Th-Thump! Rainbow Dash's legs landed on a dark, dark cloudbed.
Ariel and over three dozen sarosians flinched, a few of them gasping at the Austraeoh's arrival. The huddled line faced her immediately.
"Rainbow Dash!" Ariel held a hoof over her fuzzy heart while her leathery companions steadied their rune cannons. "You're not dead!"
"I know..." Rainbow wheezed, damp from sweat and rainwater. "That would have been all kinds of suck, wouldn't it?"
"Save the jokes, Rainbow!" Applejack barked, pointing downward. "Here comes the cavalry!"
"The bad cavalry!" Pinkie chirped. "Minus a few goody-goody griffons..."
"Right! They're almost here!" Rainbow Dash hollered, shuffling about to form ranks with her allies. "How did Bard and company do with the drop?"
"Scratch off one sea ship full of angry Rohbreddenites!" Ariel exclaimed. "How about Keris?"
"The Talon's promised to do their best to rein in the troops," Rainbow said. "But we're still in for one heck of a scrap."
"A large amount of the enemy forces have broken off, Rainbow," Fluttershy firmly stated, despite her trembles. "I sense that they're flying down to rescue the survivors from the drop."
"Sounds like Keris' hoofwork," Rarity said. "Er... talonwork?"
Rainbow looked at Ariel. "According to Fluttershy, we're gonna be facing a smaller bunch of buttheads."
"Right." Ariel nodded. "Best that we take advantage of it—"
"Rainbow!" Twilight Sparkle exclaimed, eyes wide. "The Gondola!"
"...!" Rainbow twirled to face east. She squinted at a faint line of glowing gold energy before the deluge. "Is it here?!"
"I... I can actually sense it!" Twilight beamed. "Feel it! So much pure harmonic power! It must be arriving soon!"
"Rainbow...?" Ariel leaned in.
Smirking proudly, Rainbow let loose with a booming voice: "Alright, everypony! Listen up! The lift is almost here! But until Kepler and Flynn fire off the red flare, we still got some work to do!"
"Prepare the runes!" Ariel exclaimed, her eyes reflecting a wave of armored bodies rushing up from down below. "Concussive shots! Aim for the front line!"
"This is it!" Rainbow flapped her wings, hovering high along with her friends as the enemy wave approached. "Just hold a little bit longer! We're almost done here!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaand..." Ariel flung her hoof forward. "...fire!"
"H'rhnum!"
"M'wynhrm!"
"H'rhnum!"
The echoes of the runic explosives were dull thuds by the time they reached the sarosians carrying Remna and Logan back east towards the platforms. The trio grasping Logan sped ahead. Those carrying Remna—however—were lagging behind.
"Hmmmmf..." Remna's eyeslits narrowed at the Emeraldinian structures lingering far ahead. "We should be there by now. What is the matter—?" She felt a trickle of warm liquid staining her flesh beneath the grip of the sarosians. She looked up, and her ears twitched in alarm. "What in blazes...?"
"Scrkkk..." One of the sarosians carrying Remna hissed through her fangs. A crossbolt from one of the Frostknifers had been embedded in her flank, and she was bleeding profusely. "A... th-thousand pardons, defender of W'ynlppa yln H'luun... grnngh... we sh-shall get you there shortly..."
"Bite your tongue, mortal!" Remna grumbled. "You are clearly in no condition to perform this task!" She motioned with her violet head. "Disengage and retreat! Join the Exodus so you can mend—!"
"Impossible, dear friend," one of the other, healthier nightblooded warriors interjected. "You are as immense as you are courageous. I fear only two of us cannot carry you—"
"Then do not," Remna said. "Care for your ally. She need not die from such an insignificant wound."
"But... but we cannot simply drop you!" the third sarosian exclaimed. "We saw how helpless you were in open water—"
Remna gazed down at the platforms. "Our momentum is still swift. I suspect I can make it from here."
"But... the fall—"
"I will survive!" Remna growled. Just as she said this, the entire group dipped slightly—nearly losing grip of the violet mare prematurely. "It is of no use! Release me! Release me now—"
"We are s-sorry!" the injured sarosian whimpered. At last, she lost all strength. The other two twirled to support her.
