Music Rasps the Savage Beast
Rainbow Dash slowly, pensively trotted across a wooden rampart of the lofty sanctuary. She came to a stop, squinting down at one of the lower balconies of the wyverns' palace. The mare craned her neck, ears twitching in the cold mountain winds.
"Hmmm?" Pinkie Pie peered over Rainbow's stubbled scalp. "What is it, Dashie?"
"Do you see something, Rainbow?" Twilight asked.
Her friends followed Rainbow's line of sight. Down below, through a set of open windows, a pair of figures stood in the dim shadows of a serene meditation chamber. A sliver of midday light caught graceful hooves lingering across from thick, muscular fetlocks.
"Anypony we should know?" Rarity asked.
"It's Remna and Mortuana," Fluttershy said.
"You sure of that?" Rarity asked.
"No, she's right." Rainbow nodded. "I could recognize Remna's fat hooves in my sleep at this point." She swallowed. "And Mortuana... seems like the type to stick to the shadows."
"What could they be meeting about?" Pinkie asked.
"Anything." Rainbow's nostrils flared. "Nothing. How am I to tell? So far, it seems that all things pertaining to Remna is a need-to-know basis where Austraeoh is concerned."
Pinkie looked at their anchor. "You suppose it's true?"
"Mmmmm... what?"
"That Mortuana used her last blood capsule thingy on saving Remna from her disease?"
"Is that a bad thing?" Fluttershy remarked. "These 'Sacred Seven' very obviously care for one another. Wouldn't we do the same for each other if a terrible affliction struck us?"
"Royal generosity notwithstanding..." Rarity cleared her throat. "...I think that what Pinkie Pie's getting at is that such blood samples would be priceless for the completion of our journey, and now Mortuana is narrowed down to just one."
"We can't blame her for that, though," Twilight said. "It's not like the Austraeoh could have arrived here at Wyvern Point any sooner."
"I'm sure I could have if I tried harder," Rainbow muttered.
"Oh, Rainbow..." Twilight sighed, giving the pegasus a weathered smile. "Don't start beating yourself up again. You're hardly in the opportune place for self-deprecation."
"Yeah!" Pinkie grinned from ear to ear. "These Heraldites practically worship you!"
"Except for Remna," Rainbow remarked, squinting down at the distant meeting taking place. "To her, this whole 'Sacred Seven' thing is all business."
"A true bounty hunter to the core," Rarity droned.
"I've seen my fair share of bounty hunters throughout my travels," Rainbow said. "They're a great deal more open to friendliness and emotional expression than one might think."
"You mean like Bard and Wildcard?" Pinkie Pie remarked.
Rainbow gulped. "Yeah. Bard and Wildcard. Those are who I meant."
Fluttershy blinked at her anchor.
"If what Kepler says is true, then Remna is the highest ranking mortal among the Herald," Twilight said. "Perhaps Mortuana is giving her an extra special briefing. We are due to start travelling east soon."
"Makes a great deal of sense," Rarity said with a slight shudder. "If Mortuana is as far gone as she claims, then Remna will likely have to bear the alicorn's torch."
"It's... just so sad." Fluttershy sniffled. "The only alicorn we've met out here—and a sister to Whitemane, no less."
"Yeah..." Rainbow gulped. "Still can't get over that."
Fluttershy gazed melancholically at the others. "Maybe... maybe if we can relinquish Verlax of her power before it's too late, Mortuana can still have a chance of enjoying a longer life?"
"I... don't think that's quite how the curse on her works, Fluttershy," Twilight said.
"Yeah." Rainbow nodded. "And Mortuana's made it clear that the only way to get past Verlax... is to end her... once and for all." She swallowed a lump down her throat. "Mortuana's very clearly prepared for the end of her journey. We owe it to her to carry the torch past the edge of the world."
"Yes, but do we owe it to her enough that we must end Verlax as well?" Twilight Sparkle remarked.
Rainbow stared limply at the unicorn. "What else would you have me do, Twilight?"
"I don't know. Just... yes Mortuana seems to know Verlax in and out. But it has been several eons since the two last met. Maybe..." Twilight shrugged. "I don't know. P-perhaps enough has changed to allow for a different option..."
"I don't like the idea any more than you do, Twilight," Rainbow said. "But do you honestly think that Verlax is the kind of dragon who will change her ways after doing the same friggin' thing for millennia?"
"Uhm... but she's in 'pony form,' remember?" Pinkie blurted. "Mortuana said so."
"Doesn't make a difference!" Rainbow growled, causing Pinkie to flinch. "Not every bad guy can be saved and... redeemed like Princess Luna was." She shuddered. "I just... don't know if there can be another option here..."
"I just don't like how obsessed Mortuana is with death," Fluttershy said.
"You must admit, darling." Rarity pointed. "It's in her nature. Just as Celestia is an alicorn of the Sun and Luna an alicorn of the Moon."
"Even still. Our Princesses have shown that they're more than capable of transcending the framework that binds them." Fluttershy turned to look at Rainbow Dash again. "Mortuana has been obsessed with the same task at hoof for lifetimes." She gulped. "But can't the same thing be said of Verlax?"
