At the crack of dawn, Rainbow Dash flew west, gliding back towards the sleepy, misty town of Amulek. Her bleary eyes blinked, tired from a full night of chatting with Princess Luna. She stretched her neck, grunting slightly. The pendant felt like it weighed a ton on an exhausted mornings like this. Sighing, she stared down at the rows of fir trees drifting beneath her.
The landscape hung in quiet dimness below. The first of several shadows were born in the faint golden dawnlight. Bands of illumination split through the trees like the strings of a harp. One by one, birds woke up, fluttering to life with faint song and melody.
Rainbow Dash took several deep breaths. In her exhaustion, she felt her heartbeat pulsing in her ears. Closing her eyes, she turned her flight into a gentle glide. She concentrated on the throbbing in her skull, her breaths shuddering between the thuds... thuds... thuds...
THUD! TH-THUD! THUD!
"Just what in the creepy peepee's is that?!" Props' voice crackled out of the intercom of the Noble Jury's cockpit. "It sounds like it's hitting Nancy from all over!"
"It must be manafeedback from the force field!" Pilate shouted, bracing himself against a bulkhead. "The energy is simultaneously resisting and scanning the Jury!"
"Oh y-yeah?!" Rainbow Dash wheezed, hovering in place as she looked over Floydien's shoulder. "Scanning us for what?!"
"My guess is for interference along the leylines that the Val Roans have manifested here!"
"Manifested?!" Floydien sputtered, gnashing at his teeth as he struggled to keep the ship steady. "Who in the spit can construct shimmer out of thin air?!"
"If it was technological, then I might be able to explain it!" Pilate stammered, his runic plate flickering. "Nnngh!"
"Pilate!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "What's the matter?"
"I don't b-believe it..." The zebra wheezed, stumbling sideways amidst the turbulence. "The field is affecting O.A.S.I.S. I'm st-starting to see actual sparks!"
"Go downstairs with Belle and Kera!" Rainbow shouted. "Brace yourself until we've passed over—"
"That's not going to make any difference!" Pilate shouted. "The leylines are entangled with the entire Jury!"
"But—"
"You need me here, Rainbow!" Pilate sputtered. "After all we've planned, it'd be foolish for me to back out now!"
The ship shook again. Everypony inside the cockpit jolted.
"Mmrrffnngh!" Floydien hissed, yanking at the controls. Beyond the cockpit, all that could be seen was a fluctuating wave of translucent green energy. The faint hint of desert mountains lingered beyond, along with a smattering of city lights. "No no no! Nancy can't take much more of this shake shake!"
"Just maintain our velocity and carry us past the distortion, Mr. Floydien—" Pilate began.
"What d-does striped boomer think Floydien has been attempting to do?!" The elk pointed at the console. "Engines are at full power and Nancy is still decelerating!"
"Snkkkt!" Props voice crackled once again. "Bad news boobies! The tome is bouncing around like a Mexicolt jumping bean!"
"Darn it!" Rainbow hissed, then leaned into the intercom. "How's the lavender light?! Has it dimmed yet?!"
"I-I can't tell, Dashie! It's hard enough just k-keeping an eye on the instrument panel with all this interf—" Distortion, then more crackling. "Zaidy Waidy! Quick! The steam reserves—SKKKT!"
The whole ship shook, buckled. Everypony inside the cockpit gasped.
"Nancy's falling!" Floydien yelped. "Down with the flash flash!"
"Can you stabilize her?!"
"Yes yes yes! But not for much more shimmer!"
With a grunt, Roarke climbed up from the crawlspace below. She peered up, reached a hoof up to her helmet, and opened the faceplate. "Bad news. Steam is venting all throughout the engine room."
"Crud!" Rainbow hissed. "Did Props send you up here to tell me that?!"
"She could if she could get to me," Roarke uttered, eyes thin. "Do not confuse this with cowardice: but we should reconsider this current venture."
"Roarke, we are so close!" Pilate growled, teeth clattering. "I made all of the calculations!"
"Pilate, we're obviously dealing with something way over our heads!" Rainbow's voice cracked. "These Val Roans—"
"Just a little while longer, we'll emerge on the other side!" Pilate said. "If we can just break past the leyline entanglement—"
Just then, a loud alarm blared across the cockpit.
