Rainbow Dash said nothing. She stood with her limbs locked in place, crouched on the northwest corner of the building's dim interior. Several steam tanks and catwalks loomed between her and the source of the echoing voice.
"Every time we catch you, you get away," Seraphimus' booming voice rang off the metallic structures all around. "And yet every time you flee..."
"..we catch up with you."
Seraphimus glared into the shadows as she took her first step, pacing slowly away from the front entrance. On icy claws, the Commander strolled through the dormant pipework. Her charcoal eyes swept every space and niche inside the building.
"It is a pursuit that profits no one..."
"...and all that we manage to accomplish is chaos and property damage. This doesn't do you any more good than it does Rohbredden..."
Rainbow's marefriends bit their lips, staring at their anchor.
Rainbow inhaled and exhaled with very shallow breaths. She didn't dare make a sound. On cat-like hooves, she slinked backwards and away from the griffon's reverberating voice.
"Except for one thing..."
Seraphimus took a deep breath. She paused in her steps, staring limply into the shadows.
"What you do... and the actions you commit..." She fought the urge to snarl, then eventually exhaled, "...they produce tremorous effects all across this countryside." Seraphimus slowly shook her head. "And I am none too proud of the ugliness that I see between the fissures. Already, I have a real mess here in Steamfall to attend to... a corruption that infests Ivory Prefecture and possibly even deeper." She craned her naked head around. "I've no clue why the Consortium wants you so terribly. But trust me, I will find out."
"But I simply cannot pursue this corruption and chase you at the same time. And yet, to ignore both problems, I would be abandoning my loyalties to Verlaxion and the Tribes that she unified so many years ago..."
Rainbow Dash found herself backing up into a wall. The mare gnashed her teeth—at least until she spotted a lavender hoof waving in her peripheral vision. She glanced over, blinking.
Twilight gestured at Rainbow Dash, then emphatically pointed at the nearest steam tank. Rainbow followed Twilight's hooves to a series of valves and a steam gauge.
Rainbow blinked, then glanced at Twilight.
Twilight and Pinkie Pie exchanged looks, then nodded back at Rainbow.
"I would like to believe that you are a civilized pony, Rogue."
Holding her breath, Rainbow Dash rushed over to the steam tank and gripped a valve in her fetlocks. Slowly—with careful precision—she rotated the large metal wheel. A dull hissing sound echoed from within the pipes—too quiet for Seraphimus to hear at a distance.
Rainbow Dash didn't stop there. She scurried up to every over valve in front of her, rotating them quietly while her ghostly companions watched.
"My biggest mistake was assuming you were nothing more than a cretin of beastly nature."
"But my Lieutenant... Lieutenant Keris..." Seraphimus weathered a melancholic breath. "He gave me a very thorough... very honest testimony of what transpired at Red Barge. If I had only taken his words more seriously... if I had respected his account of you as a flesh-and-blood creature beneath the shadow of your crimes, then perhaps I would have approached you like this earlier... and we both could have avoided many... many unnecessary moments of pure calamity."
With a steelly gaze, Seraphimus lifted her beak. She growled into the shadows and pipeworks.
"Wherever you come from, surely it is a place full of respectful pegasi..."
"...and surely you must have a deep-seeded respect for what is lawful... for what is harmonic."
Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth. She sweated as she twisted one valve after another. Her eyes darted over, watching as the dial in each gauge rotated until it registered in the red. The hissing in the interconnecting pipes intensified, and the air surrounding the tanks raised in temperature dramatically.
"I doubt that you wish to see this great kingdom collapse into ungodly corruption any more than I do. And I know that you are not completely bereft of compassion."
"You saved the ponies in Braum. Several ponies testify of this, as does my Lieutenant," Seraphimus said. Her eyes swept left and right across the catwalks above. There was a slight hint of warmth in her feathers as she spoke: "Keris also speaks of the heroics that you nobly performed in Red Barge. At first, I refused to believe that a pony capable of so many atrocities in the Quade could somehow be the sole reason for a completely different community's salvation."
Seraphimus took a deep breath.
"But nothing is ever going to change if all I do is approach this situation with a stubborn, spiteful heart. It takes courage and tenacity to lead the Talon, and it takes even greater fortitude to protect this great nation."