Rainbow blinked at that.
"What are you suggesting, Fluttershy?" Twilight said. "That Mortuana could be mistaken?"
"I'm just saying that the universe we live in is an incredibly complicated realm," Fluttershy added. "Kepler's information only confirms this. With so many factors at play... what makes Mortuana any more correct than Verlax when she insists that one and only one option is necessary for Austraeoh to finish her journey?"
"And free Applejack!" Pinkie Pie remarked. "Let's not forget that!"
"Believe me," Rainbow Dash muttered. "I haven't."
"Rainbow, you know where the girls and I stand on desperate actions and desperate measures," Twilight said. "But in Verlax's case—"
"What, Twilight?" Rainbow flashed her a glare. "What about 'Verlax's case?' Does our 'Equestrian moral center' suddenly have a wobble to it that I don't know about?"
Twilight winced, ears folding back. "I just..." She avoided Rainbow's gaze. "...I just think that, if Verlax has spent countless centuries setting up a horrible trap in the heart of Rohbredden... then what's to say that it isn't being made for her?"
Fluttershy and Rarity exchanged glances.
"A tragedy is a tragedy, no matter who suffers the most from it, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said. "The only thing I know with certainty is that..." She gulped hard. "...getting to Bleak's Plummet and beyond is not going to be easy." Her eyes twitched. "Only difference now is that I realize... none of it is really my fault... at least not yet."
Twilight bit her lip.
There was a wooden creak of a doorframe below, followed by heavy, heavy hoofsteps. Rainbow and her friends stared down from their lofty position.
Remna marched away from the meditation chamber. With a neutral expression, she briskly passed brazier after brazier.
"Hey!" Pinkie hissed, pointing to the left. "Look!"
Rainbow followed her gesture. She and the girls spotted Wildcard shuffling in from a long corridor. Upon seeing his mentor, the griffon stood dead still, holding up a metal hoof.
Meanwhile, Remna...
...simply walked past him without saying a word.
Wildcard stood numbly in place. Slowly, in a teetering motion, he turned to gaze after her. His headcrest lowered, and soon the Desperado was lowering his metal hoof, staring at the distant bounty hunter with solemn confusion. Adjusting his goggles, Wildcard exhaled, then resumed his walk to the meditation chamber to speak with the Mountain Matron.
"Now what was that all about?" Rarity murmured.
"She... didn't even look at him," Twilight breathed.
Rainbow frowned. "What kind of a mentor is that?"
"A lousy one, I reckon," spoke a deep, male voice.
"...!" Rainbow jumped in her skin. She spun about, her pendant glinting in the sunlight.
Bard leaned against a side of the ramparts, glaring down at the last position where Remna had been spotted. "A selfish soul with no sense of common courtesy. Ain't got the time to check up on Dubya or so much as write the fella." The stallion grunted, tilting the brow of his hat forward. "Builds him up from ashes and feathers to be a killin' machine, but dun teach him a single smidgen about savin' lives... just takin' 'em."
Rainbow cleared her throat. "I take it you're not a big fan of Remna."
"Hrmmmfff... is piss wet?" Bard huffed, trotting lazily across the ramparts with his guitar case in tow. "Well, maybe not so much around her. One of these she's gonna catch on fire and I'll be the last stallion to put her out."
"Wow..." Fluttershy blinked. "...I didn't realize this 'Bard' character was so capable of hate."
"He's hated Rainbow Dash before! That counts, right?" Pinkie said. Upon receiving several glaring faces, she rolled her eyes and sighed. "Right. Zipping up, Pinkie."
"Ahem..." Rainbow trotted after Bard. "Just what's so horrible about her? I mean... aside from being horrible, I guess."
"She ain't got no heart, is what."
"Didn't she save Wildcard?"
"Pffft. Barely. Ain't much of a lease on life if yer immediately turned into a weapon." Bard nodded into the mountain air. "Yer better off thankin' Flynn and Big Show for shapin' Dubya into somethin' closely resemblin' a sane citizen of Rohbreden."
"And Bard as well, I would imagine," Twilight said.
"What about you, scruffy?" Rainbow translated with a smirk.
"Hmmmfff..." Bard cracked his neck muscles and trotted on. The furthest edge of his muzzle curved slightly. "Guess you could say I'm the anchor that reins the badflank griffon in."
"From one anchor to another, I'll totally buy that," Rainbow said with a wink.
"You dun know the half of it," Bard grunted. "When I first butted heads with Dubya-Cee, he was a regular destroyer of worlds. Icy to the touch... especially the sharpest parts."
Rainbow squinted. "The two of you fought when you first met?"
"In my defense, I landed a few good hits in." Bard coughed. "But... yeah... he took me to the woodshed."
"What stopped the handsome fellow from gutting Bard like a fish?" Rarity asked.
"Rares..." Rainbow growled aside.
Bard twirled to face her. "Just what are yer fillyfriends askin', darlin'?"
