Take a Picture; It'll Last Longer
Half of Theanim Mane's photographs displayed the same thing: a bright glowing symbol that was etched into an otherwise unblemished gold surface. Rainbow realized that the shiny metal belonged to a door situated deep down in the machine world beneath Nealend's Lagoon. The symbol, however, was something Rainbow Dash hadn't seen up until that point, although the simplicity of it certainly matched the styles that she had observed in Eljunbyro, Odrsjot, and Urohringr.
Six small circles were grouped diagonally together, courtesy of a curved and wavering line that ascended to the top left of the emblem's frame. Or—perhaps—the line was descending so that it culminated in the bottomrightmost circle. Rainbow realized that—without any sort of reference—there was no true way of telling what was up or what was down in the picture.
“Is this it, Rainbow?” Twilight asked, her eyes sparkling with curious enthusiasm. “Is this one of the symbols that were left for you? Like Austraeoh, Eljunbyro, and the others?”
“I beg your pardon?” Rarity looked over Rainbow's mane. “Ostrich Ho? Elephant what?”
“It certainly holds up,” Rainbow muttered.
“Holds up?” Theanim Mane leaned forward atop the Midnight Dreary's deck. “How means you?”
“Six circles for Six Seeds,” Twilight murmured aloud. “Surely, that can't be a coincidence.”
“Let's not jump to conclusions, Twilight,” Rainbow muttered. “Innavedr has a whole bunch of crazy crap going on in its symbol, but it wasn't important for me to count each friggin' line.”
“I do hope somepony is going to fill me in on all of this darkly diving gibberish,” Rarity grumbled.
“Look, Rarity, relax,” Rainbow droned. “I'm trying to catch my bearings here—”
“'Rarity?!'” Theanim Mane bore a dumb smile. “So there is a second one?!”
All three mares tilted their heads up, reflecting his face with wide eyes. “Uhhhhhhm...”
“Yes... yes... but of course!” Theanim Mane pointed at the photographs. “That would explain it!”
“Explain what?” Rainbow remarked.
“I know you can't quite tell from the photographs there, but when we first stumbled upon the door in that submerged metal chamber, two of the circles were glowing.” The scientist smirked. “The bottom right one and the next immediate circle to the top-left of it.” He pointed again. “The bottom circle was glowing blue while its neighbor had a glow that resembled... pink... fuchsia...”
“... … ...lavender?” Rainbow thought aloud.
“Ah! Yes!” Theanim chuckled. “Do forgive me. I fail at times when it comes to labeling colors appropriately.”
“Alas, there's a criminal on every ocean,” Rarity slurred. Twilight giggled.
“But then!” Theanim's blue eyes continued to shimmer with zeal. “The moment you re-emerged from the chamber beyond the door, having come into contact with the red flame, the very next circle began glowing!” The stallion pointed at the third shape from the bottom of the photo. “And this was a very bright white light! Like Verlaxion's glorious frost!”
Rainbow glanced over her shoulder at a blinking fashionista. “You don't say...” she exhaled.
“It's one thing to realize that this strange underground place reacted to you in some way, Miss Dash,” Theanim said. “But it would appear as though the mysterious environment has re-molded itself as a result of your presence. You've left a permanent mark on this ancient landscape.” His eyes darted up, reflecting the tower above the Nealend jungle. “In more ways than one.”
“He's right, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said.
“It's no major news to me, Twilight,” Rainbow said. “I just... didn't expect to run into this sort of crud again so soon.”
“There has to be some sort of connection between our current situation and the symbol we're running into just now!” Twilight exclaimed. “I mean, Yaerfaerda had six circles, right? And the moment you started seeing that was when you were inexorably drawn towards releasing me, Rarity, and the others!”
“Uhhhh...”
“What was it you said that the bodiless voice declared? From your vision?” Twilight tapped her chin in thought. “Something about 'seeking purpose from within' or something? Well, maybe it meant inside you. Meaning inside the Element of Loyalty! The Loyalty Pendant, Rainbow!” She grinned wide. “Your ties to Harmony!”
“Now you're just reaching, egghead.”
“But I'm onto something, aren't I?”
“I truly wish I was,” Rarity muttered. “Doctor Handsome here isn't the only one dying of curiosity.”
