Getting a Little Misty-Eyed
Nixkit and a dozen other stallions stood above the misty stairwell that led down into the brig.
All was silent, save for the hiss of unimpeded steam rising up out of the chamber.
“Braak?” one thug stammered. No response. “Red Noose?” No response either. “Grrrr...” The stallion sparked the taser at the end of his polearm and moved forward. “That damn griffon! He's gonna bloat for—”
Nixkit planted a hoof on the thug's shoulder.
The stallion looked back at him.
Nixkit shook his head. Cl-Clakkk! Extending his own staff, he motioned at three other thugs, then pointed down the steamy ramp. Taking a deep breath, the lead dredger trotted down first, each step slow and icy.
Trembling, the other three nervously followed. The group formed a line, traversing the inner bowels of the southern strut.
Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssss...
A thick, pea-soup fog rippled between the bulkheads. The rusted walls of the brig were now covered with slick moisture, dripping, reflecting the four stallions' bodies as they descended step by step.
Nixkit slowed to a crawl. He brushed his matted hair back, glancing left and right. Beads of sweat formed along his pale brow. With a deep breath, he motioned at the bodies behind him and slithered down a few more feet.
The stallions glanced from side to side, clenching their jaws. As the third and fourth finally shuffled past... they were oblivious to a shadow looming directly overhead—a shadow with two ruby eyes, peering. A blink, and the shape shifted into denser clouds, hugging the ceiling.
“You know, Brye...” Skagra trotted up the ramp to his office with a slight skip to his trot. “I've been thinking...”
Chandler muttered. “Wouldn't that be rich.”
“You know what makes you and I so similar?” Skagra turned about, trotting backwards. “It's not our ambitions. 'Cuz that would be beyond coincidental. After all, I'm not wanting to be a fat cat and you're not wanting to be dead sexy.” He finished the last phrase while brushing back his bangs.
“Mrmmfff...” Chandler hung his head as he trotted. “How much more of this filth must I endure?”
“Just a little while longer, boss,” Longaze said.
“We're both what I'd like to call primeval assholes,” Skagra belched. He twirled again, facing forward as he scaled the last two balconies of the central structure. “We're like... a petite glimpse into an alternate universe where Unification never happened.” His asymmetrical nostrils flared. “Two last members of a bunch of bastard tribes who get the job done by killing, looting, and blowing shit up.” He raised a hoof. “Can't forget that last part.”
“Uh huh...”
“And the funny thing is...” Skagra shrugged wildly. “Who says it doesn't work this way? Verlaxion? Pffft... she certainly doesn't show her face around as of late. I think I'd know, judging from the lack of stains on my bedsheets as of late.”
“Assuming she even exists at all.”
“Whoah ho ho ho!” Skagra gave a lopsided grin. “If only your precious Council could hear you now! It's like the blind is being prepared to be led by the bitchy!”
“Is there a point to all of this rectal rhetoric, Skagra?”
“Namely this.” Skagra trotted backwards again. “I call for an ancient return to form. Seas and dirtscapes run by tribes. But I'm not talking about wyverns, ponies, griffons, squirrels—all that old gang shiet. I'm talking a Tribal Age run by the dead and the deader. That's you and me, Chandlerella baby. We'll use Verlaxion's coffin as the dividing line.”
“Skagra, if I could peel you until all I had was just putrid poetry, I just might almost be able to stand it.” Chandler's nostrils flared. “Let's just get this meeting done with so I can inspect my pegasus.”
“Hell, you can huff her all you want once this is all said and done.” Skagra marched on. “I can't wait to be rid of the sack of shit myself.”
As they rounded the last curve in the balconies, Longaze stole a glance south. The bodyguard did a double-take, her brown eyes flaring.
In the distance, a thick column of steam rose from a single position along the southern struts.
She opened her muzzle. “Uhm... sir...?”
“Stay close to me, Longaze,” Chandler muttered from up ahead.
“Erm... you may wish to—”
“Don't make me ask twice,” the stallion grunted. “You're the one thing blocking this maniac's insufferable odor.”