In so doing...
Thwooooooooooosh!
...they dropped Remna like an anvil.
The mare's body angled forward. She furrowed her brow... concentrating... as if stretching invisible dragon wings.
Through no small miracle, she managed to land on the west edge of an Emeraldinian platform. THUDDDD! The sheer mass of her draconian body sent a shockwave rippling outward in every direction. A severe fracture ribboned through the structure, sending chips of granite flying into the thunderous air.
When the shockwave reached Logan, he was just settling down. The concussive blast knocked him to his flank and nearly threw his three sarosian companions into the drink. Even Flynn and Kepler stumbled where they were stationed.
Remna tumbled, rolled, and slid a few dozen more feet. Once her dazed figure came to a stop, she heard a salvo of angry words echoing from Logan's position.
"You stupid bag of dragon snot!" Logan spat. "Why don't you take the entire platform down while you're at it?! Buckin' ruin everything!"
"Big Show..." Flynn chided.
"No! Really! Who does she think she is?! We're out here risking our necks for the Austraeoh and—"
"I said knock it off, Big Show!"
"Make me—"
"Silence, brrotherrs!" Kepler suddenly hollered. "Both of you!" Then in a calmer voice, bordering on jubilant: "I do believe it is arrriving!"
Flynn gasped. He galloped to the very precipice of the world. "The Gondola?! Do you see it?"
"You tell me, frriend. I do sense something in the airr..."
Flynn focused with his mechanical eye. A few seconds later, the balding stallion grinned from ear to ear. "It's coming! Hahaha! Leaping leylines! It's almost here!"
"Hot dayum!" Logan sputtered. "Is it time for the signal yet?"
"Negatorry." Kepler shook his head. "Therre arre minutes yet until it fully arrrives! We cannot afforrd to rruin the timing of ourr flarres!"
"Sure thing!" Flynn spun about and gestured towards the three sarosians who had carried Logan over. "Shoo! Shoo! Back to Bleak's Plummet with you pixies! I promise—your warrior brothers and sisters will join you as soon as the sky flashes red!"
"Ourr moment of trriumph is at hand!" Kepler added.
"Yeah..." Logan huffed, pausing to examine the blade of his axe. "Assuming no more dragons slam into the ground."
Remna listened, but she wasn't looking at them. She spent all this time getting up... a process made even slower by an inexplicable stupor that had overcome the mare. Directly in front of her was the array of rusted stakes with empty dangling chalices. However, somewhere beyond the wind-blown chimes at the end of the world, there was a dull space in comprehension. Remna stared, and she saw starlight blotted out in an ink-black streak, constantly moving, swaying, dancing. The mist of the deluge toyed with the twilight, forming a faint—but very real—rainbow.
Her violet brow furrowed. Remna looked back at the other Heraldites as they ecstatically huddled before the golden steeples of alicorn metal. She then glanced west—at the distant flashes of runic explosions. Nebulaic colors. Red and green and blue.
Then—nostrils flaring—Remna trotted straight into the sea of chimes.
POW! P-POW!
KAPOW!
Runic blasts erupted in the air below Rainbow, Ariel, and their allies.
The sarosians continued their moonwhinny onslaught, giving the air at the end of the world its second layer of thunder.
The Central Guard—however—had since grown wise to the artillery barrages. Many of the troops shifted north and south, easily juking the blasts. Their charge had been slowed, but not blocked completely. They still rushed the sarosian line as one combined force.
And just like that, the explosive blasts stopped completely.
Pinkie Pie gasped. "Uh oh..." She looked at Rainbow Dash.
And Rainbow Dash looked at Ariel. "Lemme guess..." She exhaled. "That's the last of the runes."
Sarosians were already nodding. "I'm afraid so," Ariel added. "We're all out."
Rainbow clenched her teeth. "Guess we gotta do this the hard way."
"But Keris is among the charge!" Rarity exclaimed. "Surely that will help us!"
