This Holy Place of Sacrifice
Starstorm and Windburst flew into the cavern one last time, escorting frazzled members of the Central Guard who were still struggling to brush the snow and ice off their shivering limbs.
Lieutenant Keris stood up from where he was tending to other soldiers alongside Raptr. He marched towards the Sergeants. "Is that everyone?" he asked.
"Yes, Lieutenant," Windburst said with a nod. "All except the three who perished while charging the windigoes southwest of the entrance."
"Rainbow Dash and the Herald are also accounted for," Starstorm said. "We're all inside the halls of Starkiss, now."
"Any sign of more windigoes?" Keris asked.
Windburst shook his head. "Negative. I spent the last five minutes scanning the western wastes. Looks like the last of the herd has been utterly eliminated by..." His words trailed off. The Sergeant's hawkeyes swept in the direction of the Herald.
Keris took a deep breath. "Nevertheless, keep watch at the entrance. Holler at the first sign of anything following us... demon or not."
"Aye, Lieutenant."
"Starstorm. Scout ahead," Keris commanded. "I need to know if this passage leads all the way into the heart of Starkiss."
"Yes, sir." Fwoooosh! Starstorm blurred deeper into the cold, glossy cavern.
Raptr stood up. "Lieutenant, I've checked everypony out."
Keris pivoted around. "And?"
"Everyone's in stable condition." Raptr gulped. "If we had stayed out there... exposed to the windigo stampede for just a minute longer... we all could very well have suffered advanced hypothermia."
"Well, praise Verlaxion we didn't."
Raptr grimaced. "Can we? Can we really?"
Keris fumbled for words.
In the ensuing silence, they heard the gentle weeping of a few members of the Central Guard. Raptr knelt down, resting his talon on a mare's quivering shoulder.
"Why is th-this h-happeing? Why would Verlaxion t-turn her back to us?! Her foals!"
Keris strolled over. "Let it out, soldier," he murmured. "I'll be relying on the strength of you and your comrades soon enough."
"However m-many of us are l-left..." She sniffled, lifting her teary face to stare at Raptr and Keris. "I don't understand. I saw them... the Messengers!" She hiccuped and sobbed. "They were helping the windigoes! Commanding them! My... m-my friends..." She covered her face with shaking hooves. "...th-they only wanted to repent f-for their sins. Have we fallen that far from Verlaxion's gr-grace?!"
"I... don't know, soldier..." Keris took a deep breath. "But I aim to find out. And I cannot make such a discovery alone. I need you and your friends to look deep inside and summon the strength to keep moving forward. No more flocking to Verlaxion. It's evident that her presence only means certain doom until we can ascertain what's going on." He leaned forward. "Can I rely on you?"
The mare shook, shuddered, and eventually nodded her head. "Aye, sir. You c-can rely on me."
Another soldier breathed, "Ready and w-willing to serve, Lieutenant."
"We are at your command," firmly added a griffon while his companions nodded.
One soldier sitting at the fringe of the group stammered, "I can't believe this is happening. Those Frost Vessels... and the windigoes working together?!." He squinted up at Keris and Raptr. "How are we even expected to return home?! How will we ever see our families again?!"
Before Keris could speak—
"The solution is simple." Theanim Mane shuffled up, shaking powdery snow off his figure. "We follow Rainbow Dash. She and her friends have protected you so far, yes?"
The one soldier squinted. "The Rainbow Rogue..."
"Twice you were nearly killed at the hooves of 'Verlaxion,' and twice you were saved by Rainbow and her companions." He raised an eyebrow. "Now do you doubt the noble intentions of this 'Rainbow Rogue' and her crew?"
The soldier blinked. He lowered his head, gazing off in thought. The Central Guard and the Talon alike lingered in solemn, silent contemplation.
"Professor..." Keris grasped Theanim's shoulder and gently led him to the side. In a quiet voice, he spoke: "If I was a loyal, unfaltering zealot like Commander Seraphimus, I would state that the reason we were all attacked was because Verlaxion desired to punish us for committing the grave sin of assisting Rainbow Dash."
Theanim squinted. "And are you a 'loyal, unfaltering zealot' like your Commander, Lieutenant?"
Keris clenched his beak.
Theanim sighed. "An entire nation of fools will attempt to spin the tragedy here however they see fit. It is my solemn hope that you and I—and our companions alongside us—will grasp the truth from all this."
Keris exhaled and said, "I must admit, Professor, that I've struggled to make sense out of your insinuations for the longest time. And even the part of me that fully believed you..." He grimaced, gazing across the frazzled group of survivors. "...I never would have thought that things would have gotten..." He gulped. "...that the hazards would be this cold and this heartless."
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't similarly shocked myself, Lieutenant," Theanim replied with a nod. "Believing is one thing. Witnessing reality... and tasting the frigid consequences thereof..." He pivoted about, gazing across the cold cavern with a shudder. "Needless to say, I certainly wish things were different. But we have to take into deep consideration—now or never—that the royal source of this kingdom and the tribes' unification is not the same goddess... or entity we take her for. But, rather, someone who has been working extensively to lead this kingdom of mortals astray for one reason or another."
