Cardinal Directions
Rainbow Dash’s nose curled. “Ugh! What’s that smell?”
She sat up in the hammock after accidentally dozing off at some point, woken up by the absolutely rancid smell that had come out of nowhere. Still the middle of the night, what had suddenly started stinking up the place?
Her ears flicked up—there was a weird noise too that wasn’t there before.
The ocean sounded different. Rainbow Dash frowned and looked toward it, noticing for the first time that she couldn’t see the waves anymore.
“What the?”
Plop
Plop
Plop
Plop
“Uhhh…” through the shadows, she could hear the sound of something wet smacking across the ground. Like a wet hoof stomping through mud. It was the direction the smell was coming from too. Rainbow Dash jumped out of the hammock and stood her ground, eyes narrowed at the darkness.
As the shambling sound and vile smell got closer to the bungalow, it stepped out of the shadows and Rainbow Dash could finally see what it was. Her eyes went wide and bile rose in her throat. The pony that emerged was a bloated, water-logged, corpse of a mare. Chunks of flesh were missing, enough to see muscle, bone, and vital organs, her coat was a blotchy dead blue and green, her eyes were like a fish, and seaweed, starfish, sea urchins, and barnacles stuck attached all over her body.
Rainbow Dash recognized her immediately. “Coral Sea… what happened to you?”
The former High Priestess took another step forward and stumbled on the sand. Rainbow Dash saw the Trident impaling her back—and the question mark Cutie Mark on her flank.
Rainbow hissed, sucking in a deep breath as her eyes narrowed in anger. “He got you. He must’ve thought Godfrey or Heartless would kill me, or I’d drown when the dome broke. When I didn’t he found you and the Trident…”
“Have it…” the guttural groan came from Coral Sea’s throat, impossible as it was, and her dead eyes focused on Rainbow Dash. “I have it… now die… die… die…”
The sound from the ocean grew stronger and Rainbow Dash looked past Coral Sea—her sharp eyes now seeing for the first time the massive wave that had risen in the distance. It sped towards the island of Palm Floats, the top of it dwarfing the island. If it reached Palm Floats the tidal wave would swallow the island completely and leave nothing behind.
“Well isn’t that perfect?” Rainbow Dash growled as she began to sweat. “Everybody wake up!” She yelled to her sleeping friends in the bungalow. “Wake up and get out here RIGHT NOW!”
“Yes… the merpony… she will die… I will… I will kill her,” Coral Sea sputtered, ugly, grimy water billowing from her mouth.
“You’re just being used, Coral Sea… it’s already over,” Rainbow said while behind her the door to the bungalow swung open.
“What’s going on?!” Daylight shouted—horn lit while the others stood in the doorway around her.
“And what’s that horrid stench?” Gilbert pinched the top of his beak.
“Just an old friend who’s come back to say hi,” Rainbow said and pointed at the zombie Coral Sea.
The others gasped at the frightening sight, not able to believe what they were seeing. Even though she was a total mess they could all still recognize her and the artifact embedded in her body. And dead as her eyes were she still seemed able to recognize all of them as well. Her head turned and locked eyes with Senax while more water dripped from her mouth and the foul stench persisted.
“Coral Sea?” Senax whispered.
“Not even death… not even death will stop me… I will kill you,” Coral Sea said to Senax.
“This is impossible…” Ballast said, pale in the face.
“Seen a lot of crazy things on the ocean but yeah, this is something else,” Breakwater nodded.
“That’s not the real problem either,” Rainbow said and gestured at the ocean past the beach.
Her friends looked to the ocean and saw the approaching tidal wave just as clearly as Rainbow Dash now. It was closer, in only a few minutes it would hit Palm Floats and level the island. They had a more subdued and terrified reaction than Rainbow Dash, with Ballast’s legs failing him and Gilbert’s mouth slowly opening in horror.
“The entire island… everyone on it…” Breakwater said.
“She’s using the Trident, isn’t she?” Daylight frowned, her eyes zeroing in on the treasure.
“Yeah,” Rainbow said. “We have to get her to stop.”
Coral Sea shook her head, seaweed falling out of her mane. “Will not. I will never stop this… kill the merpony… kill you all… and everyone else.”
Senax stepped past Daylight, walking towards Rainbow Dash and Coral Sea.
“Please. Don’t do this. I don’t know what happened to you, but don’t do this, Coral Sea.” She pleaded. “Think about what you’re doing, I know you hate me, I know you hate my people, but please see that what you’re doing is wrong.”