"We can't rely on him for everything," Rainbow said. Hovering higher, she pumped a hoof in the air. "Foals of Luna! This is it!"
"Oh no..." Fluttershy covered her eyes. "...not another melee!"
"It's okay, sugarcube." Applejack hugged her. "Twilight said we ain't got much longer." She looked over. "Right, Twilight?"
"Uhhhhhhhhh—"
"Let's make it awesome!" Rainbow's shouting voice shattered the moment, and it was soon shared by the shrieks of her loyal cohorts. "Chaaaarge!"
"Eee-eee-eee-eee!"
"Eee-eee-eee-eee!"
"Eee-eee-eee-eee!"
"Oh petticoats!" Rarity whimpered, clutching her ears as she and the rest of Rainbow's friends were dragged into the fray. "I really do wish they would be quieter about their bloodlusting violence!"
"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee—" Was all Pinkie managed, for soon Rainbow, Ariel, and the rest were colliding with the advancing forces from below.
"The Blighted explosives!" a crew pony on board the last remaining ship shouted, staring straight up through a spyglass. "They've stopped!"
"Defense Minister!" A griffon spun to face Chandler. "It's the Commander! He's engaged the Rainbow Rogue with his forces!"
Another griffon gestured at the wall of flame before the ship's bow. "And the Commander's other companies are rescuing our brothers and sisters beyond the shoals! In a matter of minutes, we should be able to regroup!"
All of these announcements fell on deaf ears. The greater majority of the ship's complement looked to see Brye Chandler huddled with his tight group of well-armored bodyguards.
"Defense Minister...?" A crew member trotted closer to the chariot. "What are your orders?"
At last, Chandler managed a throaty grunt. "Stay at your posts."
"Minister...?"
Chandler gestured at his bodyguards. Two pegasi hitched themselves to the vehicle's rigging while several griffons gripped the outer edges of the seat. "You heard me. Remain on board. Keep to this position."
"But Minister, the survivors—"
"I don't care about our sister ship!" Chandler spat, gesturing for his helmet. "They've made their failure complete!" He slapped the bulky article onto his skull and fastened it tight. "That enemy artillery vessel needs to be taken out. I'm heading out with what remains of our elite to do just that! Then—once I've stolen the midnighters' Blighted magic—I'll turn the Rogue's weapons on her and end this once and for all!"
"But... but what of the Commander's engagement—?"
"The Commander's made his motivations abundantly clear," Chandler grunted. "Our beloved Goddess entrusted this task to me. Now I see that I must face the adversary personally."
"Yes, sir. Of c-course, sir."
"If you see Seraphimus..." Chandler's frown briefly gave way to a grimacing expression. His tongue hung in the middle of his muzzle as he stared at the flames and shoals beyond.
"Minister...?"
Eventually, Chandler huffed. "Never mind." He slapped the edge of the chariot and barked at his bodyguards: "Take wing!"
The pegasi charged forward while the muscular griffons lifted and—WOOOOOSH!—the chariot ascended instantly. Bending north, the vehicle skirted the wall of flames and dipped low, threading through the rock formations and errant splashes of salt water.
"The explosions in the sky," Bard said, squinting upwards from where he gripped the Stardust's rudder wheel. "They've stopped."
"Our brothers and sisters must be out of runes!" one of his two companions exclaimed.
Bard leaned forward, staring at the lower deck. "Are we out of them fancy shmancy moon rocks?"
One nightblood warrior flung open the cabin door, revealing piles of silver runes still lying inside. "Not even remotely!"
"Good!" Bard gestured skyward. "Reckon we oughta make use of 'em! From the looks of it, Rainbow's buttin' heads with the enemy again! If we fill the lower air beneath them with flak, it just might give our partners the edge they need in kickin' flank!"
Right then, one of the warriors shouted. "Th'wylymnym!" He pointed a velvety hoof at the north horizon. "Syl'ynym hym symylym!"
"What?" Bard squinted in the direction he was pointing. "What's the reason for the spit static this time?"
