Painted Mirror

by Lord of Turtles

Thunder That's Not Thunder

Rajrishi let out a long, hissing breath and shook on his perch. Eyes clamped shut, he blindly reached upwards for the next rung and hauled himself up the small distance. The armored surface of the Break of Day's bag was cold to the touch and gave not at all to his weight, but the slim column of steps that curved up the surface bounced under his feet, making his heart speed up every time he settled his weight on a new surface.

Cautiously, he opened his eyes and looked up, immediately feeling a sense of vertigo as he gazed at the craggy underside of a floating mountain, the lizard part of his brain telling him he was looking at the ground and was about to go sailing up to splatter against the rock. He let out a groan of consternation and clutched to the ladder, trying to keep his wits.

“Raj?” Came a tinny, echoing voice from further up. “Rajrishi, is that you?”

“Yeah, yeah it's me.” He called back and raised a hand up to wave.

“Okay, well, let me help.” Raj nearly screamed out loud when he felt something pull at his limb and gripped the rung tight enough to warp the metal. A lavender glow covered his hand, pulling him up rather insistently. Moving with unwise haste, he started to scramble up the curving ladder as it flattened out into a transition to the top and he dragged himself along the rising rail.

Twilight stood on a raised, flat platform set on top of the bag. The crow's nest, as Topsail had described it. There were a trio of long necked telescopes and a small writing desk next to her, anchored to the floor by a layer of lavender glow. As he approached, he felt his ears pop and the omnipresent wind that had been whipping around him went abruptly silent. He stopped to look around and realized there was a faint, translucent dome surrounding the platform, visible only from the absence of windblown grit and cloudstuff. He slipped a hand through and was treated to the uncomfortable feeling of pressure changing against his skin. “Huh, neat.”

She smiled up at him and asked. “You find the place alright Rajrishi?”

“I most certainly did not. The next time you need to talk to me, you come down to the damn ship. I about soiled myself climbing up here.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the curving edge of the ship. “Did you forget that not everyone can teleport? That's a shitty thing to forget Twilight.”

“Oh, right.” She giggled and covered her mouth. “Sorry.”

“Its fine. Why'd you call me up here?”

“Come take a look.” She adjusted a telescope for him to see and angled it towards something distant.

Raj crouched down and pressed his face to the eyepiece. His vision blurred for an instant before resolving against the face of another floating mountain. He studied it intently for a minute and was barely able to see the surface through the layer of writhing lichen, something numerous and massive hiding just beneath the damp surface of it. As far as the Shattered Lands went, that wasn't all that strange. “What's so special about this one Twilight?”

“Nothing. What's so important about it is that it's there.”

“Elaborate.”

A pair of drawn maps floated over to him, detailing circular patterns. “I think there's a method to the patterns of the floating mountains. I observed that one a few days ago and recorded its movement, extrapolated it's speed and direction and predicted how it would move, and I was right!” She grinned, her mouth giving out a weak little squeak. “Do you know what this means?”

“We can figure out how the Shattered Lands move, which will give us a way to search it more effectively.”

“No, it means that-” she paused. “That's... exactly right Rajrishi.”

Raj smiled. “If you had a big speech queued up, feel free to go through with it Twilight. I didn't mean to break the bottle off.”

“No, no, it's fine. I'll just use it when I explain it to the others.”

“How do these giant floating rocks move anyway? What's the pattern like?”

“That is quite fascinating on its own. They behave sort of like solar systems should. A big central stone with smaller ones orbiting out at a semi-static distance, like planets and moons and asteroids but on a very different scale. Each one of those systems then further orbits a central point all its own.” A wondering look passed over her features. “This whole place is just a ballroom for dozens of these spinning terrestrial bodies to dance with each other, spinning and whirling forever.” Twilight shook her head. “Sorry, I read a few of Rarity's sappy novels and I think they're rubbing off on me.”

“I get that. So what do you need from me?”

