The most poetic way to describe it was a rhumba of rattlesnakes aloft in the sky, swirling, curling, and undulating with loose bands of red, orange, and fuchsia light. They pierced the clouds, scraping the stratosphere due north of the frozen peaks flanking the lofty sanctuary of Wyvern Point.
As a matter of fact, the tapering luminescent bands were so bright that the wooden palace scarcely needed torchlight. Rainbow noticed in her peripheral vision that only half of the brazers were lit. In place of their golden glow, the wooden rooftops and spires of the sanctuary structure were fluctuating with crimson hues.
Rainbow shuffled along the balconies, her body kissed by errant mountain breezes. She gazed down into the valley—but found herself having to squint. The icy snow reflected the red aurora with a shimmering sheen. In fact, the valley was almost brighter than the sky. Rainbow had no clue how the Snow-Bloods living outside the front entrance of the Wyvern managed to sustain such a mesmerizing light show. And yet, the village lingered downhill, quiet, asleep, and peaceful.
"Isn't it absolutely spectacular?" Fluttershy remarked. "It started about two hours after sundown."
"It's... something else, alright," Rainbow managed with a nod.
"I almost went to wake up Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie," Fluttershy said. "But they're resting right now and I didn't want to be rude."
"It's probably just as well," Rainbow droned. She came to a stop against a balcony and leaned against its wooden railing. Her head craned harder, eyes scraping the living sky. "Knowing Twilight... heh... the poor egghead would just beg for a scientific explanation and friggin' ruin it for everypony else."
"It's the skystone deposits," said a soft voice from behind.
"...?" Both Rainbow and Fluttershy spun around, looking up.
The gray silhouette of a pegasus mare perched on the pointed edge of the rooftop above. Ariel's raven black mane flowed against the fiery light show, and a playful smile wafted in and out of existence with each crimson strobe. "We're positioned so far north that the enchanted materia's scarcely a sneeze away."
"No kidding?" Rainbow pivoted to look north. There—the majority of the undulating bands were most densely situated. "Must be friggin' hard to fly around here if we're that close."
Ariel winked a blue eye. "No trouble for this mare. You can count on that."
"Heh..." Rainbow did a mock curtsey. "...I didn't mean to insult the token filly of the Job Squad."
"And I didn't mean to interrupt the Austraeoh's quaint conversation."
Rainbow squirmed. "Uhm..." She looked aside at Fluttershy. "...about that—"
"Please." Ariel leaned her head to the side from where she perched against the breeze. "There's no reason to feel awkward." She nodded. "You were simply speaking with one of the spectral bands of the Spark."
"Huh..." Fluttershy blinked.
"Is that..." Rainbow winced. "...really what the Herald's prophetic text call my friends?"
"Heeheehee..." Ariel giggled. She rolled her eyes and smirked. "Yeah... it sounds super stiff and silly to me too. That's what you get when you have a bunch of nerdy wyverns translate an ancient, dead language." She stood up, spreading her wings. "But, if you must know, yes... the old books speak of the Austraeoh's Eljunbyros... both corporeal and incorporeal."
"Well, nice to know that I have a lot less explaining to do," Rainbow said.
FWOOSH! Ariel was suddenly standing behind Rainbow. "If I may ask... what's their names?"
Rainbow spun around. "Huh?"
"Your friends," Ariel said with a calm smile. "The ones only you can see."
"Uhm..." Rainbow glanced aside. "I was just talking to one of them at the moment. The rest are... resting."
"Even still." Ariel stifled another giggle. "I would love to know their names... if... that's not too much for a Heraldite to ask of the almighty Austraeoh."
Rainbow looked at Fluttershy. Fluttershy smiled. Rainbow looked back at Ariel with a smirk. "Well... this right here is Fluttershy. She's a super sweet... super cool pegasus with a talent for taking care of animals."
"How do you do, Miss Ariel?" Fluttershy curtsied. "I really like your mane."
Rainbow shrugged. "She says that she really, really has to poop."
"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy gasped, her cheeks puffing red with a pout. "That is not what I said!"
"Heeheehee..." Rainbow giggled raspily. She rolled her eyes and winked at Ariel. "Okay. For real. She says she likes your mane."
