The Rainbow and Its Sparkles
“Not to sound like an impatient fuzzbutt... but...” Rainbow squinted at her two traveling companions as they traversed the stone forest. “The sun's going down. Are we planning to... y'know...?”
“Heheh...” Reeds smiled back at her. “A valid concern..” He shook his head. “I'm afraid there's still quite a bit of the Petrispines yet to go. We won't be clearing it by nightfall. Not by a longshot.”
“Well, that stinks,” Rainbow muttered. “I mean... stinks for you.” She gestured at the other ponies trotting within close proximity along the path. “Stinks for all of you. I mean... I know how badly you wanna get back to your home town in time for Unification Day and all...”
“And we will!” Sweet said. “Think of it this way! If we rest now, then we'll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for when we actually reunite with our families! Heehee!”
“And besides...” Reeds smirked. “The best celebrations are after Unification Day... during the first week of the Month of Thawing. Isn't that right, Sis?”
“I can't wait to wear my tomato hat!” Sweet cheered.
Rainbow opened her mouth... lingered... then gave up with a nod. “Nifty. I think.”
“Heheheh... it'd take twenty pilgrimages to explain everything to a Colonialist,” Reeds said. “It's best to sit back and observe it while it's happening.”
“And you're totally welcome to join our family, Scootabelle!” Sweet said. “The fireworks are positively to die for! Just... y'know... without the dying part.”
“Heh... I'm flattered. Super flattered. But...” The pegasus gulped, squinting at the dull rays of sunshine melting into shadow across stalagmites and pines. “I really can't be staying.”
“Awwwwwww...” Sweet pouted, her ears folded back. “Gotta go fast, huh?”
“Story of my life.”
“Where are you headed to?” Reeds asked.
“Erm... well beyond Stone Prefrecture, I can tell you that much.”
“Gotta spread the Religion of Shipping around, huh?”
Rainbow winked. “You know me too well already.”
“Well, it's a real shame. But I understand when you have to go somewhere to do something important,” Sweet said. “I only wish you could hang around for a little while to see the celebrations! You already missed the fireworks from earlier!”
“Fireworks?” Rainbow blinked. “You mean the bandits that got thrown off the rocks?”
“They were thrown off?” Reeds remarked. “My sis and I only saw them fall.”
“Did you see something we didn't?” Sweet stammered.
“Erm...” Rainbow winced slightly, shrugging. “Guess I just... heard some gossip from the other travelers we passed.”
“Oh! Heehee! Common mistake!”
“Tell me about it.” Rainbow cleared her throat. “So... uh... where are we going to rest, exactly?”
“There's a spot in the northern Petrispines that's perfect for camping,” Reeds explained. “Assuming it's not too crowded at this point.”
“They call it the 'Stone Eye,'” Sweet said. “It's... it's n-not as big as it sounds.”
“But still, it's safe, sheltered, and has plenty of space for most travelers to lay their sleeping mats,” Reeds added. “They even built a fort there. We should be more than safe from would-be thugs.”
“Yeah!” Sweet snickered. “Especially since the bandits around these parts were scared off to Verlaxion-knows-where!”
“Heh... lucky us,” Rainbow murmured.
“It'll be a bit after sundown before we arrive at the Eye,” Reeds said. “But don't you worry. I have this place memorized like the back of my hoof. I can get us there in the dark.”
“Cool beans, dude.”
“Say! In speaking of beans!” Sweet turned to Reeds. “Did you bring those samples from the merchant we ran into in Seed Prefecture?”
“Sis, they're too dried up for anypony to eat. I told you that when you bought them—”
“I don't want to eat them, silly!” She stuck her tongue out. “I think they'd make perfect beads for a necklace!”
“Yeah? And would you really want beetle larvae hatching around your neck without warning?”
“Ew! They are so not infected!”
“Girl, I'm telling you—”
While the blue-coated siblings verbally squabbled, Rainbow Dash drew back slightly. When she felt that she was out of earshot of them, she gazed to her side.
Only Twilight Sparkle hovered over the gravel path.
Rainbow arched an eyebrow. “Where are the others?”
“Hmmm?” Twilight looked over. “Oh. Uhm...”
