It Must Happen Sooner Than Later
“Alright!” Booster Spice shouted above the rattling of Whizzball's bulkheads. “Things are about to get hairy!”
“Gnnngh!” Josho braced himself against the walls of the cockpit as his body shivered all the way to his chattering teeth. “'About to' he says!”
“Watch it!” Eagle Eye yelped, flincing at the flickering bolts of electrical energy rocketing right past the windshield.
“Yeah, I see them!” Booster growled, holding the flight stick so tight that it almost snapped clean in two. “There's a cave up ahead! It matches Rainbow's coordinates to a T!”
“What now?!” Eagle asked.
“What else?! You drop your flanks down there!” Booster sputtered. “I can't afford another pass!”
“What do you mean by that?!”
“I mean I gotta lift up and let the Lounge tech catch a breather!” Booster exclaimed. “If I stay this low to the skystone, every console is liable to get fried!”
“Guess it's go-time, then.” Josho yanked his shotgun out from behind his seat. “Bring us in nice and slow.”
“Heh...” Booster wheezed. “'Nice and slow' he says.”
“This is no time to get sassy.”
“Alright!” Booster grunted, gesturing towards the sides of the cockpits. “Ready the latches! We're only going to get one clean shot at this!”
“Wait! Wait!” Eagle Eye gnashed his teeth. “Don't open the doors!”
“This is a really bad time to be chickening out, Princess!” Josho exclaimed.
“No—I mean...” The ex-mercenary leaned forward. “Why risk it? Can't you—like—port us down there instead?!”
“Hah! You mean with the skystone turning the atmosphere out there into a mana casserole?!” Josho shook his head. “If I'm lucky, I'd materialize us in the middle of a crystal—or worse—inside several.”
Eagle shuddered. “Forget I said anything...”
“Already forgotten!” Josho gripped the latch of his door. “Alrighty, nerdbritches! Drop it like its hot!”
Booster decelerated the craft with a wild jerk. “Drop yourself!”
“Hnngh!” Josho veritably kicked his door open. The cockpit immediately filled with frost and static electricity.
“Augh!” Booster flinched, nevertheless struggling to maintain a still hover.
Josho jumped down, descending like a fat anvil to the tiny-tiny stretch of flat rock below.
Eagle grunted, only to flounce in place. “Ungh!” He winced, fumbling with a strap. “Darn seatbelt—!” Freeing himself, he plunged limply out his side of the sphere. “Waaaaie!”
Booster gasped, looking down with wide eyes.
Eagle toppled, plummeted, and stopped in a low hover just inches from the stone floor. Josho had caught him in a telekinetic field, along with the young stallion's sword and shield. Setting Eagle down, Josho led him into the cave beyond.
Exhaling with relief, Booster flipped a switch, sealing the doors shut as he rapidly ascended the craft.
Meanwhile, Eagle and Josho galloped into the cave, their ears ringing from the constant thunder and howl of bitter cold winds. Once deep within the earthen chamber, they leaned against the polished stone walls, panting for breath.
“Okay... okay...” Eagle Eye shuddered, brushing his silken mane back. “That was only slightly a kerfluffle.”
“Says the stallion who nearly became Franzington stroganoff.”
“Hush.” Eagle gulped. “Thanks, but—seriously—hush.”
“There'll be time for shutting my trap later.” Josho cracked his neck and channeled a pulse of mana into his horn. He illuminated the stone walls of the cave ahead of him with a pale white light. “Time to go mole on this place.”
“Wow...” Eagle murmured, blinking.
“Hmmm?” Josho trained an ear towards him. “Already? What do your freaky eyes see?”
“Nothing. It's just...” Eagle fidgeted. “...remarkably warm in here.”
“Huh... y'know? You're right.” Josho's eyes twitched as he detected the light from his horn flickering. “Hrmm... maybe it's mana feedback from all the skystone that's—y'know—right on frickin' top of us.”
“Perhaps...” Eagle nervously hovered his sword and shield alongside his flank.
“I don't think any living pony has set hoof this far north.”
“Chrysalis has...” Eagle gulped. “Right?”
“Guess we're about to find out, kiddo.” That said, Josho led the way down the polished tunnel with Eagle trotting quietly, cautiously behind.
Back in Whizzball, Booster Spice was circling the sight from a safer height, nevertheless having to dodge errant bolts of red and yellow lightning at random.
