“So, let me get this straight...” Nick sat on the edge of the trimaran's central float, his muzzle scrunched in deep thought. “You've been flying east all this time, but then all of the sudden a beacon of magical flame brought one of your friends back from the dead, and now she's floating around you as some sort of invisible ghost that only you can see?”
“Right,” Rainbow Dash said with a nod, hovering above the Swan Song.
“Does she have a name?” Nick asked.
Rainbow glanced aside at the bashful unicorn. “Er... yeah. 'Twilight Sparkle.'”
“'Twilight Sparkle.'” Nick nodded. “Right.” The young stallion blinked. “...is she hot?”
“What?!” Rainbow frowned. “No!”
Twilight glanced aside. “Huh?”
“Er... I mean... sure, I guess...”
“Rainbow...?!”
“Snkkt... I mean... her... it...” Rainbow squirmed in mid-air, then gawked down at Nick. “She's like a sister to me, dude!”
“Sure, I'll accept that—” Twilight's eyes crossed. “Wait.”
“Errrr...” Rainbow blushed.
“What does... that have anything to do with—?”
“And you can't make physical contact with her at all?” Nick reached a hoof blindly in the air, feeling around. “Not even her soft, silky mane?”
Rainbow sighed, eyes closed. “...Doctor Dude?”
THWACK! A cane slammed over Nick's skull.
“Ow!” The young stallion rolled back across the hull.
“Thanks,” Rainbow muttered.
“Oui. Do not mention it.” Sinrar stood up and hobbled across the boat. “So, harpy, answer me this. If everypony else is incapable of seeing or talking to this magical mare, then why is it that you can?”
“It's... it's complicated...”
“Life's complicated.” Sinrar scuffled to a stop, frowning Rainbow's way. “Would you mind elaborating on the physical details of this relationship? I would very much like to know that I haven't enlisted my help in assisting a mad pony.”
“She's not mad!” Twilight Sparkle said with a frown. “She's just... enchanted!”
“Yeah! What Twilight said—” Rainbow winced before she was even finished talking. “What I mean is... dammit.”
“We're still waiting,” Sinrar said, nostrils flaring.
“Wait a second,” Nick wheezed, still rubbing his head as he stood up. “I wasn't there for all of your freaky ramblings when you first arrived at the K.M.C.A., Rainbow, but I heard an awful lot about the stuff I missed.” He squinted at the mare. “You solved a super hard mathematics problem and impressed the horseshoes off of Professor Parabola in front of his entire classroom.”
“Huh. Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?” Rainbow blinked, then made a retching expression, “His name was Professor Parabola?”
“That had to have been Twilight's doing, right?”
“Buh?”
“I mean... eheh... no offense...” Nick smirked awkwardly. “But you don't exactly strike me as a clever pony.”
“Jee, thanks, Captain Testicles.”
“Hey, I just say it as I see it.” Nick gulped. “Even if I'm seeing only half of it, according to you.”
“Hah!” Sinrar smirked. “You're telling me that this Twilight of yours embarrassed Ol' Parabollocks?! THAT I would pay to see!”
“Well, roll out the bits, old timer.” Rainbow shoved her elbow through Twilight's glowing figure. “Quick, Twilight, say something super smart.”
“Erm...” Twilight fidgeted where she hovered, then orated: “Galactic nebulae are formed by the gravitational collapse of gases in an interstellar medium, and they most commonly appear on the visible spectrum due to ionization from ultraviolet radiation.”
Rainbow spoke: “Galactic nebulae are formed by the gravitational collapse of—” She blinked, then squinted Twilight's way. “Wait... what the heck does 'ionization' mean?”
“It's when atoms gain positive or negative charges due to bombardment with subatomic particles.”
“Atoms are made of even tinier stuff?”
“Yes, Rainbow.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Seriously. Did you skip all of elementary school?”
“No, only the not-awesome parts.”