Rainbow cleared her throat. "How come you... y'know... survived...?"
"Dubya saw somethin' in me that he had never met in an opponent since Remna salvaged him."
"And what was that?"
"Regret."
Rainbow blinked.
Bard turned around, staring into the mountains beyond the sanctuary. "He and I had a lot in common. He could see it in my eyes; all the tears were gone. Must have seemed like a reflection, really. Somethin' horrible had wrung the mirth clean out of both of us, and he stood to gain nothin' by extinguishin' my rotten life." Bard cleared his throat. "So... he gave his purpose in this world some mighty deep reevaluatin', then decided to stop clingin' to Remna's fat fetlocks."
"How did Remna react?"
"Who cares?" Bard grumbled. "She went off to her own corner of the world to die... only she didn't. And Dubya and I? We combined our two rotten halves and made a somewhat useful whole. I picked up the guitar again for the first time in years, and the chatty griffon found a way to be badflank and classy. A difficult combination to manage. Believe me. I've tried."
"Is that when you and the other members of the Herald formed the Job Squad?"
"Round about, yeah."
"So... like... why didn't you join up with the Sacred Seven?" Rainbow arched an eyebrow. "Not a fan of Remna being on the team?"
Bard was dead silent.
Rainbow blinked, waiting for a response.
Eventually, Bard muttered: "I understand that you've got a lotta questions on account of all this 'Austraeoh' nonsense." He turned to squint at her. "But I ain't no Kepler."
"Yeah...?" Rainbow squinted back. "That much is certain. Would be pretty hard to sing with sabre teeth in the way."
"Hrmmmfff..." Bard turned away. "So yer a joker now?"
"I'm a mare that you can trust," Rainbow muttered. She gulped. "Or at least... I was once."
Bard said nothing.
"Bard, whatever it may be that you regret in life... please know that I've been there. I really have. You and Wildcard aren't the only souls to have stuff like that in common."
"Yeah, well..." Bard sighed, resting a hoof on the edge of the ramparts. "...some of us never leave regret behind, now do we?"
Rainbow's lips pursed.
But before she could respond to that...
...the sound of shouts and a deep bass growling fluttered past their ears.
"Uhhhhh..." Pinkie shifted uncomfortably.
Bard's muzzle scrunched as he faced east. "The Hell...?"
"You hear it to?"
"I'd be damned if the whole continent didn't hear it," the stallion grunted.
The two ponies leaned against the east edge of the sanctuary. They peered past the ravine, eyeing a snowy plateau where several hairy figures surrounded a large dark shape leering about.
"What's up with those wyvern fellas?" Bard remarked.
"You asking me?" Rainbow blanched. "I'm totally new to this place."
"Girl, I ain't ever vacationed here myself. I only know about as much as Dubya and the other Jobbers are willin' to tell me."
"Guess there's only one way to find out what's up."
Bard gave her a look. "Is yer damned wing healed yet?"
Rainbow merely glared at him.
"Hrmmff... whatever." Bard spread his wings out and offered a spot on his backside. "Just dun poke me with yer pendant."
"Wow..." Rainbow climbed onto his shoulders. "...if I had a golden bit for every time I heard—"
"Hush, you." Fwoooosh!
Flynn and Logan stood on the western edges of the snowy plateau, facing east. Big Show leaned against his axe while Flynn constantly zoomed his mechanical eye in and out. Both stallions' jaws hung low as they gawked and gawked.
"Alright... I give in, Flynnster," Logan grunted. "What in shit's name are they doin' to the big lug?"
"What do I look like, an anthropologist?" Flynn adjusted the steam pack on his flanks. "My expertise is engineering... not zookeeping."
"Careful with the 'z' word," Logan belched. "These friends of ours are practically cousins to the thing... I mean... aren't they?"
The air thundered with a loud hiss. Within milliseconds, a bruised wyvern flew past them, crash-landing through a snowbank. The other monks hollered and shouted at one another as the bass growls intensified.
"Not for long, they aren't," Flynn stammered. "Should... should we intervene?"
"Nah. I think these motherbuckers got it." Logan turned to Flynn. "It's almost noon! You hungry?"
"Big Show..." Flynn face-hoofed with a sigh. "...I swear to Goddess..."
Fwoooosh! Bard landed with Rainbow Dash clinging to him. The two stood up, gaping at the scene.
"What in tarnation, guys?!" Bard wheezed.
"Seriously, Bard," Big Show droned. "Isn't it a tad bit early for the 'tarnations?' Save it for the journey eastward, ya one hit wonder."
"For real, y'all." Bard pointed at the scene. "I thought these folks were the peaceful kind. Why are they gangin' up on that big one?"
"Look harder, Bard," Flynn said. "You'll notice a great deal of anatomical differences."
"Rainbow, are you seeing this?" Twilight stammered.
"I am..." Rainbow Dash stepped forward, squinting. Her hooves crunched to a stop in the snow as she breathed misty vapors outward. "And I don't get it." She looked over her shoulder. "Fluttershy?"
"Oh my goodness... oh my goodness..." Fluttershy hovered in a nervous shoulder. "He's so distressed! The poor thing!"
