//------------------------------// // Chapter 69 - Rudey // Story: Ark: Friendship is Survival // by Pomp-Neigh //------------------------------// Powerful stomps boom in the general vicinity of the Eastern Swamp as Shirley and Herbert seem to be escorting Rainbow Dash and Vanellope. Both Paracers are positioned at the head and rear of the escort, with the Tribe of Harmony duo tucked in the middle. “Ooh, you’ll just love them,” Shirley excitedly started from the lead, her girth casually flattening foliage and leaving indents in the muddy terrain. “They’re a tribe of traveling merchants who sell their goods to any and all customers. Even our son and daughter joined up with them some time back.”   “That sounds awesome, but Isn’t that dangerous?” Rainbow inquired, mounted upon Vanellope as they matched the pace of the leading Paracer. “I assume they’re walking around with loads of kick-ass stuff, but doesn’t that just paint a huge target on their flanks?” “Oh, it does—goodness, it does,” Herbert said from the rear with a shudder, Rainbow looking back at him over her right shoulder. “Pirates, tribes of not-so-friendly individuals, packs of ravenous carnivores, the list goes on and on. Even so, I can assure you they have all that they need to defend themselves, which you will see soon enough.” “If you say so.” Rainbow nods, turning her gaze forward. “By the way, thanks for offering to introduce us to these merchants, Shirley. We got off to a bad start, and I’m sorry about that whole ‘Comparison’ thing.”  “Water under the bridge~!” Shirley sang, head raised, ears perked up, and eyes forward. “Besides, I kind of did the same thing, and I’d be a hypocrite to hold it against you. Now, stick close, you two. We’re almost there, and I don’t want any of the swamp’s ‘Mouths with teeth’ getting any ideas if you catch my meaning.”  “Y-yeah…” Rainbow trailed off with a forelimb behind her neck, nervously chuckling while recollecting her encounter with a Kaprosuchus during HLN-A’s challenge. “Oh, come now, Shirley,” Herbert began. “Even if some of them started to act up with us, we’re Paraceratheriums! We’ll just give ‘em the ol’ one-two!” He kicked out his left hind leg, followed by his right. “What about Spinos?” Rainbow inquired, her eyes resting again on the Paracer at the rear.  “Ah, yes,” Herbert responds, ears slightly flattening. “Now that’s something else entirely.” “True—but luckily for us, we have our son!” Shirly boasted, Rainbow shifting her gaze to the lead Paracer. The rainbow mare’s neck certainly wasn’t enjoying the back-and-forth motion, causing the equine to crack it with a sudden jerk to the left. “Such a sweet, sweet boy! And very protective of his younger sister.” “We couldn’t be any prouder,” Herbert comments. “Huh,” The now interested pegasus began. “Your son sounds pretty cool if he can beat Spinos around.” Suddenly, Vanellope halts in place with a growl, her head turning toward a nearby cliff face, feathers rustling, claws at the ready.  “Woah!” Rainbow shouts, surprised by the sudden action. “What is it, girl?”      Both Herbert and Shirley seemed to sense the disturbance as well, their ears folding against their heads as they followed the Raptor’s gaze. “D-do you feel that, dear?” Shirley inquired fearfully. “Y-yes…” Herbert responds while instinctively placing himself in front of his wife.  Rainbow could only look on in haunting silence as she couldn’t fathom what was occurring. At least, not entirely.  The pegasus really wished she were Pinkie Pie right about now. The party mare always had a far better ‘Early warning’ shtick than anyone else, which she always dubbed ‘Pinkie Senses.’   But then Rainbow felt a cold chill go down her spine, and she grits her teeth to hide that small, festering fear deep within. Someone, or something, was just beyond the cliff, likely hidden amongst the dense forest on the elevated landmass that allowed one to overlook the swamp. And just as the phenomenon had suddenly transpired, it suddenly vanished. The senses of Rainbow, Shirley, Herbert, and Vanellope began to calm down slowly, but caution still flared in their minds.  All in attendance could only describe it as a storm of senses caused by eeriness passing by, but they all knew they were being watched.  “O-oh, dear,” Shirley began with quivering lips. “L-let’s get a move on, everyone. Whatever that was, I don’t want to linger around to find out.” Everyone agreed without a single word, for they spoke with their actions. Hurried steps sounded off as they began their trek once more, and Rainbow looked back at the cliff’s precipice again while Vanellope remained focused on getting Rainbow away from it.  Rainbow maintained her watch with narrowed eyes and in a cold sweat until the group went around a bend while traversing alongside the edges of the swamp.  And had the biome itself not obscured the pegasus’s view, they might’ve picked up on flickers of red and orange energy. -Sanctuary- The behemoth-sized double reinforced wooden doors of Sanctuary’s eastern entrance are parted, followed by the white form of Rarity, who trots with a slight skip in her steps while humming a tune.  A Dilophosaurus enters moments after, seemingly dejected with orange-slitted eyes downcasted. “Come along now, Rudey,” Rarity chirped. “Hope you don’t mind the nickname I gave you, seeing as you won’t give me your real name.”  As was stated, the dinosaur’s identification was present over its head via Rarity’s implant: Rudey - Lvl 124  “In any case, we have much to do, darling! Once we reach the house, I'll be needing your measurements so that I can outfit you properly.” “Yippee…” The dinosaur laced with sarcasm, bringing a claw to his face as he followed Rarity towards the tribe’s three-story home. “I can’t believe I got Forcetamed by you…” “What was that, dearie?” “I said I can’t believe I got Force-!” “Oh, I heard you,” Rarity quipped, looking over her left shoulder with a smirk, “I just like to hear you say it—helps with the whole 'Showing you humility' process. Although, I admittedly know nothing of this ‘Forcetaming’ you keep bringing up.” The Dilophosaur growls furiously, eyes dilating. “Well that's just fucking great! You're a fat Stimberry who's also an amateur! How can you not know about Forcetaming?!” “Excuse me?!” Rarity turned rapidly to face the dinosaur glaringly, brushing off the concept of Forcetaming in favor of the insult. “Did you just call me-!” “Fat, yes!” Rudey interjects with a toothy grin, Rarity’s muzzle dropping. “You’re fat, annoying, overly dramatic, and easily the worst thing someone like me could ever be conquered by!” The unicorn’s face went red in pure fury, her teeth grinding against each other. “How DARE you! I have been nothing but generous to you, yet you repay me with these undeserved insults!” “‘Undeserved,’ my scaly hide!” He shoots an appointed claw at her, “You battered me with a club!” “After you tried to eat me!” “You already had me beat with that annoying tool you lot call Bolas!” “Yes, but then you ran that mouth of yours, and I just had to teach you humility!” The Dilo scoffs. “Oh, trust me. Just being around you is humiliating enough.” Rarity stomps closer, Rudey doing the same as they growl mere inches away from each other.  Rudey suddenly pulled away, brushing at the air with a claw. “And your breath smells like shit,” He said. “Are there no limits to your insults?!” Rarity fumed. “Woah! Woah! Woah, loves!” The suddenly encroaching form of a mechanical wonder beckoned from afar, causing the duo to turn toward them. “First off: congratulations on taming a DIlophosaurus, Rarity,” HLN-A began, floating before the duo. “Secondly: why are you two screaming at the top of your lungs?” Rudey simply stared dumbfoundedly at the AI, Rarity letting out a loud ‘Humph!’ “Well, if you must know, I went out to recollect myself after my argument with Spike,” Rarity shoots a forelimb at the dinosaur, “But then this rude brute attacked me.” “Well, to be fair, Dilos are carnivores,” The AI reasoned. “Vanellope also attacked everyone when we first met her.” Rudey remained stunned. “Be that as it may, it’s not entirely the point,” Rarity began. “The point is: I graciously trapped him with a Bola and was content with leaving him there, only for him to throw insufferable insults at me.” She finished, rolling her eyes. “Sooo… you tamed him because of the insults?” The AI asked. “You typically only want to tame something if you have use for it. Aside from establishing an egg farm, of course, but this one is male…” The dinosaur in question is still silent, staring at the AI. “Well, not entirely—ok, look, I was still peeved with Spike and simply needed an outlet. I was already in a bad mood before Rudey appeared.” “You named him Rudey?” HLN-A inquired, projecting a question mark, followed momentarily by a raised eyebrow emoji. “Kind of insulting, wouldn’t you say?” “I wouldn’t have called him that if he’d just told me his real name,” The fashionista responds, her eyes widening. “Wait a second, why are you painting moi as the bad mare here?” She flabbergastingly asked. “I’m only commenting as a neutral party, Rarity.” The AI turns to the Dilo. “Oi, mate! Nice to meet ya!” Nothing is garnered from the dinosaur.  