Thar Blows a Gold Tower
"There it is!" Pinkie Pie gasped, pointing off the bow. "The maelstrom—! No, wait... it's just bubbles." She frowned, her ghostly head pivoting, searching—then gasping. "There it is! The maelstrom! I see it—no... my bad. Just more bubbles."
"Pinkie Pie, honestly!" Rarity protested. "Just relax! When we get closer, I will surely be able to sense it beneath the waves!" She sighed, gazing east into the choppy waters. She fidgeted a bit. "At least... I hope I can."
Rainbow Dash sighed. After a prolonged period of standing tensely at the bow of the Stardust, clinging to the hull, she sat in a slump—barely jostling with each shake and tremor caused by the waves.
"Somehow, the tension's a bit deflated when all we have is water and more water," Logan muttered. He stood beside Rainbow, leaning against his axe to keep upright. "Almost makes you wish you were asleep for the journey, am I right?"
Rainbow muttered beneath the roll of thunder. "I couldn't fall asleep now if I tried." Her ruby eyes remained glued on the flicker of Yaerfaerda before them. "Any moment now..."
"Can't you... like..." Logan shrugged. "I dunno... tell that we're getting closer?"
"Imagine you were staring at the Sun as it drew closer to the world," Rainbow muttered. She glanced aside at Logan. "How can you tell the difference with something so blindingly bright."
"And all this time, you can see the beacon's location lit up? Even with your eyes closed?"
Rainbow nodded.
A hard wave struck the ship's bow, spraying Logan with salt water as he pivoted for balance. "Criminy... so—like—why don't you, Wildcard, Bard, and Ariel take wing?" He pointed nebulously east. "Seems like all this ocean is just slowing you down!"
"Not a good idea," Rainbow said.
"Says who?"
"Enix," Rainbow muttered. She glanced at Twilight and Applejack who nodded as she spoke, "She said that the winds here are super strong. Even a pony as awesome as me could wear out and plummet like a dead weight into the drink before reaching the 'Waters of Forever Sinking.'"
"Hah!" Logan smirked, scratching his chin. "And you believe that shit?"
"Their chief 'Nightblood Warrior' may have a questionable background," Remna said, trotting up from behind. "But all loyalties aside, I know true wisdom when I hear it." She looked at Logan. "We are here—blessed by Mortuana—to be Rainbow Dash's protection and support."
Thunder rolled. Logan gave Remna a funny look. "It's just taking forever to get to the stupid beacon. I figured that you—of all dragon ponies—would want us to get there faster."
"Indeed." Remna's green eyes darted briefly towards Rainbow. "...however... what matters the most if that we get Rainbow there. And in one piece."
"Assumin' of course..." It was Bard's voice. "...that she comes out of it in one piece all the same."
Rainbow turned around.
The Desperado stood next to Bard, gazing lethargically at the waters splashing against the hulls of the Bleakweed vessels.
Rainbow swallowed and then said: "Wanna tell us what's on your mind, buddy?"
Wildcard looked at Rainbow, then at Bard. He shrugged.
"...Bard?"
"Mrmfff..." The stallion's nostrils flared. "Sure, Mortuana and Kepler have learned loads of stuff... but it dun mean much when it comes down to the final moment."
Rainbow squinted. "Meaning..."
"Whenever you stepped in those crazy-ass rooms before, it was always you standin' hoof-and-hoof with Verlax." The Desperado snorted against the sea air and thunder. "Even when Dubya and I done joined you down in Shoggoth, it always came down to you bein' alone with somethin' big and scary and out-of-this-world."
Rainbow bore a tired smirk. "Love you too, Bard."
"I ain't jokin'!" Bard glared at her. "We've all pledged to protect ya! Even I signed my dumb-ass up with this Herald nonsense, but what does it matter?! Even to the gates of the Midnight Armory on the Dark Side, it'll just be you buttin' yer head against the universe! What good can we do in the face of all that?"
The members of the Herald squirmed in awkward silence. Even Remna.
Clearing her throat, Rainbow Dash stood up and trotted across the swaying deck of the Stardust. She gently motioned Wildcard aside and sat down next to Bard. "You... uh... you wanna tell me what's really bothering you?"
"Nothin'," Bard grunted. "I'm just fine and dandy."
Rainbow looked to her right.
Applejack smirked, tilting her hat back. "If he was wearin' britches, they'd be smokin' right now."
Rainbow turned to Bard yet again. "Applejack says—"
"I dun care what Applejack says!" Bard growled. "Cute lil' mares have no business worryin' about cosmic events and the fate of the world and all that nonsense!"
