The night passed, and then another night. All the while, the ocean remained a continuous flat expanse of waves and foam. Rarity kept informing Rainbow Dash about the “marvelous” fluctuations in the seabed's depths below, but it did very little to calm the pegasus' spirits. With day after day of the same nothingness, Rainbow Dash grew a little stir crazy. She spent most of the daylight hours stretching her wings, flying loopty-loops around the Midnight Dreary and its sail, much to the two ghost ponies' exasperation.
The Continentalists on board Theanim Mane's ship were seemingly unaffected by the oceanic monotony. Twilight Sparkle suggested that—born into sea life—they were more than accustomed to gratuitously long ocean voyages. Though they were less than enthusiastic about communicating with Rainbow, they more or less kept an air of pleasantness between each other, talking up old fish stories and tales of scientific exploits within the perview of Robhredden exploration.
The only truly exciting thing to happen was the occasional moment when the Midnight Dreary would cross paths with another ocean-going vessel. These were poetically sluggish moments, with both ships slowing their speed and literally stopping side by side so that the passengers on board could exchange word of muzzle. At first, Rainbow Dash didn't understand it, until she realized that this was a Rohbredden custom as old as time.
“Aye, we've heard about the Blight's end!” uttered a bearded earth pony as he leaned along the cargo ship's outer railing. He smiled down at Theanim's blue yacht and its occupants. “That's why our Company's shipping this huge load west! We wanna get as many goods to the western archipelagos as possible!”
“Best to get a jump on new commerce, eh?” Theanim remarked.
“Hah hah! Yeah! Though I suspect it will be a wee bit perilous!” The ship's captain adjusted his hat. “Heard rumors by the wind of a violent sea serpent terrorizing the central atolls!”
“Well, you needn't worry a bit about that anymore!” Theanim grinned wide. “The beast Ultimo has been vanquished!”
“Is that a fact?!”
“We just came from the Nealend Atoll ourselves! The waters are clean! It's smooth sailing from here to Kihutaja!”
“Well, Verlaxion's Blessings!” The captain chuckled. “Things are just getting brighter and brighter!”
“Yes. Indeed.” Theanim nodded, then glanced sideways in Rainbow's direction. “Harmony seems to be spreading a lot lately.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes.
“Rainbow,” Twilight whispered. “He was being complimentary.”
“Yeah, well, jury's still out on his motivations.” Rainbow winced just as she said that.
“What's wrong, dear?” Rarity asked.
“Nothing. Just...” Rainbow sighed. “...some sayings don't mean quite the same as they used to.”
In the meantime, the captain on board the cargo ship said: “You've done us a lot of good with your news! Is there anything you want to know about Continental waters?”
“You came from the Unfrosted Shores?” Theanim asked.
“Aye.”
“Did you pass through Rust on the way here?”
“Hah! How could we not?”
Theanim leaned against the side of the yacht. “Tell me. Is... the Syndicate still in charge?”
Rainbow glanced over, blinking curiously.
“Ohhhhh...” The other ship's captain leaned back, rubbing his mane. “I don't rightly dig my nose into any of that business. When in Rust, I know it's best to just load up and ship right out.”
“Have you heard any rumors, at least?”
“Laddie, if you're concerned about the Syndicate, fear no more.” The captain chuckled. “They're just as large and in charge as always. Had to pay a damn docking fee about twice the size as normal.”
“Hrmmm...” Theanim nodded, muzzle scrunched. “I was afraid of that.”
“Eh. From the looks of ya, you can afford it.” The captain nodded. “Lemme guess. You run with the Order?”
“As a matter of fact, we do, fine sir.”
“Hah!” The captain smirked. “I could smell it in your breath! I'm surprised you're headed to Rust! It ain't exactly luxurious!”
“It's a necessary stopping point,” Theanim said. “And, besides, I've been there several times before.”
“An explorer, I see. Very well.” The captain saluted, then signaled to his mates to resume sailing west. “Verlaxion's Blessings! Thanks once more for the news on the serpent! Now we can get to our destination in twice the time!”
