“Did you hear me, ya putrid waste of spit?!” Revan shouted. Waving bands of waterlight reflected off his blade, and he pointed threateningly at the three figures standing atop the raised platform before the large sepulcher. “I'm gonna murder you harder than your mother killed herself upon seeing what a flank-backwards slimeball she squirted into this world!”
“Nopony steals from the Syndicate and gets away with it!” Cold Stone hollered. He levitated several daggers and spat on the ancient stone floor. “We're gonna make you pay through every organ!”
“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight flew in close, whispering in the pegasus' ear. “There's simply too many of them.”
“What are we going to do?!” Rarity whimpered.
Twilight continued: “These aren't like the small group of pirates you beat up way back over the ocean.” She gulped. “They outnumber us over ten to one!”
“Twitchy Tail!” An undisturbed voice delightfully chirped.
THUNKKK! Behind the Desperadoes, the entrance to the lower chambers collapsed, courtesy of lingering tremors. Bard, Wildcard, and Rainbow Dash coughed and wheezed in the ensuing smoke cloud.
“Well...” Bard waved a hoof in front of his muzzle. “We can't turn tail and run. So there goes my first idea.”
“There's no escape now, pissheads!” Revan hollered, stepping closer towards the stone stairs leading up to the three. “We have the only entrance blocked and there's nothing but thousands of feet of water piled on top of us! You're coming out of this a cold corpse!”
“But... uhm...” Jeryn leaned in, smiling nervously. “If you would be so kind as to testify against the accusations being brought upon us by a certain Theanim Mane—” Revan's hoof slammed against his chest. “Ooof!”
“Just tell us where you've put all our platinum bars from Rust!” Revan shouted. “And we just might kill you off a little less painfully. Ain't nopony's choice but ours. So what it'll it be, ya bastards?” Schiiiing! He dragged the blade across the floor, spilling sparks everywhere. “The bloody way? Or the extra bloody way?”
All of Revan's thugs growled and shook, ready to come charging up the steps at the drop of a hat.
Rainbow Dash panted and panted. He glanced at the many angry faces aimed her way. Sweat formed along her brow in large bulbous drops.
Somewhere, hidden deeply between Rainbow's hyperventilating breaths, Verlax's words rung with a haunting echo: “'Before you reach the edge, you are going to have to do very disharmonious... very dishonest... very unkind things.'”
The mare blinked, and in that blink she saw dead bodies and broken managliders lining the depths of Sapphire Ravine. Somewhere muddy and forgotten, the flesh of Xonan and Ledomaritan soldiers decomposed. Names vanished within the confines of Pale Shelf and Nevlamas' deathly ashes swirled in the air.
“We... we have to act quick...” Rainbow tried speaking, but her words came out in a dry murmur. “If... if we split up... uhm... take out separate groups... we m-might be able to knock 'em all out—”
“Hate to burst yer bubble, darlin',” Bard whispered back, eyes locked on the bloodthirsty crowd below. “But these here folks ain't got nothin' left to lose. They won't stop until the three of us are dead, and knockin' 'em out won't do nothin'.”
“But... but...”
Bard shook his head with a somber expression. “Ponies are gonna die in the next few seconds, Rainbow,” Bard said, tightening his grip of the staff. “And from the looks of it, I dun think their numbers are gonna die faster...”
“He... he c-can't be serious!” Rarity scoffed. “Is he serious?”
“Rainbow, I...” Twilight bit her lip. “I-I can't think of any ideas! This... this...”
“Well?!” Revan started marching icily up the steps. “Where's your bravado now, flankholes?! Come face your death with some balls! I'll feed 'em to you while you're still breathing!”
With thudding hooves, the entire group of stallions stomped up after him. The room shook with noise as the mob grew closer, closer...
Rainbow's eyes twitched. Once more, Verlax's words swam through her brain: “And before you rapture this world from its frigid plight... a lot... and I do mean a lot of souls are going to die.”
“This is it...” Bard spoke firmly, holding his staff out as he stood before Rainbow Dash. “I'm the biggest of the bunch. I'll take the first wave—”
“No,” Rainbow exhaled. She stared a thousand yards ahead. Somewhere, high above, Yaerfaerda pulsed with a dim yellow glow. She couldn't bare to look at it any longer, so she shut her eyes and swam into darkness. “Get behind me.”
Wildcard and Bard looked at her, gawking. “Huh?”
“Her test isn't over...” Rainbow gulped. Rainbow shuddered. Her hoof reached up to her pendant. “...I... I've learned to make peace with my chaotic side before.” She clenched her teeth. “It's about time I showed it.”
Rarity and Twilight peered over, their faces overwrought with both curiosity and confusion. “Rainbow Dash...?”