“Okay... okay...” He took several deep breaths. “We're good. We're so good. Yeah...” He fumbled for the communications console. “Just keep telling yourself that, Booster. It's boring back in Amulek anyways.”
With little fuss, he plucked a sound stone from the wall and held its glowing shape to his lips.
“Noble Jury. Noble Jury, come in. This is Booster Spice. I've got an update for you.”
He waited in anxious silence. The speakers crackled... crackled some more... then warbled with Zaid's voice.
“Hidey ho! You're live, Goldie!”
Booster rolled his goggled eyes. “Must you do that? Even now?!”
“Go ahead and fill us in, bro-stuff! How is—”
“—our favorite Ball of Whizz doing?” Zaid smirked, one hoof on a sound stone and the other on the Noble Jury's controls. “And the little Whizzers, to boot?”
Bellesmith, Pilate, and Props stood in the cockpit behind him, leaning forward and listening intently.
“I just dropped Josho and Eagle Eye!”
“Dr-Dropped them?!” Props pulled at her face, hyperventilating. “Oh noes! Are they okay?! Tell me you didn't break EE's mane!”
“Y-yes! They're fine! What I mean to say is that they're at the destination!”
“Did you get a visual of what was actually there?!” Belle asked.
“Affirmative! It's a cave of some sort!”
“Hmmm...” Pilate's lips curved. “A cave? Rainbow should be jealous.”
“Beloved...”
“They've gone inside to investigate, Bellesmith!” Booster's voice said. “I'm circling about in the air, waiting to pick them up. I gotta keep my distance, though!”
“Why? Has Josho's breakfast finally caught up with him?” Zaid asked.
“No! Darn it, Zaid! It's because of the skystone, alright?! You should know this! For God's sake, would it kill ya to pay attention to your marefriend's brain for once?!”
“Uhhh...” Zaid fidgeted. “Maybe?”
“Just try and stay calm, Mr. Spice,” Pilate said. “We can only imagine it's quite the ordeal to maintain Whizzball's momentum over such a place.”
“Yeah. S-sorry for being so snappy. I'm just concerned for EE and Josho, is all.”
“We all are, Mr. Spice,” Pilate calmly added. “Just keep doing what you're good at. We'll stay in touch.”
“What's the situation in Val Roa?”
“Rainbow thinks they can break a gap in the Soul Sentries' shield,” Belle said. “We're headed to the Val Roan mountain range to wait for such an opening.”
“For real?! Why, that's spectacular!”
“But it does mean we'll be on the other side of Deer World by the time you and the other dudes get out of there!” Props exclaimed. She grimaced. “So super sorries, buddy!”
“Hey, we can deal! We'll just—gnngngh!”
Belle gasped. “What is it?!”
“Whew. Skystone discharge. I'm good.”
“You sure of that?”
“You know, maybe it's best we continue this conversation later, okay? I gotta concentrate on this mess.”
Belle nodded, exhaling heavily. “Not a bad idea. We'll figure out a place to rendezvous soon enough.”
“Otherwise, we'll just head back to Bountiful. Sound good?”
“That's perfect, Mr. Spice,” Pilate said. “Noble Jury out.”
“Hang in there, buddy!” Zaid barked.
The communications array went silent.
Zaid glanced over the back of the pilot's seat. “He does know that we're buddies, right?”
“That's not exactly what I would call a pressing concern at the moment,” Pilate muttered.
“Who's pressing?” Zaid shrugged. “I can deal with bro-hoofs just as much as the next stallion.”
“Zaid!” Belle hissed through her teeth. “Look where you're flying!”
“What? It's only air!”
“For realsies, Zaidy Waidy!” Props gripped his shoulder and pointed ahead with the other hoof. “Look!”
“Hmmm?” Zaid glanced ahead. His eyes twitched, and he pulled several levers. “Holy Snoopies!”
The Noble Jury lurched to a hovering stop just a kilometer and half before a winding line of emerald lights dotting a mountainside dead ahead of them.
“Whewwwww...” Zaid grinned, leaning against the dormant controls. “That'll wake your shit right up, boy lemme tell ya!”
“By the Spark...” Belle cooed, chestnut eyes sparkling. “How could something so threatening look so marvelous... so beautiful...?”
“I'm not sure whether I should be envious or not,” Pilate remarked.
“Perhaps it's all for the best, Pilate.” She leaned against him, shuddering. “I'm getting goosebumps.” She gulped. “Memories from a month ago that I'd rather not relive.”
“You're not alone...”
