"Mrmmfff... grnnngh..." Longaze stumbled up to her hooves. Panting, sweating, dripping with blood... she looked left and right. Smoke and haze filled both ends of the debris-strewn second floor hallway. The mare blinked. Just as she charged magic into her horn to see better...
"Pssssttt..."
Longaze turned around.
Rainbow Dash was already swinging a thick wooden chair in her grasp. "Have a seat!" WHACK!
"Guhh!" Longaze toppled backwards from the blow, slammed into a doorframe, then collapsed onto the second story floor with a groan. Her body lay still.
Rainbow Dash exhaled. Her muscles slumped beneath her wheezing breath. "Whew..."
Just then, shrieks emanated from below.
"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy exclaimed. The ghostly pegasus pointed a nervous hoof downward. "The villagers!"
"...!" Gnashing her teeth, Rainbow Dash leapt over Longaze's figure and galloped down the steps.
When she reached the bottom floor, the entire tavern was blazing.
FWOOOMB!
Rainbow winced from a fountain of flame erupting at the base of the steps. Wincing, she skirted around a pile of smoldering ash, then galloped across a narrow strip of open floor. On the far end, she found several ponies huddled by the west wall of the tavern. Nervous and shivering, the villagers of Braum desperately kicked and bucked at the wooden barrier behind them.
"Harder! H-harder!" a stallion shouted.
"Rnnngh!" Another rammed his shoulder into the wall. "We gotta get out!"
"Together! On the count of three—!"
As Rainbow approached the dramatic scene, Rarity exclaimed, "That's no use! If they kick against that any harder, a chunk of ceiling will fall on them—!"
"Hey! HEY!" Rainbow Dash whistled and shouted, waving her forelimbs wildly.
The coughing, smoke-stained group looked over.
"This place is collapsing on top of us!" Rainbow yelled above the sound of billowing flames and crumbling wood. "That's not a safe spot to do that at!"
"Any better ideas, Rarity?" Twilight exclaimed.
"Yes!" Rarity pointed two spaces over, towards the southwest corner. "Just to the right of the window frame! That spot is weak enough that you just might be able to break through!" She gulped. "If you all work together!"
"She's right!" Pinkie winced, her tail twitching. "If they stand here, they'll get crushed soon for sure-sure!"
"Over here!" Rainbow pointed at a patch of wall. She galloped over. "If we all focus our strength on this spot, we should be able to smash our way to safety!"
"How..." A stallion coughed and sputtred. "...do you know th-that?!"
"Just trust me!" Rainbow frowned. "Do you wanna end up as smoked horse for the rest of your life?!"
The villagers shared a brief glance of uncertainty, then galloped over to where Rainbow was.
"Alright! Now... with me!" Rainbow Dash swung around, lifting her rear legs. "One... two... three!" She bucked with all her might. "Nrnngh!"
The other ponies slammed the wall at the same time.
WHUDDDD!
"Again!" Rainbow wheezed. Chunks of debris and burning ash fell around them. "One... two... three!"
THACKKKK!
A noticeable fissure ran up the wall from the floor. Hot air and smoke fled through a tiny crack.
"There!" a mare shouted. "It's giving way!"
"It's working!" exclaimed a stallion.
"Good job, everypony!" Rainbow stammered. She bore a sweaty grin. "Just a few more kicks!"
"Wait..." Fluttershy winced. "What... what about the unicorn that attakced us?"
"What about her," Rarity droned.
"I know she's a meanie and all..." Fluttershy gulped. "Well we can't just leave her upstairs!"
"Uhhhhh..." Pinkie's eyebrow quivered. "...wait for it."
"H-huh?"
SMASSSSSH!
Rainbow Dash and the other ponies looked up at a fresh hole in the ceiling.
Longaze landed amidst a pile of smoldering debris. Her horn glowed, illuminating a furious frown.
Rainbow coughed. "Well then—"
"Rrrrrrgh!" Longaze fired a beam of magic at the group.
"Duck!" Rainbow Dash yanked three yelping ponies to the ground with her.
P-POW! The mana blast struck the wall behind them, ripping loose several strips of wood.
The ceiling groaned, and a massive support beam came swinging down like a giant gavel.
An oblivious stallion stood in the way of the calamitous debris. His muscles locked in place as he was gripped by fear.
"Rainbow—!" Twilight pointed with a gasp.
"Look out!" Rainbow sprung her rear legs. One wing spread, she glided in a curve and slammed the stallion to the floor just milliseconds before the collapsing beam could smash him to a pulp. "Ooomf!"
Longaze blinked at the pegasus' heroics. "... ... ..." A wicked smile crossed her bleeing muzzle. She leaned forward, her horn glowing brighter.
