• Published 27th Mar 2015
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Ynanhluutr - Imploding Colon



A newly transformed Rainbow Dash continues her flight east.

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Ain't No Getting Off This Train

“Don't stop until we're broadside with the drydocks!” Revan shouted, spinning the rudder wheel. “Get your flanks inside the Arrowfish immediately and stop it from—”

“Uhhhh...” One of the guards leaned back, eyes wide. “Boss...?”

“Huh?” Revan looked up as a murky shadow crossed his features. “...buck me sideways.”

WHAM! Wildcard landed on him, legs first. He used Revan's crumpled body as a springboard and pounced on the rest of the stallions on board the crowded boat. They shouted and swung their weapons at him in close combat.


“Dude!” Rainbow Dash stammered, grimacing.

“My goodness!” Rarity squeaked.

“We can't just let him go like that!” Twilight said.

Rainbow ran up to the edge of the platform. “Wildcard! The Arrowfish—”

“Darlin', we'd best skedaddle,” Bard said.

Rainbow spun around. “Huh?”

Grunting, the mercenary bent down, picked up the bags of platinum bars, and added it to the weight of the sarosian on his back. “If the Mark Two takes off without us, our whole plan is done for!”

“But... b-but Wildcard—”

“Dubya-Cee's got this! Trust me!”

“How could you possibly—?”

“Trust me! Now git!” Bard galloped up the ramp and into the Arrowfish.

Rainbow Dash bit her lip. Nevertheless, she trotted backwards, then rushed up after Bard. Twilight and Rarity watched with nervous expressions until a translucent wall of harmonic energy dragged them along with the pegasus.


“Raaaaugh!” A guard galloped the short length of the boat, swinging a machete.

SCHIING! Wildcard unleashed his nightsticks, blocked him—CLANG!—then swung his skull backwards to slam the muzzle of a thug coming up from behind. Rebounding from the impact, he stabbed his beak deep into the first guard's shoulder, kicked the machete out of his grip, then slammed him to the ground with a spinning roundhouse kick.

A bruised guard stood up on the edge of the boat, firing a crossbow at close range. Thwifft!

Wildcard backflipped, wrapped his tail around the gasping stallion's neck as he flew over him, landed on the stern, and swung his lower body towards the platforms of Rust.

“Gaaaaaaiieee!” The thug was thrown by Wildcard's tail against a metal bulkhead. He pinballed painfully off it and fell deep into the drink. Splash!

Vrmmmmmm! The second Syndicate boat came throttling forward, its occupants firing a steady volley of metal projectiles at the griffon. Thw-thw-thw-thwifft!

Holding his breath, Wildcard twirled his nightsticks with expert precision. Cl-Cl-Cl-Clank! He deflected the crossbolts, took a running start, and dove suicidally at the oncoming boat with both weapons drawn.

When the griffon landed, he immediately slammed into the driver. The rudder wheel spun madly, causing the boat to throw itself into a maddening twirl while the guards on board wrestled with the mercenary.


“Quickly! Quickly!” Theanim helped Rainbow Dash into the Mark Two while Bard placed Echo down inside, propping the bat pony up against a wall. “Verlaxion's sleet! Must everything be down to the blasted wire?!”

“All aboard!” A crew member hollered from up ahead. The group could hear the roar of the mana-powered engine. The ramp outside drew away while the platforms of Rust started sliding out of view. “We're casting off!”

“Guhh!” Twilight gripped her skull, phasing through the walls. “The unicorns! They're... they're channeling so much magic—!”

“Rainbow, the door!” Rarity pointed at the narrow slit of red sunlight. “I can sense it shutting—”

“Bard!” Rainbow pointed. “The door!”

“Step aside!” Bard rushed over. Cl-Clakkk! He extended his staff, twisted it tight, then shoved it into the doorframe, bracing it against the seal. “Grnnnnghhh!”

Sparks flew as the automatic door struggled to close, held in place by the mercenary's staff.

“What are you doing?!” Theanim exclaimed.

“Feathers is still out there, Theams,” Echo slurred.

Theanim's ears folded. “Oh dear...”

One of the crew members peered his head down the long interior corridor that led to the bridge. “What's going on back there?!”

“Uhhhh...” Rainbow Dash smiled nervously, shivering. “We're all good! Peachy keen!” She shouted out the doorway. “Dude! We're leaving!”

