Utaan

by Imploding Colon

You're Waiting for a Train...

A dim gray glow peeked over the mountaintops east of Braum. Morning light pierced the snowy haze in errant rays as Seraphimus and Keris paced through a woodland thicket north of town. Raptr, Windburst, and Starstorm hung back in the village where they enjoyed a blissfully short but much-needed rest.

"Were there any tracks at least?" Seraphimus asked.

Keris gravely shook his head. "None, Commander. And if the being who swept up the Rogue left a single feather behind—you can bet that Windburst's expert eyes would have spotted it."

Seraphimus sighed heavily, producing vapors in the growing dawnlight. "There aren't many creatures in this world with the wingpower to outfly the Talon."

"No." Keris shook his head. "There aren't." He swallowed hard, then breathed, "Save for a few."

Seraphimus clenched her beak tightly shut.

"Commander..." Keris stepped closer, peering at her. "What if it is him? What if, after all this time, he's come back?"

"He perished in noble conflict," Seraphimus said in a low voice. "I saw it with my own eyes."

"I saw it with mine as well." Keris squinted. "And what I witnessed was merely what was left of him."

"He gave his life for the protection of Verlaxion's kingdom," Seraphimus said.

"Yes, but what if he survived, Seraphimus?" Keris breathed, "What if he survived and now he's within our midst once again?"

"I refuse to believe that."

"But you saw the tracks—"

Seraphimus suddenly growled, "I refuse to believe that he's capable of anything traitorous!"

The echo of her voice rang out, then settled. Snow fell off the tree branches around the two, and then everything softly settled.

"Besides..." Seraphimus managed calmly. "Any griffon could have left those tracks."

"I know what I saw." Keris inhaled. "You know what you saw."

"What you suggest is outlandish, Lieutenant, and far from simple." Seraphimus stared off through the snow-flaked trees. "It... simply would not make any sense."

"We've seen ponies and griffons survive far worse than—"

"I mean the motivation required to make off with the country's chief fugitive," Seraphimus said, turning to look at the Lieutenant. "It simply wouldn't be like him."

"Many years have passed, Commander," Keris said. "I've changed. You've changed."

Seraphimus merely glared back.

"I'm simply saying that it's possible," Keris remarked. He cleared his throat. "And if it is indeed the case, then we need to reconsider our stakes in this situation." He gestured vaguely north. "The Sergeants and I searched the skies and mountaintops vigorously, and we found no sign of the Rainbow Rogue. Now... that could be the fault of our exhaustion. But if it's true that he's taken her... then I don't know what hope we ever have of finding her at this point."

The Commander closed her eyes. She took a deep, fuming breath.

Keris blinked. His headcrest drooped beneath his helmet. "You're mad at me," he said. "You're angry that I did not do more to subdue the Rainbow Rogue while I was inside the burning tavern with her." His eyes sank to the snowy floor. "I understand."

"I did not say that," Seraphimus droned.

"As a guardian of the Talon, I should have seized the opportu—"

"As a claw of the Talon, you should have protected the foals of Verlaxion with all your might," Seraphimus said. "Which is precisely what you did."

Keris merely gazed at her.

Seraphimus sensed it. She reopened her eyes. "You think that what happened in Braum is evidence enough to absolve the Rainbow Rogue of most her crimes."

Keris smiled beneath his beak. "I did not say that..."

Seraphimus clenched both talons into fists. She spun and faced northeast, towards the distant plume of rising smog. "That is evidently not our concern at the moment. The Rainbow Rogue—for as much as we know—is currently lost."

"Do we return to Frostknife?" Keris remarked. "Surely the Court must be desiring an update in person by now—good news or bad."

"There are newer... far more pressing concerns at the moment," Seraphimus said. "And as guardians of this kingdom, we would be remiss to ignore them."

Keris' brow furrowed. "The unicorn."

"She's been silent ever since waking up in Sarda's hold," Seraphimus said, pacing through the crunching snow. "But I know an accomplice when I see one. She's working for a higher authority... a dastardly one. Sarda believes she came from the Consortium's operations in Steamfall."