The other sarosian bit his lip with fanged teeth. "Bard, we have a problem." He pointed. "Eleven o'clock! That's how you would say it, ywm?"
Bard's ears drooped. "I see it." He flinched. "Them."
"Hy'syllym thymym sylym!"
"It's a vessel of sorts..."
"No." Bard shook his head. "Not a ship. A chariot. A group of winged varmints are tryin' to take us out!"
"They're moving very swiftly!"
"Grnnngh..." Bard spun the rudder wheel, positioning the Stardust so its hull was aligned with more agreeable currents. "I can see that!"
"Minister!" One pegasus drawing the chariot turned his head to stare back at the vehicle's seat. "I think they see us!"
"Not surprising." Chandler gripped his helmet and struggled to look dignified. It only half-worked. "Whatever you do, keep low—!"
"They might fire upon us with their Blighted magic!" one griffon bodyguard in formation hissed.
"You think I don't know that?!" Chandler frowned. "That's why we're sticking so close to sea level!" He gestured. "Maintain momentum! Circle them! Let them waste their ammo!"
"Yes, sir!" one pegasus shouted, flapping his wings hard along with his partner.
"Keep the pressure on them and circle closer..." Chandler reached deep into the chariot, fumbling. "When the moment comes... at our first opportunity..." He finally produced a crossbow, cocking it with armored fetlocks. "...we strike. Is that understood?"
"Sir, yes, sir!"
"Yes, Defense Minister—"
A flash of runic light emanated from the Stardust.
"Incoming!" one of the pegasi shouted.
"Maintain—" Chandler winced as a thunderous blast erupted directly behind him, nearly knocking the chariot and its entourage off-balance. "—position!" He gnashed his teeth, aiming down the sight of his crossbow—only to discover that the target was too far away. He cursed under his breath... even as more runic blasts erupted all around them. "We're on the edge of the world, you Blighted filth." His eyes stared emerald daggers beneath his helmet. "There's nowhere left to run..."
"M'wynhrm!!!" one warrior on board the Stardust shouted.
POWWW! His shell exploded between them and the chariot, warding the winged group off one blast at a time.
"I hesitate to say that it's working, Bard," the other sarosian said, loading a fresh new cannon. "They have not broken formation."
"But have they gotten any closer?" the Desperado exclaimed.
"Well, no—"
"Then it's darn-well workin'!" Bard frowned, spinning the rudder-wheel once more. He eventually forced the Stardust into a clockwise drift, cruising opposite of the invasive chariot. "The longer they stay away from us, the longer we can give Rainbow Dash the support she needs!"
"But they're keeping very close to sea level!" one of the sarosians exclaimed. "At any moment, they could lift up and descend on us—"
"So keep firin' at 'em so that they dun get any bright ideas!" Bard spat as thunder rolled overhead. "I know they figure they're harder to hit where they are, but they dun stuck themselves in a rut!" He waved a hoof westward at the midair battle. "Now it dun take two of ya to keep 'em occupied! One of y'all fire at the chariot and the other give Rainbow cover!"
"How long should we do this—?"
"For as long as it friggin' takes!" Bard hollered, fighting resistance against the rudder. "All that matters is buyin' Rainbow time!" He squinted skyward once again. "We must buy Rainbow more time!
Following Bard's orders, the other sarosian primed a bleakweed cannon, aimed up high, and fired it.
P-POW!
Keris and Windburst winced as the blast erupted below them. They steadied themselves in time to face a wave of shrieking sarosians.
"Incoming—!" Keris hollered as Windburst charged ahead of them.
"Yaaaaugh!" Windburst punched one sarosian and headbutted another. After the adrenalized rush, he shuddered in mid-air, gripping his wounds.
Two other sarosians rammed into him from the side.
Windburst flew back—and Keris ascended in his place. Hovering, the Commander of the Talon expertly blocked several whalebone bludgeon strikes and kicked the offending group back. Within seconds, the rest of the Frostknife line caught up and forced the sarosians higher, engaging in spark-flying melee combat.
"I'm... guh... not fighting at my best," Windburst wheezed.