"He looks positively ravenous to me!" Rarity exclaimed. "He must be attacking the sanctuary!"
"This far out, though?" Pinkie remarked.
Before Rainbow and her friends, a lumbering manticore stood in the center of no less than two-dozen wyverns. The hunched-and-hairy creatures closed in, wielding staves and poleaxes. With ceremonial grunts and hisses, they forced the manticore to stay put. The beast was not pleased about it—not one bit—and he swung razor-sharp claws at the gang, stabbing with his massive stinger, all the while growling and hissing up a storm.
The wyverns kept their distance, nevertheless putting the pressure on the beast, attempting to shove it back east towards the snowy wilderness beyond.
"Haaah!"
"Back! Back!"
"Not herre and not now, Big Brrotherr!"
"Back to the whites wherre you belong, Big Brrotherr!"
Rainbow squinted. "'Big Brother?'"
"Why do they keep callin' him that?" Bard remarked.
Swooooooosh! Kepler suddenly landed from a smoothe glide. "Because beneath his abrrasive exterriorr, he is simply a biggerr and morre confused verrsion of us!"
"You kidding?" Rainbow waved a hoof. "He's a manticore!"
"An astute obserrvation, Austrraeoh." Kepler shuffled forward, adjusting his spectacles. "Morre accurrately, he is ourr manticorre... and ourr rresponsibility by blood to deliverr back into the wilderrness!"
"You mean... you don't aim to hurt 'em?" Bard asked.
"Hah! Gods, no!" Kepler nevertheless cleared his throat, approaching the thick of the circling gang. "Howeverr, in his furry and confusion, a Big Brrotherr will not hesitate to hurrt us. Leave this to the Wyverrns. We shall escorrt him verrily frrom Sanctuarry."
Swooosh! Ariel flew in, hovering breathlessly above the scene. "Rainbow Dash! There you are! When I saw you missing, I was worried that—" She suddenly blinked at the wyverns encircling the large, hairy beast. "Holy shit. What the Hell's going on here?"
"The wyverns regularly deal with their next of kin, apparently," Flynn said. "It would appear that they have things under control."
"Right. Nothing to see." Logan smirked. "You can head back to your safe bedroom, Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow retorted, "Not all of us are a lazy bag of bones, Josho—I mean Big Show... dang it." Rainbow's eyes crossed and she face-hoofed. "Already? Eugh... might as well start keeping count, Pinkie."
"Okie Dokie Lokie!" Pinkie grinned proudly. A beat, and she blinked. "Wait... keep count of what?"
"Back!" Wyvern hollered, waving a claw at the growling manticore. "The glorrious wilderrness waits forr your mighty rreturn, Big Brrother!"
"Grreat hunts, Big Brrotherr!" chanted the other wyverns.
"Singing starrs and whistling winds!"
"The valleys of Rrohbrredden arre your kingdom! Leave the sanctuary to smaller siblings!"
Those few monks with feathered earrings signaled to one another and kept the pressure on.
"I see..." Fluttershy breathed easier, managing a smile. "They... they really aren't going to hurt the precious thing."
"Must you always call the most disagreeable of beasts 'precious,' darling?" Rarity squeaked.
"He's just grumpy and confused, Rarity. Nothing more." Fluttershy pointed. "Seems as though the wyverns here understand that. It's... comforting."
"Amazing," Twilight Sparkle cooed, her eyes glued to the scene.
"Mrmmfff..." Rainbow muttered aside. "If you say so, egghead. After all, life's not so surprising after you've personally watched a Durandanan milk a flying manta ray."
"No, I mean... if what Kepler's explained to us is correct... then not a single one of these creatures before us is an actual native to this plane." Twilight looked aside at Rainbow. "Nor the griffons nor the windigoes..."
"Yeah... so?"
"Just... this ceremony of theirs is so ancient... so pristine... and yet Urohringr is still incalculably older than all of it! How... incredible is it that so many unique cultures came to rest in the places where we now find them?"
"Hmmmm..." Rainbow Dash exhaled through her nostrils. "I guess you've got a point. There is a certain degree of... awesomeness to it."
"If your journey does what's expected of Austraeoh, then... just think about it, Rainbow," Twilight spoke breathily. "You're not only giving every civilization on this plane a new lease on existence... but you're reuniting all of us with our long lost neighbors of the past... and future." She smiled wide. "These wyverns... manticores... griffons... everyone—they'll actually have a chance to return home again."
"With all due respect, Twilight," Rarity said. "They are already home."
Twilight nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose you've got a valid point there."
"It's okay, Twi." Pinkie winked. "We're just as excited as you are."
"Let's wait until after we've freed Applejack before deciding when it's safe to be 'excited,'" Rainbow Dash muttered.
"Awwwwwww..." Pinkie pouted. "...since when were you such a party pooper, Dashie?"
Rainbow merely clenched her jaw.
Meanwhile, the manticore growled louder and louder.
"Yeesh..." Logan frowned. "Sure is taking them a friggin' long time to drive off their dirty uncle."
