Ever Dizzy
"Hcckkt—Hahahahaha!" Rainbow Dash was still clutching her sides as the three ponies stumbled their way up the side of a steep hill overlooking the village. A column of smoke rose west of them, gathering golden haze in the mid-morning light. "Ohhhhh! That guy was full of little gems! I gotta write some of them down!"
"Yeah..." Pilate wheezed, slumping down onto his chest as soon as he reached the shade of trees. "You do that... Whew... Ohhhhhhh boy was that unnecessarily loud."
"We gotta put you through more workouts, Stripsey!" Rainbow Dash said, panting as she hovered over the two winded equines. "How do 'blind hurdles' sound? We'll make you gallop in a straight line and shout 'goose' every time you have to jump something."
"Rainbow Dash... we appreciate... your tenacity and improvisational attitude..." Belle sputtered between heaving breaths. She faced the forest, trembling, snapping shut the pockets of the lunar saddlebag on Pilate's flank, securing the freshly pilfered provisions inside. "But we have to lay down some ground rules."
"She's a pegasus, beloved."
"Fine!" Belle grunted. "Sky rules! Air rules! Whatever! Rainbow, we just can't... c-can't have you doing all of those crazy stunts like you used to! I mean, I know it's what you did when you traveled alone, but Pilate and I can't handle it! We don't have the strength or the blood pressure or—heck—the daredevil attitude! I think the two of us are a great deal more fragile than you give us credit for and... and..."
Belle gulped, standing in place. The air felt very still for some reason. Even Pilate sensed it; the zebra's ears twitched in the air.
"Rainbow Dash?" Belle spun around. She gasped, her chestnut eyes widening. "Rainbow!"
Pilate felt the unicorn's hooves scampering across the grass. He stood up, still trying to catch his breath. "What? What is it, Belle? What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know!" Belle squeaked, squatting by the pegasus' side. "Rainbow? Is everything okay? Speak to me?"
Rainbow Dash had collapsed, but she wasn't unconscious. Instead, her body twitched involuntarily as she clutched at the green blades of the earth with shivering limbs. Her eyes were clenched shut, and she gnashed her teeth.
"No..." Rainbow Dash hissed. She breathed heavier, and struggled to keep the bile down her throat. "You g-gotta be friggin' kidding me. I thought it was over... I thought I-I was cured..." She clutched her head and rolled onto her back, whimpering. "I'm still alive, aren't I?! What gives?! Goddess alive, I don't understand it..."
"Rainbow Dash, talk to me." Bellesmith suddenly froze, and her lips pursed. She gulped. "Is it... is it a case of dizziness?"
"Nnnnngh—Darn it!" Rainbow Dash slapped her hoof repeatedly into the dirt, curling up into a fetal position as her voice shook. "Why is this still happening?! I died and came back! Why, Luna?! Why..."
Belle bit her lip, her eyes moistening. She stroked a hoof gently across Rainbow's neck, then looked towards Pilate. "Beloved, can you walk."
"Nnngh... but of course..."
Belle glanced worriedly at the flickering runes on his plate. "How's your head?"
"Better than Rainbow's, I suspect."
"But the sphere—"
"I'm fine, just a little bit of mana-feedback, but nothing I can't handle." He stood up and moved towards Belle's breathing voice. "Lean her against me."
"Okay. Rainbow Dash?"
"Yeah..." The pegasus shuddered, struggling up on wobbly legs. "It's.. It's passing, kind of..."
"Still, let us help you..."
Rainbow said nothing. With a sullen glare cast earthward, she trudged up the rest of the hill's distance and into the dark forest beyond. Belle and Pilate trotted closely on each side of her, supporting her.
"We've got food. We've got a map." Pilate smiled as he spoke in a reassuring voice. "Believe it or not, we have a leg up on things, Miss Dash. Let's just get somewhere far from here."
"Yeah..." Rainbow Dash muttered, her nostrils flaring. "East. Just... go east..."
The trio disappeared beneath the forest canopy.
Far down below, in the ash-settling center of the village...
