Rainbow Dash Around the World

by MagicS

Oh No

Rainbow Dash flew with a grim face down the stairs out of the convocation chamber while she went to find her friends. A glimpse of something red caught her eyes and she looked at the Trident of Ponyseidon, seeing Coral Sea’s blood still on it. Rainbow frowned and stopped, flicking the Trident towards the wall so the blood would fly off and then started flying back down again. That wasn’t how she wanted things to go. She wasn’t remotely happy with how things had ended, even if Coral Sea was not remotely a good pony. There wasn’t enough chance for them to come to an understanding and for Rainbow to maybe get her to change her ways and goal. She didn’t think the High Priestess was irredeemable. But now she’d never get the chance.

She shook her head. There was nothing she could do about it anymore. If what Coral Sea had said was true then they might end up having to fight through some more warriors once they made it back to The Breakwater, but at least the immediate danger was over with. She just wanted to meet back up with her friends right now and make sure they were all okay. Then the annoying stuff could be dealt with.

---

“I say, getting punched in the face with an armored hoof is a rather unpleasant experience,” Gilbert said. His jaw still ached.

“Yeah, remind me to not do that in the future. Next time we should just try and stall longer for Rainbow Dash,” Breakwater said.

“Things are okay now at least, I’m sure of it,” Daylight said.

They were back in the room where they had fought and destroyed those big stone merpony statues. Resting. Waiting for Rainbow Dash to show up. The four of them really needed it after almost being killed by the High Priestess. Senax wasn’t in the mood to talk, she had some bruises and was a little sore, but besides that was unharmed. It was the rage and hatred Coral Sea had shown that really got to her. She wasn’t used to something like that being directed at her, and no matter what she said or did nothing seemed to help. Some part of her even felt like she deserved it after what had been learned.

“Guys! Hey guys!” The loud voice of Rainbow Dash came from above.

They turned to see her flying down from the terrace, a collective sigh of relief coming from all of them.

Rainbow came to a stop right in front of them, still safely holding onto the Trident. “Are you all okay?”

“Never been better,” Gilbert wryly grinned.

Rainbow Dash grinned back but it was a little shaky. “Good to hear.”

“So everything’s alright? Coral Sea isn’t...” Daylight asked.

“It’s… it’s taken care of,” Rainbow said, her lips thinning.

Senax’s eyes widened slightly in realization. “She’s dead?” It came out as a whisper.

“I-I’m sorry, she… I couldn’t do anything,” Rainbow nodded.

“Ohhh...” Senax squeezed her eyes shut and sadly lowered her head to the floor.

Daylight frowned as she looked between the two of them. “You know considering what she did and what she was going to do I don’t exactly think she’s worthy of pity from either of you.”

“That may be easy for you to say but it’s different for me. I don’t like things ending like that,” Rainbow said. “Not with a pony I never got a real chance to talk to especially.”

Daylight wisely stayed quiet while both Gilbert and Breakwater awkwardly shuffled about.

“L-Let’s just go. If it’s over it’s over,” Senax finally said, lifting her head again.

Breakwater reached over to place a comforting hoof on her back. “Don’t forget, we still found your home. And now we don’t have to worry about anyone misusing the Trident. I know things aren’t as perfect as we wanted them, but this is still a time to be happy I’d say. We’re doing pretty good right now. And you’re going to have some great news for your people when you get back to East Glade.”

“That’s absolutely right!” Gilbert nodded along. “Don’t forget that!”

Senax managed to smile at the two of them. “Thank you. I know you’re right, and that really does mean a lot.”

“Hate to be the bearer of some more bad news but we’re not entirely out of the woods just yet… out of the ocean… out of the, whatever, what I mean is we’ve still got some more Sarraroccons in here to deal with,” Rainbow Dash said.

“More Sarraroccons?” Daylight raised an eyebrow. “She mentioned there would be more to chase us down but I didn’t know she meant right here.”

“Yeah. Coral Sea said she left some to guard The Breakwater and Ballast. She captured him when she got here.”

“Just fantastic...” Breakwater frowned. “I hope he’s okay.”

“From the way she was talking I’m pretty sure she at least didn’t kill him or anything,” Rainbow said.

“But we’re going to have to fight our way out of here still?” Gilbert asked.

Rainbow sighed. “Yeah. It looks like we’ll have to do that. Shouldn’t really be any danger though, whatever warriors that are left aren’t going to be on the same level as the others. Just stick behind me when we get back to The Breakwater and I’ll take care of everything.”

“At least we also know why everything has been so strange down here,” Daylight said, rubbing her chin as she mused.

“Huh?” Rainbow looked at her.

“Think about it. If the Trident was cursed, I bet Coral Sea’s ancestors were responsible for the armor and statues that attacked us—that were focused entirely on Senax. It was all another layer to making sure a merpony would never get the Trident,” Daylight explained.

“Guess that does make some sense...” Rainbow said. She looked down at the Trident she was holding and then offered it over to Senax. “Do you want to try touching it again?”

Senax grimaced and shook her head. “N-No… I think I’ll be holding off on doing that until we can get someone else to look at it.”

