Choose an Away Team, Damn!
"Yes, we hear you, child," Princess Luna's voice rang against the tumultous thunder. "Loud and clear."
"There's no interference whatsoever?!" Rainbow Dash had to shout as she floated a few feet above where the Stardust and midnighter vessels had come to a full stop. Several meters east of them, the crest of the maelstrom dipped the waves down, cascading into where the golden tower emerged from the epicenter. "It's really glowy and thundery and freaky out here!"
Princess Celestia's voice joined in: "My sister's enchantment is holding stronger than ever. Whatever you may be experiencing over there, Rainbow Dash, we can still make out your words with no mishap."
"Well... stay tuned!" Rainbow Dash grimaced from where she floated. "Things might change as I get a bit closer!"
"What are you expecting, exactly, darling?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah!" Pinkie nodded. "Princess and Princess Deux both agree that you're communicating fine!"
"True... but..." Rainbow gulped, eyes locked on Yaerfaerda. The beacon pulsed across the conical walls of the whirlpool like an immense torch. "...I've been not so lucky before."
"But things are different now, Rainbow," Fluttershy said. "Verlax is gone. She can't be clouding your harmonic energies anymore."
"Or can she," Twilight Sparkle thought out loud.
"Pardon?" Applejack looked over. "I thought we were tryin' not to creep Rainbow out here."
"And I don't want to anymore than you do. Believe me." Twilight looked at the others. "But think back. Verlax—in her final breath—implied that the Sixth Seed provided Rainbow Dash with a final trial."
"She did?" Pinkie asked. A white hoof slapped over her head. "Ow!" She rubbed her head, frowning at Rarity. "Okay—now I just know you're doing it to relieve stress!"
"Twilight, darling..." Rarity floated closer to the other ghostly unicorn. "Isn't it rather late to be acting so paranoid?"
"I'm just saying that it could very well be possible that Verlax booby-trapped this part of the Machine World like she did all the others," Twilight said. "Even for the express purpose of ensnaring Rainbow Dash beyond her death." She glanced at her anchor. "The Divine has shown more-than-remarkable foresight before."
Rainbow Dash sighed long and hard. "...boy how I miss cookie crumb villains like Zaap Nator..."
"Rainbow Dash?" Luna's voice echoed.
Bard cleared his throat. "Whatever you and yer marefriends are deliberatin' on, might be helpful if you voiced it with us and yer Princesses."
"Right... m-my bad..." Rainbow Dash turned to face the Herald and a squadron of hovering sarosians—including Enix. "So... uhm... ever since I flew past the Grand Ch—er... I mean past the Blight, every entrance to the machine world that I've encountered has been fraught with some creepy chaotic stuff that made life a living heck for me and anypony else following me."
"Uhm... Rainbow?" Twilight waved her hoof. "Technically the first one where you woke me didn't have the same sort of nefarious trap as all the oth—"
"Shhhhhh!" Pinkie Pie insisted. "They got the message! Rainbow time!"
Rainbow continued. "If the same pattern continues, then who knows what we're gonna be in for." She gulped. "And seeing as the waters around the base of the golden tower are super freakin' dangerous, I think we should be extra-extra cautious."
Enix nodded. "It would be folly to try and draw the vessels any further." She looked at the Herald. "To proceed for just a few more meters would mean a watery grave."
"So..." Ariel leaned against Logan, rubbing her muzzle as she sobered up. "We take wing!"
"Even that is dangerous," Enix said, pointing. "More than a minute spent airborne will surely wear a normal flier out."
"Well, Rainbow and I are no normal fliers," Ariel said.
"Do not joke." Enix's slitted eyes narrowed. "I have lost countless souls to these waters. It's risking enough just bringing you adventurers out here." She waved at the Stardust below her. "I suggest you choose only your most elite companions... but make the numbers small. You will need to rely on each other to stay upright in the flight ahead, and too many wingmates will only complicate things."
"Right!" Ariel darted up, hovering beside Rainbow. "Count me in!"
"Dude..." Rainbow glanced aside. "Minutes ago, you were barfing up your biscuits."