"What do you believe?"

Seraphimus lingered slightly, then said, "I believe that there's been a cancer eating away at Ivory Prefecture for far too long. Sarda's a headstrong, deceitful young stallion... but to a fault. He's charismatic about defending his brothers and sisters. Such enthusiasm is noble, but blinding."

"Sounds positively awful," Keris said with a smirk.

Seraphimus flung him a look.

Keris cleared his throat and stood up straight, deadpan.

The Commander exhaled. "He needs our help, and we are in the position to lend aid. I'm certain you understand."

"And I respect any decision you make to assist these ponies, Commander," Keris said. He opened his beak again, but hesitated.

"Go on, Lieutenant," Seraphimus said. "Say it."

"Say what, Commander?"

Seraphimus looked away from him, sighing into the dawnlight. "That if I had been around the Barges to witness such atrocities, I would be making a sympathetic decision similar to what I'm strategizing now."

Keris blinked at that. He fidgeted slightly, then muttered, "You... uh... had your orders from the Council. We all did."

"And yet, what have we accomplished for kingdom or our Goddess?" Seraphimus clenched her beak tight. "All other assignments, we have followed through with great triumph and success. But this?" She shuddered. "Perhaps this is Verlaxion's test?"

"Her test?"

"To shatter our contentment and reinforce fear and respect for Her glory."

"If... that's even remotely true, Commander," Keris said, "Then it suggests that the Rainbow Rogue is simply a mechanism in Her divine plan." He shook slightly. "It... somewhat trivializes what happened in the Quade."

Seraphimus looked over at him. "Yes. It does, does it not?"

Keris blinked.

Seraphimus kept staring at the Lieutenant.

At last, Keris murmured, "Rainbow Dash... believes many things. All of them are... bizarre and otherworldly, to say the least." He slowly shook his head. "But she does not believe in Verlaxion. I assure you of this."

Seraphimus glanced at the snow as she contemplated that. At last—as a sunny sheen crossed the snowy landscape—she pivoted to face northeast once again. "Alas, our concern is now with finding an explanation behind this powerful unicorn's assault of Braum."

Keris cleared his throat. "Agreed."

"I've already promised Sarda that we will investigate Steamfall and seek answers there."

"Will we be bringing him with us?"

Seraphimus nodded. "I think it would be most beneficial to cooperate as much as we can with the locals."

"Agreed, Commander."

"But—for the next hour at least—you should rest. We've hunted long and hard, and I need our collective wits to be sharp when we enter Steamfall."

"Shall I inform the Sergeants that our hunt for the Rainbow Rogue is being put on hold, then?"

"It would be most wise," Seraphimus said, marching out of the thicket. "We need to remain focused while in the vicinity of the Consortium. Besides, all things considered, there's not a chance in Hell that we'll be finding the Rogue in Steamfall."

---

Rainbow Dash, Bard, and Wildcard approached the southern fringes of Steamfall.

Wildcard squatted low behind a fallen tree. He adjusted the lenses of his goggles and peered at the polluted pocket of industry at the foot of massive mountains.

An interconnecting web of train tracks converged between two-story concrete warehouses and supply stations. Along the southwest edge of town, row upon row of bunkers stood, serving as living quarters for the vast amount of ponies employed at the complex. Towards the north—on the other side of the tracks—large factories loomed with towering smokestacks that pumped smoldering plumes high into the air. The southern faces of the mountain range were permanently stained dark-gray from years of exposure to dredge coal refining. Any snow that fell on the rooftops and streets of Steamfall promptly melted. So much heat was generated from the factories, furnaces, and steam boilers that the Desperadoes could even feel it from hundreds of yards away. Trains rolled in and out of Steamfall constantly from all directions, filling the air with perpetual hissing as they chugged steam and spat sparks across metal tracks. Meanwhile, workers in dark black company uniforms filed in and out of buildings, drawing wagons full of ore from warehouse to warehouse, and occasionally milling about the bunkers while on break.

