No Party Like Omega
When Rainbow Dash squinted her eyes—and she did so often—she felt as though she was flying among the stars.
This wasn't entirely a new sensation for the mare. She had flown many a night on the Light Side. The prismatic pegasus was no stranger to having the seemingly stationary constellations as her only companion. A few times—especially early in her journey—she had greeted the morning with the sun behind her... having somehow inadvertently adjusted her heading in the absence of daylight. This was not something she liked to admit—to herself or to her ghostly companions. But it was a very real thing that happened in those blissfully early days before traversing Wintergate.
All in all, Rainbow couldn't help but get herself lost in the stars. In the beginning, it was all about kicking off Equestria and losing herself in the flight. If Rainbow had her way, she would never have flown east... or west or north or south or any cardinal direction for that matter. Since the day she was foaled, Rainbow always knew that the only direction that mattered to her was up. She was born in the sky—in Cloudsdale—and even that felt like a feeble platform at best. She never even touched the bare earth below until she was five winters old or so. If gravity and atmosphere would have allowed it, Rainbow would have kicked off and propelled herself straight through the heavens... finally becoming bosom buddies with those very same stars that so bedazzled her.
Now they entranced her once again. They surrounded her... bowing and dancing in a panoramic prance before and around her. Here—soaring over the Dark Side, although Rainbow scarcely registered the fact—there was little to no features of the earth below to reflect the cosmic glow. Every once in a while, there would be a speck of bio-luminescent randomness far beneath her wings, but for the most part it was perpetual nothingness—all encompassing emptiness stretching onward and onward towards the faintest bent line of an edge. Rainbow couldn't tell if her brain was playing tricks on her or if some gravitational anomaly along the brink of the world warped the already-faint light to form this faintly visible meridian, but it mattered little. Her vision purely drank the stars above.
The longer she stared at the heavens—and she had plenty of time to do so—the more detail she made out. No longer were the stars guiding beacons, but rather fluctuating entities with color, chemistry, and character. Rainbow spotted clusters of bright pulsating giants, emitting metallic blues and silvers. There were wavering, tapering nebulae—violet hearts with indigo arteries that swam invasively across rogue galaxies. Eventually, the occasional splotches of blackness became even more striking than the spectral gases that demarcated them. If Rainbow squinted hard enough into the obsidian swaths, she imagined seeing imperfections: notched lines etched into an otherwise onyx varnish.
Rainbow Dash was a lucky mare—lucky to have her friends anchored to her, lucky to have the Herald by her side, lucky to have Luna's blessing enchanting her pendant. She had only gotten as far as she had on the Dark Side through sheer support from her comrades-in-arms. Even Seraphimus—for all of her headache-inducing stubbornness—had proven to be an invaluable ally, especially as of late. Rainbow hated to complain, or to take a long look at her current circumstances and nick-pick for all of the perceivable imperfections.
And yet—despite all these truths—a secret part of her regretted the fact that she couldn't make it here... alone. Because she missed this.
She missed this. This wind. This speed. This thrill of exploration, discovery, adventure.
These stars.
Rainbow inhaled slowly. She closed her eyes sharply against the cool, beating air. Her mind locked on the pinprick after-images of the constellations emblazoned against her eyelids. If she meditated long enough, she'd imagine the heavens boring into her skull, where her mind could embrace them. Cuddle them. Own them.
She felt like she hadn't flown in decades. The truth was that the only times Rainbow really had to fly over the Dark Side was on brief scouting missions before and after the discovery of Darkreach. That... and the brief heart-palpating moments when she and her friends had to outrun trolls, chaotic wildlife, fake-sarosian-moon-lasers, and... some super giant tentacle world-worm thingy.
But flying... really flying: it was the crux of Rainbow's journey. It was the crux of Rainbow's circumnavigation of that tiny drifting sliver of Urohringr. It was Rainbow—all she was and all she knew and all she did.
And there simply wasn't much of that—not since Axan carried Rainbow and the rest of the party over to the Dark Side's surface with her final breath. Since then, it was a great deal of stop-and-go... slow-and-go... talk-and-barely-even-half-go...
And Rainbow knew that concessions had to be made—for the sake of both personnel and resources. Rainbow knew that speed had to be sacrificed for the sake of sensibility, security, and—ultimately—success. After all, if Rainbow Dash had taken off—alone and determined—and flown like a living bullet straight for the Midnight Armory at the thunderous Speed of Awesome...
...she'd end up in a crater. Or worse. She was up against so much... just so much.
Biding her time, exercising patience and restraint in managing herself, her companions, and their supplies, choosing to use mind over momentum... was the only way to achieve something even remotely close to victory in the wake of that damnable Trinary War.
But that didn't change the fact that she missed this... this speed and this space and this sheer simplicity of throwing herself smirk-first into the madcap dash—a namesake that Rainbow still found ways to live up to every once in a wild whiplash. There was no way that she would ever abandon her friends, the Herald, or even Seraphimus. But the fact of the matter was that she had no choice in the matter—not logically, emotionally, nor existentially. And when all the things in life—even the best things—are bereft of agency, even the most pacifist creature desires complete and utter escape.
And Rainbow Dash was no monk.
She reopened her eyes at some point. The stars were below her now. She must have rotated upside down in the middle of blind flight. For the first time in ages—since before Wintergate—Rainbow Dash felt truly lost. Lost and alone. Her heart skipped a beat.
And then Ariel spoke.
“So... how the Hell do we keep from going off course?”
Rainbow Dash's eyes danced to her right.
An upside down Ariel was staring at her. Two griffons soared parallel to her in the starlight. Even from a distance, Rainbow could make out Seraphimus' rolling eyes.
“Mmmm...” Rainbow Dash remained in her gliding position as she reached her forelimbs down and into her saddlebags. “Well, let's find out, shall we?”
Ariel's muzzle grimaced. “Gonna twirl upright, maybe?”
“Nah.” Rainbow rummaged casually through her satchel.
“Show-off,” Applejack could be heard drawling.
Pinkie Pie giggle-snorted.
Rainbow smirked ever so slightly. With very little effort, she pulled out a canvas bundle. Unraveling the fabric, she exposed a dark glossy sphere to the winds.
Wildcard whistled. He talon-signed in mid flight.
Seraphimus looked from him to Rainbow Dash. “The leftover pearl? From your dragon companion?”
Ariel grumbled beneath the whipping air: “You mean the Divine Matriarch who gave up her immortal life to save us from your epic buck-up beyond the edge?”
Wildcard coughed.
Seraphimus merely blinked.
“The least amount of turbulence on this flight, Ariel, the better,” Rainbow Dash murmured.
Ariel folded her forelimbs and flapped her wings with greater indignance.
Rainbow finally pivoted upright, all the while giving the immaculate sphere a light rub with her fetlock. Almost instantly, a crimson plume of light erupted from the stone—flicking off towards a fixed point along the dim black horizon.
The light reflected doubly off Wildcard's goggles. The Desperado glanced in the direction of the leaping beacon. He gestured swiftly, pointing his talon between two specific points.