"Isn't that jumping to conclusions, Professor?"
"There are considerably fewer of us who can, thanks to her 'divine' intervention," Theanim grumbled. "And need I even presume to guess the heinous number of lives she's betrayed in the past?"
Keris sighed fumingly. He glared towards the entrance of the cave where Windburst lingered.
"Not exactly cheerful to contemplate, is it?" Theanim remarked.
"I was attempting to contemplate something else," Keris replied in a hushed tone. He aimed his voice away from both the Talon and the Central Guard. "Namely... how would the foals of Verlaxion... how would all of Rohbredden react to the collapse of..." He gulped. "...a false god?"
"They haven't done very well in her 'absence' these past few decades," Theanim replied just as quietly. "Imagine how magnified the violent distrust between Tribes and Prefectures would be if she was exposed as a dragon Divine."
"Then... it is up to us to make sure that something peaceful comes of this," Keris said. "So that the unavoidable revelation transpires as gently and harmonically as possible."
"I whole-heartedly agree, Lieutenant," Theanim remarked. "And while I'm proud of you for thinking ahead, the moment of truth has yet to make itself manifest."
"How do you mean?" Keris asked.
Theanim stared past him.
The Lieutenant turned, following the professor's gaze until his eyes too fell on Rainbow Dash. "Do you really believe she will do what is right?"
Theanim gulped. "I wouldn't have traversed all of these cold... cold miles if I didn't."
"But to her, Verlaxion is an obstacle," Keris remarked. "Rainbow Dash may have an empathetic heart..."
"...and a firm belief in harmony."
"True." Keris turned to squint at Theanim again. "But it is her unique brand of it."
"One that has saved us and countless more ponies..." Theanim sighed out the side of his muzzle. "Despite a few... melodramatic bumps along the way."
"You're missing the point, Professor," Keris said. "I admire Rainbow Dash as a pony. But her destiny lies beyond us... beyond all of Rohbredden." He clenched his beak. "What assurance do we have that after all we've been through... and after all we've heard and witnessed... that Rainbow Dash simply does not wish to eliminate Verlaxion because she's in the way?"
"Because Verlaxion has allowed her get this far."
Keris furrowed his feathered brow.
Theanim looked at him directly. "Our 'beloved goddess' desires the arrival of... this Austraeoh. There is a purpose to this ultimate meeting... a purpose that has utilized all of us and the whole of Rohbredden like spokes in a giant machine... much like the machines that have loomed in secret beneath all of us since the dawn of time."
"Surely we all mean more than that," Keris said.
"Perhaps to Rainbow Dash, yes. But in the eyes of Verlaxion..." Theanim cleared his throat. "I fear that we are greatly expendable." He slowly shook his head. "That is not the spirit that the Austraeoh wishes to carry along, which is what makes her journey all the more difficult. To get where she needs to go, to bring salvation to so many souls, she has to commit sacrifices. Verlaxion, I sense, has her own idea as to what those sacrifices are... and she wishes for Rainbow Dash to accept them... as though it will make her journey easier."
"Do you think it will?"
"Perhaps... but at something else's expense."
Keris' headcrest drooped. "Rohbredden..."
Theanim nodded gravely. "Whatever happens here in Starkiss, it will be our burden to deal with." He sighed, staring back at Rainbow and the Herald. "Alas... thanks to forces that have been at play longer than we can contemplate... I fear that one soul and one soul alone must choose the nature of that burden."
Keris gazed at the frazzled soldiers of the Central Guard. "Even with all my experience... I do not believe I could handle such a weighty choice."
"Then perhaps now you understand how and why Miss Dash has been able to accumulate so many friends." Theanim bore the tiniest of smirks. "And I, for one, consider myself among them." He trotted off, giving Keris a brief wink along the way. "I think she would be honored if you did too."
Keris stood alone for a brief moment. "...the honor is already mine," he spoke to the frozen walls.
Rainbow Dash sat on a ledge of cold, polished rock. She gazed forward, her ears drooped and her body limp.
Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie hovered quietly... solemnly around her. Pinkie bit her lip while Rarity hung her head. Fluttershy wept gently, rubbing her eyes dry with as much grace as she could afford. Twilight drifted over, rubbing a hoof across the mare's shoulder. She and Rainbow gazed a few spaces across from them.
Ariel and Flynn huddled close, hugging one another tightly. Ariel buried her face in Flynn's shoulder while the stallion gazed off, his natural eye misty and contemplative. Logan sat off to the side, scowling, putting all of his time and attention into angrily sharpening the blade of his axe with a stone.
Bard and Wildcard were considerably less tense. The Desperadoes sat side by side in a solemn slump. They watched the rest of the Job Squad in delicate silence, until their eyes drifted over towards a solitary wyvern.
Kepler sat on a cleft of rock overlooking a dark fissure. He had his spectacles off and his scorpion tail was curled tightly to his hairy back. A furrowed brow framed two blank eyes that reflected the darkness of the abyss below.
Off in the distance, the echoing scuffles of hooves announced Remna's presence. The violet mare paced and paced beyond a forest of stalagmites. No words accompanied her noisy shuffling.
Taking a deep breath, Rainbow Dash stood up.
