//------------------------------//
// From First Light to Last 
// Story: Urohringr 
// by Imploding Colon 
//------------------------------//

	Most Gray-Feathers sat quietly on the upper platforms of West D.  Some paced in tense little circles.  Whatever the case, the atmosphere had become decently tense by the time the seven pegasi returned.  Fawful was one of the first to see them.  Upon hearing the loud osprey shriek of a First-Born, she turned and tilted her head up, shading her eyes as she gazed at the southern mountain tops.

Seven shapes pierced the mists, rapidly descending under a dissipating vortex of clouds.  Rainbow Dash's bright colors stood out in the evening glow.  However, she pulled back, hovering in place while the six Durandanans descended past her.

Sivrem arrived first.  Several Gray-Feathers gathered around, eyeing the heavy weight of his precarious landing.  As soon as he coiled his wing feathers, they saw an immense satchel hanging from his muzzle.  Without saying a word, the First-Born reached deep into the bag, pulled out something slender, and tossed it before the Gray-Feathers' hooves.

The elders stammered nervously.  One old stallion finally picked the object up, squinting at its leafy green exterior and its dense yellow core.  "What... is this?"

"It's called corn, elder," Sivrem said.  "One of the tastiest things I've ever enjoyed in my life."  He turned towards other Gray-Feathers and pulled something else out of the bag.  "And this..."  He grunted, having to use two forelimbs to roll the large object onto the wooden platform.  "...is a watermelon."

An elder mare murmured, "Have you seen anything so big?"

"Yes, I have."  Sivrem smirked.  "Pumpkins.  And don't get me started on the metal tools they build in something called a forge.  Or the clothes they make out of 'wool,' body hair lent from the western territories."

Fawful leaned forward, squinting.  "Sivrem, who are 'they?'"

The First-Born grinned.  "The ponies of Sandstone.  Our neighbors to the south."  He turned and glanced at the other equines.  "There's an entire village of them.  And roadways built towards other villages beyond the forests and lakes."

"Lakes?" another elder remarked.

Kitsune trotted up and nodded.  "There's a whole world out there, elder.  A world that can be ours to explore.  Rainbow Dash showed us how.  We can show others."

Sivrem gestured.  "And we can get more of these amazing things, so long as we trade for them."

"Trade what?"

"Bananas.  Apples.  The glorious bounty that the Valkyrie has blessed us with here!"  Sivrem smiled.  Then he chuckled.  "I'm guessing these Sandstone ponies have never drank milk before, much less something as glorious as what we all get from the leatherbacks."

The elders stared at one another, murmuring in deep thought.

Jerrio touched down behind the other two.  He shuddered slightly.

Fawful saw it.  "Jerrio?" she asked.  "Was there something you wish to say?"

Jerrio took a deep breath.  "There is, elder."  Everypony went silent as he gulped and said, "The ponies of Sand Stone are... without a doubt... some of the n-nicest and friendliest souls that I've met."

Kitsune and Sivrem exchanged smiles.

Jerrio stared at the thick line of elders standing before him.  "We can only benefit from establishing a relationship with them.  I'm certain that they have many things to teach us.  And no doubt we can share with them the blissful legacy of the Valkyrie."

The commotion reached a new pitch, warm and charismatic.

Fawful blinked.  She glanced up at Rainbow Dash.

The whole time, Rainbow hovered with her forelimbs folded.  She had a knowing smirk on her face, and her eyes remained affixed to Fawful.

The mare blinked, and she smiled, her cheeks turning rosy.





"It is settled, then?" Celestia's voice echoed across the topmost chamber of Central D.

"Yes, Princess," an elder said as he paced across the crowded compartment.  Several Durandanans watched and listened intently.  "Your presence shall be kept here at the request of Rainbow Dash.  You will be a guest of the Valkyrie's flock, much like Rainbow and her fellow outsiders have been."

"That sounds perfectly reasonable to me."

"We understand that you are very busy with royal duties over in Equestria—"

"I shall always find time to heed your words and give you the advice that you seek," Celestia's voice said.  "Even if you may not be our royal subjects, you are nonetheless kindred spirits, and you deserve every gift of Harmony that I have to bestow."

Another elder spoke up.  "If it's true that you and your sister live exceedingly long lives, then I suspect that your longevity shall be put to the test.  Durandana sits on the precipice of unfathomable change.  We Gray-Feathers are used to dealing with the scrolls of the past, not so much the mysteries of the future."

