I'm Afraid You Have Talking Ponies...
“They sounded as healthy as ever,” Twilight Sparkle mused, floating backwards with a lazy smile. “For a second there, I was scared that maybe...” She shuddered slightly. “Th-that maybe something about what happened could have... I don't know... taken something from them.”
“Well, they were obviously affected, Twilight,” Rainbow said. Night had fallen, and Sinrar and Nick had both succumbed to sleep. The sail was at half mast, and the Swan Song drifted lazily over the oceanic tides. The mare reclined on the front of the ship's starboard float, gazing up at the stars. “They had moved to Manehattan after you... well... after fake-died.”
“My mother's publisher is situated in Manehattan,” Twilight thought aloud. “She probably wanted to be closer to her work.”
“Or just further away from Canterlot.”
The ghostly unicorn bit her lip. “Yes. Yes, perhaps.” She sighed. “Perhaps that's why Shining took on the assignments he did.”
“Which one? The Frozen North or the westward expedition to Sturke?”
“Both.” Twilight hugged herself in mid-drift. “We never looked like a tight family on the surface, but believe you me, Rainbow, we loved each other very much.”
“Oh, I believe it.”
“If any single one of us died...” Twilight clenched her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “I know it sounds horrible, I think we... we all s-sort of thought it'd be Shining Armor who would have something bad happen to him first.”
“In his line of work, that's kind of a no-brainer.”
“Still, it sounds awful. It's not like I ever looked forward to my brother dying in action.”
“Pffft! Who ever said that?!”
“I was always the foal of the family. The little learner. The princess.”
“Hah. 'Princess.'” Rainbow smirked. “I like that.”
“I... I bet that when... you-know-what happened to me...” Twilight bit her lip. “...well, it must have thrown them all into a deep, deep shock.”
“They seemed pretty okay at your funeral.”
“Unnnngh...” Twilight clamped her hooves over her brow. “I keep forgetting you went through that!” She gazed over with moist eyes. “I'm so, so sorry, Rainbow. That must have been incredibly terrible for you.”
Rainbow shrugged. “I learned to deal.”
Twilight arched an eyebrow. “By flying due east and forgetting about all the pain?”
Rainbow pointed. “And... I learned how to deal with that.” She sat up. “Y'know, I'm not half the nervous basket-case that you think I am! You rematerialized right after I came out of the Grand Choke! That's when I was at my worst!”
“Oh, no doubt.”
“But me at my best?” Rainbow winked. “I'm a force to be reckoned with! A Harmonic Force to be reckoned with.”
“Hehehe... I'm sure.” Twilight floated upright, her lavender hooves tapping through the lapping waters. “That is, after all, the whole point of this... right?”
“Huh?”
“You. Harmony. Destiny. Austraeoh.”
“Brrrrrrbrrrr...” Rainbow fought goosebumps. “Never before have so many words in a row gotten me constipated.”
“Rainbow Dash...”
“The less I think about the whole 'destiny' thing the better,” the pegasus said. “At least, that's always been my experience. Even when I was with the Noble Jury.”
“Why's that?” Twilight shrugged. “It's true, isn't it?”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“And just what are we on a voyage east to find?” Twilight smirked. “Seashells?”
“Errrrr...”
“This whole... Austraeoh... Yaefaerda thing has paved the way for you! For us! Luna and Spike are onto something!”
“Uh huh...”
“Rainbow, if contacting just four of these five beacons is enough to actually bring back the rest of our friends—”
“Just because it's—like—a mechanic that I'm needed to make happen doesn't mean that the whole dang future needs to revolve around me, okay? Just...” Rainbow sighed, lying back again and staring up at the stars. “...j-just don't stress it.”
“I wasn't about to,” Twilight said. She blinked off-kilter, then tapped her chin. “Although...”
“Ugggh... what now, egghead?”
“Mmmm... just something I'd been thinking about during the last twelve hours of sailing.” Twilight floated in a slow circle around Rainbow's edge of the trimaran. “About how all of this might make sense.”
“Define 'all of this.'”
“Well... what do you think we're doing here to begin with, Rainbow?”
“Do I gotta spell it out?” Rainbow muttered, her eyes rolling back. “Over a year ago, Discord gave you guys the zap. And then I gave him the zap. And then we both gave each other the zap. And here I am, a gazillion miles away from home, trying to come to terms with the fact that... well... I am the zap.”