“Twilight... Rarity... Pinkie...” Rainbow stifled a whimper as she started pulling the Element of Loyalty off. “I'm sorry—”
“Rainbow Dash.” A voice thundered through the mare's head, and it wasn't Verlax's this time.
Rainbow gasped. Her eyes flashed open, red-on-yellow. She clasped the pendant back into place. “Camellia!”
“Fear not,” the Siren's voice rang. “Help has arrived.”
“Help...?!” Rainbow seethed, leaning forward. “Your Majesty, what kind of help?!”
“What?!” Bard sputtered. “Is it Camellia?!”
“Camellia?” Jeryn stammered from down below.
“Huh?!” Revan's brow furrowed. “What the hell are you even going on about?!”
“Oooooooh! There it is!” Pinkie Pie sang.
Rainbow looked over.
Pinkie Pie floated upside down, rubbing her pink face. “My nostril hairs are starting to poke out! Heehee!” She turned and grinned at Rainbow Dash. “That can only mean that a giant scaly sea serpent with razor sharp teeth is about to swallow us whole!”
Rainbow did a double-take. Her eyes tilted up... up... and up...
Suddenly, the whole sepulcher rumbled. A loud wailing noise bounced off the walls. Revan came to a stumbling stand-still, as did all of his frazzled henchstallions. A few of them fell down the stairs, grunting and yelping in surprise.
“Huh...?!” Revan spun about. “Cold Stone?!”
“I... I don't know what's happening, Boss!” The unicorn lackey stammered. “It couldn't be the Siren Bitch's direct involvement! Unless...”
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Aaaaaaaah!” Jeryn shrieked and shrieked even higher. He collapsed while pointing out the wavering wall of magic water.
“What is it?!” Revan frowned, turning to stare out into the ocean. “I swear, you're even a bigger puss—” His jaw fell as he dropped his weapon. Cl-Clank! The air around him filled with the collective gasp of the henchstallions.
There was no sign of the ocean any longer, for the entire view was blocked by the enormous girth of a gigantic fish. Its brown and yellow scales loomed closer until soon the massive jaws of the thing lingered just a few mere feet from the aquakinetic barrier. At last, a set of glistening headcrests fanned out, and the leviathan's enormous jaws opened wide, revealing a gaping maw and an even wider throat.
“Oh goddess!” Jeryn cowered, covering his muzzle and shivering on the floor. “Oh Goddess Verlaxion, I'm sorry for everything I've ever done—!”
“Hell's bells!” Bard's voice cracked for the first time since Rainbow met him. He and Wildcard leaned against each other, shivering. “What in tarnation is that thing?!”
“Rainbow...!” Twilight gasped.
The monster's jaws broke through the magic field, collapsing it in a wet flash.
Rainbow gulped hard as the blood rushed into her ears, silencing everything but her own voice: “Ultimo.”
SPLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!
Water came rushing in—an impenetrable wall of it. There was no escape from the relentless deluge, save for one direction—the sea serpent's mouth. Screaming and flailing, every member of the Syndicate was swept off his hooves and carried forcefully into the thing's gaping jaws.
And they weren't alone.
“Aaaaaaaaaaugh!” Bard wailed, thrashing about as the whirlpool dragged him and Wildcard. “Not pretty! Not pretty!”
“Just hold your breath!” Rainbow hollered, reaching out to grab his hoof.
“But... b-but...!”
“Hold your breath!” Rainbow reached her other hoof out and yanked Wildcard by his tail. “Trust me!” She inhaled the last pocket of air—just before the raging rapids dragged her and everypony else underwater. Within a blink, she, Bard, Wildcard, and all her ghostly friends were sucked into the beast's protective mouth. A pink pony sailed in last, her body shrunken into a joyous cannonball.
“Weeeeeeeeeeeee-hee-hee-heeeeee!”
...And I was seriously ready for her to open a grimdark can of whoop-ass, too...
6369903
Well, someone certainly called it.
6412824
I've been reading too much grimdark recently, especially the final chapter of a story called Worm where a character somewhat similar to Austraeoh(but better written) loses her humanity in order to save humanity. I know exactly how you feel.
Fluttershy confirmed for next ghost.
Ultimo 2: Returning the favor.
On the one hand. Awesome exit. the syndicate gonna get digested and the Dashperadoes are gonna get hurked up.
On the other, Dash was about to make peace with her chaos side, she might not get another chance.
Unless Twilight convinces her to meditate...somehow.
-Memories given light, ease a lonely flight. Ynanhluutr.
And the Siren provided a great fish for Rainbow Dash, and it swallowed her, and Rainbow Dash sat in the belly of the fish for three days and nights.
i131.photobucket.com/albums/p313/Starbug360/Motivational%20Posters/BiggerFish.jpg
Well, how about that?