"H-huh?" A breathless bar maid looked down to see her limbs glowing. She was suddenly yanked across the room with malevolent telekinesis. "Eeeep!"
"Mrmmfff..." The stallion Rainbow had saved stood, then helped the pegasus up to her hooves. "Wow... th-thanks..."
"Don't mention—" Rainbow's ears pricked to the sound of shrieking. "—it?"
"Oh no..." Twilight grimaced hard. She pointed across the tavern floor.
Rainbow pivoted to see Longaze standing square across from her. She held the trembling bar maid in a headlock, all the while levitating three carving knives snatched from the bar counter. She raised the floating blades to the nape of the mare's neck and hissed, "We could fight each other all day, Rogue. But I seriously doubt these ponies can afford it any longer."
Rainbow spat above the noise of burning rubble. "Let her go, ya friggin' coward!" She took a step forward—
Sliiiink! Longaze cut a bloody slit across the bar maid's cheek, causing her to shriek.
Rainbow winced, limbs locking in place. Her marefriends watched in pale horror.
"I'm not the pony responsible for her life anymore!" Longaze exclaimed. "I've paid enough for your capture... with blood, sweat, and self-respect. Now it's time that you owned up to the price of your freedom! Tell me, Rogue!" She held the blade tighter to the sobbing maid's neck. "Is it worth it?!"
Rainbow stood still. Panting in the haze and smoke.
The villagers looked on in horror.
"I'm going to give you on the count of three to hand yourself over!" Longaze growled. "Or else you'll be drowning in the blood of these ponies! I swear to Verlaxion..."
Rainbow's eyes traveled to the floor. She caught a frying pan lying just a few inches away from her fetlocks. Not daring to move, she looked back up.
Longaze sneered. "One..."
Outside, Keris frantically sprinted around the outer edge of the burning building.
His magenta eyes searched every square inch.
At last...
"...!"
The Lieutenant spotted something. He skidded to a stop in the snow. His eyes remained locked on a single window pane.
The flames dancing on the other side of the glass were far thinner here than at the rest of the windows he had spotted.
Taking a deep breath, he coiled his leg muscles and outstretched both silver-plated wingblades. Sch-Schiiiing!
"Gottadosomethinggottadosomething!" Pinkie whimpered.
"Like what?!" Rarity squeaked. "That poor mare's in her grasp!"
"Two..." Longaze growled from afar.
"Celestia help me..." Rainbow whispered.
"Rainbow..." Twilight turned to her, trembling. "Maybe if you just pretend that you're giving yourself up—"
"Everypony, wait!" Fluttershy exclaimed.
The other ghost friends gawked at her. "Are you out of your mind?!"
Fluttershy's brow furrowed. "Just trust me."
Rainbow blinked.
Longaze's eyes reflected the glint of a blade. "Three—!"
Crasssssssssssh! Behind her, a griffon came sailing into the burning tavern on a stream of flames and broken glass.
Longaze spun to look over her shoulder. "What the—?!"
"Now, Rainbow!" Twilight shouted.
Rainbow looked down at the frying pan. "Httt...!" She slammed her hoof over the handle, flipped the thing up from the floor, then pivoted to buck the thing in mid-air. Clack! The instrument flew across the tavern.
"Eeeek!" The bar maid slumped down in Longaze's grasp.
"Huh?" Longaze looked back. CLANG! "Aaaugh!" She stumbled back from a frying pan to the face. Her ears tickled with a pony's hooves as they stomp-stomped-stomped closer. As soon as her pained eyes opened...
...she got a muzzle full of Rainbow Dash's right hook. WHAM! Growling, Rainbow Dash grabbed Longaze by the shoulders and flung her into a wooden table. Crasssssh!
Meanwhile, Keris recovered from his dramatic entrance. He stood up, retracting his wing-blades. Cl-Clakkka! He glanced over at the angry pegasus.
Just as Longaze tried getting up, Rainbow hoisted her neck back, then slammed her skull repeatedly into a collapsed tabletop. Wham! Whud! Thuddddd! With a breathy groan, Longaze fell into deep, numb unconsciousness.
The villagers across the burning tavern exhaled with momentary relief.
On swift paws, Keris rushed over to the sobbing bar maid. The Lieutenant examined her bleeding cheek, then helped her to her hooves. As debris crumbled in the background, he looked at Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow was still trying to catch her breath when she pivoted about and caught his eyes with a weak gaze. Gulping, she waved a hoof and murmured, "I... d-didn't start this fire..."
Keris nodded. "Somehow, I'm inclined to agree."
