Bountiful had become a black and white sea of zebra fur. By midday, the Noble Jury had returned to the Duchess' home town, bringing along with it a plethora of refugees. Along the edges of the outer township, several tents were pitched beside a smattering of wagons. Local villagers came out of their homes in droves, communing with the influx of foreigners. Within hours, groups of ponies and deer dedicated to the House of Sehlp began dispersing food, blankets, and water.
“It's... it's incredible, Beloved,” Bellesmith remarked from where she stood next to her mate along the crest of a hill overlooking the town. She watched in awe as noble elks wandered outward from the inner wall, bearing gifts and goods. “The entire village is giving from the bottom of their heart.” She smiled. “We didn't even need to ask them once. They just saw who and what we brought from the east and began lending a hoof.”
“Should this truly surprise you?” Pilate smirked. “This far east of Abinadi?”
“Even still, it's not like we told them much or even warned them of this inexplicable burden.”
“I doubt they see it as a burden, Belle,” Pilate said. “More like an opportunity. They are the Duchess' subjects, after all.”
Belle smiled. “I suppose you do have a point there. I'm not entirely sure what I was concerned with...”
“The real worry is dealing with their future,” Pilate said. “As gracious as the residents of Bountiful appear to be, I doubt they could feasibly welcome so many hungry souls into their town even if they tried.” He tilted his head in the mare's direction. “They'll need a place to live. A place suitable for their talents in farming. All they appear to be used to is desert survival, and this place offers a distinctly unique environment.”
Belle took a deep breath. “That's what we're all waiting on Rainbow Dash for,” she said. “A solution to all this mess.”
Just then, a series of hoofsteps pattered up the hill. Belle looked down to see Booster Spice in full sprint.
“Ms. Belle! Mr. Pilate!” He skidded to a stomp, slumped and wheezing for breath. “We've... we've got a signal!”
“Did Miss Props get in contact with her uncle again?” Pilate remarked.
“Even better!” Booster Spice smiled tiredly. “It's Rainbow Dash!”
“...!” Belle spun towards him, mouth agape. “Rainbow's calling us?!”
“She already did!” He nodded. “At least five minutes ago! Come on!” He motioned as he galloped off towards where the Noble Jury was parked. “There may still be a chance to get a word in if we hurry!”
When Belle, Pilate, and Booster burst into the engine room, Props was already squatting before the communications array with the rest of the jurists huddled around.
“Alright, Dashie...” Props scribbled onto a sheet of paper. “I got the coordinates written down. Just what's going on there?”
“A fancy shmancy banquet of some sort. We just got done attending an assembly of the High Council, and now they're treating all of the delegates to a—”
“No, she means the coordinates you just gave us, ya melon fudge!” Josho growled. “What the Hell is going on that far north?!”
“I've no idea, McLardington! That's why I need you guys to find out!”
“Us?” Eagle Eye blinked. “You mean with the Noble Jury?”
“No, with two canoes and an electric fan! What do you think?!”
“Well... uh...” Props squirmed. “That might be a bit of a sticky wicket, Dashie.”
“Huh? Why's that?”
“We really put the Nancy Jane through a workout while you were gone!” Props said. “A bunch of zebras were being kicked out of their homes by the flank buggly goblins and we decided to—”
“We did a bit of zebra hitch hiking, Rainbow!” Zaid spoke up. “And by a bit I really mean that we loaded dozens upon dozens of extra passengers.”
“And it really put some wear and tear on the energy core!” Props chirped. “I can stabilize it, but I'll need to give Nancy a rest for a while! I-I don't think she can withstand a sudden skystone hop to the north!”
“Just how north are we talking about?” Josho remarked.
“Here...” Pilate extended a hoof.
Props handed him the freshly scribbled paper.
With the aid of the O.A.S.I.S. sphere, Pilate scanned the sheet through and through. His gray eyes flickered in time with his runic plate. “That's...” He winced. “...that's nearly to the skystone fields.”
“Oh...” Josho rolled his eyes. “Great.”
