//------------------------------// // Right Talon of Rainbow // Story: Ofolrodi // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// “I believe you need to seriously re-think your entire strategy here with these midnighters,” Seraphimus declared, positioning herself besides the petite pegasus upon the roots of the Tree of Mothers. “Assuming you even have a 'strategy' at this point.” Rainbow Dash was squinting at her. “Just when did you wake up, anyhow?” “... … ...” Seraphimus stared blankly back at her. “You're assuming I ever went to sleep in the first place.” Rainbow grimaced. “For Celestia's sake, Sera. If I can't have my strongest allies rested and alert—” “You assume too much about my faculties,” the former Talon Commander droned. “Years spent as the defender of Frostknife—I developed a method for surviving on very little sleep.” Her beak clenched. “Out in the field, the Talon's quarry would escape our sharp notice otherwise.” “Fat load of stinkin' good that did you in the end, huh—?” “Can we stay on topic?!” The griffon frowned. “Do not persist in evading the issue. What you're doing here among the Bloodwings—in attempting to balance the favor of the former Equestrian familiars along with the passion of new sarosian warmongerers—is categorically wrong.” Rainbow Dash leaned a tired smirk against the crook of her fetlock. “Well...” She gazed lethargically at Seraphimus. “You've got the pulpit now, girl. By all means... do carry on.” Seraphimus stifled a fuming breath. She spoke calmly—if not coldly: “I know that you have been put in a particularly awkward position by Mistress Faatail and the Dream Council, but it's clear to me that they do not hold the same degree of power that they still insist that they do.” Rainbow gulped. She glanced down the roots, sighing. “As far as I'm concerned, they're still legitimate—” “As far as you're concerned, they're more agreeable,” Seraphimus emphasized. “But just because they may appear easier to approach does not mean that they hold all the winning cards. Surely you're more intelligent than this...” “I like to think I'm not dumb.” Rainbow shrugged. A coy smile drifted sleepily across her face. “I'm just... egghead-declined.” A beat. She glared into space beside her. “Awww hush. You're basically just an appendix with pretty eyelashes.” “Rainbow Dash.” Seraphimus' gaze could cut diamonds. “Look at me.” “... … ...” The prismatic pegasus slowly obliged. Seraphimus spoke solidly: “Why did you throw yourself out into the arena earlier like you did?” Her headcrest tightened. “Why did you interfere with the execution of that brave captain when it was more than abundantly clear that to do so would only incite chaos—and not harmony.” Rainbow sighed long and hard out the side of her muzzle. “... … … do I really gotta spell it out for you?” “Evidently you do.” Seraphimus frowned. “I joined you, Jordan, and the nymphomaniacal one on this mission because I—like you—needed to take a greater assessment of this worldly region's strongest threat. I did not sign up for this venture as a suicide pact.” “Well...” Rainbow Dash chuckled hoarsely. “That's one heck of a stone's throw from when you threw yourself at the gondola~” “Indeed it is.” Seraphimus was calm, despite the jab. “At this point, I assumed you would need no greater testament of my loyalty.” A breath. “Or my gratitude.” Rainbow bit her bottom lip. Her ears folded as she avoided the former Commander's gaze. Her fetlocks kneaded the wooden platform beneath them. “I.. I-I'm sorry, Seraphimus.” “It is forgiven,” Seraphimus declared. Standing up, she began pacing slowly around the pegasus. “And... seeing as you are more than capable of conviction, perhaps you can look even deeper into yourself and tell me—if not the stars—precisely what drove you to commit that stunt back in the coliseum.” Defeated, Rainbow took a long breath. Her eyes shut. “I just...” A wince. Her ears drooped even more. “...I-I just didn't want that pony to die...” “Yes? And?” Seraphimus' claws scuffled as she pivoted to face the mare below her. “What of my former allies? The pegasi and griffons at world's end? When we battled at Bleak's Plummet, you seemed more than willing to let dozens of them meat grisly fates.” “That... that was different—” “In just what way?” Seraphimus shrugged. “Were they not an impediment to your journey?” She shrugged again. “A journey... with a goal so noble and astronomically important in scope that their sacrifice would be more than necessitated?” She gestured. “And what of the untold number of souls who had to perish in your prior ventures? What were the names... Val Roa? Xona? That infernal Confederacy far to the west?” The griffon's charcoal brown