"We are prepared to assist you for as long as it takes," Celestia said.  "If you have a question for us... or our grandfoals' grandfoals, we will gladly answer them to the best of our ability.  You shall not be alone in this."

Luna's voice spoke up.  "And it will not just be us.  Already, we have established a royal council of Equestrian hearts and minds to bestow you a boundless bank of knowledge.  The esteemed pegasi of Cloudsdale shall be eager to teach you knew manners of weather control.  What's more, the earth ponies of Ponyville will be more than happy to lend you advice in planting and growing crops of all kinds."

"And our finest unicorn delegates will be more than happy to provide consultation on diplomacy," Celestia said in a pleasant tone.  "Should you need it."

Fawful smiled and spoke up.  "Humbly speaking, we very well might.  Although..."  She pivoted about and glanced up.  "...we have learned quite a bit already from Rainbow Dash's example."

"Awwwww shucks..."  Rainbow waved a forelimb from where she hovered.  "I only did what any other chaos-cursed east-throttling sunrise pony with a loyalty pendant around her scrawny neck woulda done."

"Rainbow Dash, please..."  Fawful squirmed where she stood.  "It... it doesn't take skills in empathy to realize how hard it must be to give up something like this..."

"Hey!  We've been over this!"  Rainbow Dash touched down, eyeing her reflection in the blade's golden surface.  "I've got Princess Luna's spell connecting us through-and-through!  Sword or no sword, I'll still be able to chat with her once a month!  Ain't that right, Moonbutt?"

"... ... ...indubitably."

"Heehee!"  Rainbow smiled.  "Face it.  The sword's yours.  It's always been yours.  From the moment it was entombed alongside Commander Hurricane, history had made its decision.  Besides... I've already gotten out of it what I needed to."

"It's strange to realize that it was your tool of salvation inside Stratopolis," Fawful said.

"What got me out of Stratopolis was a bunch of different things," Rainbow Dash said.  "Most of which wait for me back in the Jury.  My friends."  She smiled.  "So long as I have them, I'm golden."

"And how long do you intend to have them, Rainbow Dash?" Fawful quietly asked.

Rainbow took a deep breath.  One s-sunrise at a time, Fawful," she murmured.  A bittersweet smile as she shivered slightly.  "That's how I've always dealt with things, and that's how I intend to keep doing it."

Fawful bit her lip while her eyes grew misty.

"Look, girl, you haven't been a Gray-Feather for long," Rainbow muttered.  "It won't be a crime to—"

Fawful lunged forward and wrapped her forelimbs around Rainbow's neck.  She hugged the pegasus deeply, sniffling.  "Valkyrie's Light be upon you, Rainbow Dash.  I trust that she will give you peace.  A part of me is sad... and selfishly regretful... that she hasn't decided to give you such serenity here."

"Hey hey..."  Rainbow patted Fawful's shoulder and pushed the two of them apart so that they were gazing at each other.  "Face it.  I've never been all that big on 'serenity.'  If that was Hurricane's groove up until the bitter end, then good for her.  She's got a lot of gulls to be proud of, after all."  Rainbow Dash nuzzled Fawful and stepped back.  "But there ain't no room in this crater for more two Austraeohs.  The Valkyrie's got it goin' on, and this girl knows when it's time to take flight."

"Still..."  Fawful swallowed a lump down her throat and smiled gently.  "It has been a righteous honor..."

"Whew... if I had a bit for every time I heard that."  A few elders chuckled as Rainbow Dash pivoted around.  "The sword is yours, guys!  So long as you don't use it for chopping branches, de-clawing leatherbacks, or dicing up fish berries, then I think we're golden!  And so's the sword.  Heh."

"Rainbow Dash, you have done a marvelous job here," Celestia's voice said.  "I would tell you how proud I am, but I fear the time it would take would carry us well beyond sunset."

"Hey.  My time in the spotlight in Durandana here is over."  Rainbow winked at the flickering gold metal of the blade.  "The stage is all yours, Princess.  Just make sure you don't... y'know... accidentally start a totalitarian fascist state or something."

"'Totalitarian... fascist st-state?'" an elder muttered in total confusion.

"See?!" Rainbow pointed with a grin.  "That's a good sign right there!"  She blinked.  "...I think."