“Right you are, Dubya,” Rainbow rasped, giving the stone another stroke. The magic flame leapt again from the object, and she adjusted her glide to more properly follow the direction that the scarlet pulse indicated. “Seems like we were off course for a moment there.”
Seraphimus' headcrest furrowed. “Off course from what?”
“The Bloodwings, genius,” Ariel muttered. She and Wildcard followed Rainbow's adjustment, and soon Seraphimus had to as well. “The dragonstone tells us where the shards of Endrax are located.”
“In theory,” Seraphimus emphasized.
“Three fixed points. Three shards. Three separate beacons.” Ariel shrugged against the winds. “Seems pretty clear cut to me.”
“Nevertheless, it is still a technical conjecture until more empirical evidence presents itself,” Seraphimus said.
“Wise foresight,” Rainbow said. As she flew at the front of the group, she held the stone directly in front of her muzzle with both forelimbs. Her eyes darted between the horizon and the stone, using microscopic manipulations of her flight to follow directly after the enchanted flickers. “But the brightest beacon has shifted towards Omega as we moved from Abaddon's Lair to Blobstain.”
“You've witnessed this?”
“I don't spend all our travel hours planning some unwritten novel,” Rainbow Dash muttered. Once she was satisfied with the direction they were now headed, she reached back and slid the dragonstone—bundled in canvas—back into the saddlebag. “Believe it or not, I pay attention to stuff.”
“What choice do you have, darling?” Rarity stated. “Everything is a blank black slate!”
Rainbow was already exhaling through a bittersweet smirk. “Axan always planned to help me through the Dark Side.” She tied the saddlebag shut and flew forward, her aerodynamic body at ease. “I guess she's ultimately doing just that.” A gulp. “Beyond the grave.”
“How grim,” Fluttershy muttered.
“Just like her.” Rainbow stifled a chuckle.
“Assuming you're right,” Seraphimus said. “And that stone helps us get to the Bloodwings' lair, how do you intend on returning to Blobstain?”
“What, did you forget to use the little murder bird's room before we left or something?”
Seraphimus maintained her composure—breathily: “I simply mean to make sure that we have a contingency plan in case an emergency retreat is necessary.”
“Well, we'd have to invent bread out here on the Dark Side in order to have crumbs, but I couldn't fit it into our schedule.”
“Are you always this facetious when you've got the wind in your mane?” Seraphimus asked.
“How'd you know?” Rainbow glanced smugly at her. “For the most part, I ran from you on hoof.”
“And she still whooped your hiney!” Ariel stuck her tongue out.
“Charming,” Seraphimus droned. “If this is how you always perform long-distance flight, it's a miracle you made it through the Blight—much less a single ocean.”
“Well, how would you get us back to where we started?” Ariel scoffed at Seraphimus. “In case such was needed to play the coward's game in a pinch?”
“I've been carefully tracking our airborne movements ever since we left that insufferable city of ascetic vagrants and con artists.”
Ariel squinted. “Is that a fact?”
“I've spent my whole life patrolling fields, mountains, and tundras of vast white snow.”
“... … ...”
“In addition...” Seraphimus pointed at her own skull. “...keen avian senses. Even from this far, I still taste the rhythmic frequencies hailing from that accursed pink excuse for a sea.” A slight shudder. “It haunts my bones.”
Rainbow craned her neck. “Wildcard? You too?”
The Desperado was already nodding.
“And you've also been tracking our adjustments?”
Wildcard confirmed this with a slow salute.
“Huh...” Ariel blinked. “...all this time, too? Must be migraine-inducing.”
“You...” Seraphimus seethed briefly. “...have no idea.”
Wildcard merely shrugged and waved his metal talon from side to side.
“Neato keano.” Rainbow smirked, facing ahead. “I wonder what other badass secrets you griffons are holding onto.”
“Wildcard? A hundred million, I'm sure.” Ariel winked at Rainbow. “He just doesn't have the ego to spill all of them in casual conversation.”
Wildcard merely smiled.
Seraphimus sighed. “We'll get nowhere in this venture without full complicity.”
“Well, I for one am glad to have griffon awesomeness times two,” Rainbow said.
“Figures.” Fluttershy smiled, winking as she flew closer to her anchor in a ghostly streak. “Even long ago in flight camp—you were telling me how you always wanted to be a griffon. Just like Gilda.”
“Ah-Ahem!” Rainbow Dash dramatically cleared her throat while Twilight, Pinkie, and Rarity giggled. “We'll try to keep our path straight and simple from here on out. Ya hear that, Ariel? No showing off!”
“Hey! I can behave!”
“See that you do,” Seraphimus said. She flew closer to Rainbow and spoke to her before an annoyed Ariel could interject. “If I recall, we passed south of the Bloodwings' lair long before we approached Blobstain.”
“... … ...” Rainbow Dash merely stared at the griffon.
The former Talon Commander rolled her eyes. “Sorry. Further Alpha of the lair.”
Rainbow nodded. “They should be closer towards Omega and Edgeside from where Blobstain is.”
“By the Spring Havens...” Seraphimus muttered, staring down at the pitch-black countryside looming far below their flight. “I can scarcely grasp the absurd lexicon involved in mapping this purgatorial place.”
“Blessed Celestia...” Rarity fanned herself. “I wish she would avoid that word.”
Pinkie's muzzle scrunched. “'Mapping?'”
Rarity groaned, facehoofing.
Rainbow ignored them both, replying to Seraphimus. “It's not hard. Need a crash course?”
“No, I do not need—”
“Pretend you've just arrived at the Edge!” Rainbow smiled stupidly, gesturing with both hooves. “And the End of the World is right behind you.” She swung her right hoof. “Towards your right is Omega. Towards your left is Alpha.” She nodded into the horizon. “Straight ahead would be the far end—Curveside!”
“Only right this moment...” Seraphimus gestured. “...we're facing Omega.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You know what I meant. I was giving an example.”
“Shattering the air to make room for more confusion, is more like it.”
“Sera,” Rainbow groaned. “I'm trying to help you help me—”
“Right now, we are approaching the Omega horizon of the plane while moving thirty-seven degrees Edgeside.” Seraphimus gestured towards the eight o'clock position. “If there's ever any doubt, we can clearly see the far end—Curveside—over there.”
Twilight Sparkle drew closer to Rainbow. “Not to mention the exact location of the Midnight Armory.” A bright, eggheady smile. “Courtesy of the gifts you got with the Utaan beacon.”
“Oh right! That word!” Pinkie blinked. “That's an important word, right? It's only two syllables, so it's got to be special!”
Rainbow maintained focus on Seraphimus. “And here I didn't think you paid attention to anything in our travels.”
“I always paid attention,” Seraphimus said. “I simply had no reason to care.”
Wildcard couldn't help but nod in agreement.
“And... uh...” Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck. “...what about now?”
Seraphimus looked forward in their flight. “I am simply employing my talents.” A slight shake of the head. “Not my sincerity.”
“That much is certain.”
Wildcard smirked.
Seraphimus was deadpan. “You might find—Rainbow Dash—that cold objectivity will be more valuable than the whole of your precious 'Herald Seven' combined.”
