“Oh! She's been more than accomodating! In fact—from the way your older brother describes Sturke—she's practically an alicorn in disguise! She's welcomed Cadance's expedition with open hooves... erm... claws! She's allowed them a place to moor the airship! She's even walked with them up and down the marble halls of the Palace of Ward!”
“Wow...” Twilight Sparkle cooed while Rarity and Pinkie listened intently to the voice coming through the enchanted moon spell. Their eyes sparkled in awe.
Rainbow smirked. “Twilight's practically drooling, Mrs. Sparkle.”
“Well imagine how Shining must feel! For the first time since their wedding, he and Cadance are being treated like true royalty! It's gone better than expected... far better than expected!”
“And... in this place...” Rainbow Dash paced slowly across Ultimo's scales while the pendant under her neck glimmered. “This... Kingdom of... of—”
“Ward,” Twilight's mother corrected. “Kingdom of Ward.”
“...the ponies know that their ruler is a big friggin' dragon?”
“Absolutely.”
“... ... ...and they're cool with that?”
The voice on the other end chuckled slightly. “Why, yes! Why shouldn't they be?”
A masculine voice bled through the magical airwaves: “Sturke has been fully briefed on what you told told Princess Luna during the last night of communication one month ago, Rainbow Dash,” Mr. Sparkle said. “It's taken a great deal of effort to relay the information to Cadance's and Shining's expedition, but we do believe that the Divine of Seasons is up to snuff, so to speak.”
“Yeah... and?”
“Mr. Sparkle... Mrs. Sparkle... if I may?”
“Absolutely, Spike.”
“Hey Rainbow.”
“Hey Spike.”
“So... like... when Cadance and Shining finally arrived at Ward, they got ahold of information... like... a lot of information. Too much for Cadance to casually convey through her alicorn spells. So... uh... lemme see... how can I explain this...?”
“You can do it, Spike!” Twilight smiled, eyes glossy. “If any scientific researcher can, it's you!”
“Twilight believes in you, Spike,” Rainbow said. “And I do too. Just relax and give it to us nice and easy.”
“Basically... uh... Cadance had to condense all of the information into a super dense code. She literally just relayed it yesterday, cuz she needed to harness the leftover power of Luna's moon spell in the remaining crystals of her broken tiara.”
“Right...”
“I've spent the last twenty-four hours decoding as much of the data as I could. When Luna told me and Twilight's parents that there was no response on the first night, I was pretty bummed out—for sure—but it was also kind of a good thing. Erm... in that I could spend all the extra time translating Cadance's message.”
“Gotcha. No hard feelings little guy.”
“Erm... Rainbow? Not sure if anypony's told you, but—I'm about the size of a stagecoach now. I'm not exactly a 'little guy' anymore.”
“Mmmmmm...!” Twilight squealed, covering her smiling cheeks with her hooves. Rarity and Pinkie Pie leaned in to nuzzle her and pat her shoulders.
“Do carry on, Spike,” spoke Mrs. Twilight.
“Right. Ahem. So... yeah... I'm learning lots of stuff as I decode Cadance's information line by line. I will likely have learned lots of new facts in time to share with you tomorrow, assuming we have the time for it.”
“Of course.”
“But I doubt that I'll have all of the information decoded in time before the full moon wanes. So, for right now, lemme just share this interesting bit of knowledge...”
“We're all ears, Spike.”
“According to Princess Cadance, Sturke was—for a long while there—in close communication with Axan.”
Rainbow did a double-take. “Whoah. Wait. What.”
“Omigosh...” Twilight exhaled.
“Who's Axan again?” Pinkie asked. “And why's her name sound so crunchy?”
Spike's voice continued: “The Divine Sisters communicated with one another through a very ancient tool of crystalline enchantment.”
“You mean... like soundstones?”
“Yes, but a heck of a lot more powerful. Luna and Celestia recall the alicorns gifting the Divines with a series of—like—crystal balls that were enchanted with harmonic energy that could cross any leyline no matter the distance.”