With a deep breath, Wildcard looked at Bard. He then peered over the bearded pegasus' shoulder and gestured wildly at Rainbow Dash.

"'Move yer flank already!'" Bard hissed.

"You sure you're still interpreting?"

Bard clammed up. He turned to face the smoggy complex with a frown.

"Eugh... sorry, it's..." Rainbow Dash fidgeted, shaking a leg with every step. "...it's super duper hard to gallop in this friggin' thing."

She was clad from head to tail in a stiff black uniform. The jacket part had a series of silver buttons rising up the middle. It ended around her neck with a suffocatingly high collar that allowed her to hide the Element of Loyalty—but at the cost of turning her neck left and right. Her pant legs ran a little long, and the petite pegasus had to roll the bottoms up a few inches to keep from tripping.

"And I'm not a big fan of this... bulky satchel thing either," Rainbow Dash said, distastefully dangling a stone-gray bag in her grasp. "Do Consortium workers really carry crud around in this?"

Wildcard gestured.

"'Eeyup,'" Bard nodded, staring at the town. "'And it's the finest thang we could come up with that'll hide yer Equestrian backpack and other supplies.'"

"I think there's something... elegant about it," Twilight Sparkle observed with a slight smile. "Makes you look very distinguishing-looking, Rainbow." She looked behind her. "What do you think, Rarity?"

"Very classic." The fashionista smiled. "Like a pre-modern preparatory school uniform."

"Meh," Rainbow uttered.

Bard and Wildcard looked back at her.

"Not you." Rainbow pointed at the air behind them. "Them."

"I do believe there's one last thing to finish the ensemble, Rainbow Dash," Rarity said in a sing-songy tone.

Wildcard whistled and pointed.

Rainbow groaned, then slapped on a glossy lidded black cap. She stood in place, fidgeting. "I kinda miss having the conical hat." Nevertheless, she cleared her throat and looked at the Desperadoes. "How do I look?"

Wildcard smirked and signed in the air. Silence. His feathery brow furrowed, and he jabbed a shoulder into Bard.

"Guh! Sonuva..." Rolling his eyes, Bard cleared his throat and said, "'Reckon you look like a million bits there, Rainbow.'"

"Jee, thanks, Bard." Rainbow batted her eyelashes. "That's so very kind and friendly of you to say."

"Grrrrrrrrrrrr..."

Wildcard snapped his claws. The other two looked at him as he pointed at the complex, then gestured swiftly.

"Ahem..." Bard folded his forelimbs and spoke for the griffon: "'Two westbound trains have rolled into station over the last hour. They should be reloadin' on fuel for their steam engines right about now. I highly suggest you nab yerself the one that's on the northernmost track.'"

"Uhhhhhhhh..." Rainbow Dash fidgeted.

Wildcard signed some more, and Bard translated: "'It should take you through the mountain range and into the upper plateau of Dust Prefecture. Once yer past the last checkpoint, ditch the engine and make yer way northwest towards Wyvern Point.'"

"Dudes..."

"'The Talon won't suspect that yer headed in that direction. Also, that's where Remna was last situated, accordin' to her latest missives—'"

"Hang on!" Rainbow frowned, holding up her hooves. "Look. I know that... uh... we've been over this all night. But... seriously... how can I expect to steal and operate a train?!"

Bard looked at Wildcard. The griffon hand-signed delicately. Bard turned to face Rainbow again. "'Shouldn't be too hard. They usually only go in one direction.'"

"That... it... guhhh..." Rainbow Dash face-hoofed.

"Don't worry, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie grinned. "If worse comes to worst, we'll help you when the time comes!"

"Yeah..." Rainbow glared at the air beside her. "But have you ever operated a train before?"

"Uhhhhhhh..." Pinkie Pie curled her forelegs to her chest, blushing. "Eh heh heh heh..."

"I've read about steam engines plenty of times!" Twilight grinned.

