Contractually Obligated Clip Chapter
Rainbow Dash sighed. "Can I even get inside the stupid Armory?!” She turned away from a tall stained-glass window displaying a dark ziggurat surrounded by a chaotic environment. “Me?! A mortal pegasus?!"
Princess Luna stood before her in the royal chamber of Canterlot Castle. “There is no guarantee of that, Rainbow Dash.” She spread her wings as she spoke in a majestic tone. “The alicorns built the holding place of the Harmonic Prism to be impregnable.”
“Then you pretty much told me all of this for nothing.” Rainbow Dash plopped down on her haunches, staring up at the glass diorama yet again. “Cuz it's a lost cause. Even if I flew as fast as I could...” She blew out the side of her muzzle. “I'd likely die before I got there. What kind of hope is that?”
"The only hope, Rainbow Dash," Luna said. "We are sorry, but there is no greater light we can provide for thy path.” She trotted over to Rainbow Dash's side. “It simply came to our attention that if thou wouldst endeavor to make such an epic journey, there may indeed be a goal for thee."
Rainbow's ruby eyes hardened on the image of the Midnight Armory. “A long, cross-world flight. Incalculable odds. Unknowable dangers. The edge of the world.” Her jaw tightened as she raised a fetlock to her pendant. “A land that sees no light. Chaos and monsters. A giant black pyramid guarding an untouchable relic." Her sullen breaths morphed into raspy chuckles.
Princess Luna raised an eyebrow.
Rainbow turned and gazed up at her with a devilish smirk. “Sounds like fun."
“We... do not know whether thou art being serious or facetious,” the Princess remarked.
“A little of Column A and a little of Column B.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “One thing's for dang sure, I'm doing absolutely friggin' nothing by sitting on my butt here.” She turned to her right. “Isn't that right, Belle?”
Bellesmith stood where the marble floor of the castle rippled off into the grassy hills of Blue Shelf. The curved ceiling gave way to a bright blue sky with birds and bugs flitting about. The roars of wild manticores echoed in the distance, somewhere beyond the shimmering mana-fences.
“Er... wait...” Rainbow Dash glanced back and forth between both of her dear friends. “That's not...” Her brow furrowed. “... … …okay... somepony's been crossing the streams.”
As she said this, Belle's broken horn shrank into her forehead. Her chestnut brown hair was replaced with a flowing teal mane. Hard yellow eyeslits gazed—wide and befuddled—at the visage of Princess Luna.
“It... it is her...” The last vestiges of the Ledomaritan technician dwindled away as Nat'rdo took full form of the equine specimen. “It really... truly is her...”
“Hmmmm?” Rainbow Dash casually looked up at Luna. “Oh. Right. Totally. Y'know what always bothered me, though?” She trotted over and casually pointed at the frozen alicorn's posterior. “This... black bit on her butt. Like... where do the dark splotches end and the cutie mark begin?! Friggin' anomaly of a royal patootie, if y'know what I'm saying?!”
Nat'rdo turned to gawk at Rainbow.
Rainbow blinked back. “... … ….this isn't just an ordinary dream, isn't it?”
The sarosian slowly shook her head, still flabbergasted.
“How... uh...” Rainbow scratched her chin, gazing up at the noticeably fragmented palace all around her. “...how long ago did you guys induce sleep n'stuff?”
“A few minutes ago,” Nat'rdo murmured, daring to stroll closer to Princess Luna. “It may feel like weeks to you, but I assure you we have just begin. You are currently sleeping within the Dream Den.”
“And... Ariel?”
“Your companion is safe,” Nat'rdo droned. “You are safe.” She trotted until she stood in the shadow of Luna, gazing up at her. “We are all... s-safe.”
Rainbow stared intently at... Nat'rdo staring intently. “Go ahead and touch her. She won't bite.”
Nat'rdo gulped. “This is merely a mental construct. A reflection of a memory. Your memory.”
“Yeah? And what of yours?” Rainbow tilted her head aside. “Does it match up?”
“D-difficult to say...” Nat'rdo shook in place, gazing up and down at the Moon Princess' complexion.
“Hey... hey...” Rainbow moved over and rested a hoof on the Dream Knight's shoulder. “Just relax.”
Nat'rdo turned to face her. She stood tall and composed—as best as she could. “I should be the one telling you that.”
“Not every day we run into our Goddess incarnate.” Rainbow smirked. “Oh look!” She pointed past Nat'rdo. “And Luna's there too!” She giggled and slapped her own knee.
Nat'rdo blinked.
“Snkkktt... sorry... just...” Rainbow cleared her throat, composing herself. “Been a long time since I could make a dumb joke without seeing Twilight or Rarity roll their eyes at me.”
“I... beg your pardon?”
“Eh... don't let me derail things.” Rainbow gestured at the portions of the environment still lingering around them. “Welcome to Canterlot Castle!”
“Canterlot... Castle...”
“Yes'm. The Midnight Wing, to be exact.” Rainbow's eyes crossed. “Or was it the Shadow Wing? The West Wing...?”
Nat'rdo tilted her head up towards the nearest stained-glass window, squinting her eyeslits. “Equestria. The Burning Lands. Seared by the Deceiver.”
“More or less.” Rainbow shrugged. “If this is when and where I think I it is, then Celestia's no longer ruling things from her throne. She's stuck in Ponyville, guarding the chaos rift.”
“I see...” Nat'rdo turned towards Rainbow Dash. “You're remarkably... calm about all this.”
“About what? Having my brain poked and prodded?” She stuck her tongue out, pacing past Nat'rdo. “Look... a big part of spanning a world is learning how to span yourself too.” She waved a hoof, and an inner wall of the Castle ballooned brightly outward, forming a large spherical window overlooking the desert plateaus of Val Roa below. “Hah! Sweet...” Rainbow trotted into the observation deck of the Noble Jury and hopped up onto her trusty hammock. “Ahhhhhhhhhhh...” She plucked an apple off a basket from a nearby shelf and took a juicy bite while reclining lazily. “Mrmmmfff... besides... mrmfff...” She swallowed. “I've flown all of those angsty circles. Why go through all the reruns that one hates, dreit?”
“'Dreit?'”
Rainbow motioned Nat'rdo towards the nose of the airship. “Come. Sit down. Chillax.”
Squirming, Nat'rdo trotted from palace-space to Nancy-Jane-space. “A thousand apologies, avatar. I am usually most adept at this, but...” She turned and looked over her shoulder at the distant figure of Luna. “...this is a bit overwhelming.”
“You should get out more.” Rainbow took another bite of the apple. “Mrmfff... or in the Council's case, get in more.”
“You are the first Penumbran we have ever shared the dream walk with.” Nat'ro turned to look up at Rainbow in the hammock. “Not in any of our lifetimes have we been able to share memories possessed by someone who has seen the Burning Lands.”
“Well, enjoy a front row seat. I'll try not to scalp for ticket prices.”
Nat'rdo exhaled—for what it was worth in the dream-verse. “You are quite composed when it comes to your subconscious.”
“Thanks. I think you're sexy too.”
“I trust we can give you some sway in where and how you access your memories,” Nat'rdo said. “But remember—it is we who are ultimately in control here.”
“Hey...” Rainbow took another bite of the apple and shrugged. “Mrmmfff... whatever floats your dream boat.”
“Questions beg to be asked.”
“Fire away, Nate.”
“Why was the Mother of Nightmares speaking to a royal subject such as you in the daytime?”
“Because by then—she was in charge of both sun and moon. She still is, as a matter of fact.”
“And the Solar Deceiver...” Nat'rdo blanched. “...is okay with this?”
