When More Than The Oceans Divide
“I knew I would find you around these parts, Echo,” Theanim Mane said, leaning over his edge of the table as he kept his voice hushed. “I just didn't expect to find you in... such dire straits.”
“Who the Hell you calling dire, Theams?” Echo coughed, wheezed, and took another inhale of his pipe. “Mrmmmff... bloody damn Order still has you on a leash, I see. Y'know, ever since you went sailing all over the place, you've pretended to be free. I knew better.”
“I'd appreciate your opinion all the more...” Theanim's eyes narrowed. “...if it didn't come from the receiving end of a pipe.” His muzzle twisted. “Scraping coral? Really?”
“Huh?” Rainbow glanced aside. “Are you for real?”
“Hey, we're all entitled to a little relaxation,” Echo exhaled, coughed some more, and murmured: “Some more than others.”
Theanim angrily snatched the pipe from the sarosian's lips. “Damnation, old friend! This is serious! Here my travelling companion and I are, seeking help from an old colleague of mine, and I discover that you're in greater need for assistance yourself!”
“Hey... I've got myself covered,” Echo said, his leafy ears twitching. A sickly pair of slitted eyes remained anchored on the pipe in Theanim's grasp. “I'm... I'm supposed to be meeting up with somepony from the Western Trading Consortium in a few minutes.”
“Western Trading Consortium?!” Theanim did a double-take. “Why... that's a Colonialist Organization! The Syndicate hates their guts!”
“Very aptly put, Theams. Putting your scientific gifts to good use as ever,” Echo said, fidgeting anxiously with his cloak. “Granted, the Syndicate hates anything that scuttles across the ocean's floor with more a jingle to their pockets than them. Ahem.” He reached a shaky hoof across the table. “May I please have my pipe back.”
“Listen, bub.” Rainbow leered across the table. “I may not know your history with the Doc here, but I've seen enough of this guy to know that he doesn't make friends lightly. I can see you've made a few mistakes. We all make mistakes. But, quite frankly, I don't care at the moment.” She slapped a hoof hard against the table. “I've been told that you can get us into Shoggoth. I've got business there. Very important business. Now, we came here to find your shady flank so you can make such a trip possible, and that's going to happen one way or another.”
Theanim sighed, waving a hoof. “Miss Dash, please—”
“Even if I gotta use your friggin' skull as a battering ram to get us down into the lover depths of the Muddredgers!” Rainbow snarled.
All this time, Echo's bloodshot eyes were locked on Rainbow's pendant. “That... that necklace...” An errant hiss escaped his lips. “Mmmm... something about it. A smell?” He coughed. “No. What in Verlaxion's sleet...?”
Rainbow leaned back with a disgusted expression. “The fudge? Is he hallucinating?” She sighed, glancing lethargically at Theanim. “It's all that 'coral scraping' stuff, isn't it?”
“Or perhaps it's because Princess Luna's enchanted your Element, Rainbow,” Twilight suddenly said.
Rainbow locked in place. She glanced to her far right. “Is... is that really it, you think?” she whispered.
“It would make sense,” Twilight said.
“Are you detecting anything to suggest otherwise.”
“No. But...” Twilight tilted her head around curiously. Eventually her horn aimed at a far corner where two shadows resided. “...I get this funny feeling...”
“What's the matter, Miss Dash?” Theanim asked.
“Ahem...” Rainbow leaned once more towards Echo. “Something about my pendant interest you?”
“I... I don't know...” Echo rubbed a hoof over his dark face. “Just... just so tired. This damn ocean is so bright.” He gazed towards the front door. “And where the Hell is that Consortium bastard?”
Rainbow grasped the sarosian's hoof and yanked it towards her until it made contact with the pegasus' necklace.
Echo instantly shrieked. Three tables away, a series of wine glasses shattered. The patrons grumbled in surprise and confusion.
“Echo!” Theanim gasped, eyes wide. “Are... are you okay, old chap?”
Echo leaned back, rubbing his hoof. His slitted eyes rested like diamonds on the sight of Rainbow. “What... that...” He gulped. “Who... are you?”
“Somepony who's traveled a long... long way to get here. I've been too many, many lands.” Her brow furrowed. “And the place I've come from is the home to the Princess of the Moon.”
Echo's fangs showed. He cocked his head to the side. “... ... ...the Mother of Nightmares?”
Theanim did a double-take. “I beg your pardon?” He looked at Rainbow. “Miss Dash, what exactly are you doing to my friend here?”
“Shhhh...” Rainbow kept her eyes trained on him. “Just stay calm, Doc. I think we're making progress here.”
“You have his attention, Rainbow, darling!” Rarity squeaked. “Do keep it up!”
