"Mmmmf..." Rainbow Dash's eyelids stirred. Her mouth winced as she squirmed on a metal table under pale lamplight. "Nnnngh... where... how...?"
"Shhhh..." Imre's scarlet hoof steadied the pegasus as she trotted around the center of the infirmary within Searo's Hold. "Please don't move. You have a gazillion stitches and I'm already enough in the red without having to steal a gazillion more from the metal mares' supply cabinet."
"How..." Rainbow Dash gulped dryly. "How long was I under?"
"Around eighteen hours," Imre murmured, glancing over a clipboard. "Now I have a question for you. Who in the hay is 'Gold Petals?'"
"Nnnnngh—Darn it!" Rainbow Dash sat up, snarling. "I am getting really sick and tired of falling unconscious around other ponies—"
"Uh uh uh uh—" Imre shook a hoof and gestured to where Rainbow Dash was sitting. "No sudden movements. You're a masterpiece, and it would be a shame to ruin you." She stirred. "Well, actually, what I did on your wing is a masterpiece. The rest of you is just damn weird."
"Huh? What d-did you do to..." Rainbow Dash glanced at her left side. "...my wing." The appendage was bundled up in an intricate array of bandages. Tiny tourniquets braced the bones at the extremity, and several of the strings were actually glowing. "Whoah. What in the...?" She reached a hoof towards it.
Imre instantly batted it away. "No touching!" She frowned. "Sapphiric string is most delicate, but healing."
"'Sapphiric string?' Pffft! Now I know you're just making crap up."
"Judge all you like. But its magical properties is healing you a heck of a lot faster than conventional... mmmrrmm... 'wing medicine.'" Imre shrugged, then pointed at Rainbow Dash's flank. "Plus, you may be happy with the side effects."
"For real?" Rainbow Dash glanced at her rear, then sputtered with joy to see the tiniest stub of prismatic tail hair growing back. "Oh, for real!" Her voice cracked with a jubilant chuckle.
"Hmmph..." Imre strolled over towards a table on the far side. "You're welcome."
"Yeesh... And here I thought you were gonna steal one of my kidneys or something while I was under."
"Who said I didn't?"
Rainbow Dash opened her mouth. Her ruby eyes darted left and right. Her brow then furrowed as she uttered, "Where's the nearest exit?"
"I wouldn't think of it if I were you."
"But you're not me."
"Thank the Spark. If I had that many colors, the nearest bounty hunter would gut me to pour out the fruit."
"For real, Doc... Doc..."
"Just call me 'Imre.'"
"Imre, I gotta get out of here." Rainbow Dash hopped down from the table, wincing. She shuffled towards the furthest door. "I gotta go out there and find my friends."
"And just how do you expect to do that?" Imre spun about with a brown-eyed glare. "Especially on your own?"
"I... will... erm..." Rainbow Dash fidgeted in the middle of the infirmary. "Trot swiftly?"
"You can't fly anytime soon."
"How much is 'soon?'"
"Not even remotely close to now." Imre swiveled about. "Which is why I'm making some alterations to the suit you were given."
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "What kind of alterations?"
"Don't worry. I know you're not exactly Searo material," Imre grunted. "You're small, light-weight, you have an enchanted collar around your neck, you lack a mana-core inside your gut, have I mentioned that your small?"
Rainbow Dash cleared her throat and trotted closer to her. "Just get to the point already."
"I haven't endeavored to replace any of your body parts with cybernetic enhancements," Imre said as she fiddled with two halves of a suit of armor. "But I think I've prepared a few things that will help you for when Roarke gets you out of here." She sighed, then muttered, "Blessed Spark, I do hope she's planning on dragging your flank out of here."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because her solution to everything involves dragging ponies to this place."
"Yeah, I can see that," Rainbow Dash said with a nod. She leaned over Imre's shoulder to look at what she was doing. "But, bounty hunter's gonna bounty, right?"
Imre quietly and slowly pushed Rainbow back before saying, "Yes and no. Roarke isn't your typical metal mare, which is exactly what brings her so much attention around here."
"Seems like with you Searonese, notoriety is a plus."
"I am not Searonese!" Imre growled, turning from her metalwork to glare at Rainbow. Her horn strobed with a touch of anger. "You would do well to remember that."
Rainbow Dash winced, glancing down at the blood-stained tile floor. "Sorry..."
"Hmmph..." Imre returned to her tinkering. "Well, at least you're modest."
"To a degree." Rainbow Dash trotted around, gazing at the instruments and tools hanging along the walls of the place. "So, like, Roarke is big stuff around here, huh?"
