When Evil Leaves Its Residue
"I saw it with my own eyes, Lieutenant," Theanim Mane quietly said as the two crouched in the dark underbrush. A night sky hung over the forest canopy of Sunset Prefecture above them. "Deep within the lagoon of Nealend Atoll, a most profound structure lay hidden. But then—after Rainbow Dash's direct interaction—the structure opened up to us. There were runes inside, Lieutenant... doorways that reacted only to Rainbow Dash's touch. To this day, an enormous obelisk protrudes from the location that was previously a sanctuary to our Goddess Verlaxion. It remains there for every living soul to see. I even took photographs from inside the anomaly itself."
"Photographs that you've neglected to share with me," Keris murmured.
"I... felt it was imperative to conduct this present investigation," Theanim replied. "Regailing you with all of these details—I feared—would only complicate the matter."
Keris rubbed his feathery brow with his good talon. "Well, they're certainly complicating things now." He gulped. "And you said this... machine world was witnessed also in lower Shoggoth?"
"Indeed. I was not there to presently see it unfold, but Rainbow Dash's companions did. Mr. Bard and Wildcard... the Desperadoes—"
"I've heard of them," Keris droned. "They were present at the Quade."
"Well..." Theanim cradled his camera as he spoke. "In Shoggoth, they claimed to have seen suits of frozen armor, animated by frosted magic, speaking directly to Rainbow Dash."
Keris' eyes narrowed. "Messengers of the Queen? In Shoggoth?"
"Well, it was a sanctuary gifted to the royal siren family... or so that's what history would have us think."
"What... could Verlaxion possibly desire from the Rainbow Rogue?"
"Hmmmff... anything, hypothetically. However, Lieutenant, if we were to take Rainbow's account into consideration—"
"I'm... not entirely certain that I wish to." Keris gulped. "An artificial world? Equine goddesses who control the sun and moon? A... a b-beastly creature of flame and scales posing as our merciful Unifier?"
"Did Rainbow Dash not relate these things to you while the two of you were imprisoned at Red Barge?"
"She... tried to, I think. In her own, subtle ways." Keris shuddered. " But these details that you are sharing with me, Professor, are admittedly horrific... heretical, even."
"Aye. And I've thought so myself on multiple occasions. But think about it, Lieutenant." He waved a hoof in the guardian's direction. "The things that you have witnessed." He pointed at himself. "The things I've witnessed... and collected evidence of!" He gulped. "Do they or do they not corroborate with the cosmology that Rainbow Dash has thusly presented?"
"They are bizarre phenomena, to be certain, Professor," Keris murmured. "But anypony can make any claim about anything. The facts of Verlaxion's teachings are—"
"Are what?" Theanim raised an eyebrow. "That we must blindly trust old and uncontested narratives far more than the senses that we have been so graciously granted?"
"I do not speak of blindness, Professor. But faith."
"Indeed. Faith sustains a soul... but only for so wide a gap. At one point, one must ask what is the purpose for traversing such a rift in the first place." Theanim pointed. "Rainbow Dash's claims are bold, complex, and perfectly inconceivable at a glance. But ask yourself, Lieutenant, what are we being expected to believe instead? That an immortal equine of frost once saved our forebearers from an army of indestructible windigoes? She hasn't appeared to give us a single word in decades. One may argue that Verlaxion has never once appeared to the Six Tribes at all. We've only ever seen her messengers... her enchanted vessels. The very nature of magical phenomena only tells us so much on the surface. How do we know that whoever controls the messengers is the same being written about in our most sacred texts? That was eons ago! Nopony's alive who can verify those writings with empirical data!"
"What you're saying, Professor, is very dangerous." Keris cleared his throat. "Especially for you, I fear. After all, would you have shared any of these thoughts in Frostknife?"
"No. Nor would I have spoken at great length about the malevolent intrigue that brought us here... to this exact spot where we are currently hiding." Theanim looked at him. "Truth is a very... very dangerous thing, Lieutenant. But I think you would be just as remiss as I am if you did not try—with every resource in your possession—to pursue it with absolute determination."
