//------------------------------// // Loose Ends // Story: The Chalice of Rhinyorgrun // by Coyotek4 //------------------------------//                 Daring Do’s first instinct, upon witnessing Rainbow Dash fly up from the hole in the floor in the Crystal Empire library, carrying Quibble Pants in the process, is the simple thought, Thank Celestia you’re both safe!  That instinct quickly gives way upon seeing the artifact cradled in Rainbow’s forehooves for the first time; her eyes widen as she gasps in excitement.                 “You’ve found it!  You’ve got the Chalice of Rhinyorgrun!  But … Rainbow Dash …”  As Daring eyes her companion and number one fan, she’s taken aback at the ever-changing shades of blue her body now cycles through.                 Rainbow initially gives a curious glance at Daring, before remembering how she currently appears.  “Oh … yeah, long story.  Hold on a sec.”  She touches down on a section of floor some distance away from the hole and releases her grip on the Chalice as Quibble releases his grip on her; Rainbow’s body fades back to its usual form while the Chalice continues to cycle through its vast array of tints and hues.  She then looks around the library for the first time, shocked to see the carnage that the energy beam had caused.  “Whoa … Princess Cadence isn’t gonna like this, and I don’t even wanna imagine Twilight’s reaction.”                 “All of that can be fixed,” Daring quickly reassures Rainbow.  “We got two others still unconscious near the information desk; the shock wave sent all of us careening into a wall, but I’m a little sturdier than the average pony.  They should be OK, given a bit more time to rest after that ordeal.  What about you two?”                 “Good enough,” Rainbow replies, “but Caballeron’s still down there, tied up in spider webs.”                 Daring gives a quizzical glance to Rainbow.  “OK, longer story,” the latter adds.  “Look we need to—”                 The sound of the opening of the library’s front doors causes the threesome to turn quickly towards the main entrance.  Before them stands the diminutive dragon that paid Daring a visit just days prior.  Her eyes focus in on the artifact she had tasked them to retrieve; they quickly dilate upon realization.                 “You’re … Dragonlord Ember!”  Rainbow, witnessing the ruler of the dragons up close for the first time, quickly bows in reverence.  Quibble quickly and clumsily follows suit, while Daring remains upright.                 “You got it!” Ember quietly exclaims, paying no mind to the comments or actions of the ponies as she quickly flies over to them.  “You found the Enchanted Chalice of Rhinyorgrun!  YOU FOUND THE CHALICE!!!”                 Ember scoops up the Chalice mid-flight.  Immediately, her scales glow as they mirror the color cycle pattern of the artifact, changing hues from red to green to black to gold and continuing.  She dances around the area in the air, exuberant that she is now in possession of the relic.                 “Uh … you’re welcome?”  Rainbow’s off-hoof comment catches Ember’s ears, as the latter descends back to the ground and addresses them.                 “Sorry … sorry everyone!  Didn’t mean to get sidetracked just now, but …”  Ember tightens her grip on the Chalice as she continues.  “I can’t believe it!  You actually got the Chalice of Rhinyorgrun!  I … I don’t know what you had to go through to get this …”  She then looks around the area.  “… but I can hazard a guess, if this is any indication.”                 “Dragonlord Ember,” Rainbow says, “your scales … they’re …”                 Ember looks down at her body.  “One of many surprises, I guess.  I just can’t thank you enough for what you did tonight.  I knew I chose the right ponies for this task.  You really have done this world a great service, and you have my sincerest thanks.  I’m sorry I cannot stay longer, but I must … I must go; there is much to be done now.”                 “ ‘Done’?”  Daring gives Ember a puzzled look.  “I thought you claimed the artifact to ensure that Garble and his followers didn’t get there first.”                 “Yes, and again, you’ve done a great job of that,” Ember states, “but I must make preparations for the storage of this relic.  It’s not like we can just display this in some museum; it’d be too risky to let this fall into the wrong claws again.  Anyway, it’s my concern now.  And thank you again!”                 Ember bows to the threesome, then turns and flies back out the main doors.  The threesome look at each other for several seconds, processing the sequence they just experienced.                 “So what now?” Rainbow finally asks.                 “Now,” Daring answers gently, “I think it’s time you two got some rest; you’ve certainly earned it.  There’s a redeye outbound train leaving before too long; you two go catch that.  I’ll tend to the incapacitated ponies here and inform Princess Cadence of all that’s happened in the morning.”                 “What about Caballeron?”                 “I’ll retrieve him, Dash.  Trust me.”                 “You should know, there are spiders down there,” Rainbow mentions.                 Daring gulps slightly, but remains resolute.  “After what you two went through, I think I can work on my … issues … with spiders.  I’ll be fine.”                 Rainbow thinks about continuing the argument, but fatigue gets the better of her as she lets out a yawn.  “If you insist.  Well, it’s been … something.  Look forward to your next book!”                 “I’m sure you are,” Daring replies with a grin.  “Safe travels, and thanks again.”  She turns and floats over the toppled bookshelves towards the back of the library, as Rainbow and Quibble walk towards the main entrance.  