Twilight gulped. "Rainbow..."
Rarity gestured. "Perhaps you should give them some peace—"
"We have to keep moving," Rainbow bluntly said.
Rarity and Pinkie winced. Fluttershy merely sniffled and watched.
Rainbow Dash approached the group. "Look," she said. "What Mortuana did was brave. It was courageous, it was selfless, and in many ways it was awesome. But we're not going to put the sacrifice to any good use if we just stick around here." She waved a hoof. "We can mourn for her on the go." Her eyes raised. "Ariel—"
"I-I'm sorry, Rainbow..." The pegasus sniffled. She raised her face from Flynn's shoulder and squinted over at Rainbow Dash. "Really, I... I'm better than this." A deep gulp. "Mortuana trained us. She trained all of us. But..." Her muzzle grimaced. "...but it's still so h-hard."
"It's not as though we didn't see it coming," Flynn murmured, continuing to hug Ariel.
"I know it sucks," Rainbow said. "And take it from a mare who's seen a lot of good friends die..." She slowly shook her head. "It never stops being hard."
Ariel and Flynn looked up.
"We just... have to keep moving," Rainbow said.
"Rainbow's right," Bard spoke up. "Yer Mountain Matron didn't train no pushovers. She wouldn't be sore over y'all havin' to hoof it when you'd rather be doin' a funeral." His nostrils flared. "Heaven knows I wouldn't be cross with y'all movin' past me if I died." He glanced aside. "Right, Dubya?"
Wildcard stood still.
Bard's brow furrowed. "Right?!"
Wildcard inhaled... then eventually nodded. He gestured in the air.
"Bullshit," Logan replied. "My fat ass 'she was out of all options.'"
"Big Show..." Flynn sighed.
"There's always another way out!" The large stallion shook, struggling to keep his sharpening stone even with his blade. At last, he gave up with a grunt, allowing the heavy metal weapon to fall. Clank! "Why didn't she use that vial of magic blood to teleport us all away or turn Remna back into a damned dragon?!"
"A teleportation spell would still have killed her," Flynn said.
"And we'd still have one extra herd of dayum windigoes to contend with," Bard grumbled.
Rainbow added: "And both Axan and Mortuana have contended that the Divine of Fire wouldn't be able to defeat Verlax or the frost windigoes at her command—"
"Well I don't buy it!" Logan fumed, snarling. "Hell, if we were fewer numbers—like we were supposed to be—then we'd be at Verlax's throneroom by now! Yaerfaerda would be in the Austraeoh's hooves! Instead... we're having to drag around half of Rohbredden! I'm telling you, the Talon and the Central Guard are holding us down!"
"They're helping us, Big Show," Ariel said. "And saving them and all of Rohbredden is part of the deal. Saving this whole world is what the Herald is all about!"
"The Herald is all about saving Austraeoh!" Logan hissed. "And don't you forget it!"
"But if you lose Austraeoh..." Remna marched up, glaring at the group. "...you lose the chance to save whole world."
Rainbow blinked.
Wildcard nodded.
"Therefore," Remna spoke, "Mortuana stayed true to her cause, even to the bitter end."
"Oh shuddup," Logan grunted. "Who the Hell cares what you have to say."
"You should." Remna's green eyes narrowed into reptilian slits. "And so should the rest of your so-called 'Job Squad.' Mortuana's put me in charge of the Heraldic Seven, now."
Logan did a double-take.
"Wait a sec..." Ariel blinked.
Rainbow cleared her throat. "It's true," she said. "Mortuana did. I was there for when it happened." She looked at the rest. "Remna's in charge now."
Flynn's muzzle hung agape.
"Oh! Great!" Logan shot up to his hooves and began pace. "That's just friggin' perfect!" He huffed and puffed. "The Mountain Matron's dead and now we gotta take orders from a skin-shedding she-bitch!"
Bard sighed. "Big Show, will ya put a cork in it already?!"
"Easy for you to say!" Logan spun, pointing an angry hoof. "You're not even a member of the Herald!"
"I know!" Bard frowned. "Which is why I can't help but gawk at your dumbass! Get it together for Rainbow's sake!"
"You're one to talk!" Logan folded his forelimbs. "Mr. Too Bucked Up Over the Past to Ever Commit to Anything! Maybe it shoulda been you who took the bullet out there so we could get to Verlax's Throne faster!"
Swoooosh! Wildcard swooped over, staring and glaring in Logan's face.
"What?!" Logan shrugged. "You wanna make something of it?"
"Will everypony just please calm down..." Ariel droned.
"Go ahead and beat me to a pulp!" Logan shoved Wildcard back. "Tall, dark, and perfect! What's holding us back?! Huh? Mommy's dead! Paint the playground red!"
"Be silent and listen!" Remna shouted. Her eyes flickered with a hellish green glow. The cave erupted in a brief wave of scalding heat, then cooled once again.
Shaken, Logan and Wildcard looked over.
Remna fumed. "If this is how mortals deal with paltry concepts of death and loss, then I want no part of it! I have a good mind to banish half of you to the Skystone deposits of the north where you'll make better icicles than heroes..." She exhaled heavily. "...but that is not my decision to make."
