Giving the Lagoon For a Whirl
“Impossible!” Sinrar barked, glaring aside in mid-trot. “How can a Whirlpool disappear for any reason aside from erosion or seismic activity?!”
Theanim Mane sighed. “I'm sorry to break your perfect cartography fantasy, Mr. Kihutajan, but there are some things in the ocean that are too deep for your penstrokes to capture!” He, Sinrar, and Nick strolled down the white Nealend shore along the southern edge of the atoll's lagoon. Beside the three stallions, Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle hovered at a lazy pace. Nealend foals played in the shallow waters while adult natives wandered to and from their fishing rafts. “It happened just as my associates said.” Theanim glanced up at Rainbow Dash, his brown mane fluttering in the tropical breeze. “One day, there was the whirlpool in the center of the lagoon, just where it had always been for centuries upon centuries. Then—all of the sudden—the beast you all know as Ultimo swept in, dove deep into the lagoon, and made a swift retreat for deeper waters. Ever since, the Whirlpool has been gone. And—ever since—the sea serpent has been staying within close proximity of the Atoll, attacking any sailors who come within reach of its jaws.”
“And you saw this debacle unfold before your very eyes?!” Sinrar asked.
“No, sir, I did not,” Theanim said.
“Hah!” Sinrar grinned. “I knew you were full of it!”
Theanim Mane swiveled to face him directly. “It's an account that's detailed by over several hundred eyewitnesses!”
“Let me guess—all of them Nealenders?”
“Well, as a matter of fact, yes.”
“And you're so willing to believe these plebeian sun-bloated meatheads?”
“Hey!” One native stopped dragging his fishnet just long enough to frown. “I take offense to that!”
“Yeah!” Another chimed in, shoving a raft into the waters. “More than our heads have meat!”
“Hah hah hah!”
“Whoop!”
Theanim facehoofed, sighed, then muttered, “Jocular and hyperbolic as they might be, I assure you, their account of the sea serpent and the whirlpool is most definitely true.”
“But what would a giant freaky ocean lizard want with a whirlpool?” Rainbow asked.
“Rainbow, a sea serpent is technically not a reptile—” Twilight started.
“Egghead, please,” Rainbow hissed.
“It's not a question of the whirlpool itself, but what was causing the whirlpool,” Theanim said. “A Shard of Verlaxion.”
“H-Huh?!” Rainbow and Twilight both gasped at once.
“Oh here we go...” Sinrar rolled his amber eyes.
“Wait...” Nick squinted Theanim's way. “You mean there was a Shard here?”
“Why, yes.” Theanim nodded, blinking. “Didn't you all know that?” He smirked at himself, chuckling. “Silly me... of course you Colonialists wouldn't know... or care to know.”
“I want to know,” Twilight said.
“Yeah, what she said!” Rainbow exclaimed.
Theanim turned towards her, brow furrowed. “Huh?” Behind him, Nick and Sinrar grimaced.
“Errr... ahem.” Rainbow Dash folded her forelimbs in midair. “I'm neither Colonial or Continental. Could you explain it to me, at least?”
“Explain what, exactly?”
“Just what is a 'Shard of Verlaxion?'” Rainbow glanced at the youngest stallion. “Nick's mentioned it before, but I didn't realize it was such a big deal.”
“That's because it isn't,” Sinrar grumbled. “Merely parlor tricks and the manipulation of elements in order to make an entire populace bend over!”
“Hey! Did she ask me or didn't she, huh?!” Theanim Mane adjusted his goggles over his mane and grunted. “Ahem.” He turned and smiled pleasantly up at Rainbow. “The Shards of Verlaxion are nothing less than the Great Queen's righteous blessing in corporeal form.”
“Harummmph!” Sinrar harumph'd, forelimbs folded. Nick cast him a glare.
“It's best described as a piece of self-containing frost, imbued with her energies.”
“Self... containing frost?” Twilight Sparkle murmured aloud.
“You mean like a chunk of ice or something?” Rainbow asked.
“Heheheh...” Theanim smiled. “Nothing quite so ordinary, my good mare.” He adjusted his camera bag's weight on his shoulder and spoke: “This is a substance that never melts... that never loses its shimmer... that never erodes over the passage of time.”
“But it can get bitten and broken apart, huh?” Nick remarked. “Is that what happened?”
Theanim sighed, his face long. “I've never quite understood why Verlaxion chose to place one of her shards here of all places. The Nealenders aren't... exactly known for performing expert maintenance.”