“And you're telling me...” Rainbow cocked her head to the side. “...that Sturke and Axan were using one of these thingies to chew the fat all this time?” She gulped. “While I was breaking my wingbones trying to cross this huge friggin' plane?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes. According to Cadance, Sturke claims that Axan reached out to her crystal a long time ago. We're talking... uhhh... I think 'eight months ago' is what Cadance was told.”
Rainbow and Twilight Sparkle exchanged glances.
“Eight months...” Twilight murmured.
Rainbow blinked. “That... was...” Her eyes darted left and right. “...Ledomare? Yeesh...”
“Were you still in Blue Shelf at the time?” Twilight asked. “After all, didn't you find out that you were incapacited for ten months following what Axan did to you in Silvadel?”
“Yeah, b-but... eight months?” Rainbow shuddered. “I'm pretty sure I knew Bellesmith and Pilate at that point in time...”
“Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow spun about. “Yeah, Spike?”
“You might be interested to know that—until eight months ago—Sturke hadn't heard a single peep from Axan. The sisters had been virtual strangers to one another for... f-for millennia.”
Rianbow nodded. “Yeah. I know.”
“H-huh?! You know?!”
Rainbow sighed. “Just carry on, Spike.”
Rarity leaned in to Pinkie Pie. “Is it terrible that I feel completely lost right about now?”
“I'm talking supremely crunchy!” Pinkie hissed back. “Like a taco!”
“Supposedly, Sturke wasn't the first Divine that Axan sought out,” Spike's voice said. “The Divine of Flame tried contacting a bunch of other siblings, but assumed most of them dead. She couldn't get through to Verlax, unfortunately. And we both know what eventually happened to Nevlamas.”
“Does Sturke know what happened to Nevlamas?”
“... ... ...yes.”
Rainbow bit her lip. “How'd she take it?”
“Cadance describes Sturke as being very emotionally distraught at the topic—which she brought up, by the way.”
“Wait... how'd she know about it before Cadance and Shining Armor?”
“Axan told her.”
“She told her?”
“Axan told her a lot of things. She also mentioned that she was 'following the Austraeoh.'”
“Rainbow...” Twilight murmured. “That... that confirms what you've always felt.”
“She was there with me over the Grand Choke,” Rainbow said. “I... I just know it...”
“That would make some sense, Rainbow Dash,” Spike said. “Considering when she vanished.”
“Wait... what?” Rainbow shot up straight, ears twitching. “When who vanished?”
“Ermmmm...”
“Axan...” Rainbow blinked. “...Axan is gone?”
“Sturke says that... that communication with the Divine of Flame ended abruptly... without warning.” A brief pause. “It happened not that long before Cadance and Shining showed up in Ward.”
“Like... how long ago exactly?”
“We're talking... uhhhh... about a month, I guess?”
“Approximately around the time of our last communication,” Princess Luna's voice suddenly said.
“Yeah. Just about.”
“You had just arrived at Kihutaja,” Twilight said. “Remember, Rainbow? The K.M.C.A?”
“Of course I remember, egghead,” Rainbow muttered. “I had just come out of the Choke. The Blight went away.” Rainbow's brow furrowed. “...why—after all of this time—would Axan just up and leave?” She gazed up at the starlight cascading across Ultimo's scales and the ocean waves surrounding. “Especially when she seemed so determined to track me like she did...?”
“Well, this is her sister Verlax's kingdom, is it not?” Rarity remarked.
Rainbow and Twilight flashed her a look.
Rarity cleared her throat and fluffed her mane demurely. “I mean... I'm not entirely certain what the implication of that would be, of course, but it's a factor that deserves careful consideration, is it not?”
“Verlax... spoke very flippantly about Axan,” Rainbow said. “When... when I-I had my vision.” She glanced skyward again. “Did she finally put an end to it?”
“And end to what, Rainbow?” Spike's voice asked.
“To Axan following me.” Rainbow took a deep breath. “All this time, I always... felt that she was nearby, watching. And when she finished off Nevlamas, it confirmed my suspicions. But now... just to think that she's gone... as in actually truly gone...?”
“It must be an absolute relief, dear!” Rarity remarked. “Considering what she did to you and all!”
