“We’re turning about again,” spoke one stallion to another as the two guards marched firmly across the side deck of the Lightning Bearer, close to the stern. “We’re headed back east.”
“I thought we had just diverted from our previous path half a day ago!” The other looked out into the dissipating gray mists beyond the hull’s edge. “I don’t get it. Fortis has never made an order this random before.”
“I heard that we picked up a very important pony. A mare from Blue Nova.”
“She’d better be important!” The one stallion frowned as the air around them rumbled. “And the sooner we ditch this weather the better.”
“You’d rather deal with enemy warships?”
“If it means killing some tattooed bastards, you bet!”
“Heheheh. Come on, let’s finish our rounds.”
The two trotted down a stairwell, leaving that spot of the deck empty.
A few seconds later, two mares--one colorful and the other clad in metal--climbed over the nearby railing. They hoisted a stallion onto the deck with them like a wet sack of meat.
“Ungh…” Zaid rolled over, wincing. “My body’s noodly in all the wrong places.”
“Get used to it.” Rainbow Dash panted as she nervously glanced around the area surrounding them. “And you’d better be sober! I need you around for when we grab the book.”
“I thought we were looking for the kid.”
“One thing at a time.” Rainbow Dash glanced over at the mare to her right. “Roarke?”
“Hmm?”
“Does your fancy helmet thingy see any dastardly beret dudes loitering about?”
“Hmm…” Roarke leaned forward, her helmet flickering with red light.
Rainbow glared. “You know, half the time I can’t tell when you’re thinking or just brooding.”
“Can’t I do both?”
“Your heart’s really not into this sneaking mission, is it?” Rainbow Dash leaned in to mutter. “You’d rather have gone in guns blazing.”
“Don’t be silly. I’d waste my ammo.”
Rainbow sighed. “Glad to know your priorities are straight.”
“The coast seems to be clear,” Roarke said. “Though that’s not the case with the area below deck. It’s practically crawling with equines down there.”
“I’m guessing that’s where they took Khao’s glowy magazine of runes?” Zaid remarked.
Rainbow Dash tilted her head around, ultimately sighting a lavender glint of light midway towards the bow, and below them. “Ugh. Why’s everything gotta be so mega-lame? I liked things better when it was… like… diet lame.”
“Just calm down,” Roarke said as she snuck towards a stairwell, spotting it for guards. “We’re more than equipped to get the foal, the book, then escape undetected.”
“I don’t suppose you picked up anything at the village back there that could help us?”
“Not quite,” Roarke said. “Just a couple of bits, a switchblade, a crystal detector.” She jerked, “Oh, and one of the stallions in the tavern had dropped a rather tasty sandwich made out of yellow cheese melted between two slices of toasted bread--”
“You mean you had grilled cheese and you didn’t tell me?!” Zaid shouted.
“Shhhh!” Rainbow Dash slapped him upside the head. “The next yelp out of you, cultist, and you’re goin’ out one of these ship’s cannons!”
“I’d proudly die with a smile on my face! Darn it! Why didn’t you share, girl?!”
Rainbow sighed and leaned in towards Roarke. “Any guards down there?”
“Doesn’t seem like it.” The metal mare droned as she grabbed Zaid. “One way to find out.”
“Huh--Gaaaie!” Zaid hissed as he was tossed mercilessly down the steps. His limbs made several thumping noises, then lay silent. After a few seconds, his voice echoed upwards. “He didn’t have a side of pickles with that sandwich, did he?”
“Works form me.” Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and glided down. “Let’s go!”
Roarke hurriedly trotted down after her.
Zetta shoved a tray across the cot. “Please. You need to eat something!” She blinked with worried eyes. “I can tell that you haven’t had a bite in ages! You poor thing. Don’t you want to feel better?”
Kera sat in the far corner of the bed, hugging herself tightly. She went through extraordinary lengths to avoid visual contact with the female enforcer.
Zetta gulped. She glanced up at Basso. The stallion shrugged, his massive shoulders taking up most of the space in the cramped officer’s quarters.
With a sigh, Zetta slid the tray against the wall, rotating the apples atop it so that their skin’s shine could reflect Kera’s jaded expression. “Well, we’ll leave it here in case you change your mind. And if you need anything, please don’t be afraid to ask one of us, okay?”
Kera gazed down at the bed, her expressions limp and emotionless.
Zetta smiled kindly. “I dunno what your folks in Xona think about us, but we’re not really that cruel. Honest! We’d never hurt a kid of theirs. That just isn’t right. I mean, once this war is over, you can go back… back to…” The mare’s words trailed off.
Kera was frowning at this point. Her teeth clenched tightly beneath her tattooed muzzle.