The citizens trotted back, gulping as they gazed nervously at the ruined marketplace. Enforcer Josho was sitting on his haunches, rubbing his aching horn in one hoof and clutching his rifle in the other. Red Oats paced frantic circles around him.
"This isn't good... This isn't good at all..." Red Oats hissed under his breath. "When the next zeppelin rolls through here, they're gonna report all this damage to the Council of Ledo." He whimpered. "They'll ship my beloved and I closer to the warfront! Ohhhhh this is not good!"
"Unnngh..." Josho stroked his furrowed brow.
"Sir, what do we do?!"
"We have a leg up on things, Miss Dash..." Josho muttered, his face twisted as his horn glowed in uneven, steaming pulses. "We've got food... a map..."
"Huh?!" Red Oats gave him a confused glance. "The hay are you talking about, Enforcer?"
"I... I don't know..." Josho blinked towards the horizon. Everytime he faced east in a certain direction, his horn strobed with resonance. He wasn't the only one who noticed it. Several ponies gazed at the beacon on his forehead in curiosity. "Hmmm..." He sighed. "I think I need a drink."
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So now Josho is a Ledomaritan homing device towards wherever Pilate or OASIS is. They pick him up in a zepplin and they'll catch up to Rainbow in no time.
Rule #25 of being a fugitive:
Don't give your enemies a direct link to your thoughts.
Ouch, that can't be good.
Guy's like a walking telephone with a bonus radar now.
Oh god, no. Dammit, now there's another dick Enforcer out to fuck life over. Jeesh. Does it ever end?
Who even hires these people?
*whisper whisper*
Ach, jeez. I do.
Fuck.
welp.
Josho's mind is listening in on someone else's mind... kind of like I can.
I think we have ourselves a new long-term villian.
Well, now Rainbow Dash is just kiting a long line of Enforcers after her. Pretty soon she'll have a nice little conga line of bloodthirsty Ledomaritans after her. Way to go, 1917003. Making things difficult again...
Oh, that can't be good. Well, unless he gets drunk out of his gourd again.
And I have to go with Rainbow on this one. Why is she suddenly having these dizzy spells again?
Subject: Enforcer Josho
Suffix Title obtained: "The Searchlight"
Preview: "Josho the Searchlight"
-Ghost Minty
Now Josho and Shell are following Dash. At this rate, the entire army is going to follow Dash to the front lines...
Rainbow and the others are clearly going to kite all of the Ledomaritans (including a whole fleet of zeppelins) into Xonan territory, "accidentally" getting everyone involved in a major battle while they sneak off. This will earn Dash the title of "Captain Malcolm Reynolds"
1917168
Well, she never actually died, just injured beyond belief. Then chaos happened. She still has the unstable chaos energies in her, so yeah.
I have a feeling Rainbow is going to piss off every Enforcer in every town until they reach Xona.
1917191
Your a ghost Minty? Also. Stuff happened in the story.
Let's hope Rainbow has Ghost Pro on.
1918301
Long story short, Zaponator killed me and now I'm haunting him!
(Bwahaha!)
-Ghost Minty
I recall that Dash's original idea was to sneak in at night and steal what they needed. How did it come to this
I have a faint feeling Josho is going to join our little escapade.
JOSHO CAN READ MINDS RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Who would have thought smashing a unicorn in the horn with a magic-thought device would have no side effects? The irony in the "leg up" line is delicious. Interesting that Dash saw herself as cured in some way, that would explain a lot of her more exuberant attitude since waking up. There's also the physical metaphor in this chapter Austraeoh heads east, Eljunbyro supports her in doing so; Dash isn't quite as tip-top as she thought she was.
So, bets on how long it takes Josho to figure out what he's hearing and try heading east? Or is he just going to go east into a bar? Guess we'll really get to testthe usable distance limit on O.A.S.I.S.
Well, sh**.
You have somehow managed to make things worse for them in a matter of three chapters.
Moustaches for you.
1918343
Aww... Here have a muffin ghost. (Dont ask how you kill a muffin)
1920773
Yay, ghost muffins!
