Meet in the Briefing Room
"And just what's going to happen once you get to this... Central Tower?" Ebon asked. "I mean, aside from the Grand Tour—you think they're gonna try and preach their feathery religion to you or something?"
"It's not a religion, really," Rainbow said as she paced across the Noble Jury's mess hall. Through the portholes, starlight glittered across the misty sky of Durandana. Torchlight dotted the trees from the many wooden houses and platforms where the pegasi were retiring for the night. "It's simply their way of life... their life-blood..."
Ebon smirked. "I stand by what I said."
"Look, we gotta be careful with these guys," Rainbow said, spinning about. "For their sake, I mean. Sure, they're all rough and tough pegasi, but they've been living by themselves for so friggin' long that I'm a little bit freaked out about what the knowledge of the outside world could do to them."
"That's very thoughtful of you, Rainbow," Pilate said. "Not to mention an example of intelligent foresight. But I think you could stand to give the psyche of these Durandanans more credit."
"Especially since it's rather clear just what they believe in," Bellesmith said.
Rainbow glanced at her. "What do you mean by that?"
Belle shrugged. "Isn't it obvious? All this speak of the 'Valkyrie' and this apparent worship of Sunlight..."
"I get it, Belle," Rainbow said, nodding. "They're totally descendants of Commander Hurricane's pegasi from ancient Equestria."
"Seriously, though..." Josho glanced up, brow furrowed. "That's a bit of a friggin' stretch. Do we really know that?"
"The connections are simply too numerous," Pilate said.
"And it's not like they're direct descendants of the pegasi who supposedly broke up Urohringr," Eagle Eye said. "I mean... unless they're secretly ravenous zombies."
"Maybe in bed they are," Zaid said.
"Zaid..." Belle sighed.
"What?" Zaid shrugged. "Don't tell me that you of all ponies aren't the least bit shaken in your can-can about that!"
Belle's ears folded. "I do admit... I was stricken back by their lax views on affection, family, and... br-breeding." She cleared her throat. "But like Rainbow Dash said. This is simply their way of life. From what we can all tell, it's working out for them just fine." She glanced up at the others. "Who are we to judge another culture based solely on our differences?"
"But we don't know their whole 'culture' yet," Josho remarked. "Not at least until Rainbow Dash makes her trip to Central."
"So you're all for her going, old stallion?" Eagle asked.
"Hell, they seem to love her to death!" Josho exlaimed. "Let her go to the middle tower and learn what she can from these... 'gray feathers.' I'm sure Rainbow wouldn't mind stretching her wings a little... especially with those of her own kin."
"They're not exactly 'my own kin,'" Rainbow said.
"But you agree that they're probably descendants of Commander Hurricane!" Props said, blinking brightly. "How kinnier can you get than that?"
"Don't deny it, Rainbow," Eagle said with a smile. "Today's the happiest any of us have seen you in a long time. Even on our good days."
"Did you get a chance to talk to Celestia about what you've found?" Pilate asked.
Rainbow sighed, glancing towards the corner where the Sword of Solstice rested along with her saddlebag. "No... There wasn't a moment all day when I was left alone. These ponies are clinging to me like manure on velcro."
"G-good manure, r-right?" Ebon smiled crookedly.
"To be honest, I'm a little scared of telling Celestia of who and what I've found," Rainbow said. "The idea of distant relatives of Equestria living thousands upon thousands of miles away?" She grimaced. "And in such isolation and... and ignorance too?"
"But they're doing remarkably well for themselves, Rainbow," Belle said. "And—aside from meat eating and an apparent lack of family structure—they appear to be embodying the concepts of Harmony. I mean, just look at the paradise they've maintained in this crater after all these years!"
"How'd they even get here anyways?" Props asked. "Did Hurricane just swoop by this crater and drop them off?"
"Doesn't seem like a general to do," Josho said. "Also, wasn't Hurricane sworn to guard over the dark heart of Stratopolis with all of the devices at her disposal?"
"You..." Eagle trembled slightly. "You d-don't think that the Durandanans went AWOL, do you?"
"No..." Rainbow shook her head. "I don't believe that."
"Don't believe it or don't want to?" Josho asked.
Rainbow squinted at him. "Wouldn't it be really silly for them to exalt this 'Valkyrie' persona while admitting that they screwed her over eons ago?"
"It could possibly explain the adamance of their fealty," Pilate said. "Guilt only gets stronger through the years. Maybe they deem this crater as their 'prison.'"
"Doubtful, beloved," Bellesmith spoke up. "After all, what about the 'Gold Lights' that they're emphatic about guarding?"
"I've got an even scratchier question!" Props said with a bounce. "If they didn't ditch their posts and they weren't dropped off here on purpose—"
"Like if they simply broke off from the rest of Stratopolis?" Zaid remarked.