“Vanilla Zoning?”
“Yeah.” Twilight gulped. “They figured that way they'll be more awake for when it's time to talk to Luna.”
“And what about you?” Rainbow cocked her head to the side as she murmured, “Don't you need rest as well?”
“I'm fine...” Twilight sighed through her nostrils. “Maybe a bit antsy, but whatever.”
“Heh.”
“Besides...” Twilight brushed her bangs back as she hovered forward. “Seems only right that you should always have one of us girls awake and present.”
“What am I, now? Your prisoner?”
Twilight let loose a prolonged sigh. “You know what I mean, Rainbow...”
“Twilight...” Rainbow smiled. “You know by now that I'm very... very good at thinking on my hooves.”
Twilight closed her eyes with an exasperated breath.
“Better than the rest of you girls, in fact,” she said. “I mean—no offense. I had a year and a half of intense practice.”
“I know that, Rainbow. But still...” Twilight reopened her eyes, staring squarely at Rainbow. “This isn't the same as your previous travels.”
Rainbow gulped. “I know.”
“Nor is it the same as your time with the Jury.”
“I know...”
“You're flightless and with a bounty on your head.” Twilight gulped. “I mean... certainly... you have the skills and finesse to handle dozens of meat-headed bandits—”
“Heh. Dang straight.”
“—but for Celestia's sake! What if you get hurt even worse? Or if you draw attention to yourself? I mean... need I remind you that some of Rohbredden's finest are chasing after your tail?!”
“I couldn't just let these ponies get skinned alive by those punks back there, Twilight,” Rainbow whispered. “You overhead them yourself! Weren't they—like—gonna shoot arrows through the Osmanes here?!”
“I'm not trying to say that what you did was wrong, or that you should refuse to save innocent ponies on this continent.”
“Hah! Thought so...”
“But Rainbow...” Twilight gulped, looking sad. “As much as you want to be a hero, one of these days you might find yourself having to let ponies be... if saving them means putting your overall quest in danger. I mean... you of all ponies know what's at stake here with the course of Austraeoh.”
Rainbow turned towards Twilight, her expression serious. “Like I knew at the Quade?”
Twilight blinked. She hung her head with a mild glaze to her eyes.
After a deep breath, Rainbow said, “It's not easy having to balance what's on our shoulders is it?”
Twilight slowly shook her head. “No.” She gulped. “It's not.”
Rainbow stared ahead at Reeds, Sweet, and the dimming path ahead of them. “I'm convinced that there can always... always be a way to solve something. The one time I failed to grasp that—back in Luminar—ponies suffered for it. And why? Because I wasn't honest with you, Pinkie, and Rarity. If I had just leveled with the three of you, then maybe we could have figured out a way to get Fluttershy free without any madness or destruction.”
“That's hard to imagine,” Twilight muttered. “I mean... looking back...”
“Guess we'll never know for sure,” Rainbow said with a nod. “And it's my fault.”
“Rainbow...”
“But I've stopped giving up on being awesome.” Rainbow clenched her jaw. “It sucks what happened to you girls, but right now... you're a real gift to me the way you all are... an edge. And I just know that we'll have what it takes to sneak past Verlaxion and rescue Applejack.” She turned and winked at Twilight. “Because I'm awesome again. And it's because of you gals. You... give me strength n'jazz.”
“I can't imagine how 'strong' you are if all I do is nag about how you're doing it wrong,” Twilight groaned.
“Please. Keep nagging.” Rainbow shrugged. “One of these days, I'll probably have no choice but to listen to you. That's a thing I didn't have before I cleared the Choke. A voice of reason.”
“Yeah, well, your quest is anything but 'reasonable.'”
“Give it time. It's a big plane.”
“Heh...” Twilight smiled. Then her eyes shifted as the thoughts in her head changed. “Rainbow...”
“Yes, egghead?”
“What if the bandits back there really were being supplied by the same organization that's putting the bounty on you?”
“Then I guess the muck spreads beyond the seven seas.”
“Right when we broke out of Red Barge, Skagra was... trying to make a deal with somepony outside the platform... wasn't he?”
“Yeah, I got that impression too,” Rainbow muttered.