Exiting the library, Rainbow takes a few steps before looking up at the clear, starry night sky.                 “Never thought I’d be so glad just to breathe in outside air,” she confides to Quibble.  “Between those monotonous catacomb rooms and that marble chamber … it all just got to me by the end.”                 “Hey, you were great Rainbow Dash,” Quibble assures.  Rainbow shakes her head at the comment.                 “No, you were the real hero tonight, Quibble.  For somepony who’s not the ‘adventure’ type, you really shined.”                 “I just solved a bunch of puzzles,” he retorts.  “Not exactly ‘heroic’ actions, right?”                 Rainbow turns to Quibble in shock.  “Are you kidding?  I was going all to pieces back there, and you just kept a calm, steely resolve the whole time.  And in case you forgot, you’re the one who saved us from Caballeron.”                 “And you’re the one who rescued him!  The pony who could’ve had us killed!  That’s something ‘true’ heroes do.  And in case you forgot, you’re the one who found the entrance to the Spectrum Catacombs.”                 “Only because you solved that cryptic puzzle!”  Rainbow pauses, suddenly aware that she and Quibble are shouting at each other.  The two burst out laughing at the silliness of it all.                 “OK,” Rainbow finally says after regaining her senses.  “let’s just agree that, this one time, both of us were heroic.”                 “I won’t argue with you about that,” Quibble says with a smile.                 “That’s a first.”                 Quibble gives Rainbow a glare, as the latter chuckles.  “So,” he continues, “I take it you’re a fan of Metallicolt.”                 “Yeah, I had to give my ticket away to probably the last pony who should be attending a hard rock concert.  You ever listen to them?”                 “Meh.  They’re all right.”  Quibble’s aside reaction draws Rainbow’s ire.                 “ ‘Meh’?  Whaddaya mean ‘Meh’?  Metallicolt is pure hard rock awesome!”                 “Hey, hey, now, calm down Rainbow!  I’m not taking anything away from them … I’m just not really into them, that’s all.  There’s nothing wrong with that.”                 Rainbow sighs.  “Yeah, I guess you’re right.  To each his or her own, right?”                 “I’m pretty much OK with any musical artist,” Quibble starts, “… well, except for Nickelbit, of course.  You show interest in them, and we can’t be friends anymore.”                 “You know, I’ve heard some of their stuff … I don’t care for it myself, but it’s not that bad.”                 Rainbow’s comment fuels a rage in Quibble, who quickly pounces.  “Are you kidding?  THEY SUCK!  Heck, I can’t even say the band’s name without feeling dirty ...”                 Rainbow starts to open her mouth to counter, when a large shadow comes over the two of them.  She turns to the source and her pupils shrink, as Quibble glances at the stranger while continuing his rant.                 “… but hey, don’t just take my word for it, why don’t we ask this dragon—”  He catches himself and turns back … and upward, to the sight of a menacing-looking red dragon that simply observes the twosome.                 “Whoa … didn’t think namby-pamby ponies ever had stupid arguments.  I won’t lie; it does give me a little more respect for your kind.  But only a little.”                 Quibble remains frozen in silence, while Rainbow all-too-easily recognizes the brutish beast before her.  “GARBLE!  What are YOU doing here … as if I had to ask!”                 “Jeez, what’s gotten into … saaaaayyy …”  Garble’s mind flashes back to a painful incident.  “I remember you now!  You’re one of those ponies who stopped me and my bros from smashing those phoenix eggs!”                 Rainbow begins to sweat, knowing that she’s in no shape to get into any conflict with the dragon, least of all with Quibble nearby.  She braces herself for Garble’s follow-up action …                   … which is to grumble loudly, before getting down on one knee and addressing the pegasus:  “I realize that my actions were a poor reflection upon my dragon kind, and I ask for your forgiveness for my past transgressions.”                 The tension leaving her body like a deflated balloon, Rainbow looks at the on-bended-knee Garble with utter cluelessness.                 “Rainbow,” Quibble whispers, “you know this guy?”                 “I got a lot of long stories, OK?” she hastily replies before turning back to Garble.  “Uh … yeah … so, that’s … great to hear.  I, uh, guess I forgive you for … your, um, past?”                 Garble lets out a sigh of relief that catches Rainbow and Quibble like a strong gust of wind.  “Great!  Well I guess that wasn’t too painful.  Say, could you just pass my little speech along to the others so I don’t have to do that again?”                 “I don’t understand,” Rainbow honestly admits, “what do you mean you had to do that?”                 “Aah, Ember told me to say all that if and when I came across you ponies again.  What ya gonna do, right?”                 Quibble finds his voice and echoes Rainbow’s confusion.  “Waitaminute.  You’re this ‘Garble’ I heard about during the whole trip?”                 Garble turns to Quibble.  “You heard of me?  Weird … I didn’t know I was so known among the ponies.  That’s … really gonna hurt my cred, you know.”                 “Did you come here for the Chalice?”                 Garble gives Quibble a shrug.  “What’s a chalice?”                 “Don’t play dumb with us, Garble,” Rainbow flatly states.                 “Hey, I’m trying to figure you ponies out better.  