I Shall Call The Pebble "Dare"
By noon, several ponies were strolling leisurely along the balconies of the Val Roan Royal Palace. The Jurists all clung together, with Rainbow Dash hovering a little bit above the group.
“So, according to Props' Uncle, he'll be flying by Amulek on the way back west to the Frozen Sea,,” Booster Spice said. His goggles glinted in the bright sunlight, and he smiled. “I can't wait to tell Merigold all about the King and Queen's proposition.”
“After all of the gorgeous tech that you've gotten your hooves on!” Props stammered, occasionally leaning on Zaid in mid-trot. “You're going to give it all up to go live in that tiny mining town again?”
“Yes, well...” Booster bit his lip, squirming slightly. “I have my obligations back in Amulek, but—first chance I get—I'd love to make the pilgrimage back to Val Roa proper and see if... well...”
“Well what?” Zaid asked.
“If Bellesmith and Pilate have made any progress with their technological exploits.”
“Well of course they will have!” Kera stuck her tongue out. “Belle and Pilate are awesome!”
“Won't get any argument from me,” Rainbow Dash said.
“It would be a blessing and an honor, Mr. Spice,” Pilate said.
“You've got a genius mind that won't quit,” Belle added. “I'm certain you could assist us wonderfully.”
“Spark knows we'll be having trouble and a half trying to explain the O.A.S.I.S. Sphere to the locals,” Pilate muttered. “Not to mention our side project of integrating the runic neural matrix with the Ocular Array.”
“That, I should be able to assist with,” Roarke spoke up, trotting closest to Rainbow. “It's Lounge technology, and odds are I'll be meeting with the naga quite regularly while I attempt to build the Cartel out of the ashes.”
“Will you even have time, Roarke?” Belle asked, chestnut eyes blinking. “I mean, that's quite gracious of you, but won't it be enough trouble dealing with the goblins?”
“The imps will have to learn to integrate themselves with Val Roans, instead of conflicting with them.” Roarke took a calm breath as the wind kicked at her scarlet bangs. “That will necessitate several trips for... erm... diplomatic reasons.”
Props smirked. “Or how about just for loneliness' sake?”
“I stand by what I said,” Roarke said, causing Belle, Pilate, and Kera to chuckle. “Besides, I'm certain Josho will miss the fine cuisine.”
“What'll it matter?” Josho muttered. “Ebon will be far off in Ether Point, cooking for a former changeling queen.”
“Not forever!” Ebon exclaimed. “At least... I-I hope not...” Eagle Eye gave him a loving pat on the shoulder.
“What of the boomers that joined blonde boomer's uncle on the flight flight?” Floydien asked.
“Hmm?” Eagle Eye blinked across the group. “Oh, you mean Crimson, Phoenix, and the rest?”
“Secchy told me they're heading back west on the Tarkington,” Josho muttered. “Their work here is done, ain't that right, Princess?”
“Yup. Hey...” Eagle smiled. “I wonder if they'll swing by Abinadi and say 'Hi' to Elma.”
“Heeheehee!” Props grinned. “I'll make sure that we do! I'm sure she'll be overjoyed to hear about what happened with the Changeling Queen!”
“Erm...” Ebon fidgeted. “Just... be a dear, Propsy, and leave out the whole 'Mother violently ripping off her horn and bleeding all over the place' part.”
“Okie dokie lokie!”
Midnite giggled. “Seems like you all had this a long time coming!”
Pilate pivoted about to gaze in her general direction. “How do you mean, Ms. Bastion?”
“Oh... uhm...” Midnite glanced nervously at Floydien, then at the others. “Only that you all seem to have everything so squared away... almost as if you were planning for this moment.”
Belle and Pilate were silent.
Ebon and Eagle Eye hung their heads.
“It's not exactly... erm... a new song and d-dance,” Zaid stammered.
“Yeah, we've kinda done this before.” Kera gulped hard, but smiled on the other end of the expression. “Only, this time, we're totally cool.”
“Yeah...” Rainbow Dash sighed. “What she said.” She glanced softly at Roarke.
“I... almost wish I had joined you guys much sooner,” Booster said. “I mean... I don't envy the sort of horrible things you all spoke of in the past, but... but being with you guys?” He sighed pleasantly. “As God is my witness, it's the single most spectacular moment of my life.”
Belle smiled. “We were more than glad to have you on board, Mr. Spice... as long as the Noble Jury lasted.”