"I said she got a lot of attention. I didn't say she was big."
Rainbow turned around, squinting. "Is there a difference?"
"Being popular in Searo's Hold also means having a bullseye on your muzzle," Imre said, slapping a few metal panels together. "If Roarke knew better, she would have stayed out in the open countryside, rounding up petty thugs and Xonan dissidents in the Confederate Territory north of here. Instead..." Imre sighed long and hard. "She hauls your flank here, bringing you to the enslaved medic without any of the other metal mares knowing. Trying to pass you off as a half-blade in training..."
"Yeah..." Rainbow Dash smirked awkwardly. "Just what's up with that lately? All I ever did was beat her to a friggin' pulp."
Imre turned and glanced at her. "Is that so?"
"Uhhhh... yeah?"
Imre swiveled back to her work. "Curious."
"In what way?"
Imre shrugged as she continued tinkering. "I didn't beat the crap out of her, and she did the same for me."
Rainbow Dash cocked her head to the side. "She brought you here herself?"
"Mmmmhmmmm."
"You must really hate her, then."
"I'm a little too preoccupied with managing this infirmary to do so," Imre muttered. "Besides..."
"Yeah?"
"If it was any other metal mare who brought me back, I'd probably be dead by now."
"Dead? What for?"
"I'm no earth pony. And I'm certainly no Searonese one." Imre's jaw clenched as she hesitated to say, "As much as it bugs me to admit it, Roarke went out of her way to keep me alive."
Rainbow Dash gazed beyond the walls. She thought out loud, "But... but that's not what a bounty hunter would do." She blinked towards Imre. "I mean, a bounty hunter who actually cares about getting props from all her buddies, right?"
"Roarke is a complicated train wreck of a mare," Imre said. "I love her and hate her. I envy you, in a way."
"Huh? What for?"
"Cuz all you do is hate her."
"Ha ha ha ha!" Rainbow Dash laughed. Suddenly, she froze in place. She blinked a few times before saying, "Huh... funny..."
"Hmmm?"
Rainbow gulped. "Just why has she done all of this stuff for me? She knows that I hate her. All she's done so far is throw my friends and I for a loop."
"And dragged your body away from certain peril, I'm guessing."
"Well..." Rainbow bit her lip and ran a hoof through her mane. "She did kinda/sorta rescue me from the Ledomaritans."
"Just like she dragged me away from the Xonans."
Rainbow glanced at her. "But you got yourself into that mess, right? I mean... I did hear that correctly before I went under, I thought."
Imre turned and icily stared at Rainbow. "Did you do no less the same with the forces of Ledo?"
Rainbow Dash gazed blankly back.
"It matters little," Imre muttered. "If it pleases Roarke for me to be here, I'll be here. If it pleases her to get you fixed and suited up, I'll get you fixed and suited up. Best not to make a big deal out of things."
"We can ask her what her plans are when she comes back," Rainbow Dash muttered. "Celestia knows, I wanna be informed."
"That's assuming she's going to come back."
"Huh?" Rainbow Dash performed a double-take. "What's that mean? Is she going off into battle or something?"
"Hmmph..." Imre's lips curved sadistically. "She should be so fortunate at the moment..."
Roarke is not going to battle.
No, she has to deal with something far, far worse...
Politics!
Looks like the Searonese have some pretty amazing healing techniques. It looks like things are going better for Rainbow than it first seemed.
Hmm. I actually feel bad for Imre. She's a unicorn (albeit a modified one) in a community of bloodthirsty earth ponies (albeit modified ones).
Still, I can't wait for Dash to recover and reunite with her friends.
Good chapter, Scolon.
This is getting too interesting. I keep checking the site for updates every two or three minutes...
Still thinking of Gold Petals, eh Dashie?
Why do I get the feeling Roarke's political priority is going to be a complete cataclysmic disaster? Oh, right. It's kind of obvious.
Not only would it make things somewhat more interesting, it would also provide a reason for Imre and Roarke to be involved further, since it's rather blatant they will. Most who hear Dash mumbling embarassing things in her sleep end up being important to that particular arc.
I have loved this story, every single bewonderously munificently splendifferous sentence has been a joy.
Thank you for filling my days with adventur... sorry wrong A word
Also thanks Dashie ( AKA M.A.S.H. I always make sure i read all your evaluations without fail always good to see anothers perspective
2391131
Don't we all?
Resurrection - Fear Factory
well in Dashie's newly modified suite, she should be able to fly in it, right? because at some point she would need the use of flight, right?
How long before I can fly, doctor?
6 months.