eyes narrowed. “The first time I ever learned of your existence—Rainbow Dash—it coincided with the abhorrent tragedy at the Quade.” Rainbow's eyes closed tightly shut. “I am not...” Seraphimus paced closer. “...specifically employed in distilling the weight of the world's guilt into your beleaguered soul.” She slowly shook her head. “No—you suffer enough with that task alone. Which makes me wonder... precisely what buckled in the Hall of Honor. Surely, if you possess the ability to soar far beyond the extent of your own failures, you undoubtedly have the foresight to prevent future ones.” “I sat idly by while there was so much suffering put on display...” Rainbow's eyes reopened. “In front of us.” She glared up at Seraphimus, teeth showing. “On a friggin' stage.” “When has it ever not been a stage for you, Rainbow Dash?” Seraphimus stood above her, peering down with weighted intent. “When has this deplorable world not been some grotesque exercise in morality? Goading you at every angle with greater and greater displays of cruelty and sin?” “Look—I've already been through the friggin' wringer with having my morality 'tested' and crud.” Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. “Verlax made pretty darn sure that—” “Verlaxion was a fool,” Seraphimus said bluntly. Something crackled at the very back of the widow's avian throat, filled with bitterness where once there was nothing but sorrow. “While her toxic legacy is known only to a choice few, it is those same souls tasked with the burden of truth to deal with the scars that she has made—instead of making new ones.” She slowly shook her head. “No, Rainbow Dash. You and I haven't become strong because of what Verlax did to us. We're strong for what we do in spite of what that false goddess inflicted.” She gulped hard, then said: “You are still the pony who first set out from that harmonic land so... so very far away. And what you do here on the Dark Side—you do not owe Verlaxion and you do not owe Equestria and you do not owe me.” Her gaze chiseled itself to a fine-edged point. “You owe it to yourself.” Rainbow gazed silently up at her. “And if after all you've been through, your decision-making skill only ever falls upon impulse and bravado...” Seraphimus exhaled coldly, her headcrest drooping. “...then I am following the wrong pony.” Silence. At long last, Rainbow Dash formulated a response: “It's not enough to just restore this world... or even all of Urohringr, Sera.” She grunted slightly, shifting aching muscles until she sat up on her haunches. “...but I gotta restore the ponies of this world too. I mean—what's the friggin' point in saving the plane... but not the souls who live on it?” “You're assuming there's a modicum of livelihood to be savored among any of them.” Seraphimus waved at the tents, supply crates, and endless weapons of war below. “These cretins? All they ever do is die.” “No. You're wrong.” Rainbow waved at them all the same. “That's all they have left to believe in.” “And you're supposed to be their beacon of hope? Of harmony?” “Something like that, yeah...” Rainbow Dash nodded. “I'm not just blowing hot air when I tell these melon fudges that I'm the 'Avatar of Luna.' The Princess of the Night's blessing still brims within me—and within the pendant.” She gestured up at the lofty branches of the Tree above them. “Just as it still dwells within the magic that these ponies still adhere to.” “Do you even see where you're pointing at, Rainbow Dash?” Seraphimus waved dispassionately at the Tree's distant summit. “Those supposedly divine souls live in a fantasy—suspended well... well above the horrors of the reality that they—themselves—have so ambivalently engendered.” She paced towards the upwards slope of the root that their nearby habitat was carved in. In so doing, she gave the heights of the Tree a disgusted look. “It is—in many ways—not unlike the snow-tinged bastions of Frostknife. So... haughty and delusional...” She pivoted to face Rainbow again with a sober expression. “I was once no different than these matriarchs with whom you're so enamored with winning favor. For years I prostrated myself on the foot of the stairs to our goddess... only for her to never descend. Had it not been for you, I would still be imprisoned there... murdering souls in her name... … ...while apathetically denying others.” “You said it yourself, Sera,” Rainbow muttered. “Verlax was toxic and misleading.” “And you think the situation is any different with your precious Princess Luna?” To that, Rainbow's brow merely furrowed. Seraphimus went on: “Unlike Verlaxion—you have met her, Rainbow Dash. You know her. You've been blessed by her. And... more importantly...” She pointed at the mare. “You know that she's changed. You know that she's never... ever... going to hold court to those who once followed her poisoned and demented rhetoric of the past. Luna's burden is precisely the same as Verlax's. Because you know...” She pointed once more at the branches above, but without taking her icy gaze off Rainbow. “...those matriarchs wait for nothing.