“I have a flight plan for the ship that will let me track more systems and get a better handle on how this place moves.” She floated a coil of parchment over to him. “I need you to give it to Topsail and convince him to follow it.”

Raj scowled. “Any reason you can't do that?”

“Topsail is rude and mean.” she said bluntly.

“Fair enough. I'm on it.” He pocketed the scroll and headed back to the curving ladder and began the long, slow descent back to the deck. Only once his foot set on the cable housing connecting the hull to the bag and swung around it did he finally start to breath easily comfortably.

He looked across the swinging deck to see Topsail at the wheel, Rainbow Dash floating next to him and Fluttershy next to her. As he got near, he was able to make out their yelling.

“Make the ship go faster!” Screamed Rainbow Dash. “They're getting away!”

Topsail sneered at her “The ship's going as fast as it's going to go ya bint, now quit squawking and take a seat.”

“What's going on?” Raj asked Fluttershy quietly.

“Rainbow saw a ship while she was out flying. She's trying to get us to go to it.” She answered back quietly. “Well, go to it faster at least.”

“Raj, back me up here. This guy is saying it's going to take almost an hour to reach the ship I saw.”

“That's cause it will. There's a layer of blasted floating rocks to navigate around.”

“Are you kidding me? I was able to get there and back in a minute, this thing can't do it any faster? If we don't hurry, then the boat won't be there any more.” She shot back.

“This big jag of a boat ain't as maneuverable as a lone pegasus with a flying talent stamped on her butt.” He said bluntly.

“Rainbow, if Topsail says the ship can't do it, then the ship can't do it.” Raj said.

“The ship can totally do it, he just won't push the stupid lever forward.” She reached for the throttle to the ship.

Topsail's baton was in his mouth and swinging before anyone present even realized it. The knobbed head cracked off the decking and Rainbow let out a sharp bark of surprise. Topsail growled around the grip “If you ever reach for the mechanisms of this ship again, you sputtering quim, and I'll truss yer wings to the mains!”

Rainbow's expression shifted to anger “What's the big idea you jerk?”

“Me idea, is that I don't want the damn ship wrecked!” He spat out his baton and gestured to the looming face of rock of the port side. “You see that sponged up rock over there?”

“Yeah, so?”

Topsail kicked up his crossbow and fired it blindly at an angle, the bolt soaring out towards the distant rock. After a moment, the mountain's surface came alive with squirms of massive, writhing monstrocities, jagged scissor jaws chomping at the air dumbly, searching for any intruders in their domain.

“What in the actual hell are those things?” Raj screamed, suddenly alarmed.

“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy yelped. “Are those Quarray Eels?”

“That they are miss. Hunnerds of 'em by the looks of it. Spotted their boreholes against the rock face hours ago.” Topsail shouted.

Rainbow Dash slapped her head with a hoof. “They're huge!”

“True as well. Reckon those holes would be big enough to drive a train into, which meant they'd have pretty far reach. Decided to mind their territory, so I needed to made a wider turn, which meant slowing down or we'd overshoot our window 'tween the two mountains.” He grabbed the wheel again and arced the ship. “It's adding a good twenty minutes to the route, but respect is elder to convenience.”

“Yeah, and if we got close, those things would eat us.” Raj agreed.

“Survival is also elder to convenience.” He cranked the wheel and the whole ship slewed to the side. “Now then, please leave me be while I go about navigating the sea of floating mountains. If'n I need a gaggle of vexing waterheads to frustrate me to tears, I'll be sure to alert ya.”

Rainbow clearly had something to say about that, but she was drawn away by both her friends as she grumbled fruitlessly. “That guy's a jerk.”

“Maybe, but he's also the only one who can pilot the ship well enough to get us through this place. Please don't annoy him?” Raj asked as sweetly as he could.

Rainbow grumbled something that could have been agreement and trotted to where Applejack was coiling rope to vent her frustrations as Raj and Fluttershy ventured below decks to inform the others.

* * *

“It had, like, a pointy bit on the end.” Rainbow Dash gestured from her nose. “Like, a long sharp thing.”

