Early Bird Gets the Dash
Props yawned, stumbling up the steps of the Noble Jury's rear stairwell. She paused to rub her puffy blue eyes with a forelimb, then ascended the rest of the way. Before exiting onto the top deck, her knee bumped into a saddlebag. Props heard a rattling noise. Glancing down, she saw the Sword of Solstice.
Fidgeting, she squinted out onto the top deck. Sunlight glinted off the metal surfaces of the ship. Amidst the bright sheen, the dark shadow of a tall stallion stood out.
"I'm guessing Dashie went for her trip, huh?" Props murmured, stumbling tiredly outside. The mists of morning tickled her ears and eyelashes. "Hmmmff... so quiet. So much for early birds, eh? Heehee..."
Silence.
She blinked curiously. "Zaidy Waidy? Why so silent? Did you finally gag on your tongue?"
"Shhhh..." Zaid held a hoof up without looking at her. "Did you hear that?"
She stood stock-still, mute.
The stallion took a long, meditative breath. "That's the sound of ponies not-killing-us." He turned to grin at her. "It's a pretty swell sound, ain't it?"
Props smiled back.
In the early dawn, dark shadows from the eastern Sky Stabs swept their way across the jungle foliage. All was mist and greenery as far as the eye could see.
Then, out of the dead silence, several dark bodies surged, diving low over the treetops. With leathery wings spread, the leatherbacks made a living train towards some unseen destination towards the north end of the crater.
They were not alone In spiraling formations, over two dozen pegasi glided alongside the mammoth beasts. They zig-zagged in and out of the creatures' path, tightening around their descent and gradually guiding them in a curved, northeasterly path.
The pegasi whooped and whistled at each other, urging ponies to fill in empty spots and keep the pressure on the flocking creatures. Every now and then, a leatherback would break away from the rest of the herd, only for two to four pegasi to expectly swoop down and force them back into the line.
Sivrem smiled proudly at the task. He glanced to his right, signaling to Jagold and Smythe. The pegasi saluted back, dove to the head of the pack, and steered the largest of the leatherbacks towards a distant ravine. Glancing to his left, Sivrem smirked at Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash grinned, her lungs inhaling and exhaling with excitement. The mare's eyes darted all over the scene, attempting to take everything in about the speed operation. Her ears flicked as she heard falconesqe shriekings. She turned to see a pair of ponies diving down low and throwing their shoulders into the leathery wings of creatures, urging them back into the line.
"If you're worried about them, don't be!" Sivrem shouted over the whipping winds. Both pegasi took a sharp curve, following the herd through misty winds. "They can take a beating! Especially the bulls!" He chuckled to himself. "In fact, they get awfully bored without us giving them a good shove or two!"
"Must be tough when all you can do is fly around and provide milk."
"The average leatherback lives for about seven years!" Sivrem said. "The way I see it, we give them plenty of exercise and excitement for the space of their lives!"
"I'll say. Does it do anything for the milk?"
"Gets sweeter with each generation!" Sivrem said, smiling. "There's nothing in the Gray Feathers' scrolls about these creatures. I guess some things the Valkyrie couldn't anticipate..."
"Right..."
"But we apply her courage and tenacity in everything that we do!" Sivrem paused to gestured at a few fellow fliers, who dove low to maintain the herd's formation as they approached the final stretch before a deep ravine. "I've no doubt that she'd be proud of the symbiosis we've maintained here!"
"Where I come from, pegasi are all about living with nature." Rainbow smirked. "Seems like you've got things pretty well-handled here."
"Yes, well, the only challenge is getting it all done before First Light," Sivrem said. "I like to start the day out awesomely!"
"Heeheehee!" Rainbow grinned wide. "Who doesn't?"
Jagold chirped from below. Both ponies glanced down.
The blonde mare exclaimed, "The lead bull's feisty today, First-Born! We can't stop him from heading to the treetops!"
"Right..." Sivrem cracked the joints in his neck. "Looks like a job for my feathers."
"Pfffft..." Rainbow smirked. "Can't be that hard."
"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try it yourself, Outsider," Sivrem said.
"Hah! That would be a laugh—" Rainbow's words cut off.
Sivrem was smirking at her.
She blinked, then grinned from ear to ear. With one salute, she backflipped, plummeted, then flapped her wings hard. With a clap of thunder, she rocketed ahead of the group, almost throwing several ponies off balance.