"And... uhm... I rode in the front of one before," Fluttershy said.

Rarity blinked in surprise. "You rode in the front of a train, darling? When?"

"Erm..." Fluttershy sank a bit into the ground. "...it was a cloud train..."

"Ughhh..." Rainbow facehoofed again.

Wildcard patted her shoulder. She looked up to see the goggled griffon smiling and giving a metal thumb's up.

"Look... I'm super jazzed that you two have shown up out of the blue to lend me a hoof." Rainbow managed a weak smile. "Really, I am." Clearing her throat, she adjusted the collar of her uniform and mumured, "But... I-I just don't see why you can't—like—join me. Y'know... like old times."

Wildcard began gesturing—

"Yeah yeah—I know that you're heck-bent on finding this... this..."

"Job Squad," Bard blurted.

Rainbow looked over.

He flinched, then swiveled his head, glaring away from her.

Rainbow arched an eyebrow. "I'm guessing that's your name for them, not Wildcard's."

"Mrmmffff..."

Rainbow looked at the griffon. "Bard's obviously not so thrilled to be here. So this must be your doing." She blinked. "Why? Why go through all this trouble?"

Wildcard sighed. With a bittersweet smile, he swung his talons through the air.

"'Because...'" Bard muttered. "'...I have an oath that I gotsta keep. Plain and simple.'"

"You do?" Rainbow squinted. "But Bard doesn't? Since when was there a 'disparate' in 'Desperadoes?'"

"Goddess dang it all..." Bard shrugged his shoulders and marched away from the fallen tree. "We done what we came here to do, Dubya-Cee. I've humored you long enough. Now let's go grab yer old friends already." He adjusted the weight of his guitar case. "Assumin' any of them are still alive."

"But wait!" Rainbow stretched a hoof out. "I... I need to know more! Who's this 'Job Squad?!' What am I going to find in Wyvern Point?!"

Wildcard answered swiftly with swinging talons. When nothing was said, he flung an angry look over his shoulder and yanked Bard towards him by his long mane.

"Augh! Consarnit!" Bard cleared his throat and angrily interpreted: "'Just trust me, okay? Fetch a train. Head northwest. Look for a surly mare named Remna. She'll give ya the guidance that yer whinin' somethang awful for.'" He squinted at Wildcard. "There, Dubya, ya happy?"

Wildcard glanced at Rainbow Dash. With a shuddering sigh, he nodded, goggles rattling.

"Good. Let's mosey."

Wildcard spread his wings and—Fwoooosh!—rocketed east on dark wings.

Bard spread his limbs, preparing to do the same.

"Hey... look... Bard..." Rainbow Dash approached him, squirming visibly. "You have every reason to be mad at me. Celestia knows it took ages before the girls could speak to me after what I did in the Quade. But still... I just want you to know that I'm thankful." She gritted her teeth. "Please don't mix up my confusion for ungratefulness. I'm in a real bind right now, and if what you guys are offering me at Wyvern Point can help me get past Verlax... then... then it's a real swell thing, y'know?"

Bard lingered in place. At last, he sighed, his thick muscles slumping. "... ... ...t'ain't me ya should be thankin', Rainbow."

Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy looked on, eyes wide and breaths held.

"It's all Dubya. He's got his oath... and I've got my oaths to him. That's all." The stallion glared into the smoggy sky. "Desperation and honor are too very different thangs, and only one of 'em deserves forgiveness."

"Bard..."

"Now move yer dayum tail," Bard grumbled, flapping his wings. "It'd be a cryin' shame if all of Dubya-Cee's work amounted to a whole heap'o'nothin'." Fwoooooosh! And he was skyborne, disappearing to the east.

Rainbow Dash stood in place, shivering. She and her marefriends watched as the Desperadoes vanished along the glowing horizon.

Rainbow sighed. "...how I do miss that."

"Well, at least he's... as articulate as ever," Rarity muttered.

"Don't let his mean words get to you, Rainbow," Fluttershy said with a hopeful smile. "He showed up here. That counts for something, yes?"

