"Our Mother..." The face of Applejack quivered under lanternlight. The changeling shifted back in her chains, curling away from Rainbow Dash. "...she is everywhere. She is in all of us..."
"Who, Chrysalis?" Rainbow leaned forward with an inquisitive gaze. "Or Tchern?"
"No..." Applejack shook her head. "Not the Night Mother. She waits on the dark side for her beloved sister to return." She gulped. "And return with strength and glory."
Rainbow Dash blinked. "So it is Chrysalis who I met." She rubbed her fuzzy chin, then twitched. "Wait... wait. 'Return with strength and glory?' You mean Chrysalis is trying to return to the other side of the plane?"
"She can't yet... we can't yet," Applejack buried her freckles into her forelimbs. "There ain't enough power. There ain't enough misery..."
"For what?"
"It's all too much, sugarcube..."
"Hey..." Rainbow reached forward and gently grasped the pair of orange hooves before her. "Look at me." She held her ground as the moist green eyes looked her way. "It's okay to tell me. What is Chrysalis making her brood devour misery for?"
Applejack sniffled. "We must be strong. We must have a heapin' helpin' of might if we're to help the Night Mother win the War."
Rainbow's lips pursed. "What War?"
The changeling's black exoskeleton showed for a moment, then waxed back to fuzzy orange. "Why, the Trinary War, sugarcube."
Rainbow Dash could only blink at that. She turned to look back at Aatxe, but the stallion could only shrug.
"Mother's been feedin' and feedin'..." Applejack shuddered into the lamplight. "Xona was mighty easy for us to get our vittles. But now it's time to fall back..."
"Fall back to where?"
"We would have gone west, but Mother changed her mind. There was nothin' left for her brood to feed on there."
"West...?" Aatxe murmured. "West, where?"
Rainbow raised her hoof to silence him. She craned her neck the changeling's way. "Why was going west no longer an option?"
"There was no point in exploitin' the peace," Applejack stammered. "Chaos consumed harmony all on its lonesome. Mother sensed it, and her children out in the field witnessed it first hoof. It was a famished land, no longer worth the trouble. But..."
Rainbow gulped. "But what..."
The mare looked up with teary eyes. "Mother sensed that Chaos was comin' her way. If she just had us wait where we were, then the final ingredient would saddle up to the table in Xona." She choked back on a sob. "We got all that we needed, sugarcube. Death... pain... misery. It all worked out as Mother intended it."
Rainbow Dash was silent. She stood up and paced between the bricklaid walls, staring down at her hooves.
Aatxe stared at her worriedly.
"Don't be mad, darlin'..." Applejack smiled painfully, rolling over to her side and rattling the chains. "Mother knows all. She chained the mighty Divine of Magic. She carved a continent in two. All falls into place with her plan, for she is beautiful and godlike."
"But not very merciful..." Rainbow muttered to the wall.
Applejack shivered. "Why... sh-should she be? She is a powerful and wise Mother..."
"And she cares for her children because she feeds you guys, right?"
The changeling shook its head.
"Tell me..." Rainbow Dash slid down onto her hooves and grasped the changeling's forelimbs. "Look at me and t-tell me..." She gulped and reached forward with a trembling hoof, ultimately caressing Applejack's cheek. Her voice cracked, "Have you ever been fed like th-this?"
Applejack gazed up into Rainbow's eyes with a trembling muzzle. Slowly, her orange coat turned darker, and her long blonde mane was replaced with a violet swath of hair. "No..." Scootaloo whimpered, shaking her head. "No... never..." Tears fell from her violet eyes in little green bursts. "It's too much... f-far too much..."
Rainbow Dash clenched her jaw tight. "What kind of a Mother would rob her child of this?"
The changeling was at a loss for words. Scootaloo's legs curled to her chest and she collapsed with bitter sobs. Rainbow reached forward and held the petite thing close, weathering its sobs as it surrendered to her embrace.
With a cold exhale, Rainbow gazed into the torchlight beyond. "I don't know about you, kiddo, but I'm starting to realize why it is that Tchern—the Night Mother—kicked out her sister." She turned and glanced back at Aatxe's nervous figure. She patted Scootaloo's back. "One of the former alicorns had its priorties right, and the other didn't."
"B-But she wants to end the Trinary War!" Scootaloo's muffled voice whimpered. "She has to! She loves the Night Mother!"
"Then tell me..." Rainbow Dash held Scootaloo back, staring at her tear-stained face. "Why doesn't she love you?"
Scootaloo bit her lip, gazing nervously at the floor.
"Look at me." Rainbow Dash tilted her head up. "You said that Chrysalis has now pulled back. She couldn't go west. So... where did she go?"
Scootaloo sniffled, then glanced down at her curled forelimbs. "Val Roa."
