//------------------------------// // Whoah, Hold Your East Horses // Story: Urohringr // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// "...and, from what I can tell—at least—the flames from this machine world empower Rainbow Dash in mesmerizing ways," Pilate said from across the wooden chamber. "She's capable of controlling ancient mechanisms that remain dormant for everypony else. In other cases, she's been able to restore harmony by returning the magical fire to the pedestals where they belong." "And these... these ancient words," Fawful murmured, squinting from where she sat across the lantern-lit interior alongside several other elders "You have found them in various places?" "Throughout the continent of Ledomare and beyond," Pilate said with a nod. "And on top of that you have all of the landscapes Rainbow Dash has flown through previously, not to mention the symbols found in Stratopolis itself." "And..." Fawful exchanged glances with the other Gray-Feathers, then glanced back at the zebra. "These... these dragon creatures also recognize this?" "They're called the Divines, and Rainbow Dash knows more about them than I do," Pilate said. "But, to answer your question, yes—the dragon Axan—a guardian far older than all of our lives combined—recognized Rainbow Dash as this 'Austraeoh.' It's precisely why she spared the mare's life." The elders all murmured amongst themselves. Fawful rubbed her chin in thought. Slowly, she got up and shuffled past Pilate, staring at a figure in the windowsill. "Rainbow Dash..." She frowned slightly. "All this time, you never once thought of explaining all of this to us?" Rainbow Dash was perpetually face-hoofing. After a prolonged sigh, she muffled into her forelimbs. "Grffff... I wish somepony would explain it to myself..." "Even still, you should have told me, Rainbow." "Tell you what?!" Rainbow looked up. "'Oh, by the way, Fawful, not only are your Sun and Moon controlled by these winged unicorn thingies called Alicorns, but I'm this magically gifted harbinger of flame and sparkles who may be of the same bloodline as the ancient mare you've worshipped since foaling!'" "Rainbow, I am a Gray-Feather, not a child," Fawful said with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you know that I'm properly equipped to deal with the information you have to provide me?" Rainbow gawked at her, slowly shaking her head. "No. I don't." "But if you had just—" "Do you forget what happened down there in the sanctum?!" Rainbow's voice cracked. "Or do you easily just brush off every instance that you suffer a nervous breakdown?!" Fawful took a deep breath, turning to glance lethargically at the elders. Rainbow sighed, rolling her eyes. She kicked off the window frame and trotted over until she stood beside Pilate in the lanternlight. "Just... think about it for one moment. Try to imagine it from my perspective. All I wanna do is connect the gap between Equestria and you guys." She gulped. "Like—what's the point in bringing up all this crazy junk if the first pill is so hard and bitter to swallow as it is?!" "They never asked to remain ignorant, Rainbow," Pilate muttered. Rainbow barked at him, "I know how to deal with this, Stripesy!" "Like you have so far?!" Pilate retorted. "By leaving them in the dark about Urohringr and—" "Enough!" Fawful raised her hooves, silencing the two. After they both quieted down, she cleared her throat and spoke in a calm voice. "Rainbow, how much does your... Celestia know about this?" Rainbow bit her lip. "Erm... not much. The same can be said about Luna. As a matter of fact..." She glanced up with a weary expression. "Nopony knew much of anything until I... I-I began my flight." "And when did you start to realize your purpose in this journey?" "Purpose?" Rainbow blinked. "Jury's still out on that, girl." She twitched and rolled her eyes at herself. "No pun intended, but—for real—I'm figuring it out as I go along." "Rainbow," Pilate spoke up. "The Herald wouldn't have existed at all if there wasn't some ounce of truth in the angels that brought about the Sundering. I don't see why you bother to deny at this point that—" "I'm not denying anything, darn it! I just..." Rainbow sighed. She smiled weakly and rested a hoof on the zebra's shoulder. "Sorry for being so snippy, dude." She gulped and turned towards the elders. "Look, all I've known from the beginning... all I've felt was the need to move... and to fly. And it was never because something was speaking to me and urging me to go on. I just... I-I just had to chase the sun and keep moving. I couldn't stay where I was. I couldn't..." She winced, her pupils shrinking at the thought. Fawful slowly nodded. "Because of what happened to your friends." Pilate's ears twitched. He tilted his head in Rainbow's direction. "You told her, then?" Rainbow gulped. "I told her enough." Her ears folded as she avoided everpony's gaze. "Or so I thought..." "So, all this time..." An elder trotted up from the rear of the room, his eyes thin. "You never had any intention of arriving in Durandana?" Rainbow slowly shook her head. "Despite all of the stuff you've just learned, I've never been one to take much stock in fate. I wasn't lying when I first told Sivrem and Fawful and the like that my friends and I were heading to a kingdom east of this place. It just so happened that Durandana was along the way, and we had just gone through all that mess in Stratopolis and... and..." "Rainbow..." Pilate leaned his head towards her. "Before you speak yourself in a corner..." "The hay are you going on about?" "Haven't you ever paused to consider?" "Consider what?" "You couldn't have stumbled upon the Sword of Solstice at a better time." Rainbow's blood went cold. "Maybe there's a reason Commander Hurricane met the end that she did," the zebra suggested. "Perhaps there was yet a pony who would complete her journey for her." "Pilate, please." Rainbow cleared her throat. It still sounded raspy as she spoke, "Don't make everypony think I'm something that I'm not." "What do you mean?" Fawful remarked. "Do you believe that there's an even greater connection between yourself and the Valkyrie?" This only caused the elders behind her to stammer. Rainbow hesitated, then eventually said, "A connection?" She gulped. "Probably so. But..." She stepped forward. "Hurricane and I were never the same thing! Please... please don't believe that! It's not what I wanted you to believe!" Fawful stared squarely at Rainbow. "But what do you believe?" Rainbow stood stock still. "I believe..." Eventually, she slumped back on her haunches and muttered. "I believe that things were really dang simple when all I ever had to worry about was strange caves and giant eels..."