Measure By Your Gains
After a few bends in the tunneled path back to the Herald, Wildcard realized something was wrong. He was only hearing his own footsteps.
The Desperado scuffled to a stop. He looked towards his side.
Rainbow Dash was gone.
"... ... ...!" He turned completely around.
There—several paces behind him—the petite pegasus lingered. Her head was downcast, and her wings were drooped at her side. Wildcard watched in silence as she slowly shuffled into a crook of rock, turned around three lazy times... and sat on folded hooves. There was a heaviness to her movement, and the weight inevitably tugged her down into a slumped position. She leaned forward until her chin lay across exhausted, criss-crossed forelimbs.
Wildcard said nothing. Slowly, quietly, he walked over to where she lay. He winced briefly from his still-fresh wounds, but soldiered through the pain. With nimble grace, the griffin squatted across from her. He gazed in her direction, patient, contemplative, protective.
Rainbow stared past him. Even as her ghostly friends closed in and nestled wordlessly around, she gazed into the dark contours of the cave... and exhaled.
All was quiet. A haunting hush as the melancholic friends rested peacefully in the stone navel of a forsaken world.
Minutes passed.
Ironically, it was Wildcard who chose to "break the silence." He reached up and gestured inquisitively with a flesh and metal talon. The phrase was simple enough for even Rainbow Dash to understand.
"Mmmmm... who knows?" she replied, muttering. "Am I ever 'okay?'"
Wildcard's beak tightened.
Twilight Sparkle gulped, then meekly stated: "You did all you could for her, Rainbow."
"Did I?" Rainbow rasped. She gazed up at the claustrophobic ceiling, looming like a grave. "Without meaning to, I helped destroy her life... her faith... her every reason for existing."
"Verlax wanted that grumpy varmint dead," Applejack grunted. "You pulled her out of that nasty fate and did yer best to show her the light."
"Yeah, and what fate does she have now?" Rainbow frowned. "It's a pretty lame light that you can just ignore and walk away from." She shook her head. "I should have shown her more."
"But, how, Dashie?" Pinkie Pie blinked. "When—even?"
"I dunno..." Rainbow sighed, resting her chin on her forelimbs again. Her nostrils flared, blowing limp air against the cold rock. "...it... it's just..." A gulp. "I know it sounds lame, but I would almost prefer it if she was dead."
Fluttershy gently chided. "Rainbow Dash..."
"Because then it would have been an ending," Rainbow Dash said. "I wouldn't be left wondering how badly I screwed things up. How much she's missing out on. How much..." She clenched her eyes shut, shook... then sighed. Her ears drooped back as she murmured, "Guess I'm spoiled. So often, I've had the luxury of either saving the day or saying good-bye. Even when I screw things up—like in the Quade—it's something I'm conscious of. A definitive ending. A sucky one, for sure, but still something concrete. I'm just... I'm just not used to having to abandon ponies outright."
"You gave her plenty of opportunities to change, darling."
"There'll always be opportunities, Rarity," Rainbow muttered. "That's what makes it all suck so bad." She swallowed a bitter lump and looked down the dark tunnel. "I had every opportunity to spare Discord when he was turned to stone... but look at the path I took. Verlax made it look like there was no choice in all the things that she made me do, but that didn't stop me from marching into her throneroom all the same. And..." She winced particularly hard at this point. "...and Imre..." The edges of her eyes moistened.
Twilight and the rest looked on in silence.
Sniffling, Rainbow Dash rubbed her cheek dry. "Grfff... what's the use in pretending?" A defeated sigh. "Moving in a straight line isn't as easy as it sounds. I just... I just gotta tell myself that it will all be for the best some day." She sniffled again. "That at some point... that line becomes a circle... and I-I'd best close it before I br-break it." A sigh, and she looked at Wildcard.
Wildcard looked back.
Rainbow fought tears. Nevertheless—with iron-wrought courage—she looked at him directly as she said, "I had hoped I wouldn't rob you of two friends in one lifetime, Wildcard..."