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Val Roa...?" A blink, and she turned back at Aatxe.
He was already clearing his throat. "It's... a... It's a kingdom far east of here," he said. "Dead center of one of the Shattered Continents."
"You've been there?" Rainbow asked.
"No." Aatxe shook his head. "But anyone who's done trading as far west as Alafreo has heard about it."
"Lemme guess..." Rainbow Dash's ears folded atop a lethargic expression. "They're ravaged daily by war as well..."
Aatxe's face contorted with a grimace. "Heck no! At least..." He fidgeted. "It wasn't around seventeen years ago when I was still flying! The place is the last bastion of civilization before the Grand Choke, after all. It'd be a shame for them to get involved in a petty conflict!"
"The Grand Choke..." Rainbow Dash murmured.
"But... but if this 'Chrysalis' character weaseled her way inside..."
Rainbow Dash turned towards Scootaloo. "Do you know what your Mother is doing in Val Roa?"
Scootaloo bit her lip and shook her head.
Rainbow's nostrils flared. "She impersonated Princess Lasairfion in Xona. Is she going to do the same in this eastern kingdom?" Her eyes narrowed. "To wreak havoc and chaos?"
"There is much... much misery left to feed on," Scootaloo said. "All th-that's needed is to bring the prison there to contain the vessels."
"The prison?"
"Rainbow Dash..."
The pegasus glanced back at Aatxe.
"This place," he said softly. "Chrysalis needs this place."
"Yeah, no kidding." Rainbow frowned. "But how can she expect to move Stratopolis? It's not like she's related to any of the ancient pegasi who—" Her ruby eyes widened. A pale sweat formed along her brow. She turned towards Scootaloo. "Your Mother wanted me to be here for a reason, didn't she?"
Scootaloo squeaked, "Chaos is the quickest way for Mother to feed us..."
"Look at me..." Rainbow Dash caressed the filly's mane and leaned forward. "Do I really... really strike you as an agent of chaos?"
Scootaloo blinked. A tear rolled down her cheek, and she smiled. Sniffling, she leaned in, nuzzled Rainbow Dash's chest, and looked up. She smiled again.
Ok so it is Chrysalis, I'm a bit surprised that IC is bringing in more canon characters to this story at this point, but I like it. It also gives a good explanation why she didn't bother with Equestria in this timeline.
Looks like Zaid's better half has made its appearance.
Also looks like Discord's actions and the deaths of the other bearers are the reason why Chrysalis decided not to invade Canterlot like she did in the show.
Still brings to question how Chrysalis managed to make it all the way here, and how Stratopolis ended up here...
Well. So the "Choke" is a real place. Just reeallly far away.
You are the macguffin, Rainbow Dash.
The holey one instead of holy one.
Well, Trinary War and Val Roa. We have a next location, and Rainbow Dash has another conflict she'll be dragged into until she brings it to an end with awesomeness.
4274568
The whole changeling race can fly. They probably got a head start. And as a species that can blend in literally anywhere, they went completely unnoticed. I wonder what the maximum range is for these guys.
I'm betting it was Rainb-
Yep.
Buggery...another war to go to...
Well, a new location too, I guess. "Val Roa"...
Oh shit, if this going to go down like I think it is then we will need every character we can get.
Also, here is some feels because I'm feeling especially sad today.
And remember, Dashie: this time, just shank the Big Bad when you get the chance.
Don't need another Shell around.
Im just hoping that when everything comes down to that one last moemnt, Rainbow Dash will fail, her enemies will claim their success, and then they will fail because they forgot one important fact.
Pinkie dont care about the laws of physics.
I thank you for this daily dosage of dialogue, it's much appreciated. Also,. Thank you for that too.
Oh come on, we just got out of one!
And apparently Tchern isn't all that bad. Sorta. And another one of the commenters gets a name in the story! Congrats Mr. Zaid ValRoa.
Ooo interesting developments.
You know, I was meaning to ask you if there was gonna be an Obsidian Trinity this time around.
Close enough.
Finally noticed the names of people frequently commenting on the story ending up in the story.
Someone, quick, make an account named "Dickcheese" and write eloquent, well-thought-out comments for every chapter!
I am a place far, far away! Hooray!
That'll give the Jury something to look forward after they leave Stratopolis.
4274999 I feel happy.
4273140 If it makes you feel better, I'm a kingdom.
4274600 "You're the McGuffin Rainbow Dash" will be the next chapter title, just you watch.
Trinary War... sounds fun.
inb4 we make a pitstop at this Val Roa place
4275314
I would like to mention how Colon chose the most obscure way to insert me, seeing how "Appletank" is a shitty name for anything other than a username.
4275659
There, there, hombre. Don't pout about being recognized. There's children in china that IC hasn't even imagined. Be grateful.