“So what do we do now?” Props chirped. “Play the waiting game until Dashie and her new antler-buddies make the lights go out?”
“Just what kind of a window will we have, anyways?” Zaid asked, eyes glued to the shimmering spectacle stretching before them. “I'm all for being gung-ho and stuff, but I'm not sure how fast I can make Floydien's sweetheart go without making the lavender book go boom.”
“I suppose we'll simply have to play it by ear.”
“Awwwwww...” Props pouted. “But we're always playing it by ear!”
Zaid smirked. “Is that an order, Captain, my Captain?”
“No.” Belle frowned. “My order is to stop calling me Captain!”
“Fine, then. 'Admiral.'”
“Nnnngh...” Belle face hoofed. “Why couldn't I be in charge of a book club instead?”
“Maybe once this is all over, beloved.”
“That's just the problem, Pilate. I can't remember a time in my life when anything was ever 'over.'”
“Would you have it any other way?”
Belle sighed melancholically. “Soon enough, you and I may not have much of a choice.”
Before Pilate could respond to that, the communications array crackled once more to life.
“Hello. Noble Jury. Come in.”
“Huzza-whahhh?” Props' blue eyes blinked. “Is that Booster Spice again?”
Zaid shook her head. “Not if Goldie got a sex changed and turned into a dominatrix overnight.” He brought the nearest sound stone to his muzzle. “Roarke! We're listening! You're loud and clear, girl!”
“Roarke!” Belle beamed, leaning towards the front of the cockpit. “Oh, thank the Spark! It's so good to hear from you! How are you—”
“I must make this quick, Jury. There is a good chance I may not be returning.”
The entire chamber fell dead cold.
“Wh-what...?” Belle's muzzle quivered. “Roarke... please tell me you're just being your normal melodramatic warhorse self...”
“I'm afraid the odds are really... truly stacked up against me.”
Pilate cleared his throat, leaning forward. “In what manner, Roarke? Please speak to us...”
Roarke clung to the edge of a massive goblin warship as it slowly... methodically pulled out of its hangar bay. Hiding in the crook of a lateral propeller strut, she struggled to speak above the sound of uproariously cheering imps in the arid valley of the Cartel below.
“The Lounge just delivered freshly-harvested skystone crystals to the Green Bandits. It was impossible for me to stop the exchange. But now that the two battleships are powered up and undoubtedly heading their way north to Val Roa, I've hitched a ride on one.” She took a deep breath, climbing with her metal limbs. “I shall endeavor to sabotage all I can while they're en route. As you can well imagine, this is no easy task... nor is it a safe one.”
“Roarke, darling, please... just think for a moment!” Bellesmith's pleading voice crackled. “Don't be so rash! There has to be another way!”
“I've learned from the best there is that the most worthwhile actions are accomplished without thinking.” Roarke's nostrils flared in the steamy air. She approached the stern's edge, climbing over the brass railing. “Besides, every second I waste is another mile these vessels cover in their death flight towards Val Roa. Something has to be done to stop them, and I'm that something.”
“Roarke, you're needed here as well! With the Noble Jury! I mean... what about Rainbow Dash's operation?!”
“It's evidently changed, not by any of our choosing, mind you.” Roarke perched on the ship, craning her neck to see where the Gamma vessel was pulling out of its massive hangar far across the way. “I'm not alone in this. I've found an unlikely ally, and we've already drafted a plan to bring these metal monstrosities down. It's not foolproof, but it's the best option we've got.”
“Roarke... I'm begging you... reconsider! Find a way north to rendezvous with us so that we can—”
“I've already reconsidered, Belle.” Roarke shook her head as the wind kicked at her scarlet mane. “There simply is no other way. You do realize that if either of these battleships make it to Val Roa, then they'll be dual menaces that you and the Noble Jury will have to contend with. And that's already on top of one that's presently hovering within Val Roan airspace as we speak.” Roarke slowly shook her head. “The odds are not in our favor as it is. I'm needed here... even if it's the last thing I do.”
“Roarke...”
“Have you been in communication with Rainbow Dash?”
“We... uh... we have, Roarke.”
“Do me a favor. When you speak to her again, tell her...” Roarke inhaled heavily, pausing. At last, she blurted, “Tell her she brought joy to a weapon of destruction. If Harmony smiles upon vigilant souls, then maybe it won't be inclined to frown on mine quite so much anymore.”
“We can be Harmonious t-together, Roarke. All of us.”