Rainbow fidgeted. “Yeah... I-I guess...” Clearing her throat, she tilted her head up so that the pendant captured more and more moonbeams. “Spike, did Axan tell Sturke—I mean...” She gritted her teeth. “Does anyone in Ward—Sturke or Cadance or Shining or, heck, even that new guy Slashed Fences—”
“Flash Sentry.”
“Whatever. Does anyone... anyone at all know why Axan was 'following the Austraeoh' in the first place?”
“I'm... afraid that I don't have that information, Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow's brow furrowed. “Why? Because Sturke hasn't told Cadance's expedition or because you haven't decoded it yet?”
“A... little bit of both, I fear.”
Rainbow groaned.
“One interesting detail is that—according to Cadance—Sturke's confessed to having talked with Endrax.”
“Whoah... h-huh?!” Rainbow did a double-take. “When?!”
“Erm... several thousand years ago.”
Rainbow's ears drooped. “Oh...” She frowned briefly. “Well, why'd you even mention it, then?”
“Because it still technically makes Sturke the last known Divine to have bridged communication with the matriarch on the dark side of the plane. And this is something that Sturke had to inform Axan about several months ago when their communication first began. Seems like Axan was really keen on getting in contact with Endrax, no matter how futile it may have been.”
“Yeah...” Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. “That's something of a super depressing pattern I'm starting to notice as of late.”
“Rainbow Dash, is it true what you mentioned earlier?” Spike asked. “Did you really get an opportunity... Verlaxion yourself...?”
Rainbow's muzzle scrunched. “Huh? What was that?”
“Sounds like their alicorn antenna is breaking up!” Pinkie chirped.
“Rainbow...” Twilight pointed at the horizon. “...the moon.”
Rainbow saw the pale orb sinking towards the ocean. “Crud.” She spun about. “Spike! We've been at this for several hours! Communication's about to break up!”
“Right. I-I was afraid of that.”
“Don't worry. You did good, kid.” Rainbow winced slightly, then produced a nervous smile. “Good... big-as-a-stagecoach kid.” She cleared her throat. “Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle? Are you still there?”
“Hello, Rainbow Dash,” Mrs. Sparkle's voice shimmered in the air. “That we are.”
“Look...” Rainbow held her forelimbs together. “...I'm super duper mega sorry that your Twilight Time got eaten up by Spike and I discussing Sturke and the Divines.”
A gentle chuckle. “Oh, Rainbow, dear, that's quite alright. We know how very important this all is to your journey.”
“And Twilight's as well,” Mr. Sparkle joined in. “Honey, if you can hear us, we're still so incredibly proud of you.”
“You're courage and wisdom is giving Shining a run for the money, Twilight,” Mrs. Sparkle said. “We know this must be incredibly tough for you, dear.”
“I can handle it!” Twilight said, sniffling. She bit her lip. “But it must be even tougher for you! Please... don't worry, Mom... Dad. Rainbow Dash is taking good care of me! Of all of us!”
Rainbow smiled into the pale glow. “Twilight values your courage as well, Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle. But don't you sweat.” She winked. “I've got her taken care of.”
“It's only right that Princess Luna share the last few remaining words with Rainbow Dash,” Mr. Sparkle said. “So we're going to go now, honey.”
“Tomorrow night, we're going to come back with Rarity's family!” Mrs. Sparkle said. “And the Cakes and the Pies, of course!”
“Oh!” Rarity clasped her hooves together, instantly tearing up. “Oh my goodness! That sounds absolutely divine! Oh thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!”
“Woohooo!” Pinkie pumped her forelimb. “Pies and cakes! My favorite!”
“That's super awesome of you guys!” Rainbow said. “Rarity is most thankful! And Pinkie is... well... she's hungry, I guess...”
The air chimed with happy laughter.
“Alright, Rainbow Dash. We must be off. Twilight... we love you more than anything.”
“We love you so... so very much, Twilight. Our hearts go out to you and your friends.”
“I love you, Mom!” Twilight stammered, shuddering. “I love you, Dad!”
“'I love you, Mom! I love you, Dad!'” Rainbow shrugged. “Do you even need me to telegraph that?”
More chuckles. They soon faded, and in their place came the rich, dulcet tones of Luna's voice.