"Yeah! And I'm done!" Ariel winked. "Believe me. I am waaaaaay in my element in any wind."
"Heh..." Flynn shrugged. "Wish I could say the same, but even a rocketpack won't do anything in this nonsense." He sighed. "I want to help you, Rainbow, but the Stardust is good and gone without me."
"Nothing to be ashamed of, Flynn," Rainbow said. "You stick around here." She looked at Logan. "You too, Big Show. Flynn's going to need some help on board if we need to make an emergency getaway or something."
"Hell..." Logan shrugged. "...if all else fails, he can use my ass as an anchor!"
Ariel snorted.
"Well..." Bard and Wildcard flew up to Rainbow. "You know that you've got us on yer side. Desperadoes for life!" He winked aside. "Ain't that right, Dubya?"
Wildcard nodded and gave a metal thumb's up. He glanced at Kepler and hand-signed.
Kepler sighed. "It pains me to admit that I am farr morre useful down herre with Flynn and Logan." He smiled, gesturing at his leathery wings. "In a straightforrwarrd wind, I am as speedy as they come! But this cyclone would be the utterr death of me." He adjusted his spectacles. "I hope you do not take it as a sign of cowarrdice that I would much rratherr live long enough to assist you with my knowledge on the Darrk Side, Rrainbow one."
"Good call, Kepler," Rainbow said, pointing. "You stick around."
"Now then..." Remna trotted up to the ship's edge. "Which of you get to carry me?"
Ariel, Bard, and Wildcard all did double-takes.
"Say what?!" Ariel sputtered.
Remna's brow furrowed. "Do not confuse my statement with spontaneous jocularity. I am going with the Austraeoh to the Sixth Seed, and that is final."
"Aw Hell no!" Bard frowned. "You remember what happened to you back west, lizard lady? One slip into the drink and ya dropped like a Goddess-dang anvil!"
Wildcard produced a sound reminiscent to a slide whistle as he gestured a depth charge falling with both talons.
"Perhaps I haven't made myself clear," Remna snarled, starting to grind her hooves.
Enix glanced at Rainbow Dash incredulously. "And you've traveled with this oaf for how long?"
Wincing, Rainbow zoomed down to the Stardust. "Axan... listen..." Fwoosh! She landed at the violet mare's side, resting a wing over her bulky shoulder. "Remember how we once talked about your temper and balancing it with—y'know—common friggin' sense?"
Remna merely glared at her. "You are picking a most improper time to lecture me on past lectures."
"Fine! Then will you just stuff it?!" Rainbow frowned, hovering with forelimbs folded. "Fact is—I need you, okay?"
Remna's eyes narrowed.
"Yes. You heard me! I admit it. I need you. We're dealing with super old stuff that even the Princesses barely understand. And there will come many times when I'll have to depend on your old, grumpy, and totally-not-senile recollection of what makes this piece of Urohringr tick! But we're not going to get to that moment of usefulness if you force yourself into performing a stupid stunt all in the name of 'protecting Austraeoh.' You feel me?"
Remna grumbled, "You are heading into an unknown place with unknown peril. It would not be right of me to let you venture in without being accompanied by a force capable of combatting whatever devices my crafty sister could very well have constructed in there."
Rainbow cocked her head aside. "And since when have you been able to get an edge on Verlax before?"
Remna's eyes narrowed.
Rainbow sighed, waving her hooves apologetically. "Okay... okay... low blow." She gulped. "My bad. But—face it—getting you up in that super turbulent air ain't happening. And rather than risk losing you over a stupid gamble, I'm going to have you stay here so you can help me out in the future."
"Need we forget that I was entrusted by Mortuana with—?"
Rainbow leaned into the mare's face, snarling: "And if you friggin' respect the Mountain Matron so dang much, you'll shut up and do whatever the Austraeoh bucking tells you!"
Remna glared up at Rainbow.
Rainbow glared down at Remna.
The Herald and Nightblood sarosians remained silent.
At last, Luna's voice magically bled forth: "Do not be a draconian buttocks, Axan. Do verily as Rainbow Dash wisely advises."
