"You're pacing again," Pilate murmured.
"I... I-I know, beloved," Bellesmith exhaled, trotting in wide circles across the top deck of the Noble Jury. "I can't help it. Don't you think they'd be back by now?"
"Roarke is a mare who fully commits to what she does," Pilate said. "I've no doubt that she had the entire day set aside for her exercises. Even up to sundown."
"Pilate. It's almost an hour past sundown."
"Perhaps there were some things she wished to test after the sun had set."
"Shhh!" Belle spun, gazing towards the horizon with a gaping expression. "Did you hear that?"
Pilate tilted his head, ears twitching. "I don't hear anything, beloved."
"Nnnnngh... I swear, I've been hearing explosions all day."
"That would fall in line with the sort of things Roarke would be testing."
"Pilate." Belle frowned. "I'm worried. Aren't you?"
The zebra slowly shook his head. "Honestly, no."
"Need I remind you that our little Kera is still out there with a former bounty hunter?"
"I'd be more worried for Roarke at this point."
"Ungh... Pilate..."
"Well, think of it this way." Pilate smirked. "If she had spent the day out with Rainbow Dash instead, she'd probably have spelunked ten monster-filled caves by now."
Belle ran a hoof through her chestnut bangs. "Hmmm... you have a point there."
Pilate shrugged. "And if she had spent the day with Zaid—"
"Guh! Don't go there!"
"Heheheh..."
"Speaking of Zaid, have you noticed how he and Props appear to be—?" Belle's words were cut off by the flapping of feathers. She glanced up.
A trio of Durandanans were hovering right above the stern of the Noble Jury. The largest of the three deposited an earth pony down onto the top deck. It took some squinting, but Belle made out the unmistakable shape of Ebon Mane. The stallion pivoted to face the pegasi and gestured towards them, thanking them.
"Hey! Don't mention it, outsider!" one chirped.
"Yeah!" One of the others nodded. "I'd be feathered too if I was wingless! May First Light bless ya!" And the three flew their way towards the Western Tower. "Wow... did you ever meet a stallion that smelled that good?"
"Hrmmmm..." Pilate tilted his head in Belle's direction. "I have two guesses, but I'm not in the mood for making a fool of myself this late."
"Ebon!" Belle trotted briskly towards him, grinning. "You're back! Why..." She came to a stop, blinking at his limp figure. "Why d-didn't you take the Lounge sphere back? Where's Roarke and the others?"
Ebon lingered on the top deck. He turned, gazing lethargically at the mare. "I... I dunno..." He trotted coldly past her and headed towards the cockpit entrance. "They'll come around. Don't worry."
Belle watched him pass by, her lips pursed.
"Well, he sounded remarkably... dead," Pilate said.
"If only you could see his expression." Belle gulped. "Though I doubt the O.A.S.I.S. Sphere would do it any justice, even with all the upgrades."
"Perhaps something less than pleasant went down between him and Eagle Eye."
"Spark spare us!" Belle exclaimed. "That's a horrible thing to ponder."
"Was he carried here by one of the locals?"
"Seems that way. Ebon isn't the type to approach strangers without—"
"Belle," Pilate murmured, reaching a hoof out to her shoulder.
"What?"
The zebra's ears twitched as he motioned in the direction of the ship's stern.
Belle stared at him. Eventually, she gasped, for she heard the unmistakable sound of mana engines gliding. "The sphere!"
"Come..." Pilate grinned warmly, tugging Belle towards the stairwell. "Let's take a whizz, shall we?"
The black transport vessel had landed and the hangar doors were closing right as Belle and Pilate descended the stairwell and entered on the bottom floor.
"May I advise that we not go on the offensive immediately? At least not in front of Kera?" Pilate remarked. "It's perfectly natural to be displeased with Roarke for being out this long, but I think we can choose a more strategic time and place for expressing our frustrations and concerns."
"I'm more concerned about Kera at the moment, to be perfectly honest," Belle said while helping Pilate down the stairs. "She's so easily bored. Having spent the entire day out there while Roarke shuffled through one obscure piece of equipment to another? She'll probably never want to leave the ship again."