Luna's voice suddenly spoke up, "You are departing soon, then, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow nodded, trotting closer to the sword.  "Yup.  As the natives would say, 'I gotta gust my eggshells out.'"

Fawful giggled and rolled her eyes.

"What?"  Rainbow turned, grinning wide.  "That's good enough, isn't it?  Sorry, girl!  You couldn't get me to gobble like a turkey even if you paid me!"

"I trust your friends will be close by your side."

Rainbow turned back to the blade.  She blinked.  "Why... yeah, Luna.  Why wouldn't they?"

A pause.  Then, in a faintly melancholic tone:  "We wouldn't wish it any other way."

Rainbow bit her lip.  Quietly, she stepped up to the Sword of Solstice.  "How long is it until the next full moon, Your Highness?"

"We regret to inform you that one cycle culminated during your stay here in Durandana.  It will easily be a four week wait at the soonest."

"Huh... is that so?"  Rainbow Dash chuckled breathily, though her ears folded back in a limp fashion.  "Guess time flies when you're... h-having fun..."

"We certainly wish so, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow bit her lip, staring down at the wooden floor of the compartment.

"Rainbow," Luna's voice softly echoed.  "We... I very much wish for you to know just how intensely proud I am of you.  Never doubt your talents for a single moment.  You are a shining beacon of Harmony, and your friends would jave been quite pleased—"

"Luna..."  Rainbow stood so close to the blade that her breath fogged the golden surface.  "My friends are pleased with me."  She gulped, then smiled gently.  "Aren't you?"

Silence.

At last, Luna said, "Indeed."

"See you next full moon?"

Quiet.  Then, in a shuddering tone, "Most certainly.  The next full moon it is, Rainbow Dash."

"Then it's a date."  Rainbow sniffled.  She then kissed her hoof and planted it against the shimmering gold surface.  "...stay awesome, MoonButt."







"Duaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah..."  Zaid twitched and twitched, his legs buckling from underneath him.

Jagold and Smythe blinked at him, then exchanged glances from where they stood atop the Noble Jury.

"Hello?"  Props leaned in and waved her hoof across Zaid's spiraling eyeballs.  "Zaidy Waidy...?"

"I don't get it!" Jagold stammered, then gestured at the stack of yellow and white cheese wheels.  "Isn't this something he's always wanted?  Why is he having a seizure?"

"Uhm..."  Props gulped and smiled bashfully at the two pegasi.  "Don't worry.  That's his way of saying 'thank you.'"

Smythe squinted.  "He says 'thank you' by foaming at the mouth?"

"Yeah!  Hehe!"  Props nuzzled the twitching stallion's neck.  "At least, I like to think so!  It explains why he falls out of the bed so much."

"Eeep!"  Jagold blushed furiously.  "Eggshells!  Whelp... enjoy your cheese wheels!"  She flapped towards the other side of the Noble Jury.

Ebon Mane trotted up, poked Zaid once, and watched as the stallion tipped over.  He rolled his eyes and smirked at Smythe.  "I'll take it from here.  I just hope I've got enough bread to go with this gift."

"Good luck with that."  Smythe said and flew after Jagold.

Ebon stared at the cheese wheels, rubbing his chin in thought.  Eagle Eye trotted up from behind.  "Looks like you have your work cut out for you."

"Hmmm..."  Ebon nodded with a smile.  "It's all good, though.  I'm always at my best when I'm tackling a culinary challenge."

"Yes..."  Eagle nodded, then stared down at his fidgeting hooves.  "Yes, I know."

Ebon blinked.  He turned around and immediately nuzzled the stallion.  "At least... that's how it used to be."

Eagle gulped.

"Hehe... what?"  Ebon gazed at him.  "Afraid I'll cary the stink of cheese into the cabin?"

"I dunno.  I guess..."  Eagle bit his lip.  "I-I sorta regret having to leave this place."

"Why's that?"

"Because..."  Eagle gulped and spoke in a quiet tone, "It feels like the first place where I actually f-found myself."

Ebon leaned in, kissed Eagle on the lips, and murmured in his ears.  "Me too.  But, wherever we're going, I doubt either of us will be lost.  Now, will we?"

Eagle smiled, his eyes misty.  He brushed his cheek with Ebon's and murmured, "Ebon?  I... I..."

"Heehee... Yes, EE?"  Ebon gazed at him warmly.  "What's on your mind?"

Eagle stared back.  At last, he gulped, then spoke in a quivering tone, "It's not m-my mind..."  He had stealthily clasped Ebon's hoof so that it rested over his chest.

