"Mrmmmff..." Rainbow Dash trilled, her muzzle curled up against warm fabric. "Mrmmmmfff..." She trilled again, trying to find her place against the tender warm softness.
A hoof reached down... caressing her long prismatic mane.
Rainbow Dash's lips parted. She let loose a foalish squeak, frightened and needy all at once.
"There there, child..." The hoof continued to stroke her gently... taking time to play with her ears. Lovingly. Titillatingly. "You are safe," the voice spoke, stale yet familiar. "Just rest easy. You deserve it."
"Hrmmmm... guh..." Rainbow's eyes fluttered open. She blinked at the world around her.
She saw warm colors. Glittering greens. Soothing blues. A blindingly bright gold lingering above, all-encompassing.
"... ... ...?" Rainbow felt something brushing against her nose. She looked to see the folds of a blanket. But—beyond that—were the unimistakable threads of a hammock. She was swaying. Drifting. Melting beneath a luscious warmth that bathed her like a sauna. "What...?" Before she could sit up...
...the warm hoof caressed her again, this time brushing under her chin. She felt velvety-soft fur tickling her nostrils.
Looking up, Rainbow found the owner of that fetlock. Her face immediately contorted into confusion.
Applejack smiled back at her. Her eyes were the greenest Rainbow had ever seen, and her freckles were pale pools that one could practically dive into. "Isn't this wonderful?" Applejack spoke. It was her voice, but the drawl was gone. "Here, we can be together. Nothing can hurt us."
Rainbow cocked her head to the side, slowly recoiling from the sight of the mare. "AJ...?" Before she could produce another word, a second set of hooves reached in, massaging Rainbow's withers. She flinched—making the hammock sway. Rainbow threw a look over her shoulder, and the sight she saw made her blood turn cold.
"Don't be afraid," Gold Petals said, her eyes twinkling like the surface of a blue pond. The warm winds made her platinum bangs dance deliciously. "We are here for you. You can trust us."
Rainbow fidgeted on the hammock. Her petite figure swung limply as she struggled to make sense out of—
"Please..." Another voice droned, and Rainbow's heart skipped a beat.
Reluctantly, Rainbow looked behind her yet again.
Her gaze followed a forest of crimson dreads dangling from a rigid frame. Two ice-blue eyes peered at her from across a verdant hilltop. Somehow, there wasn't a single scar or blemish on her body, and even the metal plugs were gone. In a manner of speaking, she was just as Rainbow Dash always remembered her in spirit.
"...talk to us," Roarke said. "You must be so terribly lonely."
"It's okay, though," Gold Petals added, drawing nearer.
Applejack hugged her from behind. "You're not alone here."
Rainbow Dash breathed and breathed and breathed. She closed her eyes, allowing the immaculate sight of Roarke to dissolve against the darkness of her mind. But still—despite her attempts—she could somehow still see the green hills, blue sky, and golden sun. This was what finally calmed her, and she spoke with a dry tone:
"You couldn't get me through fear or intimidation..." Her eyes reopened, strong and piercing. "This isn't going to work either."
The three mares fumbled for words.
"Drop the disguise," Rainbow Dash commanded. "You're not fooling me. I know what I have left behind."
All was still.
Eventually...
...Applejack, Gold Petals, and Roarke all trotted out into the center of a hill. One by one they dissolved, and Rainbow would have been lying if she said that the last one's disappearance didn't leave her feeling decidedly empty. Nevertheless, she steeled herself, watching as a singular feminine figure appeared in the three illusions' place.
"You have a stronger mind than we expected, W'ynlppa yln H'luun."
Rainbow stepped off the hammock as it dissolved behind her. "You're not the first to poke around inside."
"Yes. The Spindlers." The feminine figure rippled like candlelight in the wind. "We smell their vile venom all over."
"Or maybe I'm just awesome..." Rainbow arched an eyebrow. "Did you ever think of that?"
