"Hrrrrrrrrrmmmm..." Kepler's hairy nostrils flared. Smiling, the wyvern scanned the horizon with his spectacled eyes while he gripped the rudder wheel. "So this crreaturre was rrenderred blind by an airrship crrash, and yet—with the aid of a magical device that connected with his brrain—he was capable of rreading wrritten materrial? Ha-Hah!" He chortled past his tusks. "Oh, how I would have loved to witness such ingenuity at worrk!"
"Kepler..." Ariel chided from where she sat on the deck plates. "Didn't you hear Rainbow Dash? This Pilate wasn't a 'creature.' Just... a striped horse called a... called a..." She winced despite herself. "...a zeppelin?"
"No, Pilate was a zebra," Rainbow Dash said. "A zeppelin is what he crashed in." She leaned back, lying lazily on her back and gazing at the stars drifting high above the Stardust. "But... heh... I totally wouldn't mind you and him meeting each other, Kepler."
"Oh?"
"'Cuz... like... you're cut from the same cloth."
"Hah! But perhaps not the same ink?" Kepler winked.
Pinkie Pie giggled.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "What I mean is—you're both very scholarly and you appreciate history."
"I would imagine so!" Kepler nodded, keeping the ship straight as the waters grew more and more choppy. "Judging from his seemingly vorracious hungerr forr books! Enough to rread them beyond his limited sight!"
"It boggles my mind," Logan said from where he stood by the cabin's open doors. "How in the Hell can a zoidberg—"
"Zebra."
"Whatever. How can anypony stick a bit metal ball to your brain and ask it to read stuff for you?"
"To be honest, I never really... understood the way O.A.S.I.S worked," Rainbow Dash said. She glanced over at where Twilight and her friends hovered. "Nor did I fully figure out the inner workings of Bellesmith's 'sequencing.'" Clearing her throat, she looked at the Heraldites seated next to her in the middle of the deck. "But... where Rohbredden advanced through steam and dredge coal? Ledomare, Darkstine, and Val Roa excelled in industrialized magic. That's how they got ships to fly in the air or guns to shoot death beams and... uhm... pocketable stones to 'talk.'"
"Most... most fascinating..." Kepler murmured.
"Heck..." Rainbow Dash smirked. "Some kingdoms industrialized both ways... with steam and magic! I once visited a place called 'Gray Smoke' which was basically this huge flippin' city of metal floating in the sky."
"No shit." Logan blinked. "Sounds like Rust—but in the clouds."
Rainbow winced. "That's... a little too darn fitting a description..."
"Sounds positively mesmerizing," Rarity cooed. "I would have loved to have seen this city!"
Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. "No, Rarity." She looked aside. "You wouldn't have."
"Yeesh..." Logan rubbed his fat chins. "Flynn would be spanking himself to all this technobabble talk."
Flynn trotted onto the top deck, sweating and soot-stained. "Spanking what now?"
"You missed it," Ariel droned, smirking slightly. "Rainbow Dash just spilled the beans on all of the technological secrets of the worlds beyond the Blight."
"Awwwwwwww..." Flynn's ears drooped as he pouted. "And here I had come to tell you guys that I had just stabilized the manaflow." He looked in Kepler's direction. "We should be good to cruise for another six hours."
"Splendid, oh hairrless one!"
"Ugh..." Flynn winced. "Could you not...?"
"Actually..." Rainbow Dash smiled from where she reclined. "Flynn would have gotten along with Booster Spice."
"Booster who?" Echo asked, squatting next to Bard and Nicole.
"Another dude with goggles who joined the Jury back in Val Roa," Rainbow Dash explained. "I'm pretty sure he's Flynn's long lost earth pony brother." She smirked. "Because I couldn't understand a word he said anymore than I can understand Flynn's."
Bard chuckled while Wildcard smirked.
"Hmmmmm..." Flynn squatted down next to the group. "Good to know that you were in good brains as well as hooves." He sighed, staring at Rainbow Dash. "So this Jury... they followed you through all your travels?"