Ebon chuckled breathily.  "You sap."  A wink.  "I love you too."

Eagle smiled.

"And later..." Ebon leaned in and whispered in Eagle's ear.

Eagle's lavender coat turned two shades rosier.  "Guhhh!"  He looked nervously over his shoulder.  "Ebonnnn!"

"What?"  Ebon chuckled.  "Don't worry!  Belle's and Pilate's cabin are three rows down and on the other side!"

"Uggggh..."  Eagle rolled his eyes.  "What am I going to do with you?"

"...I can think of many things."

"Ahem.  The cheese, Ebon?"

"Hmm?  Oh!  Right.  Could you lend me a hoof?"

"Sure.  While they're still clean."

"Hehehehe..."

As the stallions trotted across the deck, they passed Josho as he was cornered by a pink-eyed mare.

"You know... I've been meaning to ask you something since you and your friends arrived here, outsider."  Rayvinne smiled, thin-eyed, as she flicked the very tip of the aging unicorn's horn with her wingfeathers.  "Is that the only part of you that glows?"

"Yeesh, lady..."  Josho glared at her lethargically.  "No wonder Rainbow's been gone all hours of the day."

"Oh, please.  She may have the colors of the Valkyrie, but deep inside she's all blue."

"Yeah.  Probably from punching herself in the face so long."

"You've got at least an hour before you sail away on your Valkyrie Silver."  Rayvinne waggled her eyebrows.  "Feel like losing some weight?"

"Y'know, I didn't have the courage to say it until now." Josho stifled a belch.  "But—like—if this whole entire crater was actually one bigass elevator, it still wouldn't lift even half as much as your friggin' tail, girl."

"Pffft."  Rayvinne rolled her eyes and giggled.  "Suit yourself, chief."  She trotted off with a flounce to her feathers.  "I swear, is there something in this ship's water?"

"Yeah.  It's called cynicism," Josho grumbled.  "I down two cups of it a night before going to bed."  He cracked his neck joints, sighed, then glanced aside.  He caught a pair of red eyes staring at him.  "What are you looking at, Space Elk?"

Floydien grunted, "Rotund boomer is sad in the sad sack."

"Yeah... well..."  Josho waddled off, grumbling.  "Go hump a manaconduit or something."

"Nancy Jane does not like the chafe chafe."  Floydien glanced up at the sky, his eyes catching numerous Durandanans as they hovered in close proximity to the craft.  "Hrmmmm... will the winged boomers ever give Floydien and friends their space?"

"Rest easy, Mr. Floydien," Pilate said as he and Belle trotted gently towards the bow of the ship.  "I suspect we'll be departing soon."

Belle cleared her throat.  "Rainbow?  Darling, are we in the clear?"

"Err... yeah!" Rainbow waved at them.  "Just about!"  She turned to directly face Kitsune and Sivrem.  "So... uh... you've already made plans, huh?"

"Don't worry, Rainbow," Kitsune said with a smile.  "We're taking our time with it.  Still, assuming Luna's and Celestia's contacts at Cloudsdale can give us a way to write down the instructions, it'll probably be a month or two from now when we decide to make our first cloud-raft."

"How many ponies are you going to string along for the trip?"

"We're thinking eighty-five," Sivrem said.  He squinted.  "Is that... t-too ambitious?"

"Whew..."  Rainbow grinned.  "It depends!  With that many ponies, you could probably make a permanent cloud base!"

Kitsune blinked in awe.  "A... permanent base?"

"Yeah, girl!  A city in the sky!"  Rainbow beamed.  "Like Cloudsdale!"

"I... I-I wasn't aware we could do that."

"Pfft.  You're pegasi.  You're awesome enough to do anything!"  Rainbow nudged Kitsune's shoulder and winked.  "Don't forget that."

Kitsune smiled, blushing sweetly.  "Now I'm starting to understand what Rayvinne sees in you."

"Guh!"  Rainbow rolled her eyes.  "I swear!  Does everypony know about her and me?"

"Hey..."  Sivrem shrugged and chuckled.  "It's a small crater."  He gulped.  "At least it is now."

"You'll deal," Rainbow said with a smirk.  "We all do.  Besides..."  She turned and glanced towards the stern of the Jury.  "...there's a whole bunch of stuff beyond... to explore."