"But everything you're suggesting—about Rainbow Dash, Verlaxion, this world—is fragmented at best. Tell me, Professor, with everything you've learned... do you believe that you are in fact pursuing the truth? Or simply a labyrinthine patchwork of misinformation?"
Theanim stared off into the underbrush. He sighed. "I must admit... the portrait that all of these colors are painting is... far from pristine." He spoke firmly: "I do not desire to live in a world without a nurturing goddess like Verlaxion, and I feel nauseated at the idea of a mere pretender occupying her space. However, in light of the Queen's glaring absence—especially in Rohbredden's current time of strife—I find this information far too alarming to ignore. I merely seek to put all of the pieces together to ascertain the meaning behind it all, and Rainbow Dash is the biggest part of that puzzle. You've spent time with her yourself, Lieutenant. In fact, you witnessed her in a far more painful and intimate state than I ever did. For all I know, you've gotten far closer to the truth than I have."
"Forgive me if I do not share your intellectual enthusiasm in the matter."
"Indeed. And, naturally, I wouldn't expect you to. Your task is to enforce justice and restore peace. Still..." Theanim exhaled. "If... if you could only see the things that I have witnessed... such as the obelisk in Nealend... then perhaps you would also come to conclude that not all things in this world are as they appear to be. Perhaps they never have been."
Keris clenched his jaw tight. His headcrest tilted back tightly.
Theanim noticed it. The Professor looked over. "Lieutenant...?"
The guardian was silent.
"What... what's the matter?" Theanim blinked. "I'm familiar enough with griffon anatomy to detect a look of 'alarm.'"
"It's... quite possible that I have seen the things that you speak of, Professor."
"Huh?"
"In Luminar... in the Quade..." Keris closed his eyes as he exhaled slowly. "...I observed such a structure."
Theanim gasped loudly. "Another obelisk?! In the Quade?"
"Shhhhhhh!" Keris hissed, raising his good talon to yank Theanim back to the underbrush.
Theanim grimaced. "You... saw such a thing? Where the monks made their sanctuary?"
After a breath, Keris nodded. "Aye. Just as you and the so-called 'Desperadoes' witnessed otherworldly phenomena in Verlaxion's sanctuaries at Nealend and Shoggoth."
Theanim shuddered. "And you never thought to mention it before?!"
"I never thought there would have been a connection before." Keris's hawkeyes darted between the trees and foliage. "But now, looking back, I recall... runes."
"Runes?"
"Dull. Disenchanted. Faint patterns etched into otherwise immaculate metal." He gulped. "I confronted the monks about it. The Luminards claimed that it was some... apostate manifestation of the culture that dwelt in the sundered continent long before the formation of the Quade, when the Reed took root."
"Well, naturally the metal is old!" Theanim exclaimed with a nod. "Older than time itself."
"Only... if we're to take Rainbow's cosmology into account..." Keris glanced aside. "...it is merely an extension of this... machine world."
Theanim simply stared.
"Professor, why would such a thing exist?" Keris asked. "And why would these structures manifest themselves in the exact places that our Goddess had once chosen to consecrate with her glory?"
"Or... perhaps... they were never consecrated by Verlaxion at all," Theanim said. "But enchanted by a Divine Matriarch with dark intent... who foresaw the destruction of the Blight and this prismatic puzzle peace that's happened to have crossed it in our lifetime."
Keris could only grimace. "I... I'm afraid I do not understand." He glared off into the foliage. "It is most frustrating."
"Indeed." Theanim nodded. "Perhaps now you understand the anger that's taken your Commander's soul hostage?"
Keris merely glanced at the stallion.
Before either of them could say anything further—
—bushes shook across the clearing. A melodic nightingale cry pierced the air softly.
Theanim looked up. "What was that?"
"A signal," Keris said, crouching low. "From the Sergeant."
"Starstorm made that sound?"
"Shhhh..." Keris signaled for Theanim to stay still. "It means that company has arrived."