"Hmmmff..." Logan glared. "But I thought Mortuana made you the boss."
"She did." Remna's nostrils fumed. "And believe me... I would much rather be back in dragon form than have to bear the insurmountable weight of the Herald. Strength is my strong suit..." She shook her head. "Not strategy or restraint." She swallowed. "Yes, Mortuana did place me in charge over the Herald after her passing... but she gave me a stipulation—that I abide by the rules and will of the Austraeoh."
Logan and Wildcard blinked.
"Rainbow Dash..." Remna side-stepped so that the mare in question took up the center of attention. "...Mortuana is no more. The Heraldic Seven is now Six. We remain—as ever—loyal to you, with our hearts and minds set on guiding you to the Midnight Armory." Remna glared aside. "I ask my faithful companions... has this changed in any fashion?"
Ariel shook her head. "No."
"Not even in the slightest," Flynn breathed.
Wildcard took a deep breath and shook his head.
Logan sighed. "No..." He nevertheless squinted at Rainbow. "Though... the rules have always stated that there must be seven. So shouldn't the first order of business be finding and christening another poor sap to join our cause?"
Twilight Sparkle looked at her anchor. "Rainbow? What do you think?"
Rainbow fidgeted. She glanced over at the Desperadoes. She opened her muzzle—
"It is prrobably forr the best that we don't..."
Rainbow and her marefriends looked over.
The Herald watched as Kepler stood up, sighing. "Morrtuana was many things. Wise... meditative... nurrturring... loving..." The wyvern shuffled towards the group. "But she had herr prriorrities strraight... and the strraightest and most imporrtant task at hoof was getting the Austraeoh to the darrk side and beyond. If we hesitate in making this happen—even if for a little bit—then herr sacrrifice will be in vain." He bowed before Rainbow Dash. "As the Mountain Matrron's faithful serrvant and frr-frriend, Austrraeoh, I would humbly advise you to let us continue forrth with our jourrney... unimpeded."
Remna glanced from Kepler to Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow nodded. "Just what I was thinking." She looked at the rest of the group. "I know that you guys have always pledged to me in spirit. But now that we've experienced a fraction of the cost of this trip... and we've experienced it together... I must ask that you make true to your words. My friends and I can't do this without you." She glanced aside. "Same goes for you, Bard."
He smirked, tipping his hat. "Darlin'..."
"The same also goes for Professor Mane, Echo, Keris, and the rest of the dudes in our group right now." She gazed at the Herald. "Whatever your beef is with them—get over it. We gotta be better than the crud we're facing if we wanna surpass them. Mortuana knew this. Let's not throw her gift into the trash, ya feel me?"
Silence.
"Mrmmmff..." Logan picked his axe back up. "Hell... only a sissy lives forever." He bore a plastic smile in Remna's direction. "No offense."
Remna snorted and trotted off. "Whatever."
"I'm in," Logan said. "So long as the she-dragon is leaning on your shoulder, Rainbow Dash." He shook his head. "She has no right leading the Herald after replacing who she replaced."
"Of course she does," Rainbow said bluntly. "Mortuana hoofed her command, didn't she?"
"But how do you know she's completely reliant?" Ariel asked. "This is her sister we're about to confront."
"You all have a lot of faith in me," Rainbow Dash said. "I'm asking you to have faith in Remna too." She sighed. "Believe me... it's a struggle for me as well. But with you guys on my side... it just might make the rest of this hike easier. Can we ask for any less?"
The Herald exchanged expressions. Flynn and Ariel smiled.
"No." Ariel shook her head. "I guess you can't."
Wildcard gestured.
"He says he reckons you've given these kinds of speeches before," Bard said.
"Those were easier times," Rainbow muttered, turning about. "I had a hammock to return to." She squinted at a few bodies shuffling up.
"My Sergeants have accounted for all members of the Central Guard," Keris said.
"There don't appear to be any surviving windigoes from that attacking herd," Theanim Mane added.
"And I just took the biggest dump imaginable," Echo contributed. "So we may wanna leave this part of the cave PDQ."
Rainbow and the Herald gawked at Echo.
"What?" Echo raised an eyebrow. "Of course I'm bullshitting. I figured you all could use some comedy relief."
"We have Big Show for that," Flynn muttered.
"Go to Hell, Baldy," Logan grunted.
"Ahem..." Theanim Mane grumbled aside. "Maybe consider using your ears instead of your muzzle, Old Chap."
"How? Bulls don't crap out their ears."
"Like I said," Keris's voice grew firmer. He gazed at Rainbow. "We are ready to move out. The question is..." He raised an eyecrest. "Where?"
Wildcard cocked his head curiously.
"You're still on board, Keris?" Rainbow asked.
"Your... stately companion just gave her life to save the Talon and our fellow soldiers," Keris said. "While I may never ascertain her full motives from beyond the Blight, I think we can all agree that one honorable turn deserves another."
"There's no telling if we've seen the last of Verlax's frost vessels or her windigoes," Rainbow said. She pointed out the mouth of the cave. "Out there, the skies are clear. If your soldiers want to go home to their families, they've got an open stretch just waiting for them."