“It's five now,” Ariel muttered. “Axan wasn't the only one to sacrifice her life.” Steely eyes. “How useful was your 'cold objectivity' at the Battle of Bleak's Plummet?”
Wildcard winced.
Seraphimus didn't even look at Ariel. “I see it was a mistake thinking I could open my beak.”
“Sure, the Herald's short a few badasses.” Rainbow Dash wrestled control of the conversation. “We can manage. Besides...” She waggled her eyebrows at Seraphimus. “...it only means we've got two slots to fill!”
Ariel looked like she was going to gag.
Wildcard gestured: “Perhaps her ego could fill two slots at once.”
“Hah!” Twilight Sparkle laughed, covering her ghostly muzzle. Even Applejack smirked.
“You're not wrong, Dubya!” Rainbow Dash flew upside down again, gazing at Seraphimus with a crooked smile. “How about it, Sourpusshima? Wanna get an Odrsjot tattoo? Hmmm? A complimentary dark side tramp stamp?”
“I. Would rather die. A thousand deaths...” Seraphimus sneered. “...than ever be a member of your asinine fan club.”
“Hey, that's not so bad.” Rainbow Dash yawned into the winds. “It's taken just a few thousand deaths for me to be me.” Th-Thwpp! She twirled upright and kicked ahead of the group with flapping wings. “Keep up speed, dudes! A good bloodflow will keep us awake and alert!”
“Are you really... really in that much of a hurry to meet Lexxic?” Ariel asked, fidgeting slightly.
Wildcard cocked his head aside curiously.
“There's the rub, Ariel.” Rainbow's eyes filled with stars, stars, and more stars. The dim glow combined into a gray malaise. “Dragonstones... avian senses... old Cylindrimanian maps from Darkstine? None of that really matters.” She clenched her jaw. “I'm pretty sure—in the end—it's all about Lexxic finding us.”
Ariel bit her lip.
Seraphimus was silent.
“Awwwwwwwww fudge...” Rainbow dipped and climbed in a matter of seconds. “How about a few barrel rolls for the heck of it...???”
Rainbow Dash was lost in thought when Ariel's voice pierced the wind at random. She looked towards the Heraldite, watching as the mare gestured at the landscape below. Ariel was pointing out a series of shallow canyons and porous cave features blurring by below. A moment or two passed by, with Rainbow staring blankly at the dim earth... not understanding the significance of what was being referenced.
At last, Ariel—flabbergasted—spelled it out for her: they had all seen that particular landscape before. Ariel remembered it from when Rainbow and the Herald were marching behind the dihmer hunting party heading back to Blobstain.
The striking thing about this was that such an event must have transpired several days ago. True, it was difficult to measure “time” in a place like the Dark Side. But—if Rainbow Dash and Ariel had to guess—the last time they had passed that spot was something close to a week ago. At least.
And it had just taken the four of them something close to twelve hours to pass by again, heading more or less in the reverse direction. In nonstop fight. Wildcard and Seraphimus both corroborated Ariel's observation. After much concentration, Rarity also confirmed it. Backtracking the same route by flight had been accomplished with the speed of greased lightning.
Rainbow Dash had always assumed that scaling the Dark Side by wing would be the swiftest way to reach the Midnight Armory. Not until now—however—thanks to Ariel's revelation did she truly grasp how much faster it would have been to accomplish her mission by air.
In theory, of course. Rainbow Dash knew that flying straight for the Armory would be a veritable death sentence. There were countless hazards along the way: oceans of smothering ooze, beastly creatures of unmitigated chaos, an epic war of massive scale. All of these things were far too deadly, too immense, and too unpredictable to properly avoid with any assurance of survival.
But part of her still felt... somewhat nauseated by the whole comprehension. Illogical or not, Rainbow felt almost as if she had been doing things wrong. Being lazy. Tempting fate. Wasting time. The fate of Ponyville, Equestria, Urohringr... her friends hung in the balance. And she wasn't doing her damnedest to get to the Midnight Armory immediately.
Rarity wasn't the only pony who despised backtracking. Rainbow Dash groaned. Barely a “day” into the group's flight, and she felt interminably burdened by surmounting anxieties. Retracing her steps just... wasn't very “awesome.”
True, Rainbow had done it before. Hiking towards Wyvern Point in the northwest mountains of Rohbredden was technically backtracking. But out of that expedition, she had won the companionship of Mortuana, the Herald... and Axan.
The southern excursion to Searo's Hold was a wild detour that Rainbow Dash had never asked to be a part of. Still—she had needed to heal from her wounds. And had she never faced off against Lady Pestiferous and her gang... she'd never have come so close to Roarke—and there was no taking that back.
Plus, that one about-face in Gray Smoke—after the run-in with Khao of the Central Herald—was a journey of sheer necessity. Kera needed to be rescued at all costs. And while there were a few occasions after first meeting Zaid when Rainbow very much wanted to strangle the ex-cultist, there was no denying how important it was that fate brought her and her companions in close contact with Nevlamas.
But here—in the Dark Side—Rainbow Dash felt terribly curtailed. After all, there was no Noble Jury to ferry her and her companions over the erratic landscape. There was no safe cloud upon which to coast high above the many hazards and perils of a land bereft of harmony. Here, she was essentially stumbling in the dark—like an infant filly trotting blindly down a long dark hallway.
On top of that, everything was so bleak... so uniform... so depressingly featureless that it took a monumental amount of clambering before the tiniest hint of progress could be noted. Flynn or Wildcard or Kepler would spot a slight hilltop of acid-scarred stone and it felt like discovering a new continent. Logan would trip on a random fissure and it was as if war was declared. Every tiny discovery was a momentous bombshell echoing up the throat of a deep, deep well, and Rainbow had gotten terribly used to amplifying even the smallest of crawling lengths gained.
And it hurt... it positively stung to realize—now that she was back in her windy element—how infinitesimally minuscule those conquered lengths truly were. Once upon a time, Rainbow Dash flew over entire kingdoms in her sleep. Now she was struggling to hop the tiniest river and confront the most broken down village of fools.
It didn't help to understand that she needed the Herald and the Herald needed time, patience, and caution to provide Rainbow the assistance that was necessary to survive this domain. It was stupid, but Rainbow almost wished they could just build themselves an airship—the Hoverplank 2.0 or something—and use that to zoom around at the speed of daring.
But... Rainbow Dash also knew how foolish it was to pine for another “Noble Jury”—both the airship and the companionship. Floydien's “Nancy Jane” served Rainbow and her friends in the exact time and places where it was needed. This was not the Light Side. This was not Ledomare or Xona or Stratopolis or Durandana or Val Roa.
This was the Dark Side. The Dark Side did not need the Noble Jury. It needed the Herald of Angels—for that was what had been rendered to it. It was what had been rendered to Rainbow Dash.
There was a time when she needed neither—when she didn't need anypony. Those were the days when she could fly without looking back... where she could go for days without touching the ground. Clouds would be her beds. Mists, her pillows.
But...
Even then... Rainbow Dash never really made the best use of time. As far back as Windthrow... Emeraldine... Darkstine...