HLN-A shifts their visor to the unicorn. “He’s a quiet one, although they were quite chatty with you before I arrived…”  “Darling, I’m fairly sure it has more to do with your appearance.” Rarity spins a forelimb around the AI’s form. “I highly doubt mechanical beings like you are common here.” “Huh.” HLN-A thought to themself with a flap nearly touching their visor, lights turning green. “Good point.” A moment of silence takes hold, Rarity suddenly inhaling deeply, followed by an exhale. “Oh, alright. I’ll be a proper lady and extend an olive branch, if you will.” She offers a forelimb to the dinosaur, “I’m sorry for hitting you with that club, and while Rudey isn’t the name I wanted to choose for you, you didn’t exactly cooperate with me. And, to be fair, you are rude, very much so. Still, I do apologize for my barbarism.” Rarity stood there with eyes closed in almost nobility fashion, expecting the Dilo to return the gesture. She peeked an eye, noticing the Dilophosaurus being shockingly fixated on HLN-A. “Oh, come now,” Rarity began. “HLN-A—unique as they are—is no means for you to ignore me outright. I mean, for Celestia’s sake, just look at the Obelisks! You have three giant floating metal pillars present, but a talking machine is what has you stumped?”  “Uh, no offense, darling,” Rarity quickly added, turning to the AI.  “None taken, love!” The duo turns back to the Dilophosaurus, and finally, the dinosaur breaks out of his stupor, raising a claw: “Ok. I zoned out there for a bit, but—what the fuck is going on here?! And what in the Dead Isle is that thing!” Both HLN-A and Rarity shared a glance. “Welp, fasten your seatbelts, mate,” The AI starts, Rarity chuckling. “Boy, oh boy, do I have quite the story for you.” And so, HLN-A acquiesced to the dinosaur's request with a recollection. From the moment the AI crash-landed on Equus to the tribe’s arrival on The Island and several events that transpired afterward that were to the AI’s knowledge.  Of course, the tale would need to be a shortened version of the actual adventure so far... .......... “And that’s how Spike became the tribe’s current leader,” HLN-A finished, their tale ending. “So, any questions?” Rudey blinks several times. “C-could you repeat that after Installation: Equus… I blanked out…”  “Oh, for the love of…” Rarity facehooved. “We spent nearly ten minutes explaining everything, and you weren’t even listening?!” “Oh, yeah, because a group of unique equines from beyond the stars and a talking piece of flying metal are things to accept so casually!” Rudey retorts. “It’s a lot to take in, you know! Part of me even wants to call bullshit on that entire story.” “Even though the evidence is floating right here…” HLN-A added, deadpanning. “Well, I suppose that’s fair,” Rarity responds. “Regardless, we answered your question, so it’s only right for you to answer mine,” She demanded. “For starters: what in Celestia’s name is ‘Forcetaming’?” “Forcetaming?” HLN-A inquired, genuinely confused. The dinosaur is incredibly shocked to hear that. But a sudden realization dawns on him, and the story he had heard just got more credence with that question.  “Actually, you know what? I fully believe everything you two just told me was the truth. At first, I thought Stimberry here was just an amateur… but now. Let me ask you two this: have you ever heard of someone named Lord Threx?” “Lord Threx?” HLN-A questioned and turned to Rarity, who shook their head, equally as confused as the AI. “I’m not familiar with that name, mate.” “Do they have something to do with Forcetaming?” Rarity chimed in. “Lord Threx doesn’t just have something to do with it… he invented it.”