Twilight gasped. “How could you not find radioactive decay and particle emission awesome?!”
“Ew... now that just sounds gross.”
“Errr...” Nick leaned his head in. “What does?”
“Particle emissions,” Rainbow said.
“It's only dangerous when it comes to ionization radiation!” Twilight said. “Because that's when energy exceeds ten eV and is strong enough to break chemical bonds—”
“eV?”
“Yes. Electronvolt.”
“The Hell is an Electronvolt?”
“Zut alors!” Sinrar gasped with a mock smile. “It's like she is a different pony!”
“Look, believe me, I've been talking to a flesh-and-blood pony all this time... er...” Rainbow squirmed. “I guess she's not a flesh-and-blood pony right now, but she once was, and there stands a chance she can be again! It all deals with a great deal of convoluted high magic stuff and—”
“Still can't believe you don't know what an electronvolt is,” Twilight muttered.
Rainbow sighed over her shoulder. “Twilight, will you stop talking about the damn nocturnal emissions?!”
“Particle emissions!”
“Whatever!”
“Rainbow Dash...” Nick stood up and trotted over. “I've... always sorta figured you for a magical mare.”
“Uh huh.”
“No. For serious.” He leaned his head to the side. “This... this quest that you're on... this journey. I-I always sorta figured that it was all part of some big picture... and maybe you don't want to share that big picture with us. That's fine. I can respect it.”
“Yeah...?” Rainbow squinted warily at him.
“But... these friends you speak of... Twilight Sparkle and the others...” Nick narrowed his eyes. “This is all about bring them back, somehow, isn't it?”
Rainbow blinked at him. She turned to look at Twilight.
Twilight nodded. “He's smarter than you give him credit.”
“Nick, making a long story short...” Rainbow turned back at him and nodded. “Yeah. That's what the journey's about. At least for the time being.”
“And the Five Seeds...?”
“They're actually gateways to... uh... a deeper layer of this world. A hidden layer. And there's energy there that—when I make contact with it—can do crazy trippy things. I believe they can bring back my friends.”
“What makes you so sure?” Sinrar asked.
Rainbow turned towards him. “Because that Tower that you all 'ooh'd' and 'ahh'd' at? Due West of Kihutaja? That was one such part of the hidden world, and making contact with that is what brought Twilight back.”
“And it changed everything,” Nick breathed. “It took away the Blight.”
“Right. I... don't know what contacting the other beacons will do to this place, but if they can bring back my friends...” Rainbow's words trailed off. She merely shrugged.
Nick smiled. “Well, that wasn't so hard, was it?”
“Hmmm?”
He sat back with a sigh, still smiling. “Letting it out. The truth, I mean.”
“It's a pretty crazy truth.”
“And we live in a pretty crazy world.” Nick winked. “I, for one, am totally on board for helping you reach the next beacon. Especially if it means getting your friends back.”
Twilight held a hoof over her chest. She turned towards Rainbow with a bittersweet smile.
Rainbow brushed a hoof through her bangs and sighed. “Well, good to know, kid.” She turned to look at Sinrar. “Dr. Dude?”
But before the old stallion could respond—
Twilight Sparkle's horn flashed with sudden lavender brilliance. “Aaaugh!” The mare yelped, sinking entirely through the boat and waves.
Rainbow Dash gasped. “Twilight!”
“Ack!” Nick flinched, as did the Professor. “What? What's wrong?!”
Rainbow hopped to the far side of the boat, leaning over as Twilight slowly hovered back up, curled up in a fetal position. “Twi! Twi, are you okay?! What's wrong?! Where does it hurt?!”
“It's... it's not pain...” Twilight shuddered, stretching out so that she floated upright again. “It just stunned me, is all.”
“What did?”
“I... I don't know...” Twilight gulped. “It's... it's a strange feeling in my gut... and in my horn. Only this time, a lot stronger than the others. Almost like a leyline pulse—”
“Wait wait wait...” Rainbow's brow furrowed. “The others?”