...it was as if Rainbow Dash wanted to shirk progress in her travels. A noble distraction, perhaps, for in those days all Rainbow concerned herself was ignoring the fact that her days were numbered. She never truly believed she would reach the Edge of the World—much less grasp the Harmonic Prism. She just wanted to keep moving... keep experiencing... keep living. Her friends were dead, and she was next.
But after the Grand Choke...
After the Grand Choke, so much had changed. In a mere blink, her entire future had a different design to it. She had something to live for; something to restore. Rainbow experienced nausea then too—and an insurmountable wall of regret over all the distance she could have covered if she hadn't stopped for anything.
Then again, not stopping for anything wouldn't have brought Rainbow to the point where she could see and hear and talk to her friends once again. There was no telling—not for sure—if Rainbow would even still be alive had she done nothing but fly. Did she seek out the beacons of the Machine World on purpose? Or did they call her to them?
Some message from Ilrifa, no doubt. A tugging force that far-predated Verlax. Maybe something as old as Urohringr was willing Rainbow Dash into this entire odyssey. If so, then was her abominable pace all over the place—from Ledomare to Alafreo to the Dark Side—also part of the plan?
The only thing worse than backtracking was overthinking things. Rainbow Dash solaced herself by looking at Twilight Sparkle. In mid-flight, the ghostly egghead was chatting amicably with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. The three laughed as they reminisced about some random Ponyville memory or another. The smile on Twilight's face showed that she hadn't a worry in the world—which, for a ghost, spoke volumes. It was cathartic.
Rainbow smiled—if only lightly. Assuming everything hit a brick wall... assuming hope was a futile thing and the obstacles ahead—the Bloodwings, the Dream Council, Lexxic—proved too much for Rainbow to endure, at least she had enjoyed a chance to reunite with those whom she loved so dearly... whom she would gladly have given her life for... whom she still would.
Her eyes trailed aside, glazing across blonde bangs, a laughing muzzle, freckles that shone in the stars. Rainbow allowed her eyes to slice into the winds, and as the resulting tears squeezed loose, she thought about hers... leaking from ice blue pools that she had hidden for far too long behind metal and menace. But for a short time—blissfully short and precious—she had shared them with Rainbow. She had shared so much.
Maybe stalls and detours weren't such terrible things after all.
And... in some strange way... it was even refreshing to know how quickly... how awesomely Rainbow Dash could scale all of the lengths, distances, and hurdles that at one time seemed insurmountable. Assuming she and her friends and Equestria and Urohringr and Scootaloo and all of the other adorable fuzzballs squatting around the campfire survived this entire mess, what was there to stop Rainbow Dash from returning—returning to everything—for a swift victory lap? Just to see how laughably short it all was?
A charming thought. A daring thought. It brought a smirk to Rainbow's lips, and—as always—she slipped the goggles on. The time for tears was over.
For now.
“Here...” Seraphimus reached over the flat bed of stone with her talon. “...this is what I propose.”
Rainbow Dash and Wildcard perched beside her on the edge of the plateau where they had made camp. Ariel was soundly sleeping on a bedroll a few paces away.
“When you sense Lexxic's party approaching us...” Seraphimus had three rocks placed in the center of the stretch of earth. She prepared to place a handful of pebbles closer to the cliff's edge. She paused—however—glancing at Rainbow Dash. “...and you will be able to sense them, yes?”
“I think you're finally catching on, Sera,” Rainbow said with a wink and a smirk.
Seraphimus exhaled heavily, then finally place the rocks down. “When the Bloodwings approach...” She dragged the pebbles towards the three lone samples in the center. “The three of you keep evenly-spaced apart. About half-a-dozen meters per creature, no less” She pointed at the encompassing space. “You'll be out in the open, inviting Lexxic and his cretins to surround you.”
“Then...” Rainbow Dash was already grimacing. “...we'll be surrounded.”
“True, but they'll have to thin their numbers on all sides to do it.” Seraphimus gestured. “You keep the spaces between the three of you. Rainbow—assuming you're the one front in center, speaking to Lexxic—you'll have absorbed the maximum focus of the group. But—” Seraphimus whipped out one final pebble and dragged it in from the far side. “—should the conversation go poorly, and the Bloodwings attempt to commit violence, Jordan can give me a signal.” Her rock swooped in and collided with the thine line of pebbles surrounding the initial three. “I'll rush in from the flank—taking out two to four midnighters... easily. That'll thin their numbers on that side and the three of you can rush it.” The former Talon Commander leaned back with a breath of finality. “Using my element of surprise, the four of us can fly off before they have a chance to intercept.” Her headcrest tightened. “...and pray to the powers that be that we can outfly them on the way back to Blobstain.”
Silence.
Rainbow Dash exchanged looks with Wildcard. She turned back towards Seraphimus, squinting. “And they made you the Commander of Verlaxion's Right Talon?”
Seraphimus stifled a groan. “We are working without trees. Without erratic limestone topography. Without snow cover. And without proper ranged weaponry.” She held a talon towards the mosaic of rocks she had made. “For all that it's worth, this is the best I can do.”
Rainbow snorted. “Quite frankly, I'm more impressed that you found all these pebbles so quickly after we made camp!”
“Mrmmmfff...” Seraphimus folded her forelimbs. “It would—quite frankly—astonish me to hear you come up with a better plan.” She raised an eyecrest. “Given our sheer lack of resources.”
Wildcard hand-signed. “She is right, though. This really is the best plan if we were attacked randomly by Lexxic and his followers.”
Rainbow replied with the only phrase she could afford with her unopposable pony hoof: “True?”
The Desperado nodded. “Plans like this worked back in Rohbredden while fighting pirates and criminals. She was good at making them.”
“I'm totally not denying that,” Rainbow said, shaking her head. She turned to look at Seraphimus again. “But there's not much about it that's... too likable.”
“You mean how it has absolutely no means of anticipating an extraordinarily large force of midnighters meeting us?” Seraphimus shook her head. “If we're dealing with a third of the Trinary War's armies... I'm afraid I cannot help you.”
“Heh... wouldn't that be flattering. If Lexxic brings all the boys.” Rainbow smirked. She cleared her throat. “No, I don't mean the sheer impossibility of numbers or the certainty of death. Heck... I deal with that nonsense every Tuesday. Always have—even before butting heads with you.”
“How quaint.”
Rainbow gestured at the lone pebble representing Seraphimus. “I just don't like how an idea like this involves us deceiving Lexxic about our numbers. No offense, Sera, but I doubt even a badass death seagull like you could hide from a bunch of Luna's finest... who have had generations upon generations of hardcore acclimating to the Dark Side.”
Wildcard sighed and signaled: “They may have sensed all four of us already, and we have not even seen them.”
“Exactly.” Rainbow nodded. “Do you imagine how pissed off Lexxic and his buddy-buddies would be if they knew we were trying—even in vain—to pull a fast one on them?”
Seraphimus droned: “I wasn't aware that you cared that much about his feelings.”
“Don't be stupid. I know you too well.”
“Mrmmmmm...”