"Whoah!" Smythe gawked, his eyes wide. "What a gust!"
"She'll run him into the greens!" Jagold's voice cracked.
"Shhhh..." Sivrem flew between the two ponies, squinting ahead. "No she won't..."
Rainbow Dash accelerated, approaching the rear of the headmost leatherback. The enormous specimen was descending rapidly towards the treetops below. As the air distorted between him and the approaching pegasus, the creature let loose a bass moan and thrashed its dangling tail.
Rainbow held her breath, dodging frantically up and down to avoid the appendage. After the last tail swipe, she corkscrewed around it, accelerated, and flew upside-down until she was belly-to-belly with the large cartiligenous specimen. Wings spread, she pressed her fuzzy chest to the creature's, then shoved her body upwards with several heavy wing flaps.
"Nnnnngh... grnnnngh..." Rainbow seethed and sweated. Despite her eager efforts, the two of them kept descending. "Come on, you freaky space cow... fly up!" Teeth grinding, she glanced left and right at the thing's rippling wings. Then, with a bright gasp, Rainbow stumbled upon a wicked idea. Clinging to the beast with one forelimb, she held on and bent her wings around, tickling its belly with the tips of her feathers.
The creature shook all over, emitting a sporadic bass undulation. Its wings went slack, giving Rainbow the opportunity that she needed. With several feathery flaps, she pushed the two of them skyward, successfully lifting the bull back into the air, and aiming it towards the ravine ahead.
"Hah!" Smythe exclaimed. "I don't believe it!"
Jagold giggled. "Now why didn't I think of that before?"
Sivrem smirked. "Because she's one of a kind, that's why..."
Rainbow flipped out from the line of creatures and glided northeasterly. She glanced back, smirked, and saluted.
Sivrem saluted back. He shrieked into the air, and the group whistled back, gliding closer together as they urged the creatures down into the gaping canyon below.
"A walk?" Pilate asked.
"Yeah," Ebon said with a nod. He glanced aside at Eagle Eye on the Noble Jury's top deck, then back at the couple. "We figured there's no harm in it. Might as well do something relaxing while Rainbow Dash is away."
"Well, so long as the Durandanans don't mind," Bellesmith said with a shrug. She glanced at the treehouses beyond the ship's edge. Pegasi darted swiftly from branch to branch, going about their daily business. "They don't exactly seem too territorial."
Eagle Eye fought the urge to giggle. "We'll be sure not to spread wing and fly into their airspace."
"You know what I mean," Belle said, rolling her eyes. "We'd join you, but I promised Pilate that I'd put the finishing touches on O.A.S.I.S."
"Just as well, beloved." Pilate leaned in to nuzzle her. "I can't very well appreciate the sights if... well... I can't appreciate the sights."
"Trust me, Pilate. It will be well worth it."
"Well, I wish you luck with that," Eagle Eye said with a wave. He and Ebon wandered towards the hangar. "It'd be a shame not to take advantage of the serenity while we have it."
"Point well made, EE."
As the two stallions made their way to the hangar, Roarke trotted out of the stairwell, tailed closely by Kera.
"Awwwwwwwwwww..." Kera pouted. "Please, Roarke? I never get to see you use your awesome tech!"
"And there's a reason for that," Roarke droned, making a bee-line for the couple on deck. "Pilate. Bellesmith." She came to a stop, her lenses retracting. "I have come to inform you that I intend to take the Lounge Sphere for a flight. My destination is the southern wall of the crater, where I intend to test my latest weapon upgrades in secret." She cocked her head aside. "Fear not. I asked a pair of First-Born Durandanans yesterday afternoon as well as at dawn today, and they both gave me their blessing."
Pilate tilted his ears towards Belle and the mare stared at the zebra.
Roarke's brow furrowed. "Is... something amiss?"
"Er... n-no! Not at all, Roarke!" Belle said with a nervous smile.
"That's very good of you to be so considerate," Pilate said. "Not just to us, but to the Durandanans... erm..."
Roarke stared at them.
Belle cleared her throat. "We're just... not used to you consulting us first."
"Indeed. Normally you just go and do your own thing without asking."
"Well, I am not doing that now," Roarke grunted.
"Right! We c-can see that!" Belle smiled nervously and waved her hoof. "Go on! You... er... have our blessing!"
