Hours later...
The Cylindrimanian sphere warbled along at a zig-zagging pace. It barely skirted past the stalagmites and loose boulders filling the valley floor as it made its way gradually up a slowly ascending grade. Up ahead, a craggy incline stretched towards visible starlight. A tall cleft of rock loomed to the left, and it was obvious that the ancient piece of machinery was headed towards it.
"Ha-hah!" Kepler smiled through his tusks as he glided through the air, perched on a rock, glided, and perched on another rock. "It is just as we prredicted! I have no doubt at this point that we shall be dirrected to a lofty brridge strructurre of some sorrt orr anotherr!"
"Yuh huh..." Flynn huffed and puffed as he and Wildcard dragged the larger sled behind them. To give Logan a bit of relief, they exchanged griffin guard-duty... but the stallion was starting to regret the generous action by the time they reached the first hint of an incline. "Any chance we c-could predict some crystal-blue springs or refreshing ice d-deposits along the way?"
"Do not sound so despondent, brrotherrs!" Kepler hopped and glided above them, following the sphere's leisurely path. "Therre shall be time forr rrest once we get to Darrkrreach! I am surre of it!"
"Mrmmmfff..." Flynn clenched his teeth as sweat ran down his bald crown. He used telekinesis to lighten the load behind him and Wildcard, but it barely worked in relieving them of the weight. "I wonder what are the odds that a guild of Emeraldinian physical therapists survived there over the past half-millennium..."
Wildcard—naturally—said nothing. Although he broke a sweat, his breaths were solid and his pace was constant as he pulled his half of the heavy weight.
Flynn glanced aside at the Desperado. "Does anything ever bother you, dude?"
Wildcard merely shrugged. He scraped the floor with his temporary metal cane of a prosthetic and tugged along.
Flynn sighed, his one eye narrowing at the shadowed ascent ahead. "And here I thought we had lost all the robot parts of you..."
There was the subtlest of muscle shifts to Wildcard's throat—something resembling a smile behind his streamlined beak. He nevertheless kept marching uphill.
Behind them, Logan pulled the smaller wagon with the greatest of ease. Although his limbs weren't bothered the slightest by the trot uphill, he wasn't smiling. The large stallion constantly threw a look over his shoulder, focusing on the prisoner being tugged behind him.
Seraphimus was constantly looking to their right—squinting at two feathered shadows gliding evenly with the Heraldic caravan. Her charcoal brown eyes settled coldly on a petite pegasus...
"Hey..." Logan gnashed his teeth. "Hey...!" He reared one leg and rattled the sled.
Seraphimus winced as the metal all around her jolted. Her eyes turned so she could glare at the pony pulling her.
"Eyes off. Ya hear me?" Logan frowned back at her. "You don't get to glare at her. Not after what she went through last night."
Seraphimus calmly exhaled. "After what happened last night..." Her eyes narrowed. "...I wonder why the lot of you aren't glaring at yourselves in disdain."
Logan merely clenched his jaw muscles.
Seraphimus hissed, "She's insane... both dangerous and demented. It will lead you and the rest of your companions to ruin." A cold breath. "That's a promise..."
"So long as I'm in charge of your ungrateful pussy-ass, you shut your rancid beak. Got it?"
"You know this," Seraphimus slurred. "You know that she will be the death of you. Why do you persist?"
"The only thing I know is that I'm gonna volunteer to feed you soon. And I promise that all you eat is gonna be a whole lot browner than bleakweed leaves."
Seraphimus merely snorted at that. Nevertheless, she was silent as Logan carried her the rest of the way up hill.
Off to the right, Rainbow Dash and Ariel flew parallel with the group, slowly ascending towards the top of a stone promontory.
"Once we get to the peak, I'll ask Flynn and Kepler to switch off the old metal ball thingy for a while," Ariel said. She smiled pleasantly. "Then you and the rest can chill while I go scouting ahead for the bridge."
Rainbow nodded. "Okay..."