“And besides...” Rainbow gulped. “I'm more concerned about staying on Nat'rdo's good side. She's part of the cool kids I'm needing to impress. Lexxic—for all his might and awesomeness—is still just an errand boy.”
“A very violent and successful errand boy,” Seraphimus said. “Who wields authority over the army protecting that elusive 'Dream Council.'”
“All too true. Which is why—so long as he's the one playing chaperone to the Bloodwing vacation resort—I wanna keep from ruffling his feathers too badly.” A brief silence. Rainbow rolled her eyes and griped aside: “Fine... leathers. Yeesh, Twilight. You never miss a beat, do ya?”
Wildcard gestured.
To which Seraphimus responded: “Jordan shares my sentiment. It still behooves us to anticipate the worst.”
“Right.” Rainbow nodded. “Which is why we should all face Lexxic and his bloodsuckers together.”
“I...” Seraphimus' eyes narrowed. “...fail to see how having us all potentially surrounded would be a wise course of action. Unlike you, I do not worry about this Lexxic's supposed temper. If I hold back as backup for an escape via the flank—and he senses this—no doubt a veteran soldier such as himself would appreciate such a cautious tactic. No doubt... a soldier such as Lexxic is implementing the same himself.”
Rainbow's muzzle twisted. “You think he's actually intimidated by lil' ol' me?”
Seraphimus sat up straight. “Not every force who opposes you is as... … …arrogant as I've been about it, Rainbow Rogue.”
“Hah!” Rainbow barked. She grinned stupidly at Wildcard, then her invisible friends. “Hah hah!” she kepler'd, then smiled rosily at Seraphimus. “As charming as it is for you to reach such truly freakish levels of humility after all we've been through, Sera-chan, I'm not really one to gloat about it. At least... not while we've got so little precious time to rest here at camp. After all, we've got an even bigger baddie than you to make friendly with. Ahem... no offense.” She clustered the four stones representing the party tightly together. “Sooooooooooo... here is what I propose.”
“How I quiver with anticipation,” Seraphimus droned.
Wildcard scooted closer.
Rainbow gave him room to see. “You guys come in close. And you stay behind me... at all times.” Rainbow's ruby eyes remained trained on the two griffons. “If things should go bad—and, believe you me, my friends will know in advance if they're about to—then I will send the signal to Wildcard.”
“And after that...?” Seraphimus asked.
“After that...” Rainbow Dash took the forward-most rock and flicked it through the pile of surrounding pebbles, knocking them every which way like marbles. “...I will fly up—straight skyward—as fast as equinely possible.”
“The 'Austraeoh' escapes to live another day.” Seraphimus nodded, deadpan. “I understand why you would choose to flee.”
Rainbow glared at her. “I'll perform the sonic rainboom.”
Silence.
“Y'know...” Rainbow gestured. “...the sonic rainboom?”
More silence.
Wildcard whistled. He briskly talon-signed: “It is a bright and thunderous explosion of air, pegasus magic, and spectral—”
“I know what it is,” Seraphimus snarled, frowning. “Brye Chandler described to me—more than once—the blighted power that destroyed the path to Verlaxion's lair at Frostknife.” A long sigh, and she looked at Rainbow. “And you used it on my troops at Starkiss, as I recall.”
“Cool.” Rainbow slapped Seraphimus' shoulder. “Glad to have you in on the fanclub.”
Seraphimus muttered out the side of her beak.
Wildcard “spoke” to Rainbow: “Are you betting on this working with the Bloodwings?”
“The only other pegasus in history that I imagine being capable of pulling off the rainboom was Commander Hurricane.” Rainbow leaned back. “And she vanished long before the sarosians came into being.”
Wildcard looked at Seraphimus, signing: “It could work. It could throw them off their guard.”
Seraphimus cold charcoal eyes reflected his talons. “Your deep faith is hardly surprising, Jordan.”
“Look, I'm not wanting to wipe anypony out,” Rainbow said. “I'm hoping against hope that this meeting goes as well as it could possibly go... … ...as Nat'rdo wills it.” She blinked. “We're not the only ones who wanna get to the Midnight Armory in one piece!”
“All ulterior motives aside, I cannot support your trust in her,” Seraphimus said. “Not to the extent that you seem bent on pursuing it.” She gestured. “Aside from a few fleeting visions, you know next to nothing about her or this dream council...” Her eyes narrowed. “You don't even know if this isn't more than a mere trap.”
Rainbow merely bit her lip.
“But... seeing as we're headed towards a meeting anyway...” Seraphimus sighed. “...I acknowledge that your plan could very well be the strongest.”
“Hey... fancy that—”
“Don't start gloating,” Seraphimus griped. Her gaze sharpened. “What follows?”
“Hmmm? Oh! You mean after the sonic rainboom!”
“Precisely...”
“Just as in your plan, we make a run for it.” Rainbow held her hoof up. “But... we split up.”
Wildcard grimaced. His talons swiped the air: “We split again?”
“Well, it makes sense this time,” Seraphimus interjected. “It'll potentially force them to thin their pursuing numbers.”
“We go about it this way.” Rainbow gestured. “Wildcard and Seraphimus—you pair up. You both have a bunch of experience in working together against murderous flankholes back in Rohbredden. Plus—your griffon senses give you an advantage. I doubt any of Lexxic's soldiers will be any match for you once you take wing—I don't care how much experience they've gotten.”
“But what about you and the nymphomaniacal one?” Seraphimus asked. “What is your edge?”
“My friends, of course.” Rainbow smiled smugly. “With their ghostly butts by my side, we'll shake Lexxic's melon fudges off. Then—once we've put distance between us and the baddies...” She gestured nebulously towards Alpha. “We'll find you... and return to Blobstain.”
Wildcard and Seraphimus exchanged glances.
At last—after a shared nod—it was the former Commander who spoke. “Sounds like a competent plan.”
Wildcard sliced the air: “If... the meeting does not go well.”
Rainbow ran a hoof through her mane. “I'm super glad we got talking about it over with.”
Wildcard gestured: “It went strangely quick.”
“Yeah...” Rainbow nodded. “...maybe because neither Logan nor Flynn are here with their smarminess.”
“Or perhaps because your insufferable filly-fooler is asleep,” Seraphimus droned.
“Hmmm? Oh. Right.” Rainbow looked over at Ariel—curled up like a feline on her mat. “Yeah... well...” She turned to wink at the two griffons. “I won't tell her if you won't.”
Seraphimus slowly nodded. She realized Wildcard was staring at him. Looking over, she saw twin reflections of a beak... smirking. She shook it off with a ruffle of feathers, then shot up on all fours with a huff. “I'm on guard first.”
“Of course you are,” Rainbow belched.
“Do not sleep for too long.” Seraphimus flapped her wings and flapped off. “We need energy... not an excuse to delay the inevitable”
“Story of my life.” Rainbow yawned. “Since we arrived in this toilet bowl world, anyway.” She yawned again.
Hours passed.
Later, Axan's dragonstone flickered—and Rainbow Dash and her companions flew along with it.