“Listen to Senax. This isn’t you, Coral Sea. You’ve been corrupted, you’re being manipulated by someone else to do this. And… even how you are, you can tell that you won’t be here like this for much longer, can’t you? What’s the point of any of this? You were so unwilling to give up your hate when alive that you killed yourself, you sent your loyal subjects to their doom, and you would’ve gladly killed me and my friends even though we aren’t merponies. But is it really worth it? Is it worth hating something that much? Something that doesn’t even really exist anymore? Can’t you let go? Things would be so much better. You know that’s true. Senax wanted to be friends. She wanted your two people to get along. Isn’t that proof that your hate was meaningless?” Rainbow said to her.
Coral Sea shook her head a few more times. “No… no… no… kill her. Make the Sarraroccon Order lead the ocean… have to…”
“Did you really want to do that?” Rainbow frowned. “Did you want to be as bad as Ponyseidon and the ancient merponies? I don’t think you were really that megalomaniacal. I think you were angry and wanted to take revenge on everyone who wronged you—who you thought wronged you—whether they deserved it or not. You were an angry, hate-filled, pony in life. That doesn’t mean you can’t change. I’ve known worse than you, Coral Sea. And right now you’re getting a chance to finally let that hate go. You can pass on peacefully with no regrets. Don’t—don’t do this instead.”
“She’s right. I forgive you for what you did. To begin with… I know you weren’t wrong to hate merponies, but I wanted you to be able to see that things have changed. Things are better now. We. Can. Be. Friends!” Senax shouted. “Instead of thinking about what you hate, can’t you think about what you love? Can you not imagine what it would have been like for our people to have lived happily together even after what happened in the past? Wouldn’t that have been beautiful, and amazing?”
“You’re wrong… I must kill you… hate you… hate you…” Coral Sea shuddered, though her eyes appeared brighter than before. She stepped forward while the question mark on her flank pulsated. “Hate you… die… die…”
“Well if you want to hurt Senax you’ll have to kill me first,” Rainbow said and stepped in front of her friend.
“And me!” Daylight joined them.
“And me!” Gilbert said.
“Me too!” Breakwater shouted.
“M-Me too!” Ballast finished.
Coral Sea looked between them all as they stood in front of Senax, she was surprised, confused.
Even more so when Senax pushed between them all to stand directly in front of her.
“No. If it has to be like this—then kill me. But just me. I… if it will save my friends and the rest of the island… I will let you kill me, Coral Sea. Just promise me that you’ll stop the tidal wave after. Please. Just take me,” Senax begged.
Coral Sea blinked, more light returning to her eyes even as the question mark started to bubble on her flank. “Why do you… how do you care so much? You’re a merpony.” She looked at the others. “Why would you die for her?”
“It’s because she’s our friend,” Rainbow said, standing side by side with Senax and putting a hoof over her shoulders.
“But I…” Coral Sea shivered and steam came from her flank. “I have the power to do anything now… I can get revenge on the merponies… I can do great things…”
“Just having power doesn’t mean you should use it any way you want. I know that,” Rainbow Dash said.
“And being able to forgive those who have wronged you is a power too,” Senax said.
Coral Sea was despondent, unable to look them in the eyes she had to face away.
“I’ve done so many terrible things… and was going to do so much worse…”
“Being able to feel regret for that and willing to make up for your mistakes is the first step,” Rainbow Dash said to her, a small smile now adorning her face.
Coral Sea looked at her and Senax—seeing the honest friendship on their faces. Her eyes turned down towards the sand. “Maybe… I’ve been wrong…”
Her horn lit up and the Trident radiated with magic again. The approaching tidal wave grew slower and smaller, the waves dissipating evenly and the water level going back to normal over the span of thousands of feet. In the end, a three foot wave rolled onto the beach and crashed ashore. The foam didn’t even reach halfway to them.
“I’m sorry…” Coral Sea said and the question mark on her flank melted away.
With it, Coral’s body collapsed to the sand, cracks appearing all throughout what remained of her and leaking out water. Slowly her remains melted away entirely into water as well, only leaving behind a messy pile of wet sand and the Trident of Ponyseidon in the middle of it.
Senax was downcast as she stared at what was left. “I’m sorry too…”
Rainbow Dash pulled her in for a small hug. “It’s alright. That’s… the best we could do at this point.”
“Umm…” Daylight Gleam interrupted, she bit her lip and pointed at the Trident. “Sooo…?”
“Yes, I suppose it isn’t lost anymore,” Gilbert said.
Breakwater raised an eyebrow at Senax. “What do you want to do with it now?”
Senax looked at Rainbow Dash and Rainbow Dash looked back.
After a second, Rainbow smirked. “You sure?”
Senax smiled back and nodded. “I’m sure.”
Rainbow reached down to pick up the Trident and opened up her wings—before shooting off high into the night sky. Reaching hundreds of feet above the island, and still going at full speed, she chucked the Trident of Ponyseidon into the air. Arcing it far into the ocean to the west of Palm Floats. For a little while she saw it glittering in the moonlight before it disappeared down towards the water. Wherever it landed, wherever it came to rest beneath the waves, she had no idea.
