If You Want Something Done...
Digiff galloped through the billowing waves of steam, panting and hissing for breath. His eyes traced the bulkheads, sweeping left and right. Years of experience and familiarity finally came together in his weary mind, and he recognized enough of the patterns to throw himself east, bounding over and below metallic obstructions with limping grace.
At last, he stumbled upon two shadows in the mists, and he skidded to a stop.
“Ah jeez...” Digiff winced, crossing a pair of forelimbs in front of his muzzle. “Ah jeez... ah jeez! Make it quick—”
“Digiff?” A dredger emerged from the steam, followed by another. The two stallions brandished shark prods, standing within blinking distance of the bearded overseer. “Digiff, what the hell?”
“What's going on here? What's with all the vented steam? Where's Nixkit and the others?”
“You... you...” Digiff panted, lowering his limbs as he blinked at the stallions. “...you mean you don't know?!”
“What's to know?!” The stallion waved his shark prod. “Skagra sent us charging in here like windigoes out of the frozen mountains!”
“Where's the Rainbow Rogue, huh?!” The other dredger leaned forward, eyes hard. “Skagra sent us in here to bag her! Now where is the freak?”
“Uhhhh...” Digiff leaned on two legs, and then the others. “Uhm...” His ears quivered at the sound of more and more yelling, charging stallions beyond the mists. “You... uh...” He trotted backwards and away from the noise. He pointed with a weary smile. “...you muckers have fun with that...” And then he galloped off again.
The two watched Digiff run away. They turned to one another, blinking.
“...the Hell has gotten into him?”
“Well, Digiff gonna Digiff.”
“I know. But... like... you could see it in his eyes. Something super mucking crazy is going on h—”
The nearby struts echoed with loud shrieks, followed by an array of dull thuds. Most of the nearby yelling ceased altogether, along with the pounding of hooves.
“What the—?!”
“Shit!”
The two dredgers spun about, wielding their polearms up high. The tasers' sparkle did little to illuminate the dense soup of mist around them.
“Where... where's it coming from?”
“Where's what coming from?”
“You know—”
“Dude, I don't hear a damn thing.”
“Well, don't look at me!”
Both stallions stood back to back, shivering.
Seconds passed.
A minute.
They exchanged a glance—one glance too long.
Thap-thap-thap-thap...!
One stallion looked back in front of him. WHAM! He took a blue hoof to the face.
“...!” The other spun around.
SWOOOSH! A prismatic streak vaulted over him.
“Gaah!” Her gnashed his teeth and swung the polearm high. Thwissssh! He missed the petite pegasus by a hair.
Rainbow flipped, landed her hooves against the side of a bulkhead, and vaulted off. Swoooosh! She came sailing back towards him.
He leaned back, twirled the staff, then held it out lengthwise.
Rainbow had already unsheathed a hammer from her vest, swinging it at the point of impact. CRACK! The stallion's polearm snapped in half, and Rainbow plowed him to the ground. The two went sliding over the slick wet metal with Rainbow on top. She grunted, punched him twice in the muzzle, then jumped straight up—only to come landing back down on his chest. Her hooves instantly kicked the breath out of his lungs, knocking him out.
The other stallion looked up from the floor, muzzle dripping with blood.
“Good job, girls,” Rainbow stammered. “Especially you, Rarity, for knowing where the wall was—” She froze in place suddenly. “What, Fluttershy?”
The stallion reached into his vest for a throwing knife.
“...he is?” Rainbow spun towards him, ruby pendant glinting through the mists.
Gnashing his teeth, the stallion raised his hoof with the blade. SLIIIINK! A set of talons sunk deep into his fetlock from behind. “Aaaaugh!”
“Rrrnngh!” Keris wrestled the dredger to the ground, slamming him hard.
“Mrmmmff!” Struggling beneath him, the stallion slithered forward, reaching his one good forelimb for his fallen polearm.
Keris saw it. Schiiing! His claws raked the air as he aimed for the stallion's throat to make a quick end of the fight—
“NO!” Suddenly, a blue body slammed into Keris' battered figure. Swoooosh! Whap!
“Oooomf!” Keris stumbled into a wall, wincing hard from his splint. “Gaaaugh—Miss Dash?!”
“We do not kill any of them!” Rainbow said, pointing an angry hoof. Without looking, she bucked the stallion hard in the gut, knocking him out with a prolonged groan. She panted... stumbling sweatily across the scene. “Punch... kick... asswhoop... knock unconscious—for sure! But no killing!”