Remna's nostrils flared. "Very well." She stepped back and joined Flynn beside the cabin entrance. "But only because it makes an ounce of sense in the long run."
"Indubitably."
Rainbow lifted up with a breath. "Thanks, Princess."
"Do not mention it."
"Be extra cautious, Austraeoh." Remna stared up at her from below. "If indeed my late sister did spring a trap for you, then—at this current juncture—she would undoubtedly laced it with a venom of grim finality."
"My goodness..." Fluttershy trembled, looking aside at Rainbow. "Does she ever have a sense of humor beneath all that scaley veneer?"
"Oh, you bet..." Rainbow sighed, hovering back up to Enix's level. "...and it totally killed me."
Stats
Page generated in 0.04 seconds
Total duration
1,040 users online
1,914,747 hits today, 1,822,946 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Final location achieved.
Beginning Water Temple Run.
Oh fuck. That last part. My sides
And here we go, into another tower...
Axan has either overestimated the Job Squad's flying ability or underestimated the winds around this seed because she does have a quite a bit of common sense especially in terms of self preservation in other chapters, and she puts the preservation of RD's life above everything.
Just what's been going on aboard the Stardust?
don't we all?
That Zaap guy was just the best, his foal murdering and all that great nonsense
Excessive density? Check.
Lack of easily grippable points? Check.
Aerodynamic properties of a brick? Check.
... tally-ho?
Axan, I hate to be crass , but you ain't a slight broad. Even Roarke would be hard-pressed to carry you any considerable distance with her suit, and in favorable conditions. Kapische?
*ahem*
Onward to giant golden toothpicks!
Actually, fat floats, so he would make a very poor anchor.
Holy shit, just after noticing that this and Shellstrings are both featured on the box. At the same time
SSnE is so good at writing he can get TWO of his stories onto the feature box at the same time!
7515031 But Dash never received the Hookshot! Not to mention that the force required to launch it would dislocate her shoulder...
So depth charges are a thing in Rohbredden. Lovely.
Now, Axan is really heavy. Previous books have established that Rainbow can carry two ponies at once, yet hauling Axan back onto that cliff outside of Wyvern Point nearly killed her. And when fighting the Central Guard outside Starkiss, Bard tried to carry Axan when retreating and was completely floored. It took four Sarosians to lug her out of the water when she fell in, too. Yet... She still wants a ride to the Sixth Seed, in weather conditions making it nearly impossible for even really good fliers to proceed without a load, and with certain death if she falls. What gives, Axan?
"Draconian Buttocks"
Well I must say, that is a new one on me.
On a more serious note.
1. This shrine holds the spirit of Chaos himself.
2. Everyone at Bleak's Plummet is going to die.
3. This might be the saddest ending since Odrsjot.
That's awesome. Wildcard is awesome.
Only Luna could say something like that and have it be taken seriously. But it's still amazing.
7515031 Once again, I never found the water temple that bad. I never got where all the hate for it came from.
7515066 If they launched her from a catapult or something I imagine that, for a brick, she'd fly pretty good.
Far better than Logan at any rate.
-Companions are abound, frozen spectres hound. Utaan.
7515126 you must be new here. In the past skirts has taken the feature board hostage. It was fic after fic after fic after fic after fic after fic... it was madness, this was back before he had multiple dailies to distract him.
I suspect a lot of Dr.Pepper went into some of those fics.
This line's my favorite
7515192
This needs to happen.
I would be satisfied if she were to be a self-propelled battering ram at some point, but this still needs to happen.
7515133 That's OK, she's got wings. She can fly herself wherever she'd need it to go. You could almost say she makes the Hookshot completely redundant.
7515192 Way back in the day, when I first played it, I tended to find something that required a water level change, but either forget where it was or what I was doing by the time I changed it, and more often than not come across something else that needed a different level before I found where I was again.
I love the dungeon now, though.
This is not true, The Anti-Magic field of the Choke itself was the trial.
This is the best line in this book forever, nothing will top it I think.
Also a lot of people are expecting a slaughter at Bleaks Plummet but I think they are likely to fair much better than a bunch of Villagers fighting the likely strongest mortal character in this whole story. Even if he was weakened at the time.
