A cold silence hung over the plateau as the Dihmers and the Herald sat still atop their awkward perches. The native equines were quite at home with the blatant inaction, while those who had come there from the Light Side knew no end to tense quirming. All eyes remained glued to the craggy stone earth surrounding the assortment of boulders upon which they sat for safety.
Nopony spoke—at least not loudly. When communication was required, it was in hushed whispers—shared among only the closest of bodies among the rocks. The Omega and Alpha horizons remained empty, and the earth was hauntingly inert.
Rainbow's ghostly friends held the luxury of moving about and talking to one another—but even they maintained a solemn silence... for the most part. Rarity and Fluttershy ducked down, phasing through the earth in order to investigate the ground below. When they came back up, their grimacing expressions confirmed the worst:
The tatzlwyrm was lying in wait. It hadn't moved.
Sighing, Rainbow Dash looked over at the rest of the Herald.
Wildcard instantly read her expression. He nodded back.
Flynn rolled his good eye and slumped over. Ariel fiddled silently with her mane while Logan kept squinting at the Dihmers.
The Dihmers hadn't moved a single inch. They mimicked the stones they were sitting on, becoming one with the bleakness all around. The only thing that stood out was the pale sheen of their wrinkled, shaved skin.
Seraphimus clenched and unclenched her beak. She looked at Rainbow, at the Dihmers, then at Rainbow again. Her wings outstretched—
Wincing, Rainbow raised a hoof and shook her head.
But Seraphimus was already moving. When she glided, it was with icy grace and stone silence. She landed soundlessly on a rock beside Rainbow and Kepler. Once within whispering distance, the former Commander leaned in.
"I doubt this creature has much to feed on. It will not leave until it is either satiated or dead."
The rest of the Herald glanced over.
Rainbow was slowly nodding. "Well... we're not about to help it with either of those scenarios."
Seraphimus' eyes narrowed. "We could very easily draw it out. Now... if we could just come up with a way to mortally wound it when it reappears."
Rainbow shrugged. "Why can't we just wait the thing out?" She gestured at the Dihmers. "Seems like they've been doing this sort of schtick for years. Certainly we can do the same."
Seraphimus' charcoal eyes peered back. "Is it not evident that the midnighters noticed your presence?"
"Sarosians" Rainbow corrected.
Seraphimus ignored it. "They could be sending out search parties for all we know. Hunting parties." Her eyes darted towards the other set of rocks where the natives perched. "We already know that they'll spare the Dihmers... but can we expect to be so fortunate?"
Rainbow bit her lip. She looked aside.
Applejack and Twilight gazed back.
"She's got a point, sugarcube..."
Twilight sighed. "Ever since we arrived on the Dark Side, we've had the luxury of time on our hooves. But now that we've crossed paths with the Bloodwings..." She shook her head. "It wouldn't be very safe for us to just sit around in the open."
Rainbow looked at Fluttershy.
Fluttershy already had an answer prepared. "I don't sense any sarosians flying this way," she said. "The only moving life form I sense for miles is the tatzlwyrm... and it's still lying beneath us."
"Lurking like... like..." Rarity grimaced. "An outright lurker!" She shivered.
A soft breath billowed out of Rainbow's nostrils. She turned towards Kepler and waited for the wyvern to look back. "How long have we been here, Keps?" she whispered.
Kepler fiddled with his damaged glasses. "Well... taking into account that I am not currrently in possession of Chief Engineerr Rranorrt's time-keeping device, I've been having to rrely on age-old wyverrn tools of ingrrained guestimation—"
"Just give it to me shorthoof, dude."
"Ahem... I-I suspect that we've been sitting herre forr the betterr parrt of two hourrs," Kepler declared. "Perrhaps closerr to thrree."
Rainbow glanced at Seraphimus as she spoke. "Do you still have of your... uhhh... kablooie stuff?"
"Bombs, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight droned.
"Bombs. Y'know..." Rainbow gestured. "All those alchemic potions in your possession. The stuff we used on the bigger wyrm that we had to deal with."
"Yeah! We took care of that bully no problem!" Pinkie frowned. "Why are we getting schooled by this punk?"
Applejack grunted, "Because it's a tough punk."
"OoooOooOooo..." Pinkie's eyes narrowed. "They're learning"
In the meantime, Kepler was stroking his hairy chin. "A good porrtion of my equipment was destrroyed back when we nearrly encounterred the Bloodwings. The rrest—I've been carrrying on my backside. Alas..." He sighed. "I lost it back durring the panicked sprrint to arrrive herre."
Seraphimus was craning her neck. "Can you point out where exactly it was dropped, Wyvern?"
"Why?" Rainbow made at face at her. "You're not actually thinking of going back to grab it, are you?"
"It could be instrumental in defeating this creature."
"Yeah, and the moment your wings flap anywhere close to the solid earth, it'll leap out at you!"
"I am faster than you think, Rainbow," Seraphimus said.
Rainbow arched an eyebrow. "Then how come you could never catch me?"
"Rainbowwwww..." Applejack chided.
Seraphimus' beak clenched tightly... and then she said. "One of us has to be willing to take the risk to do what needs to be done."
"I would not advise it," Kepler said.
Seraphimus snorted. "Naturally you would take her side. I should have expected no less."
"What I mean is... half of Commanderr Gwen's ill-fated comrrades werre airrborrne at the moment of the wyrrm attack," Kepler explained. "The Emerraldians had constrructed a hot airr balloon to perrform surrveillance on the Alpha landscape borrderring Darrkrreach when the beast came upon them. It prropelled itself high enough into the airr to latch onto the basket and brring the entirre balloon down. Beforre the ponies could recoverr, the beast had reburrrowed. It devourred them frrom below... drragging them scrreaming into an earrly grrave."
"I am not a balloon," Seraphimus droned. "Point out the alchemic supplies to me. I will be swift."
"Not going to happen," Rainbow said, shaking her head.
Seraphimus scowled. "How many opportunities are you just going to waste—"
Rainbow scowled back. "When are you going to get it through your feathered skull that you mean as much to me as the rest of the Herald?!?"
Pebbles rattled.
A low rumble rolled through the ground.
"Darrrrrliiiiiiiiing—" Rarity squeaked, nervously clinging to Fluttershy as they both stared at the earth.
The Herald shifted uncomfortably.
The Dihmers sat in silence.
Then—just as it began—the thunder below ground stopped.
Rainbow and Seraphimus simultaneously exhaled in relief.
"Time, my frriends," Kepler whispered. "Let us simply give this situation morre time." His spectacles glistened in the twilight. "Once desperration has played its pallid hand, then let us worrry about taking wild rrisks."
Seraphimus huffed, folding her forelimbs. "Things were far simpler back in Rohbredden... back when I had control."
"Welcome to my life," Rainbow said, waving her off and settling on folded limbs. "You want my advice, Sera? Get some sleep."
"Ach..." Kepler nodded. "That could certainly benefit the whole of us."
"Good idea, Rainbow," Twilight commented.
"Alright." Rainbow nodded. She looked over towards the Herald. "Who's on guard duty first—?"
A metal talon shot up into the air.
Rainbow's eyes were already rolling. "Why do I even bother asking?" she smirked.