“Erm...”
“What others?!” Rainbow growled. “Do you mean something freaky's been happening to you all this time?!”
“I... I-I can't describe it!” Twilight fidgeted. “And even if I could, I... I-I didn't want to worry you...”
Rainbow inhaled sharply. “Girl, you could stand to lecture yourself one of these days...”
“I'm sorry! Seriously, it's been nothing!” Twilight rubbed her horn, nevertheless wincing. “Until now...”
“Twilight...” Rainbow sat on the edge of the hull. “Open up. I mean it.”
“Ever... uh... ever since the 'Blight' fell, and unicorns all across Kihutaja started using their magic, I felt... I-I felt a flutter in my tummy.”
“Define 'flutter?'”
“I wish I could,” Twilight said. “I figured it was hunger, which wouldn't make sense. Because if I'm an incorporeal ghost, then why would I possess a stomach?”
“Right...”
“But then I started to notice that I only felt the sensation whenever other ponies were using magic. I just figured it was because I'm existing on an ethereal layer, and I can detect interference on a residual level. But...” Twilight shrugged. “Then again, I thought it may have been my imagination. I mean... I've had a lot on my mind as of late. Same with you.”
“But just now...?”
Twilight gulped, then pointed due east. “I just... felt something massive... something strong. Almost like a wave of energy... coming from there.”
“From there specifically?”
“Yes.”
“Twilight, I think we've been through enough together to know that stubborn crud doesn't fling in only one direction.” Rainbow frowned. “If you're getting cosmic zaps from the universe, the smart thing would be to tell me!” She turned and gestured wildly at the eastern seas. “Don't wait until something wicked scary decides to give you the shove—” She froze in mid-speech, blinking.
Twilight shifted uncomfortably. “What... what is it?”
“... … ...”
“Rainbow, tell me!”
“It... it's closer...” Rainbow muttered.
“What is?”
Rainbow flapped her wings, hovering just above the vessel. Before her eyes, Yaerfaerda lingered, clear and bright. It hovered low to the sea, its ivory bands shimmering in full clarity.
“Uhhhh...” Nick trotted over. “Rainbow? Is the 'awesome meter' going off again?”
“Quick... Professor...” Rainbow pointed directly at the pulsating beacon. “Can you figure out exactly what lies in that direction from where we're located?”
“Just give me one second...” Sinrar examined his maps, did a few calculations, then drew a line across the charts. “Mmmmff... just as I thought.”
“Yeah? Yeah?” Rainbow pivoted to face him, breathless.
The old stallion tilted his head up, adjusting his bifocals. “The Nealend Atoll. Dead ahead.”
Rainbow bit her lip, gazing at the glittering horizon as the day reached its end.
Twilight floated closer. “You think that's where the First Seed is? On the atoll?”
“Guess there's one way to find out, Twilight.” Rainbow looked at the two stallions. “How about it, guys? You still with me... er... us?”
Nick shrugged, chuckling. “We've followed you this far. Can't possibly get any crazier.”
“Don't press your luck, purple eyes.” Rainbow turned towards Sinrar. “Dr. Dude?”
“Ehhh...” The stallion leaned back, cracking his joints. “I could certainly more than a bucket to piss in. Let's make the trip.”
“Awesome sauce.” Rainbow clung to the mast while gazing at their destination. “Onwards to the biggest bucket of all...”
You're talking to the wrong pony, Nick.
Say, how long until you get another dizzy spell. Dashie?
Dayum, that trip went faster than expected.
Onwards to the totally peaceful island where everything will totally go smoothly and perfectly!
Edit: #3. I'll take bronze. Top 3 is always nice.
So that's the truth about Twilight down. Now when is she gonna spill the beans about her going draconequus when the pendant is removed to Twi?
Dash being the protective big sis to Twi, that's funny, weaponizing Sinrar, even funnier.