“There really wasn't a choice.” Rainbow Dash squirmed a bit in the hammock. “The... uh... the chaos rift that f-formed in Ponyville needed a powerful alicorn to contain it, and the Sun Princess was the first on hoof... and strongest on hoof. That meant that Luna had to step up and do the same task her older sister had been doing for a thousand years.”
“Then Princess Luna is the supreme ruler of Equestria.”
Rainbow gestured as if she was comparing weights on opposing fetlocks. “... … ...it's kinda even-stevens back home. But I guess you could say that Princess Luna is head haunchette by proxy.”
“She has not attempted to usurp complete power now that her sibling is disposed?”
“She doesn't want that anymore. That's the whole friggin' point, really. Also—Luna's older sister isn't completely out of the game. She just can't... perform the labors as big badass alicorn like she used to.”
“I see.” Nat'rdo rubbed her head with an aching expression. She paced a bit in place “Mmmmm... More questions, avatar.”
“More answers, boo.”
“Who am...” Nat'rdo cleared her throat, glancing at her own figure. “Who was I just a moment ago?”
“You were Bellesmith.”
“Bellesmith...”
Rainbow nodded, biting the last of the apple until all that was left was its core. “Good friend of mine. Mrmmmfff... Best friend of mine.” She swallowed. “Also—the last pony who had access to that memory of Luna and I just a moment ago.”
“You mean she's another soul who has explored your mind?”
“Errrr... not directly, I don't think? Meh... it's hard to say.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Ledomaritan technology was all managliders and zappy guns. Hey! Check this out!” She whistled down the corridor.
Duke Zaap Nator waddled up, wearing a glossy black maid outfit to match his breathing apparatus. “Submissively humble inquiry: You rang, she who would be madame?”
“Yeah...” Rainbow tossed the apple core into his grasp. “Take out the trash, bozo.”
“Punctual affirmative: At once, she who is most awesome.” After a curtsy, the Duke waddled off, summoning a strange look from Nat'rdo's dream self.
“Hahahahahaha...” Rainbow hoofy-kicked, swinging in the hammock as her giggles came to a slow stop. “Awwwwwwwwwww that's sweet.”
“It would behoove us to stay on point,” Nat'rdo said.
“Girl, just point and click.” Rainbow laid back, staring aside at the sarosian. “You're the Dream Knight who's desperate to gather info for the Council. You tell me where you want to go.”
“Further...” Nat'rdo glanced behind, but most of the Castle had melted away at this point. “...f-further instances of interacting with Princess Luna would be most beneficial.”
“All you had to do was ask.” Rainbow swung her lower leg out, kicking the inner hull of the Noble Jury. Clang!
Like clockwork, the rocky mountains of Val Roa sped out from beyond the observation deck's window. Durdandana blurred east, followed by the rest of Alafreo, the Strip of Flurries, Xona, Ledomare, Silvadel, Darkstine and Emeraldine. At last—after Wintergate blurred by—the window zoomed in on the capital of Equestria, flying through a balcony window and framing a pegasus and an alicorn pacing across the marble platform.
Nat'rdo's yellow eyes once again widened as the Princess of the Night floated into direct view.
“Verily, the earth is a long, flat plane.” Princess Luna trotted gracefully in the sunlight as a duplicate Rainbow Dash followed close behind. “The latitudinal length far exceeds the longitudinal width."
The petite pegasus' muzzle twisted. "Eh?"
Luna looked aside. "East and west hold greater distance than north and south."
Rainbow nodded. "Oh, I see."
"The world floats in a piece of the cosmos dominated primarily by chaos energies. The Elements of Harmony have always served as a beacon of purpose through which life has thrived in spite of all the contradictory factors. As for the Sun and the Moon, they are bodies of luminous mana that the alicorns brought to this plane."
"So, wait.” The past Rainbow looked both confused and surprised. "The Sun and Moon weren't always around?"
"Like so many things, Rainbow Dash, they were provided to this landscape when our own flesh and blood first arrived here. There are several ponies of alicorn descent spread throughout the world, but only our sister and we possess the powers of our forbears. With the magic at our hooves, we have kept the Sun and Moon in constant motion, illuminating the landscape from right here in the center of the bright half of the world, the kingdom of Equestria. For several thousands upon thousands of years, we have served as the sentries to this world, warding chaos and keeping dark energy at bay."
"That's... quite the commitment.”
"Indeed."
Nat'rdo's brow furrowed. “I am... at a loss.” She looked towards the host of those memories. “What are you both talking about, exactly?”
“Oh, y'know...” Rainbow yawned, relaxing further in the hammock. “...universal cosmology and all that jazz. Basically, I was coming to grips with the fact that the chaos inside was killing me slowly and I hadn't long to live. I was curious about how 'far' the horizon went, and it led to Luna teaching me about the Midnight Armory—what you guys call the 'Sarcophagus of Ages.' It's all pretty sweet—makes you wonder how I chose to forget most of it by the time I met Whitemane and it was her time to ramble about it all to me. Heh.”
“White... mane...?”
“Over there.” Rainbow pointed towards the stern of the Noble Jury.
Nat'rdo looked to see a pale silhouette sitting on the edge of the highest balcony in Verdestone, overlooking rural fields of Emeraldine stretching for miles and miles on end.
“Another monarch...” Nat'rdo gasped. “Like the Mother and the Deceiver?”
“She's half-alicorn. But all-cool. Plus... like...” Rainbow shrugged. “She's always kinda sorta here, in some capacity or another.”
“In your mind, you mean.”
“Yup. Just chilling.” Rainbow waved at the pale silhouette. “Yo Whitemane! How are those chamber maids doin'?! Still hot as all get out?!”
Whitemane—scarcely a flickering shadow now—turned, smiled, and called back: “Tell me, Austraeoh, what is it that you see, child?”
“Ehhhh...” Rainbow laid back in the hammock once more. “She's kind of on 'repeat' these days. Can't blame her; Emeraldine was a long-ass time ago. Her sister Mortuana, however, still makes more waves in my mind as of late.”
“Her s-sister...???”
“Oh look!” Rainbow pointed out the Noble Jury's round window. “I sorta dig this part!”
Nat'rdo looked to see the past Rainbow Dash shuddering with the weight of her and Luna's conversation.
"The Element Bearers..." The prismatic pegasus sat along the edge of the Castle balcony. "Twilight and the rest of us. We were the first to possess the Elements in spirit, weren't we?"
"Nay, Rainbow Dash." Luna shook her head. "Thou six were the strongest, but hardly the first.”
Nat'rdo stood closer to Rainbow, squinting out the Noble Jury's window with a quizzical expression. “Why does the Mother of Nightmares talk with such... eccentricity?”
“That's a dang good question.” Rainbow scratched her chin. “You gotta understand—she had just been freed after a thousand years of imprisonment on the moon. I'm sure her brain got just a little bit borked while attempting to re-acclimate to past traditions.” She exchanged glances with Nat'rdo, then gave a hopeful smile. “But she got better...!”
Luna continued speaking to the past pegasus. “In truth, the Elements of Harmony have been blending with the living population of this realm for eons. When thou, Twilight, and the rest of thy ill-fated companions acquired the six Elements, thou completed the final stage of Harmonic Acclimation."
"Harmonic What-now?"
"It was the grand purpose of the Harmonic Prism since it was brought to this world at the beginning of all life here," Luna continued. "Through Acclimation, the same spirit that gave alicorns vigor, energy, and peace of mind would be passed onto the sentient mortals of this world. Someday, Rainbow Dash, Celestia and we shall no longer be around, and it will be up to ponydom itself to maintain peace and harmony in the center of this pocket of the universe."
"So, then, this world is kind of like a garden?"