"Most of them," Ariel answered. She pointed at the mare next to her. "Rainbow was telling us about how she picked up all her friends gradually... one by one... ever since..." She turned to squint at the pegasus in question. "...Blue Shift?"
"Blue Shelf."
"My bad." Ariel smiled toothily. "I'm getting the names of Ledomare mixed up."
"That's okay," Rainbow droned. "I did too."
"I'm guessing you hard to part ways with them?" Flynn said.
Rainbow nodded. "Unfortunately, yeah."
"It was at the Grand Choke," Remna murmured from the distance. She stood closer to Kepler, staring off the Stardust's port side. "They parted ways, and then the Austraeoh proceeded on her lonesome towards the east edge of the Blight." Her green eyeslits narrowed. "It nearly cost the mare her life."
Rainbow rolled her eyes.
Echo leaned forward. "How come Miss Iron Panties knows so much?"
"She kinda sorta stalked me," Rainbow Dash muttered. "From the grave."
"Ooooookay then." Echo leaned back.
"Wow..." Nicole brushed her bangs back. "I knew you had traveled from a long distance, but... I-I didn't realize just how far." She gulped. "How come you never talked about Ledomare or Val Roa or these 'Noble Jury' friends of yours back at the Ranch?"
Bard spoke aside: "Do ya honestly thank that either Blue or Marie would have let her get a word in edge-wise?"
Nicole sighed. "You've got a good point..."
"Things were tense enough back at Bard's—er... yours and Johnny's place." Rainbow gulped. "Besides... I don't like to brag."
"Except when you do," Applejack said, causing the others to chortle.
Rainbow groaned.
"What?" Nicole asked.
"Just the girls ribbing me," Rainbow said. "So... maybe I do like to brag. Just a little." She gulped. "But... it h-hasn't been very appropriate lately. At least... not since the Quade."
"Well..." Ariel scooted about, her fuzzy ears twitching in tune with her smile. "...maybe now's your chance."
"Huh?"
"We've still got some smooth waters between here and... wherever," Ariel said with a wave of the hoof. "Why not... y'know... indulge in the moment?"
"Indulge us, she means," Flynn said.
Kepler chuckled while Wildcard nodded.
"Hmmmf..." Bard folded his forelimbs with a smirk. "Tell her about how you, me, and Dubya yanked the carpet out from underneath the Syndicate. Twice!"
"Or how about all that stuff you did with those two Colonialist weirdos back in Nealend," Echo said. "Theams was rambling about you taking down a leviathan or something..."
"Oh!" Twilight Sparkle leaned in. "Maybe you can tell them about your victory in Val Roa!"
"Yeah!" Pinkie Pie grinned. "Or that time when you drank magical alicorn cider and went into a subconscious dimension—!" Her eyes crossed. "Wait..."
"I-I can't imagine we have that much time between here and the Sixth Seed—" Rainbow began.
Remna droned: "Tell the story about how you conspired to destroy a dragon monarch's hoard, thereby exiling her broodlings."
"Axan..." Rainbow growled.
"Hooo boy..." Nicole winced. "...seems like you've had your fair share of hairy situations."
"Yeah." Rainbow nodded. "I have." She gulped. "But... Celestia wasn't kidding." Her ruby eyes darted up. "...I did a lot of good as well." She looked over at Fluttershy and the others. "It's important to remember that. Always."
Her friends smiled at her.
"Well..." Echo smirked. "I'm all ears. Leafy, even!"
Nicole sighed. "Do you always have to remind them?"
"Are you complaining?"
"Well, no. But that's besides the point."
Wildcard gestured.
"Hmmmm..." Bard smiled, whipping out his guitar. "The stage is yers, darlin'." He strummed a few notes lazily. "I'll even provide background music."
"Heh..." Rainbow Dash stood up before the group with a devilish smirk. "Very well." Clearing her throat, she gestured with both hooves. "So... like... it all began this one day that I flew past two giant mountains..."
