//------------------------------// // Euphoria in the Valley // Story: Odrsjot // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// It had taken the better part of a half-hour for the Noble Jury to moor itself to the tower situated on the fringe of the town. This was made all the more awkward from the complete and utter lack of dockmasters. Nevertheless, with firm resourcefulness, Floydien, Props, and the rest of the ponies managed to tether the ship adequately in place. It wasn't long before Rainbow Dash, Bellesmith, Pilate, and Eagle Eye trotted down the grand steps of the wooden structure and leveled out on the grassy plain. There, a dirt road led southeast into the heart of the quaint little village. The path was noticeably littered all over with— "Confetti?" Eagle Eye gawked, swiveling about to give the other ponies an incredulous glance. "Is... this confetti?" Pilate grimaced slightly as his hoof slid through a swath of the fluttery stuff. "I would certainly hope so." "I've seen my fair share of confetti in my days," Rainbow Dash muttered, watching as her wings blew some of the papery fragments around. "This is totally that." "Maybe... uhm..." Eagle Eye squirmed as the four slowly marched into town. "Today's the birthday of their mayor... or something?" "Do Xonans even celebrate birthdays?" Bellesmith asked. "The key thing to remember is that this isn't exactly Xonan territory." "Is it not?" Belle turned towards Pilate. "I thought most of their major cities were situated in the north. We're at a greater latitude than we've ever been, haven't we?" "Yes, but most of the landscape we've covered over the past few days have been under dispute over the last three to five decades. I doubt either Ledomare or Xona could have laid claim to any township here, even if the Xonans have been ruling the airspace." "Jeez, this is why I never got into the politics of the war," Eagle Eye muttered. "I was just happy to be given a sword and told what to charge at." He sighed. "Well, at least until Crimson taught me better." "You... uhm..." Pilate gritted his teeth. "You did leave your weapons on board the Jury, yes, Eagle?" "Hmmm? Oh, totally! Besides, with Rainbow Dash here, I figured that would have been overkill." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Good. Because I think we have company." "Huh?" Belle glanced around. "But beloved, I don't see—" Her ears folded. "Oh dear." Ten ponies were charging up the hill, heading straight at them. The rumble of their hooves shook the ground under the group's hooves. "Awwwwww fiddlepoops!" Eagle Eye squeaked. "I knew it!" Rainbow Dash touched down before her friends with a thud! "I'll hold them off while the rest of you gallop back to the Jury!" "But Rainbow—" Belle began. "No arguing!" Rainbow growled, grinding her hoof. "I didn't fly halfway across the continent, butt heads with a dragon, and get preached to by a metamorph just to have you guys get impaled by a bunch of crazed yokels!" "Rainbow, I don't think—" Eagle stammered. "You've thought nothing!" Rainbow's glaring eyes reflected the muzzles of the incoming ponies. "Brace yourselves! Here they come—" "Visitors!" A unicorn mare with a bright smile and even brighter, yellow eyes slid to a stop. She hugged Rainbow Dash and nuzzled the small of her neck. "Heeee! Oh, what wonderful timing! You have to join us!" "Buhhhhh..." Rainbow's face positively melted in horrified confusion. "Buhhh... buhhhhh...?" "Speechless?! So are all of us!" The mare leaned back and gestured with her hoof. A stallion tossed her a ring of flowers, and she hung the garlands around Rainbow's neck. "Didn't you hear?! The war is over!" Rainbow Dash blinked. She glanced back at her friends—gawking—and at the villagers again. "Oh! My apologies..." The mare held her hooves together, blushing. "Not speakers of the Western Queen's tongue? I think we can remedy that." She turned around and cleared her throat. Two mares with tribal tattoos trotted up, bowed, and spoke, "Brekk theen rehk hadh trentte thiul spenn?" Rainbow Dash and her friends simply stared with blank expressions. The mares exchanged glances, and the other one leaned forward to speak. "Menna siulen crassa rehkkaren hadduh trenna thiulen spennadeer?" More silence. "Mmmmm... meladuun..." The Xonan mares fidgeted, rubbing their hooves together pensively. At last, one of them opened her mouth, her face