It took them over a increasingly erratic landscape. Gone was the slate black uniformity that encompassed the first half of the aerial sojourn: boring and bland and banal. Here and now, the blurring earth below knifed repeatedly in slanted plateaus, resembling an ocean of dark blue wax that had frozen in the middle of a choppy storm.
The stone had a charred, singed look toward it. With each passsing cleft of rock, it looked more and more as though some violent magic had blasted its way towards Alpha at a savage angle. The sharp edges of the cliffs were laced with irremovable black blemishes. A few times, Rainbow and Ariel dove down low enough to get a better look. It was then that they saw even darker marks—at times silhouettes—in the shape of large animals and quadrupedal beasts. Soon, it became apparent that the carbon imprints of countless wildlife had been unceremoniously plastered against the rockface some undetermined length of time ago.
Ariel and Wildcard looked nervously at Rainbow. The mare said nothing—mirroring Seraphimus' own cold silence. The group continued flying—regaining their lofty elevation as they did so—and in time there were more clues as to what had so heinously stained the lanscape.
There were thin, deep, and rigid canyons dug randomly into the perforated earth. It looked as if a giant carving knife had sliced its way across the belly of the plane. Rainbow Dash was immediately reminded of the pin-needle slices she had witnessed early on while crossing the Grand Choke, but this phenomenon wasn't nearly that large of a scale.
Besides, Rainbow and her fellow companions knew quite well what had most likely caused these strange indentations. And yet—as they peeled their eyes towards Omega—they saw nothing bright in the sky. No sign of a lunar anomaly levitating to greet them.
At first, they were thankful. Then—as the hours of flight stretched onward—they were anything but.
The Bloodwings had to have known that they were coming. Rainbow had slept—briefly, but she experienced slumber nevertheless. And yet there had been no additional dream visitations from Nat'rdo or any of her cohorts. This was disconcerting, for Rainbow assumed that greater proximity to the Bloodwings and their lair would have allowed for a far clearer telepathic communication.
But no. All was silent—just as all was dark and featureless in the sky. It was no secret that Rainbow Dash had agreed to meet up with the Bloodwings' champion strategist...
...but there was simply no sign of him. Not even a hint. Rainbow had no doubt that Axan's dragonstone was leading her to the home of the Bloodwings, so she had no doubt that they'd encounter the faction eventually. But the fact that the chaperone hadn't shown his face yet made her wonder...
Did they pick up on the fact that Rainbow Dash knew their location? Were they playing this out and standing back as passive observers? If so, should Rainbow and her friends have gotten themselves lost and off-course on purpose... so as to falsely telegraph the true nature of their devices?
Rainbow tried to breathe calmly. Meditatively.
She was overthinking things. She was always overthinking things these days. At this rate, Rainbow would turn into Twilight Sparkle long before returning home to Ponyville. In fact, she might do Twilight something extra and grow alicorn wings. Then she'd have something to brag about. A silly trophy that would drive herself insane.
No...
She just had to relax.
And lately... ever since emerging on the Dark Side... there was only one way for Rainbow Dash to relax.
Rainbow Dash stopped dragging her hoof through a thin layer of dirt, ending the last of many... many curved lines and half-circles. She squatted, hunched over the patch of earth on the corner of the camp where she and the other three had chosen to rest after so many hours of flight.
Curves and lines and half circles and mutated crescents...
Shuddering through a sigh, Rainbow leaned back and observed the mish-mesh of random designs carved through the sediment. Her ruby eyes danced left and right... up and down... bouncing between the lines before rolling back around to repeat the meandering motions.
One by one, her ghostly companions peeked their fuzzy heads around Rainbow Dash from all floating sides. They squinted at the work of “art,” if one could call it that.
“Reckon I give up,” Applejack muttered, tilting her hat back. “I was gonna say it looks like a heap'o'apple slices, but t'ain't juicy enough.”
“That's the worst game of tic-tac-toe I've ever seen!” Pinkie hollered.
“Pinkie, please,” Rarity cooed. “It is obviously not that. Besides, why would Rainbow Dash even play with herself?”
“Boredom?” Fluttershy blinked at the others. “I mean... if I could touch dirt again, that's what I would do.”
Twilight Sparkle looked pointedly at Rainbow. “Back in the city... deep in Abaddon's lair...” Her violet eyes narrowed. “...did she say anything about this? Were there... any lyrics to her song that would explain why this keeps manifesting in your head?”
“Nope.” Rainbow shook her head. “Not even a hint. But...” Rainbow squinted as he pointed at the collage of curves. “...I'm starting to think this isn't from her song.”
“You don't think the spider bite did this to you, darling?” Rarity remarked.
“It kinda sorta looks like what a spider would see!” Pinkie grinned, pointing at all of the layers of curves. “Y'know, cuz of how kaleidoscop-y their eyes are!”
Twilight glared at Pinkie. “Spiders have simple eyes, not compound.”
“Oh. Really?” Pinkie rubbed the back of her head while smiling nervously. “To tell the truth... I maaaaaaaaybe wasn't looking at them hard enough the entire time were down there! Eheheheh...”
“If t'ain't from Abaddon...” Applejack looked at Rainbow. “...then maybe it's from all that Austraeoh mojo flowin' through ya?”
Rainbow clenched her teeth, hissing. “... … ...I still don't know.”
“Well, don'tcha want to nip this thang in the bud?” Applejack hovered closer to her anchor. “Think... Rainbow. When have you encountered these important symbol-thingies before?”
“Usually... uhhhh... inside or outside one of the entrances to the Machine World,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Y'know... where I'd duck in to make contact with the beacon's flame?”
“Did you see something like this the last time?” Fluttershy asked. “Before we reached the Edge of the World?”
“No. Pretty sure I didn't. Not this symbol. Besides...” Rainbow pointed at the mess, exhaling in frustration. “This is different.”
“How so?” Rarity asked.
“It's... it...” Rainbow gulped, wracking her brain. “It never stays the same.”
“How do you mean?” Twilight asked.
“Well, the dang thing is different each and every time I feel compelled to sketch it,” Rainbow explained.
“And you are sketching it often, Dashie!” Pinkie grinned. “Turning into a regulart artist here! Artistraeoh! Hah! Get it?” She winked, waving a dainty hoof. “Ehhhhh... that one's for free.”
“Are there any similarities between the sketches you've made?” Twilight asked. “Maybe we could uncover a pattern.”
“Why would I wanna do that, Twi?”
“Because...” Twilight floated around her and hovered above the painting. “...maybe you'll find the actual symbol that you're looking for.”
“I... really don't think I'm looking for another symbol,” Rainbow Dash stammered.
“But...” Rarity's muzzle scrunched. “That doesn't make sense! You said they were all different each time you sketch them, right?”
“Yeah...?”
“Well...” Twilight folded her forelimbs. “Only one of them has got to be what you're looking for—”
Before Twilight finished that breath, she vanished. In fact, all of Rainbow's marefriends vanished. They blipped out like melting snow in fast-forward, leaving Rainbow with a reeling wave of dizziness. As she collapsed on all four limbs, she spotted a dragonequus floating by, wearing a striped shirt and a black beret.