“She would have chosen this place if it was an important point of interest,” Twilight murmured, glancing at her friend. “Right?”
Rainbow gulped. “The First Seed...”
“Excuse me?” Theanim uttered, leaning forward.
Nick and Sinrar exchanged glances.
“Ahem...” Rainbow leaned forward in mid-air. “This... uh... this Shard of Verlaxion...”
“Yes...?”
“Does it have any magical properties of its own?”
Theanim smiled. “It's a source of boundless inspiration that bestows joy and clarity to all members of the Six Tribes fortunate enough to gaze at its luster.”
Rainbow fought the urge to grimace. “I mean... does it do any... uhhh... physical stuff. Y'know... pew pew?”
“Oh! Uhm... well, it does have a noticeable effect on its environment,” Theanim said. “Rohbredden has several Shards—placed by Verlaxion herself at various moments in the past as a sign of her respect for the society she's fostered into harmony. Each Shard's effects are predictable only to the Queen herself.”
“And what about here?” Rainbow Dash asked. “In the Nealend Atoll?”
Nick spoke up: “It was the reason for the Whirlpool all this time, wasn't it?”
“Very astute.” Theanim nodded. “And the monster—a corruptible discordant beast, no doubt—did something to damage the Shard. Because of that, the Whirlpool is gone, as is whatever spirit of protection Verlaxion may have once blessed this archipelago with.”
“If this place was so damn protected by Verlaxion, how'd Ultimo get his fins within contact of the Shard to begin with?!”
“Who are we to question the plan Verlaxion has in store for the Nealend Atoll?” Theanim remarked, shrugging. “Maybe this was all meant as a test of the locals!”
“Unnngh...” Sinrar face-hoofed. “Oldest excuse in the book.”
“What I don't get is how come the natives aren't freaking out?” Rainbow remarked. “Wouldn't the island be full riot and pandemonium by now?”
“Hey!” Kaji wandered by, along with Sora, Flare, and Silver. “Are we supposed to be rioting?!” He bit into a strip of fish meat and adjusted pair of oars over his flank. “Mrmmfff... because if so, I want in!”
“And I want the first buck!” Flare exclaimed.
“Yeah! Me too! Hah hah!”
“Erm...” Nick fidgeted, inching away from Flare and her seashell-eating grin. “Rainbow Dash here was just wondering why you guys aren't... uh... panicking over the fact that a giant sea serpent bit into your very own Shard of Verlaxion.”
“Hah! Are you kidding?!” Silver smirked. “Who are we to question what the Queen of all things wants?!”
“Mnnnfffgh...” Sinrar trotted away from the shore completely. “There's one born every half-minute, I swear...”
“You sure you're cool with this situation?” Rainbow asked. “Some giant sea thing bit into your... Goddess' ice gift. And now you've got this Ultimo to deal with.”
“Eh... he never swims into the lagoon,” Sora said.
“In fact, he hasn't since the whirlpool disappeared!” Kaji remarked. “And now that the lagoon has no swirly-swirls, the fish and crabs are all creeping out of the mud to look around!”
“It's open season on the meatiest of meat!” Silver chanted. “And when we get bored of fishing our hooves off, we've got the best game in the world to hunt outside the Atoll!”
“Wooohooo!”
“Yeah!”
“Whoop!” The four Nealenders took turns bumping chests together.
Theanim sighed, gesturing at the raucous group with a limp hoof. “I rest my case.”
“Hmmmm...” Rainbow tapped her chin, hovering higher above the shore. “What do you think, Twi? Could there be a connection between the Shard, the sea serpent, and Yaerfaerda?”
“Not to mention how I was able to sense this 'Ultimo' before he came upon us.”
“Right.”
Twilight glanced curiously at the pegasus. “Is Yaerfaerda still in the center of the lagoon?”
“Yup.” Rainbow nodded, looking past a line of lazily skimming rafts. “It's right underwater. I bet it's right where the whirlpool used to be.”
“It's a shame that the Shard that was once there is no longer in one piece, or else it might give us some answers.”
“It still might,” Rainbow said. “Perhaps in pieces.”
“How do you mean?”
“There's one way to find out.” Rainbow touched down in the hot sand and trotted after the four Nealenders.
“Wh-where are you going?” Nick asked.
“To do some homework!” Rainbow hollered over her shoulder. “Meanwhile, you and the Professor chillax... maybe see about repairing the Swan Song.”