"That's... not entirely guaranteed, Rainbow Dash," Theanim said.
"Besides..." Keris took a deep breath. "I think we would all be remiss if we didn't... see this through to the end." The Lieutenant's eyes met Rainbow Dash's. "There's so much at stake here... for Rohbredden... for Continentalists and Colonialists alike... for more than you can possibly imagine."
"Oh, I can imagine," Rainbow said.
"She's got you there," Echo remarked.
Keris sighed. "I suppose you're right." He smiled ever so slightly. "Whatever the case, you will need help in reaching the Throneroom of Verlaxion. And the Talon and I... will need guidance for whatever storm is brewing on the horizon."
"This involves all of the Tribes, Rainbow," Theanim said. "It involves all of us. We must come with you."
Rainbow nodded. "Then consider yourself on board."
Fluttershy squeaked, "A member of the Talon is flying back!"
Sure enough, Starstorm flew in, accompanied by Remna. "I found a corridor that leads down into the lower reaches of Starkiss!"
"It's a wide passage," Remna said. "I saw some of it myself. We should all be able to proceed without much hassle."
"It must lead into the sanctuarries," Kepler said.
"Sanctuaries?" Bard blinked.
"Old holy grrounds frrom prre-rrecorrded Rrohbrredden historry," Kepler explained. "Built by the firrst worrshipperrs of Verrlaxion. If they've trruly been left undisturrbed all these eons, then it should make forr a clearr path to the Queen's thrronerroom."
"Well then..." Rainbow straightened her pendant and pivoted east. "What are we waiting for?"
The winding nature of the cavern soon gave way to straight corridors and geometrically rigid pathways. With each cold granite platform that the group traversed, the hollow of Starkiss started appearing less and less "natural." The group proceeded with caution, their eyes locked on the reflective surfaces of the cold sterile walls.
A blue-tinged aura lingered around every corner, growing denser and denser with each passing hour. The deeper the Herald and Talon spelunked, the less they had to rely on unicorn magic, torches, or manacrystals to light their path.
"It's Verlax's magic," Remna attempted to explain at one point. "She's made a nest here for centuries. The Divine's energy is potent; I can smell her scent off every icicle."
"There's something in the air, alright," Flynn said. "My leylines are going crazy. It feels like some huge, massive spell is just waiting to fall into place."
"Fall where, exactly?" Echo muttered. "These walls are dense... not like any cave I've ever been in. The walls are thin, but they block all sound. It's throwing my balance off... and that ain't a good thing."
There was no way to explain this, so nopony tried. They simply moved—pressing forward, going deeper.
Further into the heart of Starkiss, everypony's ears begain twitching. They felt a tickle, as if invisible gnats were buzzing by their scalps. After another hour, this sensation bled into a continuous ghostly hush: a staticky noise that echoed with the weight of the world pressing down on them through the heights of the massive mountain. Corridors opened up with seemingly no ceiling. Gigantic walls and chasms loomed overhead, reaching beyond sight. At one point, Wildcard and Ariel tried flying upwards to scale the distance... but they swiftly returned after five full minutes of not finding the summit.
Meanwhile, the platforms and barriers grew all the more pale, intimidating, and immense. Both the Talon and Herald resembled insects scuttling across the bottom of a deep pale well—with labyrinthine structures forcing them to inexplicable left and right turns. Remna's and Starstorm's scouting assisted them pressing onward, as did the alluring glow of Yaerfaerda—a bright orange sun to Rainbow's squinting eyes at this point.
Ironically, Rarity wasn't able to provide much assistance.
"I don't know how better to explain it, darling," she said. "It's... like the walls are made of mirrors and all I sense are inverted mimics of what our naked eyes can see."
"The same goes for the souls around us, I'm afraid." Fluttershy gulped, trembling more and more with each lingering minute. "I keep trying to sense beyond the next chamber, but all I feel are the same ponies and griffons in our party... like echoes."
"Then how do we know if Verlax or any of her Frost Vessels are out there, ready to pounce on us?" Rainbow asked.
"We don't." Twilight looked at her anchor. "I'm getting the same confusing feedback too, Rainbow." Her violet eyes narrowed. "I think it has something to do with the Divine of Frost. She's been here for so long that... her essence must be seeping into the structure of Starkiss. She's become one with the foundation of the place."
"Can she really do that?" Rainbow wheezed.
"My tail hasn't stopped twitching since we got here!" Pinkie stammered. "I dunno if that helps?!"
"Sure it does, Pinkie." Rainbow looked ahead. "And yet... it doesn't." She shuddered. "Well, at least I can still see Yaerfaerda."
"Surely that counts for something, yes?" Rarity remarked.
Rainbow Dash didn't reply. She and the Herald marched onwards in relative silence, watching the corners, eyeing the shadows. With the ghostly Elements of Harmony incapable of sensing what was beyond every turn, they had no choice but to take things slow... overexercising caution—for what it was worth.
Flynn and Ariel looked visibly rattled. Logan hung his axe over his shoulder at all times. Wildcard flapped his wings heavily, flying swiftly from one corner of the moving perimeter to the other, paying extra attention to whatever detail he could make out from the uniform grayness of the frozen corridors lingering ahead.