"Much appreciated." Roarke nodded her head. "I anticipate being back by sundown." She turned tail and trotted back towards the stairwell.
"Hmmmph..." Kera squatted on her haunches, folding her forelimbs. "She won't let me come with her."
"Well, she's going to be testing dangerous technology, Kera," Pilate said.
"Yeah, but Roarke's a super-super professional!" Kera said. "And it's not like I haven't been front row to dangerous stuff before and come out safe!"
"It's not that, Kera..." Belle sighed, smiling helplessly. "She's just... well... she's Roarke. If this was Rainbow Dash or Josho, then you'd know it'd be fine. But you just gotta let the mare be herself..."
At this point, Roarke had frozen at the stairwell, fidgeting. She took a deep breath, her ears folding. At last, she blurted, "You're going to need to pack a lunch."
Kera glanced over, emerald eyes blinking. "Huh?"
Roarke swiveled about, deadpan. "We will be gone for the better extent of the day. You will inevitably become hungry."
Kera's eyes twitched. Her jaw dropped. "You mean... you m-mean you'll let me go with you?!"
Roarke grumbled, "I do not cater to redundant statements. Make a decision—swiftly—before I change my mind."
"Oooh! Oooh!" Kera hopped up, grinning at the Ledomaritan couple. "Belle! Pilate! Can I? Can I? It'll be so sweet!"
"Uhhhhh..." Pilate fidgeted.
"I assure you..." Roarke shuffled towards the two, her lenses locked on them. "She will be absolutely safe. That is my sworn promise." Her jaw clenched. "Even safer than she would be on board the Noble Jury."
Pilate tilted his head Belle's way.
Belle exhaled slowly through a calm smile. "And I have no doubt of that, Roarke." She leaned down and nuzzled Kera. "Go on ahead, darling."
"Woohooo!" Kera scampered past Roarke and glided down the stairwell. "I'll make us both sandwiches! Dragonfly sandwiches!"
"And whatever Roarke tells you to do—follow her every word!" Belle sighed, then smiled in Roarke's direction. "This means a lot to her, Roarke. I don't know how to thank you."
"Just keep doing what you're doing." Roarke turned and trotted towards the stairwell.
"Erm..." Belle blinked. "And just what is that?"
"Changing." And Roarke was gone.
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Aw. Sweet Roarke is sweet.
Admit it Roarke. Being nice is nice.
Kera would also make a great A-PRIN-TISS
I did NOT get watery-eyed there at the end. Not at all.
I can't even tell if that's a compliment.
I mean, from the context, definitely, but I can't help but to read it as "You're good as long as you stop being like you are right now." =P
Roarke is so awkwardly sweet
And then they totally porked.
No?
Aww.
Hmm. Interesting, coming from Roarke.
Well, RD seems to be putting AJs herding lessons to good use. Also, Roarke and Kera get to blow stuff up along the southern border. This should be fun.
Hey SS&E. If you ever kill off Roarke I am going to shit bricks.
This turn in behavior is awesome.
Please don't let it be a precursor to tragedy.
With the party split, Roarke and Kera get to be the cavalry who'll ride to the rescue after the sudden and inevitable betrayal.
Little bugger gets to go on a field trip.
Dash has been missing the freindly combat from AJ, so getting extra from the spacewhales. (known Space? Moira?)
Im wondering just how large that crater, wall mountains are, and if Rourke just hapens to have enough skystone powered weaponry capable of knocking the rim a pass, or even melting a pegasus szed tunnel right through the rim a couple hundred foot below the weather?
Yay Roarke and Kera going on a trip to explode some cliffs.
Amen, me.
4742828 Ow, don't jynx it.
I didn't voice my concerns for this exact reason.
...
OH NO!
Roarke is turning into a sweetheart in her own way. Its really nice to see.
Don't mind me. The leatherbacks frequently let loose noises that strangely sound like a human saying d'awwww in a high pitched voice at Roarke and Kera.
Oh god. Kera would be too stronk as a warrior of Searo to handle.
Roarke and Kera, going around, blowing shit up. Simply glorious
Rainbow rustling leatherbacks? Roarke taking Kera on a field-trip? Props and Zaid hanging out in the general vicinity of the Sword of Solstice?
This is shaping up nicely indeed.