Roarke twisted towards the elk. "What is that?"
"Shimmer glimmer!" Floydien hollered. "Shimmer glimmer, inbound to nose nose!"
"Huh?!" Rainbow Dash peered past Floydien's antlers. Her pupils shrank upon sight of a bright cluster of green energy being hurled at the vessel like a missile. "Luna Poop!"
"What?! What is it?!" Pilate shouted.
"Some kind of projectile!" Rainbow exclaimed. "And it's headed this way!"
"We need to evade it!" Roarke hollered.
"Not enough quick quick!" Floydien spun a dial and pulled two levers, venting steam from the bow. "Blonde boomer! Cut engines and divert all of Nancy's steam—"
"Too late!" Roarke exclaimed, then yelled down the crawlspace. "Everypony, brace for impact!"
WHAMMMM! The green pulse struck the Jury... then surged through it. Everypony wheezed for breath as the ship's interior turned a bright emerald. Instantly, consoles sparked and panels exploded with bursts of manaflare.
"Aaaaugh!" Floydien twitched in pain, his antlers sparkling from branch to branch. "Gnnngh-augghhh!"
"Gnnngh... Fl-Floydien?!" Rainbow sputtered, watching in horror as smoke rose from the points in Floydien's forehead where the antlers connected. "Floydien! What's wrong—?!"
A body was rattling across the floor beside Rainbow.
The pegasus looked down and gasped once more. "Pilate!"
The zebra was convulsing all over, gripping his plate as the runes trailed with green energy. His clear eyes rolled back as he foamed at the mouth.
"Pilate! Pilate!" Rainbow knelt down and shook him. "Stick with me, buddy! Just try to stay calm!" She shouted across the cockpit. "Roarke! Pilate's having some kind of a seizure and Floydien's passed out! I think that projectile zapped them right in the magic gut or something! Get Zaid or somepony up here! We need to bring the Jury around!"
Silence.
"Roarke?!" Rainbow crawled over and stared down the vertical passage. "Roarke, where—?"
The metal mare far down on the floor of the bottommost deck. She winced in pain, a prisoner to her own sparkling armor.
"Roarke? Roarke?!" Rainbow hyperventilated. Suddenly, she felt a warm trickle running down her brow. She dragged a hoof across her muzzle and looked at it. Blood clung to her fetlock. Nervously, she touched her forehead, feeling two points where chaotic bone was piercing her flesh. She seethed, "Oh Celestia, no..." She glanced down at her pendant; it was flickering like mad.
Breep Breep Breep Breep!
Gasping, Rainbow Dash looked up.
Past Floydien's slumped figure, past the distorted energy field, the Noble Jury was soaring straight towards a desert mountainside.
Rainbow shivered, her eyes flickering red-on-yellow as the entire vessel buckled around her. Then, with a gasp, she—
—jolted forward, overcome with dizziness.
"Guh! Mmmrnnngh!" Rainbow's eyes bulged as she clutched her pendant, hissing under her breath. Through tearing vision, she spotted the fir trees of East Amulek looming closer and closer below. "Sonuva..." A prolonged snarl, and she caught the wind once more in her wings. "Okay... okay... just stay calm." She gulped, descending slowly in spite of her dizziness. "It's not as bad as before. Nothing is as bad as before. Just... easy... easy..."
She found a stretch of dirt road leading through the forest, marred with wagon wheel trails.
"Perfect... one sexy runway..." She nevertheless gnashed her teeth as she glided down, her body heavy as an anvil. "Slow and steady... that's right... that's—"
She plouded into the earth, belly-first.
"Poopsicle!" The pegasus rolled and rolled and collapsed in a sweaty heap by the side of the road. "Ooof!... Unnnnghhh..." She slumped on her back, wheezing for breath. "...what's with this friggin' town anyway?" She covered her eyes with sweaty forelimbs, panting and panting. "Mmmmff... just let it pass... let it pass..."
She lay still under the dim hush of dawn. Eventually, after several minutes, she felt the first warm kiss of sunlight. It eased her, and the dizziness almost instantly vanished. Breathing easier, Rainbow Dash lowered her hooves and simply lay there on the dirt path, legs spread as if she was about to make snow angels with no snow.
The mare was almost completely oblivious to the heavy hoofsteps until they lingered right beside her skull.
