Mmmf...?” Rainbow blinked. “What?”
“Just what was it that made you all wobbly-kneed a few hours ago?” Bard asked. “Y'know... when Kyron and his fellow pilgrims up-and-left?”
“... ... ...” Rainbow gazed over the shrouded platforms below them. “I... I don't know...”
“Perhaps there's somethin' that yer mind is tellin' you it was, regardless?”
Rainbow clenched her teeth together.
“I've been thinkin' and thinkin' about what 'Verlax' supposedly said to you. I mean... reckon I dun even get half of it—the stuff that ya shared with me and Dubya, that is—but one thang's for sure. She gave you an earful... what, with all of this hooey over harmony and chaos and dragons this and alicorns that—”
“It's not all 'hooey,' Bard.”
“No. Yer right. I imagine it ain't.” Bard shook his head. “But even the most helpful truth can be like delirious poison to a desperate soul. And y'know what, Rainbow? Beneath all of that bravery, awesomeness, and spunk—yer about as desperate a soul as I ever did see. Take it from this stallion who lives over the sea.” He smiled. “A fellow Desperado.”
Rainbow sat in silence.
“Now, an awful lot of crazy forces brought you here... but it's no excuse for actin' all crazy,” Bard said. “Whatever you want from this place... whatever you need from these monk-folk...” He waved a hoof. “Just remember that—above all—they're equine beings like you and me. And until they give us a reason to suspect them of foul-play—which they haven't done, not even remotely—I'd really like it if you made like Dubya and I and kindly respected their wishes and—”
“If I was to sneak into one of their 'meditation huts' again for more clues, will you and Wildcard back me up?” Rainbow hoarsely inquired. “Yes or no?”
Bard blinked at her. He sighed, leaning back and rubbing his face with a prolonged groan. At last, without looking, he muttered: “Just what didja find yesterday, Rainbow?”
Rainbow took a deep breath and said, “I saw the Reed... up close...”
“Uh huh...”
“I made my way to where that one... chapel of theirs was parked up right against it. They had little 'prayer stables' and everything. I could reach out and touch the bamboo thingies if I wanted to.”
“Uh huh... ... ...”
“But... and get this...” Rainbow scooted forward, gawking over Wildcard's body at the stallion. “...I saw through a part of the Reed that hadn't grown over itself completely. And it was metal underneath!”
“...” Bard looked up, eyes narrow.
“I saw metal, Bard!” Rainbow hissed, ears twitching. “The same kind of metal I've seen before! Down in the Machine World!” She smiled hungrily. “And—what's more—Yaerfaerda's glow was coming out through the split parts of the Reed!”
“... ... ...” Bard cleared his throat. “And... uhm... yer marefriends. Twilight... Rarity... Pinkie...” He arched an eyebrow. “They was all fine with how you done trespassed to find this out?”
“Totally! Well... I mean...” Rainbow Dash leaned back, fiddling with her hooves. “I think they were. Admittedly, they got a teensy bit freaked out when I got caught and—”
“Wait...” Bard's jaw hung agape. “You got caught?”
“Er... yeah... eheh...” Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck. “This creepy smiley dude named Antsan showed up... pulled the missionary shpiel on me pretty hard... did everything but dunk me in the Quade and call me 'anointed,' y'know?”
“So... he wasn't mad or nothin'?”
“Not that I know of,” Rainbow said, then blinked. “Unless... super ultra proselytizing is the mega-monk's way of exercising passive-aggressiveness.”
“Uh huh...”
“He asked me if I wouldn't mind leaving the premises, and so I politely did. That's when I ran into Menthe and found out that he had seen me the entire time—”
“Snkkkt!” Bard nearly fell over. “That old stallion saw ya too?!”
“Uhm... maybe?”
“Rainbow... darlin'...” Bard shuddered. “Dun ya think yer bein' a tad bit obsessive over this place?”
“Well, I can't afford not to, dude!” Rainbow frowned. “If I don't find out a way to get to Fluttershy—”
“Yeah... yes... I get that'n'all, but... could ya slow it down a bit? You dun nearly struck out twice with these kind hosts we've run into! And—instead—for phenomenally mind-blowin' reasons, they've chosen to extend their hospitality to us... even still!”