Keris turned to watch her trot by. “You do realize you're making this a great deal more difficult than it needs to be.”
“Exactly.” Kicking the end of a polearm, she knocked the staff high into the steam. “You wanna know the difference between a monster and a hero?” Thap! She caught the shark prod in midair, seething. “It takes guts to do things the hard way.” She tossed the weapon at him.
Keris pivoted so he could catch the staff with his good talon. “And you're an expert on this?”
“I haven't always been.” She fumed, trotting towards the next set of bulkheads. “But it's never too late to tuck your guts back in. Now are you with me or not?” She looked over her shoulder, glaring. “Because if you're not gonna dance by my tune, then I'll do you the favor of knocking you on your butt right now.”
“Oh, I can dance alright, Miss Dash...” He limped over to her side, wincing. “But when it comes to dispensing justice, it comes down to efficiency more so than 'guts.'”
She squinted. “That something that your boss taught you?”
“Seraphimus has exemplified it quite masterfully, yes.”
“Well, I'm glad that you're here and not her. Now are we going to save this stinkin' place or not?”
Keris took a deep breath.
“Well?”
“I'm on board, of course, Miss Dash.” He gazed sideways at her. “But to properly eliminate the venomous curse of this place, we may not have the luxury of mercy.”
“We do not need to kill everypony to save everypony.”
“Quite so. Only just one.”
Rainbow clenched her jaw.
“Am I right?”
“Death won't free Red Barge,” Rainbow said, shaking her head. “The little scamp's taught me that.”
“Swab?”
“Listen, Lieutenant Dude. When the time comes, leave Skagra to me.”
“Then what?”
“Then watch...” Rainbow Dash mounted the nearest bulkhead, her voice growing quieter, more focused. “And I'll show you what I should have done at the Quade.” Her eyes narrowed. She raised a hoof, motioned Keris closer, then pointed down below them. “Three dredgers... and a fourth further along. Moving towards our left, a level below.”
“Do you see them?”
“No.” Rainbow shook her head.
Keris blinked. “Do the others see them?”
Rainbow didn't answer. Instead she motioned, “The two on the left have tasers. I'll point them out. You wait a second then take out the straggler. We'll converge on the third dude at the same time. Got it?”
“Indubitably.”
“Be quick... and above all slick.” Rainbow coiled her muscles. “Swab's given us the fart gas. Let's put it to good use.” And—with a tiny grunt—she sprang forward. Swooosh!
“Huh?!”
“What the—?!”
Whap! Th-Thwack!
“Look out—!”
WHAM!
“The Rainbow Rogue! She's here!”
Keris took a deep breath, smirked, then glided forward into the dense soup with his polearm held overhead like a javeling.
“She's here! Oh goddess—mucking blue lightning! Move—”
Bzzzzzt!
“Aaaaa-aaaugh!” Thud!
The whole strut shook.
Skagra and two dozen other stallions frozen in place. They twirled about, holding their breaths as they heard the struggling shouts go deathly quiet.
All was still—aside from the billowing mists.
Skagra's eyes darted left... then right.
The dredgers around him squirmed nervously.
Nostrils flaring, Skagra motioned to one half of the group. He pointed south... then motioned to the other half and pointed north.
The small army split in two, marching in opposite directions with weapons drawn.
Skagra stood in place. He twirled his dagger around his fetlock, licking his lips as his eyes traced every shadow, lattice, and shape jutting out of the mists. One good ear twitched... twitched again...
And...
Th-Th-Th-Thap! He briskly ran off in a random direction, hopped up onto a hanging bar, swung, and propelled himself up onto a bulkhead and out of sight.
Chandler paced and paced from atop the balcony of the central platform's tallest structure.
Longaze stood vigilantly along the edge. The well-dressed mare stared south. All of the struts below them had been covered in mist by that point.
“This is crazy... this is absolutely crazy!” Chandler chuckled dryly, bitterly. He shook his head, hooves scuffling as he shuffled in tighter and tighter circles. “I should never have sent Monket to Red Barge! That was the problem right there! Shoulda just... swallowed my pride and bought out White Barge again! Sent him there! I'd never have gotten entangled with Skagra and none of this muckfest would have even started!”
Longaze droned without looking, “Sir, if I recall, White Barge issued several concerns that started the rift between them and the Consortium to begin with. I very much doubt they'd be of a mind to accept your proposals even if you paid them.”
