"We are not refusing the request," Merula declared, vibrating into the construct. She peered down at Rainbow Dash from atop the massive tunnel-weaver. "We simply do not understand it."
"It's not that complicated," Rainbow Dash said. She and Seraphimus stood before the arachnid company at the end of a lower courtyard overlooking a sea of silk strands. Hundreds of thousands of square meters of interconnecting webs bled their way down into utter darkness below. "I wish to have company with me when I go down to meet Abaddon."
Merula's forelimbs shifted. The construct vibrated, eventually producing: "But your companions are not the Austraeoh."
"But they are Eljunbyro," Rainbow Dash remarked, eyebrow lifted. "Or at least Odrsjot. Heheh..." A slight smirk. "...some more 'frantic' than others."
"There is no denying their importance in your arrival here, Austraeoh," Merula declared. "However, the Song Queen's message has been sung for you and you alone. While your companions may join you, I cannot promise that they will hear the music, much less understand it." Merula's abdomen shook. "The Winter Mother wakes to speak to one soul alone. When she produces music, she means it for a specific audience. You will likely be the only one capable of comprehending the strings."
"That's perfectly fine."
A moment of silence.
Merula shook once again. "We still do not understand the request."
"I do not think it comprehends individuality," Seraphimus muttered.
"Shhhh!" Rainbow insisted.
"The Winter Children are many," Merula declared. "It is how we best served the Queen of Strings."
"I understand that Abaddon is only wanting to talk to me," Rainbow Dash said, trotting forward slightly. She looked up at her reflection in the jumping spider's big black eyes. "After all, she's been preparing this... Song of hers for Goddess-knows how long. But I would nevertheless like to bring my... uh... my companion here along."
"To what purpose?"
Rainbow took a breath. "Illumination." She smiled. "Some of us mortals depend on our eyes more than our ears."
Seraphimus clenched her beak.
The hatchlings perched along Merula's strings crawled back and forth. There was a slight shifting to the tunnel-weaver, and soon all were still again.
At last, Merula spoke: "It shall be granted."
"Cool beans."
"Although we still do not understand how those hearing the Song and not understanding it can stand to be enlightened, we trust the Austraeoh's judgment. She—above all—comprehends the nature of illumination. Her gift is that of Penumbral Harmony." Merula's abdomen then shook to the other side. "We truly hope that this request is not being made out of fear or suspicion of the Chorus Keeper's motivations. We do not mean the Austraeoh harm and we never will."
"I... think we're a great deal past the whole 'afraid of the freaky giant spiders' thing," Rainbow Dash said. "So you shouldn't need to be worried about that. But... even still..." She smiled. "I must now request that I bring two companions of mine."
"Very well," Merula's forelimbs twitched. "That should be no problem whatsoever. Who are you wishing to bring besides this specimen?"
Rainbow tilted her head aside. "You can come out now."
Silence.
Seraphimus droned: "Jordan. You've lost your touch since you depended on metal claws. Move your damnable tail-feathers out into the open before these creatures suspect something."
There was an audible, lengthy sigh. At long last, Wildcard emerged from the shadows like an inky spirit. He glared at Seraphimus the entire time.
"These two griffins," Rainbow Dash declared. "I would very much appreciate it if they accompanied me while being an audience to Abaddon."
"Very well." Merula's pedipalps shifted slightly. "If it pleases them to protect you in the presence of the Queen of Strings."
"Actually... I think they're a bit more wary of each other," Rainbow said with a slight smirk. "It'll be for the best."
"We trust the Austraeoh."
"Most awesome things on this plane do." Rainbow Dash spun about—a bit too swiftly for her own good—and by the second revolution she was facing the two griffins with a dizzy expression. Shaking out of it, she smiled pleasantly. "See? That wasn't too hard."
Wildcard hand-signed: "You almost welcomed disaster."
"I doubt these things would have attacked the two of us at this rate," Seraphimus muttered. "The only disaster would have been you staging a spontaneous rescue from no threat whatsoever in our absence."