Ariel's muzzle opened. "Awwww... that's stupidly sweet."
"That's Fluttershy."
"Ahem..." Ariel pivoted to face the spectre's general direction. "Greetings, Fluttershy. It's a real pleasure to meet you. Any friend of Austraeoh is a friend of mine."
"And the others—the ones who are... uh... 'sleeping' right now..."
"Yes?"
"They're called Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie." Rainbow gulped. "And... and the last one that Yaerfaerda has yet to cough up is Applejack. Ahem."
Ariel raised an eyebrow. "All mares?"
Fluttershy blinked.
Rainbow cocked her head aside as she looked at Ariel. "How do you know one of those ponies isn't a handsome hunk of a stallion?"
Ariel gave a bored stare. "'Pinkie Pie...?'"
"Heh... okay. You got me. All girls."
"Hmmm... as good as it gets."
"Heh... yeah." Rainbow gulped. "We... uh... all met in Ponyville, except for me and Fluttershy. The two of us hung out in flight school."
"'Flight School?'" Ariel leaned against the balcony with a grin. "Is there really such a thing beyond the Blight?"
"Girl, in Equestria we have whole cities made of clouds floating in the sky!" Rainbow smiled proudly. "Cloudsdale is home to tens of thousands of pegasi alone."
"Wow..."
"And don't get me started on Las Pegasus... Stratosfillia... Pegasopolis." Rainbow gulped dryly. "Although... uh... the last one is just an ancient relic these days... a few freely floating fumes at best."
"Still, I had no idea so many pegasi permanently flocked together like that." Ariel sighed. "I knew that meeting the Austraeoh would mean I'd learn a thing or two about the Dark Side... but the rest of the world as well?"
"Heh... the stories I could tell."
"I bet." Ariel nodded. "I... I know we all had our opportunity to say it as a group, but it really... truly is an honor to finally meet you in person, Austraeoh."
"Were you seriously waiting your entire life for my arrival?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Of course!" Ariel said. Her muscles flinched, and she glanced aside, ears drooping. "Well..."
"...?" Rainbow stared.
Ariel brushed her bangs back, smiling and avoiding Rainbow's gaze. "There was a time when I didn't care at all about this... 'Austraeoh mumbo jumbo.'"
"Mumbo Jumbo?" Fluttershy blinked.
"How'd you hear about it, then?" Rainbow asked.
"My mother was a member of the Herald," Ariel said. "Up until... a chance ambush by heavily armed Seven Seas privateers. Then she was no longer a member of the Herald... or my mother for that matter." She gulped.
Fluttershy bit her lip.
"I'm... uh... sorry to hear that."
"Don't be." Ariel shrugged. "I'm not. My mother and I? We aired our grievances years before she kicked the bucket. She was a strong mare... the fastest and most badass pegasus around... besides me of course."
"Heh, sure."
"I'm proud of her." She cleared her throat. "I wasn't always, though. For years, I could never understand her obsession with being One of the Seven."
"How long was she a member of the Herald?"
"All of her life. Thus... all my life too." Ariel exhaled heavily. "She was such a strong mare... capable of doing so many things. I just... could never understand why she sacrificed all of that for a seemingly suicidal pledge to ancient texts."
"Yeah..." Rainbow squirmed. "...one might wonder."
Ariel gave her a knowing glance. "I thought she was foolish only because I knew she could have had it so much better. A mare with those kinds of talents? She could have owned a Barge if she really wanted to."
"That's... not exactly an enviable position."
"Heh... I know that now. But I didn't when I was younger and stupider." Ariel snorted. "Eventually, I came around to see precisely what she was fighting for."
"What happened?"
"I was a mercenary for higher. It... was a dangerous profession. I think part of me chose it to get back at my mother. But, while doing various jobs across Rohbredden, I learned pretty quick that... nothing is quite as it seems. And Verlaxion?" Ariel gravely shook her head. "Not exactly the pristine goddess everypony claims that she is."
"Amen."
"Shortly after, Mom introduced me to her six partners—including the immortal Mortuana. Well... mortal to a fault.."
"Right."
