Like Noble Jurists Caught In Headlights
A squirrel clung to an artificial wooden branch, twisting its head until it blinked its beady eyes upside down.
Rainbow Dash stared back, quiet and deadpan.
After a minute, the squirrel's bushy tail twitched. It climbed up the branch, joining several more rodents as they scurried from wooden platform to wooden platform.
Rainbow Dash and her two best friends sat in a garden, over which a filmy net was suspended like a translucent dome. Beneath the net, several trees and flower beds bloomed. A complex series of wooden lattices stretched between the natural horticulture, allowing for an elaborate network of interconnecting bridges for the squirrels to traverse. The small furry mammals were great in number—no less than two hundred in that enclosed garden alone.
"That's... a lot of rats," Rainbow muttered.
"Rainbow!" Bellesmith hissed. "Careful what you say!" She squinted across the garden to where a pair of guards stood, their antlers sharp and shaven in the sunlight. Behind them there stretched a path towards the southwest wing of Bountiful's enormous manor. "The nobles here obviously went through a great deal of toil to set up this terrarium!"
"What for?" Rainbow glanced up. "They're just squirrels."
"They may seem like regular rodents to us, but they could mean a lot to the deer here!" Belle insisted.
"For nut-hunting season, maybe."
"Rainbow Dash," Pilate spoke up. "Belle informs me that one of your best friends had an infant whelp for a best friend. Is this true?"
"Who? You mean Spike? For your information, he's still alive and well back in Ponyville."
"And if a group of ponies from—say—Silvadel were to arrive in Ponyville and see Spike, how would they react?"
"Pffft. They'd probably try to spore the poor guy. I know Sam Rose would."
"And would their abject opinion make Spike any less precious in the eyes of your former colleagues in Equestria?"
"Dude. Pilate." Rainbow Dash gestured towards the tree branches above. "The moment a squirrel can breathe fire and send physical letters across the continent, you lemme know. Cuz then I'd buy a baker's dozen of 'em!"
Pilate sighed, tilting his head towards Belle. "I tried."
"Yeesh..." Rainbow flinched, wingtips fluttering. "I really hope they don't poop on us."
"They're squirrels," Belle remarked. "Not pigeons."
"What are we waiting for, anyways?" Rainbow asked.
"Didn't the servant say that the Duchess of Sehlp was willing to come speak to us?"
"Yeah, but that was—like—twenty minutes ago."
"It can't be easy running a place like Bountiful on your own," Belle said. "I think we're lucky that she's willing to give us any of her time whatsoever."
"It's best to be patient, Rainbow," Pilate said.
"I know that." Rainbow gritted her teeth. "It's just that... every minute we spend here sitting on our flanks, Floydien goes ballistic on the forest outside this smiley town!"
"I'm not hearing any explosions from this distance," Pilate said, lips curved.
"Yeah, well, maybe he switched to decaf since we crashed."
Belle glanced at Pilate. "I must say I'm rather curious as to how this place fits into Floydien's history."
Pilate yawned.
Belle slapped his shoulder. "Beloved?!"
"Hmmm?" He jolted, ears twitching. "Huh? What?"
"You know Floydien better than the rest of us."
"... I do?"
"Certainly! You were the one he rescued—more or less—out of Foxtaur! And you've been the one pony to constantly rein him in whenever things got awkward."
"Just because I can communicate with our pilot doesn't mean he's revealed much of anything to me." Pilate gulped. "With Floydien, it's always been about trust. We've respected his privacy and he's allowed us to occupy his vessel."
"Come to think of it..." Rainbow Dash rubbed her scalp. "Did he ever tell us just where he got the Jury?"
"He built it, if I recall," Pilate said.
"Yeah, but by himself?"
"No, obviously. He had—" Pilate's lips trailed off. He tilted his head upwards. "...Simon."
Belle and Rainbow Dash gazed up at the rodent-populated trees and platforms.
"Belle?"
"Yes, Rainbow?"
"What if Floydien's a fugitive?"
"You mean from Bountiful?"
"Something like that, yeah."
"Seems awfully foolish for him to return to the scene of the crime."
"But what if he doesn't remember that crime?" Rainbow gulped. "He lets a heck of a lot of volts of electricity surge through his skull. Plus—you gotta admit—those red eyes of his are kinda vacant."
"He crossed paths with Nightshade, did he not?"
"He most certainly did," Pilate muttered.
"Perhaps it's not his own fault that he couldn't recognize this place until it showed up underneath him," Belle said. "Perhaps all of that... 'glimmer shimmer' was never his to begin with."
"That wouldn't surprise me." Rainbow fidgeted in her seat. "But to come to a head now? And here?"
"If Floydien is somehow connected with the Val Roan High Council—" Pilate began.