“Fair enough. Let’s get back to The Breakwater as fast as we can then,” Rainbow nodded and took to the air again, leading the way.

“It’ll take a little while but I remember the way to go,” Daylight said.

“Mhm, me too,” Rainbow said.

Rainbow kept a slow pace as she flew just a few inches off the ground, knowing the others were tired and maybe still hurting a bit. She passed by the rubble of the statues she had destroyed, giving them barely a passing glance. She wondered if the armor would try attacking them again? Or if perhaps it had all gone back to where it came from. Didn’t matter, it would at worst be an inconvenience again. She was more certain than ever that she could just power through that armor, especially with the Trident in hoof.

Opening up the doors leading back out of here they found themselves in a familiar crescent room. No armor around, it was all completely gone. Even any scattered pieces that might have been lying around had vanished.

Nope—not quite. Rainbow and the others blinked and looked to their sides, seeing that armor stood upon the formerly empty pedestals. That same fancy merpony armor, now completely stoic and still, just as an empty suit of armor should be.

“I’m willing to bet that once Rainbow Dash pulled out the Trident that the armor went back to where it’s supposed to be,” Daylight said.

“We’ll see for sure in the next couple of rooms,” Breakwater said.

“Those doors-” Gilbert said as he pointed ahead. “Most of the armor would’ve gotten stuck in the hallway right behind them.”

“Moment of truth,” Rainbow Dash shrugged. She flew right over to the doors and opened them up.

Senax sighed in relief as it was just a normal hallway. The armor was picked up and gone aside from two suits that were standing by the doors on the other end of the hallway. That would lead to the room where she had stepped on that emblem on the floor and brought the armor to life in the first place. This time she was planning on not doing that.

Rainbow Dash grinned and led them down the hallway. “I’d say things are looking good.”

She pushed open both doors together and the group walked into the room.

And stopped as just across the room was Godfrey Goldenwing.

Rainbow’s face fell into an uncomfortably sad frown. “Well… that ended quickly.”

“Well ain’t that a great coincidence,” Godfrey said, smiling at them all.

He had quite the party with him too. Standing right next to him on his right was some fairly grungy looking stallion with an expression on his face that said “I really wish I wasn’t here right now” that Rainbow Dash didn’t recognize. And next to him was the unfortunately familiar geezer Old Diver and his two butlers. Old Diver looked ecstatic as his eyes searched around the room while his butlers’ faces were unsurprisingly miserable. And then on Godfrey’s left was Ballast, looking frightened but now a bit hopeful that his friends were here, and to the left of him were four other rather dangerous looking stallions holding spears. Rainbow had no idea who they were, but she recognized the spears as looking exactly like the ones Bosche soldiers would use. The four of them did seem to know her though, their eyes widened and they snarled angrily, two of them lowering their spears as if they were about to fight her before the other two held them back and gestured to Godfrey. Seems whoever they were they weren’t doing anything without the pirate’s permission.

“Ballast!” Breakwater shouted as soon as he saw him, he moved to take a step-

“Ah!” Godfrey interrupted him and reached a talon around Ballast’s neck, pulling him close while also pulling his cutlass free with his other talon. He held the blade right to Ballast’s throat. “I’d suggest nobody do anything stupid. Unless you want a very dead friend right here.”

“Godfrey!” Rainbow yelled. Behind her Gilbert and Daylight tensed up and walked over to stand by her sides and back her up.

Senax meanwhile calmly strode forward.

Godfrey raised an eyebrow at her and pushed the cutlass further against Ballast, making him squeak. “Not another step, merpony.”

She stopped. Rainbow and the others were looking at her. Wondering what was going through her mind.

“How dare you come here,” Senax said to Godfrey. She stared him dead in the eyes, unflinching. “You don’t deserve to be here. None of you do.”

“In my defense I really never wanted to come here...” the grungy stallion Rainbow didn’t recognize mumbled.

Her words also got the attention of Old Diver, who seemed to be snapped out of his stupor as he glared over at her. “What? What? Don’t deserve to be here! This is my discovery! My grandfather’s discovery! The most wondrous, most impossible and most incredible discovery ever made on the Grand Ocean! Of course I deserve to be here—you… you just want the credit don’t you?! Well I’m not sharing it. Not with you or anyone else!” He started pointing at the others in the room one by one. “None of you will take Old Diver’s credit!”

Godfrey rolled his eyes. “Anyways. I see you’ve already acquired what I came down here to steal. Thanks for taking out some of the leg work for me, Rainbow Dash.” His eyes glinted with desire at the Trident of Ponyseidon. “I think just like with the Necklace I’d like you to give that Trident to me now. In fact—speaking of that-” He let go of Ballast with his free talon while still keeping the cutlass at his throat and reached up to his neck where the Necklace was still tightly wrapped around. Putting a single claw under the golden chain he yanked it off his neck and tossed the treasure right over to Senax—who caught it with a yelp of shock. “You can have that back now. Don’t need it anymore anyways, figured it was the least I could do for you.”