Twilight giggled. “It all started a bit earlier than that.”
Rainbow arched an eyebrow in the phantom's direction. “Do we seriously need to go back to when you first showed up in Ponyville?”
Twilight merely responded with a coy smile.
Grumbling, Rainbow sat up again. “Twilight, I've always sucked at classroom stuff. Will you just do your teacher thing and lecture me already?” She waved a blue hoof. “Just let it out, girl.”
Twilight stared at her with thin eyes. “How... did we all meet, Rainbow?”
“Pffft. Duh. You came to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration and the Elements of Harmony bound us all together in a fight against Nightmare Moon—”
“Even further back then that.” Twilight leaned forward. “What orchestrated our eventual, fated meeting to begin with?”
Rainbow gazed at her with a blank expression.
Twilight's tongue clicked off her front teeth. “Cutie... marks...?”
Rainbow tilted her head back, face scrunched. “... … ...the sonic rainboom?”
“Don't tell me you've already forgotten about that one.”
“Pfft. As if I could ever forget about the first sonic rainboom I ever did.”
“Well?”
“Well what?”
“Would we ever have met if it weren't for that?”
“The heck do you mean, Twilight! Of course we would have!”
“Really?” Twilight leaned her head to the side. “Rarity would have discovered fashion and opened shop in Ponyville? Pinkie would have moved to a happier, less gloomy town? Applejack would have stayed at Sweet Apple Acres instead of living in Manehattan? Fluttershy would have fallen in love with animal caretaking?”
Rainbow opened her mouth to protest, but she had nothing to give. She simply stared in dumbfounded silence.
“And I would have passed my magical entrance exam?” Twilight asked in a sing-songy tone. “All without your sonic rainboom to have inspired us to get our cutie marks?”
Rainbow gulped. “It could have happened.”
“Rainbow... think about it.” Twilight floated higher, meeting Rainbow's eye level. “We were fated to meet before we even did! And I didn't make that happen! Celestia and Luna didn't make that happen! You did.”
“... … ...”
Twilight smiled. “What if Urohringr had meant for Austraeoh to be the avatar of harmony for this plane long before there was ever a chance for Harmonic Acclimation?” She pointed. “What if it had chosen you before the Elements had even chosen us?”
Rainbow stared off at the swaying ocean waves. Darkness danced against darkness, and the stars appeared to recede over head. She pursed her lips. “...that's trippy.”
“Call it what you want. But it's all about you, Rainbow Dash. It's always... always been about you.” She grinned. “Don't you think that's awesome?”
“For the first time in my life...” Rainbow wheezed, her features paling slightly. “...I think I'd prefer any other a-word.”
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Eloquent as ever, fruit basket.
Eh? Why? I thought goosebumps were caused by emotion, so that was expected, but constipation? How nice RD, that's new.
ZAAAAPPP!!!!
And so are you.
Ahhhh. . .
lolwut
lol
Y'all need some Luna Poop
To outsiders, the Chosen One seems like something one would be honored to be. For the Chosen One herself, it is a burden that gets heavier each day.
Five bits says that old codger is listening in on all this.
Twi's got a very good point about Rainbow and the sonic rainboom, though.
Huhwhat?
Shining WHO now?
5918792 vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/romanticallyapocalyptic/images/c/ca/Captain_by_alexiuss.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120218184528
Okay everyone. It's been 35 chapters now into the new book and I still haven't decided/figured out how to pronounce this one yet. Any ideas from anyone?
Also just noticed a few days back that these chapter titles are only 6 words and not 7. So is IC going backwards for the remaining books? 6 word chapters here, 5 in Book 8, 4 in Book 9, etc.
You and me both, bab.
I am the flame... and I am the Spark.
Wasn't that a quote around in Urohringr?
5918813
Its on the first page of comments, link here
This is beautiful.
5918805 I thought the Shining Knight was on purpose. huehuehuehuehuehuehuehue
5918813 You must be kidding me. It's Yiffy---. . . something. Right?
5918807 I thought this chapter would be on RD introducing Twilight for once. That title is so mean.
fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/248/a/4/profile_picture_by_zaponator-d5dq99i.jpg
What's with Shining's new name?
More pressure for the loud little pegasus. I'm surprised she hasn't lost her mind yet.
i.imgur.com/JG2VGid.jpg
Oh, Rainbow...