“Rarity, for the last time, stop calling him handsome—” Rainbow's eyes bugged. With folded ears, she nervously glanced across the yacht.
Theanim Mane stared at her, an eyebrow arched.
Rainbow cleared her throat, then cleared it again. “Look... this... this is some snazzy snapshots you've taken, Doc. Forgive me if... uhhhh... if I don't quite have the answers to this.”
“I can see that,” Theanim said with a nod. “For surely you are searching. There is yet a great deal left for you to learn and discover. I think we can both relate on that.”
“Yyyyyyyeahhhhh...”
“But I suspect that there is a great deal you can teach me,” he said with a calm smile. “Especially in regards to these terms: 'Innavedr'... 'Twilight'... 'Rarity.'” He cocked his head to the side. “Am I to understand that some entities possess... more palpable essences than the others?”
“Heeeee!” Rarity fanned herself with overabundant gusto. “He called me 'palpable!' That's my first compliment since I hatched from Rainbow's ghost egg!”
“It's not a ghost egg!” Rainbow growled over her shoulder.
“Heeheehee!” Twilight clutched her tummy. “Oh Rarity... I'm so very glad you're back.”
“Ughhhh...” Rainbow Dash hung her head, then glanced Theanim's way. “Okay. I know I must seem pretty messed up on the surface right now.”
“On the surface.” Theanim nodded, smirking.
“But... if you have questions... then it's only fair that I have answers,” Rainbow said.
“Splendid.” He reached a hoof out so she could shake it. “Consider it payment for the passage. I'm dying to know all about your journey as a whole.”
“You sure about that...?” Rainbow squinted as they shook hooves. “I've told you some pretty radical stuff already. Stuff that kinda spits in the eye of Verlaxion. You're a smart dude and all, but I dunno if even you are ready for Mind Blown City.”
“I suspect the muscle between my ears could use some much-needed exercise,” Theanim said. “In all honesty, Miss Dash, I simply couldn't live with myself if I departed from this Atoll without knowing more about what makes you—and that underground world—tick.”
“He speaks for me as well,” Rarity said.
“I'll tell you, Rarity,” Rainbow groaned. She flinched and faced Theanim again. “I'll tell you, Doc.” She rolled her eyes. “I'll tell everypony, okay? It's just... I-I kinda have to get to this place now...”
“Shoggoth, yes?” Theanim tilted his head aside. “That's what Sinar mentioned. I suppose it's only fitting to get a confirmation straight from your own muzzle.”
“Right.” Rainbow nodded. “There's... something very important in that place.” She gulped. “I hear it's situated deep beneath the ocean.”
“Indeed,” Theanim said with a nod. “A major trading hub for both earth and water equines. Access to Lower Shoggoth isn't all that difficult. After all, the locals there are rather amicable... if not a bit greedy.”
“Greedy?” Rarity blinked.
“Erm... how so?” Rainbow asked.
“Getting to the city is not about possessing submersibles or gills,” Theanim said, smiling. “It's all about having the right amount of coin.”
“Ah jeez...” Rainbow groaned. “That's the one darn thing I don't have a whole lot of.” Her eyes twitched. “Don't... don't tell me you're thinking of... of paying our way—”
Theanim chuckled. “I may be a scientist first, Miss Dash, but being raised along the bluffs of Rohbredden have taught me a thing or two about being thrifty. I'm certainly not about to spend my entire fortune on an exciting albeit foolhardy sojourn.”
“Gotcha.” Rainbow nodded, exhaling. “So... like... how am I... or we going to find a way into the place?”
“Hmmmm...” Theanim paced along the Midnight Dreary's blue deck. “... … ...” He blinked, and his eyes brightened once more. “Echo. But of course!”
“Echo?” Twilight's lavender muzzle scrunched.
“What... is that a place or...?” Rainbow began.
“An old companion of mine, actually,” Theanim said. “It's not his real name, of course. But the stallion does have connections in the oceanic trading syndicates. Many connections. A job like that benefits from a certain degree of anonymity.”
“Sure. I'll buy that.”
