Ofolrodi

by Imploding Colon

Parts of the Buffalo

Rarity and Twilight Sparkle gazed anxiously towards Omega, wringing their ghostly forelimbs.

"Fluttershy, dear...?" Rarity gulped. "Are you sure they are leaving?"

"I am positive," Fluttershy said in a relatively calmer voice. "Very few are left. Probably... uhm... stragglers who are salvaging what remains of their kills."

"So much dead game..." Twilight Sparkle squinted at the bloodied plateau beyond the trench where the Herald had hid earlier. "It doesn't look like they've picked up even half of the animals they killed."

"That's because they haven't," Fluttershy said, her muzzle sinking into a fuzzy scowl.

"How... barbaric!" Rarity's voice hit a disgusted peak. "I mean... in some respect I can understand slaughtering animals in order to turn them into an edible meat source. But... but all of that useless slaughter! And for what?!"

"It's such a waste," Twilight Sparkle exhaled.

"Not if they're killin' for fun," Applejack said.

The other ghostly mares gasped.

"Applejack!" Rarity held a hoof over her fuzzy chest.

Applejack looked over with calm eyes. "Ain't sayin' I agree with it." She pointed nebulously towards Omega. "But that's what I'm sensin'."

"It's... not for military practice?" Fluttershy stammered.

Applejack shook her head. "There was a lot of... enjoyment in what we just saw. I think this is how them Bloodwing folks keep their spirits up."

"By murdering the spirits out of the local wildlife?" Rarity said.

Applejack exhaled. "We're plum lucky we only saw them murderin' wildlife."

Rarity bit her lip.

Twilight looked over. "At least Pinkie isn't twitching in any place."

"No." Pinkie hovered deflatedly in midair, her ears and brow drooped. "But I'm feeling sick in my tummy."

"Really?" Rarity asked. "What could that mean?"

"That I'm super-grossed out and I want to go home." She looked longingly towards their anchor. "Dasssssssshieeeeee? Why are we still herrrrrre?"

"Just... just a second, Pinkie Pie," Rainbow murmured, laying low against the rock. She had her neck craned towards Edgeside—where chunks of rock were still smoldering from the lunar punishment. "Fluttershy? Are the Dihmers still nearby?"

"I told you, Rainbow, I'm having a hard time sensing them—"

"Ahem..." Rarity spoke up. "Their weapons and tools are still nearby, Rainbow Dash."

"Good. Rarity? You're on Dihmer-tracking duty for the time being."

Applejack shrugged. "Couldn't we just keep a regular eye on them? All hawk-like?"

"Whatever," Rainbow grunted. "Just tell me if they start moving."

"Because once the Dihmers leave, then we should leave," Twilight Sparkle clarified.

"Exactly." Rainbow nodded. "The Bloodwings don't touch them. I wanna find out why."

"Won't us being on their tail like lovesick puppies change all of that?" Pinkie squeaked.

Rainbow bit her lip.

"Another pressing question, if I may," Rarity stated, raising her hoof. "Where can we expect the Dihmers to take us?"

"The Grand Ocean?" Applejack suggested.

Rainbow looked at her. "That's what I'm hoping. I'm pretty sure Merula implied that the Dihmers build all around the coastline."

"Then what?" Rarity asked. "We pay a visit to another faction? The changelings? The Night Shard?" She shivered slightly. "...the dreadful-sounding goblins?"

"Would you feel bad about putting an ocean between us and what we just saw right now?"

Rarity exhaled. "You do make a valid point."

"But..." Fluttershy squirmed. "...what if the other factions turn out to be just as bad?"

"Who are we going to appeal to at this rate?" Twilight remarked. "If anyone?"

Rainbow sighed. "I don't know, Twilight..." She ran a hoof through her mane, shuddering. "I just... I-I just need to get a survey of all the powermongering flankholes who are taking part in the Trinary War. Once I've actually got a clear idea of who's who... then I can make a judgment—hopefully—of how to go about getting the shards of Endrax."

"But do we actually have the luxury of choosin', sugarcube?" Applejack said. "I dun like these Bloodwing fellers anymore than you do... but what if it turns out that they're the best faction to deal with. And by that, I mean most agreeable-like." She tilted her head aside. "What then?"

"Can we really afford to waste so much time and resources looking for a better alternative?" Twilight Sparkle stated.

Rainbow could only bite her lip.

Hoofsteps.

Rarity and Pinkie gasped.

"Don't worry..." Fluttershy murmured. "It's only our friends.

Sure enough, Logan trotted up along with Wildcard.

Rainbow Dash stood to face them. She took a deep breath.

"You look damned exhausted," Logan stated, scuffling to a stop.

"Been... 'meditating' on the situation with my friends."

"You don't say." Logan leaned back on his large haunches. "Any luck?"

"Nope. What about you?" Rainbow squinted. "Did you... find anything...?"

Logan exchanged glances with Wildcard.

The Desperado sighed and gestured: "It is not as bad as we thought."

"Really?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "A friggin' avalanche of burning rocks pulverized the Hoverplank."