"Ahem... 'Rainbow Dash'... is it?"
"Mmmnngh..." Rainbow squinted one eye, then the other.
The dark, hairy face of Drakshaa peered down at her.
"Mrmmff..." Rainbow rubbed her eyes, grumbling tiredly. "'Douchebag,' is it?"
The stallion's nostrils flared. "Oh... so you're still on about that."
"Fella..." Rainbow Dash sat up, grumbling. "I'll always be on about that." She tried to stand, but fumbled. "Mmmrfff... how about I drive a giant hardened dog-turd into the wheel-spokes of your 'save the whole friggin' world' machine and see how you like it?"
"Are you always this eloquent in person?"
"No, normally I kick the crap out of creatures I don't like, present company included."
"I see." Drakshaa nevertheless reached down, hooked his hoof with hers, and yanked her up into a standing position.
Rainbow wobbed slightly, then blinked awkwardly at the stallion as he brushed her off. She raised an eyebrow. "Gonna size me up for a dress next?"
"Get over yourself," the stallion grumbled, flicking dirt and leaves off her shoulders. "You always this moody after crash landing?"
"I didn't crash land."
"Harumph... I saw what I saw."
Rainbow looked past him, spotting a wagon full of mining tools leading away from Amulek. "Going to work so soon?"
"Always the first to go in and the last to go out," Drakshaa said. "Thanks to you and your gang."
"Yeah. You're welcome, by the way."
"Rainbow Dash..." Drakshaa leaned back. "I get the distinct suspicion that you don't like me."
"Wow, somepony truly was born yesterday."
"You're a strong mare," he said. "I imagine you would do anything to save the zany bunch of adventurers you fly around with."
"I do and I have." Her eyes narrowed. "What's it to ya?"
"Merigold and I would do the same for this town, under any circumstance." He took a deep breath. "We haven't flown around like you and your air-buds. We haven't seen quite as many fantastical sights as you. So, when a giant flaming dragon attacks our encampment like any giant flaming dragon would do... we're apt to respond to it like it's a god-damn giant flaming dragon."
"You should have trusted me," Rainbow Dash said. "It would have made things easier."
"Would it? Would it really?"
She squinted at him.
"Follow me," he said, trotting down a beaten path that led away from the main road. "I want to show you something..."
"Show me what, exactly?" Rainbow Dash stared after him. "Shouldn't a punk like you be wearing a trenchcoat first?"
"Just shuddup and follow me already..."
"Mrmmmf... fine." Rainbow trudged after him. "This should be golden..."
After an awkwardly quiet ten minute walk, both ponies emerged into a forest clearing right as the sun came out. Drakshaa shuffled to a stop, then stepped aside. He gestured at the patch of grass ahead of him.
Rainbow Dash trotted forward, then halted in her tracks. Her lips pursed. "What is this...?"
"What's it look like?"
Before Rainbow Dash there lay several mounds of dirt, each with a freshly-planted wooden stake in the ground. On several of the dirtpiles, a few flowers had been gathered, along with tiny trinkets and effigies.
"These are fresh," Rainbow said. She gulped and looked Drakshaa's way. "But... I-I don't get it. Is th-there some horrible plague in Amulek or something? Because surely Merigold would have told me—"
"These aren't for the villagers of Amulek," Drakshaa said. "That cemetery isn't too far from here. No..." He shook his head and sighed. "These graves are special for a whole different reason."
Rainbow Dash blinked. Her ears folded. "The changelings..."
Drakshaa paced slowly past the wooden stakes. "It's been two months, and we're still finding them. That is to say... pieces of them." His nostrils flared. "Those horribad chaos creeps really did a number on your shape-shifting pals. We... really c-can't guess what leg belongs to who... or whatever parts we find. But once we're certain we've found enough to account for a single changeling, we bury them in this plot of land." He paused, staring up at the nearby mountain. "It's the least we can do, I suppose. I mean... not all of us can zip around the countryside willy-nilly. This is our home. We're stuck here... with both the beauty and the carnage that you left behind."
Rainbow Dash winced. "I... I-I never asked them to give their lives for me the way they did."
"I didn't say that." Drakshaa pivoted towards her. "What I am trying to say is that we're grateful." He shuffled towards Rainbow. "We, the ponies of Amulek, would have lost our necks if it weren't for the sacrifices that those bug-eyed things made." He came to a stop. "As well as the one you're making."
