Flying at a high altitude for the first time in hours, Rainbow Dash found herself gazing at multiple points of interest all at once.
To the east—the direction in which Romulus and Sunset were traveling—the mare saw a patch of dry earth beyond the forested treeline. There, an encampment had been built, comprising of a smattering of tents and a copious amount of smoke. Rainbow assumed that the smoldering fire was the work of Top Dog and his canine thugs. With a flaring of her nostrils, she glanced northeast.
The Castle was a splotch of bluish-gray haze now. Rainbow was too far west to see the mountain range that formed the border between the wasteland and griffon territory, but she knew the dragons and their floating lair was swiftly approaching it. Rainbow suspected that—at the speed with which the Castle was hovering—she had a day and a half at best to catch up to the structure before it would enter Equestrian airspace. However, the mare also knew that her actual time was a great deal more limited, and she winced at the prospect of having to strategize a way to make the best use out of both constricting schedules.
Looking due north, Rainbow spotted a hazy line of gray earth where the wasteland's vegetation ended. There were a few shattered structures here or there—further remnants of a past civilization—but they were crumbling edifices at best. Beyond them, Rainbow could spot what appeared to be a massively rising column of fog... too gray and too thin to be smoke. If something wasn't burning there, then she could only guess that it was a different kind of haze... perhaps steam from something that was consistently melting.
Suddenly, the mare winced. She flexed a forelimb and felt for tiny jolts of pain amidst the numbness. Reaching back, she fumbled through her saddlebags in mid-flight and procured one of the remaining bottles. She was down to a few sips now, but it didn't stop her from taking a massive swig, allowing the medicine to course through her body.
"Going for broke, eh?" Lancie remarked.
Rainbow drank, drank, swallowed, and exhaled. "Eh," she said, screwing the cap back on the mostly-empty bottle.
"I know that you have something up your sleeve, Sparky," Lancie said. "But, for once, I simply don't know what it is." He turned to gaze east. "And that simply excites me."
"Good thing one of us is."
"Come on. Level with me, girl." Lancie reclined against her, back to back. "What gave you the extra layer of skin?"
Rainbow frowned. "It's not like that."
"Isn't it?" Lancie gazed past her flapping wings. "Whatever you've got planned, it can't be happy for Mr. Assassin and Friends."
"Let's just say that it's gonna be..." Rainbow fidgeted in midair. "...less fortuitous for them."
"Yeowch, that's a lot of syllables."
"Yeah, well. I'm desperate," Rainbow muttered.
"I don't think it's desperation," Lancie said. "Much rather, I believe it's lucidity."
"Look, I don't give a darn about these punks," Rainbow Dash muttered. "They've proven time and time again that they don't care about harmony. I mean... I've kicked their flanks all over Equestria... I have kicked... all of their flanks! Each and every one of them... and just what have they learned from it?!"
"Always brake for petite blue pegasi?"
Rainbow's nostrils flared. "If I live a full, long life... knowing that I sacrificed the life of Applejack's sister just because I dragged my hooves in an attempt to make nicey-nicey with these dudes in the long run... well... that's not a life that would be worth living."
"Then why are you currently making nicey-nicey with them?"
"I'm getting on their good side. There's a difference." Rainbow looked north. "Once they're convinced that we're on the same team—if only temporarily—I'm checking out what Brucie talked about."
"You mean that 'Ashen North' business?"
"I need all the trump cards that I can get," Rainbow said. "Because no matter how I shake this, I get the feeling that this is gonna come down to the mother of all bluffs, and I need something to fall back on if I'm to get us back to the shards without being... y'know... burninated."
"And do you have an escape plan, by chance?"
"That's where you come in."
"Buh?"
"Once you have the shards... all of the shards... then you'll have more power than you've ever had before." Rainbow smirked. "You could make a gazillion of those plants for Apple Bloom. Heck... you could just zap a healing beam at the moon and bounce it off so that it goes through her window in Ponyville and heals her in a blink."
"Well... uh... eheh—"
"Basically, even if I have to bend myself backwards and roll into a deep, dangerous corner, it'll all work out in the end so long as you play your own hand, ya feel me?"
"... ... ..."
Rainbow looked over her shoulder. "Something wrong, Lancie?"
"Hmmm? Oh! Hardly!" Lancie smiled, cracking a few granite joints. "Just... thinking..."
"Of what?"
"... ... ...of how hard you've been throwing your fuzzy blue nose to the grindstone, Sparky," Lancie muttered, his voice suddenly solemn and distant. "If you didn't have a magical deus sexy machina like myself... would you really put yourself in so much danger?"
"Pfft. Danger? We've got this in the bag!" Rainbow smirked, blinking. "I mean... right?"
Lancie took a deep breath. "I do hope you know that I have your back, my little pony."
Rainbow looked ahead, chuckling.
Lancie squinted. "...what?"
"Nothing." Rainbow smirked. "You know... I never thought I'd hear myself say this... about anyone, much less you... but you're kinda cute."
"... ... ...cute?"
"Yeah. Sure. Why not." She stifled another giggle. "Especially when you try to act all big."
Lancie folded his stone arms. "I think you need more medicine."
"Heeheehee... ahem..." Rainbow took a deep breath. "Okay... giggle time is over." She cleared her throat, frowning. "We're almost at Camp Suck."
"Indeed." Lancie rubbed the back of his stone scalp. "Erm... Sparky...?"
"Yes, Lancie?"
Silence.
He bore a fractured smile. "Best of luck... friend..."
Rainbow said nothing. With icy wings, she glided down to the edge of the infernal campsite, joined by Romulus and Sunset Shimmer.