Six
There cannot exist transcendence without limits. Sister, I can only have but one response; you hath forced my hoof. Repeal or the night shall last forever.
Chapter Six
THE RIVER HAD NOT ENCOUNTERED RESISTANCE BEFORE. The struggles of the pegasus and unicorn in its grasp were foreign, an act incomprehensible by the river. It did not react. It didn’t know how. Yet as it flowed, it began to see its influence on them regardless.
Harmony had irrevocably bound them together. Everything they did, they did in concert, helping each other to achieve what one couldn’t individually. They supported each other. In them, the river saw itself, and as it lost what it stole, for the first time it felt hope.
***
Rainbow woke slowly, the stench surrounding her becoming more and more abrasive. The late-afternoon sun shone overhead, warming her and the pony she held. She glanced down, at where her muzzle rested against a lavender back. In the wake of their fight, as she’d returned to the ground to find an exhausted Twilight sobbing beside what remained of the wolf’s carcass, she felt nothing but exhilaration, and a deep-seated loneliness. She’d wrapped herself around Twilight, and with her safely held inside the circle of her arms, slept.
Gradually, Twilight came to awareness. She made little sounds of protest as she began moving, restlessly responding to the shift’s in Rainbow’s position. Twilight opened her eyes, catching sight of the cyan hooves around her, and sighed, stretching her own limbs as she shook the last of sleep from her.
Abruptly, she tore herself from Rainbow’s embrace. Sprinting to the river, jumped in with a splash, sending water up onto the crimson bank. Even there, there were splatters of gore. Rainbow tried to keep her gaze away from the corpse, lying with them in the glade, but she was always aware of its presence, lurking, waiting to catch her off-guard. Resolutely, she turned her attention to Twilight; heedless of the cold, scrubbing at her coat furiously, with magic and hooves, in the water. Semi-dried blood began to wash away, percolating into the stream as it bore it away.
Rainbow stood, moving down the river herself. She plunged in, gasping as the icy water struck against her sun-baked coat. Coming to Twilight, she reached out, catching her hoof in her own. She moved in front of Twilight, clasping her around her shuddering face. Tears, hot against the coldness of the river, ran over Rainbow’s hooves.
Twilight pushed her away. Unprepared, Rainbow fell backwards, landing in the water with a great splash.
“I … I’m sorry, Dash. I just . . . I need to get away from here.”
“You and me both, Twi’.” Rainbow replied, getting to her hooves.
“I . . . I need something different. Somewhere without all the green, and brown, and . . .” Twilight cringed, wincing as she spoke, “ . . . and red.”
“Of course,” Rainbow said softly, snaking her forelegs around Twilight’s midriff. She stretched her wings, pumping them up and down a few times, before taking off with a single, powerful beat. Blood flaked off, making horrid cracking noises as she broke the crust of dried gore that had covered her.
They rose quickly, above the stench of the carcass and the buzzing of the flies surrounding it. Soon, it was nothing but a speck amongst the green and brown of the Forest.
Rainbow felt the wind rushing through her fur, savouring its chill. It wasn’t the same as the water’s icy tendrils. It felt better than that, bracing instead of cutting. Invigorating, where the river was crippling. The sky was so large, so empty, wrapping around them with a vastness that dwarfed them.
The sky remained expressionless. The air moved, heedless of their passage through it. Occasional birds greeted them in passing, enjoying the afternoon sun. Twilight began to shiver in Rainbow’s arms.
“I won’t drop you, Twilight. Not ever,” Rainbow said, muzzle held low, beside Twilight’s ear. Her wings held them aloft, high above the Forest, and the despair they’d left behind.
Rainbow could feel Twilight’s heartbeat, pressed up against her hooves. The pegasus took comfort in her warmth, each pulse pressing Twilight a little closer to her. Twilight had become precious to her. It was a symbol; a flame in the dark. It was something worth fighting for.
It made up for her mistakes. She’d failed Twilight, leaving her to the Drac. She still didn’t know what had happened, didn’t know the extent of her crime. She’d left her, and then abandoned her; rejected her to seek herself. She’d failed again, not understanding the intricacies of the magic compelling them.
It galled her, that her enterprise could so thoroughly depend on somepony else. Yet Twilight had become everything. Rainbow wouldn’t fail her again.