-Ghost Minty
I like josho... hopefully he wont be killed off or somthing
1917110 1917279 Think of the delicious fun when they all meet though. Berets! Berets for everyone!
1919300 Exuberance? She's been acting plum loco, or rather chocolate Discord. Calling people Ding Dong and her beret-fetish is far more energies of chaos shining through her mental state than Dash being herself.
1922241
I had thought Dash was acting strangely since waking up. I'm glad I'm not the only one to see it.
Hmm... It seems I've finally caught up.. The downside of doing 40 chapter/day binges, I suppose. I can hardly contain my excitement until tomorrow.
Astounding writing as usual, IC. This is hands down my favorite and most highly valued and respected written work.
Well...shoot...
Well crap. Everyone's just invading everyone else's personal business now, aren't they? Although, I admit that the recurring villain thing is kinda nice - not for Dash and co - but for readers. It gives more time to develop them and everything. Plus Josho is way too entertaining to read about to let him off the hook that easily. Onward!
1922199
1925815
oh wow I cant believe I missed that. Doesn't change the facts though. Josho is my second favorite side character, only to C squared
Hmmm. What I wouldn't give to drop a tavern in their path and share elderberry wine with them.
Those poor three ponies deserve a break.
Elderberry wine with just a little fishberry.
Fishberries are... special.
josho is going to drive himself mad.
Damn I can't think of anything to say
"Who would have thought smashing a unicorn in the horn with a magic-thought device would have no side effects?"
Basically. I figured something would go wrong with that... Josho and Red Oats didn't seem like complete throwaway characters
1917862
When they Reach Xona, will that actually stop them following her?
This is Australia..
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
So it appears that the dizzy spells aren't over yet. That's unfortunate, and I think that it does make sense that Dash wouldn't be cured. The only thing that Blue Shelf did was use chaos strips (I think) to hold her in a state of unconscience, suspended animation so that her condition would worsen at far less of a rate. That's my theory - I don't know if there are any other ones out there right now. Also, O.A.S.I.S. is now mentally connected to Josho. That's...not good. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
Yeah too quick.
Though I find this very interesting. It's not often you get a mind-reading enemy with an actual reason of why.
Pffffff, things never seem to be too simple these days.
It sure would be nice if throwing what is essentially a magical orb at a magical pony's head does not have any unwanted side effects. Sure, it makes sense and all. Clearly the material that makes up the actual orb has a certain level of mana conductivity, resulting in a transfer of power between the two entities. However, I find it interesting that it creates a permanent or temporary link between the two ponies involved. So this intrigues me, as someone who finds science interesting, I'd like to know how the hell it works like that, but I can't complain. I'm still riveted!
Onwards!
He's not the only one with mana feedback
I don't even know what's worse: with Josho now hounding Pilate, Dash and Co. just lost their only hope of getting away unbloodied, hiding and sneaking. But I think this is not only dangerous for their lives, but for their loyalty. Belle is right: alone, Dash could easily outfly and pursuers. I think that very soon she'll have to choose between her destiny and her Element once more.
On the other hand, the return of the dizzy spells is a disaster. As was said a few chapters ago: she's beyond her expiration date already. Luna said she'd only have a few more months to live, and with the dizziness returning... clock. is. TICKING.
1919300 The dizzy spells had been getting less and less even before her nearly dying (due to the greater distance from Ponyville, I presume), so I guess that's not quite it. ...I'd rather think that little episode cost her her last bits of sanity. I get the feeling that at any given time, she's close to snapping in one direction or the other...
Dear Rainbow Dash,
ing everything up?
Would you kindly stop
Thanks in advance.
Oh shit, that's bad.
did she remeber the hachet?
1916940 What's the first rule?
1918854 I hope so :D
PLOT DEVELOPMENT
3687503
Rule #1:
Don't talk about being a fugitive.
4037477 ö
No!
The dizzy spells are back! And Josho can reach them now.
Blast.
Shell is going to use Josho to track them... damn.
...