“Rainbow Dash, we haven't much time.” Her voice faded briefly, then came back into clarity. “It would be wise that we reconvene this conversation tomorrow.”
“Totally, Your Highness,” Rainbow said. “I just... c-can't get over the fact that Sturke is running a place like Ward so... so...”
“Peacefully?”
Rainbow gulped. “I was gonna say 'harmoniously.'”
“I take it that is not the case in Rohbredden.”
“I... I could go into it, but...” Rainbow sighed. “That's something best slated for tomorrow evening.”
“Affirmative, my little pony.”
“BUT!” Rainbow pointed into the air. “After Rarity and Pinkie get to 'talk' with their families, understood?”
“I fear that there won't be a whole lot of time to accomplish both with the desired results.”
“We'll get it in somehow,” Rainbow said, smiling. “Don't worry. What matters is that we're just talking... period.”
“Alas, my only regret is that I hadn't gotten your friends' families assembled preemptively, Rainbow Dash,” Luna said. “Please understand. Although we have full faith in you and your endeavors, it was the mutual decision of Celestia and myself that we not even suggest the remote possibility of Rarity's or Pinkie Pie's rebirth until we were fully certain that—”
“Look, I get it.” Rainbow nodded. “You didn't want to break any of your royal subjects' hearts. That's totally cool.” She sighed, wings drooping. “I wouldn't want to let them down either.”
Luna's voice broke up slightly, but then came back into focus: “You shall achieve all that you set your heart on, Rainbow Dash. In this, I have full faith, as does Celestia. You have already performed admirably.”
“Mmmm... yeah...” Rainbow Dash suddenly bit her lip. “About my 'performance,' Your Highness...”
“Yes, Rainbow?” Luna's voice crackled. “If you must ask something, do so swiftly. There isn't much time.”
“Do... do you think that...” Rainbow glanced over her shoulder.
Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie were encumbered in a tight, joyous conversation, murmuring excitedly about the following evening.
“... ... ...” Rainbow blinked. She murmured out the side of her muzzle: “...do you think this journey to restore harmony to Urohringr... has to rely entirely on harmony?”
Silence.
Rainbow turned and squinted into the last slivers of moonlight. “Your Highness?”
“I'm terribly sorry, Rainbow Dash. I couldn't quite make out that last comment. Something to do with your journey?”
Rainbow was suddenly sweating. “Uhhhhhhh...”
“Does something concern you, Rainbow?”
“Uhmmm...” She nervously glanced aside... then did a double-take.
Bard and Wildcard sat, perched on Ultimo's backside. Their jaws were dropped just as low as they had been since the enchanted conversation first started.
“Omigosh!” Rainbow's voice cracked. She put on a plastic smile. “Where are my manners!” She shuffled up to the two Desperadoes and wrapped a forelimb around each of them. “Princess Luna! You know those two awesome dudes I briefly mentioned had helped me reach the Third Seed?”
“Indeed. Bard and Wildcard were their names.”
“Ehm... n-no relation,” Bard wheezed.
“Well, the Desperadoes totally here! Listening in n'stuff! Wanna say 'hey?'” Rainbow grinned wide.
Wildcard simply gawked at her.
“... ... ... ...O valiant Desperadoes who so humbly assisted Rainbow Dash,” rolled Luna's voice. “... ... ...'hey?'”
Bard waved a limp hoof. “'Hey' yerself, Yer Highness.” He gulped. “Is it really true that you control the moon?”
“Quite correct, good sir.”
“Hell's Bells...” Bard slurred. “And yer sister controls the great big burning ball thingy in the sky?”
“I presume you mean the Sun, in which case, yes.”
“Eheh... I beg yer pardon.” Bard tipped his hat. “Kinda... lost my train of thoughts.”
“Your partner is rather quiet.”
“Yeah, if ya say so, Yer Highness.” Bard shrugged. “He's a griffon and all. Perhaps y'all can smell his bird musk over the moonwaves.”
Wildcard frowned, gesturing wildly.
“Dubya-Cee!” Bard hissed. “Honestly! In front of a Princess!”
Wildcard face-talon'd with a sigh.
“Rainbow Dash... ... ... is fading... ...” Luna's voice dissipated. “... ... seconds away... ... ... Desperadoes?”
