"That is a most striking manestyle, Ms. Kitsune," Bellesmith said. She then glanced at the other numerous pegasi gathered around the apple trees. "May I ask what's inspired you and your friend Mr. Jerrio to color it so?"
Kitsune's amber eyes twitched as her face contorted in confusion. "For real...?" She looked sharply at Rainbow Dash. "You mean you haven't told her?"
Rainbow gulped. "Uhhhhhh..."
"She's your friend, ain't she?" Rayvinne giggled. "And your name's 'Rainbow Dash' for crying out loud! Heehee!"
"Hey, one thing at a time!" Rainbow curtsied with a smirk. "It took them a long time to get used to my feathers!"
"And a whole lot of bruises," Roarke droned. Eagle Eye lightly swatted her forelimb without looking. The mare's lips tightened.
"But, y'know, one thing at a time!" Rainbow turned to smile awkwardly at the winged ponies. "Now I've... f-finally introduced them to you West Durangos!"
"Durandanans, girl."
"Whatever. Just tell them the age-old mane story," Rainbow said with an air of sarcasm. "If I do it one more time, I swear, my tongue will fall off."
"Well, it's kind of boring, really," Kitsune said with a wry smirk thrown in Belle's direction. "The First-Borns get to dye their manes as a sign of their higher allegiance to the Valkyrie. It's all in her image, after all."
Jerrio nodded and said, "The Gray Feathers teach us from the scrolls that they represent both the Valkyrie's natural colors as well as her fiery, righteous passion for defending Durandana from all that would try to corrupt the Gold Lights with—"
"Blah blah blah blah..." Rayvinne rolled her eyes, then flew in to nuzzle Kitsune cheek to cheek. "What matters is that it's downright beautifullll."
"Heehee... Please, Ray..." Kitsune nudged back. "Nothing beats your mane."
"So... being First-Born makes you a leader?" Eagle Eye asked.
"Pretty much, yes," Jerrio said.
"Pffft! Makes you 'lucky' is more like it," Rayvinne said.
Jerrio frowned across the clearing at her while several pegasi chuckled and laughed. "The Rite of the First-Born involves a great deal of wisdom and responsibility—"
"Face it, Jerrio. All that happened was you were squirted out first!"
He stomped his hoof and snarled, "Come on, guys! For real!" They nevertheless laughed as he leaned back with folded ears. "Hrmmmph... none of you would say this to Sivrem's face if he was here."
"That's because, unlike you, he's friggin' handsome."
"Yeah! Hahahaha!"
"Nnnnnngh..." Jerrio face-hoofed, groaning. He turned to the strangers. "My apologies. I imagine you all must have a ton of questions. Valkyrie knows I do..."
"Oh, naturally," Belle said with a nod. "Though, to be perfectly honest, I'm a little worried about the rest of our friends."
"Yeah..." Eagle Eye trotted up. "We had no idea that this place was populated with such incredible ponies! If we're this surprised, then there's no telling how surprised the others may react."
"The... others?" Jerrio asked, squinting.
"They're perfectly harmless!" Belle insisted with a nervous smile.
"Yeah!" Eagle turned and pointed skyward. "Why, we left them way up back there in the—"
"In the cave!" Rainbow's voice cracked as she flew in between the unicorn and the Durandanans. She smiled nervously. "High up... in the outer gr-greens, y'know!"
"Uh huh..."
"Rainbow, seriously..." Belle turned towards her. "It's more than obvious that these pegasi are nothing but friendly."
"Belle..."
"I think it will make things all the better if we simply dropped the act and told them about the Noble Jury."
"The Noble What?" Kitsune made an awkward face.
"Hey!" Smythe and Jagold touched down with a flurry of feathers. A small group of bone-armored equine landed beside them as they approached Jerrio and the others. "Guys! You'll never guess what we saw back there!"
"A giant slab of Valkyrie silver!" Jagold exclaimed. "Suspended from crimson lights! And it's full of ponies without wings or feathers or—" She turned, her pupils shrinking upon the sight of the strangers in the group. "...eggshells!"
"Oh, hey!" Smythe smirked. "You found them!"
"Huh?"