"Heh... what are you talking about?" Rainbow smirked bitterly. "I'm still here."
"I know that." Drakshaa nodded. "I also know that you and your air-buds are dead-set on getting to Val Roa. But you're not there yet..."
Rainbow winced slightly.
"Instead, you're hopping all over the countryside, saving the butts of other villages just like Amulek. And for what?" Drakshaa leaned his head to the side. "What could you possibly be benefitting from all this?"
"Uhm..." Rainbow shrugged. "A good night's rest?"
"Bullshit," Drakshaa spat. "I know profit-loss when I see it."
"We're not in it for that."
"No. You're in it for something else. And that's some rare crud right there," he said. He glanced back at the stakes. "I just hope that somepony won't have to be burying you like these poor guys. That's a pretty lousy reward."
"I dunno..." Rainbow Dash gulped. "From where I'm looking, it doesn't seem that lousy at all."
"Yeah, well, if a pony like you bites it—believe me—it'd be pretty lousy. Nevertheless..." Drakshaa looked at her dead-on. "You should know that what y'all are doing out here is greatly appreciated. Perhaps sometime you should stick around long enough to find out just how much."
Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. She smiled faintly. "I think I may have been wrong about you."
"Yeah, well, we all may have been dicks." Drakshaa brushed past her. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got work to do. I'll let you get back to your own as well."
Rainbow stayed in the clearing, her ears twitching to the sound of his departing hoofsteps. She sat before the graves, took a deep breath, and hung her head.
1) Feels for creatures we met for like, 5 chapters. What the hell.
2) Visions of a bloody future? Is she going to have to go all chaos pony in order to pass? Is this the blood sacrifice for having a happy ending in a IC fic?
Good to see that they are burying the changelings that gave their lives to save the town. We also get a neat flash back to that attempt to cross into Val Roa that didn't work. Also still with the dizzy spells as usual.
I'm discovering new ways to think about Drakshaa.
What was he, some sort of foreman? If I remember correctly, he was. That means that he's always the unpopular guy making unpopular decisions. Despite being an asshole, I do think he was trying to help in the only way he knew how.
5028706
I only said it because everything we speculate is always false. Otherwise I would have kept it to myself.
5028685
Not a vision of the future, I'm pretty sure it was a flashback to what this was talking about;
They tried to pass into or by Val Roa once before and it almost killed them.
Drakshaa........pretty cool guy once his lively hood isn't at risk.
Terrifying dream, or is that how them going to Val Roa went down? And if that's how they're attempt went, green energy? Definitely Chrysalis
All that green energy in Val Roa definitely sounds like Chrysalis.
5028731
Whaaaat. From the descriptions, it sounds as if they exploded on impact. And probably a good number died from the ship failing.
5028685
5028787
Well, the chapter is titled "Past and Present".
I, too, believe it's a flashback.
And I'm pretty sure they landed on something soft.
5028787
Yes but at first it also seemed like Rainbow Dash died at the end of Urohringr remember. They got out of it somehow, likely RD pulled the ship up at the last minute as she was the only one left conscious at the time, it seems like, albeit going into chaos mode.
Serious bad juju coming out of Val Roa.
Black Sabbath - Warning
Wow, those Val Roans aren't kidding around. Though I definitely agree that the green energy missile thing stinks of changeling magic.
Also, Drakshaa turns out to be sorta alright. Who'd've thunk it?
5028826
I'm just waiting for random ponies to start fan girling when they spot Rainbow.
That vision...*shudder*
5028685
I also thought it was a memory of when they were almost to Val Roa.
Drakshaa reminds me of a friend of mine. We disagree on a lot of things and would probably hate each other otherwise, but we respect each other enough to hang out.
5028731 Good catch!
Man, over 7 words per day for the last 4 days. ):('s really spoiling us!
Drakshaa, a nice guy? I'd make a changeling joke if it weren't so terribly inappropriate.
5029232
Seven?
5028725
I see two options.maybe 3.
1. The jurists all buy time for Dash to beat chryssy,then they all expire from wounds,leaving a despondent Dash to fly off into the choke alone.