"You have the Blessing of Nightmare Moon..." A pair of eyes solidified at the top of the figure's frame. Rainbow could see the faint outlines of other ponies standing beside her, all peering in the same direction. "The Blood of Luna is upon you. Why? Why did the Mother of Nightmares bestow such a gift to a Penumbral stranger?"
"No... uh uh..." Rainbow shook her head. "...you don't get to ask questions."
"Answer us. Now."
"Not until you've earned it." Rainbow paced across the springry grass of the never ending hills. "Now... answer me some questions first. Beginning with..." She waved a hoof at the crystal blue sky. "...what the heck's the deal with this place? Is this what you guys think Equestria is like?" She looked all around, squinting at the blinding sunlight above. "Did you actually think this sort of a thing would fool me?"
The figure fidgeted suddenly. A noticeable tremor rippled through the bodies behind it.
Rainbow noticed. She arched an eyebrow. "You really don't know, do you? How sucky must that be? To be so far removed from Paradise that you can't recall what home is like."
"We know where we belong," the figure spoke. "Our souls are destined to the Nocturnal Plains... where we will bask in the glory of the Dreambringer forever."
"Pfffft—'Nocturnal Plains?!'" Rainbow smiled crookedly. "Is that what you think they're called?! Yeesh... you've been on the Dark Side for a verrrrrry long time, haven't you?"
"You will NOT insult the righteous plan of the Mother of Nightmares," the voice hissed, although it was still noticeably shaking from across the dreamscape. "As it is written in the Book of Saros: 'The Mother's blessing is our blessing.'"
"This is my head." Rainbow shook her head. "So long as you're here—uninvited—I'm not in the mood for playing by your rules."
The figures shifted awkwardly among each other.
"You're all in the tree... aren't you?" Rainbow Dash said. "Where the Shard of Endrax is located?"
The foremost figure flicked, looking at Rainbow sharply. "How would one such as you know about that?"
"You wanna get answers?" Rainbow rasped. "You wanna talk it out? Round-table and crap?" She took a deep breath. "You call off Lexxic and his hunting goons... and then you come see me face to face. In the real world."
The figures were stone silent.
"Unless..." Rainbow's muzzle lingered open. "...you're not really the ones in charge..."
"We are the Council of Dreamers," the figure said. "We speak for the Matriarchs in charge."
"No no no... you're gonna have to do better than that." Rainbow nodded. "For instance, who are you?"
"We are the Council of Dreamers. We speak for—"
"No. I don't want to know who you hang out with." Rainbow's nostrils flared. "I wanna know about you. That's right. You've always been the one in charge of poking at my dreams these past few weeks. That tells me that you're the only one I can have a heart-to-heart with. So... who are you? What's your name?"
All of the figures in the back were still now, but the one towards the front visibly squirmed.
Rainbow held a hoof to her chest. "My name is Rainbow Dash... and I'm awesome." She held a hoof out. "And you are...?"
The background figures rippled... then vanished. The one in the foreground made a motion like trotting, and the hint of velvety fur materialized into view. "Nat'rdoo," she announced, accompanied by a pair of silver eyes, peering. "Yln syppl'm thym w'lynlypp'rm."
"Hey... it's my head," Rainbow's voice cracked. "Keep it in Rainbownese, please."
"We... I am sorry..." Nat'rdo shuddered, scarecely visible at this point. Rainbow could make out leafy ears and an alarmingly shiny mane. "...it is difficult to translate this information into Penumbral comprehension..."
Rainbow slowly nodded. "Well... Nater... Nader... Naddy..." Her eyes crossed, but she shook the moment loose and spat: "Well, sister, now we're getting somewhere. At least I know that you're capable of humility... or something close to it."
"Will you now explain yourself?" Nat'rdo's silver eyes gleamed. The semblance of a hard frown formed beneath her gaze. "Why would a Penumbral soul blemished with the burns of the Daybreaker be sent here with the Mother's blessing?"
