• Published 27th Mar 2015
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Ynanhluutr - Imploding Colon



A newly transformed Rainbow Dash continues her flight east.

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You Just Made The Bucket List

“So, let me get this straight...” Nick sat on the edge of the trimaran's central float, his muzzle scrunched in deep thought. “You've been flying east all this time, but then all of the sudden a beacon of magical flame brought one of your friends back from the dead, and now she's floating around you as some sort of invisible ghost that only you can see?”

“Right,” Rainbow Dash said with a nod, hovering above the Swan Song.

“Does she have a name?” Nick asked.

Rainbow glanced aside at the bashful unicorn. “Er... yeah. 'Twilight Sparkle.'”

“'Twilight Sparkle.'” Nick nodded. “Right.” The young stallion blinked. “...is she hot?”

“What?!” Rainbow frowned. “No!”

Twilight glanced aside. “Huh?”

“Er... I mean... sure, I guess...”

“Rainbow...?!”

“Snkkt... I mean... her... it...” Rainbow squirmed in mid-air, then gawked down at Nick. “She's like a sister to me, dude!”

“Sure, I'll accept that—” Twilight's eyes crossed. “Wait.”

“Errrr...” Rainbow blushed.

“What does... that have anything to do with—?”

“And you can't make physical contact with her at all?” Nick reached a hoof blindly in the air, feeling around. “Not even her soft, silky mane?”

Rainbow sighed, eyes closed. “...Doctor Dude?”

THWACK! A cane slammed over Nick's skull.

“Ow!” The young stallion rolled back across the hull.

“Thanks,” Rainbow muttered.

“Oui. Do not mention it.” Sinrar stood up and hobbled across the boat. “So, harpy, answer me this. If everypony else is incapable of seeing or talking to this magical mare, then why is it that you can?”

“It's... it's complicated...”

Life's complicated.” Sinrar scuffled to a stop, frowning Rainbow's way. “Would you mind elaborating on the physical details of this relationship? I would very much like to know that I haven't enlisted my help in assisting a mad pony.”

“She's not mad!” Twilight Sparkle said with a frown. “She's just... enchanted!”

“Yeah! What Twilight said—” Rainbow winced before she was even finished talking. “What I mean is... dammit.”

“We're still waiting,” Sinrar said, nostrils flaring.

“Wait a second,” Nick wheezed, still rubbing his head as he stood up. “I wasn't there for all of your freaky ramblings when you first arrived at the K.M.C.A., Rainbow, but I heard an awful lot about the stuff I missed.” He squinted at the mare. “You solved a super hard mathematics problem and impressed the horseshoes off of Professor Parabola in front of his entire classroom.”

“Huh. Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?” Rainbow blinked, then made a retching expression, “His name was Professor Parabola?”

“That had to have been Twilight's doing, right?”

“Buh?”

“I mean... eheh... no offense...” Nick smirked awkwardly. “But you don't exactly strike me as a clever pony.”

“Jee, thanks, Captain Testicles.”

“Hey, I just say it as I see it.” Nick gulped. “Even if I'm seeing only half of it, according to you.”

“Hah!” Sinrar smirked. “You're telling me that this Twilight of yours embarrassed Ol' Parabollocks?! THAT I would pay to see!”

“Well, roll out the bits, old timer.” Rainbow shoved her elbow through Twilight's glowing figure. “Quick, Twilight, say something super smart.”

“Erm...” Twilight fidgeted where she hovered, then orated: “Galactic nebulae are formed by the gravitational collapse of gases in an interstellar medium, and they most commonly appear on the visible spectrum due to ionization from ultraviolet radiation.”

Rainbow spoke: “Galactic nebulae are formed by the gravitational collapse of—” She blinked, then squinted Twilight's way. “Wait... what the heck does 'ionization' mean?”

“It's when atoms gain positive or negative charges due to bombardment with subatomic particles.”

“Atoms are made of even tinier stuff?”

Yes, Rainbow.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Seriously. Did you skip all of elementary school?”

“No, only the not-awesome parts.”

Twilight gasped. “How could you not find radioactive decay and particle emission awesome?!”

“Ew... now that just sounds gross.”

“Errr...” Nick leaned his head in. “What does?”

“Particle emissions,” Rainbow said.

“It's only dangerous when it comes to ionization radiation!” Twilight said. “Because that's when energy exceeds ten eV and is strong enough to break chemical bonds—”

“eV?”

“Yes. Electronvolt.”

“The Hell is an Electronvolt?”

“Zut alors!” Sinrar gasped with a mock smile. “It's like she is a different pony!”

“Look, believe me, I've been talking to a flesh-and-blood pony all this time... er...” Rainbow squirmed. “I guess she's not a flesh-and-blood pony right now, but she once was, and there stands a chance she can be again! It all deals with a great deal of convoluted high magic stuff and—”

“Still can't believe you don't know what an electronvolt is,” Twilight muttered.

Rainbow sighed over her shoulder. “Twilight, will you stop talking about the damn nocturnal emissions?!”

Particle emissions!”

“Whatever!”

“Rainbow Dash...” Nick stood up and trotted over. “I've... always sorta figured you for a magical mare.”

“Uh huh.”

“No. For serious.” He leaned his head to the side. “This... this quest that you're on... this journey. I-I always sorta figured that it was all part of some big picture... and maybe you don't want to share that big picture with us. That's fine. I can respect it.”

“Yeah...?” Rainbow squinted warily at him.

“But... these friends you speak of... Twilight Sparkle and the others...” Nick narrowed his eyes. “This is all about bring them back, somehow, isn't it?”

Rainbow blinked at him. She turned to look at Twilight.