"Stop where you're ahead, Stripesey," Rainbow muttered. "Cuz something tells me we'll be eating that manasphere of yours together."
"Shhhh..." Pilate's ears twitched as he tilted his head toward the guards. "Somepony's coming."
"Not somepony, Pilate," Belle said, standing up. "Some-elk."
The three got up to their hooves. In the meantime, the guards stood apart and faced each other. They tilted their heads back in order to not disrupt the pathway leading into the terrarium with their antlers. As they moved, the three Jurists watched a large, hornless deer trot into the domain. Her coat was of a reddish-brown hue, and a pair of soft eyes framed an otherwise coarse face. She wore a gown with purple silk tresses that trailed slightly behind her hooves. A pair of equine maidens trotted behind her, silent as stone.
"To whom do I owe the pleasure?" she said, shuffling to a stop.
Pilate cleared his throat. "Madame, my name is Pilate. This mare beside me is my mate, Bellesmith. The other mare goes by Rainbow Dash."
"Welcome to Bountiful," the elk said. "I am Duchess Arcanista of the House of Sehlp. Please..." She reached a cloven hoof forward. "Consider yourselves guests of our estate."
Pilate stood dead still.
She leaned her head to the side. "Can you not see?"
"I cannot, no." He smiled. "I beg your pardon, cow."
"Whoah!" Rainbow flashed him a shocked expression. "Dude!"
"Rainbow, calm down," Belle hissed.
"But he just called her—"
"Such is the appropriate term for a female elk."
"..." Rainbow blinked. "Oh. I-I knew that."
"But I thought that you could not see," Arcanista remarked.
"And such is true." Pilate's lips curved. "On occasion, I have magic—crafted by my beloved—that aids me in the place of true sight. But, in this case, I listened to the sound of your hoofsteps. Your gait is the same as a friend of ours."
Arcanista leaned back with a deep breath. "You don't say?" She blinked. "Then you are companions to Val Roan nobles?"
"To our knowledge, ma'am, you are the first that we've had the pleasure of meeting," Belle said.
"Indeed." Arcanista's gaze traveled from Pilate's stripes to Belle's stubby horn to Rainbow's flapping wings. "Quite a remarkable group of friends you are. Tell me..." She narrowed her eyes on Rainbow in particular. "Are there others in your party like you."
"Just me, cow... c-cow ma'am..." Rainbow winced. "Uhm... m-madame cow?"
Arcanista chuckled lightly. "Don't be so nervous. I am not like the haughty and unforgiving members of the Royal Cabinet. I extend the same mercy to you as I do to all the residents of Bountiful. Despite my noble standings, I believe it is my task to personally oversee the welfare of all who benefit from my rule."
"That's marvellous, Duchess," Belle said with a smile. "I only wish we could meet more leaders like you in our travels."
"Is that so?" Arcanista stood up and paced towards the three. "It sounds almost as if you're on a very long journey."
"I... suppose you could say that."
"Tell me." The elk's dark eyes narrowed. "Are you the Noble Jury?"
Dead silence, save for the distant barks of squirrels. Both Pilate and Belle tilted their heads in Rainbow's direction.
"Hmmm...?" Rainbow blinked. "Oh—the Jury?! Pffft! Please..." She waved a hoof. "Like we could ever possibly be aligned with such crazy trouble-makers—"
"Scrkkkk! Eagle Eye to Jury! Eagle Eye to Jury! Come in, Rainbow Dash! Are you there?"
Rainbow Dash clenched her eyes tightly shut. She took a long, long breath, then raised the soundstone to her muzzle.
"Yeah...?"
"Good! Just wanted to give you an update!"
Whizzball sliced its way through clouds as it rocketed south.
Roarke gripped the controls, staring thoughtfully through the windshield as she scaled mountains and valleys.
Ebon Mane slept soundly. His head curled against Eagle Eye's neck as his body rose and fell in calm breaths.
"Things couldn't have gone more smoothely!" Eagle grinned, caressing Ebon's head with his free hoof. "Ebon gave the changelings a thorough introduction to one another! Then our three friends at Silver Point took the baton! We even stopped by Amulek to smooth things out and grab a box of cookies for Booster!"
"Uh huh. That's fine, guys."
"No kidding!" Eagle chirped, rattling a cardboard box in his lap. "His mom made them!"
"I said that's fine," Rainbow growled. "Tell Roarke to fly safely and meet us in the town of Bountiful."
"Be sure to tell the rest of the Jurists that they're in for a delicious treat! We haven't had cookies this delicious since Zaid turned the Noble Jury's pantry inside out and accidentally baked—"
"Good bye, EE!" Rainbow slapped the soundstone a few times against a tree until it dimmed. Taking a deep breath, she looked the elk's way.