"If I find it on my first flyby, I'll come back and let you guys know. If I don't, then I'll get Wildcard to help me. We'll be in Darkreach in no time. You don't have to worry about that."
Rainbow took a shuddering breath. She nodded again. "Okay... ... ..."
Ariel squinted sideways at her. She flapped her wings and flew backwards, facing Rainbow with concern. "Is... everything alright?"
Rainbow gulped. "Yeah..."
"Do... your friends sense the bridge ahead of us?" Ariel cocked her head to the side. "'Cuz that would be super cool... n-not that I want to put the pressure on you or anything... eheheh... I'm sure once we get to Darkreach we'll find our own way to get inside and—"
Rainbow flew to a stop, hovering in place.
Ariel levitated in front of her. "Rainbow...?" Her voice grew softer. "Rainbow, what's wrong?"
"I... uh..." Rainbow avoided her gaze, fidgeting with her fetlocks. "I really w-wish you didn't have to be juggling so much all because of me..."
"Hey..." Ariel smiled. "It's what the Herald's all about!"
"Even still, I'm usually... awesomer," Rainbow's voice cracked. "You shouldn't have to look after me so hard."
"Pffffft... please..." Ariel rolled her eyes. "...should I even try to list all the times you've saved the Herald's neck? My neck? Yowsers... if my mother knew how much of a damsel in distress I've turned out to be on occasion..."
"Ariel, you... you don't get it..." Rainbow shook her head and sighed. "I'm the Austraeoh. I should be tougher than this. I have been tougher than this. And last night..." She grimaced. At last, her sad eyes lifted to meet the other mare's. "... ... ...last night you didn't exactly see me at my coolest. And... and I'm sorry for that." She gulped. "I'm sorry if I totally ruined my 'courageousness' for you and Wildcard and the rest. I suspect I'm probably lame forever now..."
Ariel merely smiled. She drifted in and gave Rainbow a soft hug. "I'll never be sorry for having known you."
Rainbow bit her lip. A slight rosiness crossed her cheeks.
Ariel gave her a nuzzle. "Let us take care of the Austraeoh for a while." She leaned back with a smile. "You just focus on giving us a sign if that asshole Discord shows up again. Promise?"
Rainbow opened her muzzle. Her breath hung off a squeak however...
...for she saw a length of gray scales and goat fur reflecting off of Ariel's ocean blue eyes. In the distance, there was a cackling noise.
Rainbow shivered once... swallowed... and gave a nod. "Promise."
This makes me think of all the times in the past we have seen Dash kick ass and take names like a death machine. Ledomaritans, Xonans, pegasus zombies, Rohbreddites...she has gone up against so many opponents and beaten them, albeit with help on most occasions.
Also Raeriel seems to be steaming smoothly at flank speed!
They already know that she isn't made of stone, and that is why they follow her, for someone who was made of stone would toss them into the meat grinder in the name of accomplishing the mission in a heartbeat.
Ariel is relentless, but I'm okay with that. Consider me boarding the HMS... Dashriel? Rainriel? Arielbow? Something like that.
I do like how Seraphimus is going from 'Rainbow Dash is evil and blighted' to 'Rainbow Dash is insane', I feel it's a step away from hatred and a step toward pity.
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Dashiel.
images.gr-assets.com/books/1348124830l/16036432.jpg
Set sail on the Stone Ocean.
Huh.. Sera trying to sow dissent?
Do you think she'll ever stop to think why she lost control of the Talon, and Dash has such loyal friends?
-Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
Seraphimus is starting to sow doubt. The only problem is she's ignorant of the loyalty the Austraeoh has and gives.
The wisdom and experience Austraeoh imparts is beyond what Seraphimus can comprehend.
Meh, you just had a momentary freak out. Hasn't been the first time and won't be the last, because this whole Austraeoh thing doesn't mean your not made of flesh. That said, I got the feeling your journey pretty much is going to need you to learn to deal with Discord.
Not sure what's worse, the endless tirade, or these tired lines. Granted its nice you're communicating and responding, Seraphimus, but I've blown my patience for cliches, so don't you start swirling down that particular drain, please, yes, thank you?