“Then I would have bought them with the blood of slaves and pirates!” Chandler hollered, fuming. “But that didn't work here, did it?! I've appealed to both Skagra's bit bag and his bloodlust! But the bastard only speaks crazy!”
“Still, White Barge wouldn't help us. They'll never help us.” Longaze's nostrils flared. “You're down two barges now, sir. Doesn't matter how this goes down.”
“Do I pay you to be my brain?”
“I would hope so, sir,” Longaze muttered. “It's right above the neck that I've saved.”
Chandler sighed, facehoofing. “Is... is there even any sign of the Rogue and her rainbow mane?”
“I'm afraid not, sir,” Longaze said. “Or Skagra, for that matter.”
“Maybe...” Chandler gulped, trotting over on jittery hooves. “M-Maybe he's bagged her! Or he's about to! He could be locked in mortal combat with her right now!”
“Perhaps.” Longaze nodded. She brushed a few loose blonde bangs back into her bun. “Or maybe he's being Skagra.”
Chandler bit his lip. Hard. Fidgeting, he blurted, “Investigate.”
Longaze turned to blink at him. “...Sir?”
“You heard me!” Chandler sneered. “Go down there and check on Skagra's scalded derrierre!” He pointed. “I need somepony competent to give me something to go on!”
Longaze fidgeted slightly. “...but you'll be alone up here.”
“And I'll be sailing down the dead drifts if I lose my last final opportunity here!” Chandler squealed, “Go and investigate! Bag the Rainbow Rogue on your own if you have to!”
Longaze took a deep breath. “Very well, sir.” Her horn glowed as she leapt over the side—gliding down on a wave of magic. “If the battle comes here, head to the ship!” she called back, landing on the bulkhead and galloping into the haze. “You'll be safe there!”
“The only way I'll be safe is if I'm standing behind the Grand Magistrate's podium!” Chandler leaned against the balcony, panting. He adjusted his bejeweled robe and sighed. “Goddess help me... one day...”
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I'm getting slightly worried. Not that Rainbow is going to lose this battle, but Skagra's the type that isn't going to go down without drawing some blood. I'm getting the feeling that someone on Rainbow's side is going to get seriously injured when this scumbag gets taken down.
Might just be my drama senses tingling for no reason, though.
Damn, girl.
Also, expectation of Dash-Longaze encounter rising.
"javelin"
Is it just me or has Chandler gone a bit crazy? Or maybe he always was.
Guess its hard to pretend to be normal when all the plans start flying randomly like a wrecking ball to dominoes.
Now what would that be? as I don't see how things could have gone any other way.
Dont think Skagra can kill Dash now she has her friends back, unfair advantage and all. However hes crazy enough to be a challenge. This was gonna get interesting... now Longaze is in too... this cant end well any wai i look at it.
2 500 000 words, everyone!
take
Longaze vs Dash is even more possible now. Then again, I have this weird feeling that the Talon will arrive soon and, in the end, it will be KeriDash vs Longaze vs Skagra vs Talon vs Monket. And I still can't figure out Longaze. Something's off...
So now Rainbow has two bosses to fight. Hopefully Longaze and Skagra don't give her too much trouble.
Ok, Longaze is now allowed to switch sides and help Dash escape... also to buck Chandler in the face
6674215
Damn, and we still got 4.6ish books to go
Red Barge has nothing on the dynamic septet!
Mmm she's like greased lightning.
Skagra knows the terrain too well, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he manages a successful ambush.
It's great to finally have awesome Dash back.
6674215
AWW SNAP.
THAT MUST BE SOME KIND OF.....
ACADEMY RECORD
Why do I picture Longaze a lot like Black Mask's secretary, Ms. Li? Has the same bit of snark and that whole 'I'm the one who really runs this show' vibe to her. Plus, y'know, working for a lunatic and all that. I like.
I wonder what Rainbow thinks she should have really done in the Quade, and how it applies to dealing with Skagra.
6673463
I think the only times we've seen her spontaneously healing were on the golden pedestals (Xonan warfront, Amulek, KMCA machine tower) and at the crash of the Jury that you mentioned. Though I don't think it's been spelled out explicitly, I've seen no reason to believe that going chaos mode and back will immediately heal her completely, minus maybe a really bad headache and some dizziness.