So she hadn’t. Fighting the wolf had lent her mind a focus. Each thought was crystalline, as sharp as the fangs that had nearly ended her life. She had acted, and reacted, in balance with herself and her purpose. Its death had shaken her, certainly. But it was not a trembling, weakening blight. Rainbow had watched Twilight scrub herself raw, trying to clean herself of death, and the guilt that accompanied it. Instead, it had given Rainbow life.
The sky was clear, vibrant blues contrasting the golden orb floating above them. The wind bit into her fur as she accelerated. Rainbow didn’t just want to escape what had befallen them. She wanted to fly; wanted to show Twilight this world—her world.
She picked up more speed, wings beating with a rising fury, an intensity that matched her quickening heartbeat. It thudded against Twilight’s back, resonating between them. And Rainbow flew.
She arced high, tracing a giant circle through the air and spun in a tight roll at its peak, falling down backwards, wings outspread, and Twilight exposed to the heights above them. She dove until she could nearly brush the treetops with her hooves. She cried out, in joy, and heard Twilight’s cry of exaltation complete hers.
She twisted and turned, spun and rolled, moved in an elaborate dance through the sky. It was wide, and open, and entirely unique; hers, down to each sharp flap.
She would cry later, she knew. She would feel the emptiness, the soul-crushing horror that followed in the wake of her deed. She would feel the guilt, the shame and the pathos. It was not so easy, to forget, but she would move on.
For now, she was alive, and it felt wonderful. It felt freeing. She found herself turning towards the old castle; a distant patch of stone, against the green quilt below. She didn’t trust the Drac. She didn’t know what to believe, or where to turn for aid. But she knew, in that simple, intrinsic way of knowing, that there was nothing left to do.
She flew towards it steadily, breathing hard. Twilight didn’t question her, gave no comment on their sudden destination. They grew closer, and Rainbow began her descent, Twilight still clutched fiercely against her breast. She felt the beat of Twilight’s life under her, steady now, returned to normal after the exhilaration of their flight.
Approaching the ground, Rainbow marvelled at the greens and the greys; stones and rubble amidst the undergrowth. She listened to the roar of the river, pouring itself into the bowels of the castle, and the soft hum of life around them. It came as a rush, flooding through her in stark contrast to the tranquillity of the sky.
Rainbow halted their fall, coming to a hover above the threshold of the river’s entrance to the castle. Below, the water dived down the ingress, spraying across the rock and disappearing into the dark. It wasn’t a true waterfall; more of a slope than a vertical fall, it was apparent that a pony could clamber down there by hoof.
“Down there, Twi’,” Rainbow said, slowly lowering them into the hole. It was brighter, this time, and she was able to see the tunnel she’d taken before. It curved off, to the side, taking some of the water with it. She’d just had the misfortune of finding the wrong path in the darkness.
Twilight summoned a ball of light. It rested on the end of her horn for a moment, before she, staring cross-eyed at it, forced it off. Rainbow felt a strange urge to laugh. The light floated for a second, trembling in the air, before it began to move with them, erratically zipping through the air. However good she was with magic, Twilight could only feel out so much. Some things, as Rainbow knew, could only come through practice.
Below that path, the water continued to run, moving through great halls, under crumbling arch-ways and passages. The purple light illuminated the hallways, the stone art, carved on the walls. Spray caught the light, sending slivers sparkling around them.
Eventually, they came to a stop. Somewhere, deep below the castle, below even the old city Rainbow had found, the river reached its end. The stream, from thousands of tiny rivulets, split apart within the myriad of paths through the ruins, came together in a vast pool of water, resting silently.
“A ruined castle,” Twilight said, her voice breaking apart the reverent quiet, “broken into a million pieces by time and the Forest itself. The river must have been filling it all this time, pouring down here to pool in the depths . . .”
Rainbow just nodded. There was little point talking, anymore. It didn’t feel right, to disturb the lake’s rest.
She didn’t know what to do next. This had been her last vestige of hope, her last gambit at finally finding the cure for her affliction. She had no hope of finding the Drac, again, nor did she think herself capable of surviving in the Forest for much longer. Twilight was effectively incapacitated, and even if—even if!—that pool was Lethe, somehow finding themselves at the heart of the river, and the city, they had no way of drawing their selves from it.
She lay down. She was tired, so tired; everything seemingly catching up with her at once. Twilight noticed, and took a few moments to look out of the lake—vast, unending, despite the purple light hovering over it—and then lay down next to her, breathing softly. Rainbow sighed, and closed her eyes, but she did not sleep. Twilight’s radiance dimmed, the aura surrounding her horn flickering to nothing.