He raised his talons to "speak"... but then he lingered.
Rainbow gazed at her pitiable reflection in his goggles.
At last, his claws moved, clicking slightly as they spelled out: "Call me 'Jordan.'"
Rainbow Dash blinked.
The Desperado smirked gently, adding with a few finger-swipes in the air: "I only count days by friends gained."
Twilight Sparkle smiled.
Rainbow was holding her breath in. When she finally let it loose, her eyes released as well. Tears trickled down a dumb smile. "Okay..." She whimpered, rubbing her cheeks dry—a futile effort. "Uhm... I... I-I know it's gonna sound stupid, Jordan, but could I ask—?"
He was already crossing the distance between them. Rainbow realized just how much larger the Desperado was, for his hug was engulfing. She rested in his arms like a foal, and she found that the griffin's neck feathers were soft, warm, and perfect for muffling her sobs. She dwindled there, limp and quiet and thankful, and Wildcard weathered the minutes as they drifted by.
"Mmmmmff..." She squeaked, forelimbs kneading his bandaged shoulders. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Somehow... some way... I'll m-make this up to you. I'll make this up to all of you. I'll get us b-back home. I promise..."
He merely squeezed her shoulder, neither accepting nor rejecting.
The silence humbled her, and—perhaps for a brief second—she understood the power of his oath.
When Fluttershy spoke, it was an earth-shattering thing.
"Uhm... Rainbow Dash? I... I'm so very sorry to disturb you in this moment, but..."
"Mmmmf... it's okay..." Rainbow Dash leaned her head back. The last hiccup or two of her sobs had finally subsided. "It's okay, Fluttershy. What's... what's going on...?"
"It's... it's about Seraphimus."
"Yeah...?" Rainbow rubbed her eyes and blinked at the ghostly pegasus. "What about her?"
"She... uhm..." Fluttershy fidgeted nervously. "...she's no longer moving."
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This is either good, or very, very bad.
Hnnng.
Well, she ran into whatever is down here, likely what is making that "music" Which I'm gonna bet is going to be hypnotic somehow the closer you get to it.
Did she set a camp, kill herself, or is she conflicted?
A brief respite becomes even briefer as the fate of Seraphimus becomes an unknown factor.
Be here for our next episode "Schrodinger's Griffon" or "I Know Why the Catbird Sings!"
Judging by Fluttershy's wording, she isn't dead, just very shocked. Question is why? Rainbow also needs to learn that she cannot control the actions of others, only her own actions. All she can do is point them in the right direction, and hope they go there.
Chances are it has to do with the mysterious music. If so, Sera might have an opportunity to rethink her decision sooner than expected.
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Well.. okay, if Shy can still sense her, then she's still alive.
On a lighter note.
Heh...Dash broke through that oath of his.
He's not just her protector now, he's her friend.
-Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
This is nice to see. Before, it was always Bard that Rainbow was close to. Wild Card always was in the shadows, being the "Protector". Now that Bard, the haroldite both were closest too is gone, they would by nature move towards each other.
I was expecting RD to ask if she could keep calling Jordan by his Wildcard nickname, for convenience and badassery points.
And then she was dead. Boom, Seraphimus, gone from this earth
I shall never stop holding out faith for ol' Sera!
Which may make it potentially disappointing if she dies or actually does run off, I simply hope it won't come to that.
Jokes on us. Sera is just taking a nap
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:Discord:Mon Capitan, Heisenburg Ahead. :Discord:
Do a percentile check by rolling D20 twice Mod 10 keep the NAts. theyre the Awsome points.
Just like wildcard.
By the river of Baby long. Jorden?
D'aaawwww, that's nice~
On the other hand, Sera may have dug herself into a hole she can't fly herself out of
It was the better option, especially if you consider the alternative. Let's just pretend that Rainbow did not cross Rohbredden, what then? Verlax was dying eiter way, the continent would have avoided a major political and social uproar, but would slowly choke on petty infighting and corruption and Seraphimus would still live in the illusion of her higher calling, completely unaware of the threat for the entire known plane.