"Yeah. It sucks to High Hell," Logan said. "The wagon's gone—but several crates of supplies were simply knocked aside."

"Oh, praise Celestia." Rainbow exhaled. She leaned on the precipice of a grimace. "...how are our rations?"

"Mostly intact."

"Whewwwwww..."

"Ironically—as shit would have it—the armor and weapons bit the dust. Mostly."

Twilight and Rarity winced.

"You mean... all of the Emeraldinian stuff?"

Wildcard nodded. He gestured: "A few blades and breastplates are intact. Other than that. Flattened."

"We still got the bows and arrows from the Spindlers," Logan said. "And some of the lunar runes. But most of the stuff from Darkreach is completely bucked."

"All the heavy stuff, huh?"

"Yeah."

Rainbow shrugged. "Probably just as well."

"Don't get too cheerful," Logan grunted. "We could really use that shit now." He motioned his head towards Omega. "Especially now that we know what we're dealing with."

"I'd rather not deal with them at all."

"Glad to know you haven't gone full crazy," Logan said. "Not yet, anyways." He turned to glanced Edgeside. "Right now, Flynn and Kepler are parsing through the mess. We can salvage a lot if we work together on it."

"But with the wagon gone," Wildcard gestured. "We can't carry all that's left."

"So we gotta choose what's most essential?" Rainbow asked.

Wildcard nodded. "More like what we can carry."

"We're about to get a hell of a lot of exercise," Logan said. "When we can least afford it."

Rainbow looked towards the trench. "My friends tell me the Dihmers haven't taken off yet."

"Those hairless testicle-heads won't stay here forever," Logan grunted.

"Then we gotta make a decision and make it quick." Rainbow faced the two Job Squadders again. "Any armor that can be salvaged—we'll wear as we trot."

"Hooooooo boy..." Logan exhaled.

"Other than that, salvage the rations. The lunar runes..."

Wildcard gestured: "What of the spindler weapons?"

"... ... ..." Rainbow fidgeted. "Are any of us actually good at bows and arrows?"

"Keps has had experience, I'm sure," Logan said. "Ariel's mom used to be proficient."

"Good. Give them both a small supply. They've officially become our archers. Leave the rest behind."

"Shouldn't we burn that shit to ash?" Logan asked. "So the Bloodwings won't get to it?"

Rainbow pointed at the still-smoldering rockscape. "Do you really think they'll need bows and arrows?"

"... ... ... ... ...You make a good friggin' point." Logan turned and trotted back towards the wreckage. "I'll spread word along. Seraphimus is helping too—so that should quicken things up."

"Good. Tell everypony to get prepared for a whole lot of sweating," Rainbow said.

Wildcard lingered behind, looking more than just a bit antsy.

Rainbow blinked at him. "What's up, Jordan?"

He hand-signed: "Something happened to you when the Bloodwings were nearby."

Rainbow nodded. "I think Princess Luna's spell is still in effect. It's reacting to sarosian presence."

"It is something more than that."

Rainbow was silent.

Wildcard's goggles rattled as he gestured more emphatically: "If something that the Bloodwings have is a direct risk to you, then we need to avoid them entirely."

"Jordan, everything here on the Dark Side is a risk to me. We gotta protect ourselves now—yes—but we can't run away forever."

He clenched his beak.

Rainbow sighed. "I'm... very grateful that you're concerned about me." She offered a tiny smile. "But right now, we just have to move. You and I are both good at that... so let's not fall off our game, okay?"

He nodded, exhaling with a pensive breath. For a second, the Desperado leaned forward—as if wanting to give the petite pegasus a hug. However, the professional kicked in at the last second. Turning tail, he glided swiftly back towards where Logan and the others were.

Rainbow's nostrils flared. "I'd better go help them." As she prepared to take wing—

"Rainbow..."

She turned around.

Twilight was staring squarely at her. "That was him that you saw... who also saw you..."

"... ... ..."

Twilight's eyes narrowed. "It was Lexxic. It had to have been."

"I'm concerned with a few other things right now, egghead—"

"Rainbow, he sensed you somehow," Twilight said. "And the moment he looked this way... he somehow had the power to make us vanish." She gulped. "I wasn't kidding when I said that it was chaos. I sensed it. It... it must be his edge... the edge Lexxic is using to fight off the other two factions in the Trinary War."

"And what was the floating death ray thingy, huh? A party trick?"

Twilight stomped a ghostly hoof. "This is no joke, Rainbow! If the Bloodwings have found a way to weaponize chaotic forces, then what more can we expect from the other factions? Especially if the Bloodwings haven't defeated them by now?"

"One thing at a time, Twilight," Rainbow asked. "That's all I ask for."

Twilight sighed... shaking her head. "I don't think you can deal with everything here on the Dark Side in a straight line like you could on the other half, Rainbow."

"Am I Ilrifa's Gift or aren't I?"

"... ... ..."

"Have a little faith, Twilight," Rainbow said, finally taking wing. "Heck... it's all I can ask of myself too..."

Comments

[geb]

I was right.

[Booster Spice]

Just a walkin in the park, just a dancin in the rain.

Justa holding off when the True Master Of Chaos Rules Once Again.