Dubya-Cee!” Bard hollered, struggling with the door seal.


“It's now or never, Desperado!”

Wildcard was too busy exchanging blows with half-a-dozen stallions. He punched one to the floor, dodged a metal bat swing, knocked it into the water with his nightsticks, then headbutted a second guard.

One wrapped his legs around the griffon from behind.

Seething, Wildcard spread his wings, jumped, and fell backwards. Whump! His weight slammed into the guard's belly, knocking the wind out. Wildcard rolled aside, dodging a machete swing. He stood up, deflected a crossbolt with his nightstick, then gripped a sputtering guard's neck with his metal talon.

“Raaaugh!” Another guard came rushing in with his machete in full swing.

Wildcard held his breath. With a shower of sparks, he detached his metal hand from the rest of his limb. POP! He ducked back while the guard rushed stupidly through the new empty space. He leaned back, reattaching the limb. Cl-Clack! And used his renewed grip of the thug's neck to body slam him into the back of the stumbling guard. WHAM!

Sliiiink! A flying crossbolt bloodily grazed Wildcard's upper shoulder, lopping off a few feathers.

Wincing voicelessly, he looked towards the stern of the twirling boat.

Panicked, the last guard loaded a final bolt into his crossbow.

Wildcard held his metal palm out towards him. Sparks flew as he magnetized the limb.

“Guhhh!” The guard gasped, being dragged across the boat by his grip to the metal crossbow and—WHUDDD!—into Wildcard's right uppercut. He fell down, joining the other guards' groaning bodies.

While the griffon took a moment to catch his breath, he was unaware of Boss Revan standing up in the adjacent boat. Revan took one look at the griffon and sneered. He kicked open a metal compartment beside him and pulled out a flare gun. Loading a flammable cartridge into the thing, he pivoted and aimed it carefully at Wildcard's backside.

“One cooked goose, coming up—”

Just as his fetlock was about to roll into the triggering mechanism—

Cl-Clank! A pair of explosive pellets fell into his boat.

“Huh?” Revan took one look down, and—POWWW!—was thrown sky-high, along with the screaming bodies of his fellow thugs as the boat exploded.

Rainbow Dash watched from the entrance of the gliding Arrowfish while Bard fastened his leather grenade satchel back shut. “Dubya-Cee!” He whistled shrilly.

Wildcard looked over from a distance.

“It's now or never, bud!”

“Come on!” Rainbow hollered as the stern of the ship flickered a bright blue. “The engine's about to power up!”

Wildcard heard a throng of Syndicate thugs running up along the platform behind him. In a blur, he sheathed both nightsticks, ran the full length of the boat, leapt, bounced off the severed bow of Revan's ship, and dove straight for the Arrowfish.

An array of crossbolts flew at his tail in mid-air.

Bard leaned past his staff, holding his hoof out into the salty air.

In mid lunge, Wildcard twisted his metal wrist and—POWWW!—launched his talons at the end of a long grappling cable.

It shot ahead towards the Markw Two, and the other mercenary caught it in the crook of his hoof.

“Gotcha!”

Ziiiiiiiiiiiiip! Wildcard retracted, sailing his body swiftly towards the ship just as—

POWWW! The engines of the Arrowfish ignited.

Cl-Clank! Wildcard's body knocked Bard's staff out of the doorframe. The seal snapped shut... with the two mercenaries safely inside.

FWOOOOOOSH! The Arrowfish shot south like greased lightning.

Inside, Rainbow Dash stepped back while the Desperadoes caught their balance.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh!” Bard hollered, smiling wide. “Ain't no gettin' off this train we're on!” He and Wildcard bumped chests. “Oooh-rah! Do you believe in miracles?!” He tossed his hat, cheering. “Woooo!”

Wildcard smirked, slumping against the wall to catch his breath. He reached into his satchel, fumbled, and produced a toothpick. Gnawing on it, he glanced aside at Echo and offered him another splinter of wood.

Gawking, Echo slowly shook his head. “No thanks.” He gulped. “My testicles might explode. Just the last thing I need,” he shuddered.

Rainbow Dash didn't realized she was hyperventilating until she felt her heart pulse slow down to a thudding lurch. She glanced aside at Theanim, then over at the two mares. She arched her eyebrows.