I don't know what the chances are of Rainbow preserving her policy of minimum-bloodspillery, but I hope she manages, even if only to prove Verlax wrong.
Rainbow is so badass, giant sea monsters are needed to prevent her from getting serious.
6412835
Worm is awesome. But yeah, that ending....
So... Camellia is Aquaman? Er... Aquamare?
global3.memecdn.com/im-useless-they-said_o_814926.jpg
The only problem with this is that Dash has no control once chaos claims her. She's as likely to kill Bard and WC. Unless something has fundamentally changed.
Lies! Harry never wears a hat!
I really hope that Rainbow proves Verlax wrong (which I'm sure she will). Though after all the stuff with Shell and everything that happened after with the Jury and the Goblins I'm really surprised that Verlax is able to shake Rainbow this much.
This series is around 2,200,000 words
Lord of the rings and the hobbit are only around 480
Although a fight scene with an unleashed Rainbow Dash would have been pretty awesome, this is better. It's pretty clear that Rainbow Dash is going to try her best to defy Verlax. She can be worthy without doing horrible things, thank you very much. Embracing her chaotic side is fine in the true context of chaos, but going about it the wrong way won't work at all.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
ULTIMO HAS ARRIVED.
Also! That offhanded remark I made waaaaaaaayy back in Nealand about wanting Ultimo to become their transport has come true! YUSH!
6412861 Related video clip
6412892 I'm not so sure about the DraconeqDash being completely mindless. Though I think the last time she went full chaos was the Noble Jury crashing into Val Roa's barrier.
Seems like RD's cat is almost out of the metaphorical bag; Spookle and Scarity probably have questions about what taking off Loyalty was going to actually do.
Also, I wonder if we're going to get another full moon in the next 30 chapters?
Should have known that wasn't the last we would have seen of Ultimo. But the fact that Rainbow was willing to let Discord off the leash bothers me. Maybe how Rainbow Dash beats Verlaxion is not in direct conflict, but by passing her tests WITHOUT breaking Rainbow's morals, showing that her view of things is wrong. Essentially, by taking a third option over and over again.
6412888
Yeah, funny how people with 'useless' powers are actually the ones who top the scale in terms of firepower. Case in point: Khepri.
vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/parahumans/images/1/1e/Khepri.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20141222014543
Quite a lot more obscure than Aquaman, but she's essentially infinitely powerful and versatile in a way that would put Doctor Manhatten to shame.
6412843
Does that make the Syndicate the laundry fleet? Will Pinkie sing the song?
6413020 Well the girl did more or less kill a god. Don't think the good Doctor M ever did that.
“I'm gonna murder you harder than your mother killed herself upon seeing what a flank-backwards slimeball she squirted into this world!”
It's lines like this that get me.
6412008 By IC's standards, yes, It has.
6412824 Meh, save it for the lizard. On a lighter note, Pink horse is taking all of this well.
Fluttershy next! yay! Umm... Sorry for being so loud.
30 chapters left. Clenching everything in prep for that ending whammy. Something tells me we're not reaching the dark side til the end of the next story.
Oh come on Dash, you didn't even think of goading Revan into a one on one fight for leadership if the Syndicate? Keven Cosnter is disapoint.
Anyway, speculation time! My current theory is that Verlax, having seen what the dark side of the world is like, is trying to prepare Dash for entering that leg of her journey by trying to push Dash towards being more able and willing to enact violence and other unsavory methods to achieve her goals. Perhaps Verlax believes Dash can't survive the dark side without not only being willing to kill as a solution to problems, but choosing it as her primary method of dealing with obstacles. No doubt the war on the dark side is terrible beyond anything Dash has seen, and Verlax knows this, so this is... well basically Verlax is trying to give Dash a way to build a tolerance for it.
No doubt Verlax has prepared her entire country like a set of dominos for Dash to knock over. I think Verlax intends to sacrifice the peace of the nation and ensure Dash is party to as much violence as possible with the intention that will make Dash ready for the dark side of the world.
Now I'm just hoping Dash can get through all of that without losing herself. Chaos is not about destruction or killing, its merely being unbound and containing infinite possibilities. LIfe springs from chaos as much as anything else, and last time I checked Discord, the master of chaos, never killed anyone. I don't think Verlax actually grasps what chaos is, and is trying to teach Dash a corrupted version of it.
Then again, perhaps I'm wrong and IC has something else entirely in store for us. I do look forward to finding out, one way or another.
Also, anyone else think this isn't an option Rainbow would've even considered without Verlax mentioning it in advance? Using the Chaos-Form as a weapon goes back as far as Shell, it isn't exactly a new idea to her. And even in that kind of oh-shit predicament, the group's not wihtout alternatives. Alternatives such as a blast from Loyalty to blind the goons while the group flies overhead.
