Leave Moseyin' to Moseyin' Itself
She winced. Her muzzle tensed... tensed again. With a trilling sound she shifted beneath a cloud of satin sheets. A cool breeze rolled in from the great beyond, fluttering at her eyelashes. Her ears twitched every few seconds, especially as a melodic sound echoed against the walls of a spacious room.
One string at a time, an acoustic guitar plinked to life. A harmonic ballad bled inside out. As it formed a structure, it caressed Rainbow Dash's ears, anointing her head with sonic oil.
At last, starting low and breathy, a twangy set of vocal cords accompanied the melancholic ditty. It slowly drew Rainbow back to the waking world—where sunbeams and sighs awaited:
Wind and wing and go
Wind and wing and go
The years roll back
The storm rumbles black
And your sweet voice calls me home
Rivers ebb and flow
Rivers ebb and flow
Every brook that winds
Constantly reminds
Of the tears flowing back to my home
Oceans black and blue
Oceans black and blue
Foam churns at the edge
As I make my pledge
And carry you back to our home
And with every tide that comes, it's you
And with every sun that sets, it's you
And with every smile that stays, it's you
And with every breath I sob, it's you
Wind and wing and go
Wind and wing and go
Please don't let go
You're my song, you're my soul
And they're calling us back to our home
One of these days
We'll follow them back to our home
Rainbow Dash fought a lump in her throat. Hissing, she found the strength to fight past it. "Who... who's the song about?"
Silence. Even the guitar plinking stopped.
Rainbow's eyes fluttered open. A bright burning world stretched past the foot of her bead. A stallion's silhouette sat in a chair, facing perpendicular to her. A long mane billowed in a cold mountain breeze.
"Because..." Rainbow cleared her throat as every muscle came to life. She sat up, wincing. "...I know that it's not about me."
The stallion pivoted his head towards her. A sigh evaporated between them, and his hazel eyes materialized against the brightness, dull and somber. Like his voice.
"T'ain't about nopony in particular," Bard said. "At least... no more." He strummed the guitar again, gazing off into the brightness. One peak at a time, mountains solidified beyond a spacious balcony. The world dimmed with each second that Rainbow Dash's eyes adjusted, revealing a massive ravine lined with palace walkways and distant Snow Blood villages. "Nopony livin' to give it sweetness. Now it's just a spur in my side, urgin' me forward."
Rainbow rubbed her eyes. She exhaled, "I suppose we all... could use the push in our lives."
"Mmmm... I reckon." He played with the strings. Acoustic notes wafted outward, carried aloft by the mountain breeze. "When we try to carry the momentum ourselves, we end up pushin' ourselves a mite bit too much. That's when we do thangs that we regret."
Rainbow clenched her jaw shut.
Bard breathed: "My life is full... chock full to the lid... with regrets..."
Rainbow hugged herself, staring at the blankets of the bed she was in. "Kinda wish I could play guitar..."
"Don't." Bard strummed a few notes regardless. "It only means yer stuck with bottlin' it all like sour wine."
Rainbow looked to her right. Luna's satchel—along with the rest of Rainbow's gear—had been stretched across a dresser and table. With a nervous flinch, the pegasus raised a hoof to her neck... then exhaled with relief to feel the cold kiss of her pendant.
"These mountain folk know ya more than you'd guess," Bard said. "They sure as rain wouldn't strip ya of everythang."
Rainbow shuddered. "Guess that makes me lucky."
"Hrmmmfff..."
Rainbow's eyes darted towards the rustic wooden walls of the bedroom. "Twilight?" She blinked. "Fluttershy?"
"They still talk to you?"
"Yes, Bard." Rainbow briefly frowned. "They do. Just—"
With a flicker of lavender and pink light, a ghostly mare materialized upside down. Pinkie Pie yawned, blinked at Rainbow Dash, then gasped. "Dashie!" She twirled until she was rightside up and grinned in the anchor's face. "You're up! Oh goodie goodie! I knew my leg was shaking in my sleep for a reason!" She twirled about. "Just gimme a sec and I'll wake the other gals from the Vanilla Zone—"
"No no..." Rainbow waved a hoof in the air. "It's okay."
Bard glanced over.
"Ya sure?" Pinkie blinked. "I swear, we tried doing shifts at first to watch over, but then when Bard showed up... well... we figured—"
"It's okay, Pinkie. Really..." Rainbow Dash smiled. "I'm... I'm doing fine, it looks like. You and the gals catch up on your shut-eye."
"Awwwwwww... you sure?" Pinkie pouted. "Because there's nothing I wanna do more than stay right here and watch over you like a vigilant stewa—SHNORRRRRRRRRRRR!" The mare blew ghostly bubbles as her etheral body went limp.
Rainbow merely smiled.
One layer at a time, Pinkie dissolved into lavender strings.