Sneering, Wildcard gestured something Rainbow didn't recognize.
"Only natural that they taught you barbaric crudity at Wyvern Point," Seraphimus exhaled.
Wildcard's feathers ruffled.
Rainbow whistled shrilly, and both avian felines turned to face her. "Hey. Hypothetical situation. If you were being invited over to visit your friend's Nana during tea, would you piss all over her lemon candies and break her precious china?"
The two griffins merely blinked.
Rainbow frowned. "Don't. Buck. This. Up." She pointed. "Abaddon's the super eldritch spider grandmother and you two kiddies better be on your best behavior."
"I only meant to suggest—" Seraphimus began.
Rainbow leaned into her face. "Shut. Up." She then threw a glare at Wildcard. "You too."
The Desperado's goggles rattled.
"Luna Poop..." Rainbow rubbed her temple as she hovered away from the scene. "Bard was right. You are a friggin' chatter box."
The two griffins were left fidgeting in Rainbow's absence.
Merula spontaneously vibrated: "Penumbral habits are truly fascinating. Do tell us—are all mortals from Paradise so banal in their discourse?"
Mama Dash is laying down the law for those two.
Methinks Jordan may have also been suspecting Sera of possessing ulterior motives.
If the spider song is only comprehensible to Rainbow, will it take the form of one of her cosmic vision thingies?
Ha!
No, Merula, this is them on a good day.
Yes, Merula, yes they are.
To be fair to my previous comment regarding this, while they may not be The Eljunbyro, there is nothing stating that the title can't be shared between groups.
It seems she's acquired a new Eljunbyro at various stages in her journey post Jury, particularly when her outlook was at its bleakest, or she herself was at a low point.
The Phantom 4 after Red Barge, the Herald at Wyvern Point. Heck, I think at this point, Sera is being set up as the 4th Eljunbyro.
This made me laugh.
Just cause Dashie is mostly friendly, doesn't mean she can't be authoritative when the situation calls for it.
Go have a chat with Kepler, Merula, something tells me you two would get along like a house on fire.
-Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
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*Gigaspider gigaspiders grandiously*
*Dash drools for 5 minutes while the cat-birds stare*
❤
This might be the best quote on the dark side.
And it also goes to show how much she's matured! No longer the reckless mare barreling into the unknown, she's taking time to assess the situation.
Roarke will be so proud! 💟
Also now that I think about it, exactly how is Abaddon's communication supposed to work if only Dash can understand it? Is it, like, supposed to resonate with some weird Austreaoh genetics or what? It's not like Dash actually understands any of the Austreaoh stuff, she's just kind of picked up bits and pieces of knowledge about it and then sort of bangs her brain into it until little parts work. She's literally like a cave pony who's found parts of a starship reactor core and keeps fiddling with the buttons on it, turning on, like, the air conditioner or Mr. Coffee on but still not yet finding the button with the giant "main power" sign next to it.
So Abaddon's song is like, a user manual in lyrical format, but its written with so much techno babble that normal people can't understand it. But Dash supposedly can because of her tie to the Austreaoh... which just reinforces my theory that this is a force that capable of influencing the way her mind works beyond its natural state. Its like a program that can inject a translation software into her so Abaddon's spider yodeling will make sense to her, but only her.
Oh, and of course I didn't forget the count. Heheh, I wouldn't do that. Nope. My memory is definitely not as unreliable as a high-strung, caffinated goldfish.
Seraphimus Solo Quest Chapter Count: 23
Wow. How the tables have turned.