My heart it bleeds with FEELS
Ah, sweet nostalgia. Man, every time Rainbow tells a group of ponies her life story, it just keeps getting longer and longer. She should be writing this down in a book or something. I'm sure she has enough to fill nearly eight of them by now.
Its DejaVu all over again.
Hmm, so Flynn is using direct ejection of thermally stimulated water for propulsion. If the boat is as shaped at teh back as I thought, as in not so smooth, at enough speed it makes void, which lets the water eject faster, giving more propulsion, and if really pushed, wth the right conditions, they could get an awful lot more propulsive thrust than expected.
And anyone behind would have a real faceful.
Flynn would be relacing the pink engineer this time, after all, they have the cute flighty one already?
How close were the army that the speed of the boat can get them six hours further ahead, that however long it takes them there will be just long enough for opposing forces to collide and the Windigoes turn up to blend the remains?
Man, the nostalgia. Rainbow flew past those two mountains over four years ago.
Logan needs to meet Josho.
A meeting of the ages.
Wrong save Pinks.
If Appledashery is a visual novel, then Austraeoh is a multi disc JRPG.
-Companions are abound, frozen spectres hound. Utaan.
And what a story to tell.
The beginning of austraeoh... It seems so close and so far at the same time...
Did you just spoil me Appledashery ?
Now IC, you can't post this without making Celestia/Luna give us some information about the Noble Jury by durandans, or at least, make Celestia/Luna to tell Rainbow that they are going to tell the Noble Jury that Rainbow is fine and still traveling.
Love taking the trips down memory lane.
I do so miss the Jury...
7431706
I too wonder how the Durandans are doing from time to time.
Only after you tell the story of how you senselessly butchered and burned thousands of innocent families across an entire country just so you had some empty space to fart out those broodlings. Oh, and then spent centuries torturing and murdering the survivors of your attempted genocide, crucifying and burning them as they tried desperately to fight back against your insane tyranny? Or how Rainbow Dash wanted nothing more than a peaceful solution to the conflict and went to your cave to negotiate, while you ordered your oh so innocent broodlings to go murder and butcher more innocent lives, including foals?
Yeah... shut your mouth, Axan.
The end! Haha, it's a cycle!
7431598 What, like one of the good Final Fantasies?
... Dangit, now I can't stop imagining what that would look like.
They were a bit weird... Wonder what's been happening with them?
Oh man so many feels every time this happens, I (and it looks like a lot of others too) like to reminisce along with Rainbow.
7431857
Saddle Enix presents, a Haystation exclusive series.
Austraeoh.
Enter Snagglepuss, stage right.
What a long, strange trip it's been.
Poor Epcot...
...I was hoping to chat with the Jury, especially given that title.
(Just give it to us straight, IC: Is Austraeoh Abridged canon?)
It's one thing to hope for these guys to talk up a storm with their Jurist counterparts over convoluted sword/moon phone lines. But it sucks more than ever that they'll never actually meet one another. Unless future books aren't as merciless as I've come to expect.
Feels weird thinking back to the first chapter of Austraeoh. Hell, it feels strange to think back to the first chapters of Utaan. The whole Red Barge arc(?) feels so nostalgic already.
Oh yes, an emotionally uplifting situation after the main villain of the book seems to be defeated,
that totally doesn't sound familiar.I guess something 'unkind' is about to happen soon, i just hope it won't reset the awesome meter of a certain Pegasus again, because i really like seeing her getting at least a bit of that fire back, super cautious whiny Dash is getting a bit annoying.
But i guess that was the plan all along, currently it seems that with the last seed she might come to accept that shit happens and that not everything is her fault, i guess Discord could talk some sense into her, as paradox as that sounds. I just hope it won't be too bad for everyone else.
Rainbow's story sounds like one I would keep up with for four years and counting.....
I'm sure Flynn could talk hours with the Jury engineer experts, Props and Floydien. It would result in a headache and no new knowledge gained.
Such a shame the two groups can't meet each other. They likely would have gotten along like fish and water.
7431530 hey look, Booster is Spicing up the comments again.