“Y-You-!” Senax angrily sputtered at his dismissive attitude and rough treatment of the Necklace. Her hooves were shaking as she placed the Necklace around her own much thinner neck and tied the chain into a knot to keep it on.

“Yes. Me. Now the Trident, Rainbow Dash,” Godfrey narrowed his eyes at her.

Rainbow’s hooves tightened their grip on the treasure, looking between Godfrey and Ballast. “You’re not getting the Trident, Godfrey. Just let Ballast go free. I… I can’t let you have this thing.”

“And yet if it came down to it you’d still never let me kill him when you could’ve saved him,” Godfrey said and pressed the cutlass just further enough to draw blood.

“Ngh!” Ballast flinched.

“Stop!” Rainbow shouted. Beside her, Daylight was sweating, thinking if she could or couldn’t do anything. Breakwater grit his teeth in anger, clenching on them so hard they were close to shattering.

“Brother do not do this!” Gilbert tried to plead with him.

“I won’t do it if I get that Trident! That thing is the only treasure on this entire ocean I actually care about! The things I could do with it, the adventure, the excitement, it would all be on a new level from what I’ve done so far in my life,” Godfrey grinned, looking up and down the ancient treasure. “Oh yes, Rainbow Dash. I know why you can’t give it to me. You know what I’d do with it. But you can’t give up the lives of your friends. It’s just how you are.”

“We don’t even know if the darn Trident actually does anything...” Breakwater growled.

“The other Treasures have their own properties that I know work. I’m sure the legends of the Trident are true as well,” Godfrey shrugged. “So just hurry it up, Rainbow Dash. Hurry it up, then we can fight one last time and end this all. I’m going to enjoy beating you for good.”

Senax looked back at Rainbow Dash, uncertainty in her gaze. Both in her own heart and what she thought Rainbow Dash might do. Daylight bit her lip and also sent the pegasus a sidelong gaze. Everyone was waiting on her. Though they might have their own ideas, their own desires, in the end they would move the way Rainbow Dash did.

Rainbow Dash exhaled and stared Godfrey straight in the eye. “I won’t fight you.”

“Huh?” The griffon pirate frowned.

“If you care that much about fighting me. Then let Ballast go and let’s decide it right here, right now. But if you make me give up the Trident first? Then forget about it. I won’t fight back after that. And you’ll be robbed of what you really want. A real victory over me. You cared enough about beating me on your terms that you didn’t kill me back when you had the chance on the Lost Isle. To be honest—I’d like to finish the fight with you too. So enough with the hostage business.” She pointed the Trident at him. “Just come at me right now. If you’ve got the guts, that is.”

Godfrey’s face became predatory as he smirked at her. “Well don’t you love trying to push my buttons. Trying to get me to do something stupid and impulsive again just because it’s more fun? Even when I hold all the cards?”

Rainbow smirked back. “Well you’re like me in a lot of ways so I figure it’s got a good shot at working.”

“Gehahahaha!” Godfrey laughed. “True, very true. Even if I did get the Trident I’d be very unhappy with not getting to fight you after. There’d be no satisfaction. After all this time, all the other times we fought, if it ended like that I’d never get over it. I think you’ve got the right of it.”

“So then let-”

“However.”

Rainbow stiffened, not liking the tone of Godfrey’s voice.

A darker look than she could ever remember seeing in his eyes took over. “I hate how fearless you act around me. And have since we met again on the Lost Isle. You can’t get one over on me, Rainbow Dash. You can’t control how things go. Not this time. And I need to remind you of your place. I need to remind you of who I am. You can’t look down on me, because no one can look down on me. Because no one is better than me. You’ll fight, Rainbow Dash. You will for sure. Let’s just see you get angry first!”

He tightened his grip on his cutlass and prepared to slice it across Ballast’s throat.

Rainbow Dash got ready to lunge forward. Senax raised her hooves to her mouth as she felt herself about to scream. Daylight’s horn lit up even though she had no idea what she was going to do with it. Breakwater’s mouth was already opening to yell in rage. And Gilbert’s wings were spreading as he prepared to fly at his brother.

Everyone in the room was then interrupted when another door opened up. All of them paused in mid-action and looked over. The door to Rainbow’s right and Godfrey’s left.

A pony stepped out.

Rainbow’s entire body paled. “Oh no...”

Comments

[Cosmic Potato]

Look who's back
Back again

[Mini-Joe]

This is a blurse!

[redmar]

Heartless has arrived and things are probably going to get a lot worse.

[RoboRed]

ohyouhavegottobekiddingme
If that's Heartless, she's not gonna fall for the same trick like at Hoofica. Everyone is in danger.

Regardless, Godfrey cannot be allowed to have that Trident under any circumstances. The cost for everyone else is far too high.
I was really ready for them to lose Ballast right there.

Godfrey’s face became predatory as he smirked at her. “Well don’t you love trying to push my buttons. Trying to get me to do something stupid and impulsive again just because it’s more fun? Even when I hold all the cards?”

Unfortunately for you, Rainbow is really good at card games.