“Or maybe...” Discord drifted sideways, casually puffing on a cigarette at the end of a long black holder. “...they're all the right symbol.” He winked.
Just as soon as he appeared, Discord vanished. Twilight and the rest of Rainbow's friends reappeared—and they all looked just as bewildered as their anchor.
Rainbow's eyes widened—flickering red-on-yellow for the briefest of breaths. Her gaze was immediately drawn towards the sky above Omega. A tiny patch of starlight—smaller than a pinprick—fluctuated before Rainbow as it streaked earthward. Staring straight at the anomaly brought on the same dizziness and nausea that had surfaced when Discord briefly appeared.
A soreness formed in the back of Rainbow's throat. She couldn't help but tremble.
Wildcard was the first to notice. He stopped what he was doing and shot up into a standing position, gripping Bard's staff. Ariel saw his readiness, then turned with a worried look towards Rainbow. Seraphimus blinked in confusion at the group.
“Uhm...” Fluttershy sheepishly floated closer. “...Rainbow?”
“I know, Flutters.” Rainbow steeled herself, facing Omega as the cold air rang with rhythmic chants. “He's here.”
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It’s almost like the hiatus was a dream — it feels like it’s fading away a little more with every chapter. So good to be back!
wait
this is still going?
I mean...this is you, so I really shouldn't be surprised. It's just...mind boggling, my dude.
Swag. I'm so glad this train is back running
Awwwwwwwwwww, hell...
Such glorious art.
All the right symbol...
Parts of a greater whole, or constantly rearranging itself?
Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
10321839
I’m so nervouscited!
Well, like it or not, we're gonna be at the Bloodwings' mercy very soon....
....Dash is a weeb
10321861
Hmmm.
So we know each new symbol we see corresponds to the title of a book, which in turn has a meaning in the language of the Angels. We also know that, in all likelihood, the next word will be “Ilrifa.”
This might have some translation in their language / ancient Norse - I seem to recall some discussion of this in the comments way back when, but I’m not up to finding it at the moment. That said, we know that it also has a specific meaning insofar as it is the entity that was speaking to RD at all the seeds. However, it’s still unclear whether or not Ilrifa is an individual (i.e. one of the Angels), a construct (i.e. some sort of Urohringr AI), or a collective (presumably of the Angels).
So it stands to reason that what we’re seeing is Ilrifa, and may in fact represent both the word (if there is one) and the entity. Given the constantly-shifting nature of the “symbol” thus far, I’m beginning to suspect option 3 - Ilrifa is some sort of collective consciousness rather than a discrete individual or construct.
Or maybe (4) I’m totally off my rocker. Always a distinct possibility.
Welp, show time
time to see for ourselves what we are dealing with.
And the Shipping ship
That aside, speed isn't everything, and it is what has been done that matters more than how fast it has been done.
#mood
But to hell with that. Eastward maaaaaaaaaaaaaaan
Interesting. Time to confront Lexxic hopefully this will go smoothly and I feel at this point it has to. If it doesn't not much else can be done to actually move Rainbow and the group forward.
10321919
Ilrifa most likely comes from the ancient Norse words/roots "illr" and "rífa". "Illr" is an adjective meaning bad/evil, ugly/unpleasing, or difficult and "rífa" is a verb mean rip/tear. I think there two best translation is The Sundering as a event and as an action, evil tear/rip lines up with this. Also in Utaan "A Garden Lost in Shadow"(chapter 250) , Rainbow asks "Ilrifa... do you remember anything?", this was Ilrifa's response:
I believe your idea that Ilrifa is a collective makes most sense, Ilrifa could be a collective of those who caused the The Sundering and regret it. Also Ilrifa never uses "I" or "me" as first person pronoun, only "we".
10322005
I think “smoothly” may be a bit much to hope for...
On the one hand, we could have complete acceptance by the Bloodwings, which would give RD and company a free Shard and a leg up in future encounters.
On the other hand, we could have a total breakdown of negotiations, which would turn the mission into a smash-and-grab with a quick escape to the blob and no remorse.
Personally, I’m girding myself for the messiest possible outcome - a schism among the Bloodwings. Friendly batpones will die for their faith in RD, and enemy batpones will die because they couldn’t accept change, and everyone will be sad as everything goes to Tartarus.
I really hope I’m wrong...
10322030
Thanks for finding that!
If “Ilrifa” also represents the Sundering, it would also make some sense that it be represented by a shifting collection of arcs.
The question then becomes, “did the word exist in the Angels’ language before the Sundering?” Verlax’s ramblings seemed to suggest that this Sundering-rebirth s*** was cyclical, but then again she was mad on chaos-juice. Seems more likely that the word came into being after all the writings, which would also explain Keps’ puzzlement when he was watching RD draw lines.
Rainbow wants to go fast.
So good to be back
So, is she sketching the floating remains of the fragments?
10321919
I was kinda figuring that RD was drawing the cloud of fragments that their current curved plate is part of. Basically, a slice of a three-dimensional cloud as it's moving through the chaotic void of "space."
Also, Ilrifa could simply be a portion of the whole of the once mega-structure. And it would like to be whole once again.
I can't help but feel like we're spiraling towards a coup with the Sarosians. Lexxic is presented as a ruthless and ambitious tactician who probably wields the real power within their society with the military while the council seems somewhat aloof and relies upon matriarchal tradition for their stature.
Either way, I'm hoping Dash can make inroads with some of the Sarosians. The thought of Rainbow leading a fuzzy, eee'ing army is just too great.
So, put your best face on, everybody
Pretend you know this song, everybody come hang
Let's go out with a bang
BANG, BANG, BANG
Here we go!
I've not read this story, nor any of your previous works in this series, but I've always seen them pop up now and again. A few weeks back a comment on a story I read mentioned you and I decided to check in, to see what had been added to your body of work, only to discover that you had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth. Seeing that made me feel somewhat melancholic to be quite honest -- for many years I'd go to the main page of this site and see in the feature box a story who's name I couldn't hope to properly pronounce the first time with the short synopsis of "Rainbow Dash flies east", it became a regular thing I saw when I logged on. Soon after, more stories with equally difficult to speak names would pop up, and other stuff would happen, but Rainbow Dash would continue to fly east, going by the short descriptions.
Eventually, Utaan came out, and me, a non reader, saw the description and thought "Wow, she flew as far east as she could and is at the Edge Of The World(capital letter emphasis intentional), this seems like the conclusion and I hope the fans love it, maybe I can finally give it a go when it's done!" except you were/are a madman and it was not done, and I would have known this had I bothered to read these works, instead of merely taking notice when it seemed to live in the feature box for weeks at a time. But, it disappeared -- and I forgot about the series entirely until it was brought to my attention yet again. I had looked at your profile before, so I knew you put out the first few stories at a blistering pace -- I had jokingly thought that the series would have been up to 20+ books at 500k words apiece by this time 1 month ago -- but it'd been left dormant for 2 years.