...I miss Zaid.
Meh. Not so much. Dude was being Shell before Shell was uncool.
The (pretty likely) prospect of this being another trap by Verlax is very worrying. The only element left unmolested is loyalty, and I shudder to think what that might mean.
Also, it occurs to me that if Chandler & Co. are gonna show up anywhere, it'll probably be Bleak's Plummet. Y'know... the place that's currently without its top fighters. That's nearly equally worrying.
On the upside, awesome Luna is awesome.
Bleak's Plummet is submersible. People can be brought there by sub. No need for conflict. But batponies are proud warriors, therefore wtv, it's gonna be a small massacre.
Did it never occur to Rainbow to bring up the fact that Remna has no wings, weighs a ton and would be a huge and outright dangerous liability throughout the flight aside from everything else?
I've started reading Kepler's lines in Winston's voice, with a little Reinhardt thrown in for flavor.
(I'm talking about Overwatch, for those not in the loop.)
7515201
I never noticed those fics, remember that I wasn't very interested in SSnE years ago. I barely knew who he was back then
But I'm starting to notice it now that I have more knowledge of the guy
>inb4 feature box gets renamed 'SSnE Box'
I still think that Wildcard somehow is Verlax, the frost vessels always appeared when he was at least hinted to be in the vicinity and i don't think we have seen his eyes yet, he also has an excuse to not speak so he can blend in even better, if Verlax used something similar to what Mortuna used on Axan it would also explain why Axan was not able to sense it because Axan did it to hide from Verlax, so Verlax could have done the same.
Verlax is described to always be several steps ahead and now that Wildcard joins in on the mission to the last seed, my suspicion just gets stronger.
The talon thought Jordan died, they where sure about it, what if they were right ?
Surprise! It's Discord! *Ghost cake appears.*
7515604
Filed under "common friggin' sense". Axan narrowed her eyes to the point where she couldn't see said file.
Not really about the chapter, but did anyone notice the Rainbow Rogue in the newest episode?
Spoilers!
7515699
I need to go lie down now.
Gripping as always!! I can't wait for the next few chapters.
I've wondered if the next seed holds discords spirit, since he also died at the same time as twilight and co. But then didn't discords spirit kinda go into rainbow, thus the chaos inside her. It would be awesome if the seed removed discord from Rainbow and his spirit also had to tag along on the journey. I think IC would have a lot of fun writing him since the character has developed so much in the toon since this magnificent story began.
Just my thoughts :)
7515699 What about the Golem that addressed the Council when he was all the way up in Wyvern Point?
7517026 Keep in mind that anything that happened to the cast in the show past S1 doesn't apply here. If this is Discord, he'll never have been reformed, helped Tirek, or made friends with Rainbow Dash.
7516135 I noticed that too! The Rainbow Rouge is canon!
My sides are now headed to the moon, fortunately with a free-return trajectory.
Not only is Rainbow Dash pregnant, but she's far enough along that Luna can hear the baby!
That's one plot twist I did NOT see coming.
I wonder what Roarke would think.
Oh goodness. This line.
7515699
Dammit. You guys and your theorizing. Now I'm even more paranoid. And I was there for Lerris.
7515699
...darn you.
7517183
Hmm you are right, that one is indeed an exception but maybe Verlax had some kind of direct line to the place since it was basically Verlax central ?
I still think Wildcard would be the perfect disguise for a crazy Dragon.
Even Applejack couldn't pick up a problem since she can't read his language and his messages are always just relayed.
He is a true Wildcard, he could be anything and that mixed with Verlax crafty tricks makes him a suspect for me.
I just don't think Verlax is really gone, she might have planned a lot of stuff in advance but killing herself is a rather risky thing, she must have some kind of failsafe because i am pretty sure she does not want Rainbow to somehow die after she went trough all her tests.
#2soon
7518199 Your theory pretty much hinges on the idea that the event that took Wildcards arm, actually did kill him and she restored his body to life and planted part of her conscience in it's skull, with the plan that once her pony body died she'd invisibly slip into him and reunite the two halves of her mental being.