"Wasn't she promised explosions?"
"The girl has grown up with explosions, Pilate. I really think she should have stayed by our side today."
"The filly needs to stretch her legs once in a while. Not to mention her horn."
"I know that. But if today has proven anything, it's that we need to allow her freedom in smaller and more manageable slices of—"
The two reached the bottom floor of the hangar, and they barely had time to breathe when Kera came scampering from the opened doors of the transport. "Belle! Pilate!" She leapt high, practically tackling Bellesmith. "Heeeee! Hi hi hi!"
"Gaaah!" Belle fell back on her haunches, catching Kera. She stifled a giggle and smiled at the filly. "Well, hello there yourself!"
"We had the best time! There were explosions and big rocks and small rocks and missiles!"
"Erm... well..." Belle fidgeted with the foal in her grasp. "That's... uhm... v-very..." She blinked, feeling the child's silken mane as she nuzzled Belle in crook of her neck. "...Kera?"
"Hmmmmm..." Kera smiled, her eyes shut above rosy, tattooed cheeks. "Have I mentioned how much I love you?" She clutched Belle's shoulder and giggled again. "For real. You guys are swell. I really should tell you that more. I don't care how sappy."
Belle blinked, her eyes slightly misty. "Why... what a darling thing to say, Kera." She sniffed, then lovingly stroked the filly's mane while looking her in the eye. "Looks like you had a blissful day."
"Mmmhmm! Hmmhmm!" Kera grinned, her green tail flicking. "Roarke taught me a lot of stuff! And then I almost killed her!"
"I see..." Belle's eyes darted up towards Roarke. Her coy smile lingered. "It's a good thing that she's so resourceful."
"Yes," Roarke said. She finished dropping a crate of equipment into the corner of the hangar. "Fortunately, I am." She fidgeted slightly. Then, with a forced twirl, she turned from the equipment and trotted across the hangar. Belle was standing up by the time she came to a stop. "You and Pilate have done much good to Kera. It was... a pleasure to spend a day with her." She stretched a hoof out.
Belle looked at it, then at the metal mare's eye-lenses. "Roarke? What...?"
"I assume it is traditional by Ledomaritan custom to hoof-bump in celebratory fashion?" the ex-bounty hunter said.
Belle merely smiled. She gently moved Kera aside and flung her arms around Roarke.
The metal mare's body stiffened in Belle's embrace. Twitching, she sighed out the side of her muzzle. "This is turning into a disturbing pattern..."
"Mmmmm... get used to it," Belle said with a smile.
"Heeheehee!" Kera giggled.
Pilate stood nearby, smiling as he overheard the exchange. Just then, a series of petite hoofsteps clattered across the hangar floor behind him. He turned, took one sniff, and smiled. "Eagle Eye. Have a nice day, I hope? You know, Ebon arrived not that long ago and—"
"I know," Eagle murmured, his eyes glossy as he trudged right past the zebra. "Sorry. I... I-I'm tired. I'm heading to bed."
Pilate's metal brow furrowed. He turned, following the sound of Eagle's retreating steps. He gazed blindly with a curious expression. Slowly, reluctantly, he turned back towards the conversation ensuing between Kera, Roarke, and Bellesmith.
"And so I gripped Nevlamas' big crystal death antlers like this, ya see?!" Rainbow Dash said, grinning into the firelight. She hovered above an open wooden platform clinging to the stalk of Central D. No less than a hundred pegasi sat beneath her, gazing through the smoke and embers in jaw-dropping awe. "And she's flying down the mountainside at full force, right? Any moment and she could grind me to a pulp and then breathe glowy aquamarine flame all over my bubbling corpse! Well, I wasn't about to have any of that! Time to kick some mutant chaos dragon tail, am I right?!"
The crowd murmured, feathers rustling. Jerrio squinted with perpetual skepticism. Sivrem leaned against a wooden support strut with his forearms folded. He smirked at the other Durandanans, then stared pleasantly up at the mare.