-Memories given light, ease a lonely flight. Ynanhluutr.
Here we goooooooo!
Yup. I knew it. We're already almost to the next Seed. Now this is going to be fun. I wonder what challenge they'll face, if any at all.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
Is it a coincidence that Twilight experienced this "feeling" when the Yaerfaerda symbol moved? Did it actually move? Or did they simply get a lot closer to it without Dash noticing? And Twilight's horn was glowing, and she wasn't using magic?
Hmm, the Seeds are responding to Magic use and other Seeds maybe?
How many Seeds are there, including the Blight? Was it Five total, or Blight plus Five? Im wondering if they make a geometrical pattern, pentagon, hexagon, or mapped tesseract, with the centre in Rhobedron, where Verlaxion has situated herself right over the end of plane docking clamp control room?
If the seed is above a giant turtle/whale I will kiss you.
... I've got a ring shaped reef named after me.
My name is pretty sweet, I'll admit.
I ship it.
I friendship it.
Dreams destroyed. Sorry, Twilight. I guess it was never meant to be.
5930064
. . . Nah
Can't wait to see what sort of Atoll this version of Nealend Roseveil must have accidentally run his ship into.
~1/5 into the Ynanhluutr things are starting to get more exciting. I think we can soon expect to get Rarity into the company.
I wonder if Twilight will figure out how to use her magic while incorporeal. Rainbow could have an invisible partner in ass-kicking.
5930042
An important one, no less. We'll see soon enough.
You bet!
...i have brought great dishonor upon my house.
5929950
I wish you were still in the story so that Roarke could slap your shit for that.
Hmm, I wonder if there's an order to the seeds that's shown through the Yaerfaerda symbol? Would going to a seed "out of order" be ineffective?
5930007
Maybe she's becoming more corporeal the closer she gets to the seeds. This could explain why there are six of them when only five need resurrection- each one brings another back, and makes the most recently returned element bearer flesh and blood.
Ah, yes, they have been converted to the belief that Twilight Spookle best pone.
I see no complications ahead on the island. Certainly not angry natives. Hey, maybe we'll luck out and it'll be Pegasus Sex Crater 2: Seapony Island Boogaloo.
Is an invisible Combat Familiar overpowered?
I'm with Sharp Quill. That magical surge is important, especially if the Yaerfaerda symbol moved. Dunno what it means, but I'm guessing it'll complicate things.
Asking the important questions. Particle emissions indeed.
5930206 My first thought was that maybe the seed had been teleported. It would explain it moving closer and the magical pulse, but I'm not sure how you would move something that would probably have to be intricately connected to the base of the machine world.
Why did Yaerfaerda move?
Deus ex Colon
5930136
Wouldn't Roarke have to be here too for that to happen?
5930001 I'm more interested in seeing weather or not they find themselves a second spectral traveling companion. Also if they do, I kind of hope that Twilight and whoever is second can't see or hear each other just for maximum Rainbow Dash headaches.
5930340 Oh no no no, that would be horrible. Please no. I wouldn't be able to stand that.
5930042
Welcome to the club!
/)
5930358 No, but really, can you imagine if that was the case?
After that, Rainbow spends the rest of her journey screaming on the top of her lungs, flying between beacons without stopping to even look at other ponies along the way, and only when she finishes the return trip to Ponyville does she lay the harmonic prism at Luna's hooves, and finally close her mouth and stop screaming, "Fix it." She pleads to the alicorn, as her friends begin all talking to her at once for the thousandth time.
The moment the five other mares are pulled out of her head, Rainbow rockets out of the building without so much as a 'smell ya later' not stopping until she reaches somewhere where no pony will find her where she simply revels in the sweet sound of silence.
If we get them all back that quickly....
It's going to be a headache with all 5 of them floating around her. In approximately a 12 foot range. Surrounded by other ponies.
Yep. Have fun.