Outside, the sun began to burn the sky not orange, or yellow, but purple. Twilight descended, bringing night across the world. Inside, the two ponies, now resting beside the vast lake that lay, somehow, at the centre of their world, took comfort in each other’s warmth, presence, and permanence, lying together and awaiting nothing in particular.
***
Rainbow rose some time later. Twilight had already stirred, her motions leaving a faint cloud of dust, again standing at the edge of the lake, as if holding a silent vigil over their plight. She gazed at the unicorn, purple aura the only source of light in the dark. Twilight turned; hearing Rainbow’s movements behind her, or sensing Rainbow’s concerned gaze, resting on her. Lavender eyes stared back, transfixed Rainbow. They were another source of light in the dark, shining alongside her horn. Those pools reflected only compassion, only worry. Rainbow sank into them, basking in what they represented.
“So, uhh, what do we do now? I mean, this is where the Drac told me I’d find Lethe. I’ve no doubt of that. But I don’t think he’s just going to show up,” Rainbow said, breaking the silence. She rubbed the back of her neck with her hoof, and coughed, trying to clear her throat.
“Don’t worry. We’ll work it out.” Twilight offered, smiling.
She didn’t care, at that moment, if they did. Content not to think, or act, but simply feel, there was, for once, no impetus to provoke her into motion. So she stood, quietly contemplating the wholeness of her spirit. She was sure she’d never felt so safe.
It seemed callous. Yesterday, they’d killed a beast. Despite everything, it was a living creature, and they’d robbed it of that gift, that right. She felt bile rising in her throat at the thought, her limbs quavering. She struggled to push the images out of her mind—the silvery-red mist of its shattered teeth and sundered mouth surrounding her in the instant of her escape, the soaked earth, and carcass already buzzing with flies as they’d awoken next to it, covered in gore.
It was easier to ignore it, simpler to move on. She could do that, with Twilight. The unicorn was her focus, her entire world, brought into being and solidified around this single point. She had no need of anything else, not anymore. Perhaps this was what Loyalty meant.
Rainbow’s throat was dry, still, covered in the dust surrounding them. She moved to the river, slowly, cautiously, Twilight’s light hanging over her. The stone floor that had offered them succour could easily betray her, crumble away from the constant wear of the river against it. So she held her wings aloft, ready to spring into the air at the first hint of collapse.
She dipped her muzzle in the current, preparing to draw in water, precious moisture to slake her thirst. There, with her mouth open, and the river flowing down her throat, she heard voices.
Rainbow paused, drawing herself back. It had been a quiet chorus, gentle, as if greeting her home. She shook herself, unsure, then plunged her head back into the water, sinking down to the base of her neck. They sang, and as she pressed herself further and further into the water, she began to understand it.
Join us, they sang, in a glorious harmony. Come away with us. Come back to yourself. Forget.
No, she replied, fierce. She didn’t want to forget; not the memory of her failure, nor the memory of her crime. Those moments had brought her here, to this tranquil place of Harmony. They had brought her to Twilight, and she didn’t want to let go.
This is where you were meant to be. This is where we are all meant to be, the choir continued, coaxing, enticing her to listen, to give in.
No. I belong here, with Twilight. As she thought it, replying fervently, it became true.
Rainbow burst up from the river, gasping for air. She’d buried her entire head in, to better hear the choir. Glancing back at the unicorn watching her, she excitedly raised her voice.
“Twi’! Here, listen! Stick your head in and listen!”
Twilight did as bidden, confusion written plainly across her features. After a minute, Rainbow pulled her back, reining in her ever-so-slow fall towards the water.
“Dashie . . . what was that? I could swear I heard us in there,” Twilight said, giving a sheepish smile, disbelieving herself.
Rainbow didn’t reply, immediately diving back for another listen. The choir began its preaching once again, seeking to draw her in. Yet, very faintly, as if from a distance, she perceived Twilight’s voice, raised as if in argument her own. There was a sudden lull in their conversation, then, stronger, now, approaching or more heated, she heard their cries.
“They . . . they asked us to wait for them. They’re coming here.” Rainbow said woodenly. Shock washed through her body, still tired, sore and aching. “They’re coming to us.”
“Twi’ . . . you don’t think . . . the river?”
“Could it be that easy? I . . . I almost don’t dare to hope,” Twilight said, meeting Rainbow’s eyes.