The losses and the damage in Rohbredden and on Rainbow's journey are tragic and unfortunate, but they are the lesser evil compared to the end of everything they hold dear. And what Rainbow fails to realise is that she gave Seraphimus at least a chance to heal, where Verlax considered her as nothing more than a replaceable tool.
The only reason endings, especially ones involving death, can seem "easier" is because while there may still be repercussions, you no longer have to deal with active consequences. Its simpler, but not really better. Life, even when reduced to .0000000001% of a chance at hope, is still an infinity of potential compared to the number zero. Stop doubting that sparing Seraphimus was right. Even if she literally dies in the next chapter, it was still better she had what little positive there was with her interactions with Logan than it would've been to kill her earlier. Hell if you hadn't spared her, you and the rest of the Herald would be dead, Dash, as her intervention saved your asses half a dozen times already. That's a net positive over a unsexy corpse drifting through the ether.
And Seraphimus has stopped moving has she? Will the Seraphimus Solo Quest be over before its even begun? I'm still counting, regardless.
Seraphimus Solo Quest Chapter Counter: 2
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Here's hoping bad. Then Sera might come to her senses and stick with the herald.
With enough open wounds to light up a cave passage, I would’ve expected Sera to succumb sooner or later.
Not sure if being entranced by a mystery song would be a better reason for he stopping in this situation.
Well, the murderbird has a lot to think of too. She could probably also use a rest after that berserker rage she went into.
It’s a dead end. Or she’s hearing creepy music or something.
Also I loved this chapter.
Feels
Well, on the bright side, the fact that Fluttershy can still sense her means she hasn't stopped moving for the obvious reason.
This was a very sad but a very touching chapter.
Wildcarder I mean Jordan is most huggable Griffon.Well now she's able to get head around so many things at once.
Her head just wasn't in going East.
I'll see myself out. *starts sweeping up the mess*
Of course Sera's not moving. She's probably having a good cry about how she doesn't have ANYTHING left. No goddess, no goal, no quest, no friends... She doesn't even have a frienemy like Dash. Do you have any idea how hard it is to have literally nothing left? She's not even able to look at the same night sky because there's a freaking ring in it!
I'd probably take a moment to just give up too... Maybe more than a moment.
Maybe there's a mint green pony playing lyre music at the end of the tunnel.
Oh no...
discogenie.dyndns.org/imgur/7hdnSD3.jpg
I swear to Skirts, we leave her alone for one minute...
Alternate Chapter Title:
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There's been one all along, they just keep forgetting.
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Ha, poor Poochy, I mean Sera.
Took me a while to get to reading this chapter, but maybe I should a prepared myself more.
Why do you make me feel these feelings, Skirts!?
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This. So much this.
No fate but what she makes, guess that makes her free.
11/17/2017
19:38 UTC
Dang. A character moment and a reflection of the series as a whole. This is seriously awesome.
Aaaaand there goes the intermission.
I swear, even all this time, Imre's death was still the most heart wrenching to me.
8545502
How did you find this?
hjzfjalbvdak
sob
Soothing music, and a suddenly incapacitated nihilistic griffon. Sounds like sirens to me.
8887569
THATS WHAT I SAID!
The feels, the feels
Are they even real?
Silent
And snaking
Like Death Valley eels
They slip into your heart
And pluck your plucky strings
They squeeze you
And they ease you-
Until you finally sing.
Saw a few comments hinting at it, but I think it’s for sure now. It’s Sirens in the cave isn’t it?
Snooze time?
I did not need this dose of feels right now!
On the other hoof, I think I needed this dose of feels right now.
I must say that the chapters where Wildcard takes the spotlight are my favourites in this book.
FULL WILDCARD SENTENCES LETS GOOOOOOO
Wild-Dash siblingshipping is best shipping.
....oh dear.