4275674
No, no, I'm glad. I spent a good 5 seconds staring at "Elma" and going "........wow. He really went there. Cool, but.....wow. Something that I mentioned once months ago in passing, and he kept it. For a turtle.......... Sweet."
4275549
It's how I contribute!
4275659 Well if it makes you feel any better, I think I might have been mentioned way back around the time they met Zaid, and that was a little quip about the weather. Still not sure if that was intentional.
4275314
Shitty comments were enough for me!
Then again, I died.
It is odd how the Windthrow ponies knew tales of the Grand Choke, but it was not mentioned afterwards until now. That's a lot of distance.
Val Roa sounds like an interesting place for a story arc or two.
D'awww.
4275674 No.
If it exists, or if it could exist... he has imagined it.
And imagined it being tortured, becoming evil, has always been a changeling, is stuck in a time loop, is cursed, or has some other horrible thing happen to it. Or just falling in love with Applejack. Either or.
4275314 I didn't even notice it. I finished Austraeoh then my friend immediately noticed and mentioned it to me. And I had to slap myself that I failed to notice Zaap was Zaap.
4275360 Is this going to be the place Zaid gets his grilled cheese!?
Now we finally have some idea of where the grand choke is, there seem to be two continents left.
It seems to me that the Trinary War is a conflict on the dark side of the world (if I had to make a wild guess, one involving three races locked in an eternal bloodbath). I don't think this is something Rainbow can end, at least not before she reaches the midnight armory, but it might be something she can take advantage of to get through the perpetual nightmare of the other side.
And what of Roarke? She's going to end up having a role again soon, right? I mean it would be really weird for Odrsjot to leave us with that cliffhanger just to drop her character, right guys... ... please?
4276202
It seems to be something traders know about, a tale passed by word of mouth as ponies do business, radiating westward, with less and less detail the further away one gets.
4276427 One can only hope.
Ooooooooh, so that's the difference between this universe and canon. I suppose it makes sense that Chrysalis wouldn't bother going to Equestria if the elements were gone. Though... when I re-watch "A Canterlot Wedding", I might have to consider that somewhere in the distant east, a band of ponies is suffering in Stratopolis without a savior.
And we get our first tangible proof that the Grand Choke (the edge of the world?) is drawing nearer. That'll be pretty cool. Though I'm guessing that'll be book six, so it's still a ways off. Oh well. Enjoy the ride, amirite?
A part of me wonders just how accurate this is. If Ebon really is a changeling, might he have been put in the right place at the right time to cross paths with Rainbow and be an unwitting mole? It does seem odd that he was being kept around (seemingly as nothing more than a cook) at Nightstade Industries, which had connections to a changeling (Seclorum) at the front.
I guess that's a slippery slope, though. If that's true, it could suggest a whole mudslide of conspiracy theories.
Guess who's all caught up now.
Fall Of An Empire - The Yearning
One can only hope that Val Roa has a booming grilled cheese business. Also, a Trinary War? I can guess that Tchern and Chrysalis are two, but who's the third?
Chrissy was very wrong.
Oh dude.
Direct hit to the feels.
We can't take much more captain.
MY FEELS!
So that's what "Mother's secret weapon" is... Lots of things make more sense now. Just a fair warning, Chryssy: the last time someone tried to use RD's chaos side as a weapon, it did not go as planned.
Sorry, Tchernobog, but your guest appearance is on another side of the world.
Something tells me this changeling won't be joining us on the Noble Jury. (Maybe the fact that it doesn't have a name? So far it's just a convenient exposition hose.) Elma, though, should. Also Roarke, when she shows back up again.
And speaking of crew, we still don't know if EE survived his desperate leap off the roof!
Woooow.
S'all I gotta say.
I hate to break it to you, but you sort of are Discord.
The Shattered Continents? Sounds like some great places!
4275360 Taking bets there's not a cow in sight there?
4279271 Twenty bucks say goats.
4276330 Yeah. Friends are cool and good at noticing things. I sure am a fan of said friends.
4279933 You couldn't resist tooting your own horn could you... -.-
Huzzah! More world building. Now we have a basic road map and some idea of what to expect. Also, more information as to the state of the dark side of the world. Now we just have to have Rainbow get out of here before Chrysalis can abuse her.
>One of the former alicorns had its priorties right
Prior ties! :DDd
Oh sweet, sweet world building!
Interesting world building.
I'm never going to get a reference, am I?
One can only hope.
-Spirit
. "Do I really... really strike you as an agent of chaos?"
a..a.Maybe?
Sir! Direct impact on the Starboard Feels Compartment! We're leaking fluid from both ducts!
.... damn not another warzone! Come on IC, for once, give poor dash and co. a long peaceful journey where nothing bad at all happens