I was looking forward to seeing Rainbow have to pick and choose who she wanted for the away team, weighing the pros and cons of her allies, maybe even bringing a bat pony or two. Here, though, it seems that everyone made the choice for her
So Rainbow's away team is the Desperadoes and Ariel, I have a sneaking suspicion that if things do go horribly wrong that this might be the end for Ariel.
7515699
I'd counter this with two things: 1) we've seen Wildcard get knocked about in fights and 2) Rainbow has had to drag Wildcard out of the water in the past.
If Wildcard was Verlax and she was doing the same thing as Axan these two things would have played out quite differently. Wildcard would be an immovable object similar to Remna and he would have dropped like a stone in the water, perhaps being impossible to save by RD. Now, I'm not saying it's impossible that this theory is correct as IC does love his plot twists, but I'd think it's highly unlikely as he hasn't shown similar signs as Remna.
Into the gigantic, golden, ocean erection we go! I hope Verlax's last test isn't too over the top.
~SolidFire
Verlax's "trials" usually involve Dash having to screw someone else over in some way. Not sure a single Seed has gone by besides the first one where activating it hasn't been in some way designed to force harm on others, and as it stands the most likely target is the sarosians. I mean, there must have been a reason Verlax designed it so that the bat ponies would be driven to this region and set up their home near this final seed. Bad day incoming for the bat ponies? Perhaps Bleak's Plummet will turn out to be ironically named?
7519445 So basically what Chrysalis did in Val Roa? Verlax has already demonstrated quite a few of the powers inherent to Changeling Queens, including controlling her minions through a hive mind (probably rooting out Chrysalis that way), shapeshifting, and an obsession for posing as the local government's top dog. I guess Verlax was secretly Tchern?
7520112 Hey, remember back in Eljunbyro when activating the beacon sent out a huge anti-magic shockwave that knocked out all the Ledomaritans' tech? It sure would be a shame if that happened to the Batponies and their moon runes, causing their ships to sink and their home to flood...
But I think we're safe from that. Verlax has always left (at least the illusion of) a choice. If this tower was rigged to kill all the Sarosians instantly like that, it would be bad, but not really a trial of Dash's Harmony, just a final "screw you".
Wildcard making a slide whistle noise to describe Axan's swimming ability was probably the funniest image of this entire book.
7520466 Not really, Chrysalis captured the King and Queen and the 3 most influential deer beneath them, then split herself physically and mentally into copies of the latter.
If Verlax left a part of herself in Wildcard after reviving him, then just reunited with it when she was drawn into him when her pony body died, not really the same thing. None of Chrysalis' parts died, they just all... melted together.
Verlax hasn't demonstrated a hive mind either, just that she can act through either suits of armour, Like she did when she addressed the council, or just create avatars of mist/fog, like she did when she talked to Dash in the Quade and under Braum, I doubt she'd be able to directly control more than one, though the suits of armour would be easy enough to just enchant and give an objective en masse, they'd be magical constructs then though, which is what earned them the moniker "Frost golem".
7515699
i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss1/bygcountry/fireflyhesitationthing_zpsaf0ebb85.gif
I... I think your onto something.
7519464
Hm, reasonable. Such a twist would probably involve the fact that Verlax has had literally hundreds of years of experience masquerading as a pony queen/goddess. I'd say by now she's found a way to work out the kinks and make it more realistic. Except the eye's, they are the window to the soul after all.
You could also say that Mortuana was handicapped when she turned Axan into Remna, and with more magic to spare or experience Mortuana could have done the same as Verlax.
Remna, you make a better anchor than Logan. Please remain within the boat.
Ariel joining rainbow for the test of loyalty? Something very bad is very likely to happen. Verily. Ummm... Verlax.
Love it.
Into hell we go, everyone. Buckle up!
Oh my god.
We? Ariel, I know you want her to notice you, but...
If there is a high point of the series so far, getting Luna to say "buttocks" definitely qualifies.
7515622
I've been hearing all of Ariel's dialogue in Tracer's voice, myself.
What would you call the grand choke?
09/10/2017
20:22 UTC