“I've bailed him out of a few situations back in the day,” Theanim said with a reminiscing smile. “Why, just about three years ago, Echo was captured by a group of superstitious islanders on his way to a trade meeting. Utilizing a hoofful of pyrotechnics, I managed to scare his captors away before ferrying him to safety. He said he's owed me ever since.” He sighed pleasantly. “Perhaps now is a good time to collect on that.”
“He can get us into Shoggoth?”
“Echo's been down there quite a few times,” Theanim said. “A stallion of his trade pretty much has to. After all, if you don't show personal patronage to Princess Camellia, then you aren't getting anywhere on these waves.”
“Ohhhh... a Princess,” Rarity cooed. “This already sounds delightful!”
“Easy, mare,” Twilight droned.
“So... uhm...” Rainbow blinked aside. “I'm guessing we've gotta find this dude?”
“A detour, I'm afraid, is inevitable,” Theanim said. He trotted across the deck, picking up his photographs. “But fear not. If I know Echo, he's bound to be holed up in the port city of Rust.”
“Rust?”
“It's a long trip from here, but not too terribly far from Upper Shoggoth,” Theanim explained, picking up the sheets. “We find Echo, and then we've got free passage into the affluent Muddredgers' City. I can absolutely guarantee it.”
“Well then...” Rainbow smiled, picking up the last photo and hoofing it towards Theanim. “I guess the cruise line is a go.”
“Most definitely,” Theanim said. “I simply need to put the finishing touches on the Dreary, and I suspect you have your things to pack.”
Rainbow shook the weight of her saddlebag. “This is it.”
“That's all you possess?”
“Yuppers.”
Theanim exhaled, shuffling the photographs in his hooves. “You weren't joking when you said you weren't exactly rich.” He glanced at the top photo, then smiled. “I don't know about you, but I'm simply bubbling inside with anticipation. I have to know if more of the seven circles are capable of glowing.”
“Huh?” Rainbow blinked. “Seven?”
Rarity and Twilight looked similarly confused.
Theanim glanced aside. “Why, yes. Of course.”
Rainbow simply gaped at him.
He turned and pointed at the photo. “The six small circles and the line are framed by a seventh. Do you not see?”
Rainbow grasped the top photo and took another look at it. Rarity and Twilight exchanged blank expressions.
“Well then...” Theanim stifled a chuckle as he trotted down into the cabin. “...good thing I'm the photographer. Not being blind is the most proper prerequisite, yes?”
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Theanim, be careful comparing yourself to Pilate that way.
Hear that, Rust? You're a city now. Get your scrunched up snout here and relish in the feeling.
Ooh hoo hoo, are we fiddling with the 'seventh element' trope here?
I see the anal beads I ordered have finally arrived
Lucky number seven.
And Rarity is great!
Now all we need is find this Echo, bring Thunker Meat and Dress Horse up to speed, and maybe meet the water horse princess.
This will all be easier said then done since this is a ):( story.
Severn circles..? Interesting. Also Scarity is wonderful in this.
7, eh?
I wonder who else is going to pop out.
Someone's been asking for Shimmer.
6081897
ECHO the Diamond Dog
in a city called RUST
):( you cheeky dude
6081925
Wow, how did i not catch that
The seventh circle will resurrect the smooze.
So, we have Ynanhluutr. What confuses me, though, is the order of the colours. Why does it start with blue? For that matter, why does it jump over white? And where on Urohringr is IC going with this "seven circles" nonsense?
Seventh circle... Maybe it will summon Spike? Come on, admit it: it'd be hilarious to see Spike being yanked across the world through the air by some invisible hand!
Okay boys, girls, and those as-of-yet undecided. The zebra seems to think I'm being soft on y'all. SO, forty pushups and forty sit-ups. Thank Stripsey. Knock 'em out!
6081925
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/8/10/396322__safe_solo_image%252Bmacro_reaction%252Bimage_button%252Bmash_artist-colon-jan_button%27s%252Badventures.jpg
6081983 Rust wrote The Ballad of Echo the Diamond Dog, one of the fandom's great early adventures. Occasionally he updates the sequel.
6081925
I never read that story. I remember contemplating reading it when it was first uploaded, but then thought it looked silly. Next thing I know it's the most popular thing. Was it any good?