“Yes... but...” Rainbow fidgeted in place. “B-but...!”
“I mean, shucks, Rainbow. There's no need for ya to be in a hurry 'bout this whole thang, now is there?!”
Rainbow Bit her lip. Her ears folded back as she leaned away from the stallion. The petite pegasus then hugged herself with a shuddering sigh.
“As a friend... as a fellow flier... I really... really think ya should not attempt sneakin' behind these ponies' backs again,” Bard said. “It's more than obvious that Kyron's forgiven us once for what you've done... but a second time?”
“Honestly, Bard, I don't think they even consider it that big of a dea—”
“And... Menthe done showed that he and Galloran can spot ya a mile away like a hippo dancin' on a sand bar! So why risk gettin' caught again? Do ya want them gettin' fed up and throwin' us out?”
“What? No! I—”
“Do you want to make it even harder to get Fluttershy back than it already is?”
“I don't know how to get her back yet!” Rainbow wheezed. “That's just it! I need to find out!”
“Then let's tell them!” Bard smiled. “Let's be honest with them!”
“Eeeeugh...” Rainbow fwomped down on her sleeping mat, legs limp. “Yeah right. As if that's gonna go over well.”
“Beg yer pardon?”
“Bard... even before we visited this broken continent, you made it obvious that you and Wildcard knew waaaaaaay more about the Luminards than I do.”
“Eeyup. Reckon so. Yer point?”
“My point is... you know how much these ponies friggin' worship the ground that 'Verlaxion' has touched! They're practically ga-ga over her! They pray to her for guidance and understand... through flippin' bamboo!”
“Mighty creative if you ask me.”
“Bard... just... just how could I be honest with these ponies?” Rainbow frowned. “You realize that—by telling them why I'm here and the whole mechanics of the Machine World—that I'd in effect be dismantling their entire religion from the roots up!” She pointed out at the Reed. “Literally!”
“I dun think the quest of a single pony is enough to undo thousands of years of tradition, Rainbow.”
“Oh really?!” Rainbow smirked wryly. “And why's that?”
“Because you done blown Dubya and I away, and we're still in one piece.”
Rainbow blinked. She sat up, gazing curiously at him. “Say again?”
“Heh... you think a couple of bounty hunters with as many questionable deeds under our belt dun fear somethin' bigger and mightier than all of us?” Bard smiled tiredly. “There's a place for sin, and t'ain't no weight to the thang without someone divine to highlight it.”
“You...” Rainbow squinted. “You believe in Verlaxion?”
“Darlin', every pony, griffon, and wyvern born under the Rohbredden skies do,” Bard said. “At least in some way or another. Even when I go to bed at night, there's still part of me that murmurs prayers in hopes that she might make this all a better world.”
“Bard...” Rainbow gestured west. “Down below... in Shoggoth... you and Wildcard both—”
“I know what I saw,” Bard said with a brief frown. He sighed out his nostrils, then gazed at the starry waters below. “Hell if I haven't been tryin' to wrap my head around it ever since. I know you've got loads and loads of evidence that proves everythang about the fate of this plane... the dark side of the world... the supreme importance of yer journey and all... but damned if I can't let myself believe that Verlax... all of Verlaxion is just as plum evil as you say she is.”
“I don't get it...” Rainbow flung a hoof as she spoke. “...how could... you possibly believe both?” She gulped. “Me and the legends told of Verlax?”
“'Cuz I've flown too many leagues over this ocean and seen too many crazy things—both good and bad—to think that life could be anythang but complex.” He bore a soft smile. “I aim to be a simple stallion, Rainbow. I just can't pretend that the world will ever be simple alongside me.” He slowly shook his head. “I can no longer deny that there's somethin' off about Verlaxion... or else what our society has accepted as her. I dun know if she's an imposter or... or if she died a heapin' age or two ago and our Rohbredden Orders are just denyin' it to make things float—”
“Or maybe she's just a friggin' ice dragon lying to everypony since the dawn of this world.”
“—but I can't for a second believe that the guidin' Spirit that's appealed to my soul all these years has been nothin',” Bard said. “I've givin' up a lot in my lifetime, Rainbow, but I never gave up Her. For better or for worse—wherever Verlaxion may be—she's steered me straight. And Dubya-Cee too.”