Theanim clammed up.
Keris' hawkeyes scoured the forested landscape. At last, his pupils zeroed in on something. He pointed with his talon.
Theanim slid his goggles down over his eyes and strained to see.
At last, two groups emerged from opposite sides of the glen. One party was a surly bunch of thuggish stallions in leather armor. The other group consisted of four hefty earth ponies. As the bodyguards stepped aside, an old stallion shuffled into the starlight, facing the bandits from afar.
Theanim's jaw dropped. "My stars... is... isn't that...?"
"Indeed." Keris nodded, glaring from where they nestled in the shadows. "Magistrate Timplan."
"And... and this is his Prefecture!"
"Shhhh... I'm quite aware of that, Professor."
Theanim crawled forward until he squatted side by side with the griffon. "He wasn't present in Frostknife for the past six meetings of the Council of Verlaxion. What in blazes could be so important that it's dragged him here?"
"Something that your contact in the Frosted Shelves obviously knows," Keris said. "And I think we're going to find out for ourselves. Listen."
Sure enough, the old stallion stood in his hiking robes, shuddered, and addressed the grim bunch across from him. "Let's make this quick," he said. "My absence up north is bound to rouse suspicion. What exactly do you need from me this time?"
"What do we need?!" One of the thugs spat. "Pffft! We need everything, old stallion!" He pointed with a dagger. "Enough stalling! Where is he!"
Magistrate Timplan sighed. "Care to be more specific?"
"Who else could I be talking about?!" The thug snarled. "The big boss! The fat cat himself! Chandler! Where is his bejeweled flank when you need him?!"
Theanim glanced at Keris. The Lieutenant merely observed in silence.
"Wouldn't you know yourself?" Timplan responded. "You underworld vagabonds are in contact with him far more than I ever am."
"Don't kid yourself, old stallion."
"Son, I don't kid." Timplan's wrinkled muzzle formed a frown. "Chandler hasn't shown up in Frostknife since Monket arrived. From what I hear, there's been a great deal of unrest in the Seven Seas."
"You bet your ass!" the lead thug wheezed. "Bastard dipped his head into the muck and it dragged him hunder! Now Red Barge is being whitewashed by those pussies in the north sea and there's no more damned dredge coal coming our way! How are we supposed to make any smoke without the fuel to spark it with?!"
"You're under contract," Timplan briefly growled. "If you have to make do without flammable materials, then that's your burden to deal with. Chandler's paid you to rattle the sabre all across the neighboring prefectures. Now it's Sunset's turn. Why haven't you acted yet?!"
"No resources, old man!"
"Did you waste all of the gold already?! Where's your sense of self-restraint?! Where's your honor?!"
"Pffft... you big wig jerkoffs speak of honor when it suits ya." The thug twirled his dagger. "You want us to shake your own citizens out of their homes? Give them something to be afraid of? Then get us some dredge coal! Chandler knew how we operated! If he didn't tell you, then that's not our problem!"
"I don't believe this..." Timplan drew a hoof over his face, exhaling. "Verlaxion damn it, Brye... where are you...?"
"You mean you don't know?!" The thug sputtered. "Hah! Dig this, fellas!" He smirked over his shoulder. "Even the Magistrates are up shit creek at this point!" He turned to glare at Timplan again. "Buddy, if you don't know where Chandler is hiding his cowardly keister... then this whole trip has been a big bucking waste of my time. I know you high-and-mighty politicians have trouble understanding anything that isn't vague rhetoric, so lemme spell it out for ya, old stallion." He grunted: "No Chandler means no dredge coal. No dredge coal means no fires. No fires means 'no way'... as in no contract."
"Alright. Fine. Is that the way it's going to be?" Timplan turned and whistled at his bodyguards.
The stallions marched up and laid a heavy trunk down in the middle of the clearing. Thunk. They opened it up, exposing row after row of shiny gold bits.
"A lifetime's payment," Timplan said. "Ten times over. You can even share it between yourselves if you like. I know how dog-eat-dog the seven seas can be."
