Odrsjot

by Imploding Colon

Reunion of the Jury

"Friggin' there you are!" Zaid spoke as he brought the managlider alongside the Noble Jury, both floating high over the smoldering remains of the camp. Below them, several Ledomaritan soldiers, nurses, and supply workers had come out of hiding, inspecting the overwhelming damage of the early morning battle. "I had to circle around twice to find you guys! Nice ship you got here. You could tap-dance with an elephant around it!"

"We... uhm..." Pilate shuddered, tilting his head towards where Josho and Eagle Eye stood hunched besides Ebon and the others. "We had to pick them up. They... they've discovered something. But... that's not what matters now—"

Belle almost knocked Pilate over as she rushed forward. "Zaid!" Her chestnut eyes were wide as saucers. "Are you Mister Zaid?"

"Only if you're nasty. Nice manecut, by the way. Very Sineigh O'Colter."

"Is she with you?!" Belle's voice squeaked. "Do you have her safe?!"

"Oh, you mean this little thing?!" Zaid smirked as he hoisted Kera off the managlider and held her forward, petite legs dangling. "I dunno if she's yours or not. The little scamp looks tagged."

Kera gasped wide. "Belle! Pilate!"

"Oh darling!" Belle slid forward and collapsed on her knees. "Kera, c'mere..."

Zaid let Kera down, and the filly scampered forward, dragging the book behind. She leapt so hard into Belle's grasp that she plowed the mare over. Both engazed in a savage nuzzlefest, serenaded by giggles and sobs. Soon, Pilate stumbled his way, felt his beloved's shoulder, and knelt down to join the embrace.

"I'm so sorry, you guys!" Kera squeaked, her eyes squeezing tiny tears loose as she buried her face in Belle's chest. "I'm so sorry for jumping ship! I wanted to stop them from grabbing the book! I-I didn't think!"

"Shhhh... it's okay... you're safe now..." Belle hiccuped, nuzzling the foal dearly in spite of her bruises. "You're safe. Oh, praise the Spark, you're s-safe..."

"Kera!" Props gasped, galloping forward with a hoof oustretched. "OmigoshOmigoshOmigosh!" She swept past the filly and picked the book up, nuzzling the glowing lavender runes. "You brought the Jury's energy source back! Squee!"

Kera rolled her green eyes and smiled up at the couple, sniffling. "What matters is that we're all safe! Rainbow saved the d-day! Again! Didja see?"

Belle smiled, but slowly that smile left. She bit her lip and gazed towars the floor. Pilate too hung his head in a somber fashion.

Kera blinked, her jaw dropping. "I... I don't get it. Why the long faces... erm... longer faces." She giggled, but got no response. Slowly, she gulped, and muttered, "Who... wh-who did we lose...?"

"We lost Simon, and... and now..." Pilate tilted his head aside.

Kera looked over his and Belle's shoulders. She gasped, cupping two hooves over her muzzle.

Zaid trotted forward as Props turned around, hugging the book sullenly to her chest. The stallion's ears drooped. "Awwwwwwwwwwww shucks..."

Silence...

Then the entire Noble Jury rocked.

Everypony glanced towards the bow.

Rainbow Dash had landed on all four hooves. Her pendant rattled to a stop as she coiled her wings tight to her chest, took a deep breath, and uttered, "'Sup?" Thud! She fell flat on her muzzle.

Zaid winced.

Belle reached over, still holding onto Kera, and helped Rainbow to her knees.

"Nnnngh..." Rainbow winced, squatting low. She narrowed her eyes at Belle, then tiredly uttered, "H-hey there, Ding-Dong. I wonder if you feel half as b-bad as you look right now, and I mean that in as friendly a way as possible."

"Rainbow, I'm... I-I'm so glad to see you, it's just th-that..." Belle grimaced.

Rainbow blinked. "What?"

"Well... uhm... it's..." Belle's voice shriveled into a stifled whimper.

Pilate placed a hoof on his beloved's shoulder as he spoke over Kera's trembling head. "Something happened while you were gone."

Rainbow mouthed those last words. She stood up straight, peering over everypony. She saw Josho and Eagle Eye hunched over Ebon's shoulder. She saw Props and even Floydien gathered around. The pony she didn't see was—

Rainbow's eyes twitched. Her cold breath fogged up the pendant around her neck.

"Aw no."

Comments

[Lightning Bearer]

Congratulations: This saga is now more than one million words in length.

[Wobble]

NOT OKAY

[Snublock]

If you kill off Roarke I am going to be so pissed.