Interestingly, the case of the Reed seems to be an exception to the rule since she still had Galloran's crossbow wound after she left the spire. I attribute that to the fact that she didn't tear out the bolt until after she passed through. The wound may have healed around the bolt, but she immediately reopened it again.
Also, Roarke didn't remove the pendant, it came off by itself.
I hope this will amount to a three way battle of sorts. I drink to the near future in which shall be full of glorious ass-kicking!
6674677
huh, musta misread that
EDIT: i broke the comments for me
i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww237/Thomas_Holland/Untd_zpsiylr68to.png
Aww well it looks like Skag ain't taking another toasty steam bath any time soon, how unfortunate, his face needs a bit more symmetry
I both really like and am really scared of Longaze at this point, I have a feeling she is going to be a really good match for Dash if they fight. Even with the others help.
i.imgur.com/9zgqMaf.gif
Longaze is at a severe disadvantage here, she just doesn't know it yet.
10 eyes and a magic sensor will not a fair fight make.
Come on Keris, you're the one who tempers Seraph's fury when she's about to go too far.
Don't fall back on lethality just because it's convenient.
-In the end isolation, hunted by a nation. Utaan.
hmm, the only problem i see that Dash might have fighting Longaze is the fact that she has magic
Skagra splitting his forces is a good idea when doing battlefield pincer movements on an opponant that desnt know you are there till too late.
Otherwise, its RPG time, and he just split the party.
And if theres anything Pinkie loves, is partying with two partys where there was once only one party. then theres the third party which is the party of the party.
I don't know who'll give Rainbow a better fight. We've already seen proof of Skagra's competence in battle, not to mention his familiarity with the battlefield. Longaze is more of a question mark, but I definitely get bad-ass vibes from her. Of course, Rainbow has ghost-powers at her beck and call, as well as Keris and her own natural awesomeness. This ought to be interesting.
6674215 And it'll probably end up being another 2.5 million words before it's done.
Skirts help us.
I'm quickly becoming more of a mind that Longaze is entirely too good to be working for Chandler, and am curious if she has motivations for her loyalty to him beyond the paycheck. I mean, I'm sure the pay is impressive, but I wonder if Longaze just has an ironclad work ethic and doesn't betray a contract no matter how douchey the employer, or if she actually agrees with any of his larger goals?
I enjoy seeing Dash on a roll. I know that, by the laws of narrative, it can't last forever and there'll be tough times and tough calls in the future, but for now I'm going to enjoy watching her butt-kicking for goodness. Go for the eyes, Dash, go for the eyes!
I'd hate to ask Austraeoh Fact Checker to work his magic again, but how many times has Dash done the whole 'Go-past-you,-do-a-180-and-then-smack' over these many books?
I wish Skagra wasn't as evil as he is because he'd be a great guy on the Jury.
6674953 One pointyhead is not enough to defeat Team Ghost Horse.
If, however, said pointyhead works in concert with Duke Skaggrington, wallops may be had.
6675635 Not enough times. Little Miss Paintbucket is all about conservation of momentum. It takes less energy and time to pull a sharp, wall-running turn or use a wall as a speed break than to reverse velocity on a dime without aid.
Considering the impending clash against Skagra, and the surrounding terrain, she'll probably be a blue pinball of pain.
If this were a game, she would have a perk.
Damage X = Y + N collisions
6673879 Ah. That makes more sense. Though I feel that Twilight's demand is about the Quade. Twilight made no such demand when they were dismantling Revan's operations in Rust, and there have been many occasions (the goblins at the beginning if Yaerfaerda, for example) when Rainbow and her companions haven't hesitated to kill. If Dash is having second thoughts now, it's because of her actions on the Quade.
Given Rainbow's opinion--spoken opinion, anyway--on who's to blame for the Luminards' suffering (i.e. themselves), I suspect that she's really only trying to placate her friends by going along with this.
EDIT: Well, having now read the latest chapter, maybe Dash is determined to be more merciful.
I have an open question for anyone who's been paying close attention these last two books. Have all of the sections leading up to the revival of one of the main six been themed or structured accordingly?
The arcs leading up to Pinkie's rescue were a bit riotous and random, and there was undoubtedly a theme of kindness leading up to Fluttershy's. One could even argue that Rainbow's madness at the beginning of Ynanhluutr was meant to contrast with Twilight's intelligence and rational. But what about Rarity? I don't remember Rainbow being particularly generous to the Nealanders.