Rainbow's pendant glowed, and all was still once again.
"They're alright, then?" Bard asked.
"Of course they are." Rainbow glared his way. "You think that just because they're attached to me they're in some sort of prison?"
Bard merely strummed the guitar, staring out onto the sanctuary of Wyvern Point. Distant flags flapped in the breeze, accompanied by the occasional shrieks of eagles.
Rainbow sighed. She hung her head and rubbed her brow. "We... we had a rough patch." She cleared her throat. "Nopony's fault but mine. But... but after a long while, they came around." She looked up, eyes glossy. "We all came around." A gulp. "Down in Red Barge... surrounded on all sides by rust and grime... I nearly bought it. More th-than once."
"That must have been downright miserable," Bard muttered.
"It was," Rainbow grunted. "Mrmfff... maybe it pleases you to know that."
"What pleases me, Rainbow," Bard grumbled, "Is that there are ponies bigger than myself in high places, or else we wouldn't be havin' this conversation right now."
Rainbow glanced at him, her ears drooped. "It's... it's really swell of you to look after me."
"Who's lookin' after who?" Bard shrugged, strumming. "Ain't nothin' to worry about up here but the cold."
Silence.
At last, Rainbow asked, "Where's Wildcard?"
"Mrmmmmff... how the Hell should I know these days?" Bard exhaled, plucking. "Bein' Desperadoes together simply wasn't enough for him to share everythang with that big beak of his. I mean... I knew I was gettin' entangled with a big heapin' mystery the day I decided to share lots in the bounty huntin' business with the fella. But... just didn't expect it all to come to a head so sudden-like."
"Did..." Rainbow blinked. "Did he not tell you about this place before? About Remna?"
"He told me bits... but... shucks." Bard flung a hoof towards the balcony. "Just take a gander at this place, will ya?" A sigh. "It's like findin' out yer long lost brother's a prince in pauper's clothing."
"You always knew about him and the wyverns, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but all of this... 'matron mountain' business is so beyond me it ain't even funny."
"You're not... I-I mean..." Rainbow hugged herself, fidgeting in bed. "...I-I'm not drivin' a wedge between you two, am I?"
"Pfffft..." Rainbow saw Bard's muzzle curve for the first time in months. "Naw..." He struck a few playful cords on the guitar. "It'd take a damn civil war to split the two of us apart." He slowly shook his head. "Though I have felt like stranglin' him somethin' awful a few times over the past few weeks. What matters is... is..." His nostrils flared as his jaw tightened. "He pulled me out of the muck when I needed it most. I owe him... I owe him more than a pony's ever need to make due before."
"So that's the only reason you're here?" Rainbow asked. "Because you owe Wildcard?"
Bard stopped strumming.
Rainbow blinked. "Bard...?"
"Grffff..." Bard sat up, muscles aching. "The day ain't gettin' any younger. Dubya-Cee should be here with the Job Squad any second."
"What's... taking him so long?"
"A load of pony fat."
Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
"Dun ask." Bard picked his hat back up and plucked it onto his handsome head. "Them's a good bunch of varmints—the Squad. But somethin' tells me you're about to learn more about them than I ever did." He exhaled. "Whatever's happenin'... whatever's goin' down... reckon it means a whole heapin' lot to Dubya... and so it means a lot to me to let it unfold."
"I get it, Bard." Rainbow nodded. "I promise I won't ruin things for your best friend."
"Ya kiddin'?" Bard squinted at her. "You done ruined thangs weeks ago... why else do ya think we're in this lofty overdressed outhouse in the mountains?" He extended a hoof. "Here. Why dun ya get up. Let's go for a stroll... stretch them legs."
"Where are we going?" Rainbow Dash asked, gently taking his grasp.
"The Hell if I know." Bard lifted her onto her hooves with a shrug. "Leave moseyin' to moseyin' itself."
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I really hope he'll come around someday.
I don't blame him for being as mad as he is, but it would be nice for the two of them to make up. Especially when every event now is approaching crucial importance.
Bard. Get over it, ya drama queen.
That's more like the Bard I know. It's good to have you back, buddy.
so her mane's grown back, and it was shaved a decent bit after the quade and yet her wing is still busted. i know it takes longer for bone to repair, but damn
He hasn't forgiven yet, but he seems to be in the process of doing so. I wonder if her forgiveness will come when he gives forgiveness to himself.
Pegaburn ain't so sour anymore. That's great. Now if only they could just kiss and make up.
Next chapter; Job Squad. Or Theanim. Or Longaze. Or Seraph. Or Brye ''not F.R.I.E.N.D.S'' Chandler.
When I saw that, I immediately thought Josho.
I missed Bard. I'm glad he's actually on talking terms with Rainbow now.
Doesn't mean he's forgiven her yet, but at least he isn't giving her the cold shoulder anymore.
Did her hair already grow back some?