“Ha ha ha!” Theanim laughed, covering his grinning muzzle with a hoof. “She can't be serious.” He glanced over at Nick. “It's not as though she's expecting to get you off these islands.”
“... … ...” Nick fidgeted in the sand, avoiding the stallion's gaze.
Theanim blinked his blue eyes. “She is...? But how...?”
“Somepony who's been to more places and done more stuff than the rest of us.” Nick waved, trotting off. “These Nealenders included.”
Theanim turned to gawk at Rainbow and the fisherponies from afar. “Just... who is she?”
“You're a camerapony!” Nick called back. “Sit back, take some shots, and find out!”
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speed commenting
There are things in this world beyond your comprehension. They are unfathomable, Mr. Roberts.
And still, no one new gives a single comment about Rainbow Dash seemingly talking to herself. What has the world come to? Are they all so insane that they don't notice the insanity of others?
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
I was... immensely... tempted, to make a cheap shot at Baltimore for this... but that would be unfair. I'm sorry.
derpicdn.net/img/2014/3/20/580158/full.png
So, Nealend Atoll is basically a fraternity.
Great.
I'm just curious how she's going to breathe underwater...
5960121
She dated Roarke, remember? She can probably hold her breath 10 times longer than anyone else.
So Dash is going to dash into the lagoon to see what's down there. Somehow, I think Ultimo stole a part of the Seed and the gang needs to hunt him to get it back to activate it and awaken modish marshmallow mare.
Purple = Purplesmart
White = Clotheshorse
Totally Obvs
Also, I love the Nealenders. Joy de vivre coming out their ears. Crazy as cats in a catnip patch, but they're just so happy about it.
5960082
Well, that Nyxd that.
Looks like Ultimo is the direct opposite of Stephen, and so needs taking out with extreme and terminal prejudice.
Next, Dash tries swimming for Rarity? or tries for a diving belle?
Diving must be difficult for pegasi. I would think they have hollow bones like birds do. Float nice and easy. Maybe the ones who want to dive swallow stones or something...
5960149 That's funnier because it's true.
Nah, she'll probably make some sort of diving bell out of the ruins of the Swan Song.
I still think Ultimo may be artificial. That or has this shard doohickey fingfangler in his jaws.
Also, silly Rainbow, of course the shard does the pew pew! It made a whirlpool!
So, is the shard a Big
BrotherSister-like stone? It would make sense for the divine to use them for getting an idea of what's going on over the places.She is Rainbow Dash. What more do you need?
Rainbow Dash is going swimming
5960121
Probably going to get a unicorn to cast some magic, the locals here seem to be quite into fishing so perhaps they have a spell to help.
5960175
Swallowing stones seems a little extreme, wouldn't tying stones to themselves like we tie weights to a diver be more practical?
5960088
It's like what the movie The Incredibles taught me. When everyone is special, no one will be, except this time with insanity!
Man, if Theanim is going to take part in Dash's small adventure before she finally crosses over to the dark side, it's going to be a long, loooong trip of bickering. Bitch slaps will be used liberally.
5960252 More accurately, it just sets a higher standard for what insanity is. In this case, all of the Nealenders surpass that, so the insane Continentals can still see the Nealenders as insane just fine. Rainbow Dash isn't at the Nealender level of insane, so they don't see it in her.
Clearly, a genius explanation.
5960243 Probly. I was thinkin' ducks.
5960117
img.4plebs.org/boards/tv/image/1412/12/1412127474975.jpg
5960269
It's just going to be the same as Eagle and Josho, except two thin old coots instead of one fat one and one thin whippersnapper.
I think I got it figured out:
● Ultimo eats or otherwise destroys the Shard.
● This causes the whatever that Twilight senses.
● It also causes the Yaerfaerda symbol to move to its current location.
Twilight does not sense the symbol moving; both effects have the same cause.
Rainbow Dash is being called upon to fix the damage.
5960270
Ahh, yes, the theory that everyone is simply a level of insane. It fits too well in this story, man. Too bad the bar for most insane was set way back at the end of Ordsjot.
Hmm... Twilight was returned because of the Spark. Yaerfaerda then turned white, and now we have a giant sea serpent making it impossible to cross water...
I sense a pattern.