Rainbow tilted her black cap forward and muttered, "Bard's not the one who's done mean things."

Fluttershy bit her lip. She and Twilight exchanged nervous glances.

"Whatever," Rainbow muttered. "I've moved on from the Quade." She stepped forward. "It's a crying shame that Bard hasn't."

Rarity pumped her hoof. "Now that's the spirit, darling!"

"Let's just deal with one crazy situation at a time," Rainbow muttered. "Verlax is the one obsessed with the 'big picture.' Maybe by sticking to the small stuff, we'll... I dunno... have an edge over her?"

"I'm... not sure it works that way, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said.

"Typical egghead," Rainbow droned. "Bring a brain to a stupid fight." She took a sniff of the smoggy air and almost puked. "Eughhh... Luna's nipple... what does this town burn to keep warm? Parasprite turds?"

Pinkie gulped. "I think we're about to find out..."

Comments

[RoboRed]

I think this might be our first allusion to Wildcard having been one of the Talon. Or at least known by them.

"I saw it with mine as well." Keris squinted. "And what I witnessed was merely what was left of him."

Likely the limbs now replaced with metal prosthetics.

[Tim the Planes-pony]

what does this town burn to keep warm? Parasprite turds?"

Dredge coal.

That aside she did bring up some good points, namely that operating an old steam train was no easy feat. Twilight could help her do it in theory, but like many of her theories, it leaves something to be desired in practice.

Meanwhile on the Talon front, Seraphimus seems to have put together Verlax's plan, but what she doesn't know is why. Or maybe, she does know why and doesn't want to believe it, as it would mean all that she has worked for is a lie. While she cannot fix that, she has seemed to realize that she can fix the issue with the consortium, and maybe that will fix the Rainbow Rogue situation.

[aRestlessCreativeGamer]

at least now we don't have people/ponies that are willing to just accept and forget what Rainbow has done. Don't get me wrong, it'd be nice to see Bard all back how he was, but it helps the story feel more real/authentic to have characters like Sonikah and Bard who don't just roll over for convenience.

[Phoenix Kitten]

The smartassery is strong this chapter.

Guessing we have our answer, Wildcard used to be a member of the Talon. Wonder if he was Seraph's CO.
Commander Jordan.

"We need to remain focused while in the vicinity of the Consortium. Besides, all things considered, there's not a chance in Hell that we'll be finding the Rogue in Steamfall."

Meanwhile...

Rainbow Dash, Bard, and Wildcard approached the southern fringes of Steamfall.

I love it when things like this happen. It always makes me giggle.

"Jee, thanks, Bard." Rainbow batted her eyelashes. "That's so very kind and friendly of you to say."

Nobody does passive aggression like Dash can.

"Hang on!" Rainbow frowned, holding up her hooves. "Look. I know that... uh... we've been over this all night. But... seriously... how can I expect to steal and operate a train?!"
Bard looked at Wildcard. The griffon hand-signed delicately. Bard turned to face Rainbow again. "'Shouldn't be too hard. They usually only go in one direction.'"

Wildcard has a very good sense of humor.

"Whatever," Rainbow muttered. "I've moved on from the Quade." She stepped forward. "It's a crying shame that Bard hasn't."

That's one way of looking at it Dash, the other is that trust is a hard thing to replace.
You betrayed his trust before, he's not about to let you back in in case you do it again.

-Companions have returned, inner darkness spurned. Utaan.

[IceKitsune]

No body, no death. That is rule number one of story death 90% of the time.
6886302 Yeah sounds like all they found were the limbs he ended up replacing.

Seraphimus seems to be starting to put something together, and I'm also kind of glad Bard hasn't forgiven Dash yet. I just really hope he will eventually.

[Nephilinae]

I'll admit, I laughed out loud at the scene change

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

The mystery deepens...

[Velvet]

Cool chapter

[Hyperbole]

"You're waiting for a train. A train that'll take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you. But you can't know for sure. Yet it doesn't matter. Now, tell me why?"