"So, I take this baby right here..." Rainbow Dash touched the pendant, summoning a tiny glow. The pegasi all gasped harder. "And I shine it into Nevlamas' skull! Pewwwwwwwww! Endless stream of harmonic energy, ya feel me? And—guess what?—it does the trick! A whole crapton of her scales melt away and she's bleeding all over like a chocolate-filled pinata! By the time she's reached the base of the mountain, she's become so weak that I could practically suplex her! I mean, why not! I've had tons of practice along my journey!"
Giggles and chuckles. Jagold clung to Smythe as she stammered, "And then what happened?"
"Pffft. She crashed into the countryside. But I had bigger fish to fry, so I spat on her, turned tail, and glided all the way to the battlefield where I was headed! And don't even get me started on all of the tattooed warriors and screaming managliders I took down! It was like fireworks during the Summer Sun Celebration!"
The Durandanans chuckled and murmured in awe amongst themselves.
Rainbow grinned wide. "And you know what the best part is?" Her eyes darted across everypony. Eventually, she winked. "It wasn't the first dragon I had headbutted with! Not by a longshot!"
The ponies all cooed in awe, eventually clapping their hooves against the wooden surface of the platform. Rayvine lay on her chest, gazing up at Rainbow Dash with a warm smile and even warmer ear-tips.
"That's so awesome!"
"Tell us more, outsider!"
"I haven't felt this excited since I was a little sparrow!"
"Heh... trust me..." Rainbow Dash touched down, pretending to examine her hoof as she stood beside the fireplace. "All of the crazy stuff I've done could fill a book... or maybe five..." She tongued the inside of her mouth, gazing across the stars above. "Or twelve."
"Tell us about the Gold Lights!"
Rainbow's blood went cold. "Errrrrrr..." She glanced through the campfire.
A young mare with red wings blinked back. "We... we h-heard that you made Gold Lights... your own Gold Lights down below..." She gulped. "Where only Gray Feathers and First-Borns go."
Rainbow Dash bit her lip.
Jerrio's eyes darted from her to the Durandanans and back. He stood in silence.
"I... don't exactly know what you think you heard," Rainbow eventually blurted. "If I were you, I'd stop paying bridle gossip any mind and j-just... y'know... listen to your elders! Like you always do, ya dig?"
"But... b-but—!"
Kitsune cleared her throat. She hovered above the crowd, smiling. "Rainbow Dash is right. Besides, it's quite late. We have many chores to do in the morning."
The crowd collectively groaned.
"Kitsune has a point, gulls," Sivrem added, yanking at a rope that suspended a varnished whicker dome over the fire. He lowered it so that it stifled the flames, gradually choking them to a low flicker. "The leatherbacks won't milk themselves. Even with outsiders visiting on floating Valkyrie Silver, our tasks here in the basin do not end." He motioned with a sweep of his mighty wings. "Go to roost. All of you."
"And for those of you going to roost in pairs..." Kitsune hollered after the sulking, retreating groups. "Just get it over with and get some rest, ya hear?"
Several chuckling voices echoed back. Eventually the group dissipated.
Rainbow stood on the edge of the platform. She turned to see Kitsune and Sivrem floating towards her.
"Don't mind them, Rainbow," Kitsune said. "Their heads are like their wings. They're prone to catching a breeze—any breeze."
"Well, I don't blame them," Rainbow said. "This crater is cool and all... but it's still a crater." Her ears folded. "Maybe... m-maybe I shouldn't have told tales of my journey beyond the greens."
"Nonsense!" Sivrem grinned wide. "You made their entire day! Duranda knows you made mine!" he winked.
"A story is a story," Kitsune said. "If nothing else, it'll live on in their dreams."
"Yeah, sure. I can dig that." Rainbow said. She gulped, then fidgeted as she glanced sideways at the two. "Uh... just... j-just how much do they know."
"Hmmm?"
"Lemme put this another way," Rainbow muttered. "How much do you guys know?"
Kitsune and Sivrem exchanged glances. With lingering smiles, it was Kitsune who spoke first, and quietly: "We know that... that you collapsed again."
"Just like earlier when you outflew us in the Raked Ravine," Sivrem said.
"Only this time it was... a lot scarier," Kitsune remarked.
"Uh huh..." Rainbow nodded, then gulped. "And is that all you know?"