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I can only hope that I tag along with the Herald for a bit (However unlikely that is) just so my little spoder self can see their nuttiness in all it's glory
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I could see it happening. I mean, seems like these Winter Children are pretty on board with Dash completing her journey, so it'd make sense that to help her out on that they'd send at least a small group with her to act as additional protection, but more importantly as a guide across the perilous areas of the Dark Side that they're familiar with. I don't figure the spiders know everything between here and the Midnight Armory, but they probably have enough familiarity with the next immediate chunk of Dark Side around where the bat ponies occupy that having a guiding group of spiders to show Dash the safest and/or quickest routes towards Curveside would make a lot of sense. And in that case they'd need Merula along to keep acting as a translator.
Of course its also possible there's some silly verse in the song that says Dash can't have additional escorts or something because of fate/destiny/the plot says so. But that'd be dumb. I'm all for spider gal at least being a temp guide for Dash and Herald through the dangers of Bat Country.
They should bring Flynn too. Y'know, so he can conquer his fears.
Asking if all Light side are like this? Pity Maud turned up later.
And by this time, I suspect Rourke is having fun trying to dispose of a small, cake loving, and unfortunately extremely loyal hedgehog.
If threads and webs dont change colour or even shade much, maybe because spiders might have polarised and UV eyesight, then average eyes going into the mass will have nothing but white everwhere, like a cross between a blizzard during the day and a hall of mirrors?
How can HP Webcraft communicate in a way only Dash could understand, you say? Speaking with all the skirtisms and other weird expressions... Or maybe just saying buffalo every other word.
What's this? Your Psycho Bird is evolving!
...
Your Psycho Bird has evolved to Banter Bird!
I can understand Wildcard going with them, if only to keep an eye on Seraphimus. I just hope it isn't necessary. On a lighter note I am assuming that our wait will soon be over, and we can finally get some real answers, question is can we understand those answers?
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"Buffalo"
"Eh?"
"Buffalo"
"Merula, wha-"
"B U F F A L O"
Plot twist: Abbadon is only five inches tall. Sera and/or Wildcard step on her because they're too busy glaring at each other. Everybody dies.
Bickering notwithstanding, the journey continues unabated.
Don't miss our next episode "Secrets of the Song" or "Abaddon All Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here!"
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Probably have to keep him gagged. Wouldn't be able to hear the song over his screaming.
Seraphimus is now a specimen I’m perfectly fine with this.
Mamma Dashie spidertalks with style.
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Trying not to be an ass but...
Abaddon is not the head of a mafia organisation themed around a swedish pop group, just so you're aware.
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Their voice is only compatible with Rainbow2012 OS. The others would need a virtual machine. I've heard there was an adapter at that shop down under. Machine World is a well known and well stocked supplier of electronics and hardware. A bit too much automation though, if you ask me.
If anyone's Odrsjot, it's us Jurists in the comments section.
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it is more likely that it could and does do that to everyone, but is only allowed permissions to setup a powershell interface with the administrator species, which RD has significant markers of, and perhaps some vestigial rear-end alicornia is present in RD to assist in this interface.
And I for one am glad that we may finally experience it.
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Oh yeah? Well, uh, my Odrsjot is bigger and more frantic than yours!
8592232 The bigger problem there being that that name is constantly employed in English fiction, with its original Hebrew spelling being skewered over and over and people being unable to settle for one of them.
No, Merula. Not all mortals are so banal. Rainbow has her own particular brand of it.
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Yeet
I suspect that the departure from this spider's lair won't be peaceful. Maybe Sera was replaced by a changeling after having separated from Dash in the cave? Either that or some other faction attacks after the Queen wakes up, since it seems like this might be their only opportunity to get the info they need from her. Unless they plan to get it from Rainbow.
For some reason I could not help but think of Spock, how strange
01/04/2018
20:13 UTC
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Now I want a story where Roarke and Tempest bond over their mutual dislike of Grubber.
She gets it now!
Oh, think twice
'Cause it's another day for you and me in paradise
This is going to go so wrong on so many levels...
Ok I get why Sera wants to come, but why Wildcard?
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Probably to keep watch on the murder bird.
Yep. Pretty much. It's part of our charm, dontcha know?
Rainbow sees you and your possible bullshit.
Yup.