"No... you don't!" The lead thug was livid at this point. "How many times do I have to tell you, old stallion?! We. Don't. Need. Gold! What are we supposed to do with it out here?! There's no Prefecture that will let us in! And with the Syndicate gone and the Barges in flux, Monket's controlling the new exchange rate of the central ocean!" He pointed. "There's another cruddy thing you can thank Mr. Brye No-Show Chandler for!"
"Dammit, will you ruffians please follow through with your obligations?!" Timplan gestured. "I'm desperate here! If you don't shake up Sunset's northern settlements, this entire operation will look like a joke! Chandler won't get the leverage he needs and Frostknife will be forever stuck in its asenine theocratic state!"
"Chandler can go lick himself."
Timplan spat, "Without Chandler, you have no future! He's promised you all new homes along the western shoreline!"
"Yeah yeah... and I'm sure he's promised you a golden bidet to polish your ego in." The thug smirked. "Face it, pops. He's played you. He's played everypony in that shiny senate of yours. The difference between you and us? My brothers and I can deal with it!" He twirled his dagger and snorted. "That's how it pays to be born in filth."
While watching, Keris quietly muttered: "So Timplan is assisting Chandler with the terrorist incursions."
"Looks like it," Theanim nodded, raising his camera. He took shot after silent shot. "I wonder just how many other magistrates are part of this miserable little party."
Keris gulped. "You collecting evidence?"
"Haven't stopped since the exchange began." Theanim took another shot. "Still," he murmured. "Why would Timplan go to such great lengths to harm his own citizens?"
"From the sound of it, he and several other Magistrates have a severe distaste for the current state of the Court." Keris frowned. "No doubt brought on by our beloved Goddess' silence."
"You see, Lieutenant?" Theanim muttered. "I'm not the only pony who holds doubt. However, in Chandler's case, that doubt is proving an opportunity for insurrection."
Keris' headcrest fluttered. "That makes him a far greater threat than the Rainbow Rogue—"
The air was kissed by the chirping sound of a meadowlark.
Keris' eyes twitched. He looked around.
Theanim blinked. "The Sergeant again?"
"Something's wrong," Keris hissed. "Somepony else is here."
"Somepony else?" Theanim looked aside. "Who?" Two crossbolts whizzed past his head. He gasped and dropped down low.
Thwisssssssssh—Th-Thunk! Suddenly, two thugs lurched in place across from Timplan.
The elder magistrate narrowed his eyes. "Good Goddess. What's the matter?"
Eyes wide and pale... the two thugs collapsed hard to the forest floor. Th-Thud!
The remaining thugs unsheathed their swords and shouted, "Ambush! You rotten bastard!"
"It... it's not m-me!" Timplan hollered. "I swear—"
"Magistrate!" A stallion pulled the old stallion aside. "Come with us! We must—" A crossbolt flew into his throat, bloodily. "Grkkkkk!"
"Aaugh!" Timplan stumbled back as more projectiles flew into the clearing.
Thugs and bodyguards dropped like flies. A sour copper stench filled the air.
"Lieutenant!" Theanim panted. He looked all around. "We... y-you and the Sergeant must do something—"
"Shhh!" Keris merely yanked him back to the ground. "Stay down."
"But the Magistrate—"
"None of the projectiles are being aimed at him," Keris grunted. He glared calmly into the blood bath. "Starstorm won't do anything unless I signal her. We must find out how deep this rancid hole goes."
At last, all of the bodies around Timplan had collapsed. Theanim watched—trembling—as several shadowed figures marched out of the underbrush from all sides of the clearing. A few of the assassins came within a hair's breadth of where he and the Lieutenant were hiding.
Standing alone and vulnerable, Timplan shivered in his robes. "Oh Goddess..." He paled visibly, gritting his teeth. "...oh sweet... sweet Goddess..."