With a wincing expression, Zetta stood up and trotted quietly out the room with Basso. The stallion closed the door as the two stood alone in the hallway.
“Well, she was certainly chatty,” Basso muttered. “You suppose she even understands Ledomaritan Basic?”
“I dunno. Wouldn’t she? I mean, how else could Madame Nightshade have communicated with her?”
“Maybe Nightshade saved the kid from the warfront, and somehow she got stuck with the mare after what went down in Blue Nova.”
“Whatever the case, it looks like that kid has been through a lot.” Zetta gazed at the door with a sad expression. “I… I’ve heard stories of what the Xonans do to their foals: tattooing them at a young age, forcing them to practice mind-bending feats of magic. I didn’t want to believe it, but now that she’s here… and she’s so miserable looking…”
“Perhaps we should just stick to our task at hoof,” Basso said. “Fortis and Straker want us guarding the kid.” He turned around to face the far end of the hallway. “As long as we do that right, we should have nothing to be concerned about--”
“Ooof!” Rainbow Dash turned a corner and slammed directly into Basso’s thick chest.
Unmoving, the stallion glanced down towards the collapsing pegasus. “Oh! Uhm… hi there!” He smiled. “Did Nightshade bring you too?”
Rainbow Dash stopped rubbing her head and gasped. “Nightshade?!” She looked up, caught a brief glimpse of the stallion’s beret, and immediately flew towards him with murderous uppercut. “Raaaaaugh--” She bounced off him again. “Acck!” Thud.
Basso blinked. “So… is that a no?”
“Look out!” Zetta gasped, reaching for her taser.
“Rrrrrrgh!” Roarke flew in, rockets blaring. Behind her, Zaid pumped his hoof, cheering.
“Wooo! Let’s rock, baby!”
Rainbow really does not like those berets.
Go Zaid with the moral support! At least he makes for a better cheering section than Fluttershy.
Can you believe those people? Having the nerve of letting their kids keep their horns, and not giving them the privilege of having their brains hooked up to a dead pony! Such heartless monsters...
I'm glad to know the Stealth mission was a success despite not being all that stealthy.
What are the right places?
You missed the part where a giant exclamation mark appeared over Basso's head.
Twenty-five pushups and thirty-five situps, ):(. Knock 'em out!
Apparently, I'm really solid.
This seems so far to be Dash's most successful sneaking mission yet.
~Basso
I lol'd.
Better luck next time on getting that grilled cheese, Zaid.
3384251
I'm gonna laugh my ass off if she starts making another collection of them like in Eljunbyro, though.
No Rainbow, they are your new freiiindssss
Well, I suppose she attacked Crimson and Co. before befriending them.
Ahh, uppercuts....
I do believe rainbow is a bit vague on the concept of "stealth".
Grilled cheese!!!
3384462
I think the minotaur one was longer. Less stuff exploding due to Roarke.
Well, it was nice while it lasted to have Ledomaritans who weren't bloodthirsty xenophobes. Hopefully Zetta and Basso will hold out for longer.
3384698
My only question is, how are Rainbow and Roarke gonna carry Zaid, Zetta, and Basso when they leave?
Hope there's a handy-dandy extra glider hanging around somewhere!
3384958 It'd be too much to ask if they could hijack the Lightning Bearer?
Yes?
I thought so...
3384958 Of course there will be! Anyway, Kera can probably teleport them all magically, so it's cool.
I'm caught up once more, and this time there weren't any Zadubadabuesque chapters during my time away. I did miss some good jokes however, so I still say I miss all the good chapters when I leave.
Well, they found their ride off that ship. Sit on Bassos back until they hit the ground, and itll get well out their way.
Its so big, and round, ound, Ground.
I wonder if itll be freinds with me.
3384992
You know, I wouldn't put it past them. Rainbow's kinda got a knack for accomplishing great feats of awesomeness, and with Roarke there's no telling what could happen.
If they don't hijack it, they will more than likely end up blowing it to smithereens by the time they leave.
3384350
It sounds like they've basically lost already. There're too many plot threads wound up in this.
3385445 Or crashing it into the Steel Wing, let's not forget about that.
3385562 Just wait until the POV changes back to Grey Smoke and Belle, Pilate, EE, Ebon, Props, Floydien and Josho find themselves involved in more shenanigans.
3385583
Perfect. I can see the chapter title already: Two
BirdsShips, One Stone3383493
Heh heh, just make sure that it's not on state or federal land or that's a big fine
And don't forget the 4 wheeler, it helps a lot and they are way too much fun!!!