"And I could tell... I could just tell that these crazy 'Herald' guys and gals were up to something. When my mother passed, they needed a new member to fill the missing spot among the Sacred Seven. By then, I was... practically part of the family. They offered me the position and—naturally—I took it in a heartbeat."
"Even though it's far less glamorous or promising than mercenary work?"
"Look... what stakes are bigger than the fate of this entire friggin' world?" Ariel remarked. "If we don't look after the Austraeoh and her journey, then all is lost."
"Hmmmm..." Fluttershy looked at Rainbow. "What a remarkable story."
"Uhm..." Rainbow glanced at the lower balconies of the sanctuary. "Do the Sacred Seven switch seats often?"
"When you make a pledge to the Herald, you pledge for good," Ariel explained. "Ponies, griffons, wyverns... creatures of all trots and feathers of life? They've all filled the six slots constantly throughout the years. Mortuana's been in the number one spot forever, of course. She's the central thread that holds us all together."
"What about sirens?" Rainbow Dash asked, leaning her head to the side. "Can seaponies join?"
"Pffft. What, you stupid?" Ariel bore a stupid grin. "Big Show's just a bunch of seaponies in a water-filled earth pony suit!"
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy giggled.
"Heeheehee..." Ariel finished chuckling. "Yeah..." She stared up into the fluctuating sky. "I joined kinda late. After the Mountain Matron, Kepler's the oldest."
"How old, exactly?"
"Not... sure, really. He's made his mark in the archives of this sanctuary decades ago. He knows the ancient texts inside and out. None of us really know just how long wyverns live for. None of us but the wyverns... and Mortuana too, I imagine."
"Right."
"Then Remna's the third most experienced of us. She's lasted longer than the entire job squad... even trained half of us"
"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."
"She knew Wildcard before he became a member of the Herald," Ariel explained. "Helped him recover from his injuries."
"Injuries?"
"Erm... I only know so much... Wildcard being Wildcard and all." Ariel shrugged. "But... from what Kepler says... Wildcard showed up at the sanctuary in pieces shortly before Flynn and Logan joined. Poor guy had been through a lot... don't let his tough exterior fool you. There was once a time when he was so bloodied and battered that you couldn't even recognize him."
"Awwwwwwww..." Fluttershy sniffed. "Now I want to hug him."
"Remna worked him back into fighting shape," Ariel said. "And she wasn't soft about it either. Whew boy... that griffon learned to be a badass again through a real trial by fire."
"Who gave him the prosthetic?" Rainbow asked. "Flynn?"
"Damn straight." Ariel grinned. "Built it for him... using the same tech as he channels into his and Big Show's steam packs."
"Bet that made Wildcard's day."
"Eh... kinda. In truth, Wildcard... used to be a real hardass."
"Jee." Rainbow smirked dryly. "What a shocker."
"I'm serious!" Ariel frowned. "He was... like... Diet Remna. But that was a long frickin' time ago. He's loosened up a whole bunch ever since. Now you can actually approach him without almost getting your eyes pecked out."
"Yeesh... what got him to change?"
"What else?" Ariel smiled warmly. "Bard happened."
"They've... known each other for a while?"
"Eh... long enough," Ariel said with a shrug. "Bard ran raids with Flynn and Big Show in Central Rohbredden to drive pirates out of the mainland. It was almost a coincidence that it turned out they all knew Wildcard as well. Soon after I joined, the five of us became a group. And during lulls in the responsibilities of the Herald, Remna and Kepler volunteered to watch over the western reaches while the rest of us contributed our talents to the safety of Rohbredden civilization."
"The five of you... the Job Squad plus Bard?"
"That's right."
"So... can I ask a friggin' obvious question?"
"You can try."
Rainbow squinted. "Why isn't Bard one of the Herald?"
"Heh... it's not as if we haven't offered," Ariel said with a wave of the hoof. "The dude's passed it off every time."
"Really?" Rainbow exchanged glances with Fluttershy, then looked at the mare again. "What for?"
Ariel squinted. "You mean he hasn't told you?"
"Told us what?"
Silence.
"Erm... never mind..." Ariel shrinked back.
"No. Out with it." Rainbow leaned forward. "What's up with Bard."
"I... it..." Ariel cleared her throat. "I think it's best if the cowcolt to you himself someday."