"Heh... whoah, dude..." Rainbow smirked. "If you've always felt that way, then why didn't you stuff me in a dress and toss me into a kitchen back in Rust?"
"Grffff..." Bard rubbed his forehead, sighing. "Guess I'm just a big ol' idiot."
Silence—aside from thunder and waves.
Rainbow leaned in closer. "This... uh... this is about Nicole, isn't it?"
Bard exhaled past his fetlock, remaining slumped over.
Rainbow smiled sweetly. "She's an adult mare, Bard. Besides—in terms of safety—you did the right thing in letting her stay back in Bleak's Plummet. Who knows what's going to happen in these waters the moment I come out of the Sixth Seed?!" She waved a hoof. "Besides, back there she's got Echo looking after her... well... in a good way, I mean. She's... uh... she's going to give her the support she needs as she chats it out with the sarosians."
"Reckon so..."
"And it's n-not like we're abandoning her or anything! We've made it perfectly clear to Xarchellus and company that we're coming right back to learn what she and the rest of her Nightblood council have decided regarding Luna's—"
"Look, I know... I know!" Bard stood up, frowning. He spun around and paced along the port side of the Stardust. "I'm not deaf! I do listen to things and retain information, y'know!"
Rainbow stood up, squinting at him. "Then what's getting your guitar in such a twist?" Silence. She blinked. "You're having second thoughts, aren't you?"
At that, Bard spun around entirely. "Huh?"
"About following me over the edge," Rainbow said. "The whole 'signing your dumb-butt up with the Herald' nonsense."
"Rainbow..."
"Dude... chillax..." She smiled warmly. "You and Wildcard have done so friggin' much to save my skin that it's positively criminal. You've more than earned your awesomeness in my mental books." She waved a hoof. "Nopony's gonna rightly blame you if you wanna... y'know... hop off this train we're on—"
"None of that, now! I ain't no coward!" Bard spat. "I just... h-haven't been much of a brother either..." He grimaced with a noticeable shudder. "...until now."
Rainbow blinked. "Huh?"
"It's Nicole, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy murmured. She floated closer. "Recently, they've been arguing about her staying on the light side, remember?"
Applejack nodded. "He meant it for her safety. Reckon... things are catchin' up to him now... and he dun take kindly to havin' to leave his only respectable kin behind." The mare shuddered. "Celestia knows I wouldn't."
Rainbow glanced at her friends, then at Bard. She stepped slowly towards him. "Bard... in all seriousness... I mean it. If... if you'd much rather stick around on the light side and care for Nicole—"
"Ain't gonna happen," Bard muttered, although the anger had been drained from his voice. "I'm committed. If ya dun believe me, you can ask Dubya."
"I'm not talking to Wildcard. I'm talking to you." Rainbow's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"
"I want for Nicole to live in a prosperous, healthy world... all harmonic-like. And the way that I see it... ain't no way we can make that sort of a future happen..." Bard glanced melancholically at Rainbow Dash. "...unless we make sure you get to where you need to go."
Rainbow clenched her jaw shut.
"I have to leave her," Bard muttered. "I know I have to leave her. It's just... I-I suppose I've been foolish enough to... to let the joy of being reunited with her wash over the cold reality of lettin' her go. And... given the circumstances..." Bard sighed. "...I really wish it was in better hooves."
Rainbow swallowed a lump down her throat. "I'm sorry, Bard..." She looked up with feeble eyes. "...that I couldn't leave this part of the world in a happier state than when I found it."
"Ain't yer fault," Bard muttered. "We done been over this."
"I wish you could have seen me back in Val Roa," Rainbow said. "Or in Luxmare." She smiled briefly. "Things just... turned so rosy... even if only in the end." Her smile faded. "But this far into the stars... I'm not sure anything can afford to be rosy anymore. That's where it takes the strength of character in Nicole's heart. You'll... just need to trust in her to have that kind of moral fortitude. And from what I've witnessed... heh... she's totally got it, dude. Don't sweat it... at least not until we're on the dark side."
Bard looked up at her. "You really think Nicole can make it in Rohbredden after all that's happened?"
Rainbow opened her muzzle... but lingered. She glanced aside at Twilight, then back at Bard. "Who said anything about Rohbredden?"
Bard merely blinked at that.
Thunder. Waves.
"Wait a minute," Logan suddenly blurted out. "Where's Ariel?"
"Unnnnnngh..." A dark shape crawled out of the cabin, dragging on her belly. With a noticeable green tint to her muzzle, the sickly pegasus looked up. "Are we—urp—there yet!"
Wildcard whistled.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Logan winced. "You're the fastest, most acrobatic flier I've ever seen... and you get seasick?"
"This is no—urp—normal p-pond... ya fatso," Ariel whimpered.