The tell-tale twin glints of Roarke's eye-lenses shimmered across the top deck.

Rainbow blinked.

Without saying a word, Roarke quietly turned around and trotted down the dark stairwell.

Rainbow's lips pursed.  Suddenly, she heard a giggling sound, and she glanced in Kera's direction.

Jerrio glided down to the Noble Jury's surface.  Kera was perched on his back, waving her forelimbs in the air and cheering.  The First-Born landed neatly beside Pilate and Belle.  He squatted low enough so that Kera could hop onto Belle's backside.

"Thanks, Mr. Jerrio!"  Kera said with a devilish smirk.  "It's been a while since I got an air ride like that!  Heeheehee... Rainbow barely has time to do it anymore."

"Yes, well, it seems as though Rainbow has done a lot for you, just as she has for all of us."  He stood up and stared Kera in the eyes.  "But, if you ask me, she's going to be needing your help from now on."

"Yeah..."  Kera shuddered slightly.  "I-I know..."

"It's nothing too strange," Jerrio said.  His eyes wandered across the deck, and for a brief moment he seemed to make eye contact with a certain petite pegasus.  "The Valkyrie had her friends, and Duranda wrote about it often.  You see... those of us who look and act the strongest actually need the most help.  Sometimes it takes a while to realize that."

Kera smiled.  "I think I'm gonna miss this place."

Jerrio breathed calmly and said, "I think I will too."  A pause.  He stretched a wing forward, clasped his teeth over the tips, and plucked one feather loose.  He rested the thing behind Kera's ear and patted her head.  "You have a spirit like unto the Valkyrie.  Trust in your elders, for they will someday depend on you as well."

"Sure thing, Mr. Jerrio."

Belle and Pilate smiled, leaning side by side.

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath.

"Rainbow?"

She turned and blinked.

"This place..." Sivrem's eyes narrowed.  "This... Val Roa... is it anything like Stratopolis or any of the challenges you've faced before."

"Heh... come on, big guy..."  Rainbow smirked.  "If I could answer that, it'd spoil the fun."

Sivrem merely blinked.

"Ahem..."  Rainbow trotted closer and spoke in a quiet tone.  "I don't know what Val Roa has in store for my friends and I... or..."  She gulped.  "...or if I will even make it there. But that's not going to stop me from flying there anyways."

"You could have had it so much more peaceful if you stayed here, Rainbow," Kitsune said.  "I'm sure your friends wouldn't have minded."

Rainbow's nostrils flared.  "I would have," she said.  "Never—not even for one second—fail to push yourself beyond your limits.  Otherwise, you won't be living.  You'll just be drifting, and I've never been all that big of a fan of flying with the wind."  She smirked.  "Too boring."

Sivrem and Kitsune exchanged glances.  They smiled, then turned back to Rainbow.  "Rainbow Dash," Kitsune said.  "We wanted to give you something before you left."

"Is it a hug?"  Rainbow smirked.  "Cuz I think I gave all of mine to Fawful earlier in one heavy dose."

"Don't you worry, girl," Rayvinne said, sneaking up suddenly from behind.  Smythe and Jagold stood next to her.  "This won't hurt one bit," the mare said with a wink.

"Uhm..."  Rainbow gulped.  "What—?"  Then, to her surprise, all five pegasi were crouching low, their wings outstretched so that the feathertips barely touched her sky-blue coat.

Sivrem spoke loudly, boldly.  "Most Righteous Valkyrie, with the glory contained within your Gold Lights, guide Rainbow's path beyond the greens.  Let the Lights From Above Shine on her forevermore, so that her legacy will live on—as yours does—in the hearts of ponies everywhere..."

Although breathless, Rainbow felt like she should say something.  This thought was shattered the moment Jerrio suddenly joined in, crouching low with wings outstretched.

"Our gusts will follow her from now until Windlessness," Jerrio said.  He looked up, his eyes moist above a proud smile.  "So promise the foals of the Valkyrie forever..."

"From First-Born to Last," the six pegasi said in one accord, and it was only until the resounding echo had finished reverberating that Rainbow realized that every Durandana within earshot of the Jury had been chanting the same thing.

Kera gazed in wonder.  Pilate smiled while Belle wiped her muzzle dry beside him.

Rainbow glanced at them, then at the wings stretched towards her.  She smiled nervously and let loose the tiniest of giggles.  "Eheheh," her voice cracked.  "Play ball!"