The two First-Borns were silent.
"Did anypony tell you about what went on downstairs? Y'know... in the room with all the Valkyrie Silv—?"
"You said it yourself, Rainbow Dash," Kitsune said. "Best to listen to our elders."
"Yeah. And I know you guys respect them. But—"
"Rainbow, I know it must seem very... very odd to you," Sivrem said with a calm smile. He waved a hoof as he spoke. "But relying on their wise judgment has worked here for countless generations. They preserve the scrolls and guide us towards liberation by the Valkyrie's Shout, both in this life and in the Windlessness beyond."
"Yeah, and I respect that—"
"Then do not concern yourself with what the elders decide or don't decide," Kitsune remarked. "They'll come to you when they've made their choice. They'll come to all of us."
Rainbow took a deep breath. "I... I just don't want you guys to freak out, y'know? And I know how much it stinks to have to wait for something important to be decided by others..."
"Rainbow, look at me," Kitsune said, caressing the mare's chin. She smiled. "Hanging out with you has made us anything but anxious." She winked. "If you came here to Durandana bringing something horrible, I'm sure Sivrem and I would have figured it out by now."
"And we woulda kicked your flank," Sivrem said with a wink.
Kitsune giggled. "Yes, well, we would have tried to, anyway."
"Hah hah!" Sivrem slapped his own knee, grinning. "Isn't that the truth?!" He squinted Rainbow's way. "I would love for you to perform that amazing sky light trick before Ice's flock. You think it's possible?"
"Uhhhhh... you mean the sonic rainboom?" Rainbow gulped. "Honestly, I'm not s-sure I have another one of those in me right now." She suddenly paled, staring off into the glittering lights of Central D. "I'm not sure... I have another one of th-those in me ever."
Sivrem and Kitsune exchanged glances. They gazed calmly at Rainbow. "Would you like an escort back to your Valkyrie silver?"
"No... heh..." Rainbow smiled. "I'm good. But thanks, though. You two get some rest."
"Rainbow Dash, are you certain you shouldn't reconsider?" Sivrem said in a very calm tone.
Rainbow opened her mouth, her eyes lingering on their serious expressions. "Yes. I'm certain. I'll be fine, okay?"
Silence.
"Very well," Sivrem said, nodding. He smiled. "I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Perhaps you could tell us of the other dragons you've battled."
"Heh..." Rainbow kicked at the floor, smirking. "I'm afraid you guys have heard the most exciting one."
"Hmmm..." Sivrem winked, flapped his wings, and took off. "Somehow I doubt that."
"Have a blessed First Light, Rainbow," Kitsune said, soaring after him.
"Yeah, uh..." Rainbow waved. "You too." As the two pegasi disappeared along the glittering night sky, she stood alone, exhaling hard as she glanced across the stars, tree branches, and lanterns of Central D. The wind blew through her mane, warm and inviting. She closed her eyes, stretching her wings out as she smiled to herself. Her bangs fluttered in the nightly breeze, and for a brief moment Rainbow was sitting on a cloud overlooking the hazy stretches of Cloudsdale and its many buildings. An endless array of lights twinkled in the sky, from homes to weather factories to public courtyards. In the distance, lighting flashed, giving the lofty world an undercurrent of magic and mystique.
Rainbow exhaled with a shuddering breath. At last, she turned west and opened her eyes. She instantly got a muzzle-ful of Rayvinne.
"You must have been scared."
"Gah!" Rainbow hobbled backwards, panting.
"Heehee... like that!" Rayvinne said, grinning from ear-to-ear. "A pony? As tiny as you? Taking on some giant reptilian fire-breathing beast? It's hard enough to believe that you can steer a leatherback off course."
"Yeah, well, Nevlamas was no push-over, and—" Rainbow blinked. "Wait, what do you mean 'tiny?'"
Rayvinne giggled, pacing in a close circle around Rainbow. "Please. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Jagold's a little thing, but she knows how to make a big splash." Rayvinne paused to smirk. "In more ways than one."
"Well... uh... glad to know you gals are such... g-good friends." Rainbow blinked, turning her head to blink at Rayvinne. "Aren't you supposed to be heading to bed?"