“Rainbow Dash...” Pilate trotted closer towards the communications array. “I don't know how or where you found these coordinates, but they're positioned so far north that no conventional vehicle can reach it.”
“When you say 'skystone fields,' Stripesy, do you mean that mess of stuff we flew Stratopolis into together?!”
Pilate nodded. “And if a Sentinel couldn't survive it...”
“The Noble Jury could,” Bellesmith remarked. “Couldn't it?” She blinked at the others. “Because it runs on skystone?”
“It could get there, yup yup yup.” Props nodded. “But it wouldn't be able to stay there for long. All of the feedback of the skystone would rip any living or non-living thing to bacon bits!” Her blue eyes blinked. “It's why Dashie's never flown north to get to the other side of the world, remember?”
“What about Whizzball?” Booster Spice spoke up.
“You really think that could reach the coordinates?” Eagle Eye remarked.
Booster smiled. “Why not? It runs on skystone... even if it is a naga brand.” He glanced at the communications array and spoke louder. “Whizzball is maneuverable enough to make it there and back, Rainbow! I'm sure of it! That way we don't need to put the Noble Jury through any more unneeded exertion!”
“Well, if you think it can work...”
“I'm sorry, Rainbow,” Belle remarked. “I know you were depending on us to lend a hoof at any given moment, but these zebras—”
“Don't you dare apologize, Ding Dong. Helping out the residents of Val Roa is what the Noble Jury is all about.” There was a slight crackled of interference. “Look, I-I can't continue this conversation for too long. Basically, if you guys think Whizzball can check out those coordinates, I think you should leap upon it. So long as you can make the trip as safe as possible!”
“Rainbow...” Josho grumbled. “You still haven't friggin' told us what we're going to find there!”
“Because I don't friggin' know myself, dude!” Rainbow's voice hissed. “For all of my flying around, I've yet to figure out who Chrysalis is over here. But I do get the distinct feeling that at least Chancellor Fishberry and Secretary Sharp Quill are both working for her! When I observed them, they were all acting weird... funky even...”
“Oh gods...” Zaid's eyes widened. “Not funky!”
“What's more, they both had notes lying around about this mysterious place located in the 'Lemuel Tundra.' According to the Duchess, that's where those coordinates lie!”
“What could it be...?” Belle thought out loud. “A storehouse? A weapons arsenal?”
“Maybe where the Queen of Creeps last kept a hive,” Josho muttered. “Like in Stratopolis.”
“Or perhaps...” Eagle Eye gulped. “Where the Queen is herself.”
“Look, guys. Whatever you do, be super careful. Okay? As much as I wanna find out more about what's going on here, I'm not keen on sending you dudes into a suicide mission. Best that you have Roarke lead the Whizzball trip up north if that's what it comes down to.”
Every jurist inside the engine room collectively winced.
“... ... ...guys? You there?”
“Uhhhhh... Rainbow?” Zaid smiled nervously. “About Roarke McBoarke...”
“Huh? What about her?”
“She's kind of...” Zaid fidgeted, glancing at Props and the others. “That is to say, she's a bit indisposed at the—”
“Scrkkkk! Sorry, guys! I gotta jet! I'll try to give you an update after I eavesdrop on our targets at Sheperd's Rock!”
“But Rainbow—!” Belle began.
“Stay awesome! Catch you later!”
“Wait!” Eagle stammered. “Could you at least tell us how—”
The Communications Array powered down.
“... ... ...my Ebon is doing.” Eagle sniffled, hugging himself.
“Relax, cupcake...” Josho patted the stallion's shoulder. “I'm sure by the time you see him again, he'll have lost the ugly tattoos.”
“That's not helping,” Eagle grumbled.
“Couldn't you have been quicker on the draw?!” Belle frowned at Zaid.
“Uhhhh...” The former cultist fidgeted. “About what?”
“About telling her where Roarke was!”
“I didn't see you stepping up to the plate, Miss Funny Girl!”