"And a most exceptional one at that, full of both beauty and terror, and yet ultimately favoring life, which hath been our goal from the start. We stand upon the edge of a new beginning for this world. It is a shame, however, that the final stage in its foundation would prove to be such a dark chapter. If Twilight and thy other friends had lived, we may have witnessed something even better than Harmonic Acclimation."
"And what would that have been?"
"Unification. Thou six were more than just mere mortals. The Elements were meant for thee; together, thou could very well have spread peace and harmony across the land in greater intensity than my sister and we are capable. The kingdoms beyond Equestria would have been united under more than just light. Ponydom would become whole, and would form a utopia that would banish chaos forever."
Back in the Noble Jury, Rainbow sat up with a jerk, causing the hammock to swing. “Whoah... whoahhhhh-ho-ho-ho! Harmonic Acclimation and Unification! Whoops!”
Nat'rdo did a double-take. “Whoops? Whoops what?”
“Oh, nothing. Just... two friggin' mega whoppers that I've kinda-sorta forgotten about after all these months and months of explosions and butt-kicking.” Rainbow Dash took wing and fished all around the observation deck. “Yo... help me find something to jot some notes down on.”
“Rainbow Dash...”
“Verlax got me all hung-up on The Sundering. I can't forget that Luna, Celestia, and the rest of the alicorns had their own friggin' vision of the plane in mind—”
“Rainbow, one does not simply 'jot some notes down' in a dreamscape,” Nat'rdo said.
Rainbow turned to blink at her. “Why? Is there stationary here that 'does not sleep?'”
“Information is processed far more abstractly.”
Rainbow gestured at the interior of the Noble Jury. “Does this look abstract to you?”
“This is simply the product of our combined subconsciousness.” Nat'rdo waved a hoof. “The reason why it looks and feels so 'real' is that my abilities as the Dream Knight are being bolstered by the rest of the Dream Council in attendance.”
“You mean...” Rainbow blinked, glancing all around. “...they're here too?”
Nat'rdo touched a hoof to her forehead. A portion of the Noble Jury's hull peeled away to reveal a sea of dark silhouettes, like an audience of ponies gazing down from an operating room's theatrical seating.
“Whoah, freaky...” Rainbow bore a crooked grin. “Praise Celestia this all didn't start with that one time I arrived at Flight Camp by crashing into a stack of garbage cans.”
“Please, avatar...” Nat'rdo hissed, fangs showing. Rainbow noticed the figures in the distance shuddering visibly. “The less that you use that name—”
“Hah! You think that's bad?” Rainbow grinned devilishly and waved her hoof. “Get a load of this!”
The balcony of Canterlot Castle beyond the Noble Jury's window blurred away. In its place, the pastel interior of a bakery materialized. A long, long table full of dessert treats appeared, and Princess Celestia sat at her seat while Mr. and Mrs. Cake repeatedly attempted filling the floating tea cup that the monarch was sipping from. After several repetitious gestures on behalf of the lowly owners of Sugarcube Corner, Princess Celestia faked a sip—causing them to spill the teacup unto overflowing.
Celestia winked and whispered: “Got ya!”
A fountain of hisses emanated from the Dream Council in attendance beyond.
Nat'rdo shook from head to tail. “Avatar, if you would please...!”
“Fine... fine...” Rolling her eyes, Rainbow Dash nevertheless swiped left. Sugarcube Corner was replaced randomly with her past self suplexing a Searonese bounty hunter across the forest floor of Foxtaur. “But—in all seriousness—at one point or another you're going to have to see her for real.” Rainbow's gaze hardened. “At least if you wanna get the full picture of what's truly happened back in Equestria.”
“If it must come to that, then so be it.” Nat'rdo pivoted towards the round window of the observation deck and raised her hoof. She paused, glancing over her shoulder. “May I...?”
Wordless, Rainbow merely nodded.
Nat'rdo performed circular gestures with her fetlock. The images beyond the window frame flickered through a multitude of convoluted memories. There were flashes of Nealand sand, fog over Durandana, tasty grasshoppers in a bowl, a raging minotaur slaver, snow falling across railroad tracks...
“Guh... wh-what...” Rainbow Dash rubbed her head, feeling slightly dizzy. “...are you looking for?”
“Further explanation of this... curious cosmology you seem determined to carry with you.”
“Truth demands to be carried.”
Nat'rdo turned to give the pegasus a dull glance. “Take it from a Dream Knight: perception is everything.”
“And take it from an awesome pony. Experience is everything and then some!” She then kicked the hull of the Noble Jury with a grunt. Clank!
The entire cabin reeled as images outside the round window spun. Nat'rdo had to grab onto a metal rung, holding for dear life. Even the dark bodies beyond the rippling visions shifted uncomfortably. “As stated before, I must wrest control at certain points—!”
“Not when it comes to this!” Rainbow barked. “Like it or not—this is where only I'm in control!” She squinted through the blurring images, images, images. “Hah! There!” She hooked her hoof in the air like she was reeling in a fish.
The landscape beyond the window sank beneath a sky full of flak, explosions, and shrapnel. Deep in the wounded earth below, Rainbow Dash stood on a metal platform before a metal altar surrounded by broken metal mechanisms. Zaid nudged Kera forward—and the little Xonan filly hoofed Rainbow Dash a book.
"You ready for this, Rainbow?" Kera held the book out.
“Look, I've never been much for ceremony." Rainbow grabbed the book from the foal's hooves. "At my Hearth's Warming Pageant, I bucked Chancellor Puddinghat off the stage."
"Really?"
"No, but that would have been a lot more awesome." Rainbow casually tossed the book at the altar. "Zoop!"
Flassssh! The book bounced off.
"Gaaah!" Rainbow yelped.
With a gasp, Madame Nightshade rushed forward and grabbed the tome before it could plunge into the metal darkness below.
“Whoops!” Rainbow Dash inside the Noble Jury winced beside Nat'rdo. She batted at the air like she was wrestling with shadows, making that particular vision blur away. “Wrong visit to the Machine Layer! Morrrrrrre like...” She charaded like she was yanking hard on a rudder wheel, before finally settling on an image of her surrounded by a vast interior full of faintly glowing gold metals. “Ah, there we go.”
Nat'rdo's yellow eyes narrowed with scrutiny.
Deep beneath the bowels of Darkstine, past Rainbow Dash traversed a complex mechanical chamber. She smiled with epiphany, speaking out loud to herself.
“It is a machine.”
A lavender glow spread across the metal. Each dormant mechanism came alive, one by one, as the pegasus ascended towards an array of levers—which she promptly pulled.
“And I am the spark.”
Upon her close contact, pendulums swung. Gears spun. Steam and electricity and flames brimmed the edges of each mysterious apparatus. All the while, the pony's eyes danced yellow-on-red and back to ruby.
“Where... is this?” Nat'rdo asked breathlessly.
“Beneath us,” Rainbow calmly answered. “All around us.” She waved her hoof, flickering to an image of her, Astral, Red Turnip, Rockspot, and dozens of freed ponies traversing platinum platforms suspended in a cave full of machina. “The plane—the world we all live on—is artificial.” Another flick of the fetlock. She and Nat'rdo could see her past self and Gold Petals flying through metal corridors with chaos beasts hot on their tails. “Somepony... or someone built this thing ages ago.” Rainbow Dash rescued Bellesmith and Pilate from a crushing fate. “So long ago, that there's barely any record of it.” A lone pegasus climbed a tall metal tower awash with the tempestuous crashing waves of the Grand Choke. “But the essence of this world occasionally pokes through the surface. It's older than history itself... and it longs to be reunited with the rest of something far bigger. Something... that this plane broke off from long before the likes of alicorns ever imagined it existed.”