She came to a shuffling stop, exhaling.
"And thus," Seraphimus muttered into the shadows. "I concede that there is some good in you, Rogue. At least... enough that is worthy of honor. You have... no idea how difficult it is for me to say that... to choose to set aside my anger and resentment over the actions that you have committed in maligning Verlaxion and the Goddess' divine will."
She closed her eyes. Swallowing a lump down her feathered throat, the guardian eventually said:
"And now... I propose that you attempt something very courageous and difficult yourself." Her eyes reopened—charcoal slits adrift in darkness. "Turn yourself in, Rainbow Dash. Keris says that you are desperate to make your way east. Well then..." A deep breath. Then deeper. "Let us make that happen for you."
"...!" Rainbow Dash froze, clinging to a valve. Her muzzle hung open. She looked over her shoulder.
Her four friends stared back, wide-eyed.
"If you give yourself up to the Talon, willingly and peacefully, I shall do my best to escort you east, through the heart of Rohbredden and beyond... to the midnight waters, if need be..."
Rainbow bit hard on her bottom lip. Fighting heavy trembles, she glanced between the walls and the hissing pipes.
Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy exchanged worried, uncertain expressions.
"You are obviously on a trek of great importance. And as it currently stands—with such turbulence and opposition—it is benefitting nopony. So why must we continue to let such strife reign? What purpose does the hunt serve? For you, for the Talon, or for Rohbredden?"
"Lieutenant!" Starstorm flew over, followed shortly by Sarda and Raptr. "You signaled for us?"
"That I did, Sergeant," Keris said, applying more bandages to the injured stallions. "We have quite the development here—"
"Kayman!" Sarda shouted. Breathless, he fell on his knees and grasped the pony's shoulders. "Speak to me! How badly did she hurt you?!"
Kayman winced. "It... it was..." A gulp. "...v-very painful." He shuddered. "Boss, I... I-I'm sorry." His eyes clenched shut. "I... I told her. I t-told here where to find the Rogue—"
"None of that matters, you lucky bastard." Sarda managed a crooked smile. "You're alive. That's all I care about." He looked over at Keris. "How are the others?"
"Weak, but stable," Keris said. "Alas, I'm not the expert." He looked up. "Starstorm?"
"My pleasure, Lieutenant." Starstorm knelt down and began examining the villagers' wounds. "Just relax. We're going to get you back to health."
"Where..." Raptr blinked, looking left and right as his helmet rattled. "Where's the Commander?"
Keris took a deep breath. With a single claw, he gestured behind him.
Raptr's beak hung open as he flashed a look at the structure. "She's in there?!"
"Yes." Keris nodded. "And according to these gentlecolts, so is Rainbow."
Startstorm looked up, eyes blinking wide. "She's in there with the Rogue?!"
Sarda and Kayman gaped at the sealed metal doors. "Just what in the Hell is your boss planning?"
"To be perfectly honest..." Keris gulped. "...I'm not entirely sure."
"Dashie, don't even pretend to listen to that metal goose!" Pinkie Pie hissed.
"It's a trick, darling!" Rarity remarked, nevertheless trembling. "It h-has to be!"
"But... think about it," Fluttershy murmured, looking over Rainbow's shoulders. "Think about what she's offering!"
"And just what does she have to gain from escorting Rainbow through Rohbredden?!" Rarity exclaimed. "There's no 'glory for Verlaxion' in it!"
"She obviously knows that this hunt is futile and pointless," Fluttershy murmured. She waved a hoof. "If Keris can change his opinion of Rainbow after dealing with the plain and simple facts, then surely his Commander can!"
"You sure of that?" Pinkie muttered. "She's the sliciest-and-diciest of the catbirds chasing Rainbow Dash!"
"Not to mention quite prone to anger," Rarity said. "Keris himself implied that."
"You're all forgetting one key thing," Twilight Sparkle said, attracting the attention of everypony. "This Commander is—above all things—loyal to Verlaxion and the Court named after her." Twilight gulped. "It's a dedication that transcends rationality... if not usurps it."
"So what are you saying, Twi?" Pinkie whimpered.
"She might think she's cutting Rainbow a break," Twilight said firmly. Her brow furrowed. "But when push comes to shove, she'll just revert back to a silver-plated witch hunter."
