"Is it as bad as thy symptoms previously?"
"That's just it, your Majesty," Rainbow Dash murmured into the lunar glow of her pendant. A canvas of purple stars hung over the solitary patch of forest on top of a lone mountain. "It feels exactly the same. It's as if the last ten months didn't happened, and I'm just as cursed as I was before a huge dragon tore me to bits."
"Hmmm... Thou didst say that thou were contained within a sarcophagus of tempered silver, yes?"
"Yeah. It looked just like the chaos strips that were used to summon monsters back in Windthrow."
"Thou observed this from inside the container?"
"Er... Let's just say I got a good look of it on the outside as well," Rainbow Dash murmured.
A few feet away, leaning over a soundly sleeping Pilate, Bellesmith listened. She gazed over softly, all the while stroking the hard bristles of her beloved's mane as his body slowly rose and fell.
"It is quite possible, Rainbow Dash, that when these dastardly-sounding Ledomaritans put thee inside the chamber, thy affliction achieved a state of equilibrium. The silver of chaos metal acts in a similar way to the sarcophagus that was built here in Equestria to keep Ponyville safe. Granted, our beloved sister Celestia is the one who is slowly curing the rift that formed after Discord's demise, but a similar container could be used to keep the dark sorcery inside thee preserved for an extended while."
"So, like, the entire time I was inside that silver coffin, I was becoming all... Discordy?"
"Affirmative."
"But I thought I only had a few months to live! If containing me could have kept me from—yanno—kicking sky bucket, why didn't you think of doing that to me in Equestria?"
"We did think of it."
"You... You did?"
"But we also knew that it would not prevent the inevitable. It does not matter to what degree thy body achieves equilibrium, the chaos inside thee is bound to eat thee alive, Rainbow Dash. Unless those Ledomaritans possessed a magic skill that is superior to alicorn prowess, then thou would have eventually perished, though it would have taken a far longer time than if thou were living free from an enclosure of chaos metal."
"So... in a way...' Rainbow Dash muttered, gazing down at her hooves. "The ponies who pulled me out of the thing saved my life..." She gulped. "Because chaos would have taken me out eventually, like a poison."
"Thou art a creature of harmony, Rainbow Dash. It is not thy place to house such hectic energies."
"Well..." Rainbow Dash chuckled dryly. "I guess I should look on the bright side. At least I'll never turn into a horrible Discord monster forever. Heh heh..."
A dull silence wafted over the midnight air.
Eventually, Luna's voice resumed, "Thy journey ahead is still a long one, Rainbow Dash. If thou has assessed the situation differently and wouldst desire to return to thy homeland—"
"I've got a place to go, and I'm sticking to it, Princess." Rainbow's nostrils flared as she curled her hooves in the soil. "I don't care if I get there in pieces. At least I'll be me when I get there. I don't want to come back to Ponyville with my last act of awesomeness being a failure."
"Rainbow Dash, we do believe that thou art being too hard on yourse—"
"Have you ever heard of 'Austraeoh?'"
Belle stood up straight, craning her ears at that.
Luna's voice lingered. "We beg thy pardon?"
"'Awww-straay-ohhh.' Y'know, like that one province south of Equestria with all the bearded ponies."
"Is there a context to which we should be contemplating the term?"
Rainbow Dash sighed. "Never mind, your Highness..."
"No, Rainbow Dash. Please, explain. We have very little time left to speak and every thing that thou has to tell us is exceedingly precious."
"My head's been made full of weird words and sayings since I started this crazy trip. I was wondering if the word 'Austraeoh' meant anything to you, especially when dealing with the dark side of the world and the Midnight Armory and crud."
"Rainbow Dash, thou discoveries art our discoveries as well. Thou hast undoubtedly found many things in thy journeys—things both joyous and horrific. The world is a grand place, and two alicorns simply are not enough to rule it in totality, nor would we wish to impose such a dominance."
"What... erm... are you getting at, Princess?"
"Quite simply, Rainbow Dash, that there are very old things in this part of the cosmos, many of which are older than Celestia and ourself. We wish that we could designate the purpose behind it all, but it is not our place to be explorers. We our protectors, Rainbow Dash, and our power extends strictly through light, so that we may illuminate the souls who inhabit this world—though it may not be ours—and bring them harmony as best as we can."
Rainbow Dash gulped and murmured, "Just what is this world, Luna? Is it real? Or is it made up?"
"It is a source of great life, a realm where miracles and massacres are both possible. So long as we can help ponies achieve that which is righteous—instead of that which is heinous—then we are more satisfied than ever a time when we receive answers to the origins of all things."
"Yeah. But, like, what if all things end?"
"Thou referreth to the words of the dragon Axan."
Rainbow Dash shuddered. "Yeah. That."
"We have endeavored to make contact with the other Draconian Divines since we last heard from her and thou. However, we have been unable to do so. If contact between the alicorns and the Divines has been severed, then that must surely mean that they have perished somehow."
"Even that fire-breathing monster was saying that she was gonna croak soon." Rainbow Dash made a face. "What's up with that?"
"We do not know, but for the last ten months, Rainbow Dash, we have been scouring the ancient tomes in hope of an answer. Thou can expect us to fill thee in as soon as we learn anything."
"If you couldn't find truth in ten months of searching, Princess, what's to know that you can find it in another four... or three... or however long I have left?"
"One must not give up hope, Rainbow Dash." Luna's voice began to fade. "Rainbow Dash, we cannot speak for much longer. We encourage thee to exit the boundaries of Ledomare as swiftly as thou can. There is one night left that we have to share discourse. We look forward to making contact with you again."
"Back at ya, Your Majesty. And when you get a chance..." Rainbow Dash smiled. "Tell Scootaloo she must look pretty silly with a wrench and gears on her butt."
"Affirmative. We shall inform her likewise of thy pride and happiness. Until next t—" And the sound of Luna's voice crackled to oblivion along with the dimming of the pendant's light.
Slowly, the smile on Rainbow's face faded. She sighed, rubbing her cheek in the moonlight. With a groan, she stood up, stretched her legs, and shuffled numbly towards the other end of the mountain.
Belle watched her, biting her lip. With a nervous twitch, she leaned over, nuzzled Pilate one last time, and trotted swiftly after the pegasus in the starlight.