“Off of the deck or the bag?” Rarity asked.

“The floating thing, on the top.”

“That would be the bag darling.”

“Yeah that's it, and it had a bunch of fins, like our ship.”

“You mean the sails. Were they forward swept, or rearward swept?”

Rainbow cocked her head. “Swept? They're not brooms Rarity.”

“Oh goodness Rainbow, whatever am I going to do with you.” Rarity asked herself, shaking her head.

Raj leaned against the deck railing, looking down the see the overgrown top of a floating stone. “You know, we're going to see the ship here in a minute right?”

“I know Rajrishi darling, I am merely building the anticipation some.” Rarity explained.

“Eh, it's probably just a griffin air-sloop. Their navy patrols around here sometimes.” Pinkie said evenly.

Everyone present turned to stare at her for a flat moment before she noticed and shrugged. “What? I read sometimes.”

“Sir!” Shouted one of the watchponies leaning over the rail. “I got it.” He gestured with a hoof.

“Ooh!” Rarity squealed and floated a telescope up to her eye. “I wonder what it-” she cut off and flatly finished. “What in the blazes is that beast?”

Raj grabbed the spyglass and looked to where they were pointing. The foreign ship was perhaps a quarter the size of the Break of Day, with a downward arched hull and a bag painted red that bulged with interior bracings. The sails actively kicked at the air, paddling it for greater maneuverability and speed.

“It's hideous!” shrieked Rarity. “That hull has been patched so badly and those sails are so garish. Who would make something so... vulgar?”

“I'm more concerned about what's on it Rarity.” Raj said quietly. “Topsail, what's the word?”

“Air-Junk, off port, seven hundred meters and closing.” He shouted to everyone who could hear. “Run up the diplomacy flag and get to battlestations.”

Fluttershy cocked her head. “Those seem... contradictory.”

“Yeah they do.” Raj paused and turned his attention. “Ship Master?”

“Ready to fight, but prefer to talk. Now all ye, get below deck. Yer in the way.” Topsail shot back as the crew started to scramble to positions.

Raj started to comply but was interrupted by a distant roar. He turned his head in time to see an arcing ball of magenta strike the underside of the bag and explode, dousing the deck in a spray of hissing spell-sparks.

The reaction among the crew was immediate. Before, they were moving to positions with casual ease. Now they moved with the speed of a well maintained machine, sprinting pegasi coming within inches of crashing into one another as they hurried to their posts. Topsail started bellowing orders, his voice cutting over the tumult to issue orders. They ship yawed powerfully, evading as best it could while simultaneously jockeying for position.

The civilians on the deck did not react with similar discipline. Pinkie simply started screaming and flailing at the air while Rainbow Dash reacted with bravado, flying up to hurrying pegasi and demanding to know what she could do to help and generally making a nuisance of herself. Least disruptive was Fluttershy, as she just went stock still and fell to the side, rigid as a mannequine. The only helpful reaction was Applejack as she dragged Rarity and Spike into cover, holding them tight as they squirmed in her grip.

Rajrishi lost his footing as the ship rolled and collapsed against the cable housing and clung to it, eyes not really focused on anything. Another pair of cracks sounded and two more balls of burning color lanced in at the ship, one sailing through the gap between the hull and the bag and the other striking the deck to his right, blowing a sizable hole through the gunwale. Within moments, pegasi were on the scene and dousing the chromatic flames before they could spread.

“Portside, skyward angle! Fire!” Screamed Topsail and lances of multi-colored fire erupted out of the side of the Break of Day in a staccato rhythm. Burning balls of arcane light flew towards the hostile ship, at least half actually striking. The hull of the ship bloomed into layers of multi-colored fire, smoking sparks arcing off it like fireworks. Raj had seen the crews fire the arcantrik cannons before when they were drilling during the trip, but seeing their shots burst against the hull of an actual target snapped him back to the moment.