"Maybe..." Ariel shrugged. "...we should help them out a bit?"
"You heard that Kepler fella," Bard said. "They've got this in the bag."
"Yes..." Flynn stroked his chin in thought. "...perhaps." Nevertheless, he cleared his throat and spoke loudly: "Are you certain you have a handle on this, Kepler?"
"Aye! Frret not, pony frriends!" Just as he said that, Kepler had to lean back from a swiped set of claws. The air filled with gasps as he adjusted his bifocals. "Zounds! Big Brrotherr is parrticularrly stubborrn today! I think this calls forr some bitterr salts." Swiftly, he unsheathed a tall glass container from his bandolier and popped the cap loose. "Ho! Back, Big Brrotherr!" He waved the vaporous concoction before the ravenous beast. "The sanctuarry is a smelly place! Hah! Trrust me! You will prreferr the wilderrness—"
With a loud snarl, the manticore spontaneously bounded forward, headbutting Kepler in the chest.
Wham!
"Oh no!" Fluttershy yelped.
"Ooomf!" Kepler slid back several feet.
The other wyverns dove in with their staves.
Enraged, the manticore swung its tail around in a high arc, knocking the monks collectively back. Bodies flew, falling to the snowy field with sporadic grunts.
"Grrrnnngh!" Kepler sat up, squinting in the absence of his bifocals. "What brrassh misforrtune!" He fumbled for his lenses. "Would a dearr brrotherr kindly assist me in gaining my eyes back?"
The manticore howled, then dragged its paw across the snow.
"Rainbow, look!" Rarity pointed. "You remember what that means?"
Pinkie squealed, her back bristling against her control. "It's chargiii-iii-iiing!"
"Oh no!" Twilight gasped. "Kepler!"
Th-Th-Th-Thud! The manticore bounded through the snow, making a murderous beeline for the collapsed and blinded Heraldite.
"Rainbow!" Fluttershy shrieked. "There's only one thing that can calm a wild beast—"
Fwooosh! Rainbow galloped straight towards the scene.
Bard gasped. "Rainbow! What are you—"
"Somepony stop her!" Ariel yelped.
It was too late. Rainbow met the manticore head on. She planted her rear hooves between it and Kepler, then reared up with a hoof outstretched. She took a deep, deep breath and...
...hummed a slow-tempo chorus.
More confused than anything, the manticore lurched to a stop. Its muscular girth stopped just inches from Rainbow's muzzle.
Powdery snow littered Rainbow's body. Nevertheless, she stood her ground, holding a hoof out towards the manticore and continuing to hum loudly. Her voice cracked between each raspy breath as she struggled to maintain a melody.
At last, Kepler found his spectacles. He took one look at the event unfolding before him and fell back with a frightful gasp. "Grreat galloping grrapefrruits!"
The manticore's bloodshot eyes darted towards the wyvern. It hissed, lurching forward.
"For Angels' sake, Kepler!" Flynn hollered. "Don't move!"
"Aye, brrotherr's!" Kepler waved at the other monks to hold their ground. "Stay back!"
"Shhhh!" Ariel insisted.
Once Kepler was silent, Rainbow's humming dominated the air once again.
The manticore growled, snorted, and pivoted its angry maw towards her yet again.
The wyverns all looked at one another, holding their staves in trembling claws.
Vapors poured out of Rainbow's mouth and nostrils as she hummed and hummed. Her eyes twitched as she stared at the gaping maw of the monster in front of her.
"That... that tune..." Rarity murmured.
Pinkie blinked. "Is Dashie humming what I think she's humming?"
"Probably the first thing she thought of," Twilight said. Clearing her throat, she hovered closer to their anchor, muttering: "Just like that, Rainbow. Keep humming. You're starting to calm him down."
Rainbow did her best to keep from trembling. She locked eyes with the beast, knowing that one tiny falter would invite instant impalement or decapitation, courtesy of the manticore's fangs. Despite her versatile lungs, her voice was starting to spread thin.
Suddenly, guitar cords lit the air.
The manticore snorted, his bat-like ears perking up even higher.
Rainbow's eyes glanced aside.
Bard calmly strolled in, his gaze similarly locked on the beast. He cradled his guitar and plucked away, matching the tune of Rainbow's humming with his feathertips.
"Reckon you've got some lyrics to go with that tune of yers, Rainbow?"
"I... I forgot 'em," Rainbow whispered.
"Well, now might be a dayum good time to unforget 'em," Bard insisted. "If not you, then one of them invisible other-you's."
Rainbow gulped. She glanced aside. "Fluttershy?"
"Just repeat after me, Rainbow."
Rainbow nod-nod-nodded.
Clearing her throat, Fluttershy filled the air with honey'd words: "'Hush now, quiet now. It's time to lay your sleepy head...'"
Rainbow opened her muzzle wide and did her raspy best to follow Fluttershy's harmonic example: "Hush now, quiet n-now, it's time to lay your sl-sleepy head."
Pinkie and Rarity clung to one another. They and Twilight watched intently as Fluttershy and Rainbow sang to the beast.