Bard appeared more relaxed. He trotted alongside Kepler, adjusting his hat as he glanced all about the tall, imposing walls. The stale stone intestines of Starkiss possessed amazing acoustics—something the cowcolt found out when he began humming about halfway through the journey. Nopony applauded.
Remna likewise looked calm and composed. She occupied her usual spot ahead of the group, taking point with draconian resilience. There was a slower shuffle to her steps, as if the passing of Mortuana had drained something from her—perhaps deflated her strong-headedness. She kept close to Rainbow Dash at all times, but still managed to give the mare some air to breathe.
Keris kept close to the Talon. He chose this time not to spread the group out. This far into unknown territory, he looked after them just as much as he looked after the Guard and Herald. His magenta eyes scrutinized every corner of the place. And yet, for hours, there was no change... no blemish... no presence of any sort of chaotic detail.
Until Theanim Mane gasped aloud...
"Oh my stars..." The Professor leaned into his hooded companion, eyes wide. "Are you seeing this, Old Chap?"
"I'm hearing it, Theams," Echo muttered back. "For once, our hoofsteps are bouncing off of something that doesn't feel like smooth porcelain."
"But what?" Raptr asked from ahead. "I'm seeing nothing but cold white stone."
"Wait for it..." Windburst murmured.
Sure enough, at the far end of a narrow corridor, the path inexplicably opened up into a large, irregularly shaped chamber. The first thing that stood out was a tall narrow shape leaning thirty-five degrees against a wall flanked with icicles.
"What in the heck is that?" Logan remarked, surprised that his voice suddenly produced a massive echo.
"Is that..." Ariel squinted. "...made of wood?"
"Appears to be a door," Keris said.
Rainbow looked aside. "Rarity? Can you sense that?"
"Indeed I can, darling." Rarity nodded. "But only because we're in such close proximity."
"Oooh! Pretty!" Pinkie floated up to the large structure in question. "Look up close! It's got a bunch of drawings on it!"
"Etchings," Twilight corrected.
"Whatever."
"Oh wow..." Fluttershy blinked, her eyes tracing images of griffons, ponies, wyverns, and sirens all bowing before an equine figure at the top of the door. "This would have taken a long... long time to make."
"And I'm guessing it was made a long... long time ago." She looked over her shoulder. "Kepler?"
"A few morre steps, Rrainbow one," Kepler said, pointing ahead. "And we may know more for sure."
"Eyes up, mortals," Remna said, her booming voice echoing a dozen times from a well of unseen depth. "We're entering a massive chamber of sorts."
She wasn't wrong. The Herald, the Talon, and the Guard found themselves entering a gigantic cavern. The floor and ceiling were too far away for the naked eye to comprehend. Whatever distance they could see was obstructed by countless bridges, platforms, structures... and buildings erected in the hollow belly of Starkiss.
Indeed, immensely complicated towers, steeples, cathedrals, and sepulchers dotted the criss-crossing platforms that formed the interconnecting web of subterranean architecture.
"Behold..." Kepler gestured with a claw, his voice increasing and decreasing with each echo. "...the ancient sanctuarries of the Firrst Unified Trribes..."
Some structures leaned at precarious angles, their foundations crumbling off the edges of icy platforms. Others clung to vertical walls, defying gravity. Others were carved into petrified rock. All the while, every visible structure was dotted with statues, effigies, engravings, and pricelessly immacculate mosaics—all depicting tribes fleeing from windigoes, tribes being rescued by a heavenly equine, and those same mortals worshipping and bowing before the Goddess in question.
"This is absolutely incredible..." Theanim whimpered, his eyes glistening brilliantly. The magical blue aura glinted off the goggles resting over his mane as he stared up and down at the endless details. "Ancient texts speak of these marvelous structures. But I n-never thought I would get to see them in my own lifetime." He gulped. "Dozens if not hundreds of generations toiled ceaselessly... day and night... just to make these in honor of Queen Verlaxion, shortly before retreating to the upper surfaces of Rohbredden. And here we are... the first mortals in eons to lay eyes upon such wonders!"
"You say that as if it's something worth celebrating," Echo muttered.
Theanim opened his muzzle to retort... but found that he had nothing. With a blink, he lowered his head and sighed.
Rainbow glanced at him, then at the cathedral walls and prayer towers looming over them.
Bard gaped. "I... I dun suppose any single song would do any of this stuff justice." He gulped. "Or a dirge, for that matter."
Wildcard nodded in silence.
"I... can't believe so many ponies gave their lives," Starstorm murmured in mid-flight. "...just to build so many things that would be abandoned for so long."
"How else to you exert control?" Ariel remarked. "Get an entire civilization to build something in your honor... then carry the weight of it with your social subconscious forever."
Starstorm winced. "Yes, but still... what did Verlaxion ever hoped to gain from all this?"
"Godhood," Logan grunted. "What else?"
The members of the Central Guard trimbled at the immensity of it all. Windburst and Raptr hovered to a stop, gazing every which way.