"Then that settles it!" Rarity exclaimed. "We can't trust her!"
"I wouldn't," Twilight said.
"But she's offering us a free an unobstructed trip through Rohbredden!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "That's precisely what Rainbow needs now!"
"Not everypony is as sincere and kind as you, Fluttershy," Twilight said.
"And what about when we get to Applejack?" Pinkie stammered. "Isn't she—like—stuck in Verlaxion's HQ?"
Rainbow Dash's ears drooped as she slumped against the wall. She clutched her skull, clenching her eyes tightly shut in deep thought.
At last, Seraphimus' voice rang through the building once more: "Did you hear me, Rainbow Rogue? Or are you busy contemplating what I've just offered you?"
Seraphimus looked left and right across the catwalks.
"I desire peace," she said. "Peace for Rohbredden. Peace for Verlaxion's foals." She shuddered slightly. "Peace for all families... and children under the Goddess' warmth."
Her grip of her helmet tightened.
Nevertheless, she relaxed her muscles in time to regather her words: "And this chase... this absurd game that we're playing across the continent is not wholesome. It is a catastrophic mess. And we have the power to stop it—you and I."
Seraphimus strolled forward, her claws scraping coldly against the hard floor.
"So, how about it?"
"Will you be a responsible mare and accept my offer? As I'm being a responsible guardin in giving it?"
Rainbow's ears twitched from the high-pitched whining of the pipes. The air around her grew hotter and hotter as the gauges of the steam tanks fogged over from the overloading pressure.
"I dunno about you girls," Pinkie murmured, her hair limp and shiny. "But I'm feeling party pooped." A gulp. "And I just dunno how much more of this Dashie can take!"
"But the Desperadoes have been so kind as to provide us a solution already!" Rarity whispered loudly. "If we just find a way out of here and rendezvous with this Remna mare—"
"But Wyvern Point takes us in the opposite direction of Applejack!" Fluttershy nervously squirmed. "If Seraphimus sticks to her word—"
"But she's already given her word to Verlaxion." Twilight gulped and looked straight at Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow... it... it..." She seethed, "All of this is up to you. You've dealt with this kind of craziness before. What do you think should be done?"
"... ... ..." Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. Her eyes opened up.
A scalding mist began venting from the seams in the red hot steam tanks.
Rainbow Dash slowly stood up. With the mares watching, she lifted her head up to the ceiling and spoke out loud, "We can agree on one thing, lady!"
"...!" Seraphimus slid to a stop. She craned her feathery head to the side.
"We both have immense respect for Keris."
Seraphimus gulped. "The Lieutenant and I go far back. We've struggled through many trials together." She tilted her head towards the reverberating sound of Rainbow's voice. "His calmness and patience in the face of adversity has always been a major inspiration to me."
"Huh. Would you imagine that?"
Rainbow paced slowly towards the center of the building.
"If you respect the Lieutenant so much, then you must respect his decisions."
"Indeed."
Rainbow waited until the Commander's voice was echoing back, and she spoke so that her voice rang along with it. "Then it must mean something that he let me go..."
Seraphimus blinked curiously into the shadows.
"I... I'm afraid I don't read you."
"He let me go, Commander. Back in Red Barge—he could totally have bagged me."
"Absolutely not." Seraphimus frowned. "He was gravely injured and—"
"He had Elsaack and the entire friggin' crew of White Barge at his back. Sure, I could have given one heck of a fight, but I doubt I'd be here today if your beloved Lieutenant followed through with the same stupid orders that the Council gave you."
The guardian raised an eyecrest. "What are you trying to say?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Rainbow Dash spoke as she threaded her way through the pipes. One by one, the metal tubes glowed hot red behind her. The air on her end of the building grew thick with fog. "I left Red Barge without any fight. I entered Osmanthus uncontested. In Seed Prefecture, I made some travelling buddies, and we giggled and trotted our way happily through the agricultural heart of your great nation."
She lurched to a stop along with her marefriends.
"Don't you see, Commander? There was no fuss... no fight... no craziness or pain or struggle..."
Seraphimus glared into the darkness.
"... until you decided to intercept me. So who's the one causing calamity here, huh?"