Bard and Wildcard stood up tall, legs rigid.
“Yes... Yer Highness?”
“Thank you... ... ...assistance. Trust in... ... ... her journey is a righteous one. So... ... ... her allies. In time...”
And just like that, the pale blue glow around Rainbow's pendant faded.
“Awwwwwwwww...” Bard took his hat off, pouting. “And she had a darn purdy voice, too.”
Wildcard talon-signed.
“Pfft!” Bard rolled his eyes. “What difference does it make if she was wearin' a fancy ballgown or not?” He plopped his hat back on. “I swear, some mercenaries are so superficial.”
Wildcard clenched his beak tightly.
“I... uh...” Rainbow gulped. “I-I'm sorry I didn't make an attempt to formally introduce you to Princess Luna sooner.”
“Hey...” Bard shrugged. “We understand. Y'all had a lot to catch up on. Reckon it's ten times harder when ya gotta play translator for a bunch of mute ghosts. Trust me. I understand... well... kinda.”
“Does...” Rainbow blinked. “...does this mean that you finally believe... like... everything?”
Wilcard smirked under his beak. He swung his metal digits in the air.
“Heh...” Bard tilted his hat back. “Reckon it'd be a mighty cumbersome prank when ya even got a flippin' moon princess in on it.” He shook his head. “Naw, darlin', I'm pretty sure we ain't got a smidgen of doubt left in us.”
Rainbow exhaled with relief.
“That make ya happy?”
“It makes me many things,” Rainbow murmured. She blinked blearily. “But most of all... I'm super friggin' tired...”
“Rainbow!” Twilight floated over. “Can you believe it?! Pinkie and Rarity are finally going to get to talk to their families again! Well... sorta...”
“Heheh...” Rainbow saluted the ghostly mare. “Read you loud and clear, egghead.”
“This is just so wonderful!” Twilight danced in place, grinning from ear to ear. “I swear! It's made everything absolutely worth it! The seas we've traversed! The depths we've explored! Even every glittering bar stolen from the Syndicate—” She froze in place, squinting. “Rainbow... you don't look so good.”
“Mmmmff... so you've noticed.”
“Is...” Twilight gulped. “...is it another d-dizzy spell?”
“Pfft. Hardly.” Rainbow grinned tiredly. “Just good ol' fashioned stupid exhaustion.”
“Awwwwww...” Twilight grinned. “Tell you what.” She spun about, motioning with her hoof. “Girls?”
Rarity drifted over while Pinkie magically hopped in mid-air. “You rangy rangggg?” chirped the latter.
“It's gonna be a long sixteen or so hours before the full moon is visible again,” Twilight said. “Rainbow's about to collapse. What say we all get some 'sleep' ourselves in the meantime?” She grinned. “That way we'll be fully awake when it's time to talk to Luna again!”
Rarity gasped. “Why, that's a marvelous idea!” She grinned at Pinkie Pie. “I, for one, don't want to risk missing anything on account of exhaustion!”
“I don't get it!” Pinkie Pie's muzzle scrunched. “We're all ghosty besties, now! Is it even possible for us to count sheep?”
“Pinkie, darling, do you even vaguely remember that nebulous white space where the whole of us were suspended ever since the incident that turned us incorporeal in Ponyville?”
“Ooooh! You mean the Vanilla Zone?”
“The...” Rarity's eyebrow twitched. “...Vanilla Zone?”
“Yeah! Cuz that's what I like to call it!” Pinkie squinted at Rainbow Dash. “Makes it less existentially terrifying and more... deliciously orgasmifying!”
Rainbow shrugged. “Works for me.”
“Well... ahem... Pinkie...” Rarity smiled delicately. “It so happens that we can return to the... uh... Vanilla Zone any time we so please, as if on command.”
“And it's a good thing too,” Twilight added. “Because it staves off exhaustion, just like sleep.” She smiled. “So, how about it?”
“No way, Jose!” Pinkie stuck her tongue out. “I'm having way too much funny-fun-fun hoppin' around on clouds, surfing the dorsal fin of a giant sea serpent, and trying to impersonate a bishie cowboy!”