2. Something happens that forces Dash to continue on without the Jury,maybe with Roarke at her side.
3. Not a total party kill but Floydien dies because the Jury wrecks,Joshoand EE die fighting a puppeted Ebon,and Roarke and Dash continue after leaving Belle, Pilate and Kera in Val Roa
Wow, looks like Val Roa is packing some pretty crazy firepower!
And look at that, Drakshaa isn't a half-bad guy. That's pretty cool, what he and the others did for the changelings.
It's all coming together. Val Roa seems like a Las Vegas when it comes to skylines,except for the wall and anti aircraft missals. pretty cool image if you ask me.
5029445 or maybe rainbow dash just leaves them behind, alive and safe, to continue her quest.
5029504 I somehow doubt it will be that simple.
The barrier served to remind her of what would happen to her friends while crossing the Grand Choke, yes?
Wow, talk about a grand choke...
Wow. Val Roa has a badass security network.
5028784
If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the Noble Jury.
5029346
Yes, there is a comment section. It's been here for a while.
I got a bit confused. Canterlot had a shield over the city, due to one ultra specilised powerful unicorn, Shining Armor, but Val Roa is a City, County, State? or, it was mentioned the city was like a half round, built accross the entrance to The Grand Choke, sort of like Tarterus Gates, or Cape Suzette? If so, Im gettig this weird feeling that someone has managed to work out how to tap into the screwy magic, anti magic of th Grand Choke, and create a organ pipe, projection effect, whick means its not a classic shield, forcefield, in being a skin, but its more like a breaking wave, in that if you try to push in, yu compress the front of the wave into the prjected energy behind, strengthening the effect. Hitting it harder only causes an even faster, non linear compression. Teleportation effects beyond the region of the break would instantly cause the breaking wave to form at the poiint of appearence, at best causing a collapse of the effect before it can even occur. Worse case. Well, it would be Very intresting as and end of the world weapon system.
If its mechanical, Id like to see Pilates explanation, possibilities.
The field was said to be scanning the Jury, then they get hit by a blob of scan, affectation energy, that passes through. Heres the conspiracy theory that will mess a lot of people up for a long time. Did it knock everyone unconcious, and they havent woke up yet?
Gaveyard of the changelings. Really hope Dash and crew make it through, otherwise it will end up Graveyard Of The Fireflies.
Zaid and Props need to escape, settle down, in a shack by the sea, get a cat named Moses, just the cat, Props, and Z.
5029880 Damn. You mean those weren't phishing-bots I've been talking to all along?
Who you gonna call?
Well...that was interesting. I really want to get a better understanding of the boundary of the Grand Choke.
I hope the surviving changelings will come around. It was sad to see them still fearing the wrath of Amulek's ponies after what they went through. I'm glad they appear to be wrong about the villagers.
Today I learned Drakshaa has a heart.
I was expecting to get that flashback sooner or later.
Looks like Val Roa is a desert nation. Not too much of a surprise.
So, Rainbow's still having chaos-flashes... hmmm. I hope they don't get as bad as before, though judging by the fact that they still seem capable of killing her at inopportune moments... *Sigh*
What do we have to do to cure this chick?
So did these visions ever actually come true? I can't remember.
In fact, one might say it's her particular virtue's last reward!
I hope someone understands what I did there.
Damn foreshadowing. Hopefully its just a vision of what could be and not will be.
Nope...you can't make me like Drakshaa...he was too much of a douche.
5044825 agreed.
Drakshaa is warming up to them! Also, why did you have to cut off the flashback? The suspense is killing me!
-Spirit
yay i have redeeming characteristics.
5798545
For now. Hmm, actually, I guess I can't make that joke because you've already read ahead. Oh well. I was hoping he'd become the new super villain that chases the Jury around.
Oh, so that's what happened to the Jury when they tried getting to/through Val Roa. Val Roans seem to posses some really OP weapons.
6044596 well then the Jury just needs some OP weapons of its own
6068895 Technomancer summons Mark XXXIII Bolo = INSTANT WIN
Nice to know that they can admit to being wrong, even if it is too late for some
So there's a wall, eh? A dangerous one.
It took me a moment to realize that was them trying to get into Val Roa. I guess that's some pretty strong changeling magic there.
Hmmm, some much needed background of the past attempt on getting into Val Roa. Certainly seems like Changeling magic or something. Onward I goooo!
~SolidFire