Rainbow and Remna passed through the arch of a cathedral. As the rest of the group followed them into the slightly crumbled structure, they glanced to their left and right. Massive, large stained glass windows lingered in eternal silence. The fractured multi-colored panels reflected Rainbow's face in a spiderwebbing kaleidoscope. She paused for a moment, staring at red, yellow, green, and blue versions of herself.
"This is all incredible," Twilight said. "And I wish we could stay longer to study it. But..." She looked at her anchor. "Applejack...?"
"Yaerfaerda is somewhere below us right now," Rainbow said, nodding at her stained glass doppelgangers. "You could literally toss a stone."
"Then we must be going," Rarity said, squeaking. "My love of ancient architecture takes a back seat to my longing to be reunited with our sweet, freckled friend!"
"Hmmmm..." Pinkie Pie squinted at the cold stone floor of the cathedral as her tail vibrated. "That's funny..."
"What is, Pinkie?" Rainbow murmured.
"Kepler and Theanim said that this place has been undisturbed for ages n'stuff, right?"
"Yeah..."
Pinkie looked up, lips pursed. "Then what's with all the claw marks?"
"... ... ...?" Rainbow glanced down.
Remna followed Rainbow's line of sight. Her eyes widened at the sight of multiple claw-streaks. "What in blazes...?"
"I see them too," Windburst said.
Keris glanced over. "See what, Sergeant?"
Windburst took a deep breath. "The same thing we saw outside of Starkiss."
"Rainbow..." Fluttershy murmured.
Rainbow looked at her.
Fluttershy was grimacing. Her ears drooped as she nervously nodded.
Rainbow gasped. She opened her muzzle to shout at the Herald—
SWOOOOSH! No less than thirty pegasi landed at the rear of the group.
"Holy—!" Ariel gasped.
"Whoah!" Schiiiing! Logan held his axe high.
But before he could make a single move—
THWOOOOOSH! FWOOOOSH! Griffons carrying spears and polearms descended through the broken ceiling of the cathedral, flanking the Herald and Talon from the north and south.
Remna and Wildcard flinched.
"No!" Rainbow shouted, shivering. "Hold your ground!"
"Stay still!" Keris added, glancing about. "It's the Central Guard! Soldiers!" He appealed to the sudden, armored ambush. "At ease! We are on your side!"
"Are you?" hissed a voice from the cold blue distance. "Are you truly, Lieutenant?"
Keris' pupils shrank.
"Oh no..." Twilight paled.
"...!" Rainbow spun around in time to see a silver-blue figure land at the altar of the hollow cathedral, flanked by even more armored Rohbreddenites.
With a deep breath, Seraphimus marched icily towards the gruop.
"Welcome to the Holiest of Holies, Rainbow Rogue," the Commander of the Talon spoke. "But this time..." Her charcoal eyes narrowed. "...the only blood being spilled today is yours."
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oh fuck
Oh.
This next chapter is going to be very interesting.
Why hello there
ShellSeraphimusWell...they had to cross paths eventually. Had no idea it would be this soon, though.
You know shit's gotten real when you start having to question your deity-based exclamations/expression.
Y'know, I'm sure someone else has already made this theory, but I haven't seen it and I'm not going to go digging. I have a theory about this revelation of truth that's going to come up. Verlax has been testing Rainbow Dash on each of the sort of principles she stands for, right? For example, the quade was Kindness, where Rainbow Dash failed. I think Verlax plans for Rainbow Dash to defeat her, and the "test" is going to be whether or not RD is going to reveal the truth to all of Rohbredden and how she handles the inevitable collapse the society will face afterwards. It's a fitting test for truth.
Now if that isn't the most comforting chapter title...
Dang it, Seraphimus. You just had to do that.
Welp. Time to desecrate another holy monument.
Thats a neat trick on a Griffon..
20
This made me giggle way more than it should have.
...I didn't expect this, not this soon.
-Companions are abound, frozen spectres hound. Utaan.
i.imgsafe.org/96e3219.gif
"'Sup, turncoats... turnplumages... my beloved Rainbow."
Honestly, Sera. Imagine how much attention your goddess would drown you in if you switched to the away team.
I'm imagining it like half dark souls city, half lovecraftian city of the old ones full of shoggoth
nespresso, or a Klondike bar
how to terrify someone in just one sentence, by pinkie pie
Out of one fire and into another. We can only hope that this one gets extinguished without loss of life, though unfortunatly I have my doubts
.
Lets see, theres three options.
Dash remains paralyzed by indecision and the crew are executed by psychotic Seraphimus.
Dash finally breaks her psychological block, regains Full abilities, and proceeds to take Seraph down Rainnuke style.
Dash or other removes the pendant. Slaughter occurs.
So of course it shall be something totally different than my sleep deprived mind can consider at this time.
"...S-sir, is that who I, uh, think it is?"
"It would seem so, Private."
"...You don't suppose she's here to diplomatically discuss the situation in a reasonable manner?"
"Oh, certainly, doesn't she just look like she's here to sit down for a hot cup of tea, crumpets, and amicably chat with the Rainbow Rogue!?"
"Sir, I was just trying to be optimistic..."
"Save for when we're not about to be eviscerated by our own forces.... I knew I should've retired last year. Just one more, I said, one more year couldn't hurt. I could be farming radishes right now."