Least he's willing to waggle his jaw at her now instead of playing voice box for Wildcard. Makes me wonder if part of the reason the Quade pissed him off so much was because he screwed the pooch in a similar way in the past.
Bard, with the greatest possible respect, get the frig over it.
He's sort of starting to come around, he still has a bit longer to go though. Its good to see him talking to Dash again though, that is the most important thing right now I think.
Tensions are high on every front. I'm not sure what will break first. RD's journey East needs to get back into high gear soon, but I thirst for justice for the Consortium and Verlax.
It's good to see that Bard's heart (and voice box) are thawing out a little. It's good to have him back.
Though it seems the Job Squad is already an established group, so I guess that does it for the Fellowship of the Urohringr theory.
Wait, how the hell did she grow her mane back out that fast? She already has bangs after only what, two weeks?
7009503 Or maybe his jaw loosened because Wildcard reminded him that he had.
Maybe he can't forgive her easily because he hasn't forgiven himself for whatever it was he did, and seeing her shoulder her regrets like she is making him feel weak and jealous.
It could also simply be that he chose to take vigil over Dash so he could have some quiet, the Wyvern/Manticores are awesome, but I have a feeling they'd give one quite a headache if one hung around them too long.
Still, like everyone is saying, he's talking to her again, that's a start to repairing the bridge. And hey... Friendships are meant to be tested, stretched to breaking point, sometimes even broken.
When they're reforged, they get stronger, closer.
-Companions have returned, inner darkness spurned. Utaan.
I have a feeling Rainbow Dash and Bard are about to have quite the conversation. Bard joined her for a reason. Something is going on in his head.
I presume we will be looking at the exploits of Sir Mane and the Right Talon of Verlaxion again in the following chapter.
Hmmm....
It looks like visiting the wyverns WOULD have opened up the way to the Reed, and in good time too since RD could still fly.
Makes me wonder how the Wyverns would have reacted to the Beacon collapsing the Quade on their watch.
Static chapter
Am I just getting paranoid or does this look like foreshadowing?
I'm guessing that her bangs haven't grown back yet, since Kepler was messing with her stubble just a couple of chapters ago. I'd chalk it up to Skirtsian Oversight which we can play off as an aspect of Dash dreaming.
I just had a silly realization.
Job squad, aka the seven.
Bard, on behalf of Wildcard.
It's been hinted they are gonna travel with Rainbow to the dark side.
7+1+1 = IC what U did there...
Can't really place how bards feeling about rainbow here. Glad he's talking to her but it just seems he doesn't want to? Idk. Hope they talk a bit more soon, that tension between then is killing me.
Bard's on talking terms again with Rainbow
What happened to you, Bard? I get the distinct feeling that Dash's mistake and the Quade and Bard's past are paralleled in some way, and man that makes me sad for him.
Is Moseyin a name?
7010158 mosey means to wander somewhere.
What kind of position does Wildcard have here, anyway?
The bard is back!
The reconciliation of separated friends begins.
I think bard realizes now that he shouldn't cast stones in a glass house, and that they have both done things they deeply regret.
7009766 I certainly wouldn't hope so. We're three fourths through book eight, we don't have time for another whole civil war plot string!
7011140
of course we do, we've another four books to go! Especially if Rainbow isn't making a trip back. . .
I forgot to mention how much I enjoyed Bard's song. Very much. That's how much.
Yay! Bard Is back!!!
Bard and Rainbow are on speaking terms again. That's the greatest news we've heard in a while. Even if there is still some animosity going around . . .
That song though! Serious potential there for a very pretty tune.
Interestingly enough I read this song twice. Once with Rainbow in mind, and the other with Bard.
It fits both of them.
Well... at least they are being civil-ish with each other
It kinda makes me want to cry the way he's being with her... Because it's like... He Wants to forgive her, but He Can't and even he's not sure why.
Bard, I missed you, but the past is in the past, man. It's time to move forward.
7069208 Its time to let it go
That song is catchy as hell.
Looks like Rainbow Dash slept comfortably for the first time since Val Roa.
And Bard's back!
It suddenly makes sense to me what's happening.
So Wildcard has been hinted at being Jordan, one of the deceased members of the Talon. Seraphimus has labelled the escorting of RD from Braum a traitorous action.
This leads me to conclude that Wildcard's sense of duty towards Rainbow is the same sense of duty these wyverns have towards the Austreaoh. Wildcard, aka Jordan, probably wants the downfalll of Verlaxion as much as the wyverns which is probably why he faked his death or something.
I don't think Wildcard is too upset with RD because she basically tore down something Verlaxion built.
Could all just be theory, but the story seems to be leading on to all of this.
8787067
I like the logic here. :)
Yeah, good effort there Pinkie.
Er, ouch much. You two twits did go after Rainbow first, so in reality, you ruined things weeks ago.