“Frantic wings, frozen in forward flight. When harmony and chaos are in flux, they keep her in sane company.”
Across the platform from the golem, Bard was already grimacing. “Buck me on a Sunday...” He gulped hard. “Is this the kind of hogwash ya had to deal with while I was a popsicle?”
“Shhhhh!” Rainbow waved a hoof at him. Exhaling vapors, she looked at the glowing automaton. “Let's hear it repeat the puzzle...”
Sure enough, the suit of armor did just that. “Frantic wings, frozen in forward flight.” It paced in a half-circle, its glowing eyes once again leering at the pegasus. “When harmony and chaos are in flux, they keep her in sane company.”
“You... you have any idea what this nonsense is about, Rainbow?” Bard wheezed.
Rainbow muttered, “From the last answer I gave, yeah, I'm totally supposed to.” She gulped. “I think.”
He nodded limply. “Reckon... they almost sound like music lyrics.” He reached a shivering hoof back to his case. “Want me to get out the guitar—?”
“No! Just lemme think!” Rainbow sat in place, clutching her head. “'Frantic wings... frozen in forward flight...'” Her teeth gnashed together as her forehead tensed. “'Frantic'... I know I've heard that one before!”
“Time is of the essence,” rang the armor.
“Just hold yer snowballs, ya rust bucket!” Bard spat. Nervously, he then turned towards Rainbow. “Got anythang in that fuzzy noggin' of yers?”
“'Frantic wings'... 'wings'...” Rainbow whispered her thoughts aloud, fidgeting in place. “My flight's been pretty frantic. And I've got harmony and chaos duking it out inside me at all times. And... and if it wasn't for my pendant...” Her eyes widened, and she grasped the necklace dangling beneath her chin. “My pendant!” Her eyes darted left and right. “Twilight... Rarity... my friends... dead but not dead... frozen in time while I fly forward...” She chewed on the edge of her lips, quivered, then looked up, blurting: “Is it the Elements of Harmony?”
“Incorrect.”
“Rrrrgh!” Rainbow slapped both front hooves on the ground. “Idiot! Stop rushing yourself!”
“You have two more chances,” the golem said, pacing.
Bard blinked. “Two more chances? Two more chances until what?”
“I dunno,” Rainbow muttered. “Until it slits Wildcard's throat or something.”
“WHAT?!”
“Shhh! Just calm down, cowcolt!” Rainbow hissed behind her shoulder. “I've got this!”
“Oh, you'd better, missy!” Bard snarled, standing up with sudden strength and scraping his hooves against the platform. “Or I'll have got yer mother-huffin' ovaries in a pickle jar—!”
“No interference,” the automaton said, its glowing eyes narrowing menacingly on the stallion.
“And he won't!” Rainbow blocked its gaze, standing before Bard. “He won't!” She gulped, then murmured over her shoulder, “Just sit this one out and lemme think, dude.”
“Then go ahead and think, Rainbow,” Bard grumbled, angry eyes plastered to the construct. “Think like y'all've never done before.”
“Okay... okay...” Rainbow clenched her eyes shut. She took a long, deep, meditative breath, then eventually muttered: “The previous answer was 'Innavedr.' This thing keeps calling me 'the Austraeoh.' Then that means...” A pause. Rainbow's eyes fluttered open. “Wait?”
“Huh?” Bard shook, squirming anxiously. “Wait, what?”
Rainbow's brow furrowed. “...this isn't the first time somepony flippantly called me 'the Austraeoh.'” Her ruby eyes darted left and right. “'Frantic wings.' 'Keep her in sane company.' Company... company... companionship.” Her eyes widened. “Frantic companionship...”
Rainbow's mind shot back in time. She imagined wings aimed towards the eastern horizon like a flock of geese. The shapes simplified, turning into lines, then arrows. The mare pondered over the familiarity of such a symbol—until she realized she had seen it... multiple times... brandished on the forelimbs of those who pledged allegiance to the Herald. And then the mare remembered a little tattooed foal galloping around the innards of a flying mountain, in possession of the same hoofband.
“'Odrsjot,'” Rainbow firmly said. “The answer to your second riddle is 'Odrsjot.'”
“Huh?” Bard nearly vomited. “What in the high blazin' hell is an 'odor schult?'”
And yet, the golem said: “That is correct.” Its eyes flashed a brilliant blue.