Longaze clenched her jaw shut. Her gaze lingered on the haze down south. Eventually, she turned, trotting obediently after her superior. “Mmmmmmmmmmmmmhmmm.”
At last, Nixkit reached the bottom floor of the brig.
He froze in place, eyes darting all around. All he could see was mist and more mist. There was no sign of the griffon... no sign of a single feather... no sign of—
“Boss? The Rainbow—?” blurted a stallion behind him.
“Shhhh!” Nixkit raised a hoof. He flicked his ears, struggling to listen past the hiss of steam. He exhaled slowly... then strolled forward.
Cl-Clank!
The three thugs behind him jolted in fright.
Nixkit calmly looked down. His fetlock had bumped into one of the thick door bolts. Somehow, the object had rolled the entire curved length of the descending ramp and ended up in the middle of the rubble-strewn corridor between collapsed cells.
Curious, Nixkit knelt down to investigate the metal bar. As he did so, some of the mist parted, and he noticed two bodies lying down in front of him. They belonged to Braak and Red Noose, the thugs that had been grabbed violently and dragged down into the brig earlier.
“What in the Hell...?” Nixkit murmured.
The two stallions stirred, wincing from fresh whelts and bruises.
Nixit's eyes narrowed. “How did you two get down this far?”
A shadow blurred overhead. A split second later, blue hooves reached down from above, grasping the stallion right behind Nixkit and hoisting him up by his shoulders.
“Aaaaaaaaaa—!” THUD! The body ricocheted against hard rust somewhere beyond the mists.
“...?!?!” Nixkit shot up with a gasp.
The other three stallions behind him stammered in fright, clutching their polearms.
“Huh?!”
“Where'd that come from?!”
“Did you see that?!”
“Mucking Hell!”
“Quiet!” Nixkit hissed.
“Everyone, stay quiet!” the lead dredger's voice echoed from the far end of the the steam-filled brig.
Wh-Whump! Rainbow finished pummeling a limp guard in the chest. The dredger's eyes bulged... and then he slumped hard to the floor, surrendering to unconsciousness.
Fluttershy winced, phasing constantly through the mist.
Rainbow Dash looked aside, murmuring: “You okay?”
“Yes, just...” Fluttershy gulped. “...c-could you not hit them quite so hard next time?”
“I'm just needing you to scope them out, Flutters,” Rainbow whispered. “You don't have to sense everything about them.”
“It's... v-very hard to differentiate,” she stammered.
Rainbow nodded. “Fair enough,” she said hoarsely. “I'll try and ease up.” She crouched low, body tight and prowling. “Where are they now?”
Fluttershy aligned herself up with the pegasus. After a brief stare, she pointed to the left.
“Two of them are right there. Next to each other. At the bottom of the ramp.” She easily pointed to the right. “The leader's right there.”
“Careful, Rainbow.” Twilight floated in. “The two thugs are very scared. They won't let loose on the triggers to their tasers.”
“Good.” Rainbow crept along, hissing. “I'll go for them first.”
“What?” Rarity floated in. “Why?”
“Gotta turn their panic against one another.”
“Ohhhhhh...” Twilight nodded. “Alright, girls. Keep your eyes peeled. For Rainbow Dash.”
“On it!” Rarity said.
“Okie dokie lokie!” chirped a voice from beyond the mists.
Rainbow Dash slithered to the left, crouched behind a crumpled bit of wall, then craned her ears towards the group.
“It's a trap! That damn griffon is picking us off one by one!”
“How?! You saw how banged up the mucker was!”
“He's right Talon material, asswipe! What else do you expect?”
“For the last time, will you two shut up?! This isn't helping!”
“Rainbow...” Fluttershy's voice squeaked breathily. She pointed. “The one closest to the ramp has his back turned—”
“Got it...” Rainbow Dash darted forward, slicing through the mists. She pitter-pattered towards the stallion, jumped, and somersaulted over him. In so doing, she stretched her right wing out, brushing her feather-tips against his shoulder.
“Gaaaaiee!” the stallion panicked, spinning about and swinging his polearm. “Goddess!”
“Look out—” The other thug took the full-brunt of the taser. Bzzzzzzt! His mane smoked as he fell hard to the ground in violent convulsions.