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Nightmare Moon is no more. Princess Luna has changed for the good—” “And you think that excuses anything?” “H-huh?” “She's an immortal,” Seraphimus hissed, her crest feathers rising. “Divine or not—in the grand scheme of things—she was nevertheless empowered by forces beyond comprehension and she wielded it to influence countless generations of mortals—mortals who still worship the memory of her to this very day. Now, I can't presume to understand the full legacy of this banal 'Nightmare Moon,' nor will it change anything if I do. What matters... is that she abandoned her children.” “She was possessed by... b-by a friggin' miasma!” Rainbow sputtered. “A-and the Elements of Harmony banished her to the moon for a thousa—” “She abandoned her children,” Seraphimus repeated. “It makes no difference why or how” She held both of her forelimbs aside. “We stand here in the shadow of her orphans' endless perdition. They suffer because of her... and with no chance of her returning, that damnation is resolute.” “I don't... believe that, Sera...” Rainbow did her best not to tremble. She ran a hoof across the lightning bolt of her pendant, summoning a meager... meager glow. “There's... there's hope for a spark—” “If this was a land where hope could yet be kindled, I would agree with you. But the tinder is simply far too minute to start a blaze.” Seraphimus sighed sadly, gazing down at the sprawling encampments. “The forests have all burned down. The scriptures are all drowned in dust. All that presently fuels your Night Princess' flock is misery... a pain that can only be subdued by violence, passion, and a wanton embrace of impermanence.” Her beak clenched as a touch of fury glinted in her eyes. “And the only thing that shines bright in this muddled world is the most exemplary fanatic of that permeating fatalism. And I very much doubt he holds court to your goddess—or anyone's.” Rainbow sighed, shaking her head. “I'm not out to convince Lexxic of anything.” “And that's where your biggest mistake continues to fester.” Seraphimus stepped closer to her. “Don't pretend to be so blind, Rainbow. The future here doesn't lie with the Dream Council! Or the High Polished! Or with any of the castes above the lowest seal of this damnable tree!” Her eyes narrowed as she hissed. “It's with him. He is the new legacy of the sarosian race. The insurmountable weight has already shifted. In fact... it's been pivoting long before you even arrived here. Lexxic sees it—and he's taken advantage of it. If you're smart... you would do the same~” Rainbow leaned away from the griffon with a narrowing expression. “I thought... you didn't like Lexxic...” Seraphimus huffed out through her beak's nostrils. “I don't.” She paced in angry circles, looking at nobody, especially not herself. “I detest the very notion of the stallion. He is a thug. A common vagabond. I have met, hunted, and sentenced countless equine souls such as he back in Rohbredden: bandit leaders, mobsters, drug pushers, and unapologetic rapists. He was born a heartless punk and—despite whatever anomalous gifts he may or may not employ—the simple fact of the matter is that he's a common criminal who has ascended to his position through charisma, charlatanism, and ever-alluring dagger of hatred. But...” She scuffled to a stop, fuming thoughtfully into the breadth of that enormous war machine beyond. “...in a sunless land populated by assassins and goons, even those meager qualities make him god-king.” “Which is why I shouldn't make friends with him.” “No, Rainbow Dash.” Seraphimus turned to glare at her. “It is precisely why you should.” Rainbow clenched her jaw shut. “You don't want to anymore than I do. That—if nothing else—is what you and I have in common. But the burden isn't on me.” She paced closer to the pegasus. “It's on you—as it always been. Since you spared my life at the World's End, you've spent countless hours reaching out to me... preaching to me... fighting for me. I do believe there is a noble source to all of your platitudes. But you cannot achieve victory on that nobility alone.” She slowly shook her head. “No—what this world needs is not the Rainbow Dash who saved me... but the Rainbow Dash who defeated me.” “I... doubt that I'm going to win over Lexxic's soul anytime soon,” Rainbow