I mean, why else would I be coming to a lousy pony library?”                 “To get the …” Rainbow pauses, her mind racing back to minutes prior.  “Wait; you said Ember told you to apologize to me?”                 “It’s a dragon thing,” Garble mutters.  “I wouldn’t expect you ponies to understand.”                 “But I …”  Rainbow pauses for another moment.  “… heard a rumor that you were plotting against Dragonlord Ember.”                 The mention of ‘plot’ angers the dragon, who leans into the pegasus.  “You’re lucky Ember told us to be more tolerant to your kind, or I’d fry you up like overdone barbecue!!!”  Regaining his composure, he turns towards the library’s entrance.  “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to—”                 As Garble reaches for the handle, the door suddenly bursts open as Daring rushes out of the building, knocking the dragon to the ground with a loud thud.  She spreads her wings as if to take off, but notices her companions still in the vicinity.  “Why are you still here?”                 “We got caught up in a conversation with an old acquaintance,” Rainbow answers as she points out the dragon Daring had just knocked to the ground.  “And from the sound of things, he’s not the one who recruited Caballeron.”                 “Old news, Rainbow; I know who recruited Caballeron!”                 Passing through the hole in the wall that led Rainbow and Quibble to the Spectrum Catacombs, Daring Do marvels at the stone spiral staircase and the torches along the wall as she flies downwards.  As she reaches the stone ground, she looks down the hallway towards the first room of the maze … and is surprised to see a creature crawling through the morass of megaweb in the hallway.  She pushes through some of the sinewy webbing herself, meeting the creature halfway; she is taken aback to see it is her old rival, Caballeron, half-wrapped in spiderwebs and appearing half-delusional.                 “Spi … ers.  So … cons … ick … ing,” he stutters, his mouth barely able to move.                 Biting down on the scruff of his mane, Daring drags Caballeron out of the hallway and into the staircase room.  She spits out remnants of web and shakes off further webbing from her head, then addresses the stymied Caballeron.  “More than you deserve from me after drugging me with one of your infernal darts, but … you’ll be OK, given enough rest.  Now I gotta check on the others upstairs.”                 She turns towards the staircase, when Caballeron cries out: “Ehhh … kliiye …”                 She turns back to her rival.  “What?”                 “Kliiye … wuh … ehhh … errr …”                 Her attention now fully on Caballeron, Daring coaxes him for more information.  “What are trying to say?  ‘Kly’?  What’s ‘Kly’?”                 “Kly … ennn …”                 “ ‘Kly-ennn … Client!  Who sent you here?  I need to know!”                 “Ehhh … errr …”                 “I don’t understand,” she says urgently.  “Look, the Chalice is already gone.  Whoever you’re working for, you’re too late; it’s safely in the claws of Dragonlord Ember.”                 “Ehhh … verrr …”  Caballeron raises his head and attempt to clarify his speech.  “Ehhhm … verrr … w-w-worrr … k-k-king … forrr … Ehhhm-verrr …”                 Blood drains from Daring’s face.  “No … you’re delusional, Caballeron … you couldn’t have been working for …”                 “Ehhhm-berrr!”  With one last breath, Caballeron rests his head back against the stone floor and passes out.                 “That just doesn’t make any sense,” Quibble declares.  “Why would Ember recruit both you and Caballeron to retrieve the same artifact.”                 “… urgency,” Daring says to herself, loud enough for the others to hear her.  “By having competition, she ensured that we would be as quick as possible in recovering the Chalice.  She wanted it immediately … and with nopony else knowing about it either.  That’s why she was so adamant about not telling Princess Cadence or anypony else.  Right now … we’re the only ones who know she has it.”                 “But to what end?” Rainbow asks.  “She’s the Dragonlord … and if Garble here is any indication, they already follow her every word.”                 “Hey,” the dragon suddenly replies brusquely, “just because I listen to know doesn’t mean I have to like what she has to say.  Believe me, this world would be a lot different if I were in charge!”                 Rainbow turns to Garble.  “You follow Ember, but you don’t really respect her, do you?”                 “Not really.  What’s it to you?”                 “And what about the Dragonlord before Ember?  Twilight told us he’s Ember’s father.  You respected him, right?  Torch, his name is?”                 Garble trembles slightly at hearing Torch’s name.  “Dude, how could you not respect a dragon who could crush you like a bug?”                 “And Twilight told me about ‘the Gauntlet’ … did that take place near the volcano near where you first met Spike?”                 Garble groans at the mention of the purple dragon who briefly wielded the Bloodstone Scepter.  “Lousy runt,” he mutters.  “Yeah, the trial took place at the Flamecano, not far from our hangout.”                 “Thanks, Garble.  You’ve been a big help tonight.”  Immediately after acknowledging the dragon’s assistance, Rainbow surges into the sky, leaving a rainbow-colored vapor trail in her wake.  Daring and Quibble peer out into the nighttime sky as Garble shrugs and finally enters the library.  Moments later, he steps back outside.                 “Whoooaa … dudes, if this is how you treat your libraries, then I have seriously misjudged the party potential of ponies!”