As awesome as Chaos-Dash might be, I'm really, really hoping that she continues to find ways around it--and that this third option doesn't always require outside assistance.
For this one time, Verlax's whispers have failed to spread their poison. Let us hope there will be enough Wind in other times as well.
For the record, I don't mind!
6413455
"It is like the number zero... empty, yet holding infinite potential within itself."
I must have a good set of lungs!
But in all seriousness I'm kind of conflicted about this chapter. I know that it was a life or death situation with no apparent escape route, so I can understand Rainbow wanting to protect her friends.
But on the other hand I'm disappointed Dash gave into Verlax's games so quickly. To me personally, one of Rainbow's most endearing traits is her unwillingness to compromise her ideals in the face of adversity; I hope she doesn't start going down this darker path.
6412834 Wow, I can't believe one of my predictions turned out to be correct for once. I guess even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Good that Rainbow didn't transform and rip everything apart until the ocean was red but at the same time, that would've been pretty cool. Buuuut getting Ultimo to do that is pretty sweet as well.
I hope they won't cause Ultimo a tummy ache. That would be very unkind.
There's a difference between being willing to use a weapon and knowing when to use it.
Theres no way out.
You there snake, Snake? SNAAAAKKKEEEEE.
This was poetically excellent. It was because she'd saved Ultimo from the maddening effect of Verlax's ice instead of killing it that this outcome was possible. Just when she was about to surrender to the assertion that there was no path forward but by bloodshed, she discovered she had already proved Verlax wrong. That's the best kind of cavalry moment.
Oh Pinkie Phantom. Never change. ^-^
img01.deviantart.net/540b/i/2014/335/b/e/discord_of_the_sith_by_pixelkitties-d88cje0.png
Good...good... let the chaos flow through you
Huh. Looks like I might actually get that truthful conversation about Dash's less pretty moments I was whining for a few chapters back.
Still, given that Verlax's trials rest on proving she's capable of making it without the elements her friends stand for, the fact that Fluttershy is supposedly next has some pretty worrying connotations. To get Fluttershy, she must forsake kindness. That's going to suck, regardless of how much I want Rainbow to show her friends how much more real shit has been and how much more real it must become.
6413604
A web serial called Worm, which is all about superheroes and supervillains. I think it's the best superpower-themed story there's ever been, even better than Watchmen or the batman movies. The main character, Taylor, is a 16 year old with the ability to control bugs.
She's probably the best written female lead in any story I've ever read. It's also about as long as the Austraeoh series, and is already complete with a sequel in the works. Here, if you're interested, https://parahumans.wordpress.com/ click the 'New? Start Here' link to begin.
Have we had this for a chapter title yet? I mean remove the contraction and it fits.
Who needs boats and air when you got a giant fish to swim you to safety... unless he tries to swallow you, then the exit becomes disgusting
6412835 Dammit. Spoilers, man. I just started Worm.
I think that this chapter is telling us that Verlax is wrong. It was Rainbow's kindness in the first place that spared Ultimo, and is now helping Rainbow on toward Fluttershy.
6413705 Only now, at the end, do you understand.
So could this mean that regardless of how this turns out Rainbow's friends now have the grounds to start asking some serious questions and possibly learn about her chaotic side? If I remember right none of them yet know she is slowly dying to the chaos and will turn into a monster if she takes her amulet off.
Jonah is that you?
6413809
Ah, FUCK! I am so, so sorry. I forgot spoiler hiding thingies existed.
6413743
I've read Homestuck. I've read Worm.
Homestuck doesn't even compare. Prioritize Worm.
6412892
That's what I thought. I feel as if Verlax is, indeed, as crafty and conniving as Celestia and Luna said she was. I believe she's sprinkling small truths on top of a massive lie in order for Rainbow to eat her lies and accept them.
I always knew that Pinocchio would become relevant in this story.
6415194 Or, by embracing the chaos, Rainbow Dash gains control over it, and that's the lesson Verlax is trying to teach. These trials are the only way to pound these lessons through her thick skull.
It really all boils down to what are the Divine's goals. If Verlax is spinning half-truths and small lies, the question is why. What is she trying to achieve?
6415221
True indeed. But I can't shake this feeling I get from her. Celestia and Luna's warning is fresh within my mind. Surely, time can cure all evils, and maybe that's what we have here, but she's made it abundantly clear that harmony cannot win (and also cannot lose), and her efforts are to make sure the next sundering happens as soon as possible. Or, well, maybe just to make it happen. Time is relative for her.
As much as what she's saying is good for Dash in the long run of her journey, I must continue to scrutinize Verlax's intentions.