The Commander grumbled in a dull tone: "You've committed terrible crimes and it's my duty to—"
"Yeah yeah. You know what? I've heard it all before."
Seraphimus breathed heavily, looking left and right in a desperate search for the source of that raspy voice.
"I've seen more sights and I've spanned more countries than you can even begin to imagine. And someway, somehow, there's always some self-righteous goon who forcibly trips me along the path, insisting that might-makes-right and that their cause is pure without even bothering to question it. And you know what happens? Every time and without fail? Those same melon fudges who refuse to think about what they're fighting for end up being totally burned by their own fruitless passions. You seem like a pretty respectful griffon, Commander. I would really... really hate to see you crash and burn like so many others who've butted heads with me before just because they could. I mean—if you're the kind of friend to Keris that you say you are—then there's too much good in you to go to waste."
"And what of you, Rogue?" Seraphimus spoke calmly. "How do you know that you're trotting the righteous path?"
"Most of the time, I'm not. But at least I have the courage to admit it."
Seraphimus blinked.
"What happened in the Quade was a mistake. At the time, I felt like I didn't have any other option than to tear down the Reed. I was wrong. I was wrong, and I've since suffered a whole heck of a lot for it. But that still doesn't change the fact that my journey is super friggin' important and I can't risk giving it up—not for you and not for me."
"Then take a leap of faith," Seraphimus said. "Accept my offer."
"I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because I hear in you the same fool that I was a month ago... the soul who refused to think that there was more than one option... the pathetic idiot who thought that everything could be fixed in nothing but a straight line. You wanna talk about leaps of faith, Commander? Let me go."
Seraphimus tightened her beak muscles.
"Let me go... let it all go. Your anger... your remorse... your insistence that catching me is somehow going to solve everyth—"
"You cannot begin to imagine what the stakes are," Seraphimus growled. "How much I owe Verlaxion. How much..." She gulped hard. "...how much she possesses."
"Well, that's the cost of faith, lady."
"...?!" Seraphimus spun around.
Across a narrow space between tanks, the pony and griffon faced each other, naked eyes gleaming.
"It's not all about risking things for your Goddess." Rainbow's ruby gaze glinted. "But risking it all for yourself."
"Then let us take that risk together," Seraphimus said, turning to face her. The sharp silver plates shifted on her taut muscles. "Let us take you to the Court of Verlaxion. Let us take you to the shadow of the Goddess' throne." Her charcoal eyes narrowed. "Let me fight for your freedom. I and only I can get you to where you wish to go at this point."
"Really?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "And what if I refuse to acknowledge the 'glory' of your Goddess?" She clenched her jaw. "What if what my journey... what if everything I've learned and accomplished only serves to prove that she's not what she says that she is? Would you and the Council still be so merciful then?"
Dead silence.
Seraphimus stared at Rainbow.
Rainbow looked straight back, unmoving.
"I refuse..." Seraphimus growled. "I categorically refuse to allow any creature—born this side of the Blight or beyond—to undermine the sanctity of our beloved Goddess in such an abominable fashion."
Rainbow took a deep breath. "Figured as much..." She slowly shook her head. "And that's why I can't afford to let you take me anywhere."
Four ghostly mares blinked at Rainbow Dash. Nervously, they turned to look at Seraphimus.
The griffon sighed. "Alas..." She dropped her helmet. "...you need not worry about affording anything." FWOOOOOOOOSH! She crossed the distanced between them in a silver streak.
"...!" Rainbow scarcely had the time to blink. CLANGGG! She found herself shoved against a concrete beam with Seraphimus' gauntlet around her neck. "Aaaauckkkt!" The mare winced from the pressure to her left side.
"Do not struggle," Seraphimus snarled. "And I promise you no pain." She raised the other claw towards Rainbow's face. "It will be the last thing I can provide in your favor. The rest will be up to the Council."
"Snkkkt..." Rainbow's eyes teared as she dangled in the Commander's strong grip. "Mrmmfffgkkkt... y-you hear thatttt...?"
"Hmmm?" Seraphimus blinked. Suddenly, her feathers fluttered from a hot gust of air. She looked at the tanks beside them, only to discover that they were burning a hot red and rattling. "What...?"