Raj bolted up and grabbed Rainbow Dash by the tail, hauling her away from the crewpony she was hassling and dragged her over to Applejack's hiding place. “Stay here.” He shouted before making his way to Fluttershy's still form and carrying her over to the others and then going back for Pinkie Pie. He crouched down where they were huddled and yelled “Come on, we're getting below.”

He'd taken just one step before the whole ship shuddered, a wave of smoke washing off the stern. He staggered and stood up. “The hell was that?”

“Two more!” shouted Topsail. “Rear and Starboard-Rear, forty meters! Fire crews to steerage, double time!”

The crewponies started to react but were startled out of their duties when the door to the cabins flung open and the canterlot royal voice cut through the tumult “WHAT IN THE NAME OF FAUST IS GOING ON UP-” her shouted question was cut off when the first Junk, its entire hull wrapped in blue, magenta, orange, and green flames, fired its forward cannon and struck the Princess of the Night directly.

The shell detonated and blew a flaming hole in boards as well as blinding anyone looking at it, which was essentially everyone as Luna had drawn attention to herself. Raj staggered to the side of the ship somewhat drunkenly and peered over it to see a smoking projectile slide down the face of a canyon far below.

The confusion and listlessness Raj felt a moment ago disappeared in a wave of purpose and he shouted “Rainbow, go see to Luna.” The Pegasus in question vanished over the side, angling down towards her fallen Princess. “Pinkie, Fluttershy, go find some medical supplies. Rarity and Spike, go help with the fire.” The four of them disappeared below deck.

“Ah don't think RD can carry the Princess by herself.” Applejack yelled as she struggled for balance.

“I'll get Twilight to-” He paused, “Wait, where's...” He trailed off and angled his gaze up. “Oh you have got to be kidding me.” Snarling, he grabbed the suspension cable and started scrambling up it. “Wait there!” He shouted over his shoulder at the farmer pony.

The ascent was oddly easier while under duress, the rolling and shaking of a ship in the midst of combat not nearly as disruptive as his own fear. In almost no time at all he was cresting the curve of the bag and running towards the crow's nest.

There sat Twilight Sparkle, obliviously reading a tome as a battle raged around her. She didn't notice his presence until he snapped the book in front of her shut.

“Gah! Raj? What gives?” she snapped.

“We are in a battle you barmy nerd!” Raj shouted.

“What are you talking-” Raj grabbed her head and manually turned her gaze off of port to see the burning hulk of the first Junk, rising up on columns of it's own heat, bursts of sparks shooting out as the cells of lighter than air gas in the bag heated up and popped. Twilight's pupils went wide enough to stick a finger through and she flatly said. “Oh.”

“Luna fell off the ship. You need to bring her back. Applejack will tell you where.” Raj hurriedly ordered.

“Okay.” Her notes folded themselves and flew into her bag. “Are there more Junks?”

“Two more, in the rear. Real close." He pointed with a thumb as she ship rolled again.

Twilight turned around but wasn't able to see them. “Rear? But we don't have any cannons back there.”

“I trust Topsail.” The moment he said that, the bag tilted noticeably and remained that way, continuing forward at a twisted angle. “What the hell?”

“One of the cables snapped.” Twilight answered. “The ship's weight isn't sitting correctly. Rajrishi, if two more of those go, the ship will crash!”

“Shit. Shit! Alright.” Raj let out a shuddering breath and shook his head, steadying himself. “Twilight, get me onto that ship.”

She gasped. “Raj, no. No, no, no.”

“We've had this conversation. It works in theory.”

“Lots of things work in theory! Ideal gas laws work in theory! This is beyond theory, we have no idea how your arcane resistance will affect a stable teleport. It might kill you, you might just disappear. The chances of you coming out of it in any condition to do anything are just... unacceptable.”

The bag shuddered as another cannon hit it. “Running out of options here Twi!”

“I know!” She shouted back. “Just, sit still. I'll get you there.”