“We can... and yet we can't.” Roarke shuddered. “One way or another, this parting was inevitable. She's known it as much as I have. Perhaps... just perhaps it's better this way.” She took a deep breath. “I wish you all peace when it comes time for you to part ways as well.”
The leylines were silent.
That was enough for the metal mare. “This is Roarke signing out. Do not give up.” And she silenced the sound stone with finality.
Silence hung inside the Noble Jury's cockpit.
Zaid stared ahead with glazed eyes. Props was sniffling, rubbing her eyelids dry.
Belle remained clinging to the sound stone. She held a hoof over her muzzle, damming the crest of several sobs in. On quiet hooves, Pilate leaned over and nuzzled her.
Shuddering, Belle rested her neck against his, clenching her eyes shut. “It... it can't be over just like that... c-can it?”
“Who's to say, beloved,” Pilate muttered in a low tone. “It's Roarke, after all. She's ever grim and theatrical.”
“But, she sounded so determined this time.” Belle sniffled, her eyes watering. “I-I mean more than usual.”
“We have to have faith in her,” Pilate said. “She hasn't failed us when we did before.”
“What...” Belle gulped. “Wh-what do I tell Rainbow when she...?”
“I'm afraid I have no easy answer to that, my love.”
Belle sighed, slumping back on her haunches. “Just... I-I just didn't expect this to happen...” She slowly shook her head. “Not this soon...”
Far ahead, the trail of glowing Soul Sentries twinkled like festive lights.
Roarke stood up straight, glaring down the lengths of the battleship's top deck. She spotted the distant bodies of imps as they scurried to their stations. A low bass hum rattled through the ship as the bulkheads glowed through the seam with the tell-tale amber hue of resonating skystone.
At any moment now, the vessel would be throttling its way north on rocketing thrusters.
The Searonese bounty hunter took a deep breath. Tossing her mane back, she reached a hoof to her left shoulder and gave it a light slap. Schwissh! A tiny compartment opened. Roarke reached in, grasping a pair of brass eye-lenses. She raised the thing to her face and—without hesitation—snapped them back into place with a hiss of hydraulic steam. They rotated into focus, one after another.
“I love you,” she droned to the wind. An iron frown. “But some of us were born to fly; others to fall.”
And with that... Clak-Clak-Clak!... her glossy black helmet snapped shut. She slinked forward like a pearlescent shadow.
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Oh boy this is getting tense I just hope that Roarke knows what shes doing.
No Roarke! You can't die! Everybody really likes you!
No doubt Roarke has made a unilateral decision that the Grand Choke won't work for her, and is trying to get herself killed rather than live without RD. I do hope our favorite easthorse can adjust her additude.
Roarke's making me nervous here. It's all well and good to realistically access the dangers of a situation and acknowledge that, yes, there's a chance she might die. But what I don't like is how determined Roarke sounds. Almost like she plans to die. And that wouldn't be very awesome of her.
Dammit Roarke. Stop being so dramatic. If there is any one situation that you can handle completely, it's making things explode and die. You're fine. You don't need to be dramatically suicidal just because you think your life is over anyways. We just got done with Rainbow doing that all through the last book. We don't need you going from warhorse of imminent death and destruction to Roarke most Dramatic.
"Searonese never die. They're just missing in action."
Thank you for finally addressing this.
Coincidence?
Amen to that.
But seriously Roarke. you're making it sound like you're trying to get yourself killed. Stop that. It's making me nervous.
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I, along with the rest of us, hope this does not become relevant.
Roarke...please stop being dramatic like that...it's scaring me...
I hope we don't see a body... You know the drill.
5350415
Considering our luck, and the author, I would be surprised if all we get left of Roarke is a burnt helmet with a shattered visor sitting admist the ruins. Like Valrek put up there.
5350402 You horrible person.
):( is totally going to kill them all.
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Flying into death,a kiss with the last breath. Yaerfaerda.
17 chapters to the halfway point ponies!
Keep your heads high.
I totally understand being dramatic because I love being melodramatic; just my two cents
All I could think of was Roarke's mana core failing in Odrsjot during the fight with Nevlamas.
I think I can live with being scared again.
She better not die this time though....
5350385
5350443
5350402
Now I'm trying to figure out how the three of us managed to separately arrive at Halo. Not that I'm complaining. Because Halo.
But stop playing all the doom and gloom and remembrance pieces, seriously. She ain't dead yet. Get the heroic shit in here.