"The others said that their 'leader' would be here with a whole group. I guess you met the outsiders as well."
Jerrio turned towards Rainbow Dash. "You came in with another group?"
"Heh..." Rainbow brushed her mane back, blushing slightly. "Guess there's no pulling the wool over your eyes."
"I... don't get it," Kitsune murmured.
"Look, I just didn't want to freak anypony out," Rainbow said, suppressing a giggle. "It's hard enough—heehee—as it is trying to c-contain my own inner explosions, ya dig?"
"Why? Is there a reason for shovels?" Rayvinne asked.
"No. It... that... unnngh..." Rainbow face-hoofed while a few nearby pegasi giggled.
"I think you're doing more harm than good, Rainbow," Roarke droned.
"Oooooooh..." Jagold trotted up, cooing. "This one is made of Valkyrie silver..." She raised a hoof to Roarke's braced flank. "...and it talks."
"It also does not like being touched!," Roarke hissed, several metal bands popping loose with errant sparks.
"Eeep!" Jagold zipped to the far end of an apple tree and hid, trembling.
"Did you really have to do thatttt?" Eagle Eye sighed.
"Yes..." Roarke grunted, retracting the metal pieces while the gawking pegasi flinched from a distance. "I did."
"I'm a little confused..." Smythe pointed Rainbow's way. "Is she with these ponies?"
"That would seem to be the case," Jerrio said. He looked pointedly at Rainbow Dash. "What I want to know is—how come you didn't bring this to the Gray Feathers?"
"What's that, now?"
"Wingless ponies? Flying Valkyrie silver? This has gotta be the most significant discovery of our lifetime!"
"Not to mention the coolest," Kitsune sing-song'd.
Jerrio sighed and continued, "Were you afraid that the Gray Feathers wouldn't approve? You're First-Born. You should know more than most ponies that they're not like that."
"Actually... uhm..." Rainbow Dash fidgeted nervously. "I'm not exactly from around here either."
"Awwwww... don't think you can fool us anymore, girl!" Rayvine floated around Rainbow Dash, doing backwards "swim-strokes" through the air while grinning. "You're slick, swift..."
"You've got a gorgeous mane," Jagold said from a distance, but instantly hid back behind the tree when half the ponies glanced her way.
"You're Durandanan through and through!" Rayvinne giggled. "Probably East D. Central is too stiff for you."
"Heh... heheh..." Rainbow slicked her mane back and smirked. "I dunno how to break it to ya... but I'm just as native to this place as my featherless buddies here. Not that I don't mind all the kickflank flattery and—" She paused, glancing out the side of her vision.
Bellesmith was smiling softly at her from afar.
Rainbow blinked. Her cheeks blushed a little. "What?"
"Either way, their friends up on the flying silver are a bit worried about them," Smythe said to Jerrio. He smirked with perking ears. "And Sivrem would absolutely love to meet the rest. Then we can take them to see the Gray Feathers together!"
"Uhm..." Eagle Eye fidgeted, then raised a hoof. "Now hold on one second..."
"Yeah, one cloud burst at a time," Rainbow said, hovering a little higher. "Who's this 'Sivrem' dude?"
Jerrio was about to reply, when suddenly a loud metallic gong echoed against the earthen walls of the crater. The very branches of the trees shook, and several birds flew out from their leafy hiding. Instantly, he coiled his wings at his side and faced east. "First Light. The towers rise."
"The Towers Rise," every pegasus said in perfect unison. They whistled and chirped briefly between each other, then squatted low to the floor as one. Each of them faced in one direction, their ears folded and their faces glazed with solemnity. After whispering a few quiet words, they closed their eyes and stretched their wings outward—as if embracing the sunrise.
"Uhhhh..." Belle murmured, trotting nervously through the statuesque huddles of bowing ponies. "What's going on?"
"I... I-I dunno..."
"Shhhh!" Eagle Eye insisted.
The two mares looked at her.
He gulped and whispered, "Isn't it obvious they're praying to something?"
"Yeah... but what?"
"Hrmmm..." Roarke tilted her head up. Something glinted off her lenses, and she murmured, "I think we're about to find out..."