So now we have the symbol for Ynanhluutr. 6 circles represent the seeds, but what does the seventh stand for, I wonder...?
Maybe, it represents the full unleashing of Harmony? Also, what about a white circle? Blue was the first (Rainbow?), then lavender (Twi), but then it just skips Rarity and goes strait to Pink? Is it a sign that he will inevitably deny Rare's advances? Yes, I think it is.
6082010 It is one of my favorite adventure stories on the site. The one we're on now is my favorite, obviously.
So no spooky ghosts ponies after all but a new symbol?
Onwards to Rust and then Cthulhu ponies
6082009 Okay, thanks for clearing that up.
Hmmm, RD's plan was to only visit four more Seeds to free her friends. Now it looks like she might have to visit all six and some mysterious seventh. Or maybe the seventh will glow when all six are activated, like a 100% completion reward. Except with world changing consequences, what might the machine plane activate here on the edge of the world?
::fingers crossed::
Some sort of cosmic docking mechanism for the next piece? Reveal Verlax hoard? Pinkies emergency confetti supply --for confetti emergencies?
Can't wait to find out!
Maybe the large circle represents Urohringr?
Echo... in Rust....
*snerk*
I guess us readers will too.
Aha! I knew it was going to be a symbol.
Six seeds, six points of interest, "reviving" ghosts, and one extra encompassing them all. perhaps there's some kinda machine world transportation to the dark side that they'll also turn on?
(I'm almost feeling like making a "one ring to bind them all" joke.)
Echo and Rust? The references are strong in this one.
I feel like a moron for not considering that the Yaerfaerda symbol could be etched somewhere.
I do feel like the 7th circle is representing the group. Each of the smaller circles could stand alone, but only together are they considered the Elements of Harmony, which is one, albeit much bigger, entity.
6081925
IC and/or SSE is a very, VERY cheeky person. If there is an opportunity to mess with readers, by Jove, it is taken.
Ok we got, 7 circles now. Ive always wondered what would/will happen when we get to Rainbow Dashs seed or where it even was.
Well, Party Pink Pthulu confirmed.
There are going to be strange appearences on the photos from now on.
So the circles went blue, lavender, pink? Did they just skip over Rarity (white) entirely?
Welcome to your place in the story, Rust.
That seventh circle is damn curious. I thought it was just a sort of a frame. Perhaps it still is.
6079971
I was, but it was Rainbow's last line that made me rethink. She was wondering earlier how come she didn't see any kind of symbol for Ynanhluutr when they were underground, and she couldn't have seen one anyways since she was blinded by Yaerfaerda. Theanim's subject for a good part of the conversation was over the underground machine world, so I imagine he had taken a lot pictures while they were down there. Plus, her reaction seemed a little more flat than what I'd expect for her seeing Twilight and/or Rarity caught on camera.
I lost all my gold coins. I still have my silver coins! You haven't seen the last of me!
Seems Ynanh is probably the easiest one to understand symbolically yet, outside of Urohringr.
Literally just "you will go here and things will occur"
dat 7th circle gonna cause stuff doe.
SO MANY SEQUALS AND CHAPTERS....
LIKE 158 CHAPTERS PER SEQUAL, WHERE THERE ARE LIKE 8 OF.
Goodbye, lost interest. Very short attention spa-Ohlookabutterfly!
hmmm...i wonder what'll be at the sixth seed, and what the seventh cirle represent.
Also: theory on blue circle: Rainbow's 'seed' was visited at the end of Urohringr, she activated it, died, and returned (albeit, not as a ghost).
6082492 A white glow would be kinda hard to notice,let alone catch on film without just looking like glare.
-----------------
Hello Ynanhluutr, nice to finally see you.
Chill out Rar, good things come to those who wait.
By the stars, is Twi snarking again? Tell me she is! I've missed snarky Twi since season 2!
-Memories given light,ease a lonely flight.Ynanhluutr
And suddenly, this becomes a seventh element story.
This seventh circle, though, is intriguing. We may be able to look at it metaphorically and consider what encompasses the six seeds, otherwise called the elements. With this in mind, I think things are building up to something big. And I can't wait!
