Slow Exit: Stage Omega
"The topography of the landscape grows more and more erratic between Abaddon's home and the Great Ocean," Merula explained. Twilight glinted off the jumping spider's gold-yellow cephalothorax as it shook the silken construct tethered before it. "The Austraeoh will find no roads or paths to assist along the way. But safety can be afforded by utilizing the multiple natural ravines and fissures that permeate the earth. This is especially true when you find yourself approaching the edge of the Bloodwings' Lunar Hunt."
Rainbow Dash nodded, seated before Merula and the large tunnel weaver that the arachnid speaker was perched on. "Again... thank you so much, Merula." Rainbow Dash breathed. "And a big friggin' shout-out to Abaddon, of course." She smiled. "None of us ever expected to be given so much good grace out here. It's been a real treat. Really—it has."
"Ilrifa's gift has graced the Songstress' children with a meaningful chorus," Merula replied. "No matter how deeply the darkness spread, we have followed the lyrics with every fiber of our being." The creature's abdomen shook. "The All Mother's devotion has not led us astray."
"Is there... uhm..." Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head. Her tail flicked a her wings coiled and uncoiled anxiously. "... is there something... anything we can do to help Abaddon out? To help you guys?"
After a slight pause, Merula vibrated: "The inquiry is not entirely understood."
"I just kinda hate the idea of taking off for the wild... black yonder and leaving you guys all alone here." Rainbow grimaced. "All holed up in this dusty old city. I know you talk as though the past is behind you... but what about the future?"
"The Song is both our past and our future," Merula said. "Winter shall carry out its course."
"And after that? What then?" Rainbow's eyes narrowed. "Are you going to forever remain here? Greeting visitors from the Light Side?"
"There are no further movements of the Song," Merula said with that same emotionless tone. "The Austraeoh is all that remains."
Rainbow Dash bit her lip. "Surely there's gotta be more, Merula." A melancholic breath. "This can't be all there is for you guys. You're just... you're just too awesome to fade away into nothingness."
Merula and her multiple siblings had no immediate response.
"Abaddon... sh-she's a piece of prehistory!" Rainbow's voice cracked. "Super spectacular prehistory! She... she talked with Ilrifa! She talked to Gardez—Axan's and Endrax's parents! Please..." The petite mare's ears drooped. "...tell me she hasn't given up on hope."
After a long while, the silken construct in front of Merula shook: "Spring... Summer... Fall and Winter... the Children of Abaddon were born into darkness. All that sustains in the Song. Hope belongs to Penumbra alone. This is a good thing. For if we ever knew hope—and had a thirst for it—you would find us hard pressed to offer any of Abaddon's grace whatsoever."
Rainbow Dash blinked.
"Go forth with the blessing of harmony, Austraeoh," Merula said, eyes glistening in twilight. "Hope does not belong here. Go out, find it, and bring it back to where it belongs. Only then can you fix the broken circles."
"Rready, Flynn?"
"Ready, Keps."
"On yourr marrk."
"Stand back, ponies! No telling how big the feedback will be!"
"Give it your best, Baldy."
"Three... two... one... M'shrynmh Thymmk!!!"
FLASSSSSH! Both the chaos stones and the lunar runes along the circumference of the hovercraft lit up at once. A bright ring of glowing pale light billowed outward across the platforms of the city as the vehicle came to life.
Ariel and Logan flinched. Wildcard and Seraphimus watched cautiously.
Soon, the hovercraft was levitating—fully animated. With a victorious shout, Flynn hopped onto the front passenger's seat and shouted the moonwhinny command to accelerate the vessel forward. As it powered up, Logan and Kepler hopped on board. Ariel, Wildcard, and Seraphimus flew slowly above the craft, monitoring its movement.
Rainbow Dash watched from a safe distance. When the hovercraft first activated, she felt the ripple of chaos through her inner being. Twilight, Applejack, and her other friends briefly blinked out of the spectrum once the shimmering light pulsed her way. For a split second, Rainbow Dash spotted a smirking dragonequus. Then—as quickly as he materialized—harmony refilled the void, and her close friends were hovering spectrally by her side yet again. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie gave their anchor an enthusiastic glance.
Rainbow nodded back. With cautious wings, she flew forward, ahead of the craft, directing herself at a forty-five degree angle towards Omega. Before them, the bridges and platforms of the city led a zig-zagging path—at best—towards the outer limits of the petrified urban sprawl.
As they gained more and more altitude—leaving the spires and magnificent skyscrapers behind them—Rainbow looked back. For a moment she saw—or thought she saw—a million black eyes reflecting her figure in retreat. There was a sad note floating in the wind, like violin strings to a funeral. She felt a lump forming in the back of her throat. But—like all things—she forced it deep inward, so that it wrapped itself up in the weight of her Element.
With fewer and fewer regrets left, she signaled Wildcard and the others... then aimed herself closer to the stars.
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...Welp...so much for a spider party member/tag-along...
To a place that was once my world.
It glows. I forgot about that. Surely that little detail will absolutely never end up ruining their journey.
I.....I saw what you did there
"melts into a puddle of fangirl goo"
RIP spiders. You were trippy and killed trolls.
Bye bye creepy crawlies. Was nice of you to give the group a resting place.
To the ocean! Also, "slow exit"? RD doesn't do slow, especially not after being still for so long.
ðŸ˜
RD has so much regret that I'm worried about what it'll do to her when she loses control.