Really has been 4 years huh?
Feels Like Forever
(Lament for the loss of the Noble Jury)
Verse 1
You once had friends so loyal you could believe in
Taken before their time, you're left bereaved and
Live in a world that chaos has deceived when
All that you want to be you cannot be then
Maybe it's time to cut loose and go solo
Head east at least the beast within you follows
Leaving your home but that's not hard to swallow
You're gonna die but you will never wallow
Over the mountains over the plains
you're over the loss you just can't explain
Well you tell yourself that, a familiar refrain
Til you're Over the heads of a supply train
That was two years ago, you know it doesn't feel it
Nothing to show the scars still haven't healed yet
You're on your own alone like the beginning
Again your friends are gone.
PreChorus 1
But their memories spur you on
As you soar towards a new dawn
Chorus
You wanna give up; you wanna give in;
You wanna back down and leave the world to its sin.
The days are long and the nights never end.
You're gaining more foes and you're losing your friends...
...and it feels like forever.
( to be continued )
Rainbow does seem to be getting some of her old fire back. Hopefully it wont get reset by whatever disaster is coming up next. We havent heard from the Rohbreddon party in a while...
Aww I miss Props now...
It's been a long four years, but it's not ever been about the destination - it's about the Journey.
7432556
7432332
STOP THE BATS
STOP THE BATS
MAKE THEM GO
AND NOT COME BACK
Watch th next chapter just be a link to the very first.
I see what you did there.
7431857 7431982, Sorry guys, the merger couldn't last. I've separated from Saddle and all planned games have been canceled. Also, here is a Cease & Desist because I know your going to try and make it yourselves.
----
[youtube=R-h1dee2S94]
It's going to take awhile to tell that story. Interruption impending.
I vaguely remember this happening in another story... weird that Pinkie would mention it here
Nice of the Herald to give Rainbow some time to tell them of her adventures. Gives Rainbow a chance to be reminded of all the good she did and get more of her confidence back. It is just the quiet before the storm, however. We haven't seen Chandler in quite a while and I'm very suspicious about where IC will place that army next time we switch to them.
STORY TIME STORY TIME
Tell of all of the adventures! And all the fire and explosions that came with them.
Also... 'Blue Shift'? *Half Life theme plays in the distance*
Rainbow telling stories about her adventures with one group of friends to another group has always been one of my favourite kinds of scene.
welp, time to re-read all of the saga... see you guys in a few years.
I feel like it's not gonna happen, but I would be perfectly fine with RD and crew just escaping to the darkside and the following talon and company just end up helping the ponies at Blues place or something.
7431531 And now I'm crying.
It's been a such a long journey.
So many have left us, both in story and out of it, and yet...
Seeing it now, I couldn't have changed a thing.
Also, I'm back!
Woo, time for some nostalgia. I bet Dash is getting really good at retelling the story of her quest after having told it so many times. For now though... I feel like there should be some action coming up. We're growing soft from the peace and quiet.
~SolidFire
7432405 yes yes yes
7431598 7431857
Josho sittin' in the mess hall.
Logan be like: you ain't so tough.
Jake show up and be like: he ain't the big one.
Logan: meep.
Never forget the moosicorn.
The morning sun greeted her like a furious torch.
7433476 It would only take 3 to 4 months to reread everything. Well... at least it took me that long to get from the beginning of Austraeoh to chapter 191 of Utaan.
After everything that's been happening, Rainbow needs this. However, now I know for certain everything is going to get all kinds of fucked. Hunker down, boys!
Pinkie, no.
Please tell me I'm allowed to ship this.
Also, don't books in the Austraeoh series normally end at 200 chapters?
7435925
1: everyone else already is.
2: up till now they did. Originally, it was assumed that 200 was fimfic's chapter limit. That was found to have changed, but IC kept doing it out of tradition. IC was under a lot of stress to try and squeeze this book into 200, which ended up causing huge (comparatively) chapters with long gaps between them. IC didn't like it, and many readers didn't like the gaps. So the limit got tossed.