"Hidey-ho, neighbor!" Pinkie Pie grinned, eyes bright and blue amidst the gray malaise of the Dihmer city. "My name's Rainbow Dash! Have you ever heard of the Church of Austraeoh of Latter-Day Heraldites?"
"Knock it off, Pinkie Pie," Applejack muttered.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?" Pinkie shrugged. "Forgive me for wanting to liven up this party-poop'd place!"
"That's Rainbow's job. Not ours."
"Hrmmmfff..." Pinkie folded her forelimbs, pouting. "One of these days, I'd love to hop into Dashie's body and do the talking for her! After all, she deserves a break!"
"Yeah..." Fluttershy muttered aside. "But with that delivery, you'd accidentally start Whinny War Three."
"Hahahahaha..." Rarity laughed daintily. "'Whinny War Three'..."
"Wait..." Fluttershy blinked. "That was funny?"
"Why, of course it was, dear! Then again... a choking kitten would be positively hilarious in a place such as this."
"Oh no—!"
"Shhhhhhhh!" Twilight Sparkle frowned at the rest of them. "For Celestia's sake, girls!" She sighed and glanced at their anchor. "Go ahead, Rainbow."
"Sometimes, I swear..." Rainbow muttered to herself as she crossed the street and approached the mare with scarred fetlocks. "...I don't need mysterious drums to give me a migraine."
"Awwwwwwwww..." Pinkie waved a hoof. "...you love us."
"Ahem!" Rainbow approached the mare. She threw on a bright grin. "Hidey-ho, neighbor! My name's Rainbow Dash!" Her muzzle hung open as her body sagged in a silent moan.
"Heeheeheee!" Pinkie giggled proudly.
"Excuse me..." Rainbow gestured, her smile trailing on a fragile angle. "Let me start over—"
"It fails," the mare murmured hoarsely, older than most Dihmers Rainbow had spoken to. Her eyes were closed almost meditatively.
"Yes. I know." Rainbow stood up straight. "You... uh..." Her eyes fell to the mare's scarred legs. "...look like you've seen a lot of action. Perhaps you'd be so kind as to answer some questions for me."
"It fails."
"Hey." Rainbow frowned. "It opens its eyes."
Slowly, the eyelids of the mare peeled back. One eye was glazed white. The other's pupil was off-center.
Fluttershy and Rarity winced.
Rainbow spoke, undaunted. "I'm not like the other ponies that you've lived with your entire life. See?" She rubbed her pendant; the Element gave a warm ruby glow. "It glimmers. It is from Penumbra. Paradise. You know about Paradise, right? I mean... something about the Light Side must have been carved into your subconscious."
The mare looked at Rainbow, at her Element, then at the bustling streets beyond. "It is false."
"Sure. Whatever. But it is different." Rainbow's brow furrowed. "At least it can acknowledge that."
The mare breathed in and out. "It is different."
"Right! Now we're doing somewhere." Rainbow cleared her throat. "Perhaps you can tell me a thing or two about—"
"It strips."
Rarity did a double-take.
Twilight looked at Applejack.
"... ... ..." Rainbow blinked. "...come again?"
"It strips for that which provides," the mare calmly said. She pointed nebulously towards Omega, in the vague direction of the rising column of smoke. "It stabilizes that which collects."
"That... which collects?"
The mare nodded. "It waits."
"... ... ...it waits."
"It waits."
"Right." Rainbow nodded. She turned and called over her shoulder. "Ariel?! Let's go back and see what the Bloodwings are up to—"
Fwooosh! Twilight Sparkle flew into Rainbow's face. "Rainbow..."
"Ugh..." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Not now, egghead. No lectures—"
"It's always a good time for a lecture with you as our anchor!" Twilight frowned. "You need to try harder."
"I can't get anything out of these ponies!" Rainbow's voice cracked. "It's like drawing water from a stone!"
"Ooh!" Rarity chirped. "Smashing analogy, Rainbow!"
"Thanks, Rares."
Twilight scowled. "Rarity, don't encourage her."
"Awwwwwww..."
"Can we get back to the stripping?" Pinkie Pie yawned. "That was the only exciting bit since we got here."
"Hold up—hold up." Rainbow held her hooves up. "I've got this. AJ?"
"Buh?"
"Come over here. Be my wingmare."
"Buh..." Applejack floated over as Rainbow approached the mare yet again.
"Okay..." Rainbow's eyes narrowed. "...it waits."
The scarred Dihmer echoed. "It waits."
Rainbow glanced at Applejack.
"Uhhhh..." Applejack focused on the mare. She scratched her blonde scalp and said, "Reckon... she's referrin' to a place."
"A place?" Pinkie Pie squeaked.
Rainbow leaned in closer. "Where does it wait?"
The mare droned: "It waits beyond that which beats."
"And how does someon go beyond that which beats?"
"It crosses with what it collects."
"And how does one collect...?"
"It provides to that which strips."
"And where can I find that which strips?" Rainbow blinked. "...besides me of course."
The mare pointed towards the rising smoke. "It resides besides that which stabilizes. It listens for where it chimes."
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh..." Pinkie nodded. "...so it chimes where it strips for those who provide and stabilizes for those who collects to cross to where it waits..." Her left eye bugged, and then the other. "WHAT?!?"
"I... think she's tellin' us to go someplace over yonder and listen for chimes," Applejack said. "And... presumably... that's where we can go and figure out exactly why this town exists so close to the Ocean."
"Wow..." Fluttershy murmured. "Really? You gleaned all that?"
"Hey..." Rainbow smirked. "There's a reason why AJ was the last 'ghost-pal' to unlock from Verlax's chaotic cages. She's the best there is."
"Still, you could stand to repeat it, darling," Rarity said. "I think you even lost Twilight in that exchange."
"She did not!" Twilight protested. Then, her lavender cheeks reddened. "Okay... maybe a little..."
"Rainbow Dash...?" Flynn hobbled up to the scene. "I don't mean to be the pony who always goes 'what the hell,' but..." He frowned. "What the Hell?!"
"I think I've found a place of interest... to help us ascertain a different place of interest."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah." Rainbow pointed. "Let's head towards the source of that smoke... only slightly off to the right."
"What are we going to find there?" Ariel asked.
"I dunno yet," Rainbow said, stepping down the side-streets leading towards their fresh objective. "But start listening for chimes!"
Wildcard's headcrest drooped. He gestured: "Chimes?"
"That's right, bud."
"Ach..." Kepler fumbled to keep up with Ariel. He winced at the constant thumping noise permeating the atmosphere all around them. "Easierr said than done, I fearr."
"Don't worry, wyvern," Seraphimus spoke. "I'll keep my ears open for this group. I've trained myself to detect falling snow across a graveyard."
"Somehow... that does not alleviate my concerrns..."
"You comin', Rainbow?" Logan asked.
"In a moment, Big Show!" Rainbow curtsied at the mare. "Thanks a bunch, ma'am. You've been a real big help."
The mare's eyes closed as she exhaled: "It vanishes."
"... ... ...you better believe it, sister." And Rainbow galloped off to join the others.