“It is,” Rainbow whispered, her voice growing in strength as she spoke. “It is!” She began pacing. “The river, the river took my mind . . . You woke me next to it, just as I found you, Twi’ . . . We’re in the river. We’re in the river, and we’re coming here!”
It made sense. The Drac had directed them here; had told her, obliquely, where she’d find answers. The river—the Lethe—had been with them for their entire sojourn. It had been their guide, and their goal.
She leaped forward, grabbing Twilight in a rough hug. Twilight felt a dampness spreading over her shoulder.
“Oh, Twi’! We’re going to be alright. You can get us out, and we’ll go home, and this will all be over.” The relief in her voice was unmistakable. Rainbow had tried so hard to be strong, through everything that had happened. She’d tried to face it head-on, as she imagined she was supposed to. But now that the end was in sight, the will holding her together collapsed.
Twilight hugged her back fiercely. Oh, how she’d come to depend on her. She almost didn’t want this to be all over. She was already home.
***
Rainbow plunged her head into the Lethe. She could hear herself, deafeningly loud, screaming as she approached. She could hear Twilight, more subdued. They’d arrive any second.
“Twi’! Get ready!” she said, calling over her shoulder. Twilight was lying on the ground where they’d slept not long ago. At Rainbow’s voice she looked up, eyes wide. Something glimmered in those depths, something that both frightened and exhilarated Rainbow.
“Come on!” she said, diving back into Lethe. She was so close now, she could feel it. As if she could almost reach out and grab it with a hoof. She gathered herself together, all the fear and confusion and longing; emotions long held at bay through sheer determination, and she raked them through the water in front of her. She didn’t know how she did it; searching for herself amongst the multitude of identities Lethe had absorbed. It felt as natural as flying, an instinctive response to the current she was immersed in. She could almost feel herself reaching back.
Beside her, Twilight appeared. Her eyes were red, mane unkempt. She glanced at Rainbow, and then looked away, staring intently upstream. Rainbow felt her also reaching, tearing the water apart with despair, and hope.
A thread grabbed her attention. She reached out, took hold of it and caressed it, knew it by the same signature she bore; the same emotions she sent through the water. She followed it to its source, a mass of images, thoughts and feelings streaming off it, just barely maintaining cohesion. She claimed it, drew it back, and it poured into her, slammed into her mind with all the force of a caged beast finally free. It threw her back, out of the river, onto the cold stone where she lay, gasping for air.
She had returned to herself, and she remembered. She remembered the pain of separation, the loneliness and despair of her imprisonment. She remembered her trials in the Forest, the bond she’d forged with Twilight. She remembered the unicorn’s arrival, shaking her world, bringing hope. She’d entered Lethe, bringing understanding, and acceptance.
Twilight knew her, as completely as she understood herself. Knew the mask she wore to cover her fear. She had taken that mask, Rainbow’s identity, and, however unintentionally, seen through it, lifted it, shattered it. Rainbow knew she’d never need it again.
She opened her eyes, and gazed up at the unicorn she loved.
***
“Luna?” Twilight said in shock, as they flew out of the ruins. “What are you doing here?!”
Rainbow came to an abrupt halt in the air, moving quickly to the bank and carefully putting Twilight down before landing. Luna stood next to them, dark blue coat, and translucent mane nearly invisible in the twilight covering the Forest. She seemed to have been waiting for them, somehow aware of where they’d been.
“Twilight, Rainbow. I am most pleased to have found you well.” Luna began, stepping forward to embrace them as soon as Rainbow landed. “Are you alright? I heard about your . . . condition, Rainbow. What happened in the Source, down there?”
“We . . . well, we found Lethe,” Twilight said, her cheery voice coming out forced. She did not miss Luna’s wince.
“Did you drink from it?” The intensity in Luna’s voice gave Twilight pause.
“Yes, but everything is fine. We’re fine.”
“Really? You found yourselves again? At the Source . . . it seems I owe our friend an apology. It is most fortuitous he was able to teach you enough, Twilight.” Luna relaxed, rolling her shoulders, and curved her lips upwards in a gentle smile.
At this Twilight took a step forward. Rainbow shook her head, smiling briefly before replacing it with a frown. The Drac had taught her just enough, and in a manner designed to obscure his intent. She was hesitant to call him a friend, despite all the aid he’d given them.