5960274
orig12.deviantart.net/fe12/f/2015/119/e/3/rainbow_duck_by_twitchytail-d8rkko2.png
5960286
I'm now going to picture the Nealenders as those villagers from one of my favorite parts of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I'm going to have go rewatch that movie now.
5960275
It's like Roarke and punching Zaid, except Sinrar's too old to care about being nice and harmonic.
Oh, I envision it to be a tad bit better because Josho never had a cane. The cane changes the game, man.
5960175
5960243
Pegasi swim like penguins.
Their wings cut through the water, propelling them forwards, except with the same magical propulsion used in the air is applied somewhat less efficently.
I'm not sure what to make of this. What is the connection between the shards and the Seeds? Are they the same thing? Or did Verlax put the shards there later in anticipation of Austraeoh? If so, to help or to hinder? And is Ultimo's disruption by design, or merely happenstance? It's late, and maybe I'm missing some uber-obvious detail, or forgetting something from earlier in the story, but I haven't the foggiest what the answer to those questions might be. But I guess that's what stories are for, right?
And for now, we swim. Or, rather, we sit on our asses while Rainbow swims. Much better.
5960074
Is this the new way of saying "first"? Because it's hideous.
5960270
5960288
But if everyone is insane, then who can possibly be sane? The one on the outside of the cage, of course.
5960438
Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage!
Sorry, when you start talking about cages, I tend to ride a bullet with butterfly wings so I can smash pumpkins.
At least Rainbow isn't telling the locals outright that their worship of Verlaxion is wrong, like she did in the pegasus sex crater.
5960541
Then again, that was her ancestor/machine world. She's kinda invested in that stuff.
I'm starting to realize just how anime-like this series is...
RD's Bizarre Adventure, Part 7: Ynanhluutr
Nealanders still confirmed greatest locals. Ultimo possibly confirmed just a normal Snake.
5960298 That's a goose.
5960748
Actually, I think it's a platysus.
Still, it was the closest to best picture I could find at a short notice.
5960566 And here the locals are blindly worshiping a exploitative murder dragon. Not much better.
5960768 ... I'll accept that.
There remains the question what the connection between the Shard and the Seed is. We know that Verlax is quite savant - does she know of the Seed's purpose? If I remember correctly we still do not know whether Axan was been communing with Sturke or with her. If it is the latter, may she be informed of the Austraeoh's coming? Perhaps she even put that Shard there to actually help her get to the Seed - until that chaotic thingamaroo came along to ruin the beautiful setup?
5960175 But you forgot one part about pegasus anatomy that birds are missing!
Plot twist: this is secretely a Pokémon crossover. Nealend is actually in the eastern parts of Hoenn (which explains all the water), and the Shard is made of Never-Melt Ice.
This is an interesting development, I really wonder what these things can do. Since the effects are only known to Verlaxion they directly controlled by her or they might be chaos based and she is just faking knowing what will happen.
5960252 "Have I ever told you the definition of insanity?"
This ice shard thing sounds almost exactly like the opposite of the flame from the machine world. Almost makes me wonder if the ice is the flame, but Verlaxion did something to it with her magic. Maybe to suppress the machine world? Is Verlaxion joining the bandwagon of Divines who want to destroy the world?
I find it strange how quickly nick has taken to believing dashie is truly capable of doing what she says after such a short time together.
5960117
I was wondering why I wanted to nut/cooch-punch every single one of them...
Thirty flutter kicks, ):(. Knock 'em out!
5961173
She's a magical mysterious mare, who has substantial evidence that she's not crazy and actually has a ghost friend, can talk to her goddess through the moon, is highly correlated (and probably the cause of) strange happenings (like turning off the blight), and, most importantly, has come from a part of the world that was mostly assumed to be impossible to cross.
Compared to that, escaping an island seems pretty straightforward to me.
Not to mention that she is supremely confident and gets things done.
5960862
And Ultimo is Gyarados.
Whenever I think of shards from a dragon/Devine, I think of the spines that were broken off Nevlamas and refined into the chaos strips. Perhaps these are the opposite (harmony strips?)
Everyone who has heard of Verlax always mentions her as being almost Machiavellian. At least, that's the vibe I keep getting. She's definitely planning something, and no one knows what it is. Perhaps, she did that on purpose? But for what reason?
I'd like to think that she wishes to help Austraeoh, but do to being so close to the edge of the world (I'm still unsure about "the falls" being the edge) she has to err on the side of caution. Thus it comes off as her being malevolent.
5960298
5960748
...
Silly Goose.