"—yeah!" Props nodded. "How could they have landed here? It's not like Stratopolis was capable of splitting up..." Her eyes darted amongst the other Jurists. "Is it...?"
"Maybe a piece broke off?" Eagle said. "And then crash landed here?"
"Yeah!" Ebon nodded. "It could explain the crater, right?"
"Pffft. If all of Stratopolis crash-landed here, then sure," Rainbow said. "I dunno if you ponies have noticed, but it's a pretty dang big crater."
"I don't think the local geography can be penned on a piece of Stratopolis," Pilate thought out loud, rubbing his chin. "The nature of the impact is so great that I doubt any pegasi 'riding' the falling object would have survived the blast—or anything else in this landscape for that matter. And yet, here and today, the place is lush with vegetation and animals. If a piece of Stratopolis caused this impact, where did all the wildlife come from? It surely wasn't on board the Sentinel, and it's not like the pegasi—who couldn't have survived the impact—planted the seeds all on their lonesome."
"What are you thinking, Pilate?" Belle asked.
"Quite simply that whatever caused this impact was incalculably long ago," the zebra said. "In an age so far gone that it allowed this unique ecosystem to develop here in the interim. I think the Durandanas are all outsiders—in that they stumbled upon this place just like we did, and due to the nature of the elements surrounding the crater, they've been stuck here, bound to a social system that they themselves had to construct in order to survive."
"So, how and why did a bunch of Commander Hurricane's ponies end up in this crater of all places?" Rainbow asked.
"Perhaps that's something you yourself can discover for all of our weary minds," Pilate said with a smile. "After you've paid a visit to Central and—perhaps—witnessed these 'Gold Lights' for yourself."
"And you can tell them all about their distant shiny Princess!" Props exclaimed.
Everypony was silent.
Props fidgeted. "What?"
"I... I don't know, Props..." Rainbow winced. "I think I better learn about all they've got to tell me before... uhm..." She gulped. "Before I tell them anything."
"But they need to know, right?" Props leaned forward. "They need to know about their queens of alicorn hotness!"
"I... really don't know if they need to know... at least not yet," Rainbow said. "I wanna talk to Celestia about it. Maybe I can slip a few words in the morning before First Light and when Sivrem arrives."
"I'm sure speaking to her can only help, Rainbow," Belle said. "We understand your concern. We don't want anything to shake up the world that the Durandanans have established here."
"Believe me, I wanna tell them everything about Equestria. But..." Rainbow fidgeted. "What good is it gonna do, y'know? I mean... they're so happy here. They're perfect... perfect pegasi." A weary smile, but then it faded. "What good is it gonna do to let them know that they're really just long-lost birds estranged from a kingdom so far away it would take them forever to fly to by wing alone?"
"Certainly a valid question," Pilate said. "Not to mention a tough one. I suggest you sleep on it."
"Might I remind everypony that we're not exactly here to enjoy a vacation," Josho grunted. "Isn't Chrysalis off in Val Roa somewhere, making life a living hell for innocent ponies?"
"Without the aid of her brood," Ebon said. "Remember?"
Eagle Eye squirmed uncomfortably, silently.
"Even still, we've got bigger fish to fry." Josho turned to gaze at Rainbow. "No offense, but we can't spend forever on the minnows."
"I know. I know." Rainbow sighed. "But I can't just ignore these ponies, especially if it's true that they're Equestrians at heart." She paused, blinking. "Say..." She looked up. "Anypony seen Roarke?"
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Wonder what she's up to.
Never change Zaid, never change.
And as much as I love the whole pegasi and peaceful down time, Josho has a point. Chrysalis could really be messing up Val Roa
Oh, I'm sure she's just resting and not causing trouble.
Eh, these tie-dye, free-lovin' hippies irk me. I don;t think there is some horrible dark secret, but there's got to be something more to it than meets the eye. Ain't no place in the world that happy without a few bloodstains, no matter how old.
Also:
How do you know that? Only other pegasus civilization you know is Equestria, and his seems pretty different.
Twenty-five situps, ):(. Knock 'em out!
4731317 Not so different. We've not met a single pegasus mother or father, so far. Not unless you could Dash sitting on top of a stallion who also had a rainbow mane. Then again, that could easily have been the community rearing they do here, just one colorful pegasus taking another to see some races.
4731315
Suuuuure.
4731313
4731315
Hear that? You gon' get messed up real good, Zaidy Waidy.
4731313
Nah, Val Rona will be fine. The Jury should stay here. With me. And never leave. Just eat the lotus flowers and relax....
4731388
What do I do, I sit on you.
I have a feeling that if the pegasi see the sword, they will go insane
4731348
We can judge based on her reaction to them. This isn't something she has experienced before.
She's probably just sulking in the hanger. Hopefully...
4731388
Eh, you're right, screw Val Roa. Hippie pegasus free-love is where it's at.