“You ass!” Nixkit snarled. “What did I tell you about—?”
“Rainbow!” Rarity hissed in Rainbow's ear as the pegasus came galloping around for another turn. “The lead one's right fetlock is positioned between two of the door bolts from above!”
“Right. Thanks.” Rainbow grunted, ending her charge in a slide. Swissssh! Coming through the blinding mist, she knocked one bar into the other, sandwiching Nixkit's hoof painfully from both sides.
“Aaaugh!” Nixkit hobbled back. As he did so, Rainbow Dash jumped high, bounced off his figure, and dove through the air.
“To the lower left!” Fluttershy cried.
“Gotcha—” Rainbow gritted her teeth as she glided at an angle.
“The taser!” Twilight hollered. “He's swinging high—!”
“Httt!” Rainbow grounded herself, sliding on her belly. Wooosh! The polearm swung high above her scalp.
“Behind you now!” Fluttershy exclaimed, her body translucent and yellow in the mist. “Coming from the right!”
“There's a chunk of debris directly behind him!” Rarity said.
Rainbow charged in low, spearing the thug's lower legs. He teetered back—only to trip over a mound of rubble. “Gaaaagh!”
“Twitchy tail!” Pinkie hollered.
Rainbow reached a hoof up. Clutch! She grabbed his airborn polearm, twirled it, and shoved it hard into his gut. Bzzzzt!
“Guuu-uuu-uuuh!” The thug shook all over. His eyes rolled back... and then he was down for the count.
Fluttershy gnashed her teeth. “Rainbowwww...”
“Eheh...” Rainbow tittered nervously. “Sorry, Flutters.” She gulped. “We're gonna have to work on that sooner than later—”
“Dashie!” Pinkie shrieked, her brow twitching. “Behind! Up top!”
“Hrnnngh!” Rainbow flung the polearm up in reverse. Clankkk! She deflected Nixkit's sudden downthrust with a shower of electrical sparks.
“His right knee is buckling, darling!” Rarity spat.
“Httt!” Rainbow spun, smacking Nixkit in the injured leg.
“Aaaugh!” He hobbled backwards. “Damn pegasus—”
“Rainbow! His belt!” Twilight pointed. “It's made of iron and nickel! Super conductive—”
Rainbow thrusted the taser at Nixkit's midsection.
Pinkie hugged Fluttershy from behind. “Hold on tight, Fluttershy!”
“Eeep!”
BZZZZZT!
“Graaaaaugh!” Nixkit shook, convulsed, then stumbled backwards. His vest was smoking in multiple places as he fell on his haunches, hissing in pain. He rolled over, panting, desperately clawing away from the pegasus.
Fatefully, a patch of the white steam spread open, revealing a brief pocket of undisturbed air. In that instant, Nixkit saw a trembling colt with a single ear. Something overshadowed the foal. Nixkit looked up, staring into the magenta hawkeyes of a griffon with his right talon in a splint.
“Looks like you found the monster too, good sir,” Keris said, then swung the remnants of a rusted cell bar.
WHAM!
Nixkit fell hard, spitting blood as he sunk into unconsciousness.
“Hrmmff...” Keris spat. “'Good sir' being a relative term.”
“Super relative,” Swab stammered.
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Well played, top marks to Rainbow Dash.
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Job well-done.
Nixkit also seems to be well-done after that encounter.
Rainbow stealth op woop!
Also: poor Flutters
....soo acidenatly double posted there, my bad
Annnd down I go.
I never stood a chance, not when Splinter Dash was working the crowd.
Good Swing Keris, good swing.
sidenote, was Nixkit ever actually given a description? I can't recall, mind looking for me mr Fact Checker?
4 updates in one day IC?
2 here and 2 Dashery.
We must have been good little readers.
-In the end isolation, hunted by a nation. Utaan.
All my yes.
Ninja Dash is best Dash.
Plus Ghosty-pals.
Also, what are you doing, IC? Two chapters in rapid succession?
What?
Heh, It's gone all Splinter Cell up in here.
Also, Fluttershy's Empathy seems to be a bit of a two-edged sword. On one hand, knowing where your enemy is at all times is great. On the other, feeling their pain isn't.