“I... can't possibly understand how you can believe both me and... this idea of her,” Rainbow droned.
“But I do, darlin',” Bard said with a smile. “The Goddess I feel in my heart and the pegasus I see in the flesh. And I aim to do ya both right.” He gestured towards the Reed. “I'm willin' to bet that the Luminards here will extend the same hoof of tolerance. You just gotta give them the benefit of a doubt.”
“I... I don't even know how...”
“By makin' sure that ya ain't crossin' them no-how!” Bard smirked. “After all, it's not like yer need for Fluttershy is in any way clashin' with what they need!”
Rainbow gazed off, shivering slightly.
Bard sighed. “I... I do wish I could make this whole situation easier for ya, Rainbow. But I can't. I can only lend my advice.”
“And... and it's good advice,” Rainbow muttered.
“Hmmm... ya reckon so?”
“'Cuz it's advice.” Rainbow slumped back with a sigh. “I'm so used to listening to just myself. Even with the girls having returned... one by one.” She gulped. “I act like I'm all alone.”
“Well... perhaps that's yer problem right there,” Bard said. “Just 'cuz fate may have made you the most important mare in the world... it sure dun mean yer the only mare in the world.”
Rainbow blinked up at the stars. Her ears twitched.
“Think of a way to level with the Luminards. I believe it'll be worth yer while. I really do. I mean... hell... you dun need to solve everythang by tossin' yer dense head at it!” He chuckled lightly. “Even in Shoggoth, it all came down to Camellia's intervention in the end. Who says these monk-folk won't help ya all the same?”
“You're right, Bard,” Rainbow muttered to the heavens. “I totally should just... chat it out with these guys.” Her body rose and fell with a soft breath. “After all, it would be the... kind thing to do.”
“Right. Just be considerate. That's my advice in a nutshell.” Bard reclined on his end of the lean-to. “Too bad Dubya ain't awake. I wouldn't mind gettin' his two cents on the matter.”
A metal talon shot up, extending a single middle finger, then limply fell back by the griffon's side.
Bard blinked. “...then again... chickens are restless.”
“Hmmmf...” Rainbow smirked slightly as her eyes fluttered shut. “...now that would be the unkind thing to do, bright eyes.”
And she drifted off.
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God fucking damn it, I'm uncapable of reading those three words without being immediately assaulted by sudden feelings of nostalgia towards the MYST games. That's just cheating.
'Dat title tho.
Oh christ I just about died reading this.
I liked this chapter. Great character development for Bard. I had no idea what his true position on Verlax was, nor about how much he was affected by what happened back during the encounter in Shoggoth. Anyways, he's definitely got a point from his entire conversation there, but I'm having my doubts of things going smoothly.
After all, it didn't 100% go smoothly back in Durandana...
"Owls can't read your thoughts, Rainbow Dash... there's no frog ponies in the sewers, Rainbow Dash... Shell can't possibly be alive, Rainbow Dash..."
What ELSE were they wrong about?!
r0od
Yeesh Bard, almost sounds like you plan on settling in the Quade and becoming a Luminard.
Is Dash going to be leaving here with just Wildcard at her side?
Quite honestly, I'd feel the same way cat bird. The cruelest thing of all is denying sleep.
For some reason I had this playing in my head throughout the chapter.. something about the description of the night sky always brings that song to mind for me.
-Memories given light, ease a lonely flight. Ynanhluutr.
That really really really depends on what happens when the flame is reignited.
And that right there is the problem, if Verlax is to be believed.
I have a mental image of Wildcard having spent the whole chapter scowling at the ceiling with bloodshot eyes as the other two talk across him like a coffee table.
6476457 "See, this is what happens! You give ponies the benefit of the doubt and they try and kill you!"
6476504
I'm worried the Metal World would do another volcano impression.
The line between reasonable suspicion and rampant paranoia is a very blurry one. It is good that Bard has reminded her, though I think it is also her PTSD talking at this point.
She forgot the group of nutcases who worshiped HER, and attacked her friends in a desperate attempt to bring about a great change.