“Nothing to celebrate for,” Twilight said, tilting her chin up. “We still have to deal with the Southern Hoof in Shoggoth, and then there's Princess Camelia whom we have to impress.” Silence. She fidgeted, then looked aside at Rarity.

Rarity was biting her lip, fighting to contain a squeal.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Oh, who am I kidding...?” She pounced on Rarity and the two hugged each other, bouncing over and over again. “We did it! We did it!”

“We did it! Oh, what a spectacular show!”

“Heeheehee!”

Rainbow Dash shuddered. At last, she stripped of her bulging money bags and slumped up against the wall opposite of Wildcard and Echo. While Bard continued whistling and chanting—pacing in a testosteronical circle—she closed her eyes and enjoyed the delicious hum of the Arrowfish's engines bulleting the group south and towards safety. Not long after, she sensed a body sitting down next to her.

Opening her eyes, Rainbow glanced aside at Theanim Mane. “...hi Doc.”

“Hello yourself, Miss Dash,” he said with a calm smile. “You seem uneasy.”

“Just...” She gulped. “Not used to things working out this well.”

“If I were you, I'd cherish the moment.”

“I... uh... I got photographs, Doc,” she said. “Lots and lots of evidence about—”

“Shhhhh...” Theanim Mane rested a hoof on her shoulder. “While I am certainly glad you remembered our priorities...” He gulped. “I'm a great deal more thankful that you're back in one piece.”

Rainbow squinted. “Yeah, but what about the dudebros here?”

“Mercenaries are a bit a dozen,” Theanim said. “There's only one rainbow.”

Rainbow exhaled, leaning her head back and closing her eyes again. “Careful, doc,” she slurred. “Too much sap could gum up the unicorns' engines.”

“Heheheh...” Theanim relaxed as well. “Highly doubtful. But I'll keep that in mind.”


Meanwhile, along the southern edges of Rust...

The Syndicate's thugs gathered along the platforms that bordered the drydocks. Through the slowly closing gate, they had lost all sight of the Arrowfish. It was less than two minutes since departure and already the vessel was a pinprick along the horizon.

Boss Revan was being helped out of the watery canal, along with the rest of his bruised, aching companions. They stumbled onto the platform—most of them collapsing as soon as they came into contact with the dry surface. Revan, however, limped up to the platform's edge and gawked at the closing gate.

His teeth clenched as his eyes searched and searched in vain for the elusive Mark Two.

“Boss, we're...” A guard shuffled. “We're awful sorry. We've never encountered mercenaries like that before—”

“Rrrrrrghhh!” Revan spun, slamming a hoof across the thug's muzzle. As he fell to the ground, the leader shouted at the gathered group. “Sorry?! You're sorry?! Those cocky flankholes just made off with our entire fortune, you idiots! Did any of you... any of you have any idea just how damn important it was to slit their throats before they got away?!”

The guards exchanged glances, blinking. A hushed silence hung over the platform.

Revan stared at them, blinking. “...well?!?!” He stomped his hoof. “What are you just standing around for?!”

One guard shuffled forward with an inquisitive squint. “Did you say... our entire fortune?”

“Yeah, genius!” Revan spat. “Why else do you think I was... so... adamant...” His voice trailed off as the air reverberated with the sound of weapons falling to the floor.

“I'm out, dude,” one stallion said, waving his hooves and walking away.

“Yeah, me too.” Another joined him.

“Pffft. Screw this gig.” And another.

“Wait... hey!” Revan's voice cracked as he growled and shouted. “You can't do this! I'm your boss! Boss Revan! You punks owe me!”

A few stallions paused to look back at him with dull expressions. “Pal... if you ain't got the bits, then we ain't got the shits to give.”

“Yeah,” another mumbled. “Curse and threaten all you want. But you can't bomb my family unless you've got the bits to pay for it.”

“I... I don't believe this!” Revan stammered as the crowd dispersed, shuffling off into the furthest corners of Rust. “I... I'm the backbone of Rust! Without me, you are all nothing! Nothing, ya hear me?!”

“We hear you,” a guard grunted from far away. “Now get a job, ya asshat!”

Revan stood in place, shivering, panting. Slowly, icily, he turned towards the closed gate at the Arrowfish drydock. The mother of all angry expressions burned across his muzzle. Then, falling to his knees, he let loose a long, agonized yell into the crimson air.

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