stammered. “There is nopony in this universe asking you too. Don't you understand?” Seraphimus squatted down until she was at level with the mare. “For all of our similarities—and I will be the first soul to humbly admit that Lexxic and I do carry similarities—there is one key difference. As I did my duty for Frostknife I believed in a false god—an other upon whom I heaped all of my morality and excuses. But Lexxic?” Seraphimus' beak clicked coldly. “He is his own god.” “... … …” “You cannot mislead him. You cannot re-align him. You could—perhaps—eliminate him. But the same cesspool that spawned him would simply erect another messiah in his place.” She stood up tall, breathing thoughtfully. “What you can do... is patronize him... … … at least long enough to get the job done in the Midnight Armory. The challenge—then—would be finding a way to separate the job you need to do from the job that he aims to do. But it would still be a challenge worth pursuing. But—patronizing the matriarchs?” She slowly shook her head. “That has no hope. Just as their future has no hope.” Rainbow cocked her head aside. “You really believe it's that far gone, huh?” Her ears flicked. “The Dream Council? The High Polished? The Book of Saros—the whole kitten kaboodle of sarosian integrity? All kaput?” “You're the one who has witnessed empires rise and fall in your travels,” Seraphimus droned. “You tell me.” “Well, you got me there~” Rainbow bore a plastic grin. “I've only seen the revelation of a changeling infestation stop all-out war in No Mare's Land, leading to unexpected peace between Luxmare and Xona! And I've personally taken part in a crazy operation in the capital of Val Roa that saved the monarchy and prevented unnecessary bloodshed.” She gestured with a bright expression. “Oh! And what about an unleashed herd of deadly windigoes somehow saving an entire continent of conflicted ponies, griffons, sirens, and wyverns from unbridled civil war? Without a Rainbow Rogue to hate, Verlax's all-consuming frost magic would have divided future generations of her 'children' forever.” “... … ...” Suddenly it was Seraphimus' turn to avoid Rainbow's gaze. “You see, Sera...” Rainbow leaned forward from where she squatted. “...I have learned a thing or two from my 'travels.' I've learned that a single act of integrity—a spark of harmonious intent—can bring hope to anyone anywhere... … … even if that hope is blanketed in misery and strife, for necessity's sake. It's all about the big picture—which Verlax tried to show me... and thought she was showing me. But—unfortunately for her and for those who followed her—she did everything 'big.' She had no grasp of the smallest gears in the crazy-ass machine of progress. But I've seen it. I've seen the tiny things that make this world tick. Verlax saw it too—but she didn't have the ability to grasp what was there in front of her. And... what I see in front of me right now is not a completely hopeless society born and bred for nothing but war. I see cousins—lost relatives of Equestria—and if I can do whatever it takes to help them reach the light, then... Luna poop... I gotta give it my all!” “But—you speak and you dwell on impossibilities,” Seraphimus said. “For as much as you criticize Verlaxion on her macrovision, you yourself cannot deny that there truly is a bigger picture to keep in focus here.” She waved. “There is time to be meticulous and there is time to be sensible. Ultimately—your next and most important goal is to acquire the Harmonic Prism. After that—it's a return to the Light Side, and to Equestria. You must make priorities, Rainbow Dash. You must take sacrifices into account. Saving the whole of Urohringr may seem daunting, but with the powers seemingly invested within you—it nevertheless falls within the pattern of possibility. Saving every single soul you stumble upon—however—does not.” “You mean like you?” Rainbow Dash leaned back, eyes narrow. “You're a single soul. It was entirely possible—if not sane—to let you fly off into the chaotic ether. But I didn't. And here you are... giving me a very logical pep talk.” She arched an eyebrow. “Tell me. Wasn't that worth the effort?” “... … ...” Seraphimus leaned back as well, exhaling. “That remains... undetermined.” “Grnnffffffffuuuuu...” Rainbow rolled her eyes, ultimately bearing a tired smirk. “I can always rely on you to be predictable, Sera. Thanks. If nothing else, your consistency is kinda comforting.” “Alright, then. It's time that you tell me something.” Seraphimus folded her forelimbs. “You seek to restore both Urohringr and Princess Luna's flock... despite the fact that you and Lexxic both desire the Harmonic Prism for clearly different reasons. So... please