“And Nancy lasted a long time,” Floydien muttered. “Yes yes yessss.” A moment of silence. He glanced aside at Midnite. “As long as we live, inside our shimmer glimmer, Floydien thinks.”
Midnite bit her lip, smiling tearfully.
“What of you, Ms. Bastion?” Belle asked. “What's next in your life?”
“Oh... me?” The group had come to a stop at the edge of a balcony at this point. The sunlight warmed them while brief gusts of wind brought pleasant chills. “I... I'm not sure, actually.”
“Your Daddy's alive!” Props exclaimed, grinning wide. “That's gotta be a good thing!”
“Right. And... as wonderful as it is to know that he's around, it's... strange.” Midnite gulped. “Though I've no doubt he'd sacrifice everything for me in an instant, he's... st-still not the same General who helped us all just recently...”
Ebon slowly nodded. “I think Mother had realized the war was lost a long, long time ago. She tried to carry on the masquerade, but she simply couldn't.” His eyes narrowed. “But know this: what she felt for you... what he felt was merely a piece borrowed from the heart of your father. I think, in a lot of ways, it was you and your trusting relationship with General Saikano that truly saved the day.”
“You... you really think that?”
“That's the whole point,” Eagle said with a smile. “Chrysalis was starved of misery and pain. Detached from the Hive Mind, she could only do that which was natural to her kind... and that was bask in joy and Harmony.” He glanced across the balcony. “Isn't that right, Rainbow?”
Rainbow hovered in silence, staring east. Beyond the buildings and bronze skyscrapers, the Grand Choke loomed. The Yaerfaerda pulsed at a distance, the brightest it had ever been. The lavender nearly burned itself into Rainbow's retinae.
“Hey, speedy,” Josho droned. “Princess dropped the 'H' word. That's your dayum cue, ain't it?”
Rainbow looked over. Her lips parted, but she hesitated.
Belle, Pilate, Kera, Roarke, Eagle Eye, Ebon Mane, Props, Zaid, Josho, Floydien, Booster Spice, and Midnite Bastion all stared back.
Rainbow's ears folded. At last, her voice cracked, “The last time I left my cl-closest friends... they were nothing but a circle of dead ashes. But now...” She shuddered. “I see that the circle is breaking. But... but it's a good thing.” Her eyes were glossy above a timid smile. “I'd rather the circle be broken than dead. It makes me think that—someday, somehow—it will all be rejoined. Sorta like...” She shuddered, sniffling. “Sorta like Urohringer, y'know?” She gulped. “Maybe... maybe that's the p-point of all this. The whole point in the end...”
Eagle Eye fought the tears as he said, “You... you don't have to leave right away, right? You could... you c-could stay for a while.”
“Y-yeah!” Ebon leaned against Eagle Eye, trying not to shiver. “You could hang out for a while. Help us get Mother situated. Assist Belle and Pilate with their lectures.”
“Wear out Roarke's leg muscles,” Zaid added. Whap! He barely cringed. “I'm not even going to ask who did it that time...”
“I... I...” Rainbow fidgeted in midair. She glanced at Roarke, and her pupils shrank. At last, she smiled warmly. “I have to do this. I... I really can't wait. After all—I may seem fine now—but we all know that just waiting in place only delays the inevitable.” She rubbed her forelimbs together. “The chaos will consume me if I don't reach more beacons. And... y'know... I'm not just doing this because I'm a coward who wants to live. Nothing would be awesomer than staying here with all of you guys... with my friends. But... but if I don't do this...”
“Every little boomer we ever make won't have a future,” Floydien spoke up. “Because the world will have fallen into dark dark.”
The group was dead silent.
“Right...” Rainbow shuddered. “What he said. There's always been crazy business with this plane. So long as I'm Austraeoh... so long as Axan flies around out there, stalking me... so long as I've got beacons of light blinking at me from beyond the horizon... I gotta make my way to the Midnight Armory.”
Kera shivered in Belle's embrace as she said, “Do... do any of the prophecies say that you'll live to come back?”
Zaid bit his lip and glanced aside.
Roarke merely looked at Rainbow Dash.
“Well, kiddo, unfortunately the only book that could have given me a clue was torn to bits with the Jury,” Rainbow said. “But... I-I think that's kind of a good thing. An important thing.” She smiled devilishly. “It means I've got nothing to hold me back. There's no doubt to weigh me down. The sky's the limit, y'know?”
Kera bit her lip. “You really think so?”