Its a shame really I would love to comment more on this amazing tale but all my hopes of being a thing revolve around something or one being called "dead" because I doubt we will ever meet anyone or thing with " shell" in its name ... If deadshell wasn't my gamer tag I would probably have risked a profile just for the story but then I wouldn't be me and either way it sucks just a bit.
Nick asking all the important questions and proving to be quite smart as well. I can't wait to see what I'd on this atoll exactly and if it will bring back Rarity.
One major revelation at a time, but they're getting there.
Moving symbols. Wonder what happened. Did it get annoyed with the particle science talks and basically shouted at them to "get on with it"?
Also, Twilight is indeed very hot, Nick. We did see her mane burst into flames at a few occasions.
5930010
There's six, including the Tower. If I remember correctly, they were described as being "at equidistant points", so I think they form a hexagon.
5930042
5930774
Do not worry, O New Guy, for the Lemur's ways are many, and He hath integrated usernames far trickier than thine. Thee shall play thine part.
5930774
Well, there was one guy named Shell and he's dead now.
You know an ocean could not quench Nick's thirst when he yearns for a random mare he can't see, touch, or hear.
This bloke's gonna be so disappointed when he realizes that Dash's promise about an island inhabited by lonely native mares is total bull.
5930010
I wouldn't be surprised if they formed some sort of geometric shape, just like I wouldn't be surprised if something popped up in the center after they activate all six points. You don't make a ring without there being something in the middle.
5930867 I'm not new I have been reading since book 2 was nearing completion I just have never been a big commenter I'm more of a devourer of words I already know Shell wasn't my namesake which was a shame but with a name like mine watchugunna do? Its hardly a be all end all but its still a shame all the same.
5931209
Ah, okay. It's just that I don't think I've ever seen you before... well, this book, really.
5931224 yeah I am somewhat of a bibliophile I personally have a sizeable library IRL and I have a twisted hobby of filling my favorites on fimfiction with some of the more beefy stories on here but the easthorse has been one of the earlier fics I have read I just never needed to say much I was reading back when dashie still did his daily summaries of each chapter and I read on a teeny cracked phone so commenting is always a trial of sorts so I never bother unless I'm in that rare mood to do so
5931232 Good Luna, punctuation.
5931239 sorry tiny phone and I have always struggled with punctuation teachers never bothered with me :/
5930064 i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/459/759/f0d.gif
So Purple Smart Ghost can feel the magic eh? Me thinks this will be useful. Yep yep yep.
5932338 Well, thanks, but hey, English isn't my native language, and SSAE uses a whole lot of complicated expressions and rarely used words. I started reading this fic (Austraeoh, that is), and I've done some progress in Background Pony, but in BGP it takes me hours to read through one short chapter, because I have to look up everything in a dictionary. What's worse, it's extremely unrewarding, since most of it appears to be useless backround descriptions. I mean, the writing is brilliant, but it all feels too overwritten. The reason I wanted to join in the fic is because of the animated series that's going to be made, based on these fics.
Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate SSAE or saying that his writing is bad. His writing is awesome, yet to me it's often hard to get through and sometimes even incomprehensible.
Thanks for paying such attention to my comment, though! :D No, really, thanks. If the problem was just length, I would've joined in ages ago. :D
5932484
Hey, don't worry about what doesn't make sense. Sometimes IC writes things that even native english speakers (like myself) have a hard time understanding. I'm fairly certain there have been some things that I've needed to read a section four times to really understand what it's trying to say.
That's infinitely spooky. Giant super death magic approaching.
I really hope that if it adds Rarity, then it does just that:adds her, not replace Twilight with her. Also, am I the only one who thinks it'll get slightly more aggravating (if not semi downright hilarious at points) when Dash has to fight: 'eugh! Darling, whyever would you resort to such barbaric methods?! ' for instance. like I said, itll at least be humorous.
Nick, always asking the important questions.
Nick is hilarious. No matter if he fan see the or not, he's always after the girls.