elaborate...” Her gaze was sharp, scrutinous. “...exactly what is your next move? What do you plan to do to win over Lexxic's favor? Or the Dream Council's? Or both?” “... … ...” Rainbow Dash fidgeted. “What lengths will you go to preach harmony to the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfoals of an exiled culture baptized irrecoverably by blood and war? How will the spark that miraculously saved previous cultures on the Light Side function for a civilization that doesn't just lack comprehension of the Sun—they abhor it?!” “I...” Rainbow's eyes looked left... then looked right. She gulped. “I-I haven't figured that part out y-yet...” “Well you need to, Rainbow Dash,” Seraphimus insisted, her tone breathy and sincere. “And you need to measure the weight of where the Bloodwings' inertia is swinging. In a land of darkness, the shadow doesn't lean in any one direction. It permeates. And so does Lexxic's intent. He's not only spent his whole life digesting the darkness—but he's acted upon it. Dramatically. He's accelerated this war culture to an end—where the matriarchs before him were evidently content with just accepting an endless stalemate. But that's no longer the case. The past is an equilibrium that has slipped from the matriarchy's hooves, and while there may still be one representative of the High Polished in control of the Third Root, that power hangs by a thread. Soon—everything will be all Lexxic's. Faatail and the Dream Council—perhaps they hope that you will constitute yet another of their failing marionette strings. But you cannot afford to be their tool, Rainbow Dash. Nopony among the midnighters can afford to resist this inertia.” “I can't afford to lose the High Polished to mania and chaos either,” Rainbow started— “No—that's just what you tell yourself. Every minute that you humor the elders up in those branches, you're only adding fuel to the fire. There are many ways that this situation can go, and the least chaotic will be up to you to support. That destiny—and that destiny alone—is what can possibly ferry you into acquiring the Harmonic Prism.” “Lexxic may enjoy a great deal of power and authority,” Rainbow Dash said. “But even he knows what's at stake and what's worth to preserve.” A shrug. “Why else would he have spared me back at Honor's Hold?” “He spared you—not to protect the balance of power,” Seraphimus said. “But to preserve a valuable resource.” “... … ...a valuable resource,” Rainbow echoed in monotone. “You possess a piece of alicorn magic, Rainbow Dash,” Seraphimus emphasized. “The same power that was distilled into the Harmonic Prism—the all-encompassing goal of the Bloodwings—is embodied in your pendant. More importantly—it's embodied in the pony who wields it. Until Lexxic can fully understand that—and understand you—then you are an asset that he cannot sacrifice. Don't you understand?” She slowly shook her head. “It's not about what the matriarchs want. It's about what he needs to ensure total and complete victory at the Midnight Armory. Yes—perhaps the Shards of Endrax are evenly split among the three factions of the Trinary War. But so long as you remain under his domain, you are an edge in obtaining full power. That holds true against the matriarchs as well as against the self-proclaimed enemies of the sarosians. You... are a living bargaining chip. You proved it just tonight—by doing something that would have ended you under the fury of anypony who respects the sanctity of the Hall of Honor. Anypony... but Lexxic... who has the wherewithal and tenacity to see beyond the constraints of his own culture. To preserve you.” “... … ...” Rainbow Dash slowly stood up on all fours. She trotted slowly—as if with a heavy weight—until there was no more platform to walk. Gazing out upon the lights and bodies of the war effort, she spoke over her shoulder. “What... would Lexxic even want with the Harmonic Prism? I mean—on his lonesome? If what you say is true—if the inertia of control and power among the Bloodwings is swinging his way—then why does he still want it? Why does he still want to fight—and win—this Trinary War?” She turned and looked past her flicking tail at Seraphimus. “If he doesn't care at all about the elders and the matriarchy—wouldn't he disregard the very thing that brought the Dark Vigil all the way over here? If it's no longer about restoring power to Nightmare Moon or enacting everlasting night... then what purpose does the Harmonic Prism bring to someone like Lexxic?” “Perhaps... he wishes to rule over Equestria himself,” Seraphimus suggested. “Or perhaps it's a matter of pride: to claim victory on the Dark Side and eradicate both the Flux and the Night Shard