"A radish farm? Somehow I would've pegged you as a more of a onion farmer, myself."
"Private, shut up."
-----------
Well, there she is, and here we are. Seraphimus, in full on crazy zealot mode. And Dash's wing still isn't healed. Suppose we'll see now just how badass Seraphimus is when stacked up against her own squadron, a group of other highly trained badasses... and Dash. They haven't really fought yet, and though Dash can't fly, she's general more capable than she looks. Only problem I see is that Keris and the rest of the Talon aren't likely to fight full on against their commander, or at all, even. Some might decide to turn sides here. Guess we'll see.
Aaaaaah crap.
So, holy army appears.
I hope that the Central Guard's partial realization of the Truth can bear up against Seraphimus's sheer zealotry.
Ominous chapter
"Sir! We are running out of soldiers to throw at the Rainbow Rouge, and our ambushes haven't been working in the slightest!"
"Verlax Dammit! Just throw more soldiers at her. Also make it an ambush because that always works."
Mr. Fact Checker. When was the last time RD slept?
ahh hell.. here we go again....
And suddenly Flutters was assimilated into another Pinkie. It's only a matter of time before everything becomes Pinkie. BRACE YOURSELVES!
Something about shit hitting the fan...
7188395 derpicdn.net/img/view/2015/6/10/914146__safe_twilight+sparkle_rainbow+dash_pinkie+pie_fluttershy_rarity_applejack_edit_pink_pink+text.jpeg
Shit's gonna hit the fan!
Time for some kickass battle music:
Woo! Fight scene incoming!
Remember that dump echo took? It just found a fan.
So how many holy places has Rainbow fought in / intruded upon / destroyed?
... with a beak?
OH MY GOSH! He's biting Theamin! Stop him!
'Ere we go!
*Insert something about Shit and Fan Hitting here* Finally its time for this part of the show down, glad to finally see it happen. I just wonder who it is that will end up killing Seraphimus; Dash,Keris or Verlax?
Showdown time.
I suppose they had to clash with the "happy campers" from earlier sooner than later...
Also, nice place you
havehad there, Verlax.Call me ignorant, but how's a petrified rock different from normal rock? Maud, help?
Austraeoh Fact Checker how many times has a character bit his/her lip.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2016/3/26/1117421__safe_solo_screencap_animated_cute_underhoof_food_reaction+image_starlight+glimmer_eating.gif
Hey Seraphimus. It's not...uhhh...what it looks like?
And the shit hits the fan again.
7187716
Shellaphimus?
7188208 This, plus the constant "I've seen more things than you could possible imagine"/"I've seen enough things to know..."
I mean, sure, RD's seen a lot... But not that much, and she doesn't need to constantly bring it up.
Couple of mistakes in that chapter, since I have nothing more useful to say:
fluttershy->rainbow subject change
Reliable, I believe
I'm pretty sure I saw another, but I've forgotten and can't be bothered to go find it, so meh
And here we...go
Thousands of miles, multiple nations, maddened generals and their armies, self righteous fools and their followers, slavers, pirates, thieves, gods, demons, and all manner of monstrosities have tried and failed, Seraphimus. Bring. It. On.
... Uh oh.
Ironically enough, as I read this chapter, I was wondering when the Commander would show up. I guess this answers my question, eh?
Do you think she'll be our friends if we give her some booze?
Aww dang...
Beware of the Falmer and the Dwarf constructs.
7188395
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/11/17/154654__safe_twilight+sparkle_pinkie+pie_fluttershy_animated_spike_crystal+empire_voice+actor+joke_disguise_pony+costume.gif
7189113
It was giving me those exact vibes. The dwemer dungeon was something I accidentally discovered, and it was amazing.
Well....crap.
We will now be passing out helmets and ask that you buckle the third and fourth seatbelt to complete the harness. Please note that we still have not figured out how to protect from the feels.
Now, if you turn to your right you will see that shit is about to go down.
*popcorn munching intensifies*
Vessels
_____________
do
_______________
frost vessels >> Frost Vessels
_______________-
*Grabs internet sized tub of popcorn*
45.media.tumblr.com/282b51bb1a7694b3553db279ca5bf0de/tumblr_nz58bj80cn1qa8gxqo1_500.gif
Seraphimus and Wildcard reunion now? How will that go I wonder...
Probably pretty poorly.
I guess it's about time for crazy things to go down. Seraphimus gets to say hi to Jordan after so long and, surprise surprise for her, see her Talon helping Dash and the Herald. I feel like quite a few characters are gonna end up kinda dead, just... who? All I know is that I want Seraphimus to last long enough to see that Verlax is a horrible fake and get really pissed off at her. I have a feeling the next chapter will end on a hell of a cliffhanger.
~SolidFire
They should really realize by now: ancient undisturbed places are not undisturbed.
7189342 that isn't what I think he meant. In the end, it will be Rainbow's actions that decide the future of the continent, but it won't be as a replacement savior.
Whelp.
7188121
Heh. Let's be real here. Zealots will zealot, and no amount of life saving acts can convince all of those generic soldiers to attempt treason in the face of that.