Nat'rdo blinked. She turned to look at the vague shadows beyond the vision. They too were stirring with abject vexation.
“Look... I know that it's a lot to take in...” Rainbow Dash was casually flickering between the rain-soaked buildings of Stratopolis and the enchanted tome found beside the petrified bones of an ancient pegasus. “Goddess knows it's been a veritable migraine for me, and I've been dealing with it in portions for the last two years or so.” She stopped on an image of the Last Seed—the final metal tower beyond the twilight veil of eastern Rohbredden. “To make it as short and succinct as equinely possible... I've learned a lot about what makes this world tick... and I know that the very last tick is coming soon.” She turned to face Nat'rdo directly. “Unless... harmony is restored to this entire world. For some reason or another, I'm the Spark... the vessel needed to carry this harmony. This isn't something that the Princesses of Equestria planned. All things considered, they never fully figured it out. Even Whitemane and Mortuana—their closest familiars—knew the truth only in faint bits and pieces. But me?”
Nat'rdo looked at Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow smirked. “I've got bigger fish to fry then wars between sarosians and changelings and... … ...whatever the Night Shards are. But...” She gulped. “...it does involve the Harmonic Prism. The same thing that you and everyone you serve with is Jonesin' for. All this time, you've been fighting... killing... dying over the Sarcophagus of Ages. Thanks to the actions of an ancient Dragon Matriarch named Endrax—you can't get in. But me? I-I've met her siblings! I was even directly brought here by the honorable sacrifice of one of them! Plus... I've learned things about that which empowers this plane. I think... I believe that I've got a leg up on this whole friggin' quest to get the Prism. If we could... I dunno... help each other... then maybe I can get to the Prism and do what I can to save this world. That's a world I can save for you as well. Because... believe it or not... the war is over. And I'm not talking about the Trinary War.”
She took a few steps closer, gazing intently at the Dream Knight.
“The Civil War ended ages ago. Luna? Celestia?” Rainbow shook her head. “All the cards are off the table. There's a bigger picture at play now... bigger than even the Trinary War. I know that's... crazy to imagine. Heck, it must be positively insulting to the likes of you. But... there's gotta be a way I can convince you... Lexxic... the matriarchs... everyone in the Dark Vigil that peace and harmony can be realized! We just gotta... work together.”
Silence.
Nat'rdo stared at Rainbow Dash.
Then she stared past her. The mare's eyeslits narrowed. “Are those my fellow brothers and sisters surrounding that tower?”
Rainbow Dash blinked. She closed her eyes, took a long and meditative breath, then forced herself to smirk. “Yup.” She turned to face the twilight vista beyond the Noble Jury's window as well. “The flock at Bleak's Plummet. They're more like your long lost cousins, but still—”
“I take it that you have dealt with our kind before?” Nat'rdo paced before the window. “Please...” She waved a hoof, causing the images to ripple. “...can you recall more detailed memories?”
“Well, I guess I could—”
“Never mind.” Nat'rdo twisted her fetlock, causing the images to twirl in a blur. “I do believe I have it.”
Rainbow teetered dizzily. By the time she felt like the Noble Jury had stabilized, she could see starlight glinting off the moist eyes of Xarchellus, Enix, and dozens of other sarosians perched along the exposed structure of Bleak's Plummet among the rippling black waves.
The Rainbow Dash from a few months ago stood straight and tall with her fuzzy chest thrust out. A silver glow emanated dimly from her Loyalty Pendant, and it fluctuated in time with the echoing words of a wise and stately alicorn. Xarchellus and the rest of the gathered elders and warriors listened intently as the Princess of the Night spoke among them:
“I am honored by your pledge, as well as your commitment to Harmony.”
Nat'rdo's eyes narrowed. “The Mother of Nightmares speaks? But... h-how? She does not appear to be present in this vision.”
“She speaks through a connection made with my pendant,” the present Rainbow casually explained. She pointed at her past self's glowing artifact. “It used to be that the Element of Loyalty could only pick up Princess Luna's voice during a full moon. But on the edge of... … …Penumbra, I got to speak with Princess Luna an awful lot more.”
“So...” Nat'rdo's leathery wings tightened. “...a resulting effect of the enchantment our Mother placed upon your neckpiece.”
“Right.” Rainbow smirked. “Avatar of H'Luun and all that jazz.”
Princess Luna continued addressing the sarosians in the dark and misty vision: ”It fills my heart with immense joy to know that such a tenacious flock would wish to gather once again under my protective wings, in full rejection of the tools and trades of violence that brought them to such a remote niche to begin with."
Rainbow gestured at the lead elder of the Sarosians. “That's Xarchellus. The uppermost... uhhhh... Maria Matriarch of the Vigil that stayed behind on the edge of Penumbra.”
Right on cue, Xarchellus responded to Luna's voice: “We have been misguided for so very long, Moon Maiden. But as you have so humbly rejected Nightmare Moon, so must we follow your righteous charge and attempt—with full mind, body, and spirit—to bring things back to the way they once were. And the only way to do that would be to return home: a necessary exodus to salvage what is left of our culture..”
"And I welcome such an honorable decision,” Luna's voice said through the pendant.
Princess Celestia's voice chimed in: "And the Princess of the Sun likewise expresses joy and pride in the choice made by the esteemed Matriarch and her council."
Luna added: "My older sister speaks the truth. We are both gladdened by this turn of events, and we encourage it."
"Indeed."
“You see... back on the Light Side?” Rainbow turned to face Nat'rdo with a smile. “We managed to work things out with only minor headaches!” She blinked.
Nat'rdo was wincing hard, her back hairs bristling. Rainbow noticed the dark silhouettes from beyond reacting in a similar fashion.
“Right.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Sorry I gave no... sunny-side-up trigger warning for the Solar Decepticon's voice.”
“She was working alongside her sister...” Nat'rdo rubbed her scalp achingly.
“Yep.”
“And the maria matriarch and her fellow subordinates...” The Dream Knight's yellow eyeslits scanned the velvety faces, faces, faces. “They were so ready to follow along.”
“Yep yep.”
“... … ...even after hearing the voice of our Mother's older sister?”
“Yep yep yep!” Rainbow pointed with a wink. “And you can put that on a gravestone!”
Nat'rdo looked at Rainbow. “It all seems far too... t-too...”
“What, easy?” Rainbow's ears folded back as she waved a hoof out the Noble Jury's window. “Believe-you-me... getting to that point was not without its bumps and bruises.”
The vision beyond the observation deck blurred, rippled, then settled on the upper deck of the Princess Stardust. Battered and bruised bodies were spread all across Flynn's ship, but the sarosians had gotten the upper hoof. Enix and her fellow nightbloods were about to crack the skulls of the Herald with whalebone bludgeons when—
Past Rainbow's pendant pulsed, booming Luna's enchanted voice everywhere:
"OH FOOLISH WAYWARD FOALS! BE STILLLLLLL!”
The nightbloods froze in place, gasping. Their ears were throttled by the nightmarishly familiar voice, and their eyes were singed by the pulsating light that matched the matriarch's broadcasted roar:
"N'WYNLMMUU Y'LNHMEM H'JYMWYN NYL H'LUUN!"
Within seconds, every warrior was kneeling, bowing, or lying prostrate in complete and total reverence as the Princess of the Night continued her speech. Past Rainbow and her fellow Heraldites took the opportunity to wearily recover.
Nat'rdo shuddered, her leafy ears drooping. “Such...” A fanged gulp. “...magnificent authority.”
“Careful, girl.” Rainbow smirked, eyebrow arched. “Don't turn this dream into a wet dream.”