[Aatxe360]

6886302

Sounds like WC has been the leader of the Desperadoes; Bard the mouthpiece.

[Booster Spice]

Dash has been given a very smart, new, clean uniform. One that engine operatives most assuredly wouldnt have within minutes of approaching a working engine, never mind operating it. therefore it is the uniform of the train conductor or guard. Especially if Longaze came up in some luxury. The options I see are that she finds the train heading the way she wants to go, then takes the Conductors job as, The New Guy. After all, Wildcard said she had to get past checkpoints, and as a member of the lightly active train crew she has a far easier job of pulling it off. Once the girls have gone through analysing the engine and theoretical operation on teh way up, they can inform Dash slightly better on how t handle the controls and shoveling dredge coal and the other couple dozen things a steam engine needs.

Even better would be, if moving around teh yard, Dash gets on several trains, the one she is wanting not the visibly last.

Chaos and confusion make a wonderful distraction.

[Codaulux]

Not another spare moment to ponder the chances of the dead returning with an apparent air of disloyalty? Well I suppose there's already enough of a mess that needs reassessing.

"Yeah..." Rainbow glared at the air beside her. "But have you ever operated a train before?"

"Uhhhhhhh..." Pinkie Pie curled her forelegs to her chest, blushing. "Eh heh heh heh..."

derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/1/12/210303.jpg

[Silver Flare]

Good ol' Thunker Meat and Miss Mopey Braids seem to be the only puzzle pieces left without someplace they fit. Wherever they are, Sonika's experience in the quade and Theanim's smarts will be used to bring righteous truth and righteous justice down upon the heads of the wicked!

Also: my inner fangirl is going nuts over WC right now. Commence operation squee.

[EricStarstorm]

It's sad that Bard is angry at Rainbow, but the way it's being done right now is actually pretty funny. Still, I look forward to the point where Rainbow and Bard talk it out.

[Lightning Bearer]

Makes me wonder even more about Wildcard. I always figured there was a story to him (Bard, too, but we still don't know much about his past), and when the Talon was introduced, I remember wondering if he had some connection to them, but I dismissed it as far-fetched. Now it's all but confirmed. If WC is whats-his-face, however, it begs the question: How did a member of the Talon become a bounty-hunter? And what, exactly, is behind his bond with Bard? Did one save the other's life? What might WC's apparent connection to the Talon mean when he inevitably crosses paths with them again? And does it have anything to do with his "old friends" (the Job Squad)?

I know, I'm getting ahead of myself. Only time will tell.

Also, what did happen to Rainbow's conical hat? I must've missed when she lost it.

[Frodo]

At first I wasn't sure, but now I'm pretty confident: The Job Squad is the Talon - not some random group of bounty hunters -, and WC intends to convert them.

[Phoenix Kitten]

6886656 Please, they're gonna brawl it out in the middle of an important part of a plan and accidentally end up kicking more ass than if they were working together.

[destinedjagold]

"Commander..." Keris stepped closer, peering at her. "What if it is him? What if, after all this time, he's come back?"

"What if it is him?"

Wait...WHAT?! Wildcard is—?!

*fixes mind-blown mind*
*continues reading chapter*

[AppleTank]

6886302
Well, I'm pretty sure the moment a "Jordan" was mentioned dead or something, a good portion of people pointed out that WC was one and the same.

[Sabin]

6886659 In the chapter called, "The Thawiest Place on Earth" Rainbow gives her clothes and hat to a drunk to throw the Talon off her trail during the festivities in Kunmane.

[Lightning Bearer]

6886847

That's right. Thanks.

[Sir Mediocre]

"It would be most wise," Seraphimus said, marching out of the thicket. "We need to remain focused while in the vicinity of the Consortium. Besides, all things considered, there's not a chance in Hell that we'll be finding the Rogue in Steamfall."

No sense of dramatic irony, this one.

[remnants]

"Commander..." Keris stepped closer, peering at her. "What if it is him? What if, after all this time, he's come back?"