“Don't venture too far into the former Blight!” Theanim spoke louder as the ships parted ways. “There's nothing but desolate waters for miles and miles beyond!”
“How in blazes do you know that?!” yelled the captain from afar.
“Pretty soon... everypony will know!” Theanim leaned against the rudder wheel as he resumed the Midnight Dreary's cruise east. After a few seconds, he noticed Rainbow staring at him, and he said, “Well... eventually everypony will know about it. I just have to get a book started.” He exhaled, nostrils flaring. “I greatly suspect Professor Sinrar will have started his own by now. Meh.”
“So... uhhh...” Rainbow Dash fidgeted where she stood. “Just who's the Syndicate?”
“Hmmm?” Theanim blinked. “Oh, well... they're... uhh—”
“Lemme guess,” Rainbow droned. “A bunch of big bad guys with blunt weapons and oodles of expendable thugs.”
“Pfft! No! Don't be so obtuse!” Theanim Mane rolled his eyes. “The Syndicate's simply the largest and most powerful monetary organization in the city of Rust! They monitor all the ins-and-outs of trade in the city and regulate the flow of goods! They're really quite essential to the local economy, and even Shoggoth would suffer if it weren't for the Syndicate's influence in the southern trade line!” He gripped the wheel, navigating the oceanic swells. “Mmmm... and... uhm... so what if th-they may occasionally possess blunt weapons and employ oodles of expendable thugs? Eheheh...”
“Unnnnngh...” Rainbow face-hoofed. “Doc, why didn't you tell me that we were sailing muzzle-first into a mob town?”
“It is not a mob town!” Theanim frowned. “I... rather like to think that the place has rustic character.” He bore a frazzled smile. “Quite literally. Heheheh.”
“Dude, I'm serious!” Rainbow Dash flew until she hovered in front of him. “I know trouble when I can smell it. More than anything, I gotta get into Shoggoth in one piece and I need your help in getting down there! So if this place is as nasty as it sounds, I'd rather scratch it off the list—”
“A few things, my dear,” Theanim said, looking past her while he steered the ship. “Number One: we are running low on supplies. Aside from the fact that Rust is the only reasonable place where we can drop off my Continentalist companions, we are in desperate need of a restock, and there simply isn't another port within leagues that can supply us.”
Rainbow pointed at the cargo ship behind them. “Then why not bum a few crackers off those dudes?! They're salty enough!”
“They're making an even longer trip than we are, Rainbow,” Theanim explained. “With five times the crew complement. I'm not about to rob them—or any other ship, for that matter. Besides, it's very much against Rohbredden custom.”
“Rohbreddeners refuse to be generous?”
“No, they refuse suicide and stupidity,” Theanim said. “And, Number Two about Rust...” He squinted at Rainbow. “It is not I who can get us into Shoggoth.”
Rainbow sighed. “It's Echo.”
“Quite. And so long as he may be holed up in Rust, then that's where we need to go.”
“But... but...”
“Relax, my dear,” Theanim said with a smile. “The Syndicate has nothing against weary travelers such as you or I. So long as we conduct normal business and pay our dues, they have no more quarrel with us than sunlight has with seaweed.”
“But if we somehow were to cross them?”
Almost instantly, Theanim's face paled. “Then... we would be made to face their rather unorthodox translation of Verlaxion's wrath.” He cleared his throat and instantly smiled. “But such would be a gross improbability. Understand?”
“Meh.”
“You really must learn to relax, Miss Dash. Everything will be just fine.” Theanim grinned, looking ahead. “Talk to your spectral companions—perhaps—if it will ease your troubled mind.”
Rainbow glanced lethargically at the floating unicorns at her side. “So... how about it, girls? You got anything to offer on this mess?”
Rarity stared off in blank thought.
Rainbow's brow furrowed. “Well?!”
Rarity snapped out of it. “Petticoats!” She blinked Rainbow's way. “Huh? What?”
Rainbow sighed, then looked in the opposite direction.
Twilight glanced between the two of them. With a goofy smile, she squeaked: “...books?”