Nat'rdo paced closer to the observation deck's window, eyeing the penitent warriors of Bleak's Plummet. “You were able to channel the voice of the Mother of Nightmares...”
“Haven't we been over this? Yes. Yes I was.”
Nat'rdo turned to look at Rainbow Dash. Her expression was sad, and Rainbow sensed a foalish shiver to the elders' shadows in the distance. “Why haven't you bothered bestowing us with such exalted grace?”
“Because...” Rainbow fidgeted, gazing down to where her real-world pendant would be beneath her neck. “...I can't.”
Nat'rdo nodded sadly—but knowingly. “While she is no longer imprisoned in the moon, the Mother of Nightmares is nevertheless blocked by the substance of the plane.”
“If this place gets no moon... my Element gets no moon,” Rainbow Dash explained. “Up until the very brink, Princess Luna gave me her wisdom, her insight, and her well-wishes. But she couldn't give me her voice.”
Nat'rdo pointed at Rainbow's neck. “But she still bestowed her blessing...” The mare's yellow eyeslits narrowed. “...to her avatar.”
Rainbow smirked. “Now you're getting it.”
“Hmmmm...” Nat'rdo breathed calmly. She turned and looked at the vision beyond the window again. “And what of our other half? These... vigilantes of 'Bleak's Plummet?'”
Rainbow Dash casually swiped her hoof, cycling forward through images of Rainbow and the Herald conferring with Xarchellus' flock, the sarosians listening to Princess Luna, and at last the final battle with the Rohbredden Central Guard.
“We got them to lend us a hoof with a bunch of angry ponies who were tailing us all the way to the world's end,” Rainbow Dash said. “They were brave... they were selfless... and they gave us the time we needed to make it over the edge.”
“Then they sacrificed themselves for you...?”
“No. I mean—not all of them. Most of them fled west and away from the twilight waters. Only a few of the warriors hung back to help us out. I guess you could say that they were buying time for Bleak's Plummet as well as they were for us.” Rainbow Dash faced Nat'rdo directly. “You see, after much talk with Princess Luna, Xarchellus and her flock decided to make a return exodus.”
“Return... exodus...?”
“That's right.” Rainbow nodded. “Back to Equestria... back to where it all began. The birth of sarosians... the creation of dreams... the Solar Civil War...” She shrugged. “Letting bygones be bygones, the rest of the Vigil decided to make peace with Celestia and the past. It's... a heck of a long trek.” Rainbow gulped. “And... I-I still dunno how they're gonna make it easily past the windigoes and the Grand Choke. But...” A nod. “They're homeward bound. That's for sure.”
Nat'rdo squinted at the mare. “Is that what you would wish for us?”
Rainbow's lips pursed. She paused... then rubbed her own scalp in thought. “I mean... if it were possible... that would be great. Heck, I'd be all for it... but—”
“The Edge.”
“Y-yeah...”
“It is a most formidable obstacle,” Nat'rdo said.
“True.” Rainbow squinted. “But you guys spanned it before, right? And it wasn't just a few sarosians... but a whole friggin' mountainfull of you guys! Just... what's your secret, huh? How'd you do it the first time?”
Nat'rdo paced past Rainbow Dash. Within seconds, it was clear she was ignoring that last question. “Did it bother this Xarchellus at all... that the Mother of Nightmares was clearly defeated within a year or two of their mutual conference?”
Rainbow sighed, her whole body drooping. She pivoted to face Nat'rdo across the fragmented interior of the Noble Jury. “Just what are you getting at?”
“The Mother's words... her actions... her motivations...” Nat'rdo swiped a hoof, causing the images beyond the window to flicker through trace memories: Lerris on fire, the festival in Kunmane, Roarke's silver blue eyes. None of them gave her any solace. “...they do not match our voluminous records of the Midnight Diviner's own words. In fact... your recollection of her suggests a completely changed matriarch.” She turned to look over her tail at Rainbow Dash. “...how could such a radical change in purpose and motivation be the result of anything but brainwashing?”
“Dude...!” Rainbow frowned, swiping her own hoof. “I'm telling you—she's a changed mare!”
Right as Rainbow's words ended, the vision beyond the observation deck settled on the heart of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash stood, suited up with a midnight blue saddlebag heavy with supplies for a long trip. Princess Luna stood beside her. As ponies gathered in a thickening circle around them, they gazed up at an elaborate bronze statue depicting six heroic young mares.
"What you did here was a good thing, Your Majesty," the past Rainbow Dash said. "Many ponies really needed this."
Luna looked at her petite royal subject. "And what of what thou needeth, Rainbow Dash?"
"You've already given me everything."
"We only wish we could giveth thee more."
Rainbow could only fidget.
Luna cocked her royal head aside. "Did thou find the service to be fitting?”
"Oh, totally. Though, uhm..." Rainbow squirmed in the shadow of the six-figure statue. “I have only one thing I don't really agree with."
Luna stood gracefully between Rainbow and the bronze mares. “It was agreed that all of the ponies that brought harmony to Equestria should be remembered."
Before the conversation went any further, Rainbow of the present stood between the vision and Nat'rdo. “Instead of terrorizing ponies and attempting to create everlasting night, Princess Luna's been helping me every step of the way! Heck—she's helping all of Equestria now that her sister can't occupy the throne like she used to!” She kicked the hull of the Noble Jury and zoomed the vision closer in on the concrete-and-steel sarcophagus within the heart of Ponyville. “I mean... Celestia's locked up in there now!” She pointed at the structure. “If Luna wanted to, she could take over all of Equestria and lock the entire plane in eternal night super easy! But she's not! And you know why?”
Nat'rdo simply looked at Rainbow.
Rainbow bore a soft smile. “Because she believes in Harmony! She believes in peace and tranquility! She believes in... in... sunshine and rainbows and all that warm-comfy stuff!”
Nat'rdo spoke camly: “Does she believe in 'the Spark?'”
Rainbow raised a fetlock... lingering. “She... believes in me...” Her nostrils flared. “But most of the time she's having to play catch-up when it comes to my quest and stuff.”
“Have you not been fully complicit with her?” Nat'rdo asked. “Concerning your desire to access the Harmonic Prism within the Sarcophagus of Ages?” Her eyebrow raised. “And the supposed cosmological importance attached to such?”
“Look—she's the one who... like... set the quest marker above the Midnight Armory to begin with.” Rainbow snorted. “The way I see it, so long as I don't mess up the entire plane or... unleash a herd of dragonequines upon the mortal realm—I'm pretty sure she's on board!”
“That's an awful lot of trust.”
“Hey... I'm not the Avatar of H'Luun for nothing!” Rainbow struck a pose, winking. “But—ahem—in all seriousness... we're on the same team. Me and Princess Luna, that is.” She held a hoof out, as if to shake Nat'rdo's fetlock. “And I'd really like it if you were too. Not just you—although that's pretty smexy in and of itself—but the Dream Council! The Maria Matriachs! Heck—even Lexxic himself!” She smiled a friendly smile. “The Solar Civil War is long over! The Trinary War is only hurting everypony. The world's dying—but it can be saved. If only... we could all come together, y'know? Nightblood? Dayblood? Pantyblood? Who cares? We're all ponies at both the start and the end of the day! Why not spread that same commonality over the night as well?”
“... … ...”
“So whaddya say?” Rainbow Dash addressed both Nat'rdo and the silhouettes of the Council behind her as well. “Can't we come together over this? Can't we learn to set ancient differences aside and work for a common cause? I'm not saying we put our tails between our legs and hoof everything over to Tchern and the Night Shard—but let's say we turn this stupid war into an awesome adventure to do something right for a change?”
“... … ...” Nat'rdo looked at Rainbow's hoof, then at Rainbow again.