“Luna,” Twilight said, “What exactly did he teach me? He called me a Sage, and Dashie a Chaser. I . . . I think we used it, down there, but . . . what is it? Dashie wouldn’t be able to use any magic I know of.”
"Everypony can use magic, Twilight. You should know that. I suspect Rainbow was able to use Coromancy more instinctively than you, not being hindered by the years of lessons in control,” Luna said. She glanced at the sky before continuing, horn lighting up.
“Coromancy can be considered just that, the art of losing control. Both of you having been under the Lethe’s influence would have greatly assisted a spontaneous manifestation of those abilities. Nevertheless, what he taught you would have remained with you in the Lethe.”
“Emotional magic; Coromancy, literally the study of the heart. Having no memory left us with no restraint; allowed instinctive use . . . while within the Lethe, our emotions held us together, away from Harmony,” Twilight said, mumbling under her breath. Rainbow just nodded, eyes closing briefly in weariness. She wasn’t interested in this, not right now.
The moon began to rise over the trees. Luna’s horn dimmed slowly, then went out. Soft light streamed onto her, making the princess appear shrouded in argent darkness; a beacon in the night. She seemed taller, stronger, now.
“I am sorry that I cannot escort you home myself. Know that your friends are waiting to receive you,” Luna said, the moon’s light encasing her. “Everything has changed, my little ponies. Look to the future.”
With that, she vanished, her body—her essence, dissolving into the wind.
“Look for what?” Twilight said, stepping forward. But the princess was gone, had darted away on a streak of silvery light.
“Well, that was helpful.” Rainbow said sarcastically. “Gonna give us any more tips, Luna?”
“Dash,” Twilight chastised, “don’t get worked up. She’d probably just really busy with something . . .” Even to her ears that sounded weak. Twilight couldn’t bring herself to care. “Can we just go home, please? I’m so tired . . .”
Rainbow said nothing, once again gathering Twilight in her hooves. In minutes, the unicorn was asleep, warm against Rainbow’s chest as they flew over the forest, soaring towards a distant light.
***
“Twi’,” Rainbow said, whispering to her, nearly half an hour later. “We’re nearly there. Come on, just a little longer.”
Gliding down to the ground, Rainbow let go of Twilight with relief, leaving the half-conscious unicorn to fall the last half-metre to the ground. She was exhausted. She could feel it, deep in her bones, screaming for rest. The last few days had taken their toll; long periods of tension, and longer periods of waiting taking more of a toll, even, then the bursts of activity that had punctuated the ordeal.
Rainbow landed softly, turning to Twilight. The unicorn had managed the landing, an expression not of anger, but of concern spread over her face. Rainbow didn’t have to say anything. Together, they began moving to the front door of the library.
Rainbow trembled. The last two days stretched in her memory, seemingly lasting weeks. She ached for home, the familiar scents of rosewood and lavender, and the warm glow of candles illuminating rows upon rows of books, a soft mattress and blanket.
That would have to wait, it seemed. Lights were on, despite the hour, and she could hear voices conversing inside. It seemed their friends were indeed awaiting their return.
Twilight pushed the door open to a burst of noise; chatter interrupted, morphing instantly into a barrage of questions, and exclamations of relief. Twilight stepped forward to allow Rainbow in the door, and on the faces of their friends, Rainbow saw hope, shadowed with a tinge of fear.
Her appearance behind Twilight only intensified the noise. Twilight just stared at them, wordless, as they rushed forward to embrace them, piling in and enclosing them within their arms.
“Uh, gals? A little room, if you don’t mind.” Rainbow said, pulling away. And just like that, silence reigned, Applejack and Pinkie in particular looking abashed.
“What happened, you two?” Rarity said gently, as if fearing the answer.
“We found the Lethe,” Twilight said, simply. “We found it, and we recovered Dashie’s memories. Mine too.”
“Is that . . . blood,” Applejack said, leaning forward with growing horror.
“Yes,” Rainbow said. “S’not ours, though.” That caused another round of murmurs to spread around the room. Rarity wrinkled her nose, backing away slightly, as if just realising how badly they smelt. Rainbow didn’t care. There’d be time enough for grooming in the morning.
“Is Princess Luna with you?” Fluttershy asked. Twilight frowned.
“She left. I don’t know where, but . . . she said to wait, to be ready.” Rainbow’s answer triggered another round of questions, each pony speaking up in confusion.
