"You should have killed me when you had the opportunity," Seraphimus proceeded to growl.
Rainbow was still rubbing her muzzle. "Has anypony ever told you that you have the lame habit of repeating yourself?"
"I meant what I said," Seraphimus hissed. "I have nothing left. Not in this world or the one next."
"I know you think that now—"
"I know that!" Seraphimus snarled, making Wildcard stir cautiously above. "Why did you bring me to this place of desolation? So that I would somehow feel at home?"
"Did you listen to any of the crap I just said?" Rainbow frowned. "We lived on a curved plane, and this is the Dark Side—"
"Lies and Blight—"
"This is the Dark Side!" Rainbow Dash pointed straight up. "Have you not seen the friggin' horizon bending up into the stars?!"
"She can't at the moment, darling!" Rarity insisted. "We're at the bottom of a valley!"
"The... the crossing!" Rainbow Dash's voice cracked. "In the Alicorn's Gondola! What do you even think that lift was for? It brought us all the way over to—"
"She was unconscious for half of the ride," Twilight said, wincing. "Aaaaafter she spent all her waking moments inside the thing trying to kill us."
"D'uhm... uhmmm... Axan!" Rainbow Dash spread her blue wings wide. "Biggggggg frickin' dragon! Dropped her equine shell and grew all big and draconian and gave her life to bring us over to the—"
"We left Axan's corpse back miles ago, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said.
"Yeah!" Pinkie nodded. "And Psycho-Polly here just woke up—!"
"Rrrrgh!" Rainbow Dash growled aside. "For crying out loud, girls! Are you on my side or aren't you?"
"You're not exactly giving us much to work with," Rarity said. "Or Seraphimus for that matter."
"Wowsers..." Pinkie blinked into the twilight. "...come to think of it, it's a bit of a stretch for the griffin to swallow anything Dashie's got to explain!"
"Girls... come on," Rainbow Dash muttered in a hoarse voice. She frowned. "If she keeps her eyes and ears open long enough, she's got to eventually realize where we are and what this Dark Side is all about."
"If y'all dun end up stranglin' each other before ya get to Darkreach," Applejack said.
"AJ... come on..."
"Who... ... ...?"
The ghostly mares winced. Rainbow Dash turned around to find out why.
Seraphimus' anger was momentarily replaced with pure confusion. "...wh-who in Verlaxion's name are you talking to?"
Rainbow Dash raised her hoof... hesitated... the muttered out the side of her muzzle. "Yeah. No. I'm not touching that."
"Rainbow..." Twilight droned.
"Are you still so deluded by the Blight's touch...?" Seraphimus looked like she was going to vomit. She tilted her head up as far as her restraints could let her and gawked at Wildcard. "Jordan...? You've betrayed me only to put your faith and trust in a veritable mad-mare?"
Wildcard merely sighed.
"Look..." Rainbow Dash pivoted to face Seraphimus directly. "I could go off on all the nitty gritty details but you're not exactly in the position to believe any of it—"
"Oh, yes, creature..." Seraphimus spat. "By all means—do spare me!"
"All your life you've lived under a bubble of ignorance thanks to your Queen!" Rainbow snarled. "Believe it or not, the Sun does not revolve around Rohbredden!"
"Oh, but it revolves around your home country?"
Rainbow smiled with rosy cheeks. "Actually, it does!"
"Augh!" Applejack face-hoofed.
"Unnggh!" Twilight cringed.
"Seriously, darling—" Rarity started.
"I pity the ponies who live in your realm..." The feathers on the back of Seraphimus' neck rose on end. "...that they must make themselves complete by invading other lands and tainting them with their perverse ideologies!"
"Dude—the only 'perverse ideology' I brought to your frosted shores was how to kick butt and rock a killer rice hat!" Rainbow frowned. "Every time I ran into you or the rest of the Talon it was just me trying to get the frick away from you guys and go on with my journey—"
"E-except for when you launched the torpedo attack on her and the Frostknifers at the World's End!" Fluttershy nervously stammered.
Rainbow forced her eyes shut. "Okay." Her teeth clenched. "Everything except for after Frostknife... because that was a necessary show—"
"You ruined my entire nation," Seraphimus said in a firm, angry tone. "You tore the foundation of the Six Tribes down from underneath them and threatened thousands upon millions of innocent lives!" She howled, "And now you're trying to avoid the responsibilityfor your actions!"
"No! Seraphimus!" Rainbow winced as she stammered, "That's just the thing! I am totally taking responsibility for all of it! It's just that—"
"Then own the sins you have committed and put an end to my shameful existence!"
"I am not going to do that!" Rainbow Dash lunged forward until she was staring Seraphimus down in the beak. Wildcard moved to pull her away, but Rainbow was already barking: "Too much crud has fallen from the tree of lameness and I am not about to have your innocent death on my conscience too! You deserve a second chance at being awesome, Seraphimus! Yes! That's right! You deserve this!"
Seraphimus didn't bite Rainbow's jugular. Even within spitting distance, she didn't try to peck her eyes out. She simply glared at the pegasus with her cold charcoal eyes and calmly said: "You've taken everything from me. You've robbed me of my station, my dignity, my purpose, and my family. But nothing... nothing that you could ever possibly say or do would be more insulting..." Her eyes narrowed. "...than to insist that you cowardly spared my life for me."
Rainbow Dash stared at her. She breathed raggedly.
The ghostly mares glanced at one another anxiously.
Wildcard watched in silence.
Rainbow quietly stood up. She swiveled about—hooves scuffling—and silently walked away from the scene.
Before she left earshot, however, she paused. "If you feel insulted, Seraphimus. That's fine. Be insulted. It's okay if you hate me." She then looked over her shoulder. "But someone's done far more insulting and arrogant things to you in the past... and through lies and deceit she won your trust. It was Verlax's decision to set up her own death... to die and release the wendigoes... and her hold on your family." Rainbow's eyes narrowed. "She gave up on you long before you were even born, Seraphimus. But now that I have you in my 'Blighted clutches...?'" She shook her head. "I'm not giving up. Not now... not ever."
Seraphimus said nothing.
"Now eat your dang leaves." Rainbow marched off with a frown. "I guarantee they're tastier than anything else Rohbredden's been shuffling around all your life."