Rainbow blinked. She pointed up at the blinding gold light. "You think that's what Equestria's all about? A beautiful landscape constantly under attack by... by..." Her eyes narrowed. "Did you just call Celestia 'Daybreaker?'"
There was an ear-piecing hiss. Nat'rdo's figure billowed—and the figures behind her briefly reappeared, likewise hissing. "We will not have that vile traitor's true name be spoken! Not here or in any other dreamscape!"
"History's a lot different than you think, Nascar."
"Will you or will you not answer us?"
"Like I said..." Rainbow stared the half-formed figure down. "The made-up world isn't going to cut it. I need to know that my friends and I will be safe... and then we can work out a conference." Rainbow paced as she spoke. "I've seen Lexxic's hoofwork. Yes—thanks to the Spindlers—I know what he's capable of. But Lexxic is going to be a problem for you getting any answers out of me... so long as he's gunning down anything that isn't Dihmer on the Dark Side."
"The Matriarch's finest nightblood warrior is instrumental in achieving victory in the War. We cannot and will not rein him in for the sake of appeasing one Penumbral—"
"Then I guess Luna's one and only gift to appear on the Dark Side in forever will die with me!" Rainbow barked.
Nat'rdo was silent.
Rainbow squinted at her. "You want a taste for yourself? Give me something to go on. What assurance do I have that Lexxic won't hunt me and my friends down?"
Before Nat'rdo could respond, a loud crack of thunder rolled through the emerald landscape. The earth split up, and the heavens divided. Thick blackness poured in, onyx and consuming.
Rainbow looked around. "What... what's going on...?"
"The Dreamscape..." Nat'rdo exclaimed, dissolving one fuzzy layer at a time. "It is being interrupted."
"Is... is it on your end or—?"
"Negative..."" Nat'rdo's figure receded, along with her voice. "You... out in the wilderness... a disturbance... f'lymmsnyl... w'lynshym sym thy'nyll s'abalysnyll!"
Rainbow braced herself as the darkness spread all around, consuming the earth beneath her.
Like an anvil, she dropped—
She may actually be able to negotiate safe passage. Or at least not be instantly attacked.
Luna's enchantment still proving useful.
Dreams.
Okay so there's a good chance the Sarosians here will listen to Rainbow... as long as she doesn't talk about Celestia. Which will make it difficult to explain how and why Rainbow ended up on the dark side with the Rift and all that.
Huh shes dreaming of ponies i just realized. Neat. They seem decidedly less murdery than i would have thought. Luna's blessing still carries a lot of weight with them.
Well what do you know, one of these bat pones at least seems halfway reasonable and capable of having a conversation! I think its high time I bought a hat so I can eat it. Now that Rainbow's established something resembling communication, here's hoping that Nats ain't the only one who's willing to ask questions and seek answers rather than blood.
Seraphimus x Logan Ship Confirmation Chapter Counter: 39
Looks like Luna's influence is proving to be far more useful than the rest of the Herald believed it would be. This is going to honestly make things very interesting when they are able to talk about this.
Maybe safe passage...?
Oh, who am I kidding? Dash and Lexxic are probably gonna pull a Shell and have a bloody fight to the death sometime later.
Sera takes initiative to gather the lost supplies, she rolled a 4.
The wyrm locates her and breaks from below the earth biting at her with -rolls 15- great accuracy.
Sera, you may dodge. Go ahead and roll your... What? Mom, I don't have time to take the garbage out. No, it's like, dark out and the sesh is... Fine, wait here, I'll be right back. Sera, wait for me.
Did they really think she would break so easily?
With an interaction like that, suddenly it looks like Dash could invoke a civil war in the Dark Vigil.
-Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
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2.media.dorkly.cvcdn.com/35/89/464a747dacded120d4dbd2ade4f40de2.gif
And this is when it gets real
I'm getting a pretty good feeling that Rainbow might get on the Bloodwings' good side.
Also nice to see Celestia's "Daybreaker" name come in.