completely... as retribution for generations upon generations of forefathers slaughtered needlessly.” She shook her head. “It matters not.” She strolled over to Rainbow's side. “You can determine the truth on your own... but after you have won his favor.” Rainbow grimaced. “After I've won his favor...” “Stop repeating me and start listening.” Seraphimus frowned. “Your future—your path—lies in allying with him. I don't suggest that you trust Lexxic... or even surrender to him. But—detestable as it may be—forsaking the Dream Council and their superiors will be the first path towards success.” She breathed. “And towards acquiring the Harmonic Prism.” “Yeah? And what then?” Rainbow tongued the inside of her muzzle. “After I've gotten so buddy-buddy with Lexxic, how would I go about sharing the Harmonic Prism?” “I'm not suggesting you do.” “... … ...you're suggesting that I betray him.” “I'm suggesting that you do everything within the realm of possibility to restore Urohringr.” Seraphimus arched an eyecrest. “Since that is—after all—the grandest purpose... on the grandest scale.” “I couldn't live with myself...” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “...to have saved this world while forsaking so many ponies within it.” “Yes you could.” Rainbow Dash blinked. “And so could Equestria.” Seraphimus exhaled. “And so could I.” Rainbow Dash's ears drooped. She looked sadly out on the militant vistas. “If I made all of my accomplishments that coldly... and with that same kind of heartless intent... I'd never have made it past friggin' Darkstine.” “From what I've learned...” Seraphimus began. “In east Xona and in the Quade, you chose to—” “Even all the super crappy things that I've done...!” Rainbow's teeth showed. “...both the mistakes and the cruelty—I did them knowing that I'd be owning my own sins in the light of harmony.” “That sort of ambition will only kill you.” “And it did.” Rainbow turned to face her. “Back in Silvadel.” A devilish wink. “And I got better~ Thank you very much.” Seraphimus sighed in defeat. Nevertheless, her expression was quite earnest—if not sad—as she next entreated: “Please, Rainbow Dash... please tell me that you will devise a plan.” The griffon gulped, sounding far fallen from the grim commander she once was. “Please tell me that you won't go about this on the fly and off the cuff.” Her headcrest drooped. “I... I need to know... I need to know that the pony I've chosen to follow isn't pursuing her goals out of... s-some foalish desire to do everything all at once. I've been strung along before—all my life, in fact—and I can't respectfully follow a cause that has no structure to it. And don't preach to me about 'hope.' Hope has no structure. It is nebulous and vague for a reason... for only in hindsight do we ever misconstrue it with purpose... and only then if we're among the few who are fortunate enough to afford that perspective.” “... … ...” “Please, Rainbow Dash. Unlike Jordan and your other loyal compatriots, I require substance.” Seraphimus shook her head in the shadow of the moment. “I... refuse to fall so far that I'd have to resort to... t-to praying again...” At last, Rainbow replied. And it was in a dry tone. “I don't have what you want from me, Sera.” A breath. “If I actually did... you... wouldn't be asking me right now.” Silence. “Will you at least approach Lexxic with greater caution?” Seraphimus' eyes narrowed. “Measured equally with consideration?” “That... … … will be a challenge.” Rainbow cleared her throat. “As it so happens—my gal pals and I have determined that... th-that he and I can't get too terribly close to each other.” “I see...” Seraphimus nodded. “Does this have anything to do with the substance of his helm?” “And the substance of my pendant.” Rainbow touched the necklace in question. “Seems that we cancel each other out. If I get too close—or if he gets too close—then we both fall like dumb sacks of potatoes.” “Then that would explain his collapse in the Hall of Honor when you dove in.” “Yeah. I guess.” “How advantageous.” Seraphimus cocked her head aside. “You should employ this buffer to its full potential. So long as neither of you can engage in singular, physical contact—that means the only battle to be waged is a cerebral one.” “Huh. Lucky me, huh?” “On the contrary,” Seraphimus droned. “I worry for you now more than ever.” She turned and moved back into the hollow habitat. “I shall now retire. It's a testament to bitter irony that I succumb to sleep best in the midst of fullest anxiety.” Rainbow braved a look over her shoulder. “Sera, I-I...” “Meditate on your own thoughts, Rainbow Dash.” Seraphimus disappeared into the shadows. “I've fed you all that I can. Perhaps ever.”