“Something about looking to the future.” Twilight said, yawning. As if on cue, Rainbow nudged her towards the stairs, following her up. She paused briefly, looking at everypony watching them.
“We’re okay, really. We’re just really tired right now. We’ll catch you up in the morning.”
Nopony said anything as Rainbow followed Twilight into her bedroom. They moved straight to the bed, ignoring the grime still covering their bodies; leaves and dirt tangled through their manes and dried blood still crusted onto their skin. They must have looked a fright, coming through that door.
Rainbow snuggled into the blankets, nestled alongside Twilight. It felt right, as if they’d always been meant to be together. She had been afraid of losing Twilight, after all was said and done. She shouldn’t have worried. She was only beginning to understand the changes her ordeal had wrought in her, yet she knew they would never truly part. There was something of Twilight in her, as Twilight held a part of Rainbow
.
She kissed her briefly, on the lips, and quickly fell asleep.
***
Rainbow woke slowly, sunlight streaming through Twilight’s window. As she stretched, limbs creaking in protest, she heard Twilight mutter something incomprehensible in her sleep. Grinning to herself, she pecked her on the cheek, and made her way to the bathroom.
The hot shower did more to restore her than any number of hours sleep; water cleansing, and steam invigorating. She stayed in there for at least ten minutes, savouring the warmth through her coat, and the soft patter of the water against the tiled floor. At first, the water running off her had been brown, nearly black, but by the end it ran clear.
Drying herself, Rainbow wandered downstairs, where she could already smell the hot breakfast Spike was making. Twilight was awake now, sitting up and regarding the mess they’d made of her bed. She murmured a greeting to Rainbow, and, clambering to her hooves, stepped into the bathroom in turn.
Reaching the main floor, Rainbow stopped, looking at all her friends. Gathered around a table, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were smiling, laughing. Rainbow rushed to join them, slipping into a seat. Every pony there abruptly stared at her, forgetting the joke. There was another flood of questions.
“What happened in that darn Forest?!” Applejack’s concern bled across into anger.
“It’s a long story,” Rainbow said, too familiar with Applejack’s emotions to respond in kind. “I’d rather wait for Twilight—she’ll be down in a little bit.”
“How are you feeling?” Fluttershy, as always, was the first to look to her well-being. Rainbow smiled at her, nodding.
“I’m alright now, I think. I have a lot of catching up to do, though,” she said.
“Quite,” Rarity said. “The weather squad has been lost without you, dear.”
Rainbow chuckled, shaking her head. “I’m not talking about my job.” She looked around the table as Spike jogged forward, bearing a tray, plates of steaming food heaped high arrayed around it. She eagerly dug in, filling her mouth with warmth and flavour. Grass had been an acceptable substitute, for a time, but it couldn’t compare to wilting flowers and hay mixed into a strong broth.
“What did happen to you two in there?”
“I think I’ll let Twilight tell that one. She’d be better at it than me anyway,” Rainbow said, smile widening.
Four jaws dropped, staring at Rainbow in disbelief.
“Are you sure you’re alright, dear?” Rarity asked.
“She might have a temperature,” Fluttershy commented, reaching forward to hold a hoof against Rainbow’s forehead.
“No, thank you, I’m fine. I’m fine!” Rainbow retorted, pushing Fluttershy away gently. The pegasus shrank back into her seat, worried.
“You ain’t acting yourself, RD,” Applejack said, frowning.
“Ponies change.” Rainbow looked away from them, staring out the window. She could see ponies walking, to the market, or the park. Across the street, Sofas and Quills was just opening for business. “It’s a fact of life.”
She glanced at each of them in turn. “I’ve changed. Twilight’s changed. You have no idea how glad I am, to find you all here. Not for us. For yourselves, just sitting around, conversing. It feels . . . right.” At this, everypony smiled. Rainbow’s appearance had cast a subtle cloud over the meeting, a gloom stemming from the fear of change. Her words had struck a hole in that cloud.
“Don’t get all mushy on us, Rainbow,” Applejack said jokingly, her frown dissipating.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, AJ,” Rainbow said.
Behind them, Twilight made some small noise on the stairs, alerting the gathering to her appearance. Rainbow grinned, gesturing towards the empty seat next to her, and the bowl of broth awaiting her. Twilight took the seat quickly, wrapping her magic around a spoon. If she was anywhere near as hungry as Rainbow had been, the broth wouldn’t last long.