I'm gonna guess Roarke might be already heading for the Gray Feathers or planing to head there now. She is too suspicious not to at least try it. Josho does have a good point, they can't stay here for all that long; Val Roa is in danger brood or no brood.
Rourke is off, remembering Blue Shelf, and doing her best to make sure it aint happening again?
And Zaid, always with the cheese.
Roarke probably blew up a puppy or something.
Recon-Roarke is best pony.
Well, Stratopolis was one of several Sentinels, right? Each with impenetrable barriers. Maybe this is another one of them? I may have my information wrong, though.
4731379 Either Chrysalis already has the city under her tyrannic grip and has run it to the ground, or it will be exploded into explodey explosions once Dash and the Jury arrive.
Either way, I lose.
"Who are we to judge another culture based solely on our differences?"
and so the commentary on our world's problems continues
4731356
Its not paranoia if they really are out to get you.
4731438
4731348
Actually in Austraeoh Rainbow said that it's kind of typical for pegasi to not know their parents.
It seems the Jury has been infected with commentitis paranoia. I get that they want to stop Chrysalis, but that's a long term goal. How can you want to hurry in a place like this?
Floydien wasn't there either.
Maybe the crator was caused by the arrival of another Alicorn? Inside a meteor?
It's Roarke,she's doing one of 4 things.
1. Working on the Dropsphere
2.Reloading the missilies she wasted.
3. Spending time as aunty Roarke to Kera.
4. Brooding on deck.
As much as I dig these pegasi and their overall attitude, I agree that something else is probably going on, even if the pegasi themselves aren't really aware of it. I agree with Pilate that the crater likely predates the pegasi's arrival. And I further suspect that the Golden Lights have something to do with whatever caused the crater. And whatever that may be, the Golden Lights may be the harmless tip of a far more sinister iceberg. And something tells me it'll be up to Rainbow, as Austraeoh, to steer the ship hard to port.
As for Roarke, maybe she just has a case of Montezuma's Revenge from all that Leatherback milk.
4732305 Whizzball.
I hope Roarke's not antagonizing the locals. Although she's probably working on it behind the scenes, cause she just wants to get out of there and go someplace where there're more explosions and things to kill.
4732400
Dropsphere
4731904 Gee, thanks, I feel so much better now. *shivers in fear*
4732712 *Jee
Ok, we're definitely in for some big surprise when we meet those Gray Feathers. I'm getting Xonan vibes from this.
4728737
Just you wait. In a year or two, he (she?) will probably reveal four more. Then it'll just keep growing in powers of two.
"Nuclear launch detected."
4731760 One of two.
4731426
Right on my lap.
I don't think there can be too many other people who watch this story that would be able to get that reference as soon as they read it. And good for them for not subjecting themselves to the sheer madness of that show.
4732679 You must embrace the Whizzball, DD.
Roarke Most Ready.
4737240
Never. I am in partial agreement with Roarke. Whizzball is not a fitting name for it,it does not whizz,though it is shaped like a ball.
It does need a name though and since it is their equivalent of a dropship,and shaped like a sphere,the Dropsphere.
4737403 I would be inclined to think it does, indeed, whizz.
whiz also whizz (hwz, wz)
v. whizzed, whiz·zing, whiz·zes
v.intr.
1. To make a whirring or hissing sound, as of an object speeding through air.
I'll concede on the shape, though.
Therefore, I propose we name Roarke's ship the Whizzphere.
Keep being awesome and hilarious Props, that is all.
fc00.deviantart.net/fs25/i/2008/162/d/9/Majora__s_Mask__The_Moon_by_Pablo_M.jpg
'nuff said
I have a feeling that the whole Hurricane thing is a red herring. Commander Hurricane didn't have anything to do with Discord.
-Spirit
Roarke not being around is never a good sign.
hmm, since this is an arc of the story, then clearly there is a conflict to be had. I don't think that in this case it will be a physical conflict but rather a conflict of ideals and the likes.
An intellectual conflict hm. Rainbow has trouble with those. Hope she pulls through.
Some things are adding up. Some are not.
Everyone's so on edge, and I don't blame them. I'd be suspicious of peace as well after all I've bene through (especially in such a strange land with connections to the mysteries of the world that they're working through).
That's actually a super-wise move by Rainbow. If she waits until she's heard everything the Gray Feathers have to say, she might find out (for instance) that they believe anyone who has laid eyes on an alicorn must be immediately executed...or some other outta-nowhere thing that their society interprets as a grievous offense.
"Away missions" and now a Prime Directive... This really is Pony Star Trek.
Dammit, and I liked that theory. Now that RD has just said it out loud, I'm about 99% sure it's not that simple.
But if it's not that they must be
Okay, so that's not it either. Or maybe it is.
It can't be that lax, right? They don't seem to be running out of space to live, or food.
Either they have some sort of population control, or this crater is just really fraking big.