“I think...” Rainbow flapped her wings and pivoted once more to gaze at the Grand Choke. She took a deep breath. “...I think I've got a lot of prep-work to do.” Her eyes narrowed. “And ponies to talk to.”
Midnite Bastion nodded. “And I know just the ones, too.”
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Rainbow Dash flies east.
...I've got nothing right now.
I dun' want them all to split up...
Hmmm so Rainbow might have a few companions before crossing over then?
5612918
Not yet.
Yep, there's twelve of them.
5612956
Well, it is a jury ,after all.
Besides, there's 12 of them Dash brought together, but 12 she's not exactly a part of. She's the physical manifestation of harmony; the cosmic glue.
5612961
True
But there were also twelve pieces of the broken ring.
Okay. Dash is gonna zoom off the morning after her prep is done, so she doesn't have time to think about what she's doing.
I hope we get a chat with Luna before she goes though. it's been... a long ass time since we've had one of those.
-Treachery and deceit, kingdom of conceit Yaerfaerda.
5612961 ...How did I never see that until now.
Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.
But he grew old—
This knight so bold—
And o’er his heart a shadow—
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.
And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow—
‘Shadow,’ said he,
‘Where can it be—
This land of Eldorado?’
‘Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,’
The shade replied,—
‘If you seek for Eldorado!’
~Edgar Allen poe
Well, someone sured planned it.
Still getting closer. Something in the machine world is still moving closer. Could it be another segment of the ring?
Kera and Eine
I'm ready for RD solo chapters. We really haven't had those in a while.
5612935
That would be great. And a little unexpected, because I'm fully expecting Rainbow having to travel on her own again.
But then again. we were left a rather ominous note about the ending of this book (-no one is prepared for how this novel will end -NO ONE), and there's still 51 chapters to go, so a LOT can happen still.
5612961
Midnite being counted as a Juror?
I am okay with this.
5613005
D'awwwwwwww.
5612918
Rainbow Dash gets ready to fly east.
5612964 Well, damn. That's even better than the theory I was holding onto for a while, that several of the Jurists represented distinct Elements of Harmony.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/2/28/258010__safe_animated_meme_scootaloo_sweetie+belle_apple+bloom_image+macro_upvotes+galore_cutie+mark+crusaders_reaction+image.gif
I played as a child with a pebble on the beach, where just beyond lay a whole ocean of knowledge.
But I gained knowledge, if not wisdom, experience, if not maturity, and I learnt the truths of that pebble, that it was born of the ocean, and would return to the ocean, and so I worked on that pebble, discovering laws of mathematics, logic and physics, then beyond. I learned how to give that pebble a sense of self, a need to learn, and when I had given it all that I could, I took that pebble, and threw it, with what little I had left, far into that ocean.
And sat down.
And waited.
Dashie gonna Nyoom!
5611165 I suppose we'll see, but I think it's time for a change. It's not that I don't love all these characters, but this story has always been about Rainbow Dash and her quest. I don't see any way for the Jury to cross the Grand Choke as a whole, and only a few of them going wouldn't work - especially considering the only ponies that could conceivably go are the non-magic-dependent ones - which discounts the majority of the characters.
These characters have gone through the full extent of their arc, and they all have good reasons for staying behind, things that mean that they won't be able to follow Rainbow Dash. Pushing characters beyond the scope of their intended arc is rarely ever a good thing. Look at anime like Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, or Sword Art Online, where loads of characters are carried on into needless arcs and dragged around because it's what the fans expect. Hell, even published authors with widely loved characters know when it's time to move on - See R.A. Salvatore for a good example.
No, it's time to move on and see the next arc of this story. I'm looking forward to a fresh start.
5612956
Oh good, I've been hoping for more random bits of numerology to add to my wild theories...
5613017
tfw no Arcanista
it's okay Arcanist, at least i still have one person that loves me- myself...
Back to seriousness and not-narcissism, I am fully prepared for the badass new characters on the dark side.
Rejoice, fellow jurors, for this is
N O T A N O B L E A N D H O N O R A B L E E N D
but
A G R E A T AND G L O R I O U S NEW B E G I N N I N G
Where are you going?
Where are you going?
Can you take me with you?
For my hand is cold
And needs warmth
Where are you going?
Far beyond where the horizon lies
Where the horizon lies
And the land sinks into mellow blueness
Oh please, take me with you
Let me skip the road with you
Additional verses left out for brevity.