"He perished in noble conflict," Seraphimus said in a low voice. "I saw it with my own eyes."

"I saw it with mine as well." Keris squinted. "And what I witnessed was merely what was left of him."

derpicdn.net/img/2014/3/22/582261/full.png

[Sonikah]

Man, I hope Renma's blonde. Rainbow could use some niceness and sexiness in her life.

[Nostromo_Crew]

I'm highly suspicious, all this alludes to WC. What if it's bard they are actually talking about? I mean if what they assumed was WC's was all that was left of bars, they'd have discharged WC with no questions asked. But, man, would that be a head Turner for bard to have been head of, or even just a good sergeant, of an earlier Talon?

[Nevlamas]

Oh come on, Bard is still angry about that old thing? Please, you just murder a bunch of innocent monks once and everybody loses their minds...

[Luminard]

WC is getting the band back together!

[JustAnotherTimeLord]

Still shrouded in mystery. I'm happy to see those two, but man, things have most certainly changed. Is there any hope for amends? I really hope so.

[Emotional Flight]

And...

...they're gone.

[Thojnx]

I wonder what happened to Wildcard as a Talon...

[Jern]

"Then it suggests that the Rainbow Rogue is simply a mechanism in Her divine plan."

Close, but no dice. You guys are the mechanism.

[The Whiskey Spirit]

Things are getting interesting. I can't wait for the xt one. Next stop: Train stealin'!

[Cynderfall]

Pinkie is the best engineer of the bunch. she had that peddlecopter and a party cannon.

[Lazy_]

6887336
Judging by the way things are changing with them, they might start catching onto that at some point.

[Kepler]

Rainbow's been training for this from the beginning.

[Mercy]

6887231 She didn't even murder them!

[Eyes of Avo]

6886376 Because you'll be together.

[Bread Lord - Galloran]

6887831
She committed Herbicide...

[Samurai Green]

6886669

Why not an older version of the Talon? As in ones that retired or resigned?

[Bread Lord - Galloran]

6888482

[8542Madness]

He's charismatic about defending his brothers and sisters. Such enthusiasm is noble, but blinding."

"Sounds positively awful," Keris said with a smirk.

Rekt.

I love the inception reference in the title. I need to watch that movie again.

[The_K_Man]

6887251 WC certainly seems to be the Jake to Bard's Elwood.

[Keebroo]

"Whatever," Rainbow muttered. "I've moved on from the Quade."

I don't think you ever really move on from something like that. Many years yet to ruminate on the unintended consequences. At least she can go on despite it all, if only to accomplish what she set out for.

[Leftover of Saikano]

It's racist to think all griffons know each other.

"But she does not believe in Verlaxion. I assure you of this."

Saying that right after Dash told him Verlax has plans involving her...

[Garbhan]

The "remains" might have been only WCs natural arm and he used the chance to start a new life?

[Hazard]

Aha! Wildcard is a former talon... or at least similar enough to be confused for one.

6892954 She may claim she's past it, but if what Verlax said was true, her broken wing proves the lie in her words.

[Windburst]

Aww Bard, I kinda miss your lazy gone back attitude

[The 24th Pegasus]

And all those conspiracy theories from way back in the beginning about Wildcard being a member of the Talon comes crashing forward again.

Besides, all things considered, there's not a chance in Hell that we'll be finding the Rogue in Steamfall."

Now that's the spirit. The only way you can possibly find Rainbow is to not look for her.

[Hap]

dark black company uniforms

vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/archer/images/c/ce/Turtlenecks.png/revision/latest?cb=20110404025901

I can't believe nobody has done this already.

[Seraphimus]

Besides, all things considered, there's not a chance in Hell that we'll be finding the Rogue in Steamfall."
Rainbow Dash, Bard, and Wildcard approached the southern fringes of Steamfall.

This right here. I can picture the T.V scene transition in my head perfectly XD.

Also,I called it, They think he's dead... but again, who IS Wildcard exactly then... I kinda can't wait to find out.