I shall forever remain faithful to SS Rainboarke, and perhaps futily hold out hope that the ship will rise again.
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Rainbow really needs to learn to let other take care of her for a while. She seriously deserves it. I get why she doesn't want it, she's so used to saving the day and being the best it can be hard to let that go even only for a while.
Also, it looks like Discord is always around I guess? Unless Rainbow is just seeing things at the end there.
Dash has lost just as much as Seraphimus. Both must bear the company of those they perceive is the cause of their loss. Both drove themselves into a suicidal tailspin of destruction to cope. The difference between them is that Dash did something productive - and now has a chance of restoring what she lost.
Starting to wonder if Wildcard will ever speak.
Get your hooves off Rainbow, Ariel. That's Roarke's territory.
I wonder if a large part of Rainbow Dash's freak out can be attributed not just to Discord, but also to the fact that she had just recently lost both Bard and Axan. Not to mention the Bloodshed and battle at World's End. That compounded by perhaps days of no sleep and the chaotic energies of The Darkside, it's surprising really that her freak out wasn't bigger.
Hummm...inb4 when Sera finally gets free, she kidnaps Dash to try to help the poor, mad soul.
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I'm still holding out for RainBoarke 2.0
Attempting to break the Herald can have positive results in the end. Just asking why forces Seraphimus to think about the situation, because she clearly does not understand their reasons. It's better than the "I'll kill you all!" mode.
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Dashiel can happen without Rainboarke being overridden, you know. Like, I'd say Dash and Ariel could pretty comfortably just start dating each other here on the Dark Side. If they both safely make it back and reunite with the Jury (which I unfortunately have to admit is far less likely than I wish it was), then they can just figure out how to do polyamory together.
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Sounds like some kind of dog.
"You see here, this Dashiel is purebred,"
Lets hoping the bridges aint quantum secure, in only one can be used at a time, and unless you have a particular keyed item, hopefully that eye ball, its always the othe bridge.
If they wernt before, given discord, they got a good chance of being now.
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And Applejack.
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Polyapplery.
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I think it would be Polydashery in this case.
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She's been mentioned in passing to maybe Fluttershy I think.
I get the impression that Ariel is either going to be the first to die on the Dark Side or one of the only ones to not die on the Dark Side, making Dash gradually more dependent on her for emotional support until she finally stops hovering and lands on the HMRS Dashiel. Following that, Ariel will either immediately die or live on to make things awkward.
While things on the Dark Side have been far from exceptionally nasty so far, the Dark and Gore tags; the few little inferences we can take from the almighty Colon's rare moments of not-silence; and the giant neon signs the baddies have held up reading "we're serious wankers" all imply that Seraphimus' claims that they're all going to die is probably not far off.
Given that IC sleeps with SS&E and JE and that other one nobody acknowledges in a great harem of fuzzy sadness, I am very doubtful we will get anything nicer than a bittersweet ending for this series. In the rare circumstance that we somehow do, the depression quota is probably going to be taken out of the events before then. However pleasant it might be to idly imagine silly stuff like Rainbow awkwardly introducing Ariel to Roarke or something, I predict that at keast one of them is going to die a pointless and agonising death.
But yeah, Dashiel is pretty cute.
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Finally! Someone I can agree with on all points. I've been saying that Ariel is going to die a gruesome and or tragic death since the first time she was introduced to the story.
I've got a running bet going with myself about who's going to die first on the dark side. I don't think Ariel will, it would drain her death of too much meaning. And her death has to be meaningful for it to really hit home. The one I have my bets on is Flynn. It's between him and Big Show, and I just have a feeling it's going to be Flynn.
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If the ship does rise again, it will come roaring over the horizon on a pillar of fire and loose a thousand rockets on Rainbow's enemies.
Then Roarke will step out amid the carnage and explosions and say...
"We'll bang, okay?"
He seems content to bide his time for now. I say if he doesn't show up again before this is all over, it'll be too soon.