[Labyrinthine]

I don’t know why, but my favorite part of adventure stories is when the characters grimly make plans for the difficult times ahead. Love it.

[Blaster M]

That moment in the previous chapter had a scare chord

[Tim the Planes-pony]

Wasteful slaughter, it is likely going to catch up with the Sarosians at some point. Supplies are expendable, they are not, so good on them to decide to take the food over anything else. But Lexxic using Chaos, that I did not see coming, I guess the question there is how, and if he did sense Rainbow, why were they let go? Also what does it mean for ending the stupid Trinary War?

[Sylicath]

Lexxic then has the pwower to nullify one of Rainbow's chief advantages, at least in proximity.

[Boersencrash]

And it's back to square one, minus the wagon and most of the supplies. They got little pieces of information, but the game got much harder.

[Merula]

Wait, that was Lexxic?

Huh, I thought it was just some random Bloodwing soldier

[IceKitsune]

Hmmmm that is quite the interesting power that Lexxic has then.

[Phoenix Kitten]

Rainbow had a hard time even seeing Lexxic, is there that much chaos energy around him that it distorts any attempt to view him?
And that directed wave of chaos when he saw Dash, it was strong enough to start transforming her even wearing her element. As much as I dislike the guy, I think Discord would be the best counsel she has for dealing with Lexxic.
If he knows about Dash and her affliction, then he's probably banking on capturing her and forcing her into her chaos state to use as a weapon, like Shell was.

-Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.

[Campo]

Lexxic is a badass. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he already knew that Dash was there when he suddenly looked towards her. Can't wait to meet him face to face.

If Dash can get the Bloodwings on her side, that would be immensely helpful in her quest to reach the Midnight Armory.

[General Lemarc]

"So much dead game..." Twilight Sparkle squinted at the bloodied plateau beyond the trench where the Herald had hid earlier. "It doesn't look like they've picked up evenhalfof the animals they killed."

"That's because theyhaven't," Fluttershy said, her muzzle sinking into a fuzzy scowl.

Well, that title came ironically true quick

[MattReverse]

I don't understand the title.

[AppleTank]

8832525
Better figure out how to use her other advantage, fast.

[Hap]

8835485
It's a reference to the idea that Native Americans "used all parts of the buffalo" that they hunted. As in, they let nothing go to waste. Bladders turned into water bags. Hides, bones, marrow, hooves, everything was eaten or turned into tools or useful materials.

So goes the story, anyway. To what degree it is true, I don't know.

[Nevlamas]

Death and darkness, doom and destruction, everything going to hell and yet all I can think about is how adorable Keps would look with a bow.

[Speckle]

Weaponized Chaos?

.......yep, that would about do it.

[Hazard]

The only reason I can see that lexxic (we assume) would leave them be is that he doesn't deem them a threat.

[Cynderfall]

Phew intense chapters...

[Vendable Sheik]

On the one hand I love all of this but on the other I am at a loss for figuring out how in the blazes Rainbow is going to be able to actually get any of these three shards of Endrax...ever. This already seems beyond impossible and this is just one faction that we've seen.

[Revan]

Discord Dash vs Lexxic showdown?

[Prism Break]

Oh snap! That sarosian was Lexxic! I completely missed that, I imagined him as a king that’s didn’t get his hands dirty. I was wrong. He is a warrrior.

However, I now think I might’ve been wrong about his threat level. If he was the ultimate villain we wouldn’t go after his shard first. I think the Night Shard will be the third and final obsticle. Rainbow has a connection to sarosians and changelings. Not with the night shard. Plus they are the ones stealing the souls with the ruby haze. I feel like the leader of the night shard will be the ultimate showdown. They were always the faction we knew nothing about.

[CaptainSpaceCat]

9099107
To be honest, I'm beginning to think that the only way Rainbow can deal with this is if she uses the factions against each other. Like Twilight said, she may not be able to deal with these threats in a linear fashion. The story of the dark side might encompass the entire plane as well as all three factions before even a single shard of Endrax is retrieved.

[NeoNymph]

Assuming that actually was Lexxic, given his access to chaos materials as part of his utility makes him a difficult foe, but if he can see Rainbow Dash at that moment in time, then they’ve got a problem in their midst if he’s that powerful of a foe.

[hypervelocity]

Applejack shook her head. "There was a lot of... enjoyment in what we just saw. I think this is how them Bloodwing folks keep their spirits up."

Oh great, they're just murdering the ecosystem for lolz. Gonna be talking to crazy ponies.

Wildcard's goggles rattled as he gestured more emphatically: "If something that the Bloodwings have is a direct risk to you, then we need to avoid them entirely."

Big Bro Jordan not taking any shit. He's gonna be on the "Stay the Hell Away From the Bloodwings" team.

Twilight stomped a ghostly hoof. "This is no joke, Rainbow! If the Bloodwings have found a way to weaponize chaotic forces , then what more can we expect from the other factions? Especially if the Bloodwings haven't defeated them by now?"

I mean, the fact that the Way ISN'T done means that there's something keeping everything at a standstill, and it's not just all the stuff involving Exdrax...