Both she and Senax knew it would never fall into the wrong hooves again.
“So I guess this is it?” Rainbow Dash said to her friends.
They were assembled on the docks of Palm Floats early in the morning with the Heart of Azure ready for Breakwater, Gilbert, and Ballast, and the other means of transportation ready to depart for Senax, Daylight Gleam, and Rainbow Dash. Breakfast had been quick. And they didn’t talk too much until they had actually gotten here. Down one dock was the merchant vessel Rainbow Dash would be taking south all the way to Bluegill before making the rest of the way to Southern Light on her own. She had a bag of Malkonrik coins resting on her side to make the trip easy. Down another dock was the pleasure ship that would take Senax all the way to south of Griffonstone, where she’d then board another vessel to finish her trip. And lastly on another dock was the ship that would take Daylight to the far eastern reaches of the Grand Ocean. Her trip had the least planning to it ironically, but she said she’d make it work.
“Yep, the captains on your three vessels are just waiting for you. They’ll leave as soon as you’re onboard,” Breakwater told them. He coughed. “Uh, they would have already left by now, so as much as I don’t want to rush things you probably shouldn’t keep them waiting.”
“Then this really is goodbye,” Senax said.
More than any of them she had a wistful look in her eyes, as it was her adventure they were really on this whole time. The only reason any of this happened was because of the kindness and loyalty of her friends. Now it was ending, or perhaps in a more positive light—turning into something new.
“You always have to say goodbye at some point,” Daylight sighed. “Though… I’ll admit this is tougher than most of the times I’ve had to say goodbye before.”
“Indeed,” Gilbert nodded. “I’m going to miss all of you.”
“Well you still get to spend some more time with me and Ballast,” Breakwater rolled his eyes.
“Oh. That’s true.”
Rainbow and the others chuckled, but then the pegasus felt something rolling down her cheeks. She looked down and saw little tears falling to the dock and lifted her hooves to her face to find that she had started crying.
“Come on...” Rainbow groaned. “I started crying first? That’s so lame...”
“T-That’s nothing to be embarrassed over,” Senax said, sniffling as she started to cry as well. “There’s n-nothing wrong with that at all.”
Gilbert also began to shed tears, big old ones that were indeed a little embarrassing on the griffon. “Nothing wrong at all!”
“You kids...” Breakwater shook his head and smiled while Ballast grinned beside him.
Rainbow Dash rubbed the tears away as best she could, looking across at Daylight who had been doing her best to avert her gaze from everyone else. “Oh don’t try and act tough. If I’m crying then you better cry too.”
“Pff, whatever…” Daylight snorted, glancing back at Rainbow Dash with slightly watery eyes. She seemed to reconsider for a second before stepping forward and hugging Rainbow Dash tightly. “Goodbye, Rainbow Dash. I’m definitely not going to miss you.”
Rainbow laughed. “Heh. Bye, mom.”
The two detached and the four separate groups stood facing each other. Rainbow almost took a step back before she remembered something, eyelids going wide at Gilbert.
“Oh, by the way. Since you’re going up north, if you ever come across a town in Vissidia by the name of Arondel. Say hi to Wish for me.”
Gilbert smiled and gave her a thumb’s up. “Certainly.”
“That sounds like our cue then,” Breakwater said. “Come on, Gilbert, let’s head on out of here. The rest of you… good luck, safe travels, and… I never had a better crew.”
The four smiled to him. Just as appreciative for everything he gave to them.
“What say we all start walking away together?” Daylight said. “Don’t leave anyone feeling awkward?”
“I’m fine with that,” Senax said.
"Then it’s, well… goodbye,” Breakwater said.
“Goodbye!” Gilbert said.
“Goodbye!” Senax said.
“Goodbye,” Daylight Gleam smiled.
“Goodbye, and I’ll see you all later!” Rainbow Dash said.
They waved to each other.
They walked towards their separate ships.
Gilbert, Breakwater, and Ballast heading north.
Daylight Gleam heading east.
Senax heading west.
And Rainbow Dash heading south.
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...Wow...so many feelings mixed in throughout this chapter I find it hard just to put just one to words.
That conflict with Coral Sea went surprisingly well. The power of friendship fought off Herlequin Grey's influence, brought peace to all parties, and brought Coral back to rest.
Grey's gotta be mad as hell right now.
And now, it's time for the group of friends to finally part ways...
...Until next time.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2017/11/10/1583086.png
Onwards to the next part of the adventure.
Great chapters!
Great story arc!
I certainly wasn't expecting Coral Sea to listen to reason but I'm glad that they managed to resolve things quickly.
Really foolish move to toss the trident, it's just a tool. They really coulda used it to rebuild merlantis.
Well the trident will be some other persons problem now.