I can't help but feel like this is the part where the party splits before something terribad happens.
24
Expertly?
I really like the way Roarke is learning how to be social. I wonder how Roarke will handle being alone with Kera. This seems like the first time that they will have been alone together since Lerris.
Heh. Roarke's gonna be glad she brought Kera along. Either Kera's gonna give her advice on how to improve her weapons, or Kera's gonna protect Roarke when some shit goes down.
4743211 Gray Smoke was much the same way was it not?
A safe haven where everypony went off to do a bit of their own thing,then the shit hit the fan.
4743342 Never split the party?
The fact that Belle trusts Roarke with Kera shows an even greater change in Roarke's character.
And I don't trust Props and Zaid with Celestia.
Roarke, being new Roarke, Dash doing Dash things, and a double dose of shipping. Eebon and Praid.
I'm just sitting here waiting for shit to hit the fan.
4741128
I'm not trying to "write Chrysalis off the current playboard", I'm just saying that I'd expect her to let the Jury come to her.
Besides, how would she rebuild her army? She doesn't really have any way to get the changelings back on her side. Granted, she could have assembled a force of Val Roans, but I doubt she'd send them to an unknown, mysterious, incredibly hard-to-get-to crater even if she somehow knew Rainbow was there.
We may not know much about Tchern's changelings, but unless they're drastically different from Chrysalis' brood, she can't really use them against the Jurists. Also, in case you can't remember, Axan is watching over Rainbow, not trying to kill her.
I understand that you don't want to let your guard down, but you shouldn't be too paranoid, either.
Does zaid meditate? It's not the first time he's been quiet like that. Roarke is the best.
Look who's talking.
Eh. Now that's a bit of a stretch.
Wow, she is really making an effort isn't she.
Also, a minor error:
No period.
I get that Dash is good, But these Pegasi remind me of those in Harmony theory. I.e. they have limited capabilities.
4743093
4742798
I keep getting the feeling through all of this that Roarke is seeing Kera as a surrogate as much as Belle - someone to raise, to train, to continue on. I keep wondering if Roarke is going to teach Kera some defensive and offensive stuff quietly to protect herself, to live on the warrior spirit of the Searonese legacy, if not the more brutal aspects.
Am I the only one who always pictures the chaos beasts from Gold Petals town when I picture the Leatherbacks?
4744825
PLOT TWIST
Kera is going to carry RD's legacy after she dies, and reach the midnight armor using the judicious application of napalm and high explosives.
Aww, they're like destructive sisters.
I dunno. Seeing Roarke come out of her shell is sweet and all, but I can't help but think that her 'going soft' is going to get somejurist killed one day (it won't be her fault, of course, but she will see it as such), causing her to retreat so far back into said shell that not even Rainbow will be able to pull her back out. Just the sort of tragedy that's par for the course on our eastward journey... I'm hoping it doesn't happen, but the thought keeps me just out of reach of feels at moments like these.
yea! now for awkward celestia/somepony conversation! and LORE!
2
4742882 thought about that, but pegasi are naturally claustrophobic; in other words it would need to be BIG, and big needs supports, meaning a long time spent on careful construction.
4743613 i have this feeling Celestia's names going to be called, and she responds in the middle of a rather lewd act.....
4744138 i get the feeling he does, and is actually smarter than he seems. after all, smart does not mean serious grumpy old guy........
Hm
4745678 Yeah, Celestia can be sooooooo risque when she's focusing most of her physical and magical power into antichaosing.
4745942 the idea wasn't Celestia being "risque", but the person who ends up calling her......
I was smiling with Rainbow the whole way
TELL ME YOU DIDN'T JUST SAY THAT!
4965588 he bucking jinxed it...throw your hard hats on.
At the same time, I fear that this statement:
Is ominously prophetic.
-Spirit
Roarke . . . babysitting? It's not quite babysitting, but it is fairly close. I don't think I want to know what her time outs would be like.
Who wants to bet that the leatherbacks are actually evil? or at least a part of whats keeping the pegasi here
I'm betting as of now that Rainbow Dash is gonna leave the sword with these pegasi.
So Roarke and Kera get to go on an explosive field trip? Why am I not invited?
Hot damn, Roarke, you can lay down the feels like no other.
But this is good—Roarke is becoming more accepting, more flexible, and Belle is as well. Just in a different way.