Rainbow remained frozen in place, bearing a hopeful smile.
A breath—and Nat'rdo suddenly kicked the hull of the Noble Jury herself. The entire vessel reeled, throwing Rainbow off-balance. By the time she recovered, she threw a hapless glance out the window of the observation deck, just in time for a vision to settle on the ruined Castle of the Royal Sisters in the middle of the Everfree Forest.
“You still don't have the sixth Element!” Nightmare Moon thundered, standing in all her ebony glory, clad in silver-blue armor and bearing her enchanted helm. “The spark didn't work!”
“But it did!” Twilight Sparkle insisted, surrounded by five colorful mares. She turned to face them, her eyes filled with tears that reflected the crystalline shards floating around their lithe figures. “A different kind of spark. I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you. The spark ignited inside me when I realized that you all...”
Twilight turned to face Nightmare Moon with a determined stomp of her hooves.
“...are my friends!” As she spoke, a once-dormant stone levitated above her and the other mares. It glowed with a luminescence that nearly blinded the Princess of the Night from across the decrepit castle chamber. “You see, Nightmare Moon, when those Elements are ignited by the... the spark that resides in the heart of us all, it creates the sixth element: the element of... magic!”
Within seconds of her saying this, the bright stone above them vanished in a flash. In its place, six uniquely-articulated pendants of Harmonic energy materialized, consisting of the shards that were floating around each mare. They formed necklaces that appeared around the necks of five mares—including Rainbow Dash. Upon Twilight's head, however, the pendant materialized into a crown. Resonating with brilliant energy, the six friends levitated towards the sundered ceiling of the former Castle. The aura around them brightened, then ribboned into a penetrating rainbow pattern that shot towards Nightmare Moon like a lash, enveloping her completely.
“Nooooooo!” Nightmare Moon howled in despair, rearing up and kicking at the crushing cocoon of colored light in utter futility. “NOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
Rainbow Dash winced—her eardrums were being savagely pierced. Not just from Nightmare Moon; the screaming was echoing all around her. She spun about and gazed beyond Nat'rdo's flinching figure to see the silhouettes of the entire Dream Council writhing and thrashing about in abject agony.
She tried hollering at them—begging them to calm down, but it was too late. The dream unraveled like a loosening ball of string. The hull of the Noble Jury collapsed. The hammock burned to ashes. The metal hull stripped away and Rainbow and Nat'rdo's bodies were sent—flailing—towards an insurmountably bright nexus of light.
FLAAAAAAAASH!
Rainbow Dash gnashed her teeth. Her ears rang with dozens of hissing, shrieking voices.
Her bloodshot eyes opened wide to the dimly-lit interior of the Dream Den. Beyond the confused expressions of Ariel and her ghostly friends, she saw a sea of angry, angry, angry elders.
“W'ysymlym ryk ryk thy'myl!”
“Wry'm thym syln H'cylsialym ly'msym!!!”
“Syl'thynyl yln rym'ly sylm!”
“W'rhynnym ryk ryk! Thym! Thym!!!”
Shriike—a frazzled mess—struggled to keep up with all of the echoing expletives. “Wait! Wait!” Her fangs showed as she scribbled desperately across long swaths of scroll paper. “Slow down, you nimrods! I can't keep up!”
Captain Xandraa trotted into the center of the room, grasping desperately at random mares in an attempt to restore order. “Elders... elders please!” She held her hoof high. “Be calm! None of you are in danger—”
“And what would you know about danger?!” Byraag howled. The pale mare spun and pointed an angry hoof at Rainbow Dash. “Captain, you allowed a vile assassin into our Sanctum!”
“Defiler!” another elder hissed.
Yet another mare spat at Rainbow from afar. “Agent of the burning day!”
“Good heavens...!” Rarity floated closer to Rainbow. “What in Celestia's name did you show them, Rainbow Dash?”
“They... uh...” Rainbow rubbed her aching head as she sat up. “...they saw us all zapping Nightmare Moon back in Everfree,” she muttered.
Twilight Sparkle's ears folded. “Oh boy...”
“It's true! Isn't it?” Byraag marched towards Rainbow's seated figure, fuming with each hobbling step. “Some 'peace' you made with the Mother of Nightmares! Harumph!” She pointed the tip of her moonstone cane straight between Rainbow's eyes. “All you did was subjugate her with blunt force and oppressive power!”
The other mares nodded and hissed with angry accord.
“You used the royal sisters' harmonic essence as a vile weapon and forced the gift of Nightmares out of the Moon Princess' body!” Byraag shook the cane, spitting. “Admit it!”
“She...” Rainbow Dash winced, struggling to stand up—still feeling foggy. “...was going to make n-night last forever!”
“A most glorious and peaceful reckoning for all of Equestria!” Byraag thundered. “And beyond!”
“Stop echoing the Book of Saros like a precocious little filly, Byraag,” A'othe said, stepping up. “It's more than obvious that she and all other ponies foaled under the searing Deception would not approve of—”
“Let her speak for herself, you insufferable bleeding-heart!” Byraag dismissed A'othe, then frowned down at Rainbow once again. “You never had the Mother of Nightmare's interests in mind, did you?! Not when you coerced Xarchellus, and not when you entered this Sanctum!”
Rainbow frowned back at the elder. “Princess Luna herself no longer desires eternal night! She's renounced her actions as Nightmare Moon—”
“Only because you and your fellow agents of Deception glassed her mind of all righteousness!” Byraag howled.
Numerous mares echoed her sentiment.
“If that's true...” A'othe stammered. “Then why is she even here?!” She gestured towards Rainbow on the floor. “She only has one of six pieces of the weapon! What—does she intend to glass our minds as well?!”
“For all we knew—she almost could have!” Byraag shook her cane. “We all shared our collective consciousness with her! Hadn't the Dream Knight relied on her intuition and brought us immediately to the searing truth—”
“She had no intention...” Nat'rdo hobbled up with the help of two other elders. “...of obliterating our minds...” She looked clearly worn out by the entire experience, and when her gaze fell on Rainbow, it was a weak expression at best. “...but she was most certainly desperate to convince us of a perceived truth.”
“It's n-not just... a matter of p-perspective.” Rainbow shuddered, finally standing up—with Ariel's help. “I've encountered evidence... been granted visions from messengers older than all civilizations on this plane.” She gritted her teeth. “Yes, Luna and I duked it out once. But that's all behind us! So much crap... is all behind us! There's a very real issue in the coming future that's gotta be dealt with!”
“Maybe...” Ariel perked up, holding Rainbow as she looked earnestly at the elders. “M-maybe go into my mind! See what I and the other members of the Herald have seen! You'll know that Rainbow Dash isn't just blowing hot air!”
“Prfffft!” Byraag rolled her eyes. “Please, child. We all know what's in your mind.”
Ariel frowned. “I'm serious! Will you all stop being a bunch of stuck-up—”
“Ariel...” Rainbow groaned.
“Elders...” Nat'rdo limped until she stood besides Captain Xandraa—who lent her a supportive hoof. “Please... be calm. I assure you—this pony may indeed be misguided... confused... perhaps even self-righteous. But she is not a danger to us!”
“Listen to your Dream Knight,” spoke a raspy voice. Eyes fell on Prunus, who was slowly waddling towards the heart of the crowd. Her glazed eyes stared through all of them. “This is no time for rash emotions. That is the substance of our warriors beyond the Tree. But here, we must lend a civilized ear to this avatar—”
“She is no avatar!” Byraag snarled. “She is a seared sinner! A burnt bastard child of Penumbra!” A crooked smile crossed her muzzle. “But if she is indeed to be a 'vessel,' send her to the Lower Roots! Let her be a suitable chalice for—”
Suddenly, one of the two guards accompanying Captain Xandraa stepped forward with a booming voice: “Enough, Byraag. This conversation is over. I must now speak alone with W'ynlppa yln H'luun.”