"That mare...!" The bar maid sniffled, frowning at Longaze's quivering figure. "That cr-crazy mare threatened to kill me!"
"Yes, she'll do that," Keris muttered. He looked across the way at the group of ponies. "Do I spy a break in the wall?"
"Yes!" Rainbow dragged Longaze's body towards the narrow fissure. "We're almost through! Dude... think you've got enough healthy limbs to spare?!"
With a shuddering breath, Keris led the bar maid over to the location in question. "You didn't even need to ask..."
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b2/6c/aa/b26caabd16590f521202624c448ef8c7.jpg
Nice to have you [temporarily] back in the good guys' party, Keris.
Just...y'know...don't let your boss catch you.
*Rainbow Dash used ONE-LINER!*
*It's super-effective!*
*Enemy Longaze fainted!*
"attacked"
All hail the greatest weapon.
I gotta get myself one of these.
Man, Longaze really felt the 'burn'!
The prospect of Longaze hooking up with Rainbow Dash in the future is getting slimmer and slimmer.
Oh my, I'm actually quite early. Um... Think of something! Uh... I, uh, propose a toast to Keris helping? I don't even know anymore... Anyways, I hope this situation doesn't get any uglier when Seraphimus, (That's how you spell it, right?), gets there.
6869991 I have 3 in various sizes and weights, all with sturdy comfortable handles... Shipping costs extra.
Bad guy caught, but Rainbow is not out of trouble yet. Knew at some point Longaze was going to use the ponies around her as collateral. Just glad it didn't pay off for her, and now that Keris and his team are there he can arrest and interrogate her.
You know Longaze started off as a pretty cool antagonist. I'm pretty sure this is more full on villain.
Hey Keris. Here to help, I hope.
Well, at least Longaze is out of commission (for now). That just leaves the matter of Seraphimus. If Rainbow gets away, I wonder how ol' Sera will take Keris' failure to apprehend Rainbow, even if it was to help the villagers.
Does the Talon also get drilled on dramatic timing?
That's a High Distinction there Keris. Top marks.
-Companions have returned, inner darkness spurned. Utaan.
All of my yes.
6870035 6870024 Considering the witnesses to Longaze taking a hostage like that., especially after word reaches town about her "agressive questioning" of Braum's representative to the consortium, I suspect a blowback wave of rumors about the bounty on Rainbow being a fabrication for the company's benefit and not actually a valuable payout.
Also
Longaze, out of the fire and into the frying pan am-i-rite? (or how it's funny that RD gets all the good pun one-liners)
Ahhh... it's good to see Keris and Dash teaming up again.
6869985
The bar was burning since Longaze started blazin'
Keris: "We'll take your good behavior into account during sentencing. We'll make sure you're unconscious before we freeze you as a nonbeliever."
Dash: "I think I'll take my chances with the running and sneaking. Toodles."
Does anyone else think that maybe Verlax can't appear as anything but those frost avatars? Considering many even on the continent don't seem to fully believe in her. Maybe she is somehow trapped or lessened in some way and is trying to get Dash to free her. Just a late night thought.
Aw... A little anti climatic...
Was expecting a three way brawl between the talon, longaze, and rainbow...
But knowing IC we still may have it! only with zombies and chaos snakes!
Forget your brawl! I'll start my own brawl! With zombies and chaos snakes! In fact, forget the brawl!
I have a feeling that the bar patrons are going to try and protect Rainbow from the Talon. Not sure if they will do any real good though. Also at this point I don't see Longaze not getting arrested.
Y'know, it may sound like an absolutely crazy idea, but maybe at this juncture it might work out best for Dash to just... turn herself over to the Talon? I mean, its entirely possible that after being "captured" she'd be taken to a location pretty close to her intended goal anyway, and once there can work out an escape. I don't know, might save her some trouble now in exchange for difficulties later.
6870035 Hazarding a guess, she wants Chandler as far away from the Consortium as possible, if he becomes a magistrate, then she probably gets promoted to CEO.
6870015 Sure, with an attitude like that. We've got to believe harder, is all.
6870130
I've been thinking this since Red Barge. The first thing the Talon will do with her is take her straight to Verlaxion's throneroom, right where Dash wants to be. I mean, I'm assuming the next pillar is there anyway.
Dash is going to end up there one way or another. The only difference is if she arrives in chains or not.
Why The Good Intentions of Keris have about a 15-25% killing everyone inside
Fire is worth understanding. For a fire to exist, four things must be present: Heat, Fuel, Oxygen, and a Continuous Chemical Chain Reaction. If one of these is removed, a fire cannot occur.