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I am commander hurricane, and this is my favorite ship on the machine planet thing we're floating on.
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Ariel has been raising death flags since she was first introduced, but I agree that she likely isn't going to be the first to die, given that Rainbow Dash is growing increasingly dependent on her. IC is probably going to let them get closer and closer until Rainbow either forcefully rejects her because she's not Roarke or Rainbow gives up to her relentless affections. Then she'll die an agonising and pointless death, which would devastate Rainbow a lot more and perhaps shackle her with crippling guilt as well.
Of course, it's completely possible that IC will totally subvert expectations and the horrors of the Dark Side will be cast aside in favour of extending lesbian horse shipping drama or something, but it has been hinted at that the future is going to be decidedly bleaker. I highly doubt that there'll be any happy ending for those two, the almighty Colon is far from merciful in that regard.
On the first to die subject, I think you're probably right with either Flynn or Big Show. They're both essential members of the team, and with their relationship, whichever one survives would create an adequate amount of moody broody drama. Wildcard's impenetrable armour has yet to crack, Kepler hasn't done anything interesting enough to die, and Seraphimus would be a cop out.
Somepony bap Discord with a rolled up newspaper.
And now it is time for the ODS Linear Path to show up and blow Discord away for at least the next five chapters.
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You would be incorrect.
2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3UYD8kXx4o/TvWZtNVfOkI/AAAAAAAAZIc/NuMS96-LejA/s1600/1.jpg
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8279429
Hind leg, foreleg. Problem solved. Both are slightly awkward to type and say, of course, but you grow accustomed to it.
Okay, so...
Why do I have the feeling Discord is going to turn out to be... less evil than previously believed?
Still a total jerk with an awful sense of humor, though.
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I mean, the guy IS called discord. I don't expect to understand his intentions any time soon, unless rainbow dash having him in her head grants her insight into his mind.
Alright, i wanna point out all the ships we have, tell me if i missed any
Rainbow x Golden petals
Rainbow x Applejack
Rainbow x Roarke
Rainbow x Ariel
Rainbow x Kitsune
And suprisingly, Rainbow x Remma (Rip)
8281547
There's a reason it's called the Prismatic Harem.
Also, nobody ever remembers Ember Speak.
Austraeoh - 1st read.
Started on 22/6/2017, finished Ofolrodi (until chapter 33) today, 7/7/2017.
Damn. Just. Damn.
It's been a long journey, and the journey ahead even longer.
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Welcome aboard, Noble Jurist, Lunar Ninther, etc.
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Well hey, a cryophoenix. There's a rare sight.
Welcome aboard the Noble Jury.
I'd normally give a spiel about where everything is, but... I'll send someone up to the deck to feed you a few times a day.
A 5'07" bird would fit belowdecks, but it would be very difficult to make use of our comforts with no arms.
8281903
Wait wait wait. You read all of Austraeoh in 15 days! Holy st!
So I've got to ask, which did you forgo. Sleeping, eating, or going to work?
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Wasn't she from Silvadel? Totally forgot about her
8281903
Welcome to the journey mon frere. enjoy your stay in the Dark side
Honestly, I don't get those "sowing dissent" vibes from Seraphimus. She's simply stating a perceived fact.
Spec-ops bird doesn't give a squawk.
8278662 As they say in the navy, you're only gay when you keep doing it on land.
8279640 To be fair though, no other Herald's death would hit me as hard as Kepler's. The old fellow is simply too lovable.
8280842 I think what you mean is: 1.bp.blogspot.com/-MYeZNT7vUGQ/UmIV-g96KvI/AAAAAAABkZc/RFkqAxb8EeY/s1600/tumblr_mutknmvB4j1qzkiifo1_1280.png
8281903
how.
That's, like, 250k words per day.
8281903
Welcome and enjoy your stay.
8281903
Welcome comrade! You've read a lot in a short time period!
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I mean, it's pretty easy to eat and read, especially if you drink a smoothie or something.
8281903
Started 6/18/17, Ended 7/10/17 (Chapter 37)