The entire room shuddered—save for Prunus and Nat'rdo.
Byraag and others spun to face the outspoken guard. “You?!? But this creature—!”
“Leave this Roost,” the guard said. Piercing silver eyeslits brimmed from under the helmet. “All of you. Now.”
Captain Xandraa let out a shrill whistle, clapping her hooves.
Instantly—and without any hesitation—Byraag and the rest of the elders filed out of the Dream Den, like pre-school foals who were deeply in trouble.
Rainbow Dash and Ariel watched in silent confusion. They saw Nat'rdo and Prunus slowly shuffling towards the exit.
Prunus lingered a bit, looking at the guard who had spoken. “If she is indeed deceived...” Blind eyes shifted beneath thick cataracts. “...it is a most marvelous imagination that has been planted.”
“Perhaps so.” The one guard nodded. “Your work—as always—is appreciated, Lady Prunus. You have trained your protege quite well.”
Nat'rdo performed a half-curtsy before the guard, then continued walking out with Prunus. A pair of piercing silver eyes rested on Ariel.
Rainbow looked at Applejack—who calmly waved a reassuring hoof. Clearing her throat, Rainbow stood on her own four hooves and gave Ariel a pat on the withers. “Go ahead and step outside for a bit, girl.”
“But—”
“I think it's for the best...”
Ariel bit her lip, but ultimately relented. She left the Den, along with Shriike—who also looked just as confused and frazzled. At last, Captain Xandraa made for the exit, accompanied by the second guard. She swiveled to look at the first.
“Milady...”
“It's alright, Captain,” the one guard spoke. “You have done your duty admirably. Now I must do mine.”
Xandraa gracefully bowed. “As you wish.” She and the other guard exited the Dream Den, closing the large round doors behind them.
It was now just Rainbow Dash and the lone guard, surrounded by incense and dim runelights.
“To have come this far after having personally banished the Mother of Nightmares,” the guard spoke calmly and in an eloquent voice. “It is an insult to everything that the followers of Saros hold dear.”
“What I did to Nightmare Moon wasn't personal,” Rainbow Dash said. She gulped. “Nor was it duty.”
“No. I suppose it was destiny. As is this.”
The guard reached up and removed her enshrouding helmet. Soon, Rainbow Dash could see a middle-aged mare with slight wrinkles along her brow and beneath her eyes. She had a pale blue coat, and the mane that she tossed loose was full of smokey curls, bespeckled with ornaments that resembled tiny glittering diamonds. The mare looked both opulent and wise, and yet her silver eyeslits carried a weight of immense wisdom and intellect.
“It has long been written in the Book of Saros that 'on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in Her escape.' Do forgive us, W'ynlppa yln H'luun, but time has not been quite so easy to measure opposite of Penumbra.”
“Yeah, I can imagine that...” Rainbow's eyes fell on the mare's neck. Within her circular brand, there was the profile of an alicorn. Rainbow immediately recognized it as the night sky image that she had grown accustomed to throughout fillyhood: the Mare-In-the-Moon. “So... uhhh...” She looked up to smile pleasantly at the sarosian's face. “Who am I forgiving, exactly?
“Please, avatar. You may be quite brusque in your communication skills, but you're not nearly as dense as you pretend to be.” The mare trotted closer, carrying a regal stance befitting the likes of Luna or Celestia. “My name is Mistress Faatail. Forgive my silence until now—but I needed to bear witness to your character in person.”
“I see...” Rainbow briefly glanced at Twilight and her friends, then back at the elder. “And which member of the Maria Matriarchs are you, exactly?”
“The only one diligent enough to speak to you face to face. At least... as of right now.” An aged smile. “Perhaps that can change.”
“Yeah...” Rainbow nodded with a wary look. “...perhaps it can.”
Awkward silence.
“Heeeeeeee...” Rarity cupped her squishy ghost cheeks while stars brimmed in her eyes. “I really like her maaaaaaaane.”
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i.imgflip.com/3dswu4.jpg
A giant gardener ship where no one remembers how to fly it and has resorted to worshipping the tech goddess known as the Spark.
I hope they don't mean increase entropy so everything is homogeneous since that seems like Verlax's ice thing.
Well, sure. I'm interested of this direction if turns out to be the case.
Just like - I think it was Props and Bard? How do you use a mouse with hooves anyway...?
10393274
Eyyy grats! We got another old bat over here.
Casually arriving at the chapter menu:
Oh cool, this is a sequel
Oh shit it has 277 chapters
OH SHIT the prequel has 300
Welp, this one is going to the "i want to read this but will probably forget and won't touch it till the end of days" folder
[Edit] holy hell there are nine of them
That's some dedication
How in the sassafrass haven't i heard of this before
And after a Mega Pi words, heres comes the recap with a real Cheri on top?
Still miss Simon.
That went as well as I expected it to.
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Surprise you did not notice you were added as a character, congrats.
Now how to deal with those who have redoubled their efforts while they have forgotten their aim. Faatail seems to be willing to talk and to listen at least. I have a feeling she wore a guard's outfit as a disguise, to conceal the important in case Rainbow was in fact an assassin. Now that it is clear she does not intend to kill them, the real talks can begin. I guess next time we will also see Seraphimus, WC, and Lexxic are up to.
The whole conversation of Rainbow with Nat'rdo could be summarized as such
Rainbow :
Nat'rdo : i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/030/710/dd0.png
Also..
Is that.. what I think it is? OH.
Such a honor! I have became bat. An important one at that, it would seem. A high bat! And a female to top it all off!
IC did it again with his magic and somehow gave the character a set of mannerisms and characteristics that are almost spot on, when compared to me in the great real life outside of the internet. Even down to the hiding in plain sight thing!
This is all I ever wanted.
Loved this, the constant shifting nature of the dreamscape is so fun to see as a reader and to play with as a writer. I'm liking where this is going so far, it's going to be an uphill battle for sure, but I'm excited to see how Rainbow gets through this one.
10393274
Congrats, dude
10393294
Trackball mouse
Loved this, the constant shifting nature of the dreamscape is so fun to see as a reader and to play with as a writer. I'm liking where this is going so far, it's going to be an uphill battle for sure, but I'm excited to see how Rainbow gets through this one.
10393274
Congrats, dude
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Trackball mouse
Nice to see all these callbacks. Also loved how chaotic rainbow is in her dream. Poor Nat'rdo.
Oh well, they sure didn't like that...
But I seem to at least tolerate it. For now...
i.imgur.com/LKH5If6.gif
Well, look on the bright side: RD wasn't killed on the spot. Some of them were willing to listen. And some weren't.
Why oh why do I think that Lexxic will be among the latter category?
Huh...well, I suppose something had to go "wrong" in the end. That all seemed to be going too well with those attempts to convince Nat'rdo and the Blood Wings to side with Rainbow. At least she's...ambivalent about the whole thing.
Wonder how this things will go with this new character.
10393296
Unfortunately, this saga is one that's just gone ever under the radar for many years.
But it's a good one.
10393351
Congrats!
It's very telling that they didn't watch the full memory of Luna's purification...
They saw what they wanted to see.
Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
I think a clips episode is perfectly reasonable after 4,000,000+ words.
The memories of travel
The beauty of the adventure
I love these chapters
So many characters.
So many names and so many places. So many memories....Then it all went downhill but you can't have nice things for too long on this side of the world now can you?