Keris reached out to steady him while eyeing the frantic battle above. "Neither are they," he said.
Another runic blast erupted beneath them, and then Windburst said, "You think they're following Rainbow's advice?"
"That, or battle fatigue is finally consuming us all."
Windburst shuddered. "How long do you think we can keep this up, Commander?" He gulped. "Before it becomes an absolute bloodbath?"
"I have faith we can manage, Sergeant," Keris said, preparing himself for a flanking squadron of sarosians. "Even still..." His headcrest drooped just seconds before engaging in combat once again. "...this is not the battle that concerns me."
Enix lived—for what it was worth.
Bloodied, bruised, and bloodied some more... the mare clung to a piece of metal floating aloft in the tempestuous sea. The remains of the first ship's wreckage marinated around her, and the sounds of battle echoed in the east.
Not that she could hear much of it. Her good ear was cocked towards the sky, and her bad ear—a tattered, crimson thing—struggled to stay above the water line. Every now and then the salty-brine would invade her wound, and the nightblooded warrior hissed in pain.
Her grimace turned into a momentary grin. Something peaceful... contemplative.
Her breaths lessened... lessened. Then—with a penultimate sigh—she blacked out altogether... and sank deep into the ocean.
One second.
Two.
Sploosh!
A sharp talon stabbed into the water. Gripping tight, it raised Enix back above the surface.
Enix awoke with a gasp. Her slitted eyes widened, blinking at the figure holding her.
"... ... ..." Starstorm stared her down. Her feathered brow furrowed inquisitively.
Enix's one good ear twitched. After the brief moment of awkwardness had passed, the nightblooded warrior summoned a growl from deep within her midnight lungs. Her fetlock's muscles tightened and her fangs showed in the stormlight—
"A friend?" Starstorm asked. "Of Rainbow Dash?"
Enix froze, locked in Starstorm's grip.
Calmly, Starstorm leaned in until her break was grazing Enix's neck. "I would regret the murder of one of her allies on my conscience."
Enix simply gaped at her.
Starstorm exhaled firmly. "Bleak's Plummet. Can you still reach it by air?" She squinted. "If you fly now?"
At last, Enix gulped. "I... I-I believe so," she managed.
"Then you had better get flying." Starstorm released her grip of the sarosian. "If all goes well, your brothers and sisters will be joining you shortly."
Enix jerked in place... but found the strength to hover. She gawked at Starstorm... then at the rookie coming into view behind her. With bristled mane hairs, the warrior said, "I do not flee from a battle."
"You have an Exodus to Equestria to join, yes?" Starstorm glared. "If you are truly a friend of Rainbow Dash, then I'd say your warrior days are over."
Enix gazed at her. She shuddered slightly. Then, with a flash of fangs—"Ee-ee!"—she turned tail and soared west in a pale blur.
Starstorm hovered in place over the wreckage, watching her depart towards a glowing blue spot along the sea. Raptr flew in close, clearing his throat.
"That, uhhhhh..." He fiddled with his claws. "That wasn't Seraphimus."
Starstorm sighed heavily. "Was it obviousness that got you enlisted with the Talon?"
"I'm just saying. If we spend the entire time picking up stragglers—"
"She was here, though," Starstorm said, spinning about. "Above here."
"You mean...?"
"That midnighter had survived a battle with her." Starstorm scanned the local waters. "Barely, even."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I've been around the former Commander longer than you, rookie," Starstorm explained. She looked straight up. "I've seen the scars of her wrath on many a body. Those were Seraphimus' claw marks for certain."
Raptr shrugged. "Well, she's not here now. And somehow I don't think some random sarosian would have been enough enough to beat her." He blinked. "So... where did she go and what got in the way?"
"... ... ..." Starstorm was staring upwards and towards the east.
"...?" Raptr turned around, following her line of sight. Soon both Talon members were staring at a tall dark anvil cloud—broiling with silver lightning from within.
Starstorm murmured: "Where else would a soul as angry as Seraphimus be in a time like this?"
Raptr winced. "Ahhhhh jeez..."