“Ugh!” Rainbow trotted below deck. “That's it. I'm headbutting a pillow,” she grunted under the cadence of the two mares' giggles.
Interesting I wonder why they weren't listening. So we have a Mob town coming up, at this point however I don't know if RD will leave it be or try to fix things again as usual. I have a feeling she will at least try to leave it alone, how well that will work I'm not too sure.
i.imgur.com/Mrz1RMn.gif
FIRST TO READ IT!!!
And I'm betting that one of the reasons that the world is dying is because at least 2 - probably 3 - of the divines have gone dark, destabilizing the fragments of Urohringr even further. Also, we need more maps of this entire world of Austreaoh.
With a name like Syndicate, they obviously only break your kneecaps if you cross them....hopefully.
Headbutting a pillow. That's new.
Something tells me Spookle and Scarity would not tease RD if she could physically touch them.
Mob(ish)-town, ahoy! Prepare your rusty ass for moderately riled up, bored, and slightly impatient lesbian pegasus!
Suuuure, Theanim, of course there's no chance of you running afoul of the Syndicate. Of course that wouldn't happen, why would you even think that.
6099527
since when does RD not stick her muzzle in it regarding these situations. I'm thinking we're about to meet the antagonists for the book.
They don't know Rainbow well -- if there is trouble, she will find it.
I think you mean half the time there, unless doubling the amount of time they need to spend travelling is somehow a good thing.
Also anyone who thinks Dash can pass through any town without incident doesn't know rainbow at all.
6099535
Blinks.
That would imply the dragons are intimately tied to the functioning of the ring world, and iirc, things were going to shit long before nevelmas fell, and we don't even know if the shadow one is dead. I don't think that the Divines are as tied to the workings of Urohringr as suggested here. Seems more likely the dragons, like the alicorns, found urohringr after the splitting.
(Also, all caps FIRST TO READ is kinda rude, methinks).
eyyyyy
6099630 Sorry about the all-caps, but I was excited. And what I meant was that their falls have accelerated the decay of this fragment of Urohringr, not that they started it. And we need more maps of this world.
6099654
That still implies a deeper connection to Urohringrs functioning than we have been given info for. It doesnt seem like conditions have particularly changed with nevelmas's death, the only death we can confirm for certain.
6099282 hah, I'd completely forgotten about that fic!
6099669 Well, in her case, the damage was done by her fall into darkness, and her death actually helped Harmony, since now a major chaos being is no more.
Teilight and Zraraity are distracted because theyve been outside of the Harmonic Sleeping Space for several days straight, and they are busy ficusing all their attentions on the flutters or echoes caused by nearby geodes or magic.
Rainbow dasj is out of things to talk about because there is a lot of stuff that is too personal or too alien or too beyond her vocabulary for her to talk about.
Bad jokes, a sure sign that pinkie is needed in this area
"Books"
Flanderizing a bit, eh ):(?
Dashie, just stay in the boat. Don't blink, don't breathe, don't twitch. The second you make eye contact with anyone, it's gonna turn into an adventure. Just shut up and be cute.
Ten burpees, ):(. Knock 'em out!
Two days of shallow seas just waiting for Shoggoth to rise and create new land and new trade routes.
As for Syndicate.
Hardcore Old School.
Get Out Of the Way.
Shouldnt the big ship be able to take a shortcut, maybe getting the Kessel run down to 1500 klicks?
Meanwhile, in a dungeon in Val Roa.
Get up Duck, the king has got a job for you.
Leading a ragtag collection of traders into the east.
Looks like you got yourself a Convoy.
I'm still waiting for RD's friends to evolve into a highly disciplined Ghost Overwatch so RD can pretend to have The Daredevil's echolocation superpowers!
The chapter titles are starting to reference the story's own tropes! The characters can't be far behind! Heed my warnings, Lunar Ninth!
Oooop. Stuff is gonna go down in mobster town.
Usually, ending with giggling will get you locked up.
I predict Dash and Theanim will have to save Echo, who just recently made a misstep, from thugs armed with blunt weapons, placing them both on the Syndicate's radar as well.
Anyone think otherwise?