Rainbow managed a crooked grin. "Shoulda let me go, ya turkey." Whump! Her lower hooves slammed into Seraphimus' breastplate. Cl-Clank!
"Augh!" Seraphimus dropped the pegasus. Within milliseconds, she was lunging for the pegasus again.
And that's precisely when the overloaded tanks ruptured.
POWWWWWWWW!!!
Rainbow Dash was already diving.
Seraphimus—
"Rrghkkkt!" She shielded herself with her wingblades as a misty mess of shrapnel and pipes cascaded violently across the building's interior, blanketing both of them in industrial chaos. CRASSSH!
Whoa, talk about a cliffhanger!
No other exit was available, so she made one. Unfortunately this is going to kill any good will that she might have had with Seraphimus, and Seraphimus is likely going to loose a lot of trust in Keris. Hope everything works out in the end.
Well, that was a rather nice conversation, though it could have ended loads better. At least they got some solid points of view/perspectives laid out on the table. Also, Keris is going to have some questions to answer after this.
Anyhoo, RUNNING TIME. (nicely planned with the steam tanks)
"guardian"
At least Seraphimus is better than Shell. So far.
Who needs diplomacy when you have awesomeness!
Figured it would end with explosions. Here's hoping that the damage stays contained.
Now all Dash has to do is not get scalded or killed by angry cat birds, somehow steal a train with the Talon right on her ass, and get out of Steam fall without destroying the entire place in the process...
...You got this, Dash.
Hmm, thinking on Dash's speech is there really anyone else who has pursued her like Seraphimus has besides Shell? Sure she's run into plenty of antagonists but I'm not sure how many of them have really been the dogged pursuit types other than Shell and Seraphimus. I guess Skagra had her captive for a bit, but that doesn't count. I think you need to chase Dash over at least half a continent to qualify for the Austraeoh Pursuer Club.
It was everything I hoped it would be... with explosions for good measure. Though I kinda wish she hadn't sorta thrown Keris under the bus in the process.
Rainbow made the right choice, Seraphimus was not going to help her at all. The thing is though, I, in a way still understand where Seraphimus is coming from; Rainbow really does need to turn herself in, she did willfully commit a crime even if she had good intentions. The thing is though both Rainbow and Seraphimus know that she will never get a fair trial with the court and I do think that Seraphimus is foolish to ignore what is a far more pressing matter for someone she knows is clearly no longer a threat.
It's kind of like going after a pickpocket when you know there is a murder out there, because really the only actual crime they could get her on that is not trumped up is destruction of a holy site, and maybe some kind of endangerment of lives or something to that effect.
Also by making Seraphimus distrust Keris this is going to make them far less effective and most likely will result in the break up of the Talon.
Rainbow Dash has chosen her faction it seems, she's realigned herself with the Desperadoes.
Rainbow "Dramatic" Dash.
6902849
See.. I think that she would have kept her word and vouched for the good deeds she did to try and get her a lesser sentence, and with Keris.. two of the Talon voicing the good she's done, while not making up for the bad, should at least earn her some reprieve.
But like you said, it would hardly be a fair trial, if it even got that far. Verlax would have found some way to mess things up while they were travelling to Frostknife.
-Companions have returned, inner darkness spurned. Utaan.
And now everypony is going to jump to concussions.
6902857
That's a hell of a way to spell conclusions.
6902864 I think I hit my head while typing it.
You know, I've been comparing these latest chapters to the final moves in a game of chess. I see my error now.
Dashie and Seraphimus are both queens.
Nice chapter
I have to be honest, this is the most the series has gripped me in a long, long time. Simply phenomenal tension you have built these last few chapters.
OOOOOOOOH! OHHHHHHHHHHHH!
WHERE YOU AT! WHERE YOU AT!
WOMBO COMBO!
I'm sorry, but seeing Dash more or less completely own at verbal fencing made me so very, very happy. She's right, the chaos only really began when the pursuit of her by Seraphimus started.
And the bit at the end with the steam tanks? I don't think Dash has ever been as completely in control of a situation as she was in this chapter.
6902810 The potential distrust in Kerris might be the next bit of desperation to push Seraphimus (on a 0 to 1 scale in comparison to Shell) past the halfway point.