Rainbow Dash stares east.
treasure.diylol.com/uploads/post/image/454964/resized_winter-is-coming-meme-generator-feels-are-coming-prepare-the-chocolate-f37b15.jpg
It would be nice if those weren't the only options.
Now, I'd feel a lot better about them splitting up if, at the end, once the world was saved n' all, Rainbow could be reunited with them and actually, y'know, be happy and have a life. Between her condition and the sheer enormity of what awaits her at the Midnight Armory, I've always suspected that she would sacrifice herself to save the world at the end, but I suppose we can always hope that sacrifice and heroism will actually pay off for once.
5613107
You beat me to it. Oh well...
5612961
How did I never make that connection?
ecoopportunity.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Banging-your-head-against-a-wall.jpg
I shed a tear when I saw the chapter title.
5613033
That's an old, old Austraeoh thematic coincidence. Each arc somewhat represented an element. The story sort of meandered away from that, though.
Nothing worse than characters getting dragged beyond their limits. I'm kinda glad that they're staying behind. Sad, but not in a bad way. Like saying bye to family before going off to college.
The easthorse flies on, and those who stay behind will be forever changed, for better or for worse. The further RD has gone, the more of the former she leaves behind.
Who the hell are the characters going to be named after now?
5612961
Well, she is a horse. I'm sure she'd make some fantastic craft glue.
-Charles M. Schulz
I think this quote sums up my feelings. I friggin hate that The Jurists are breaking up, but I'm looking forward to seeing what new allies Rainbow will make. And it is my dear hope that one day, when all this is over, that they will meet again. When Rainbow Dash Flies West.
5612961
Heheh.
Glue.
Because horses.
I just know Ebon is going to pull an of Mice and Men on Chrysalis.
I suspect we'll be seeing a return to the book 1 style of writing come part 7, with Dash travelling alone and gratuitous text-based scenery porn
5613553
It's better to leave their story with us wanting more than it is to have it run it's course and become a nusense.
5613005 haha I love it. Make sure you post it in the fan art thread.
5612994
5613107
Godspell is one of my favorite musicals. I'm toying with doing an alternate universe retelling of S1E1-2 featuring Celestia as Jesus. It would be called "Goddessspell", and the cover art would be a horse-version of the red and black and white posters.
Anyway, when I was a kid I found this, "Day by Day", and "On the Willows" to be boring. I appreciate them a lot more now. And this song's somewhat esoteric imagery pairs well with Austraeoh.
5611940 Actually, none of the therms is correct, as I was actually thinking of Durandana, not Zadubadabu, and just got confused.
Here we are, then. This is the beginning of the end... yet we're not even halfway there.
5613553 Don't get me wrong, I'll miss 'em too. ;__;
Adjourned.
5612956
5612961
Now I know what will be my next attempt at fanart.
i.ytimg.com/vi/l7JqSpQLphM/maxresdefault.jpg
Shit is becoming even more real.
5613891 I approve. Call it, "the last breakfast".
RD defiantly needs a chat with Luna and co back in Ponyville. It's not just the princesses she needs to say goodbye to, but Scoots and Spike as well.
Also, I have to wonder how Shinning Armor's and Cadence's honeymoon/journey of discover is going.
I really feel the same regardless of how sad it is to see them all go. I knew there was no chance of all of them coming (heck I would have actually been angry if Belle, Pilate, and Kera had come along) but that quote is right. Better that they all go there separate ways then die. Again though this seems to neat and clean given the whole "No one knows how this will end. NO ONE." quote from IC.
I think it's a testament to how truly annoying the whole thing had turned with Rainbow's... baggage that I am happy rather than sad with all these goodbyes.
5613948 I've been thinking about this: knowing that the plane was part of a circle, it's curved, and since there's a horizon, we're on the outside of it, and the Dark Side is a bowl. Since the sun and moon have to go somewhere over the horizon, they'll be just as visible on the Dark Side... It's not like they turn off or something, right?
5614164 Yes, they do turn off, if they go there at all. I don't remember who (maybe Whitemare), but it was explained that Celestia and Luna weren't strong enough to illuminate both sides. Even if the moon does pass around the dark side, being switched off it probably wouldn't allow Luna to communicate with Rainbow Dash.
Dare to keep all your dreams alive! You can win if you dare!
5613964
He said no one would be prepared. It doesn't sound to me like anyone here is prepared for a neat and clean ending. We've been thoroughly trained to expect armageddon.