6 months?! But I only have 4 months to live.
Then why did you have me work on your wings?
I kinda want to know Imre's backstory. I get the feeling we won't get to hear it, though. Ah well.
Another day...another chapter...ME WANT MORE CHAPTER!!!
Rocket-powered Rainbow Dash inbound.
this story needs more moustaches.
Epic escape battle incoming?
Dammit Roarke , what's your deal, eh?
2391413 I read your comment in Rainbow Dash Presents Sweetie Belle's voice.
2392006 Haha, Thrackerzod is best erm demon pony thing.
Gold Petals x Rainbow Dash is still best OC ship.
I kind of expected Roarke to be a horrible jerk with a heart of gold. Well, maybe a heart of iron, but it's warm at least, although that might just be the magitech.
And Gold Petals makes a name cameo. Its nice to know that Dash still revisits parts of her journey instead of just sloughing everything off mentally and moving on completely. Also, Roarke and Imre are both growing more interesting. You and your OC's - making me like them and then moving on. Well, all caught up. Until tomorrow!
Gentlemares, we can rebuild her.
Quite a complex character, this Roarke...
It would seem that Roarke is in for a rather unpleasant experience. Anypony that makes "Roarke doesn't come back" a decent bet is a very dangerous individual indeed. I wonder if Dash's new suit enhancements will come into play sooner rather than later...
I c wat u did thar.
no backstory time? aww...
Should be "you're".
Otherwise, great job as usual.
2391079
May her soul rest in peace, her mind in a state of fractured bewilderment, and her body in pieces.
I have loved this story, every single bewonderously munificently splendifferous sentence has been a joy.
Thank you for filling my days with adventur... sorry wrong A word
Also thanks Dashie ( AKA M.A.S.H. I always make sure i read all your evaluations without fail always good to see anothers perspective
If you ask me, Roarke ist simply a complete egocentric. Her system of honour, her judgement of worthy or unworthy, her debts, her agendas, her schemes. Lonely wolfs never fit into a society. That woman is just a different kind of demon than those surrounding her.
Side note: ceterum censeo Searinem delendam esse. Furthermore, I consider that Searo must be destroyed.
2391265 She's got a suite now? I thought the pampering of the iridescent pegasus was left in...wasn't it Emeraldine? Verdestone? Something like that.
Oh wait, you meant suit. Never mind.
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
So Dash gets some interaction with Imre in this chapter. It's interesting because the two of them hit it off almost right away. They've both got similar pasts since they were both brought to Searo by Roarke and their personalities seem to be similar as well. Also, I have a feeling that Roarke is getting chewed out by whatever government officials exist in Searo at the moment...oh, and I wouldn't worry about that Gold Petals thing. (Hate, hate, HATE shipping.) It seems more like a nod to longtime readers. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
P.S. I'm actually going on a vacation for a few days, so the evaluations will unfortunately halt for some time. I'll be back Saturday night, when they will hopefully resume. I'll probably do a Marathon Sunday to catch up too. (Which Marathon will this be? 11? I sort of lost track of how many, but I suppose that's a good thing.)
2393921
Um, where did the string come from?
2438411 yup 11 is the number. Well it late but have vacation and good luck on the up coming marithon
Good healing techniques, Searo. Although she won't be able to fly for a while... Imre and Dash are really hitting it off. Maybe Imre will come with them on their quest.
Also, Gold Petals.
-Spirit
2391492
Fancy seeing you here. Then again, I think I saw you comment on Austraeoh before. You chose NOW to comment, after not doing so on Eljunbyro? XD
Roarke must see something in Dash. Future love interest? I hope not. Too much machine. Gold Petals needs to come back.
"Yeesh... And here I thought you were gonna steal one of my kidneys or something while I was under."
"Who said I didn't?"
Oh imre you troll
I love the Imre/Dash dynamic. So much so that I will not even make a lame "hurr muh ship" joke.
They're both there due to Roarke's "kindness", and they play off each other so very well. It's beautiful.
Hm, Roarke is planning something, likely something big.
Nah, Roarke isn't off doing battle. She's visiting royalty, which in Searo is far more dangerous.
Roarke is quite a complex pony for a metal mare, it's a good thing Dash attracted her attention as opposed to someone like Terra.
Ember Speak be like "".
"I can honestly say you're the first pony to ever accuse me of that."
Somehow she still sleep talking about Gold Petals, gee Dash
Imre is such a bitch I love her lol
Wow Dash, that mare really got in your head, ay?
You still thinking ‘bout her? GIRL- if that ain’t love I don’t know what is