Sounds like many religion in general, the specifics may be confusing and even wrong, but the overall message of love and tolerance is still a good one.
Very deep and contemplative, right up
Until the very end
.
Ahh...
I love when IC does scenery descriptions.
That was a great speech by Bard, it kind of hits on some of my issues with Rainbow as of late and it's finally some solid advice. I hope this talk goes well and Rainbow explains everything to them without leaving out what will likely happen to their way of life.
Because there is no possible way that leveling with the Luminards could end badly....
Hey guys, guess what?!?
I'M BACK!!!
Didja miss me? Well, didja, huh?
Anyway, Bard has sure done a lot of thinkin. He's smarter than I realized.
I wonder if dor honesty at the 5th Seed, Rainbow will have to tell the truth to the world about Verlax.
I've had to hold myself back from reading Ynanhluutr before the next book in this series comes out, because I don't want to be devouring each chapter each day. I've read through the entire series, and this rates up there with works done by the likes of Brandon Sanderson, Glen Cook, and other amazing fantasy writers. The Austraeoh is amazing, plain and simple. I eagerly await more.
tp;mt
too philosophical; middle-taloned
It's not paranoia if you know they're out to get you!
MMM. Bard here saying we're all crazy and paranoid. And yet I look at this 11 chapters left and I can't imagine it ending in Fluttershy being happily reunited and then her being like, yay onward! ... Wait. I just had a thought. Let's just say the next seed light, it isn't orange. It's not AJ. If our mysterious last seed isn't the wierd one out. If she's like, I saved Flutters and now... The heck? A (Black/Blue/Gray/Rainbowcolored) yaerferda? Can mildly seeing that as the ending. But nah. Definitely Bard's just not paranoid enough.
Bard manages to sound perfectly wise and discerning in his speech here while also being utterly and completely wrong. Serves to remind that even the line "reality is always more complex than a model" is sometimes no more than an ad-hoc defense mechanism against reason.
6476933 according to the Ynan symbol, we already got Ranbow's seed done, before even Twilight's.
Also: Bard seemed to be coming out of left field there, I'm pretty sure that Rainbow lying is about the least disastrous thing she could do to them.
Oh no, of course not! It's not like she may be dying of this chaos stuff.
from ch78
So the ghostly ponies know of Dash's chaos form, at least in some way.
Admittedly, none of Rainbow's precedents for colossal zealots also happened to feature total pacifists. I mean, the worst these guys can do if they get angry is stab themselves a few more times. Or turn them in to Menthe.
Still, I really doubt this will go well. How could this possibly be expected to go well? How exactly does one even bring this up?
Would you kindly let me desecrate the holy artifact you and your order have worshipped for centuries? I'll have you know that it's actually a machine, and I need to consume the fires within to resurrect my dead friends and avoid dying an agonising and painful death in chaotic oblivion.
If that's how you plan on acting, just be sure to ask for an audience as close to the exposed metal or any visible Ynanhluutr symbols as possible before revealing any harsh truths. And tape over that pendant in case some cloaked freak tries to make a lunge for it.
Paranoid? Who's paranoid?!
...
6476436 Not too smoothly at all. Rayvinne never got any action. Oh. And some guy went half mad with grief upon hearing that his religion was nothing but superstition and stories twisted by word of mouth through the ages into a religious sect, albeit a functional and wholesome one.
So I'm thinking that it'll split the Luminards into two groups. But at the same time, I feel like that is almost too easy an answer.
Poor WC, he just wants to sleep and the moment he begins to, they just keep talking. The goggles do a great job of hiding his bloodshot eyes.
I now have this worry that the monks will quietly listen to Dash, then quietly head to their sleeping quarters.
Then quietly sit with the gasoline and a candle.
is "loosing a combat against her" a good reason ?
oh! I know that one! it's the comment section!
6476539
verlax may be in the same situation, having a glimpse at the austraeoh's destiny and choosing to speed things up, even if it means pushing rainbow dash trough unnecessary and cruels trials.
6476705
but... the comment section! you're missing all the fun without the comment section!
6476496 I think you're the first to suggest that's how RD splits with her current posse.
6476504 Makes me think:
Maybe in addition to doing unkind things, RD also needs to be capable of accepting the kindness of others?