So, we've got Rainbow about to be introduced into a corrupt trade syndicate?
Those poor thugs.
6099897
I mean, it's not like it didn't happen before, right?
So we got ourselves a syndicate huh? Poor guys won't know what hit them soon enough
Oh, yes. Let's bring Rainbow to a town that has a "Syndicate". And after that, let's light a match and walk through a gunpowder magazine.
6099709
But did she actually affect Urohringhr itself? As you say, her fall helped Harmony, in the end. I don't disagree with the idea that the Divines are important beings, I just don't think they have any deep connection to the status of Urohringhr.
TWOFER!?!?
th06.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2012/095/f/a/echo_by_the_table-d4v3qhx.jpg
6099723
I liked it.
Hope Rust has a good dentist. There's gonna be a lotta missing teeth by the time Dash is done there I bet.
-Memories given light,ease a lonely flight.Ynanhluutr
6099775
...she could cheat at cards...
6100212 Axan says in Austreaoh that she and her sisters were there at the time of the 'Sundering'. So they were there before the world was split, implying that they were very much involved in the workings of Urohringr.
6100392
...She could cheat at shell games...
6100370
...do ponies regrow teeth?
6100320
Well shit. If he makes a guest appearance, I wonder if the captain of the Crimson Score will as well.
Syndicate - (n) A group of individuals or businesses, formed for the promotion of shared interests or ventures. Often carries a negative connotation, due to its association with The Rust Syndicate, a crime syndicate that controls the city of Rust.
For more information, see The Rust Syndicate (page 90)
- the Rohbredden Encyclopedia, 2nd edition
Rust Syndicate - (p n) A defunct crime syndicate, so called for its primary location in the Rohbreddener city of Rust. It effectively ran this city independently of the Continental government, until its members swallowed too many of their own teeth.
For more information, see The Austraeoh (page 92)
- the Rohbredden Encylopedia, 3rd edition
6100578
I mean Echo is a common name... but him being in this city in particular does get my hopes up.
Of course they're going to cross the Syndicate.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
6100427
No, that means they witnessed it. Being present for a rocket launch doesn't mean you helped build the rocket. I do concede that they were there, but there is still no evidence provided for them being tangled up in the workings.
6100910 True, but remember the whole thing about "the Elements of harmony was the tool Urohringr reached for to fix itself?'
So, it makes sense that before the Alicorns and elements came along that Urohringr would have relied upon the strongest source of magic available, which was the Divines.
Those two are doing that on purpose, I swear.
6100320
Theanim did mention Echo in the first chapter that Rust was mentioned.
No clue if he'll be a diamond dog, buuuuut I wouldn't be surprised if he is.
6100949
And again, assumption. We have no idea what was present pre-Sundering in terms of power sources. Maybe the ancient-pegasi used dyson-spheres. Maybe they had giant magic reactors. And yes, perhaps it is possible the divines were power-sources.
The problem here isn't your ideas, which are possibilities. Its the logic jumps you're attempting to use to connect them. The premise that Urohringr reaced for the Elements as a tool in no way leads to the conclusion that the dragons power the ring. Is it possible they power the ring? Maybe. Does the fact that Urohringr reached for the elements further state that the only other power source it could have reached for before that was the dragons? Not particularly.
My argument against this is that we have one dragon already killed, and nothing dramatic happened. Also, Nevelmas was trying to corrupt Urohringr with her chaos magic. If she was a power source, then why was she trying to find a breach into the machine world to fill a ruby-flame brazier? Wouldn't she just have corrupted the ring, if she was a source of magic?
I must say, having a relatively benign debate over the workings of a story predominantly about technicolor pone is quite fun.
(This isn't a personal attack, I just majored in philosophy, which included logic courses, so I spent the last few years getting argument-style beaten into my head)
6099534
Heeheehee!
Butts!
I'll be back later. I gotta grab something to keep track of an impending body count.
6099588 the problem wasn't thinking it, the issue is that he SAID it. It's just like saying "At least things can't possibly get any worse"
Oh Theanim.
6101992 Never tempt fate in an audible manner.