It's not something to be sad about any more, because it's something you never have to bear alone again. You'll alawys have your friends, now. It'll always be awesome for you. You're not alone.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
I've always loved "The Cutie Mark Chronicles", but I'd never given it much thought within the context of this story. Pretty damn nifty. Kind of a lot of pressure to put on Rainbow, though. I mean, on top of the usual pressure she's under. If Twilight's not careful, she's gonna drift into Navi territory. Talk about constipation.
I know it's a lot of weight to carry, Rainbow. But this is just the time when no other a-word will do. What is an obstacle but something to be overcome, after all? Just keep on flying, Easthorse.
5918878
marool.com/wp-content/uploads/breaking-bad-heisenberg_marool_2.jpg
5918827
I am the Walrus!
Er... Sorry. Thirty crunches, ):(. Knock 'em out!
Well, tomorrow in-universe is a new day, and will bring with it new possibilities, and perhaps pirates.
I like pirates. Just thought I ought to clarify.
Thank you Twilight, for asking all of those existential questions Rainbow doesn't want to hear. You're doing wonders for her psyche.
You know, eventually this salt air is going to ruin Dash's hair. Eagle Eye would be furious.
5918865 5918807 5918805 5918811
It's not a new name, it's just a nickname, like Twilight isn't named Princess.
5918878
I mean, you could always make art of some fine gentleman's(5917489) character description for Nick's ex(Swan Song, what a pretty name, despite the... morbid connotation of the phrase) as a swashbuckling pirate.
Shameless self-promotion because of personal relationships that result in a near-pathological search for approval.
I think I saw a fic once where Dash gave up on the race to save Fluttershy when she fell, resulted in Shy getting her cutie mark way later and Dash getting a shield cutie mark like Nyx and Shining. I can't remember what happened to the others.
Someone else might though.
I can't wait to see how Rarity is going to react to being a ghost.
-Memories given light, ease a lonely flight. Ynanhluutr.
5918813 You must have missed the first comments. EE-nahn-HLOO-tr (ter, but with the schwa sound)
5918807 Exactly my thoughts.
It is a lot to think about in this universe and the cannon one as well.
And back in Darkstine, she gave Zaap the zap.
5918827
You might be thinking of mid-Austraeoh, actually.
Whitemane: "The world is a machine..."
Rainbow: "...and I am the spark."
Best nutshell ever.
Oh yeah, it's funny because Zapp.
fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/356/5/d/rainbow_dash___the_zap_by_neriani-d6yxlit.png
When I first read that line, I immediately thought of the RedvsBlue quote "You ever wonder why we're here?"
Looking back on that line, the connection I made seems like a bit of a stretch.
5918966
Along with getting her to consider the important questions and grow a bit as a character
5918807
Agreed, the old coot is definitely listening to the conversation, his attempt at getting RD to open up about who she's talking about seems like he's putting pieces together.
Aw, Rainbow! Just tell her already! I can't take it anymore
Did... did Twilight just break Rainbow?
Reflection Introspection Communication Assimilation?
We are Amigas of Borg. Obsolescence is Futile. You Will Be Emulated.
Twilight, stop philosophizing at Dash! You'll break her. And then where will you be?!
At least being the zap is better than being this Zapp...
i.imgur.com/NDN0nfS.jpg
Snu-snu.
Rainbow, I think the word you're looking for is awkward. Yeah, that a-word.
Though personally, I'd go with humbling, if I'd heard that suspicion.
That... is heavy.
Sailing, sailing over the bounding main
Where many a stormy wind shall blow
'Ere Dash comes home again.
5919684 Dashie.exe has encountered an error and needs to close.
Oh, poor Rainbow.
Yay predestination, your choices are meaningless in the face of hindsight.
Only on the Hub!
Sad ending there. Good quality though, and it's making me think.
5919002
5918878
I present thee, the Dreaded Pirate Swan Song:
i.imgur.com/012PLrn.png
5921155 T'Gom is a reference to this story by Swan Song. Notice the initials.
I can believe that, I mean, Hurricane looked identical to her and she was an Austraeoh way back in the day.
God damn. Refraction was so good.
5922527 under any other circumstances I wouldn't believe you, but considering Swan talked about the creation and process of the story in the comments for Yaerfaerda it's to much to be a coincidence.
5918878
New headcanon: Zap Apple Dash