“You know her... you feel her, don't you?” Rainbow smiled. “The patron alicorn to all sarosians?”
“Yes... the Mother of Nightmares...” Echo suddenly spat on the table, frowning. “If she's really real, then I hope her rectum turns into tarantulas.”
Rainbow's ears drooped.
“Erm... then again...” Rarity gulped.
“Echo, a degree of civility, please,” Theanim said.
“No, screw you and your fruitarded friend here!” Echo pointed, seething, his fangs more and more pronounced. “Just how many yahoos have shitted across my path, Theams, making some bold claim or another about the Mother of Nightmares?! Isn't it enough that I'm at the very bottom bitch rung of the bitch ladder?!”
“The hay is he going on about?”
Theanim sighed. “Echo's kind is... a rarity in these waters, and the surviving members have often been the brunt of ignorant prejudice throughout the centuries—”
“Don't sugarcoat it ya dust farting jackass!” Echo snorted. “We were the Seventh Tribe! But that didn't fit your precious Verlaxion's thawed vision of a perfect future, now did it?! Hrmmmf! 'Oh wow, they eat bugs and like to make love upside down! Gotta dunk that in the ocean and wipe our Goddess hooves of the whole thing!'”
“Yowsers.” Rainbow glanced aside at Theanim. “Your Queen—like—totally sucks!”
Theanim rolled his eyes, grumbling. “It's not that simple!”
“Pffft! I bet that's a good excuse for when you're collecting coins from all the unfair taxes the Queen's Council puts on us!” Echo smiled bitterly. “Isn't that right, old friend? Except when it comes to visiting the Eastern Reaches! You can't hoofcuff us over there!” He smirked at Rainbow. “Not much worth conducting expeditions along the abysmal falls! I'll tell you that much!”
“Alright, fine!” Theanim frowned. “And just what marvelous deeds have you done to liberate your endangered and oppressed brethren?! The last time I saw you, you were a healthy stallion with a lot of bits on his person! Did you give them away to all of the Eastern Reach villages? Or just waste them on illegitimate enterprises and coral scraping? Hmmm?”
Echo hissed and jerked upwards to jump across the table.
“Okay... OKAY!” Rainbow spread her wings wide, holding the two apart. “Sit your butts down before I turn this table into a mutual crown for the both of you. And believe me... I can and will do it.”
Echo seethed... seethed... and finally plopped down to his seat. “I... mrmmmf... I want my pipe back.”
Theanim tossed it limply into the middle of the table.
Echo sighed and reached for it. As he did so, he caught the doctor's hard-edged gaze.
“We've been through many, many things together, old chap,” Theanim said. “Countless expeditions and scientific ventures. More than once, I stood up for you when ignoramuses within the Order attempted to marginalize your gifts and talents. I saved you from half-a-dozen trepiditious situations. I even carried you when you began your decline. Needless to say, at this moment, you owe me more than anypony has owed me before.”
Echo stared at him. Glared at him. “If that's the truth, then why did you leave me to the whim of the waves... old friend?”
“Because at some point a stallion gets sick of helping an equine who will not help himself,” Theanim said. “I had a smidgen a hope... up until you sold yourself out to ponies who believed in bits and coral more than knowledge and harmony.”
The two stallions were silent.
Rainbow's gaze quietly bounced between the two of them.
Echo leaned back with a sigh. He stared down at his pipe, but refused to pluck it back into his mouth. At last, after a sideways chirp, the sarosian pointed limply at the mare. “Where did you really find this mare, Theams?”
“She spoke the truth earlier, old chap.” Theanim smirked slightly. “She's come from a land far, far away. Even across the Blight.”
“The Blight? Pffft...” Echo rolled his bloodshot eyes. “Impossible.”
“Say what you will. But the Blight is gone.”
“Gone?!”
“And several more miraculous changes have affected the seas,” Theanim said. “Some of which I've witnessed myself. I, for one, believe her.”
Rainbow looked at Theanim.
Echo sat up straight. “And... so... you really think she's met...” He glanced at Rainbow. “...the Mother of Nightmares?”
Theanim calmly replied, “I've never made it my business to know much of your culture... of your Tribe, Echo. Mostly because you never elected to share with me. But...” He looked over at Rainbow. “She's spoken to me several times of an alicorn princess who controls the moon.”
“And just two years ago, she came out of imprisonment there,” Rainbow said. “An imprisonment that lasted a millennium.”
Echo's dark brow furrowed. “Is that a fact? Hmmmf...”
“Would you like to know more?”
“Nnngh... what the Hell...” Echo tossed the pipe back into the center of the table. “I've lost my damn buzz anyways.”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “How charming.”
“Tell us...” Rainbow said. “...why are you meeting up with this Consortium pony? Sounds like the Syndicate wouldn't be too happy about that.”