Twilight nodded. “He's smarter than you give him credit.”

“Nick, making a long story short...” Rainbow turned back at him and nodded. “Yeah. That's what the journey's about. At least for the time being.”

“And the Five Seeds...?”

“They're actually gateways to... uh... a deeper layer of this world. A hidden layer. And there's energy there that—when I make contact with it—can do crazy trippy things. I believe they can bring back my friends.”

“What makes you so sure?” Sinrar asked.

Rainbow turned towards him. “Because that Tower that you all 'ooh'd' and 'ahh'd' at? Due West of Kihutaja? That was one such part of the hidden world, and making contact with that is what brought Twilight back.”

“And it changed everything,” Nick breathed. “It took away the Blight.”

“Right. I... don't know what contacting the other beacons will do to this place, but if they can bring back my friends...” Rainbow's words trailed off. She merely shrugged.

Nick smiled. “Well, that wasn't so hard, was it?”

“Hmmm?”

He sat back with a sigh, still smiling. “Letting it out. The truth, I mean.”

“It's a pretty crazy truth.”

“And we live in a pretty crazy world.” Nick winked. “I, for one, am totally on board for helping you reach the next beacon. Especially if it means getting your friends back.”

Twilight held a hoof over her chest. She turned towards Rainbow with a bittersweet smile.

Rainbow brushed a hoof through her bangs and sighed. “Well, good to know, kid.” She turned to look at Sinrar. “Dr. Dude?”

But before the old stallion could respond—

Twilight Sparkle's horn flashed with sudden lavender brilliance. “Aaaugh!” The mare yelped, sinking entirely through the boat and waves.

Rainbow Dash gasped. “Twilight!”

“Ack!” Nick flinched, as did the Professor. “What? What's wrong?!”

Rainbow hopped to the far side of the boat, leaning over as Twilight slowly hovered back up, curled up in a fetal position. “Twi! Twi, are you okay?! What's wrong?! Where does it hurt?!”

“It's... it's not pain...” Twilight shuddered, stretching out so that she floated upright again. “It just stunned me, is all.”

“What did?”

“I... I don't know...” Twilight gulped. “It's... it's a strange feeling in my gut... and in my horn. Only this time, a lot stronger than the others. Almost like a leyline pulse—”

“Wait wait wait...” Rainbow's brow furrowed. “The others?”

“Erm...”

What others?!” Rainbow growled. “Do you mean something freaky's been happening to you all this time?!”

“I... I-I can't describe it!” Twilight fidgeted. “And even if I could, I... I-I didn't want to worry you...”

Rainbow inhaled sharply. “Girl, you could stand to lecture yourself one of these days...”

“I'm sorry! Seriously, it's been nothing!” Twilight rubbed her horn, nevertheless wincing. “Until now...”

“Twilight...” Rainbow sat on the edge of the hull. “Open up. I mean it.”

“Ever... uh... ever since the 'Blight' fell, and unicorns all across Kihutaja started using their magic, I felt... I-I felt a flutter in my tummy.”

“Define 'flutter?'”

“I wish I could,” Twilight said. “I figured it was hunger, which wouldn't make sense. Because if I'm an incorporeal ghost, then why would I possess a stomach?”

“Right...”

“But then I started to notice that I only felt the sensation whenever other ponies were using magic. I just figured it was because I'm existing on an ethereal layer, and I can detect interference on a residual level. But...” Twilight shrugged. “Then again, I thought it may have been my imagination. I mean... I've had a lot on my mind as of late. Same with you.”

“But just now...?”

Twilight gulped, then pointed due east. “I just... felt something massive... something strong. Almost like a wave of energy... coming from there.”

“From there specifically?”

“Yes.”

“Twilight, I think we've been through enough together to know that stubborn crud doesn't fling in only one direction.” Rainbow frowned. “If you're getting cosmic zaps from the universe, the smart thing would be to tell me!” She turned and gestured wildly at the eastern seas. “Don't wait until something wicked scary decides to give you the shove—” She froze in mid-speech, blinking.

Twilight shifted uncomfortably. “What... what is it?”

“... … ...”

“Rainbow, tell me!”

“It... it's closer...” Rainbow muttered.

“What is?”

Rainbow flapped her wings, hovering just above the vessel. Before her eyes, Yaerfaerda lingered, clear and bright. It hovered low to the sea, its ivory bands shimmering in full clarity.

“Uhhhh...” Nick trotted over. “Rainbow? Is the 'awesome meter' going off again?”

“Quick... Professor...” Rainbow pointed directly at the pulsating beacon. “Can you figure out exactly what lies in that direction from where we're located?”

“Just give me one second...” Sinrar examined his maps, did a few calculations, then drew a line across the charts. “Mmmmff... just as I thought.”

“Yeah? Yeah?” Rainbow pivoted to face him, breathless.

The old stallion tilted his head up, adjusting his bifocals. “The Nealend Atoll. Dead ahead.”

Rainbow bit her lip, gazing at the glittering horizon as the day reached its end.

Twilight floated closer. “You think that's where the First Seed is? On the atoll?”

“Guess there's one way to find out, Twilight.” Rainbow looked at the two stallions. “How about it, guys? You still with me... er... us?”

Nick shrugged, chuckling. “We've followed you this far. Can't possibly get any crazier.”

“Don't press your luck, purple eyes.” Rainbow turned towards Sinrar. “Dr. Dude?”

“Ehhh...” The stallion leaned back, cracking his joints. “I could certainly more than a bucket to piss in. Let's make the trip.”

“Awesome sauce.” Rainbow clung to the mast while gazing at their destination. “Onwards to the biggest bucket of all...”

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