FLASH! A few paces over, the chunk of ice encasing Wildcard melted entirely. As soon as the griffon was animated again, he didn't waste any time spinning around, flinging his nightsticks left and right in violent arcs, battling off a million phantom enemies.
“Whoah! Whoah there, Dubya-Cee!” Bard galloped over. He dodged the griffon's heavy swings, then held him in a vice-grip from behind, wrestling the enraged griffon to the floor. “Calm down! At ease, partner!”
Wildcard seethed and seethed, his goggles completely fogged over with condensation. He dropped his nightsticks with a clatter and gestured frantically, shivering the whole while.
“Shhh! Keep yer voice down! Ya ain't frozen dinner no more!” Bard looked over at the shuffling suit of armor. “I know it seems really crazy-like, but I think Rainbow's got this...”
Wildcard panted and panted, watching in mute confusion as the golem squared off against Rainbow Dash once again.
“The third riddle...” the construct began.
Rainbow leaned forward, eyebrow arched. “... ... ...yeah?”
Vapors wafted off the thing's icy muzzle as it spoke. “For it to bring tomorrow's hope, it must thrive on yesterday's life.”
Rainbow blinked. She gave one glance at the frozen pedestal and its pink flame. In an instant, she looked straight back at the suit of armor. “...'Yaerfaerda.'”
The golem slowly nodded. “Correct.”
Rainbow exhaled with a shudder.
“Rainbow...?”
“...!” The mare spun around.
Twilight Sparkle hovered in place, looking alone, bewildered. The unicorn spun about, its spectral eyes widening upon sight of her friend. “Rainbow Dash!”
“Twilight!”
Bard and Wildcard watched dumbly as Rainbow Dash galloped over to a seemingly empty space within the freezing chamber.
“Rainbow!” Twilight flew forward—only to phase through the pegasus. She winced with a smiling blush, then shuddered. “What... what even happened?”
“What do you remember?”
“We... we passed through the door, and—” Twilight's muzzle locked in place. “... ... ...it was like I was back in the empty space again. Surrounded by a great white nothing... like...” She shivered, sniffling slightly. “Like all that time since Ponyville...”
“Shhhh... it's gonna be okay...”
“I don't get it! Where's Rarity? Did we find Pinkie Pie?”
“No. Not yet.” Rainbow turned around, glaring at the statue. “I have to answer a few riddles first.”
“Riddles?!” Twilight's voice cracked as her muzzle twisted.
“I dun get it...” Bard stammered as Rainbow approached the center of the room to face the construct. “Yer answers are even messier nonsense than the thang's questions! What kind of a test is this?”
“It's not a test,” Rainbow said, bearing the tiniest hint of a smile. “It's a roll call.”
The fifth riddle is going to be absolutely ridiculous, calling it right now.
*raises hand*
heh, I actually guessed the answers before seeing them this time.
6383571 woah, Swan, when did you get hands?
*raises hoof*
Hahahahaha! Nostalgia trip for each one.
I like that Bard's comments are filling in for Roarke's talk of evisceration and such.
As soon as it said Frantic wings I knew the answer.
Odrsjot, my personal favorite rune, the design is nice and the meaning 'Frantic Companionship.' I like to think I came close to nailing that by accident with my Odrsjot poem.
Together and afraid,the hunters due be paid. Odrsjot.
Yaerfaerda was a gimme I think. It was too easy, nice way to mark the halfway point though.
so if Dash is right, and it's a roll call.. since she herself is Austraeoh, the last two answers have to be Eljunbyro and Urohringr.
I could be wrong about that, but I'm confident in my assumption.
*raises hoof*
-Memories given light, ease a lonely flight. Ynanhluutr.
Well, at least there is some sort of pattern.
Until there isn't.
The last question is going to be Ynanhluutr, and it will be the most difficult one because it isn't even named in-universe yet.
Innavedr didn't do much of anything either, so theres that. Unless its "What powered the Noble Jury" or something stupid.
Looks like I was right after all: the answers are the runes. Okay, so I was wrong about Yaerfaerda being one of the answers, but I was right about it being too easy. It's the only one so far she guessed correctly the first time.
Calling it now: When Rainbow Dash passes, the meaning of Ynanhluttr shall be revealed. This book is nearly over, and we still don't know what it is.