"Go back down below, mortal," Remna emotionlessly droned. "The deck is slippery enough."
"Ughhh..." Ariel crawled back into the cabin. "Don't remind m-me of what's tossing and t-turning beneath me..." Her voice sputtered, then distorted into a disgusting wretching sound.
"Hey!" Flynn's voice echoed from within. "Watch the manacrystals!"
Pinkie Pie burst out laughing.
Wildcard and Bard exchanged glances. Both smirked while the latter chuckled.
Soon Logan and Rainbow Dash were busting a gut. The laughter rivaled the thunder until—
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight hissed. "Rainbow Dash!" she insisted yet again, flickering like a lavender flame in front of the mare. Her horn strobed as she pointed east. "Look!"
"Behold!" Kepler's voice rang from where he gripped the rudder-wheel above. "A golden sight beforre us!"
Everypony spun to face the bow.
Rainbow Dash leaned on the very tips of her hooves. Her ghostly friends hovered high, watching with wide eyes.
A sparkly gold tower emerged from the waters. In fact, it was actually a bit below sea-level, but the churning maelstrom around it dragged the ocean waves down, forming a veritable sunken bowl of swirling liquid that reflected the silver lightning high above. The acoustics were unnatural, and every roll of thunder was like a bass chorus of hellish shrieks against the constant roar of cascading moisture.
"My goodness..." Rarity fanned herself. "So that's what it looks like..."
"It's so... shiny..." Fluttershy cooed. "...no wonder the sarosians are so afraid of it." Gulping, she looked Rainbow's way—along with the rest of her friends.
Rainbow took a deep breath. "Well..." Her eyes flickered with the glow of Yaerfaerda as she gestured. "Thar she blows."
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And here we go...
I laughed way harder at this than I should have
And whoa, things are about to get interesting...
Hmm...almost like the first...
what the fuck, Logan, that's not cool
*Lerris intensify*
Looks like one huge question is about to be answered.
You did WHAT!?
7515058
No, No, and again NO! I will not have that shit again.
I knew that was what Bard was upset about last time, I know it is hard to let her go but barring a Lerris (Oh please by the gods don't do that) It was the best decision. Now him continuing on with the rest of the team I don't know I think he really should have just stayed as well but that is just me.
Looks like Thunder rolled a Nat. 20
Leave her, Johnny.
And calm down there, Bard, you're beside yourself!
7515058
Yeah, there's no chance at all that this is going to end badly.
...right?
Well, $&@#.
Welp, hope you enjoyed the nice and calm we had for a bit 'cause here we go again
Yeah... Bleaks Plummet is definitely going to be attacked while Easthorse is away.
7515589 We could just pretend that it is referring to Wildcard.
And now we've come full circle. This all started with a tower in the middle of a raging ocean, and so it will end as such.
Man, things keep getting more and more crazy. The last Seed of the light side is upon them, and boy do we have our suspicions about what will come of it. Into the storm we go.
~SolidFire
I just read Upon a Falling Feather, and the first two chapters here made me think I was reading it.
And the vortex beckons. To Harmony or to Chaos. For the Austraeoh!
7520538 you just started this story? Have you read the ones preceding it?
7515308 oh you.
If the tower is below sea level and they can already see it, they're already in the vortex...
Bard is beside himself with worry. (I know, it means wildcard here.)
Uh..oh...
WE FOUND THE SHINEY STICK GUYS!!!!!
We got Shell 2.0, reaaaally don't want a Lerris 2.0
7515030
Circles! Circles everywhere! It's the Ponynati!
Last verse, same as the first . . .
And here we go!
Oh no.
This is Lerris all over again.
Yep. Nicole 100% confirmed dead.
gif-finder.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Charlie-Day-Oh-shit.gif
NOOOO!! WE'VE READ THIS BEFORE! ABORT, ABORT!!
Best stereotype line in the whole dang story right here.
8888208
I read this comment and it took me about 10 seconds to figure it out.
Nooooooo! Turn back, turn back!
Honestly, this is what I think of when I think of the Seeds. Sort-of below sea level in a bowl fashion.
It wasn’t until I saw the comments that the thought manifested in my head. Oh boy....will it be another Lerris incident?
She could be wearing the most prissy looking dress and still be the most feared in the continent.
10371989
Yeah, Rainbow is basically the Urohringer equivalent of Doomguy.
On another note, if the sarosians have been commiting piracy for resources, food, materials, and such, then those might get scarce soon. Luckily, there's a large amount of land just waiting for some seed and ripe for settling. These ponies seem tough enough to homestead what was once the Grand Choke.
Probably in more ways than one.
I know what to do with Bard. But best said later.