A fire in a building will consume oxygen inside said building, replacing it with toxic gasses. This slows how fast the fire can burn. By breaking a window, Keris has added a vent to the building. The good news is that now a lot of toxic gasses and smoke can escape, along with heat. Visibility could improve dramatically. The bad news is that he has created a path for fresh oxygen to enter the building. The fire will burn quicker, and hotter.
What might be the thing which kills everyone is the wind. The village is set on a plain (I think) at the base of a mountain range. The wind has the potential to be pretty gnarly. If the window that is broken is facing into the wind, then Keris essentially fanned the fire. Temperatures in the building may well soar to 700+°F and kill everyone inside.
Food for (sleep-deprived) thought.
Edit: PS removed upon further reflection
Not sure how Dash is going to get away from the Talon this time. Maybe more bucket kicking Pinkie Sense opportunities will present themselves.
6869994 cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0886/0470/products/feelthebern-magnet_1024x1024.jpg?v=1441043671
Generally I prefer Rainbows deadpan snarks to one-liners, but this one gets a pass.
6870218
Stop, you'll give IC ideas.
And Longaze feels the pa(i)n.
You may threaten Rainbow (and get a whooping), or you may threaten the bystanders (and get a bigger whooping).
...it was always burning since (the gears of the machine world) been turning?
Distinguished chapter
Good guy keris.
6870130 she COULD...
but we don't know that do we?
Also, concerning
Waifu #5Longaze's "psycho-ness" last few chapters, I've realised something. This is a mare who I would bet is used to having complete control over any situation, the Big Fish in a small pond. It's probably why she's Chandler's second in command. Dash isn't just falling into line nicely like her plan dictates, so she's getting more and more annoyed at "this bloody pegasus who just won't do what SHE'S EXPECTED TO!!!"6869991
I would suggest cast iron. For a minor consultancy fee, I can help you select the ideal weapon that best suits your needs.
Also, I might know a guy.
Welp, I know what song is going to be stuck in my head all night.
I'll be interested to see if that kernel of doubt grows inside Seraphimus after more eyewitness accounts of Dash being heroic.
6870113
Only in this series could a pro wrestling style beat down in a burning building with a hostage situation thrown in on top ever be seen as anticlimactic.
6870502 you're not wrong
6870502
That's what happens when IC spoils us too much.
6870106
6870130 6870173 I don't think Rainbow Dash knows where the Talon's going to take her. Sure, she knows they'll take her to that court thingie, but I doubt she knows that the court thingie is also where Verlax's lair is.
Man, Longaze has a bad habit of falling unconcious. Must be that unicorn constitution penalty.
You really need to cut back on the onomatopoeia.
6870173 And to a cell next to Echo, likely.
Dash is really fitting the Vash the Stampede role that I noted at the start of this story. Everything around her just crumbles not by her, but by those chasing her.
derpicdn.net/img/2012/11/18/156115/large.jpg
No better place for Sera to witness Dash doing more than an ounce of good in her homeland. Or to apprehend and question a mare that's done nothing but complicate matters.
If you Claws let your guard down just enough to allow one of them to slip away, don't make it the naked secretary.
6870426
"FFFFFFFF- Why in Verlaxion's frosty chocolate milkshakes won't you just swoon into submission like half the featherbrained fools I tangle with?!" - Expunged dialogue
Ooo Longaze had a bad time...
6870130
I've been thinking the same thing. They've pretty much got her by this point, and there's no way she's escaping now unless Keris lets her go again. Plus, we're already halfway through this book, and I've been predicting that her journey on the light side of the world ends with this one, so we've got to get with some closure soon if that's to happen. (That, or IC starts bringing out the long chapters again.)
Oh no! Fuzzy Plots!
I know a lot of people are posting thoughts about Longaze becoming reformed and somehow joining Rainbow as a sort of Rork 2.0, I really doubt that will happen.
While Skirts has showing a love in reforming bad guys in the past, when you go back an reread the 'future reformed villen' introduction, he always puts a hint of their better nature. Longaze just has had no such hint. She seems only interested in power and money and is very mercenarial.
If Longaze becomes reformed, it would be a bigger turn around than Nightshades.
I vote Rainbow Dash for chairman of deadpan one-liners.
However, I'm pretty sure she's not going to escape the talon this time... unless something explodes.
I'm just relieved it was Keris before any of the others; if Serephimus burst into the blaze spotting Rainbow pummeling one of the "patrons" while another was sobbing and bleeding on the floor, with all of the others cowered in smoke and fire, I don't believe she'd be able to control herself.
A reference to... oh crap, everyone beat me to it.
6870015
Ah, I remember this scene from from the Dredgemane Arc. Only slightly pinker.