...And then Dashie wakes up, Sera looks over, and the first thing she asks is: "Who is Gold Petals?"
Prismatic Harem, yo.
I really love the non-action chapters. They give the story room to breathe.
Well that took a turn... A left turn!
I will not apologize.
A strikingly humble gesture for a member of the Bloodwings. There may be hope after all.
Rekt.
Looks like Luna should have given at least some of her dark side children more credit, some are willing to compromise, and to listen to others that are not Sarosian. Of course, she will still need to win them over, but it is a start. That it seems that they haven't told Lexxic yet (no sign of pursuit or being tracked yet) suggests that they might not trust him entirely.
Well at least not all the Sarosians are psychopaths. That's good.
Nice to know that Rainbow has someone willing to negotiate with her; here's hoping this Nat'rdo remains friendly.
Here's a bigger question: what's interrupting Rainbow's sleep? A friendly nudge? A freaky worm? Or....something else?
Maybe Dashs snoring is the Tatzlewurms mating call and its now enamoured of her?
Hope Rainbow didn't just roll off the bed.
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Snggt! HAHAHAHA
I love this comment section.
Best
Theory
Ever
Nascar! I like this nickname.
So even the sarosians here aren't as united. On second thought, that should probably have been expected. Definitely seems like they are not going to accept that Luna is in harmony with Celestia now.
Rainbow is just streets ahead of their scheming. In a plane of eternal war, rainbow definitely has the upper edge when it comes to diplomacy.
Huh. The Sarosians can lift her voice from Rainbow's memories, but not her accent?
It's the entire prismatic harem! Minus Ariel. And Ember Speak, but nobody remembers her anyway.
Neat!
Diplomacy, hoooooooooooooooooooooooooo-
Lexxic's gonna fuck it up somehow, I just know it. He don't sound like the kind of fellow to play by the rules of a puppet council to his ambitions.
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Seems as if everybody could just, you know, not kill each other and it would all be peachy.
As it would happen, it ain't so easy.
You leave Roarke out of this, vile batponies!
Hah!
You know, I can't remember if AJ and the others can touch Dash or just the necklace. A thought.
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fuck yes
no ember speak or rayvinne but fuck yes
also no ariel which was like
depressing
Ooooo, exposition!
Looks at next chapter button.
More exposition? o.o
Pokes.
Apparently everyone on the dark side will only communicate through mind-speak
Sounds like progress to me! Or the beginnings thereof, at least. As long as it gives them a shot at getting past the Bloodwings without a fight...
At the time of writing this, I still haven't caught up to the current daily chapters. I anticipated my name to be used but maybe AFTER I had been caught up for a while. Wow, this is a very unexpected surprise.
Ooo so they're not all mindless bloodseekers? Interesting.
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Tell me your secrets! Haha honestly, I'm not expecting "Rudy" to pop up anytime soon, but a fella can dream...
This was really cool. There may be negotiating yet.
This is the closest thing we've had to progress in weeks.
Everyone WTCIRD's mind...
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I believe congratulations are in order. It’s probably a good feeling to be added to the story after reading so long.
Wait, I thought Lexxic was in charge? Matriarch overload.....
Well that went 20% better than I expected.
I think Lexxic is like a 5 star general in U.S. military terms. He's not technically in control of the nation but he's probably in charge of all the military operations, which means he has a ton of authority.
And with the history of a certain 5 star general in U.S. history, there is a reason why they don't give any one general that much authority anymore. Highest rank is now 4 stars.
Yeah, NASCAR. Face the facts.
Went better than expected
Well...at least one of the Bloodwings is open to speech
Hm. Well then. Maybe we can negotiate. I'm a bit surprised that dream magic doesn't allow communication across the entire curve, but I suppose that would break things, plotwise.
Hm, so there's at least one willing to talk. Guess we'll have to see how negotiations go. Now to see what interrupted the dream. If it was one of the Herald waking her up for a reason that isn't life-threatening she's gonna be piiiiiiiissed.