“The Syndicate isn't happy with a lot of things,” Echo grumbled. “Which is the whole reason.”
“Wait...” Theanim blinked nervously. “Echo, did... did you—?”
“I'm in it deep with them, Theams,” Echo said.
“How deep?”
The sarosian's nostrils flared. “About seven thousand bits. But that's only because I messed up an assignment given to me by the Southern Hoof.”
“The... the Southern Hoof?!?” Theanim practically wheezed, his eyes wide. “Damnation, Echo!”
“Huh? What?” Rainbow did a double-take.
“They needed an extraction here in Rust,” Echo said. “This was about ten months ago. At the time, I was a listening shadow. Nopony would have expected me to start digging for anypony. I thought I could arrive here, get the job done, and then get out. However, I... ran into a few rough patches and I had to abort. But that wasn't without losing some of the local Boss' bits. Only, instead of being hoofed off, they just fell into the drink.”
“You mean they fell into the nets of coral scrapers!” Theanim snarled.
“No. I mean, literally. I friggin' dumped that shiet into the harbor in order to look empty-hoofed and...” He shuddered. “...now I can't find the stuff.”
“Queen Verlaxion, spare me...” Theanim face-hoofed. “Mrmmmf... and just how deep are you in debt with the Southern Hoof?”
“Because of the failed job?” Echo gulped. “Ten thousand bits.”
Theanim practically head-desked.
“Sorry, old friend. But if you want to get to Shoggoth... the last pony you wanna ask favors from is a loser like me.”
“Who in the flying buck is the Southern Hoof?” Rainbow asked.
“The Syndicate,” Echo replied.
“But... but I thought Rust was where—”
“No, ya bitch brain!” Echo hissed. “The Syndicate of Shoggoth!”
Rainbow practically shrieked: “You mean there're two Syndicates?!”
Several surly faces turned curiously towards the table.
Theanim Mane moaned: “Do keep your voice down, Miss Dash—”
“How could you not friggin' tell me that there were more than one Syndicate?!” Rainbow hissed loudly, frowning hard.
“It's all one Syndicate, really,” Theanim explained. “They've just... lost connections with one another over the years, and now they exist as splinter groups in each major port city east of the Colonialist archipelagos. Normally, they're on good terms with each other, conducting friendly business arrangements.” He cast Echo a glare. “Until somepony goes in over their head and inadvertently creates a rift between them... causing unnecessary harm to himself.”
“Hey... what can I say?” Echo picked up his pipe again and lit it. “Beats being sunburnt on those love cruises you go on for the Queen.”
“Only a completely asenine fool would believe in such a thing.”
“And I've learned from the best.” Echo exhaled a green column of smoke and leaned back, smiling dumbly. “Mmmmmmm... I'm so dead tomorrow.”
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He's going to have all four kneecaps broken.
Ahhhhhhh...so perhaps it is the "Syndicate" that has something to do with those empty burned-out buildings.
Man, I can't wait until the next full moon. Assuming Echo is still around by then, though. If nothing else, at least Theanim will be there to talk to Luna.
(Unless he leaves the party, too...)
Well, there's a mental image I could've done without.
6127285 he's only got two knees... The forelegs are jointed like arms. Knees are not like elbows.
I bet Scarity's metal sense could get him out of this scrape...
He can sense the element... or perhaps Luna.
...
It appears to be Luna. I wonder what this will mean of the Sarosians on the Dark Side, and if it will help or hinder Rainbow once she leaps over the edge. And we have another arm/"hoof" of this continent's mafia. Fun!
Trouble is, Dash can keep grinding away until teh weighted glue nets take her down, but the first greed that lifts that pendant.
Well.
Can you just check those supports and make sure theyre anchored down with good long screws?
THAT is epic.
At this point, the moment I'm most anticipating is when he joins her talk with Luna.
Wow, I wasn't expecting Echo to be so so this.
I mean I wasn't expecting anything in particular, but I'm still surprised.
6127297 I really want him to talk to her, or even for a bunch of bat ponies to hear Luna.
That'd be good.
I wonder if Echo will join them. If he does...i.imgur.com/mSFXk2a.gif
He seems like he could be a really cool addition to Theanim and Dash, if they manage to get him out of the mess he's in.
Was that established, that the lizard dudes have some mythology with Luna? Or is ):( pulling things out of his fifth point of contact?
Five 8-count pushups. Knock 'em out!
Poor Rainbow. She wanted to get in and out quickly, quietly. Now she's going to have to do the thing again.
"The thing?" "Yes, with the screaming and property damage."
I will say she's seeming a tad aggressive and impatient the closer she gets to recovering all of her friends.
Someone commented that Echo is probably in some big trouble and needs help. I guess he was right.