A couple days of writhing sorrow, emotional latching onto her new Jury, love making...
Then more regret and guilt to start it over again.
I'm gonna cross realities just to hug RD when she needs it, especially when she says she doesn't.
Also, does this mean the book that powered The Jury's ship (I forget the name but I'll remember in 10 minutes) powered in someway with chaos magic?
Y'all remember what I'm talking about, right?
Whelp bye Spider-Friends, it was nice knowing you!
So long, and thanks for all the food!
Eastward, ever Eastward.
-Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
The idea that the spider people are just done with their cosmical duties and just accept their fate-
and that ending with the funeral analogy.
I'm not okay.
The end of a song, and the beginning of another journey.
Kinda sucks to leave the Spindlers. They've been waiting for the Austraeoh arrival ever since the Sundering, simply to bestow the song to her.
Well, the Austraeoh got what they wanted to give her, and now she's leaving. Just like that.
See ya later Abaddon, we hardly knew ye.
Y'know, this just makes me wonder if RD is going to try talking to any arachnids she meets along the rest of her way. Out of nostalgia.
Man... it’s so hard to leave places. At least on the light side, we knew that life would go on. Here, though... I don’t know what’s left for the spiders but waiting for Abbadon to die. Not an uplifting thought. At least we’re finally on our way. It’s good to be on the move.
8784647
The Text of the Prophets stored the flame that Belle found in Nightshade Tower. It's still not quite understood why it affected Rainbow the way it did ; whether it was truly chaos magic or something else
WAHT WAHT ITS STILL GOINGGGGG
i literally just found the first one, and saw a comment about 'dont fall behind', so i started checking the sequel dates before coming here omg im in for a LONG read aren't i?
We are the Sons of Winter and Stars
We've come from a far beyond time
Forever the fire burns in our hearts
Our world shall never die
In the arms of the wind we ride till dawn
As the waves of the ocean grind so strong
We wander in the stars until we're gone
Our fate is sealed by eternal sun
Oh, i see what you did there!
8784601
I didn't expect one but I was hopeful too.
8784911
One that is worth it if you can get into it
Kinda conflicted here. It's somewhat sad to read how the spiders just expect their end, thinking that they done everything they are supposed to do. Then again, their structure as a stoic hive mind makes it hard to see them in any other role, because their fate was in essence remotely determined. It might be open to debate, whether Abaddon could direct her brood into a new direction on her own or not.
Nevlamas, Mortuana, Axan and Abbadon. Where Rainbow walks, ancients die. The world is expanding the last of its truly primeval resources for a journey that is now truly its last and final gamit at survival.
8784911
Have fun and don't release the handlebars.
8785075
Of the three thousand seven hundred tons launch weight of each Apollo mission, where completed, only the three human crew continued their lives.
Everything else was used up in The Journey.
The Spiders were never tasked with learning how to absorb and convert The City material into Silk and Chitin, because given how long its lasted, it would easily place them on par with the Trinary Combatants?
8785075
Did Abaddon die? I must have missed that part. If so, It'll probably be the best thing to happen to the spiders. Without the mental stasis that she seems to assert over them I'm guessing they'll have room to spread their wings. So to speak.
That and all the spider steaks. I'm salivating over here.
Very glad we're on the road again. Can't wait to see what the rest of the dark side has to throw at us.
c1.staticflickr.com/8/7272/13713054834_1443daf19a_b.jpg
See you, snazzy spodboys.
8784601
Always room for a rebellious tag-along that helps along the way but doesn’t reveal itself for 200 chapters.
8784911
Honestly, once you start you can't stop. Join the East-horse adventure my friend.
Press F to pay respects.
F
Well my theory so far hasn't been changed in any way. Time to see what parts if any will come true. Since I got here before that guy writing "The Twelve Days of East Horse..."
On the last day of Spindlers Imploding gave to me...
A tear left for Abbadon's death.
8784911
Oh, don't be intimidated by it's longevity. Just let yourself read the east-horse and watch as you find yourself already with the Jury.
8785146
F
Children of winter
Hear my song
I sing it strong
The song of Abbadon
8784980
Sometimes in poetry less is more my friend.
And once again, good friends and interesting places are left behind. A sad but necessary part of the journey, but she at least gave them hope to continue on, and maybe one day thrive once more. now we look to the horizon again, and see what lies ahead once more.
8785098
Not yet, but it does look close. Dunno how spooder biology works here, but IRL they need to keep shedding exoskeletons, and she aint be able to do that with any sort of ease.
Also. from their closing comments, they never knew a future beyond helping the Austraeoh. They're done. That's it. There is no "what now?" for them.
8785118
ind4 spooder named Charlotte.
Pls
8785199
8785197
Winters dead
Spiders blue
Dammit, you've made me feel sad for a city full of spiders Skirts.
8785075
Not to mention Verlax.
8784911
Buckle up, partner. Ain't no getting off this train.
First things first...
F
Now that that's taken care of!
8784911
It is truly more than a story. It is a journey, and you'll be riding along with the ghosts of all of us who have been there with you, until you catch up.
We won't wait up for you, but we'll be here when you get here.
8785477
Blue winters
Dead spiders
8786307
Rocks.
Never forget the spood bros. They were p nito
8785146
F
Those without hope, perish.
Aww short chapter...
Never thought I'd be missing spiders the size of dogs...