I suppose that the lesson Rainbow learned from the events on the Quade is to be honest, which would slot neatly into place, but we saw that kindness wasn't exactly the right approach for freeing Flutters, despite making perfect thematic sense.
I feel as though I'm missing something. Any thoughts?
Everyone's expecting a showdown with Longaze too, but I for one welcome the newest member of our ragtag band of tag-alongs
6675943 Verlax's whole tirade in Shoggoth basically amounted to "there is no harmony on the dark side of the world, and hence you must learn to survive without it." Verlax has set things up throughout the region so that Rainbow can only restore an Element through Ynanhluutr if she proves she can prevail in absence of it.
To restore Twilight, Rainbow had to traverse the Grand Choke, in absence of Magic.
To restore Rarity, Rainbow mooched off of Nick, Sinrar and the Nealenders, in absence of Generosity.
To restore Pinkie, Rainbow took on the dark criminal underworld of the Syndicate, using meticulous planning. While this one's reasoning is a little flimsy, I suppose they were sort of in absence of laughter.
And finally, to restore Fluttershy, Rainbow attacked a peaceful settlement, destroyed a religion and the lives of all the Luminards and lashed out at her friends, in absence of kindness.
However, all this is under the assumption that Verlax is actually right, or has actually arranged these challenges for Rainbow Dash. In addition, I recall at one point in Ynanhluutr Twilight and Rarity interpreted these trials in the opposite way, in that Rainbow used Magic, Generosity and Laughter to restore the corresponding bearers. Either way, we can infer that there is some thematic structure to the revival of the Elements.
6675635
You're giving me a real workout here, pardner. I don't even know if I can really systematically find these things, but I tried and only came up with 2 instances.
Almost her first act after waking up; Eljunbyro, "Rainbow Dash"
During the fight with Shell on the Steel Wing; Eljunbyro, "East's End"
6675943
The ongoing theme here is that Verlax wants Rainbow to do some very unkind things to reach the seeds.
As you saw with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash was forced to be unkind. Likewise with Rarity, she has had to be selfish (I do believe she has just yanked the professor and Nick from their homes which in the end has proven to do them well), but it could also have applied to them robbing the Revan and his cronies of their money.
If I recall correctly, however, Rainbow did realize during their parting that she had only been paying attention to her own interests and neglected to ask if Nick and/or the Professor if they wished to go with her and they responded that she had in fact done them a favour.
6676053 Thanks! That was exactly the sort of answer I was hoping for. For some reason I always forget that Twilight's element is magic. Maybe because magic isn't really a virtue, unlike the others.
6676125 Thanks. I'm afraid that I wasn't paying too much attention during most of Ynanhluutr; hence why I completely forgot about Rainbow using the colonialists to get Rarity back. I feel like I'm back on board now, though.
6675701 not defeat, per se, but she wouldn't be as important if she wasn't just a little bit of a threat to Dash...unless Dash converts her, of course
You know, after playing the latest Batman game for the past week, I can't stop hearing the sounds from the game whenever I read Dash fighting. The Twilight-imposed no-kill policy and Red Barge being engulfed in a massive cloud of steam only make it worse. And by worse I mean better. Batdash and Swabin is the best thing I've had in my head in the past month.
Don't really know how you can flank someone who has an ability to sense all life and another that senses unpredictable things. But, lets be honest the real threat is Longaze's sass.
Well, I'm not quite sure what you were expecting, Chandler.
Hammer time!
6676335 It makes me happy that I am not the only person whose mind immediately went to batman with the fighting in steam and shadows.
I don't like Twilight's No-Kill policy.
...you gotta let your assistant do it for ya.
6676125
Actually, from how I see it, Verlax wants to show Rainbow that Harmony alone isn't enough.
Abadon friendship and magic in order to reach Twilight.
Taking what is needed and using others in order to reach Rarity.
I actually have no idea what role Pinkie Pie's beacon played, so that makes it very likely my theory is completely wrong.
In order to free Fluttershy, she had to do what was unkind.
Even though, ironically, knocking people unconsciousness with concussive blows usually leads to severe brain damage.
...Yes, I have an irrational fear that someone will try to "knock me out" like in the movies and turn me into a drooling mess.
6676335 Dude, Batdash and Swabin is the coolest thing ever. Would that make Keris Catwoman? More like Cat-birdwoman! Am I right?
Uhhh........... Look!! Over there!
*runs away*
6677380
NO KILLING!
https://youtu.be/7MpouXTDGhg?t=463