"Hmmm. Aren't we all?"
"For real, I don't wanna be stepping on anypony's feathers," Rainbow said, chuckling to herself. She glanced up at the higher platforms. "Kitsune and Sivrem are obviously calling the shots here. But, really, I think they're totally qualified for the leadership thingy." She turned back. "I bet you're really proud to fly alongside them everyday—Mmmmmff!"
Rayvinne's muzzle was clamped tightly over Rainbow's.
Eyes bulging, Rainbow yanked her neck back, disentangling her lips from Rayvinne's with a comical pop!. "Whoah... whoahhhhhhhh-ho-ho-ho..." She stretched her hooves out, bracing Rayvinne's shoulders. "Heh... I like your style, girl, but—for real—it's all about the landing!"
"I agree." Rayvinne grinned, her eyes thin. "Your nest or mine?"
"Buh?"
"You wanna land?" The pegasus purred, nuzzling one of Rainbow's forelimbs. "I've got a place for that. And then, right after, I can show you what it truly means to fly."
Rainbow stared, her jaw dropped. "Uhhhh... ahem... uhhh..." She wrenched her eyes away, grinning stupidly as her cheeks caught aflame. "Not th-that... that doesn't seem like a really swell invitation or anything..."
"Hmmmm..." Rayvinne nuzzled her cheek up the length of Rainbow's leg. "Who's inviting?"
Rainbow blinked. "Look, no..."
"It's not that long of a flight—"
"I'm sorry, but no, okay?" Rainbow yanked her leg out of Rayvinne's grip. "I'm flattered. And..." She winced. "Damn if you aren't hot as Tartarus, but... I can't..."
Rayvinne pouted, pink eyes glittering. "You can't?"
"I won't," Rainbow said. Her frown was a brief, brief thing, swallowed up by a sigh as she ran a hoof through her bangs. "Don't take it personally. But... but it's just that... I'm not in a good place for—"
"Hmmm..." Rayvine leaned back with a knowing smirk. "There's somepony else, isn't there?"
Rainbow Dash bit her lip, staring at Rayvinne. Eventually she murmured, "I... I-I don't really know..." She gulped. "But there might as well be."
Rayvinne's wingtips fluttered. "Well, have them join!"
"HAH!" Rainbow barked. She tilted her head back, eyes rolling. "HA HA!" She exhaled long and slow. "Whewwwwwww..." A smirk. "Go to bed, Rayvinne."
"Hmmph. Fine." Rayvinne brushed past Rainbow, as did her feathers and feathers and feathers. "But the moment you change your mind..." She winked. "I'll be waiting." Then, with a heavy flap of her wings, she took off into the glittering night sky.
Rainbow Dash stood there, watching her. All the while, her ears twitched to a persistent rattling sound. She realized it was her Loyalty Pendant rhythmically clattering with her intense heartbeat. She pressed a hoof to the gem and steadied herself with a deep breath.
"I hope you know," Fawful's voice remarked, descending from above. "You just turned down the opportunity of a lifetime."
Rainbow turned to glance at the elder. "And just how would you know that?"
Fawful smirked in the penumbra of distant lantern light. "I haven't exactly been a Gray Feather for long." She pointed in the direction where the other mare had just flown. "And Rayvinne's older than she looks."
"You can stop right there. For real." Rainbow gulped. "Must be hard to 'protect scrolls' in a place like this with all of the... distractions."
"Hmmmm..." Fawful chuckled breathily. "We Durandanans have more self-control than you think. Especially when it matters." She landed and pointed at the pegasus. "So do you, it would seem."
"That wasn't self-control," Rainbow muttered. She then sighed, wings drooping. "That was... something else."
"Would you like to talk about it?"
"No."
"My apologies."
"Nothing to be sorry about." Rainbow glanced over. She blinked calmly. "However, you could talk to me about what the elders have decided."
Fawful nodded. "Yes. Yes, I could..."
"Well?" Rainbow gulped. "Is it good news or bad news?"
Fawful gazed thoughtfully into the stars. "Well..." She gave Rainbow a faint smile. "A little bit of both."