Really roarke? I swear if these damn goblins kill her. If rainbow finds out roarkes on a suicide mission im not sure what she's gonna do.
5350311
You have to live Roarke! LIVE!
5350801
Appropriate march to death soundtrack is appropriate. Can't tell you how many times I've been slaughtered -or have conquered impossibilities- to that tune.
There are many ways to damage and delay a carrier. There are fewer ways to ensure its, termination. There are very few ways indeed to take out two such ships, and almost none at all if you wish to escape the resulting total anihiliation.
From one end of the world to the other. Vulcan 607.
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...I'm going to cry over this story again, aren't I?
5350801 We all know Roarke is being melodramatic as usual.
They only time she might be in danger is if she is happy or content, the colon would not allow those things to happen.
5350801
Putting in my Halo-related two cents...
I've always had Roarke voiced by Tex from RvB inside my head when I read.
Prowse is on his way with a fleet of airships... Admiral Ding-Dong of the First Austraeoh Sky Fleet?
5351492 Tex would be perfect for her. I just hope she survives but I feel she'll lose at at least one limb in the process.
The lenses have spoken!
5350801 I like that a lot better
That song shall be playing in my head as the shit hits the fan. Although I am prepared for the worst. It is IC, so anything can happen.
(We all referenced the same thing. Hivemind. We are all changelings.)
hmm
did we ever get an explanation of what Roarke saw when they crashed a month ago?
cuz i'm gettin bad feelings that may be important if not.....
Click-clack, THE GUN'S COMING OUT, MOTHERFUCKER!
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5353696
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Yes, it means she wants the D.
She isn't going to die, not with this amount of drama surrounding it.
I would be skeptical of all this bravado, super-determined suicide mission codswallop anyway, but the fact that Rainbow Dash doesn't even know about it is definitely making me doubt this is the last we're going to see of Roarke.
I seriously doubt that when the Noble Jury awkwardly tells Rainbow Dash that Roarke went off and kamikaze'd a few battleships while she was out that she's going to just accept it without some sort of desperate search and rescue attempt, so at the very least we'll see her charred corpse or something.
With Roarke's determination to help Rainbow, she can do anything. This is no time for tears my brothers and sisters. We must remain vigilant and faithful as the Noble Jury brings harmonious ruin to the changeling menace. There's nothing that can stand in their way. Not even the Grand Choke.
activate badass mode
I sware IC if you kill off my favorite carcictore. The one I have been poling for the entir seres, I will stop reading this. ( but we all know stoping after reading this far is impossible)
P.S sorry for the spelling errors it's way to late(early) to be wrighting anything. And IC if you do kill her off, please make it the most epic fight/death sean possible.
5350385 "Not gone, merely marching far away." - Mandalorian proverb.
What a way to take the choice from her.
With this much foreshadowing, there's no way in hell that Roarke can die. IC lives to subvert expectations.
At this rate, the biggest surprise would be to actually kill Roarke. You better not but still...
Please no. I'll be completely crushed if Roarke doesn't make it.
I understand the group love for a character that has had such a significant impact on this story. Roarke had made a much greater impression than I expected she would from so many books ago. But this is truly Rainbows story, and it isn't over yet. We will see the disbanding of the Noble Jury over time. I feel Roake dying here would be an appropriate end for her character, if she isn't slated to make it to the dark side. IC, I have complete faith you will do what this story needs to progress, you've done so much for us as a community so far. Love ya, mate.
Creeper LV-426 : Nostromo_crew
Roarke, you're not allowed to say bye.
-Spirit
Goodbye forever, Roarke. I'll leave the light on.
Nooooooooooo! My tuxedo prediction was wrong.
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All this Halo music is being posted, but no one remembers that the greatest game/music soundtrack ever developed for this series is in ODST. Besides, a lone mare in a suit taking on an enemy deep within their territory. Kind of like ODST, but with less brutes, less Romeo, and less ONI buildings to blow up.
So damn great. And the Halo Wars OST is nothing to laugh at either.
My favourite track from that OST.
Roarke is being a little . . . extreme here. While the chances of survival are slim, yes, she's cutting herself short and giving up before things even truly begin.
5911488 My problem with the ODST OST is that every track is a suite of several pieces mashed together. It makes the whole thing extremely unlistenable, especially if I want to, say, only listen to the piano/jazz parts. It's also not very conducive for hotlinking, hence why I don't ever link to it here.