6081981
I did not realize economics had anything to do with this
6082294
I think Rainbow Dash's seed will revive the real Rainbow Dash, who became the Austraeoh upon absorbing the other Elements. Or maybe when she originally died and became a creature of chaos.
I think the seventh is a reference to The Austraeoh, who merely thought she was Rainbow Dash, like the Blacklight Virus thought it was Alex Mencer. A gestalt entity. Or maybe Harmony incarnate.
Seven circles for seven beings... Okay well.... Discord ... Strange nobody remembers he died too?
Five to resurrect each Element, one to make them visible to everyone, then a last to get them their bodies back?
From a slightly more meta perspective, I'm having trouble seeing them remaining ghosts for the entire rest of the story.
On the other hand, full resurrections all around present some problems as well. I don't think Flutters would do very well on the dark side, for instance.
And of course, them disappearing entirely would probably break poor Dashie for good.
6082651 Theanim did directly state that the circles went blue, lavender, pink, one after the other. That implies that the third circle, which should have been white for Rarity, was pink for Pinkie, and for some reason Rarity was skipped over.
Or it could just've been IC getting mixed up with the little details. Such things happen.
Well, I wasn't expecting that to be in the photograph, but I won't complain. I've been wondering about the Ynanhluutr symbol (or, I assume that's what it is). And the thing with the seventh circle is curious.
Also, I had a thought. There's been some discussion in the past about Rainbow's Seed, and what will happen there, since she isn't currently deceased. Wouldn't it be something if, instead of reviving her, as the Seeds are doing for the others, it cured her of her curse? That'd be kind of nifty.
We've all been there Rarity, we've all been there.
IC making mistakes, or is it time for crazy conspiracy theories again. I'll start Dash is represented by circle #1, then Twi is #2, then Rarity is actual a shape shifted Verlax observing Rainbow, using a fake machine world flame that she made due to her magic totem thing.
6082912
Just putting the synopsis out there as a reminder... She has somehow changed
Why is the third circle pink and not white? It has to be a mistake: Rainbow and Twilight were already glowing before Rarity appeared. After Rarity appeared, Pinkie began glowing. If Pinkie is glowing before she appears, why wasn't Rarity already glowing before she appeared?
I almost didn't take note of the seventh circle. I just assumed it was there for aesthetics. But it seems there's more to it than that...
I suppose it's a given, though, because Rainbow doesn't need a Seed--signified by the fact that Rainbow was already glowing in the symbol. So what could the final seed mean?
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
Theanim does appear to be very eager to go along with Dash to unravel the mystery surrounding her, I am surprised at how quickly she has 'won' him over considering everything she represents and what she knows is an affront to his beliefs. I was hoping for a bit more skepticism on his part, and that he would be more of an unknown (potentially backstabbing) follower for Dash but I suppose eager supporter works too.
I'm going to throw a theory out there for the symbol. We've already gotten at least some confirmation that the six smaller circles represent the elements of harmony, as the colors match the recovered mane six so far. I'm thinking that the seventh circle represents the ring world as a whole, and that the elements of harmony will be used as a power source of some kind to reunify the pieces of the ring world.
This is gonna get sketchy real quick I'd reckon.
You're a city, Harry.
6082852 It could also be that since it was Rarity's seed that her's was absent. If Pinkie's circle is missing in the next tower and theanim snaps a pic of blue,lavender,white,yellow/orange then that'd make sense.
6082544 Twi and Rarity weren't caught on camera though...
Also, maybe the seventh circle is Urohringr as a whole, like the entire world-ring...as Cotton Fluff suggested.
6082965
'Newly Transformed' could be referring to her being a host for the spectres. It's also possible that the supposed transformation hasnt happened yet.
See, folks? See?
Josho was a 'bad guy' but we all wound up loving him.
Roarke was a 'bad girl' but we all wound up loving her.
She-
... oh. Ummmmm, m-maybe not...
Well hey! Two out of three.
My point is that I think we will be looking much more favourably upon Mister Mane very soon. Heck, we already are.
6082554
Man, haven't seen one of these in a while.
So in other terms, Yaerfaerda is the destination, Ynanhluutr is the path.
Woah.
6082023
6082912
6083283
So IC confirmed for supertroll on Spookle not being on camera. Either that, or he's not telling Dash.