"Spoken like a true heretic," droned a voice. A crooked specimen of a stallion side-stepped his way towards the Magistrate, dragging a limp leg in a haphazard splint. "You know, for a guy who's so keen on overthrowing Verlaxion's Court, you're pretty quick to call upon her when you're pissing yourself yellower."
"You..." Timplan gasped, eyes darting. "That... that scar! I... I-I've heard about you!" He stumbled backwards from the shuffling stallion and his fellow goons. "I... I thought Chandler did away with you!"
"That bugger couldn't be arsed to clean the muck out of his own nose. And trust me—I know! I saw him swim scrotum-deep in the shit. Right after Monket made a mockery of him... and my paradise in the middle of the ocean, the dreadlock huffing scum bucketeer..." The stallion smoothed his bangs back, only for them to dangle slimily back in place. "Hmmm... but Chandler's days are over, whether he knows it or not. I've just come to collect on the bastard's residue... not including yours-most-handsome, of course." He raised a hoof to Timplan's trembling figure, examining the collar of his robes. "Hmmm... nice duds. Shiny shiny dolphins..."
Keris jolted at that. He looked up, hawkeyes squinting. "... ... ...oh no."
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...You have got to be fucking kidding me.
How the hell did you get so far inland Skagra?
-Companions have returned, inner darkness spurned. Utaan.
Oh, fuck me.
Well that was unexpected
.
...Oh no...not you again...
Well this just went from bad to worse and really interesting in a real damn hurry. I was expecting something bad to happen during the mission, but definitely not this.
Oh boy, well everything has just gotten so much worse.
This is getting more and more interesting.
So he's alive and well. Verlaxion damnit!
Seriously? *sighs* I was really really happy that he was gone.
Nobody. Ever. Dies.
Brace yourselves for Shell 2.0!
I think I'm just afraid of recurring villains at this point.
7025416 Is your avatar an enemy from Rogue Legacy?
MRW yet another bad guy refuses to die:
i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/839/165/229.jpg
Skagra!?! Well would you look at that? S
t doesn't just float, it walks and talks and keeps on breathing. Especially when it should just friggin' stop.
Right, so who in their "brilliant" mind thought it'd be a grand idea to let *HIM* free?
Some bastards gotta die, Rainbow, like it or not.
... That happened...
The skaggiest of the skags is back.
*Squee*
Now all we need is Monket and Revan. And Longaze.
Oh for fucks sake.
The shiniest
Remember, peeps: If it isn't narrated or implied directly, the bad guy isn't dead.
7025421
Yes. It's Ponce de Leon, a boss.
And Keris gets flashbacks of the
warBarge...But seriously? There's surprise after surprise coming at us. And there's still the unaccounted letter for Echo, unknown whereabouts of the commander... The ride is about to get a whole lot wilder.
I have a dream, where people who get killed, die.
So far, the proverb "People die when they are killed" keeps getting violated.
7025571 The Maya area boss iirc.
Kicked my ass a few times before I wised up to the timing for the Hokage's flash step.
So not surprising that Skagra is still around. Kind of surprising that he's here, as how would he even know about this meeting? How could he have gotten here? Who's dumb and/or huffing enough coral to want to follow this guy after getting his face rearrangement by a hundred pound, short, wounded pegasus? How does Skagra still have credibility? Okay, okay, maybe it's a flotsam of the seas kind of thing. Now that he's here, I'll just strap myself in for him to become as recurringly aggravating as post Imre suicide Shell. I mean, we might get something surprising out of Skagra, like character development, but I'm mostly sure he's just going to f*** every single duck that Dash tries to put in a row.
One upside to this is that it may mean a future Skagra vs Seraphimus fight, which would be pretty sweet.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmeh.
I've said it before, I'll say it again.
Always confirm your kills.
dammit Skagra. I find it kinda funny that every time a villain shows up, so many people in the comments go crazy bringing up shell 2.0 and whatnot. The problem is, no one wants a shell 2, probably especially colon. I just like to imagine that Rainbow is just extremely unlucky.
No body, no death.
I was hoping for Brye but Skagbag will do.