Arcanista bore a tiny smirk.
"... ... ..." Rainbow folded her forelimbs with a smug grin. "I don't suppose I can convince you that we're all changelings?"
"My guards keep a very close watch of the clouds as much as the forest, winged friend," she said. "I knew from the moment they described your ship that Bountiful was at last welcoming the elusive vigilantes of the Val Roan countryside. I've heard nothing but praise of your exploits across the land, saving township after township from the Cartel's incursion. We've had to deal with the goblin scourge ourselves from time to time, so—in a way—we are kindred spirits."
"The goblins aren't what brought us here, Duchess," Rainbow Dash said.
"No, I imagine gravity did."
"Huh?"
"Believe me, the fact that you are the Noble Jury is the one thing keeping me from seizing all of your assets and holding you responsible for irreporable damage to our forests."
Rainbow winced. "Yeah... uhm..." She gulped. "Your guards have good eyes."
"We trust that your vessel is in trouble," Arcanista said. "If so, we would be more than happy to assist you. We only wish that you could try to steer clear of our trees the next time you make a landing." Arcanista glanced at the other two. "This ecosystem is very fragile, and there is much wildlife that is endangered from goblin interference."
"Including squirrels, I imagine," Belle said.
"Indeed." Arcanista gestured at the branches overhead. "The Val Roan Gray Squirrel is a dying breed, known for their extreme intelligence. An adult squirrel of this species can even learn simple sign language if trained well enough. They're a pride and joy of Bountiful, and it's something that other nobles from far and wide have traveled to witness first-hoof."
"I trust that you keep a close eye on them," Pilate remarked.
"Absolutely." Arcanista nodded. "Without fail. Only once in the entire history of the House of Sehlp has one of our precious rodents gone astray."
Rainbow Dash and Belle exchanged glances. The pegasus hovered closer. "Could this squirrel have been called... Simon?"
Arcanista's features slacked slightly. She took a deep breath, then narrowed her eyes. "Something did bring you here... didn't it?"
Belle bit her lip. "Madame... is a super-intelligent squirrel the only thing missing from Bountiful?"
Silence.
Arcanista exhaled and turned around. "Follow me."
The Jurists exchanged glances.
"Is... s-something wrong?" Rainbow asked.
"That remains to be seen, my friend." Arcanista shuffled out of the terrarium, followed by her guests. "I simply feel that I need some air to process what we are about to discuss..."
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..... Eeyup, Floydien definitely has some history.
Also, they remember every single squirrel's names? Wow. I wonder how they'll react to news of his death.
Well done Eagle Eye! Well Done!
I can't wait to find out what Floydien did or is or whatever is going on here.
This would totally be my reaction.
Like, "Yeah, I know you're totally bullshitting me even without that untimely interruption, but i'm just barely too polite to call you on it."
Being called a cow repeatedly will not do wonders for my self-esteem.
Can all Elk wield the glimmer-glimmer, or is Floydien unique due to his experimentation? I would imagine that they have passive magic like Pegasi and Earth Ponies are stated to posess but cannot manipulate it like unicorns.
So far it seems like I am a kind and gentle ruler of a bountiful land. I also doubt that she's Chrysalis, as I doubt Chryssie would consider one squirrel's life important enough to remember. Hooray, I'm maybe genuine.
Yep...thinking the exact same thing.
Answers. Glorious answers are soon to come.
Dashie. This is why you put your soundstone on silent.
...Or vibrate. Vibrate is fine too.
Simon went missing as well hm. She didn't recognize Noble Jury which implies it happened pre-escape.
5098753
Or more questions, that's an entirely plausible outcome.
oh look, a cliffhanger.
time for a perspective change!
Yaay . Cookies. I miss you soooo much.
No Zaid. Cheese goes on Crackers.
Well, if things turn out without having to obliterate the area, going to be a worthwhile trip to maybe repatriate Simon, if his family remmeber him.
Floydians Mum. Still cant tell whats going to happen next, but he Really doesnt want to go back home.
Just who is Floydien?
5098838
I don't know, but I think the Duchess is younger than that. Sister, perhaps?
...now that we've seen how 'normal' elk talk, Floydien's condition is even more sad. What used to be a funny, odd way of speaking is now changing as it dawns on us that he likely only speaks in his, ah, unique fashion because he's been driven to insanity by whatever experiments were done on him. If it affected his speech centers so badly(When that did not seem to be their intent) how screwed up is the REST of his noggin?
You know, I'm going with Rainbow on this one. Doesn't matter whether a female elk is called a cow, the point is is that this particular female elk is a duchess. Yeah, she's right for the wrong reason, but she's still right. One does not refer to Celestia as mare.