"Hush now, quiet now. It's time to go to b-bed..."
The manticore blinked rapidly. Slowly, it lowered its paws, leaning back in the snow with a curious swish of its tail.
"I think it's workin'," Bard whispered.
Rainbow slowly lowered her hoof, singing more calmly: "Drifting off to sleep. Exciting day behind you. Drifting off to sleep. Let the joy of dream land find you."
Tired eyes hung low on the manticore's face. It teetered slightly, its fangs disappearing into its relaxed maw.
"Huh..." Kepler grinned wide as he watched from behind Rainbow and Bard. "...how delightfully currious..."
Then, from behind the group: "Austraeoh!"
The manticore jolted.
Loud hoofsteps broke the scene, forcing Flynn and Logan to twirl about, gawking.
"Awwwwwww snap," Flynn muttered.
Bard did his best to strum the guitar peacefully, all the while turning his head around to glare. "The Hell...?"
Remna galloped up, breathless and furious. "What's the meaning of this?! Why is Rainbow out here?"
"How'd you get all the way up here—?" Ariel murmured.
"Answer me!" Remna snarled.
"A completely innocent coincidence," Kepler said, waving a claw. "I assurre you."
"Yeah..." Bard growled out the edge of his muzzle. "And you ain't helpin', neither—"
"And you are putting the Austraeoh in unnecessary danger!" Remna marched up, frowning. "Rainbow Dash... step away from the manticore this instant."
"Yo..." Rainbow managed an unmelodious whisper or two. "...I've got this. I'm helping these bro's out—"
A deep, rising growl issued from the manticore's throat.
"Your only business is in helping Urohringr out!" Remna clasped Rainbow's shoulder. "Yaerfaerda's waiting. Do you wish to perish in between here and your destination?"
"Remna, there's a time and a place for bossin' around..." Bard's notes grew more and more discordant.
The manticore's growl had evolved into a full-on hiss. It raised its paw once again.
"Watch it!" Ariel pointed.
"Whoah, therre, Brrotherr!" Kepler stretched his claw out.
"This is a waste of time." Remna reached to her satchel and pulled out a crossbolt. "If you must eliminate the threat... then eliminate it." She notched a bolt.
"Whoah damn—!" Logan blurted.
"Are ya plum crazy?!" Bard sneered.
"Yo, back off!" Rainbow grumbled, sweating profusely. "We can handle the manticore."
"You'll handle nothing once it's dead." Remna aimed. "Now step aside."
The wyverns gasped.
"No!" Kepler winced. "Rremna, I implorre you—"
It was too late. She fired the shot straight at the manticore's throat. Thwffft!
Fluttershy covered her eyes.
Swissssssh—Clank! A metal talon caught the projectile in mid-air.
Remna blinked, lowering her crossbolt.
"... ... ..." Wildcard hovered in place, glaring at her. Crack! He snapped the bolt in two with a fist. Then—without removing his gaze—he reached into his bandolier and pulled out his harmonica. Finally, his goggles pivoted in Bard's direction.
Taking a deep breath, Bard smirked and resumed his guitar strumming.
Bard joined in, adding a harmonic backdrop.
Pinkie Pie swiftly tapped Fluttershy's shoulders. Trembling, the mare looked up, blinked, then resumed quoting the lyrics.
Soon enough, Rainbow Dash was singing once again, with Bard and Wildcard providing instrumentals.
"Hush now. Quiet now. It's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now. Quiet now. It's time to go to bed."
The manticore lowered is claws. Once more, it breathed calmly, teetering slightly.
Kepler smiled. He whistled to his brethren.
Flynn, Ariel, and Big Show watched in awe as the wyverns all gathered around the beast, waving their staves and polearms closer and closer. The beast provided no resistance this time. Ushered off by a gentle chorus, the manticore turned tail and lurched off for the snowy plains east of the plateau.
"Drifting off to sleep. Exciting day behind you. Drifting off to sleep. Let the joy of dream land find you..."
Once the manticore was a significant distance away, the wyverns all raised their staves and collectively whooped, hollered, and whistled.
"So long, Big Brrotherr!"
"God speed to you, Big Brrotherr!"
"May you hunt and feast well!"
The monks with feathered earrings bowed to their knees and gestured delicately towards the horizon.
One by one, the sanctuary monks took off, gliding back west to mind the ramparts of their mountain palace.
Rainbow and Bard slumped to the snow, catching their breaths. Wildcard pocketed away his harmonica. He patted each pegasus on the shoulder, then strolled through the collective Job Squad.
... ... ...he passed by Remna icily... without stopping to make a single gesture.
"... ... ..." The violet bounty hunter stood dead still, her crossbow hanging by her side. At last, the mare cleared her deep throat, then tilted her head up. "Well..." Hard green eyes narrowed. "It's a good thing I taught him masterful dexterity."
Silence.
"Of course you know you're full of shit, right?" Logan droned.
Ariel and Flynn snorted, trying not to chuckle.