Anybody else get tripped up with figuring out pronunciations? I've basically settled on "Nate-er-do" esp since RD calls her Nate. But I read it in Auizotl's voice, like he says "Daring Do". And now Faatail - is that "Fah-tail" or "Fay-tail"?
10393837
True, tho I don't know that seeing Celestia arriving and a weakened Luna apologizing at her hooves would have helped.
Skirts, if I didn’t know better, I’d think that’s a Deadly Premonition reference.
Anyway, what a fantastic chapter. You can really see the longer format shining here — it would have been hard to keep up that fast-paced comedy over multiple smaller installments. Exciting that Rainbow’s now talking with someone so high up, too — definitely feels like this’ll lead to a conflict with Lexxic and maybe some serious in-fighting.
You know, one way or another, the revelations that Rainbow Dash has brought to the Matriarchs guarantees that they cannot sit still any longer. Even if they despise her, the fact remains that their whole purpose in coming and fighting an endless war has now been obviated - Nightmare Moon is no longer in the Moon. And the harsh conditions of the Darkside would naturally generate pressure for them to leave, something that is only been surprised by their overwhelming desire and purpose. But now that purpose has been shattered, and at this point, neither the other two factions would leave them alone even if they suddenly stop talking. And the harsh conditions of the Dark Side would naturally generate pressure for them to leave, something that has only been suppressed by their overwhelming desire and purpose. But now that purpose has been shattered, and at this point, neither of the other two factions would leave them alone even if they suddenly stopped attacking them. So they are going to move. One way or another, they will be going to the Light Side, whether they desire reconciliation or seek to “save” their beloved Mother of Nightmares from the Elements’ “brainwashing influence”.
The real questions are: is Lexxic truly sane and/or his own stallion anymore? And will he be able to see past politics when the matriarchs announce the next move, whatever it maybe?
Yep. Good job Rainbow had the forethought to ask Ariel to leave before this Mistress reveal.
i.imgur.com/64Xvi89.jpg
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I was thinking the same thing. I was like “You morons, that’s not the end of that memory!”
I think I know how she can prove that it isn't brainwashing. Discord he was hit with it and is still his same self. Though I don't know if they would care about DIscord honestly.
Even if it was just a dream, that was a nice callback to all the insane adventures and great characters we've had. Makes me kinda sad...
And then Celestia was a Cybertronian!
Wow, this was definitely very eventful. A pretty big info dump on the Dream Council.
Loved revisiting a bunch of the characters and locations after so long.
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I always pronounced my name as Fa like in "Do-Re-Mi-Fa" and how the german word teil is pronounced. Like in that one Rammstein song.
Though I have absolutely no idea how IC/Skirts wants it to be pronounced in his story. Couldn't hope to guess. Yet, I'm sure whatever it will be, it will be amazing. He has a way with words.
10395199
Care for Discord, maybe. But, Discord? That Discord? The very same that no one except Dash can see?
Yeeah.. we need a new plan.
10395529
But they don't need to see him now. He was turned to stone before by the Elements and when he was freed he was still trying to do the same things as before. I don't know how she can convince them of this but it is some kind of shot at least.
Nice little trip down memory lane :P
Whelp, looks like the diplomatic option is on life support.
And we all know what actually happens when stealth is an option. *clack clack*
Was this what they call an "Austraeoh Abridged"?
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10395112
The full memory would be even worse from their perspective though. Nightmare Moon reduced to a weak foal who begs Celestia for forgiveness.
Season 1 Luna is so adorable.
I wonder where this is going.
And now the dream council believes Luna has been brainwashed, oof.
Hopefully they come around.
All things considered that could have gone worse. I mean, it seems clear there's enough cooler heads around that the more emotional of the bunch like Byraag can't entirely take the reigns of the situtation. Prunus and Nat'rdo are both sensible enough to, despite having reservations, still be willing to give Rainbow Dash's words consideration, and even A'othe seems smart enough to grasp that Dash isn't here to be a threat.
There's still a large hurdle to the proceedings in the simple fact that, however one wants to look at the 'perspective' of things, the Elements of Harmony did change who Luna was. For the better, obviously, but for the sarosians that's not an easy thing to accept. They were born from the very nightmares that the powers of the Elements rejected and cast out of Luna. There's no quick or easy fix in their minds for what's essentially the brainwashing of their Goddess into the opposite of what they knew her as.
Well, that may be so, but it's possible that in time Rainbow Dash can show that what Luna was, at least in part, back then wasn't wholly her? Remember she was infected by the Nightmare. The Luna that led the sarosians into war wasn't really Luna in full.
That might not be a comfort to them. They were born from the realm of that Nightmare as well. The mother they knew was who she was, in part, because of that infection. In fact, looking at it as an infection might be an insult to them.
Okay sure, but it wasn't the Nightmare that drove Luna to save the sarosians from that horror-show realm in the first place, was it? When she dived head first into that plane of infinite oblivion, she did it out of pure fucking harmony and goodness, because who could stand witness any soul suffering that fate? She saved the sarosians and gave them to the realm of Harmony because it was the right damned thing to do. The Nightmare had no part of that. It's that fundamental goodness that needs to come through Dash, here, to show that Luna's hope for her children was never for them to be a part of the Nightmare again!
If she can find enough among them to listen, or get through even to the most zealous like Byraag. Or overcome the oncoming web of machinations from both Lexxic and whatever the heck this Malaak might be doing. This isn't ending without bloodsheed.
I... guess not, but I can still hope for the best. I'm not about to abandon my optimism entirely, here. I know by law of action-adventure plot there's going to be violence immenient at one point or another.
Powder keg. Spark.
Speaking of 'sparks', interesting reveal that the Mane Six were going to be potentially a massive harmonic deal, in lieu of the... uh... exploding they did. I've always maintained they were all equal parts of the whole, and I've long held the idea that if one of the others had survived that mess with Discord instead of Rainbow, then it was far from impossible for any of them to have made this journey.
Wasn't Dash specifically genetically related to the Austreaoh line or something?
Maybe, but I'm not sure if that's really that important so much as the whole spark of Harmony that each of the Mane Six carry. I'd still say that any of them could have gotten to where Dash is now, although the where's and hows of it would have differed greatly.
They'd have needed to go to some of the same places and faced similar dangers, regardless.
Yeah, but each one has different strengths and weaknesses too, and probably would have met entirely different casts of characters that would have helped them along. Who knows how events might play out differently?
Fun musing, but I'd rather focus on the here and now. We still going onward?
Yup, let's do this.
So much nostalgia
So many memories in a simple chapter.
Which brings up something I've been thinking: the sarosians of Bleak's Plummet? I get the feeling that they're not the only ones that will be waiting for Rainbow in Equestria. Maybe when they make it to Val Roa, the Noble Jury (Belle, Pilate, Roarke, etc.) might tag along with them to Equestria. Doesn't that make sense?
For fucks sake, IC.
Well, that was a trip down memory lane.
Naturally, Rares loves the diamond mane.
Wow, talk about a look back.
Only makes sense that the elders would think the rainbow friendship laser would be a form of brainwashing. Especially if they saw what Luna turned back into.
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Hope you haven't been left in the dark for 9 months haha, trying to catch up now.
The character is based off of my name so here's some insight. You are "correct" with how to pronounce the name as my name is pronounced Nate-er-doo. HOWEVER, a common occurence for my name is that it is mispronounced as "nat-er-doo" (like gnat). Skirts has chosen to use an apostrophe for my name in replacement of "er" which leads me to maybe think that he says it as "gnat" rather than "Nate". Although Shriike did say "Nate" so I'm probably wrong on that. Anyway, I pronounce Nat'rdo as "gnat-er-doh" due to the removal of an o and the common mispronunciation. And it sounds cooler that way so I'm sticking with it