Seems Rainbow's had a lot of time to think, to predict the events to a T.
This was super tense, but it worked more perfect than i ever expected.
I still hold out hope that RD and Keris will be able to exchange notes on the Consortium.
I've been anticipating this chapter all day.
Huh, too true. What Rule is this again, the 2nd one? The greatest harm can come from the best of intentions. Yes something like that.
6902790
Well, Sera kinda showed that she doesn't really have any ideals of her own. Rainbow knew that Seraph couldn't actually compromise, and Seraph outed herself.
After a steam explosion, I hope Sera's goose isn't cooked.
Hm, guess I was wrong on this one.
I hope Keris doesn't get too much flak for this, I'm rather fond of him.
It still bugs the hell out of me about hearing all this "I was wrong at the quade" talk...she wasn't, in any way shape or form and it couldn't of happened any other way. Even if Dash somehow miracuasly convinced the luminards to let her in it still would if dissolved the reed and destroyed their homes and temples that were built around the tower. It was literally designed to be that way by veralax herself! The whole continent is! Its not like she could of just walked up like "yo, your life is a lie" and they'd all pack up and leave. wonder what's going to happen to the talon and the rest of the continent what's it's exposed that veralaxion is a sham? And how is she gonna get out of this one? And when is her wing FINALLY going to heal?!?! I feel like IM the one whose grounded from flight here!! Lol
She is NOT gonna be happy when she gets outta there.
6903030 Maybe if she'd convinced them to let her in they could have come up with a way to get through the reed without hurting it. Then, the thingie inside the tower wouldn't have been pissed and it would have done something positive in addition to destroying the reed and with them not pissed off she could have gotten them to accept the new state instead of them all going bonkers(er).
I'm really impressed with Sera so far. She's done a lot of growing up in the last several dozen chapters, and I'm scared that whatever Rainbow's doing now will obliterate any good will that Sera's built up for her.
Honestly... this chapter? I kinda wish she got caught.
[Muffled Yaerfaerda yehawing in the distance]
Oh, Sera. Do try to act with a little more prudence before testing Rainbow's success rate. Even with her well being in mind, being too forceful about it rarely proves as fruitful as you'd expect.
This chapter disappointed me.
With that much pressure, how could Seraphimus not hear either of those sounds until the last minute? I've worked in the oil fields and you cannot dismiss them unless your ears are busted. You can go on about focusing her attention on the sound of the Rainbow Rouge's voice, but then she would have been alerted to the sound in the first place unless she was lost in her own voice. This chapter just really rubs me the wrong way.
Still, she's definitely made an enemy of Seraphimus no matter what Keris says about her.
Still waiting for Verlax to make a big appearance to more than just Dash...
6903030
Look, yes it's true the Reed and Quade was always going to get destroyed there was very likely no way around that really. The reason she was wrong at the Quade was because she went about it poorly and didn't think things though. Remember Rainbow herself said that she didn't think it was going to destroy the place. That just shows how irrational she was being at the time, I said it then and I will say it again there is no way she couldn't have known it was going to kill the Reed and destroy the Quade; she just didn't think about it and at that point didn't care what would happen.
She could have, and should have followed Bards advice and gone to the Court to at least plead her case to them, even if it didn't work it would have made her look better to the citizens of Rohbredden, the Talon and some of the Higher ups on the Court. She wouldn't have a whole Country after her, her wing would still work and had a smoother journey to Verlax, Applejack and the end of the world at this point.
6902834
Chrysalis followed her around through Ebon from all the way back when they first met; does that count? And we can't forget about Axan, although I guess her stalking is a bit different than pursuing.
6903030
Rainbow's wing was pierced by a crossbow bolt and then she had to push the bolt through. That's a lot of damage to heal, without magical aid (like it was in Searo). After all it has been only slightly longer than 1 month.
On luminards, i guess the harmonic way was to unravel their religion patiently, i.e. something totally anti-RD. The challange was really set as a contest of beliefs - luminardism vs equestrian life philosophy.
All in all that was a pretty awesome rebuttal from Dash although she's probably opened up a whole world of trouble for Keris. With Rainbow being named a terrorist by the government and Keris being military, letting her go could pretty easily be seen as treason.