Noice.
I know there's a lot going on right now, but I wonder what Keris thinks of all this. Specifically, of Rainbow, her abilities, and how it all ties into his worldview.
6663898 actually then the overpressure crushes your lungs and other internal organs before that. Only if THAT fails to kill you does asphyxiation come into play. Lovely weapon isn't it.
Poor Fluttershy has to feel all that violence...
Hopefully they find a way for her to tune it out going forward.
You know, if you told me at the start of this crazy ass journey that Dash would be doing something that involved...well, being quiet and subtle, I would have laughed at you.
Now we see if Dash gets two more inevitably temporary companions, or if something brutal happens, probably to poor Swab.
Metal Gear Solid: Rainbow Dash, all she now needs is a cardboard box for sneaking and she will be set.
Now, go kick Skagra's and Chandler's balls.
Evidence that Skagra is a self-insert.
6664033 6664049 Give RD some steam clouds and a set of wrenches. She can get to hacking the barge and any dredgers in her way just like she did to the turrets in Darkstine.
Rainbow, Kicker of Flanks. How we missed you so.
We haven't had a good old-fashioned flankwhooping since... Shoggoth? Quade doesn't count.
You thought RD was op before? Watch her now.
This is what happens when you try to fight someone with invisible friends with superpowers, it doesn't work out that well for you.
Now who'll act? Longaze? Digiff? Chandler and Skagra seem to be stunned by the situation.
Nixkit saw Swab in there. So either Nix is going to die, or Swab's leaving with Rainbow.
Welcome aboard the Jury, Swab!
Wow that coordination is impressive.
That was awesome, I think the badass scale just overloaded
Ah... it feels so good to see Dash kicking flank again.
They should make a horror movie out of this scene.
Oh Rainbow how I missed you beating people into the ground.
6664542
They have.
Its called Alien 3.
I can assure you now, there are no monsters in this prison. AIEEEEEEEE.
Skirts has been watching Alien I see...
Back in the saddle again!
6664206
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Thats some awesome flank kicking, no conspiracy theories from me this time.
have a fitting music link instead
It probably would have fit far better into the Rainbow/Shell fight at Lerris but this occasion works nicely too.
Having the girls back really made this a lot more fun to read
Rainbow Dash is back and it is glorious!!!
bonding!
well, i wonder what Dash & Co intend when they leave the easily hid in steam
cuz it won't be easy getting off the barge with an injured griffon and foal, and Digif knowing about the breakout
Mwah ha haa! Stealth skill level up.
Rainbow Dash + Ghost Friends = Ultimate Special Ops Mare.
I'm wondering what Applejack will bring to the table...
i.imgur.com/mnHKacr.png
Makin' the most of them thar ghosts.
Now all that's left is for them to escape to land and for Keris to turn on her for capture.
All those new voices have quite the impact on Rainbow's combat routine, now haven't they? Been a while since the days of the lone warrior birdhorse.
Bloody hell, it's about damn time the Elements turned out the lights on the pity party and started being useful again. Now we can finally get back to swashbuckling, seafoam and amewsomeness
6664935
My first thought for Applejack's ability would be that she could sense if someone is lying... but that seems too obvious for IC. A step up from sensing if someone is lying is being able to see what their thoughts are! Maybe she'll be able to read the thoughts of some ponies that she touches! If that is the case, she'll be in for a surprise when she comes in contact with Rainbow Dash.
The real question is, what will Discord bring to the table once he joins them?
6663933
The only description we were ever given is "A pale stallion with matted hair"
6665249
well, we can say that only important characters can...
*put on glasses*
touch the rainbow.
I took a break from reading this, and when I come back I find I've been namedropped and the main six are back in action! It's good to let chapters pile up sometimes, but I think I'm gonna start following it again for now. Keep up the good work, IC!
gg
no re
6665302 Ah. I see, thank you.
I'm calling Digiff bursting into Skag Hole to say the prisoners have escaped and Monket bursting in to say the Right Talon is arriving imminently will occur at approximately the same time.
6667895
the last digiffery... or not