It now seems Dash will not only leave in bad terms with the monkeys, but also with the desperadoes and her ghosts.
Or, Dash will find a way. As she didn't have to kill the mobsters at the tomb, or kill Ultimo at the atoll.
So Bard's like, agnostic or something, whereas Dash is an atheist, and the Monks are Creationists and maybe Galloran and Menthe are regular old theists?
In modern terms that's a clusterfuck, you couldn't even get them to sit at a table together without a full scale debate and some 'choice' words flung around.
Also what is ynanhluutr's translation? I tried finding it but failed.Nvm, found it.
Finally, Rainbow! You're getting it. Not everybody has to be all evil and horrible and dark inside. Some people just want to help. As Camellia, so the Luminards.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
Hoo boy. Tomorrow is gonna be rough for Dashie. Convincing her hosts that she needs their help AFTER also telling them all about the metal heart of The Reed and the Machine world!
Hmm the last time Dash went into an tower that was already extended, it retracted. I don't think that would end well for the settlement.
I'm pretty certain that that's not how you pronounce Urohringr, Bard.
6476504 First, yes, it emphatically depends on what happens when the beacon is ignited, and two, I think that Verlax has demonstrated that she's gone loopy.
Thought I would point out something, that might make it easier to reconcile the apparent paradox of Bard's beliefs.
Bard believes in Verlaxion, not Verlax. Verlaxion is the idealized goddess, which Bard approves of. Verlax is the shifty sneaky ice dragon. They are different entities, and one only exists in the heads of believers. Bard doesn't believe in what Verlax is doing, but he still believes in what has been guiding him his whole life. RD should be taking notes here.
He doesn't seem like he would settle and join the quade, he's too free-spirited. He may up and leave after Dash inevitably destroys the Quade, either physically or ideologically, as she doesn't play well with any religion that isn't her worship of Harmony (Try and tell me she, or the ghosty friends, aren't worshiping the damn concept).
6476784
Punches in the face for saying something can be TOO philisophical
6477074
must... resist... urge... to... obey
6477879
Heh, I actually enjoy reading them, I'm just too silly to join in a meaningful debate.
Bard is wrong about the paranoia.
Bard is right about the fact the Paragon option is viable this time!
6478166
Oh wow, I didn't realise I'd written that.
By some fortuitous circumstance, it seems I'd have managed to desecrate the sacred reeds after all. That rather ruins my point.
6478323
I was asking myself that same question when Galloran was introduced. Now, after the whole "These are the most inspirational people" gig, not so much.
Well... Kinda.
I mean the longer she waits the more frequent the dizzy spells and the closer she is to death... Just pointing that out.
Bard as the voice of reason? Yeah, ynanhluutr will end with a very bad cliffhanger
6478622 I'm less surprised by this than I am sure a lot of others are. Bard is a lot smarter and wiser than he acts. Because that's just it, Everything he says and does in an act. He's hiding something, Very likely from himself.
And again, Inspired by her friends to be a better her. Without them she'd have failed this journey A long time ago. It was always them who guided her, even back in austraeoh when she refused to look back.
Hmmm. Kinda hoping Bard's right and everything will turn out fine. Probably won't, but I can still hope.
6476435 Bless you. Myst music was part of what I listened to while reading through these series.
I'm a little surprised Bard didn't realize that was what Dash was doing, but I'm not surprised by his reaction.
“This creepy smiley dude named Antsan showed up... pulled the missionary shpiel on me pretty hard... did everything but dunk me in the Quade and call me 'anointed,' y'know?”
It's actually spelled "Spiel"
Its a German word. And we english say it in pretty much the way germans say it.
It quite literaly means "game".
The more you know :3
Conceded?
Never mind, you had it right with conceited.
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8xr03h7au1rcyuxso1_500.gif
Can't hear you.
So is she gonna do the kind thing? Or the unkind thing like Verlax predicted?
The Divine of Awesomeness
Ah good, the talking-to rainbow has sorely needed for a while now. Still, I do believe there is something else in this place that is not what it seems. Not sinister, like rainbow seems to expect, but not quite the picture we've been shown.