7025725 Honestly... I wouldn't mind a Shell 2.0. Rainbow's plot armor is so thick that it seems only fair for there to be an equally enduring villain, and on the whole I thought that Shell was a rather compelling character.
That being said, Skagra is compelling as is. I'm glad he's back. Maybe next time Rainbow will think twice about letting the clearly sociopathic criminal live.
Last I remember of skag was that he was sent to the brig I think or detained in some fashion. How did he get out?? Frig is he doing up here?!
7025762
The phantom 4 guilt tripped her into letting him live, and Skagra still had some loyal to him on the barge.
7025780 I know, and Rainbow should probably have seen his escape coming. I mean, she's dealt with a Shell before. At least Twilight Spookle's had her worldview thoroughly shaken a time or two now, so hopefully she'll trust Rainbow's judgement next time.
Everyone's like Shell 2.0 and I'm just waiting for Nightshade to reappear after falling down that hole
Everyone's like Shell 2.0 and I'm just waiting for Nightshade to reappear after falling down that hole
I'm happy the Skag is back. Just the way he talks is so good.
This is getting to the point where Skagras ending should be just as the big fight gets to the kick off point, the Jury 2 come lfying over, Joshos 2s mana drive just stops working without warning, he falls out of the sky and lands on Skagra killing him instantly.
But I thought I fixed that, gets In Like Flynn.
Why is everyone saying "Oh man, he's still alive!"
He was alive at the end of his arc! We knew this - Rainbow didn't kill him because he wanted to make an example of him or something. At best, it should be "Oh no, Skagra escaped!"
EEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeyyyyyyy....
...
...
...
The Skag is back, and I ain't even mad. Great bad guys deserve encore performances!
"Professor, why would such a thing exist?" Keris asked. "And why would these structures manifest themselves in the exact places that our Goddess had once chosen to consecrate with her glory?"
"Or... perhaps... they were never consecrated by Verlaxion at all," Theanim said. "But enchanted by a Divine Matriarch with dark intent... who foresaw the destruction of the Blight and this prismatic puzzle peace that's happened to have crossed it in our lifetime."
And this is why I like Theanim.
Skagra is back? Hello Shell two
Awwww BUCK! Skagra is back and crazier than ever!
Good reveal, well played.
He's back . . .
Which I guess means trouble, dang it
7025762 Shell was a compelling villain...for a while. Bu then it became closer and closer to impossible to hurt him and oppurtunity after oppurtunity to just drop his character passed until the point of what happened at Lerris being the only way to believably finish him off. Shell was untouchable for ridiculous reasons, at least for Rainbow we have an explanation or two.
Skagra isn't what I'd call Shell 2 yet, he's not really survived anything ridiculous yet. What I mean is, if Skagra basically gets the same start as Shell, that's fine, Shell was a damn good villain until somewhere near the end of Innavedr/mid Odrsjot. Though I wouldn't call Skagra a compelling villain yet.
Damn it Rainbow, you really should've blasted his face off with the steam vents. I mean, you already learned with Shell that that's the only way to keep a psychopath down. Although, if his anger is directed toward Chandler, maybe he's an unlikely ally in this after all?
Also, I swear, every chapter that Theanim is in, I find him more and more annoying. Seriously, he's like a Jehovah's Witness for "the truth" stuck on repeat, and I can't simply say "no thank you" and close the door. Ughhh... hopefully he gets over himself sooner or later.
This is technically incorrect. The aforementioned culture did not renounce Verlaxion, it preceded her existence. But the Luminards may be forgiven for not making that distinction.
There's your apostate.
There are no atheists in foxholes.
Yep. The scoundrel we love to hate. Right on time to have his little scheme rumbled.
Safe to say it's deeper than the hole Skagra should have been thrown into. And as an offshoot of the Consortium's corrupt dealings, Keranim and Co ought to have enough reason to get the jump on them when the time is right.
static.fjcdn.com/gifs/Head+slam+into+wall+its+pretty+much+in+the+title_fb940a_3773160.gif
Heeeeeeees baaaaaaack