What if the final question is Ynanhluutr? Rainbow Dash doesn't know it yet!
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
Ok so I was right they are about the runes/symbols. The question now is why exactly is Veralax doing this? What is she trying to gain or teach Rainbow? Or is she just being an jerk to her?
6383610
6383678
I somehow doubt that. If Verlax has been monitoring Dash this whole time, then she'd know Dash doesn't know the name of Ynanhluutr. Verlax wouldn't give her a question she know's she can't answer.
As far as the meaning goes...I'm not sure, but didn't the Whitemane imposter voice thing say it's meaning at one point? Inner Purpose if I recall correctly.
Can Fact Checker verify this please?
6383711
I believe Pilate or someone translated it as "Inner Purpose" near the very beginning of this story. The only explanation of it (and utterance of "Ynanhluutr") so far happened in the chamber below Nealend, and that was spoken by a mysterious cosmic voice who is assumed to be pseudo-Whitemane.
6383710
If we can still ascribe benevolent intent, it might be a test to make sure (a) she's really the Austraeoh and not another (Jurists & Lunists! Damnatio memoriae means we should pretend not to know his/her name and other details, even if we still do!) who forced a way into the machine world and (b) seeing if she's prepared for the next stage of her journey.
That, or Theanim's really her and she's having a good laugh at Rainbow's expense.
Well, this is turning out pretty easy so far.
Though, like someone else said, I'm expecting the last one to be a doozy, especially since the only friend I can think of to be released by it is Pinkie Pie.
6383761 Ah. So she does know the name, and a vague hint as to the meaning.
Thank you.
6380320 I had to start from the beginning lol
*raises hoof*
The riddles seem to be fairly simple now that we get the hang of them. They all describe the symbol, not an event that happened. Question is if Ynanhluutr will be an answer and I don't think so, but I'm not Verlax or IC, so I can't know until next chapter. For the glory of Zadubadabu.
6383788 Welcome to the Lunar Ninth, you're in it for the long haul now.
three down two to go, it can't be that simple can it?
Nothing like putting lives on the line to make people take a test seriously. It's neat that the various lore elements Rainbow's discovered in her travels are coming back and showing up in the story again.
6383608
Exactly, now that Rainbow knows the pattern I'm sure the answers will change. Or the riddles will become more difficult to solve. I would be surprised if Rainbow gets every one of the answers right, someone won't make it here.
By not keeping your mouth shut, you just doomed Rarity, Austraeoh.
6383817
Not like she knows the meanings of ALL the symbols.
Great! if this is how it's gonna go for the next two questions, then Rainbow's got this pegged. Unless Verlax decides to troll by asking for a runic name that RD doesn't know yet. Unlikely, but possible.
Speaking of, has anyone managed to crack the meaning of Ynanhluutr yet?
Ahhhhhhh....I hate getting blind sided by double posts as much as I love them!
(If its roll call, last one will be Shell, as it turns out the ice golem is actually him [puts on tinfoil hat])
6384013
You sir, you are very wise indeed.
(Straps tinfoil hat on)
Something tells me the last riddle's gonna be about either the Ynanhluutr or another symbol we don't even know yet. And she's gonna screw it up.
I knew that there was something fishy about asking questions only Rainbow would know. If it's a roll call, I hope Rainbow has been paying attention. But I think this test is to prove Rainbow is the true Austraeoh to Verlax, but I can't be too sure.
*Flies in dizzy circles around my computer.* You can do it Dashie!
I'm present!
38.media.tumblr.com/f97235c75abac3ab9a8f466b0921da9a/tumblr_nq77muzgIx1rhpecjo1_540.gif
I am here, ready and willing to serve Harmony in any way that I can.
*walks in late and raises hand *
Tardy....
Robot roll call-
Cambot!
Gypsy!
Tom Servo!
Croooooooow!
I thought it was Austraeoh, but that was the too-obvious answer.
Well this got easier once we know the theme of the questions. Though I bet the last one is a title drop. Or hell, something new? Probably the next book name.
6387716 *joins in singing the MST3K theme*almost half a year later
6383571 Incorrect. The answer is not "Kera x Zaid"
Moving forward.
Well, that was the easy one. Foal yesterday.
Or seeing how well we remember titles.
Ooh, a recap test.
I bet the last one is going to be a massive head-cracker...