3385663 You are aware that is now most likely going to be a chapter name, right?
3386292
>Implying IC is ever going to destroy the Steel Wing
We'll just have to wait and... aw, fuck it; who am I kidding? Rainbow Dash has touched the thing, it'll explode at some point or another.
There's not a doubt in my mind that Shell's zombie ass would walk away from it though.
Well, Basso and Zetta (II) seem like a good sort. Here's to hoping they can all work something out without too much mayhem. IC's put too much work into establishing them as sympathetic characters for them to be dismissed as a mere obstacle now. This Kerabuse will not stand!
*cue mayhem*
3386641 I wonder how much room is left on the Noble Jury...
3386692
The mind reels at the prospect of Floydien's complaining.
3386700 I think that at some point in future stories, when the group ranks in about 20-25 members, Floydien will just stop caring and have all of them sleep in the storage rooms.
Roarke and Rainbow vs. Zetta and Basso! Let the battle... commence!
Kera the cheer squad. Calling it now.
Shell ETA: 13.5 chapters.
3386539 As long as Imre`s corpse is still in less than a hundred pieces yes
So much for stealth.
3384350 ...crotch?
Lol, something tells me Basso is going to be a tough fight...if he decides to fight at all. Him and Zetta seem to be more likely to respond to talking though so hopefully they'll ditch the Light Bringer and join up with Dash.
3386935 Yeah, somehow I'm a total tank. No idea how that happened.
~Basso
3386984 TELL me about it. I work for the bad guys too, lol. Strange times XD Apparently you're a mountain though XD
Okay, throwing Zaid down stairs is going a little too far.
They're sure rough on the poor guy. What are they going to do to him next, poison him with daffodil-tainted grilled-cheese sandwiches?
He may be a cultist, and he might be stupid, but he saved Kera's life, Searo dammit, and he's a nice guy for a cultist.
I really hope he gets a happy resolution, which for him would most likely involve a beach, a beer, a hookah, and a grilled-cheese sandwich platter with a heaping side of dill pickles.
3385890Yeah, I suppose. Then again, when Shell started out, he was as misled as her - he wasn't as gone as he is now. Will Nightshade drop to that point?
If they play it right, perhaps they can convice Bass that he is actually on their side.
3384388 That will happen three chapters from now. You know he's... he's a bit slow.
3386539 I can see it now! Six years from now, the twelfth arc of this installation, "Fdsfsdfhsidfugasd" will finally find fulfillment with the last chapter "The Complete And Utter Destruction Of Everyone And Everything That Ever Existed", showing Zombie Werewolf Vampire Ghost Shell, who by then has been killed and resurrected half a dozen times, shambling away into the sunset to the east - because he's on the dark side, of course - thus marking the beginning of a new series called "Shellestria".
3387547
i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/242/149/8ca.jpg
3387253
Probably not, imploding worked to hard to keep her in the story so I believe that she will be arowned for a little bit
Aww, typical. The two Ledomaritan ponies that actually have a soul, and they're gonna get wrecked.
Rockets already? Well... Nice knowin ya, Basso and Zetta. =(
Nah, I'm sure they'll figure out a way to live through it. But if I start next chapter and the first thing I read is that one of their heads is rolling across the floor, I will be quite sad.
I feel identified with Basso. I am also a really big man who reacts the same way to teasing. I should adopt him until I get a character with my name (around the eleventh story or so).
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
Basso can stand up to Dash's punches? Uh...wow. That's impressive. Perhaps the Harbinger has finally met her match... These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
Oh, right, Basso's really big. Guess I don't remember everything as well as I thought.
In other news, direct conflict! Maybe Basso and Zetta can be recruited to the good side? They'd probably be more helpful than Zaid, to be perfectly honest. I didn't expect Dash to find Kera so quickly, which makes me nervous for the next few chapters. Something craptastic has got to happen. Maybe they'll manage to secure Kera but not the book? Eh, I dunno. Speculation is dumb when I have a gajillion chapters to catch up on, anyway.
Onward!
I like Zaid- he's not really smart but he's fun!
Kera down, book to go.
-Spirit
Well, that ended up going well. So much for stealth.
Wow, it must take something fierce to phase Basso. Guess he comes in handy for the army with a disposition like that.
5873587 he strikes me as the "quiet and cautious" type of personality that is fairly common in particularly large people. You learn to take your time with things and react calmly because if you panic or freak out, others get hurt.
3384337 i get the impression that these guys don't know anything about what nightshade was really doing. And I'm still getting the feeling that the xonans aren't that bad and it's almost all ledomaritan propoganda
3384251 naw she loved them. Remember she was collecting them all. It's the ponies wearing them she doesn't like.