How does touching Luna's alicorn magic qualify as painful as a kick in the nuts?
Gold dropped into the ocean.
I like it when Dash gets aggressive. It's funny. At any rate, we have another for the next full moon party she holds, it would seem.
-Memories given light,ease a lonely flight.Ynanhluutr
6127457
The Naga? They had a lizard god thing, kinda the same as the Xonans (although I always thought that their mythos came from the Naga/Lounge, hence her name: Nagu'n)
heh, lover
It is worth noting I think, that the money is likely just chilling somewhere in the water, and that Rarity seems to have a knack for metal detecting right now.
Food for thought.
These guys know how to party!
I've got to hand it to IC, I don't know how he manages to keep surprising us after 2 million words but I would have never guessed we'd be walking into a brewing mob war when we set off to find Echo.
6127507
Well, Dash is still on a time limit...one that she has yet to inform her friends about.
So let's just get this straight. We have to deal with the Syndicate in two places?
I wonder what sort of magic those Desperados are using...
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
6127585 A better question is "Why wouldn't it?" IC made up the Sarosians. He can do what he wants.
6127314 I really hope that is what is going to happen, it would be a nice way to give her abilities some practical use.
nitehawkcinema.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/starship-troopers-wyltkm.jpg
I figured Echo would be kind of shady, but not that shady
Oh well. Once he has his adventures with Dash, I'm sure he'll be like a new bat pony.
6128017 It's bloody brilliant to be here! ^-^
Bug eaters? Please tell me this does not mean won't get a scene where Echo sucks his opponent to unconsciousness/death.
The upside-down lovemaking sounds like it could be a neat fanfiction.
I like Echo.
I was thinking that the Desperado might be hallucinating his griffin buddy (Dubya-C). But twilight laid eyes on both of them, so there goes that theory.
But now, I have to wonder about what it was that she was picking up from them. My bet: magical listening device.
-ultim
6127585
Could be the chaos thing.
Ha ha Ha ha ha, I love catching up on this series after a long weekend of work. I love you all.
6127457
Nothing that I can find.
P.S. thanks for the workouts
mfw batpone salty as fuck
replygif.net/i/742.gif
6128458
What does salty mean in your context?
My SaltyBets experiences have overwritten that word for me.
Sarosians singled out by Verlax?
Is it cause their dark side connection? Luna/Nightmare Moon connection? Or just that silly upside-downness used as a scapegoat for the resentment other six tribes?
Too bad for them there's the simbolism of six and not seven everywhere. (Hey, religions overtake other religions easier if they have things in common.)
It appears our sarosian friend holds the believe that Luna is still Nightmare Moon... I can't wait for them to force him to talk to her. >:)
My current hope and prayer is that Echo is present during the next full moon.
Now what's all this I hear about Verlax hating on Sarosians? Seems like she is quite the jealous lizard, hating on ponies whose mythology is centered around the Moon Princess Pony. She has officially earned my disdain.
6128745
Just now?
I've been ardently disdaining her for ages.
Of course. Nothing can be that easy, right? I think things are going go become awfully complicated in the near future.
6128512 "as a sailor", i.e. swears a lot.
6128804 Wasn't sure if she deserved it. Divines are kinda hard to read, y'know?
Great character. It's gonna be fun for me to see how much I can keep a neutral perspective on the sarosian race.
But of course Echo evokes images and memories of every pipe-smoking hooded henchman sitting their asses raw in taverns waiting for people ever - which is great, because you can never have enough of those. Do continue. I'm already siding for him.
Time for Dashie to pull out her Scarity radar and find that gold. Raradar go!
6127312 That's what happened here
img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120908215211/mlp/images/d/d6/Luna_about_to_throw_spider_S2E04.png
6128642 Actually yeah, I completely overlooked that rather important question until now: just why the hell did Verlax try to get rid of the sarosians?
My best bet would be that they would have had something to unravel her, perhaps some skill or information that could've revealed her true nature to the other tribes....
Quite the lovely picture there...
So Echo is more useless than useful to Rainbow Dash and Theanim ... He'll make a great ally!
So I'm noticing a lack of Dash hanging from a cage here
6127457
...They're not "lizard dudes", they're bat ponies.
6129741
If he's the same species as the Lounge, then yes, he's reptilian.
6129770
...he's not the same species as the lounge. Slit eyes is not reptile only characteristic here.
Also, they are titled as sarosians, which are bat ponies, which come from the Dark Side. Makes sense for some to be near the edge.
Edit:fixed spelling errors
6130038
Oh! Okay then. Sorry.
This is just great, the guy is a complete dasaster, and now there are two syndicates (sort of) to deal with. Rarity should be helpful here however, with finding the gold and all.