When I rediscovered your works a few weeks ago and saw that they had not been touched in 2 years, I felt (as I said in the first paragraph) melancholic; I did not know you and I did not know your works, but seeing those strangely named titles, all bound together with the line of Rainbow Dash Flying East; it was like looking out your window across the street and seeing a particular neighbor going about their business day after day, only to realize after a time that you haven't seen that neighbor in quite a while, and you wonder what happened to them, hoping they're okay even though you don't know their name, let alone have ever spoken to them.
My apologies for this stream-of-consciousness word vomit, especially since it can be summarized in the sentence "Hello I've never read your work at all but I'm glad you're alive", I'm going to go queue up the first story in this series now to read later, then I can finally find out what the deal with flying east was.
That... could work better than expected for them as he said it produces alot of light. Kinda like a giant flashbang. Think about it, an entire race thats been on the dark side for who knows how long gets introduced to a new sun.
Embrace Chaos, Rainbow. It's not your enemy...it's just a different kind of friend. Chaos is just another force in this world that can be manipulated. If you learn to work with the chaos...well...maybe you'll finally understand.
10322257
That... Is strangely enough how a lot of us got into this saga. We saw the titles, read the brief abstract, and said to ourselves "Dafuq?"
Here I am, 5+ years later and this is still on of the greatest rides I've ever been on. I hope you get lost in it as well, there's no better way to spend some time then by reading a good story, and this one doesn't disappoint.
love
Stripesey, is that you?
I swear.... ONE DAY she will rummage through her bag and pull out that compass that somehow got lost somewhere in there hidden in plain sight like ur mom's keys....
no u
I see, someone has been rereading Austraeoh. I remember the wrong name being used in some earlier Ofolrodi chapters.
Also don't forget the excursion to the minotaurs' camp and also when she went back west to face Axan in her cave in Silvadel!
Oh yes, social distancing. Don't catch any bat viruses!
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/298262028915834880/730112081889591376/Grievinginboundsphilosophicalwoodcock_d0c2e5_7825601.png
Oh boy!
Its in Da Rules. Multiple sucessive scouting parties set out to explore the enviroment, discovering the best, and occasionally worst locations and directions. Then, on reaching the required destination, because the path has been mapped and graded, the return journey can be carried out with far more capacity and rapidity.
Like Lightning.
Oh, thats what the pattern reminds me of, the eclipsed sun shining on the ground through teh leaves of a tree blowing in the wind.
Rotating Crystal Heart or Tree Of Harmony Vines?
10322257
Welcome to the ride! And yeah, thats how an awful lot of us were sucked in at first: We saw the four word description and thought 'Eh, why the hell not'.
Love Rainbow recounting all her adventures and friends throughout the previous books.
And her plan of performing a sonic rainboom is pretty awesome. The rainboom might just be bright enough to act as a pseudo sun for the dark side, blinding/distracting any and all dark side creatures nearby, at least for a few moments while they GTFO of there.
10322257
You are in for quite a long and wild ride dude. I found out about Austraeoh through Argodaemon's animation. All I saw was Rainbow being a badass in stunningly detailed environments and decided to see what it was about. Argodaemon's animation was VERY accurate in a lot of those scenes.
And don't worry about spoilers, this animation only features some key scenes that covers like the first 10% of this entire fic.
Well damn, now I have to re-read the whole series.
Still, glad to see that it's back in action, even if it's not at the murderous daily pace you had yourself on before the hiatus.
Interesting symbol this time around. Make me wonder...
And so comes the infamous Lexxic. Time to see which direction this meeting takes us.
Why has no one commented on this one line?
The lines, what do they mean!
I would just like to say that this story is very special to me. I can very safely say that you have managed to write something that I could only call an Epic. Rainbow dash is right to call her journey an Odyssey, because the only pieces of literature I've read that give me the same feeling are those long, mythological texts that tell stories of Gods and mortals, of heroes whose feats are larger than life, world shaking in scale. This world you have built, well, I feel more connected to it than canon. Thank you for writing this story.
May the gods be with you, you crazy man.
I missed this story. Mystery upon mystery as well as some fun interaction.
... and phrasing!
Also, I'm pretty sure Ariel would have a sense for that.
By the way, who is Nat'rdo named after again? Because I just love that name.
10322257
Welcome aboard!
Emotions - you will experience ALL of them.
I hope you enjoy the ride.
--Spade
Rainbow's stargazing tip: fly upside down
10321861
or a "map" to something. Maybe it's the star pattern she needs to be looking for in the sky? Perhaps she needs to align the fragments to reach her goal?
Will this be a "called it" moment for me? I've had so few lately.
It's go time!
10322922
Pretty sure its the name of the Xonans serpent goddess.
Laid up sick only to see that this has returned. Missed the easthorse.
Maybe the Dark Side has chaotic symbols instead of harmonic ones?
It's a very fascinating mental effect that flying has on Rainbow Dash. It's almost like she's getting-
...
...
High.
I'll see myself out.
I didn't expect to ever say this, but I've caught up!
I discovered this whole universe last year & I can't describe the bliss I feel now that it's back! Reading the story while it updates is awesome! I used to feel kind of nostalgic & sad watching all this nice exchange in the comments that I couldn't be a part of as it was all in the past.
Isn't that just a fine metaphor for any creative process, perhaps any process in life as well. Alone you grow, you flourish, you expand into the cosmos and make unimaginable headway unimpeded, undisturbed, undistracted - and then you collapse without the sustenance of the other.
As for the songs of the Vigil, well...
"Void is this form
And this form is the void.
But emptiness is this body,
And naught but this body is emptiness.
And so I see the void of emotions,
Perceptions, thought and consciousness,
All one in nothing."
The buddhist Heart Sutra, turned hymn to terror.
10322137 10322100 I was thinking the same, but there's far too many fragments. Exactly twenty in this picture, while we know the world to be one of twelve.
10322257 Welcome to the ride. I only ask that you pace yourself; 3.6+ million words needs to be spread out.
I think many of us also missed this.
My meta-alarm is going off; PSA: IC reads the comments. Be wary of giving him ideas.
If I point to the moon, where is the importance? The moon? What it reflects? My finger? the holder of the pointer? Or even the path itself?
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I'll add my two cents regarding the new symbol. If it's different each time RD sketches it, then it may indeed be spread out through space or time. It could be cross-sections in space or perhaps projections from different angles. It could be snapshots over time, or blurs of a sequence, if it's even in order. It however could also be purely conceptual, and to give it form is to talk about what it is not.
Give it time, Sera. Give it time. You'll soon come around once you stop being stubborn murder death chicken x3
I'm amazed how many details Skirts remembers from the past books. So glad to have you back, and the story is picking up wonderfully, as if there never was a hiatus.
What happens with the edgeside/curveside terms when they get to the middle of the dark side? I guess they might be used because everyone we've seen crossed the eastern edge of the plane.
That's a little TMI, Flutters!
That first part was about your journey just as much as RD's wasn't it? I thought it was brilliantly written.
I'm thinking they need to layer the sketches to make a whole picture.
Also, Sera-chan is tsundere for rainbow senpai.
It's a trap!
Getting closer to catching up after several years. Can’t wait to see how this all turns up.
Huh... Interesting.
Showtime, boys