6903215
Hmm, maybe? I'd say to earn a spot in the Austraeoh Pursuer Club you got to physically and personally be part of the chase, like Shell and Seraphimus have. Chrysalis just had minions hound Dash on and off throughout the journey while she watched from afar. And yeah, I'd say Axan doesn't really count because she isn't pursuing Dash so much as she's just following Dash around.
It was a great attempt from both sides at least
So you're telling me my joking prediction from last chapter is what actually happened?
Should've known to expect the stupid.
It's always those chasing the rainbow...
Well I hope Seraphimus doesn't end up burned by her own fruitless passions and exploding steam tanks now.
A tempting offer but...
Oh look, Twilight's right, Seraphimus would be betrayed you.
I will say, I am very surprised that Seraphimus took this approach with Rainbow. I know that Keris has been trying to vouch for her, but I didn't think that would have really changed Seraphimus' mind on how dangerous Rainbow is. Everything about her screams 'she's cornered, lets storm the building' yet she took the path of peace. Perhaps there's hope for her.
6902790
It will be interesting to see if the explosion actually creates another exit for Rainbow to escape through. Though, even if she does, there's the rest of the Talon and the Consortium troops to escape from. I also doubt the original plan of 'borrow the train' will go over nearly as well this time, as it would just set her up for the Talon again.
As everyone has speculated, Keris will have a lot to answer for when Seraphimus gets to him. It's also kinda mean of Rainbow to basically toss him under the bus like that, but I suppose she had a point to prove. However, perhaps this is a good thing. Seraphimus is already showing doubts about Rainbow and maybe knowing the level of conviction Keris had to let her go (and the answers he will give) may help to further sway her.
Long slow steady build up of tension followed by rapid release of exiting action?
Better by far than short exiting action, followed by unlimited long time of being dead.
I really hope they make it out in someway. With that pressure it should be far safer for the whole area that that door doesnt open, or it would act just like the blast deflector trench on a rocket test stand or launch pad. Given that hot air, steam rises, air is a pretty good thermal insulator, and that shock waves reflect off solid surfaces meaning the floor should have a lower pressure than the roof, then the greatest danger should be the vilently expanding body shredding shrapnel and floor and door piercing support beams and catwalks etc.
Might not have fire, but depending on whats decided, next chapter should make Michael Bay so proud.
Worth the wait.
6903030
Yeah, tell me about it. But it's also pretty easy to see how Rainbow'd be content to beat herself up about it being mean. It can be necessary and mean. And while it's pretty unfair for Rainbow to take total blame for what happened, it's alright for her to be upset about it. To think that there might have been a kinder way.
There's quite a few little details I take issue with in terms of the ethical conclusion to that arc. But overall, I'm pretty happy. It was about Rainbow not losing her ability to slow down, and take the time to find the kind way out in the face of her journey. Verlax had been setting her up for what happened at least as far back as Shoggoth, and almost certainly further, so what she did isn't really surprising in the face of the Luminard stonewall.
It's an old theme, but I suppose I should go with my namesake: Journey before destination, Radiant.
Well, at least they're both being honest.
If it were regular-sized cat-magpie, then yes, let's report to it
Well Dashie may well have burned that bridge to the ground...
Uh oh, Seraphimus will probably be pissed at Keris now.
Dash slowly tears her apart on the inside, Keris is/was probably the person she trusted most and now she realizes that he disobeyed her orders, this could cause a rift between them and therefore make her loose a voice of reason.
She also already suspects that one other friend of her changed sides in favor for Dash.
We will see what happens at Frostknife what happens when dash comes in contact with her Family will activating the beacon break the cryo spell that is preserving them ? Will dash be able to heal them or not ?
Then let her learn that verlax has been communicating with Dash directly, that her own goddess 'abandoned' her in favor for Dash.
The key will probably be if dash can save her family or not, this will probably decide who will face her wrath, Verlax or Dash, will she become a sympathetic anti hero or a sympathetic villain ?
Dash just owned Seraphimus. Not just with her responses to Sera's words but also in her getaway plan. I am thoroughly impressed.
Always mind your surroundings, Seraphimus. Otherwise you'll be caught off guard when things get steamy.
Sera used Diplomacy... It wasn't very effective.
Now have some delicious steam-fried chicken.