I'd take two dozen...........come on people, who wouldn't want a fire breathing squirrel?
Also, didn't a squirrel save yo friends asses back in Ledo? Oh right, he did. Cause Simon was badass.
5098884
Thank you for defending my honor, sir knight.
Mmm. I smell answers on the wind. Or maybe it's just squirrel strench.
So. I guess it's possible that Floydien is a long-lost member of the House of Sehlp, but somehow that doesn't seem to fit his reaction. Maybe he and Arcanista used to be a little cervoid item, and he took off in the night, vowing never to return. Or maybe he's just afraid of confronting Mrs. Simon. That'd send me nope-ing into the woods, too.
Also, inconvenient Eagle Eye is inconvenient.
Guys...
FloydienSlip
Floydien Sehlp
|:
5098859
Who is the Floydien...
Meanwhile, somewhere in early Odrsjot:
5098884
*Meeting the Queen of England*
"Hello, woman!"
As soon as I saw the word squirrel, I was reminded of Simon. Now I really want to know what happened with Floydien's past.
I need to see this. MOAR.
But seriously...
Floydien backstory? Are we really lucky enough?
What a relief that the Duchess is not going to blow us up... but there's still reasonable doubt.
I can't wait on the next update... luckily it's barely morning in my timezone so if there happens to be another update today I'll catch it immideately
So Floydien is a nobleman of sorts? I don't know why but this popped in my mind
dogasu.bulbagarden.net/human_bios/KojiParent.jpg
Getting interesting....cow lol
Hello again, fan. Greetings, shit. I trust we can all be civil this time around.
We wouldn't want a repeat of-
HEY now shit, just wait a minute!
If you would just-
...God dammit.
A duchess with a sense of humor!
Dun! Dun! DUNNN!!! It seems we're about to get some answeres about our most mysterious pilot and Thunder Elk.
"Believe me, the fact that you are the Noble Jury is the one thing keeping me from seizing all of your assets and holding you responsible for irreporable damage to our forests."
Pfft like some spit flinging elk could make the paint bucket boomer do anything she didn't want to. She's lucky rainbow is harmonious. I hope these elk have some humility...nothing I hate more than Nobels who think they are something when they aren't.
5100141
Yeah. Nobels. What a bunch of assholes.
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/archive/e/ed/20131011153017!Nobel_Prize.png
I hate those guys.
5100247 ugh...fucking autocorrecting iPad bullshit. Nobles
Damn, this got sad in a way. We've just been shown Floydien has not got a usual manner of speech for elks, as we had all been previously shown.Means whatever happened to him has screwed him up badly.
Also, the Jury's assuming he's persona non grata in Sehlp due to Simon. What if its the opposite? What if he had to leave with Simon to protect Sehlp?
I bet he used to be the life of every soiree in town. "And now, beloved boomers, Floydien would like to propose a toast toast..."
5098778 derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/3/23/277023__safe_rainbow%20dash_animated_artist-colon-lamia_eyebrows.gif
5099147 SKIRTS DANGIT.
$20 says Floydien was involved with this cow.
So, Rainbow tries to hide the fact that they're the local vigilante hero team, which they would only receive praise for, but simply tells them that they know someone (sorry, some-elk) who might be considered an enemy by these guys? That's... not very logical.
5099147 Oh son of a cow, I think you're right!
5098690 And whatever you do, don't give them the details...
"That poor, noble creature! Oh, our beloved Simon! How did he die?"
"Well, to be quite frank Ms. Cow, he tried to hold up an airship with manacoils that were surgically implanted in his skull and his brain exploded from the strain... I MEAN HE DIED A PAINLESS AND PEACEFUL DEATH... yeah..."
Oh, Rainbow, do you never learn...
5099203 perhaps Floyden is filled with squirrels just like applejack!
i sense no good coming from this...at least not for floydien
Yeesh, Rainbow. Forget about Simon, much? Don't let Floydien hear ya. He'll turn your Lite Brite ass inside out.
I can't say I didn't expect it when I read the last chapter.
-Spirit
I guess this proves you can only run for so long.
Best get to the shelter, because here comes the bomb.
And here. We. Go.
Oh.
OH!
Place ya bets people.
Floyd is the rightful heir to the throne of Val Roa.
Val Roa is entirely an elk nation?
... I'm not even mad, that's a neat twist after we've spent more than a book heading toward it.
I'd like to note the conspicuous lack of Floydien's unique... dialect in Arcanista's dialogue.
Now where could she have seen a pegasus before?
That sounds like something my father would say regarding squirrels
06/22/2017
17:16 UTC
Making my prediction. Val Roa is closed down and in turmoil because someone very important to the royalty is missing....Floyd.
...cough.