The ground shook again and Raj was worried they'd taken another hit. Then the platform bucked up and a panel of the crow's nest tore free of it's mountings. Twilight smirked up at him. “Magic on you may be hard, but magic on the thing you're standing on is easy. Now hold on!” She flung her head forward and launched the platform towards the rear of the ship.

Raj held on for dear life, terror giving him strength. The bag of the ship fell away and for a single bowel-loosening instant he was floating over naked air. The platform he rode on angled down and he felt himself lift off of it like he was in a rollercoaster un-belted. He leveled out at the height of the Junk's deck and staggered for his footing. The platform hit something Twilight couldn't see and went into a tumble, Raj with it. He hit the deck once, bounced, landed in a roll the second time and came up into a punch against the first living thing he saw.

That thing ended up being a very surprised goat. The creature let out a startled bleat and flew off the side of the ship. Something big next to Raj reached for a rack of spears but his adrenaline fueled nerves were faster and he chopped at it, unsheathing and attacking in the same motion. The sharp metal passed through the creature's limb effortlessly and it fell to the deck, rolling and moaning. Raj noted that it looked like a bulkier bull, its fur a rusty brown.

A cry of alarm went up along the ship, goats and a few more of the big bulls marshaling against him, spears and cudgels held in their hooves and mouths. The goats looked around nervously, clearly not ready for the development of a one man boarding party. The bulls, on the other hand, hoofed at the ground excitedly and grinned, showing broad, flat teeth.

Something jumped off the rear-deck and soared over the assembled crew. Rising to full height, Raj took the thing in and gasped.

About six feet tall, it had the overall shape of a man, two arm, two legs, and an upright posture. Instead of a human head though, it had the snarling face of a tiger with bulging, black eyes. It held a golden scimitar in one of its rearward facing hands and flexed ringed and jeweled fingers tipped with arched claws on the other. It bounced on padded feet, shoulders back and projecting confidence.

Cocking its head, the Rakshasa said in Hindi. “What in the name of the Asura are you?”

“Screwed apparently.” Raj answered back.

Comments

[Schismatism]

Oho, the plot thickens, and rapidly at that. One doesn't expect to see goats when they're not being led by Grogar or the like -- and a Rakshasa? Raj is probably about to piss himself. Definitely not what he'd look forward to seeing, let alone fighting, to be sure.

[wlam]

I'm honestly kind of bored with this arc. The whole Dread Pirate Roberts thing is just not very interesting.

[paladinwolf]

see, they missed the sign earlier...
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/65/dc/ab/65dcab2f67315f053ab8dbf6d120f690.jpg

though was I the only one who expected this guy instead of the Rakshasa?

orig02.deviantart.net/1568/f/2007/254/2/d/don_karnage_by_the_batcomputer.jpg

[dov]

great arc so far , cant wait for the next chapter

[Kevin Lee]

Oooh, been a long time since I've done D&D. I know Rakshasas are deadly wizards as well as fearsome warriors, but I forget how to fight them other than just go apeshit with your blade and pray for a lucky hit.
We can also only hope that the Rakshasa's been fighting Equus' inhabitants for so long that he's forgotten how to fight a human.

[Iron Sky]

Given Luna's general attitude, this whole story, I find it somewhat humorous how she instantly got taken out like that.

She's already displayed her super-healing, so I'm just assuming she'll be fine.

[Hominus]

We are the sons and daughters of Prometheus, titans pride and titans bane, bearers of the godly flame. We prevail when we where meant to fall, we transform when we were meant to break, we never stop, we never rest, we grasp godhood without your puny divinity.

Tremble immortals and despair, for we are Mankind.

[Alondro]

7723197 And the One has come to whom even the gods will bow.

No, not me. I mean, I'm flattered and all. And you WOULD be right if not for the existence of...

tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M33aa650cae7fe3973b579b37ecb3ad45o0&pid=15.1&P=0&w=300&h=300

Alas, I'm doomed to be second best.

[Ash Bark]

oh damn, Ihope you had as much fun writing this as i'm having reading it.