Remna frowned. At last, she huffed, eyes rolling as she trudged off through the thick snow.
Ariel was hovering above Rainbow Dash in a blink. "So... uh..." She winked. "...who knew you were such a crooner, huh?"
Rainbow coughed, then gripped her throat as she rasped: "Been a long time since I had a proper shower for it..."
"Mmmmm... we oughta fix that, huh?" Fwooosh! Ariel was gone in a black streak. In her place, Kepler stepped up.
"Well, rrainbow one..." He adjusted his spectacles with a smile. "...now morre than everr, I do believe you have prroven to us that the Austrraeoh is rready forr the jourrney."
"Dude, I was born ready." Rainbow smirked. "But... like... gimme a few hours of shuteye so I can be born again later." And she slumped onto the snowy ground with a grunt.
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Cant tell if Remna is going to make this trip easier in the end or much much harder...
I wonder if Rainbow realizes that by refusing to accept that there may be other ways than killing Verlax that she is becoming the very thing that she hates, becoming like Remna and even Verlax herself. Those who think that only one way can possibly work, and use their experience to refuse to consider other options. Hopefully this event reminds her that there is always another way.
A lot to take away from this chapter. I just wanna focus on this:
I got 20 bits saying Flutters figures it out first. (If she doesn't already know, which I'm almost sure she doesn't.)
Remna, Remna... You have a lot to Learn. Either about Rainbow Dash (as in the pony, not as the Austraeoh), and/or about thinking before acting.
And stick removal procedures, would help, too.
(So many character histories we can only wonder about for now...)
vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/mythbusters/images/4/4a/Confirmed.png/revision/latest?cb=20110903063641
So at this point I'm wondering who is going to have to beat some sense into Remna. I really want it to be Wildcard but I could also see it being Rainbow. Maybe even Bard after she questions why he is with them, but its coming because I think beating some sense into her is going to be the only way she learns. She just seems like that kind of person/pony.
I'm sure that Rainbow will find another way even if it will be at the very last moment, I just really doubt that she will Kill Verlax that just doesn't fit the theme of this book I think. I also can't wait to see the ways that Mortuana is wrong about things because the girls do bring up some very good points about that.
7046666
I'm pretty sure that Pinkie and Flutters know at this point, when Dash does lose it in front of mares Flutters and Pinkie never actually react confused or anything like that only Rarity and Twilight don't seem to pick up on it. Though really it does surprise me she is so secretive about knowing Roarke I mean they all know about the Jury Its not like saying that Roarke was a good person would give it away.
My guess is that Remna is one part of an alicorn who has divided. So if they fuse her with some specific other ponies, she'll return to normal state
The last part of the chapter was a metaphor, where Renma was Dash as she is thinking right now, the manticore was Verlax, and Dash was Dash being clever and doing the impossible. Think back to the end of the first book where she melted the hoard.
7046700 what is this, Steven Universe?
I wonder, as Verlax used basically condensed chaos on Mortuana, could Rainbow's Element of Loyalty maybe heal/extend Mortuana's life?
only time this'll be relevant i bet.
7046649 Rainbow isn't rejecting or ignoring the fact that there is (maybe) another way, but simply acknowledging that it just might be the solution she/they are going to be forced to take.
I really wasn't expecting Rainbow to start singing...
I'm really starting to loathe Remna.
I choose to believe that this is actually ):( accidentally writing "Josho" instead of "Big Show" and deciding to roll with it.
This has been asked several times, but wouldn't the main reason be that there are supposed to be only seven of them?
I hope they're not singing Sweetie Belle's version.
Briing briing, yes hello, just wanted to let you all know that I
ing called it!
I actually forgot about milking manta rays, that's pretty damn funny.
Oh hey, I have a screencap for this!
i823.photobucket.com/albums/zz159/Thatlittleskitty/didja%20redo%20stuff/Shitgularity_zpsmhtblffq.png
Don't you try to save face you piece of shit. It's a wonder the Wyverns put up with you, Herald or not.
-Companions have returned, inner darkness spurned. Utaan.
7046916
Presumably, he's been asked whenever a previous member became too old/died/otherwise left the group, this leaving a spot open.
Remna pls.
7046785 just because those parts of an alicorn would be, remnants.
But, probably she just has got some more dark magic or soul infusion when healed by Mortuana. Or something else magical and complicated.
And now i know who Wyverns remind me about - vortigaunts from HL2.
Remna is gonna have to learn how to play nice with others it seems.
Renma. The guilt of a daughter having her immortal mother who had explicitly promised her she would always be there, have said mother spend all their time together training her as her replacement, then throws her life away for hers, but not enough for a clean immediate loss but a long drawn out torture.
Pinkie Plays Parasprites, Dash Sings Manticore.
And Cowboy Plays Guitar. :bowie:
:wc:Thats a Knife.
Does anyone else have this feeling that Wyvern Point is this kind of big city in a game, just before the last part of the storyline? Y'know... a lot of characters to talk to, some side-quests in the Snow Bloods village, NPCs to buy from(scrolls from Kepler, food from somewhere in the village etc).