“A what cowboy?” Rainbow murred.
Bard blinked, his luscious mane blowing in the sea air. “Huh?”
“Heehee! You silly fillies!” Pinkie cartwheeled. “As if I could even remotely consider the possibility of sleep at a time like—Shnorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.” The mare spontaneously collapsed across Ultimo's wet scales, sawing wood beneath the dimming starlight.
Rarity looked at Twilight, rolled her eyes with a smile, then grasped Pinkie by the tail. “Have a pleasant morning, Rainbow Dash,” the unicorn said as she proceeded to “trot” into the pegasus' ruby pendant, dragging Pinkie along. As her body faded, her elegant voice trailed briefly behind: “And thank you... for everything...”
Once both ponies had vanished, Rainbow turned to glance at Twilight.
“It... it deserves being said, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight remarked. “Thank you. I mean, really... thank you...” She curtsied delicately. “...for everything.”
“Eh... you'd do the same for me, egghead.”
“Not... quite so easily.” Twilight bit her lip. “I mean... the way you've had to go about doing stuff... beating up pirates... stealing from Boss Revan and the other criminals...” She giggled lightly. “And let's not forget how close you came to stabbing Ultimo's brains out...”
“Er... yeah...?” Rainbow fidgeted where she stood. “What... uh... what about all that?”
“It's just that... I-I'm not sure I could easily deal with so many heavy choices if I were in your place. But... then again, I haven't been through all the stuff that you've been through. I mean... all of those terrible forces you faced in Ledomare... or those nasty creatures in Stratopolis... and th-then those ghastly stories about Darkstine and Silvadel...” She sniffled, her eyes moistening slightly.
Rainbow stared at her.
“I... I guess you deserve to know that... th-that...” Twilight gulped. “That I had my d-doubts, Rainbow Dash.” She looked up, a tear trailing down her cheek. “But now that I've seen what you've been able to accomplish in Nealend... and in Rust and Shoggoth... and so harmoniously too...” She shook her head with a fragile smile. “I was wrong. So very wrong. And I'm sorry, Rainbow. I'm sorry for doubting. Will you ever forgive me?”
Rainbow opened her muzzle. She blinked several times, then found the voice to say: “You know that I would always forgive you, Twilight.” A gulp, and she smiled crookedly. “I mean... th-that's what friends do.” She twitched slightly. “... ... ...right?”
Twilight shuddered. Another tear trailed as she smiled back. “Ever so loyal... the loyalest.”
Silence.
“I... I should be going now.” Twilight drifted forward, and soon she faded into a bright white light. “Pleasant dreams, Rainbow...”
Rainbow reached forward, but Twilight had already vanished. So, instead, her hoof found its way to her pendant... and she held it close to her neck.
“I'm living them...” She murmured.
Waves crashed all around. One by one, seagulls chanted, their cawing voices ushering in the edge of day.
“If yer fixin' to fetch yerself some shuteye, better get to slumberin' soon, darlin',” Bard said. He cracked the joints in his neck and paced across the wet scales. “Goddess knows I'm aimin' to as well... of course, assumin' that Wildcard's horrible snorin' doesn't shatter my attempts. Friggin' siren with a beak, I swear.”
“Yeah...” Rainbow gulped. She turned around three times and plopped down on the wet scales beneat her. “I'll give it my best, I suppose.”
Out of nowhere, Bard's hat fell over her face. She fussed a bit, then tilted the thing up, frowning over at the cowboy. “The heck is this for?”
“What else?” Bard gave her a calm smile. He pointed east. “Sun's comin' up soon. Do yerself a solid and get some shade.” He sat down with his back to the dorsal fin, sighing as he stretched his limbs. “Considerin' how much you've thrown yerself east, reckon ya deserve a break or two.”
Rainbow blinked. She allowed the hat to rest over her forehead. Despite the gesture, she could still see the distant speck of Yaerfaerda, glaring at her from miles and miles away like a bright sentry.
There was no break from the light.
“Thanks,” she said anyways. “It's... it's a kind thing.”
“Mmmm... we do our best.”
“Yeah... yeah, I-I guess we do.” And Rainbow slowly allowed unconsciousness to blind her.