"What's the big deal with—"
"It's Bard's choice," Ariel said, her voice taking on a briefly sharp tone. "Years back, I made a promise to him. So did the rest of the Squad. His past is his own business... nopony else's."
"Oh." Rainbow blinked. "Okay."
"Please... don't take it the wrong way," Ariel said with a nervous grimace. "You're the Austraeoh and all... but..."
"Hey." Rainbow waved. "Your word is your word. I wouldn't want to step on anyone's fetlocks."
"Even still... I'm just... super surprised that Bard hasn't opened up more to you." Ariel's blue eyes reflected the red sheen overhead. "You three have been through so much in Rust and beyond. From what Wildcard says, you single-hoofedly saved their lives more than once."
"Pffft..." Rainbow shrugged. "I only did the same that they would... do for me." She winced at the end of that utterance.
Ariel marely stared at her.
"I... uh..." Rainbow cleared her throat. "...I did a lot of things to... ruin our friendship." She exhaled hard. "Or at least I thought I did... until they came back for me in Braum."
Ariel smiled. "They were doing things to help you from the shadows long before that."
"Yeah, and I get that now... but for a while there... I thought that I had messed things up for good. Celestia knows it's what I deserved."
"Still, you managed pretty well on your own."
"Heh... barely..."
"Seriously!" Ariel grinned proudly. "You outran the Talon in a train! The Talon... in a train!"
"Pffft..." Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. "Couldn't have done it without my friends there by my side. Fluttershy and the rest, I mean."
"I know. And that's precisely the point." Ariel sighed through a smile. "You really are the Austraeoh. Nothing can stop you."
"Yeah, well, stuff has stopped the Austraeoh before."
"You seem to have managed just fine. Chalk it up to Eljunbyro."
"No, I mean the Austraeohs before me," Rainbow said. "Like Commander Hurricane. She met her end in Stratopolis."
Ariel blinked wide. "There have been... other Austraeohs beside you?"
"Uhm... kinda sorta?" Rainbow shifted uncomfortably. "Commander Hurricane lived her heroic life millennia ago. Time and Urohringr have had... a lot of time to reload its gun, so to speak."
"Wow..." Ariel stared off with numb awe. "...that just blows my friggin' mind." She gulped. "I wonder what would have happened if Mortuana crossed paths with her instead."
"My life would be a lot more simpler."
"Yeah. Boring too, I bet."
Rainbow chuckled. "You said it, girl."
"Heeheehee..."
Rainbow ran a hoof over her buzzed head. "You know... this whole 'Herald' thing isn't quite as freaky as I thought."
"Jee. Thanks."
"I mean... from past experiences, I've sorta been prepared for the worst. But you guys? You and Kepler and Wildcard? You're not half bad. Bard too. Even if he isn't... well... you know."
"Heheh... right..."
"Still, what I wouldn't do to learn more, y'know?" Rainbow shrugged. "About the texts... about the Sacred Seven..."
"About the Dark Side," Fluttershy said.
Rainbow pointed at her with a nod. "Right. About everything." Rainbow looked at Ariel. "I don't supposed you did a decent amount of reading in between all of the pirate butt-kicking?"
"Can't say that I have," Ariel said. "Still..." She bore a smile. "...if you want some light shone on your journey, there is someone you can talk to."
Annnd love interest go!
Dashiel.
*hire
That whole Austraeoh thing is going to place a sort of barrier between Dash and the herald I think. They're going to be all professional about things and if Dash tries to close the gap and make friendly, they're going to rebuff her because "We could die at any moment, we wouldn't want the Austraeoh to be bogged down by our deaths."
Which is going to frustrate Dash to no end.
Though it seems Ariel will likely be a friend and not just a travelling companion.
-Companions have returned, inner darkness spurned. Utaan.
Very interesting exposition about Wildcard. The fact that he showed up at the sanctuary in such a bad shape implies that he really is Jordan, as the rest of The Talon believe he died in whatever situation he got himself into.
That is some nice shipping material right there with Ariel and RD. Can't wait for them to never actually do anything romantic.
Still, shipping...
Swan Song is rubbing off on me. Halp!