twisted in the awkwardness of the next attempt. "J-jaat'solienna'threem m-m-mana'suli'nullakuken—" "Look... uhm..." Rainbow rubbed the back of her head. "We're not exactly... Ledomaritan or Xonan." She gulped. "Or, more appropriately, we're really trying to just leave all of this stuff behind and find passage east of the whole shebang." "Travellers!" The mare with yellow eyes spread her forelimbs wide. "Long-distance traders! Why didn't you say so?!" She winked. "Even better! For you have come at the right time and at the right opportunity to carry wares to lands that haven't touched the silk of Xona or the crystals of Ledomare in decades!" "So... uhm... the war's really over?" Belle asked. "Because from where we come from—" "Pffft! News never travels fast enough, these days," the mare said, waving her hoof. "But, thankfully, one of our brighter residents built a tall crystalline tower years ago, and it picks up leylines from all over the continent! They declared a cease-fire two days ago!" "Any reason why?" Rainbow Dash asked. Eagle Eye tapped Rainbow's shoulder. "Hey, uhm, Rainbow? If you're not particularly thrilled to be wearing that..." "Right." Rainbow stripped of the garland of flowers and limply held it aside. "Knock yourself out." Eagle tossed his mane so that he could hoist the soft necklace of petals over his head. "Squee!" he smiled rosily to himself. "Rumors are still flying!" the mare from town said as her cohorts grinned wickedly. "Word is that an evil invader had infiltrated the ranks on both sides! What's more, Lasairfion—the evil bane of Xona's own kind—is no more! The Xonans broke communication first, and the Ledomaritans were actually willing to listen! Turns out their Council didn't want one of their major generals occupying a particular piece of real estate all along! Both sides had been fighting for years over reasons that none of the higher-ups knew about! But now all the mayhem is over!" She waved her hoof high in the air. "Free trade! Free trade for everypony! Woohoo!" The villagers behind her cheered with identical gusto. Pilate tilted his head in Belle's direction, his muzzle curved. She smiled back, nuzzled him, and gazed at the crowd. "Well, it seems like you're having quite the party!" she exclaimed. "Why shouldn't we?" The mare chirped merrily. "Whichever way the territories go, this means one thing! An uninterrupted path of trade! Our town can only flourish! And—of course—the severe drop in death and mayhem is always a plus!" She and the other ponies chuckled. "Yeah... uhm..." Rainbow Dash bit her lip, eyeing the group nervously. "Good for you guys." "You got any other ponies in that beautiful ship up there?" "Maaaaaaaaaybe..." Rainbow leaned back from them like a frightened cat. "My stars!" The mare gawked. "Is that skystone?" "Yeah, but it totally doesn't work at the moment," Eagle Eye muttered. "Hey... uhm..." He fiddled with the garland around his neck. "Are these lavender? They're unlike anything I've ever seen!" "That's because you've got the sound of Franzington on your tongue!" the mare said with a wink. "You should take a look around our greenhouse! We have all sorts of flowers from the east! Things you've never seen!" "Oh jeez oh jeez oh jeez oh jeez!" Eagle Eye skipped forward. "Sign me up—" "Now just wait a second!" Rainbow Dash tugged at his tail. "We didn't come here to party!" she hissed. "Didn't we, though?" Bellesmith chimed. "I, for one, want to learn more about this place!" "My maps are only doing me so much good," Pilate said. "Relax, Rainbow Dash! They only want us to feel at home?" "Well, you'd better feel at home quicker!" The mare motioned along as the group ushered Eagle Eye, Pilate, and Bellesmith cheerfully towards the center of town. "The party can't last forever! Though we can totally pretend it will! Woohoo!" The ponies cheered again, a few of them teetering drunkenly. "It's just that... that..." Rainbow Dash winced, then drooped in mid-hover with a sigh. "Guhhhh... Fiiiiiiiine." She fluttered limply after the group. "Just—y'know—don't drink anything without me testing it first." "Pfffft... Oh Rainbow," Belle giggled. "I'm serious!" "As well you should be!" The mare said. "A felicitous future deserves a pessimistic past! But cheer up! We'll roll the dust of war right off you!" She galloped ahead with a happy bounce. "My name is Collins! And welcome to Archer Point!"