[General Spritz]

3795689
Then be pissed. It's looking that way.

[AppleTank]

Oh hell no.
The best ass kicking duo can't exist with just one.

[Jonathon Smythe]

Roarke Most Retired.

[destinedjagold]

Updates most gone.
I wonder if we'll have to wait for 5 or so days before the daily updates goes back on again. >.>

Anyway...
Still not stated as dead.
Still not stated as dead.

Please don't be dead?

Aw...poopie... =(

[zaponator]

When Roarke was first introduced, I immediately called her death. I don't know why, it was just a sort of gut feeling.
I was wholeheartedly convinced that she would go out with a bang by the end of Eljunbyro, but she didn't. So then I was absolutely sure she would go out with a bang in the final battle of Innavedr, but she didn't.
By then I had decided she was sticking around. You finally managed to convince me she would be a permanent fixture in our party. And I was totally cool with this, because she was super awesome!
And then this is how she goes out. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Damn.

[Lightning Bearer]

...R-Roarke?

But in happier news:

She leapt so hard into Belle's grasp that she plowed the mare over. Both engaged in a savage nuzzlefest

derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/9/19/430901__safe_solo_rainbow+dash_animated_blushing_edit_cute_pixiv_upvotes+galore_happy.gif

[Nevlamas]

I only now realized why Rainbow absorbing the flames was a good thing right from the start.

I will not speak about Roarke before a confirmation. This is much too big to be relying on probability.

[RoboRed]

no
nonononononononoplease no

[not_a_rainbow]

just realized how long Kera was actually gone

where teh changeling go

[Vandratha]

Roarke! You can't go. Who will keep these stupid breeders alive?

[dashie76]

A Message from MASH-

Taking a break because it's my birthday.Woo!

[tailspin]

3841121
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Mine was on Thursday
P.s be good to your liver

[dashie76]

IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!

Don't kill off Roarke. Please. I will be extremely mad if you do that. So don't.
I mean it.
These
These
You know what? No. These are NOT my thoughts so far. Because they're just ramblings. Because I don't have anything to evaluate anymore.
Sometimes I wonder why I still do the evaluation time.
These are my thoughts so far.

-MASH

P.S. Took a weekend break because of birthday parties...tired...

[Psyco Josho]

So Rainbow just forgot about the insectoid pony for now? I guess it makes sense if she was seeing her friends.

[Hap]

AJ... Gold Petals... Roarke... Who else has Dash had a crush on? Did she have a crush on Props, or did Props just tease her? This could be a matter of life-and-death (or, at least, being written out of the story).

[Future Regret]

Emberspeak, I think, but maybe that wasn't a thing. They kissed though, right? Also, I really loved Imre's character, and now we're losing the second best thing... shouldn't be a surprise though. At a recent chapter, Roark said "I'll have to do something about that" when asked why she was still alive.

[whizzball1]

I knew Roarke would die. The moment we saw that Dash loved Roarke, I knew she was going to die.

-SPirit

[JustAnotherTimeLord]

Well . . . man. Fuck.

[aRestlessCreativeGamer]

5551123 Stole the words perfectly outta my mouth.

[Regidar]

Roarke
Roarke no
f-fuck

[**Beert]

I knew there will be obligatory feels, but I only managed to dug a trench instead of building a bunker so...

[Ryuyu]

me sorry
i furgot Roarke

[Tim the Planes-pony]

[Hazard]

Roarke most rare, I hereby order you to not die.

[Metal Aura]

Why the long faces... erm... longer faces

Kera needs to stop horsing around.

[Rudy45]

Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope. Ain't gonna believe it.
i.imgur.com/ZdravhU.gif

[TheGreatEater]

6284826

Of course she's not going to die. She's made of awesomesauce, and winning. The day she dies is the day Dashie stops being awesome.

[CrystalWaters]

"Kera!" Props gasped, galloping forward with a hoof oustretched. "OmigoshOmigoshOmigosh!" She swept past the filly and picked the book up, nuzzling the glowing lavender runes. "You brought the Jury's energy source back! Squee!"

Never change, Props.

The pony she didn't see was—

Aw.
Please no.

[arancaytar]

You could tap-dance with an elephant around it!

And by how much of a beating it's taken, it looks like that's happened a bunch of times.

The pony she didn't see was—

Oh hell no. You didn't kill Roarke. YOU DIDN'T!

[FOXTrot2]

This will be a dark day indeed if Roarke went out like that

Although you gotta admit, she's been through quite a bit of trauma in the last 24 hours.