Hmm. I'm guessing that "someone" is Kepler, but I really want it to be Remna just so we can find out more about her. Seriously, she's like a riddle wrapped in a mystery nestled in a box of tsunamis.
Yes, I only wrote this comment because I wanted to mix those two quotes.
7040826 No, they're not rainbows. Not a single color, necessarily, but very few.
But that's for auroras caused by a solar wind smashing into the upper atmosphere. Auroras caused by skystone? I haven't a clue.
7041007
If he is Jordan, then what was with that message to our favorite bat-pony?
Gawd, I really wanna know what Bard's deal is. I mean, I'm sure we'll find out... it's just killing me being teased like that.
If this doesn't end in lesbian horse makeout sessions, I'm going to be seriously upset.
As much as I would like to see Rainbow find another snogging-partner, I'm not getting much on my Shippometerâ„¢ yet. But I'll choose to see that as a good sign. Maybe IC's just trying to lay some subtle groundwork, rather than rush into things or play Rainbow as the flustered schoolfilly for laughs.
Also, I'm 98.7% sure that WC is Jordan.
Hmm, so Bard was offered a position as a herald, but turned it down? And he's sworn everypony to secrecy on his personal past? Just what happened?
Also, totally called the skystone thing.
All that Midnight can see in their head is crimson and fuchsia snakes having sex in the night sky whilst Rainbow just stares with starry eyes and as her mouth opens all that is heard is Markiplier's voice whispering: So cool.
Ship it.
Wildbard? Bardcard? Is that a thing?
Ship it.
Well It looks like I will get my wish much sooner than I thought. I was expecting to learn a lot more about the dark side but not this soon. Really liking Ariel so far she seems like the one that might be closet to Dash in the group for sure. Its also nice to know that Bard has been offered and refused of his own volition (and that you can actually refuse if you want).
7041053 Yeah, what's up with you nerds shipping Ariel and Dash? The real ship here is Bard/Wildcard. Duh.
Interesting development about Bard. I wonder why he doesn't join...afraid of committing to a big group, maybe?
Time for Kepler to start teaching!
Dat smexy plot armor, eh?
I so ship Dash and Ariel.
7041105 why not both?
7041038
You and me both, sister.
7041457 Because no. I mean, sure, I'll take pony lesbians but we're like on the cusp of getting Applejack. Though, that would make it more awk and who could resist the awkwardness? I guess I'll take it. But... Bard/Wildcard 4 life.
7041413
Plot armour
7041516 i dont ship AppleDash in this story. RainBoarke is the Otp here.
7041580 I don't particularly either (and I agree about Rainboarke OTP) but it's been teased so much that there's no way it won't at least be addressed.
Dash isn't doing her "wow a pretty mare" act with her, because the author knows we don't need his help to find shipping material. We need her as a love interest to make things awkward with Applejack and die tragically on the dark side.
I'm pretty sure that this herald is the first group Dash has ever run into that both knew about the Austraeoh beforehoof and actually wants to help. Fortuitous!
7041593 I agree that it'll be addressed, but I wonder if Colon will try to make the ship happen.
Hmmm I wonder what the Bard's deal is then....
If a part of Bard's deal has anything to do with a clash of beliefs with the Squad over the years, I can see why he'd decline their offer.
He mentioned that Verlaxion still had a place in his heart as recently as the Quade arc, though fresh experiences with the Austraeoh have shaken things up enough for him to truly come to terms with the importance of the Squad's cause. I still wouldn't count on him wanting to join even now, but this is a cause he must honour more now than ever.
Cute mares and mysteries. Maybe some more answers?
Hmm what if bard is jordan ? Maybe they had pony members too ?
Maybe he didn't join the herald because of his previous ties to the talon, probably sworn oat(h)s or something, the herald is kinda going against everything the talon believes in so a transition would be difficult.
Id totally forgotton about Skystone deposits doing nasty things in the North, just hadnt realised they were that far.
things could get messy. Kepler, you know all those things you knew? Half of them are wrong. The other half.
Lots of background, but not much of it is really important. As for the Aurora equivalent, It it was mentioned that the ring segment was in a massive chaos field, so it is likely the skystone's innate magic clashing with the chaotic energies surrounding the ring segment. similar to how Earth's magnetic field clashes with the high energy particles produced by the sun.