Spike reappeared, this time bearing coffee. Twilight’s eyes widened, and she reached out, seizing a mug before he could bring it to her. Nearly spilling it in her haste, she brought the mug to her lips, drinking deeply before relaxing back into her chair with a sigh. Rainbow had no idea how Twilight had managed to last in the Forest without coffee.
“What, no party?” Twilight said, looking around. Pinkie stood abruptly, then turned, dashing out the door as the others giggled.
“You’ve done it now, sugarcube,” Applejack said, to nods from around the table.
“I’m surprised there wasn’t one last night, to be honest,” Rainbow said, around a mouthful of flower.
“There almost was one,” Rarity said, dryly. “You walked straight through us telling Pinkie why it was a bad idea.”
“To be honest, a lot of last night is hazy,” Twilight said.
“I think a party is a good idea, actually,” Rainbow said. “I could really use one, right about now.”
“Umm, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, breaking into the conversation. “I don’t want to rush you, or anything, but . . . “
“Yes, enough chit-chat!” Rarity said. “Why don’t you start with leaving for the Forest, dear?”
“Well, then,” Twilight said, smiling weakly, calling for Spike as she glanced at her empty mug. “I think I’m going to need more coffee.”
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Wait....wasn't this story complete before?
2680169>
Yes, yes it was. It has been updated with higher quality, more consistent prose, an overhauled structure and pacing, and new elements of world-building that directly lead in to other stories in-universe.
2680551
Indeed.
awesome rework of the chapter! i noticed many previous short-comings of the writing now being gone
Great re-chapter
.
2869890
RAFO
This was a good ending. I'm going to go and read the sequel. My only complain of the series was inconsistent paragraph structure throughout the story. Other than that the story was amazingly written, very original, engaging and I can't wait to see the sequel that's up and see if Luna retrieves herself, and what happens to TwiDash now that they are together.
Needs the crossover tag. You should also use FiM Fiction’s built‐in features to designate the sequel a sequel.
5147010
Cheers.
5932306
1. RAFO (wow, do I love pulling this card, I can't imagine Sanderson's glee every time he whips one out.)
2. Zecora's dialogue, among some other elements, remain things I feel not entirely satisfied with. At this point, however, I doubt I'll be changing it.
3. Nice pick-up on brethren, I agree. Perhaps 'kin' would be better.
There's a few facts that you messed up on.
1) Lethe is the spirit, not the river even though that's it's name.
2) Simply touching the river will erase all memories.
3) Drinking the Lethe's water will kill a creature, not just erase the memories.
6259740
If it were, in fact, the Lethe from Classical mythology, you would be correct. It is not. For more detail, refer to the Cosmere.
And that was an unintentional Pokemon reference, heh. Now I'm not going to be able to un-see it. Cheers.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.
6259761 of course I enjoyed it. If I didn't, I wouldn't have nitpicked. That's just my way of saying I loved a story.
6261064 there where more than one pegasus in Greek mythology. Only one was an immortal, the son of Medusa and Posidan. He ended up creating the breed of horse pegai. Over time, people became more and more ignorant and lazy and made os pegasi because it flows better. Either way, the proper name is pegai.
This has been on my read later list for a very long time...
I was reminded of it when I read the description for "The Moon Also Rises" in the newest updates section on the front page and it reminded me of the Wax and Wayne novels... And then I saw your name and realized that it might actually be partially based on the Wax and Wayne novels... Well, Alloy of Law, anyway.
I'll make another comment when I get done.
Also I will be looking for Hoid, and he had best show up somewhere. Or at least a beggar (pony?) with a plausible chance of being Hoid.
6744099
Ooh, fun, a Cosmere buff. I'm sure Wax won't mind you appropriating his last name for your profile
. Entertaining is certainly one word—I'm flattered by your enthusiasm, and I hope you're enjoying the story.
As for the connections: yes, this is an explicit Cosmere crossover chronology, where Equus is a Shardworld much like Scadrial, Roshar, Nalthis, Sel, and so on. As such, there is an entirely new set of abilities tied to the Shard(s) on Equus—no Allomancy or Feruchemy or Surgebinding, though. With regard to Alloy of Law . . . it's much closer to the original Mistborn trilogy. Still, Wax and Wayne are technically alive somewhere in this universe, kicking around at some point in time or another. For Hoid: good luck. Everything else gets a big fat RAFO.
Fixed the typo you found in Chapter Two as well, thanks.