“What if there was always a connection between the Barge and Rohbredden?”
“You mean Skagra was always in cahoots with somepony on the inside?” Rainbow remarked. She shrugged. “Wouldn't be the first time I've seen that crud happen.” Her nostrils flared. “Back in Val Roa, Queen Chrysalis had corrupted the government—and in so doing she partnered with the Goblin Cartel to finance several raids on the outlying townships.”
“Did...” Twilight tapped her chin in thought. “...did we ever figure out who that one mare was connected with? Or where she went?”
“I'm afraid you lost me, Twi.” Rainbow glanced aside. “What mare?”
“The unicorn,” Twilight droned. “The one who attacked out of nowhere.”
“And she looked like she actually knew what a shower was? Or a manedresser for that matter?”
“And she was very... very proficient at magic.”
“Heh...” Rainbow sighed a bit too dreamily for her own good. “Yeah, I remember.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow.
Rainbow cleared her throat. “You... you think she represents the outside party?”
“Or she was the outside party.”
“So... what does this mean?”
“Simply that I'm right to be paranoid,” Twilight said, wincing slightly. “As much as I hate to say it.”
“Uh huh.”
“There are more ponies ahead of you than I believe we're led to think, Rainbow,” Twilight said. “Verlaxion isn't the only one keeping her eyes open. You have to be careful.”
Twilight shuddered. “Let's just... focus on one group of baddies at a time, shall we?”
“I'm not sure we can afford that luxury.”
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Fuzzy.
Otherwise known as
Rainbow is gonna have to start thinking outside the box, like Kirk in the No win scenario.
4.bp.blogspot.com/_jxHHpdN1pT0/SFEZqR1Pk8I/AAAAAAAAC00/mkyTmobSKxY/s400/R4.jpg
Glad the harmonic egghead is starting to reconcile herself to Rainbow's quest instead of always expecting fwendship to prevail.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Or she will be the outside party.
Gonna spread that stuff like butter.
It's nice to see that Twilight and Rainbow Dash are getting along well. The two of them seem to fight constantly but it's nice to see them get past that.
This part was physically painful to read.
Nice little heartfelt talk there, I like that Twilight is trying to keep Rainbow grounded but not being unreasonable about it. Rainbow will figure out a way to make it work she always has before. I really like Reeds and Sweet, it kind of sucks that they won't be staying around for long. Well at least that is my assumption anyway, I just can't see them sticking by Rainbow past the next town or two maybe.
New disguise idea acquired.
TOMATO HAT!
I wish RD wouldn't act like a 14 year old boy who just seen his first pair of tits.....I mean come on, how horny is she that she noticeably drools, dreamy eyed, flushed face, anytime a decent looking girl is around?
Well at least Twilight is owning up a bit to how much of a backseat driver she's trying to be. Just give Rainbow the reins, it's much simpler and awesomer that way.
*Tomato Hat has been added to your inventory*
Hmm, I kinda forgot that Dash doesn't know about Chandler and his consortium yet. Won't be long before she finds out though at this rate
Skagra of Red Barge, Monket of Mudtop and Brye Chandler of Rohbredden - three heads has the hydra.
6771579
Two heads have been defanged and clubbed into submission.
Iirc, the symbol of the bandits was not the same as the one the consortium bore in Riverstem. Either way, Dash will have to contend with both good (talon) and evil (consortium) before all is said and done.
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Twilight is definitely going to be right some time in the future. I have a feeling that it'll be sooner than later, however.
For Rainbow's sake, I hope that Longaze gets a Face turn. Dashie needs a new pony to cuddle.
Wait, just how did Theanim Mane and Echo get to the mainland so quickly after they left Rainbow? They had to travel really far.
8201814
SHE HAS A GIRLFRIEND, DUDE
8796902
Keep in mind that they probably had access to top level ships from some of the local governments around to get them places. Remember the arrowships? Maybe not that fast but still. On top of that they headed straight for the main island while Dash was busy with Quade, floating around the ocean for a while, and the barge
8201814
Agreed, she needs to make it back to Roarke
Nope, we gotta look at all the angles we can.
9758097
I am hoping some members of the Noble Jury are there to get her after the dark side.