Seems like Rainbow might need to prove herself a bit to some of her new allies, what with Logan's joke, Ariel's call to keep her out of danger, and Remna's nigh-eagerness to kill for her safety. The first two would probably just be annoying at worst, but the latter has the potential to ruin whatever exists between Remna and the others. Fortunately, Rainbow has prior experience with cracking the hard shell and getting to the warm, gooey center of a bouny hunter. Yes that's totally a euphemism.
Hmm maybe Remna had a crush on Wildcard and never forgave him for eloping with Bard?
I feel that this chapter may have been a metaphor for something that Rainbow's been trying to deal with for a while: "there can be a non-violent way to deal with a situation". She's still made it clear she doesn't want to end Verlax if she doesn't have to.
Also, way to make a mess out of thing, Renma.
Wow, this chapters are becoming more and more awesome
7046693
One of the more importants things that Rainbow did in the past continent, is give them communication (the basis of modern world), freeing Silverlane, stopping the war in Ledomare, destroying the hurricane in the sea; she made ways of easy communication between those places... but, most than all, she gave the Durandanan the sword that let them talk with Celestia; if we think about, the Durandanan already flew to Alafredo, and it was stated both from Alafredo and the little village close to Durandan that Val Roise was the closest big place; so, how long until the durandans go to Val Rose and make contact with the former-noble Jury, and we have direct conversation via Duranda-sword-Celestia-Luna? Not only we should heard what’s happening to the Noble Jury but I’m also very sure that all of them (specially Belle) would be really happy to know that Rainbow is having a chance to get his old friends backs. But anyway, what I’m most waiting of that is the awkward message that Roarke is going to give to Rainbow probably in front of all the girls.
Whiiiich also make me wonder, when was the last time Rainbow spoke with Luna?
I'm running out of room to hold all this dislike for Remna.
Also, I think RoboRed is right. I don't think it's a coincidence that talk of the proper way to deal with Verlax and Rainbow non-violently dealing with a manticore took place in the same chapter.
Remna? More like Rudena.
7047121 The remote mountain town with the inexplicably well-stocked weapon shop?
Man, so much history in this chapter! And what the heck's up with Renma?!
Music hath soothed the wrong damn savage beast...
7046913
My thoughts exactly :)
I want to like you remna but youre making it difficult
We must be due a full moon by now, surely? A Mortuana/ Luna conversation would be welcomed by all I feel.
7047053
7047995
It struck me by surprise, honestly. It's based on my email address, theanimeman97. It was pretty clever, and Theanim is a clever pony. He's been a very enjoyable character for me because of that fact.
Yes indeed.
You see, people are misinterpreting Remna. They think she's just a bitch. When in reality, through this all, through her actions and staying true to herself so far, she proves consistently that she's THE bitch.
Filling chapter
7046913
Addendum: Omg. I've seen people using "):(" in the comments on over 2.7 million words of this series now, and I always knew what (who) it referred to, but only just now realized why those particular symbols are used.
Dear lord, I'm an idiot.
7048615
please tell me! I still don't understand!
7048683 I think... the two brackets are meant to symbolise an implosion.
and they're flanking a colon.
It's an imploding colon.
Though it also reminds me of )(er Imperious Condescension from Homestuck.
7048720 thank you!
7046916 Please, Dash would need it to sound like this.
7048683
Hint: the thing in the middle is a colon. The significance of the inverted parentheses is purely graphical.
Edit: or yeah, what 7048720 said :)
I think that Remna's lost sight of the fact that the journey is just as important as the destination. Rainbow has her own character - she's not just going to sit by and let other ponies ferry her to the dark side.
7047311
The last full moon was on the side of the Silt Path in Seed Prefecture, just before we met Sweet and Reeds
I could see her saying this about every villian thus far including Shell.
7048720
7048792 So the parentheses don't represent buttocks? As in, the fastest way to access a human colon is between the buttocks.
This will stay with Remna, for a time. May eventually even lead to an acceptance of her shortcomings... or denial of them...
Remna, there are almost always more than one way to "eliminate" a threat.
I'm getting the uneasy feeling Remna will at some point demand Rainbow go chaos mode in the face of a grim situation.
7050153 no, no they do not.
Stop teasing me with Roarke, IC! My heart can't take it
It only serves to illuminate the nobility of the alicorns once more that they sacrificed their own, unimaginably powerful dynasty just to save the mortals of a foreign world - and now the last of their descendants give themselves up in order to protect the creation of ones entirely alien to them. They truly are selfless without fault. The denizens of the Great Ring better build them one big memorial after all is said and done, no smaller than Rainbow's.
On another note, there is so much alluded and unresolved character interaction stuff going on right now, it's hard to stay focused on all the cosmological world building stuff going on right now! D:
7051018 Good call on that. The alicorns have given their utmost, literally unto death, for these mortals to whom they owe nothing. To better the lives of others who don't have the ability to help themselves. They're basically saints. Saints with godlike powers.
I dare say Remna has become much like the West Herald. Thinking they know what's best for the Austraeoh.