“Everypony, don't panic,” Pilate said, raising a hoof. “Roarke can take care of herself. What Rainbow Dash doesn't know won't hurt either of them. If need be, we'll prepare a proper explanation for the next time she calls us. Right now, we need to figure out what to do about this new mission.”
“Isn't it obvious?” Booster Spice remarked. “We take the Lounge sphere and we investigate the ever living snuff out of it!”
Zaid snorted. “'Ever living snuff,' dude?”
Booster blushed, glancing down at his squirming hooves. “I-I can have a 'tude too, y'know...”
“Not to make the rest of us sound like panty-girdles, but Dashie is right!” Props blinked at the rest. “Without Roarke, we're kinda sorta limping into unknown territory.”
“So what?” Josho stood up straight. “You got your first volunteer limper right here!”
“You, Mr. Josho?” Belle remarked.
“Dang straight.” He suppressed a burp and cracked the joints in his neck. “I've been needing something to shoot ever since we decided to become boring zebra herders.”
“Mr. Goggles over there is the best at piloting that silly black marble,” Zaid said, pointing at Booster. “But he's not exactly headbutt material.”
“Hrmmph...” Booster folded his forelimbs. “Thanks for your confidence.”
“Seems like a no-brainer to me.” Zaid smirked. “And I'm the expert at no-braining.”
“Heeheee...” Props leaned in and nuzzled him. “Indeed you are, Zaidy Waidy.”
“Well...” Eagle Eye stood up, shuddering. “Guess I know what I'm up to for the next bunch of hours.”
Josho glanced at him. “You sure about this, princess?”
Eagle smiled awkwardly. “Face it, old stallion. You and I make the best team. It'd be criminal not to support Booster on his flight. After all...” He gulped. “We've been through worse.”
“That's some fruity optimism you've go there, gurl. But that remains to be seen.”
“Whatever.” Eagle shrugged. “It'll at least keep my mind off of our missing cook.”
“And it'll keep my stomach occupied as well.” Josho stamped his hooves down. “Let's do this shiet!”
“Uhm...” Booster Spice raised a hoof. “Mind if I use the facilities... and then we can 'do the shiet?'”
“Pfft!” Zaid balked. “Now you're just trying too hard.”
Rainbow Dash hid the soundstone in the depths of her cloak and dress. Fumbling, she turned away from the isolated balcony and trotted back into the well-lit banquet hall. The sound of orchestral violin strings and harps lit her fuzzy ears. She shuffled past droves of deer and elks and ponies as the milled about, drinking champaign and enjoying cocktail snacks.
After a bit of awkward trotting, Rainbow reached the Duchess' side. She spoke without raising her head. “Well, I spoke as much as I could without being seen.”
“Is everything alright?” Arcanista asked between sips of a tiny glass.
“Hmmm? Oh. Totally. I told them about the coordinates n'stuff. Sounds like they're gonna take Whizzball to give it a look-see.”
“No, I mean you look rather unsettled, Ms. Dash,” Arcanista said. “Did the Noble Jury have unfortunate news to share.”
“No, not really.” The pegasus gulped. “Aside from the fact that your home town is presently being used as a zebra refugee center.”
“That...” Arcanista blinked. “...is rather fascinating.” She took another sip. “So long as they don't harass the squirrels, then I approve.”
“You're too kind.” Rainbow sighed. “Still, what I wouldn't do to know what they yabbering about concerning Roarke at the end.”
“Hmmm?”
“Never mind.” Rainbow turned about. “What time is it?”
“Approaching three o'clock.”
“Yeesh. Time flies.” Rainbow shrugged her shoulders. “I'm not exactly party mingle material. Maybe I should make my way to Shepherd's Rock super early.”
“Whatever you do, you must avoid being seen,” Arcanista said. “Mamunia and Jet have already gone to meet with my brother. Perhaps he and Constable Jake can take you back to Plaza Topaz early. There, you can figure out a way to make a strategic exit.”
“Yeah...” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Sounds good. I can't wait to get to the bottom of—” She blinked, freezing suddenly in place. “Wait... where's Kera?”