This was a great chapter, felt a bit 'calm before the storm' like. We get a bunch of nice background on the Herald and get some background on Ariel. This, and hopefully future scenes like it will be pretty important I reckon to Rainbow's future decision on if she'll try to ditch them at the Dark Side. I'm not quite sure if getting to know the Herald better will encourage her to keep with them or push them away, though. She left the Noble Jury and she got to know them very well - yet they were not 'professionals' (Roarke excluded). Here, she's got a bunch of professionals to get to know who's skills might win out over her heart.
Perhaps getting to know each other will let them get to know Rainbow's tricks and stop her when she tries to eventually slink away.
Also, I bet Ariel and Rainbow are gonna be great friends.
Hmm... Looks like we find out some more background to some of the other characters...
7041060 That's Captain Jack Sparrow to you.
(He's the dude Skagra's partially based off of.)
Wonder what about Bard's past would prevent him from joining something like the Herald? A rampaging herd of rainbow zealots burn his village as a colt?
7040962 maybe she just worked as a really stoned mercenary.
Oh man, darkside exposition dump coming soon! :D
7041053
This is the best ship name.
So,today as i was pulling weeds i had a horrific thought.
What if it takes the essence of her freinds to recreate the elements of harmony?
To fly so far then when she should have returned the girls to the mortal world then lose them as new gems.
Rainbow would not make it any furter
7043171
Darn you for putting that in my head.
7041717
Actually, I think it would've been fitting for Longaze to have killed him back on Red Barge. I can imagine a scene where Skagra, already near dead and crazy from his fight with Dash, escapes wherever he was being held, comes across Chandler and Longaze before they get off the Barge, and Skagra tries to go for a last minute bit of bloody revenge, leading to Longaze putting an end to him in an appropriately violent fashion. It'd have worked well to actually better hint on Longaze's own potential for violence and murder well before it comes up in Braum, and wrap up Skagra without needing such a distracting scene as what we got a few chapters ago.
But, yeah, Seraphimus. It'll be interesting to see which way she ends up going by the end of this, as the potential for both directions has been firmly established. I imagine it'll come down to how things go with her family. If she loses those, her last thread connecting her to her principles may well be severed. It'd be Shell with Imre all over again. On the other hand, if Dash somehow managed to do something to save Seraphimus' family, that might switch her over to the Austraeoh's side. It'll be fun to watch.
Huh, guess I ought to comment on the current chapters, but... uh... I got nothin'.
ahhh damn, back to the waiting again
I had thirty perfectly good chapters to read, and I blew them all in one sitting. Noq I need to wait again to see what happens.
7043311 I have worse ones that torment me through out the day. I though this one more plausible.
"Marely" is used instead of "merely"...this was done purposefully. I refuse to believe that this is simply a misspelling. Arielbow is now a thing.
Sensible chapters
JUST KISS ALREADY
Exposition dump is expositional.
7044104
That image still leaves questions in my mind. Is it really a cylinder? If such a cylinder was split into twelve segments, each segment would be longer north to south than it would be east to west; or, alternatively, impenetrable skystone barriers would exist where they joined along the segments' long axis. Neither seem right. The image would work if they were nested rings, not cylinders, but "rings" wasn't the word used.
The gravity thing isn't clear either. It's one thing to say some great power is preventing the whole thing from collapsing into a sphere, but it doesn't explain why "gravity" is always perpendicular to the ground. Nor does it explain why the lack of magic in the blight doesn't screw things up (the Grand Choke appears to be larger than astronomical objects that have been forced into a spherical shape).
And as others pointed out, convex and concave are sometimes (but not always) mixed up, and forty degrees is too much.
So Bard was invited for the seven after all? Guy must really have a troubled past if he declined
Enjoying your alliteration this chapter I see, Skirts.
7041580 I'd agree, but I think I'm contractually obliged to support RemBow as the OTP
Aha, so wildcard WAS grievously injured at separation from the talon.
We already knew the desperadoes had a checkered past ...but what is Bard hiding?
glamour.com/images/entertainment/2014/03/ariel-singing-little-mermaid-main.jpg