When Rainbow's eyes fluttered open, she slightly less surprised to be alive than she was surprised to be in the same place. The makeshift “barricade” of the saddlebag still stood in front of her, and the blanket was covering her figure. Nothing had torn apart or been blasted to shredded bits by the storm. What was more, daylight was seeping in through the material.
In a flash, she whipped the blanket off her. Sunlight stabbed her eyes. She grunted and sat up, her limbs weak. She couldn't tell how much time had passed. It most likely was just eight hours, but for some reason she felt as though two days had gone by.
She pulled her goggles up and squinted towards the horizon. She saw the sun, but she couldn't tell if it was rising or falling. But then, her senses caught up with her mind.
It was no longer storming.
The desert was dead silent, save for the slightest kiss of wind behind her. Turning around, Rainbow Dash finally discovered where the west end of the world was, for she was staring straight at it.
A solid cloud of brown mess was blowing away from her. She clearly remembered the storm heading directly towards her while she was flying east. At some point during her unconsciousness, it had passed over her figure.
She knew that she was lucky—more than lucky. This was a blatantly stupid miracle and she was desperate to figure out the how and why. Looking down at herself and the saddlebag, she realized that there was something awkward about the ground. There was a slight impression made in the rock, and it stretched circularly outward from where she had been lying for the past several hours. If she didn't know better, she'd think that some sort of inexplicable force had made a crater in the landscape where she had collapsed.
“No way...” She gulped, her body covered in a fine sheen of brown dust. “Was it Whitemane's shield? Was it—?” Her body reeled with a touch of dizziness. She winced, feeling two points of pain at the top of her brow. Briskly, she removed her goggles completely from her head and pivoted them around. With a forelimb, she wiped the grime and sand clean from one lens and looked at her reflection.
The slightest hint of red-on-yellow eyes flickered, and was gone.
Rainbow Dash froze. Sighing, she closed her eyes and hugged the goggles to her chest. Her jaw clenched and unclenched, but soon she focused just long enough to relax.
“Won't pretend for a second as though I'm friggin' grateful,” she muttered to the air.
Slowly, weakly, she gathered her belongings. She dusted off the saddlebag, admired its unearthly integrity, and slipped it back over her shoulders. A little too frail to fly just yet, she trotted limply eastward, battling the sun and dryness and everything in between.
“Nnngh...” Rainbow Dash grumbled. “Sand sucks.”
Agreed.
Sand Really Does Suck.
Discord saved his vessel... what a gent :P
On another note, I feel spoilt with all these updates in one night
1290845
patexia.com/data/user836/ckeditor/images/Lulz.jpg
Discord Achievement Unlocked: "Like a Sir"
...Wait, that's it?
This is all there is to this? Nothing more, no continuation? This epic yarn that's been imbedded into my mind for the past two days is not finished?
This is bad. Very bad. I am now latched onto your story, clinging for dear life to see what happens next, what exactly is wrong with Rainbow Dash, and the whole nine yards about the Midnight Armory. So I henceforth demand... yes, demand...
MOAR.
Is there a ton of fanart for this that I'm somehow missing? Because I can think of, like, a dozen awesome scenes from this story that I'd bring to life if I had any artistic skill whatsoever.
1291081
Ah, yes, I remember that feel! Look at it this way, now you get to be with the rest of us while we experience it together!
1289081
Nice scene at the Gala last chapter, too! Rainbow Dash really is best pony.
Title Obtained: "Ungrateful"
-Minty
(This chapter practically named itself! )
Objective Completed: Survive the sandstorm
1291083
I agree. This is all I could find on DA, and google was of no help.
Maybe if this story got some exposure on EQD...goodness knows it deserves every bit of it.
1291361
Secondary Objective Added: Contemplate that "good" and "evil" might not be simple constructs and consider the line between each may be blurry?
Seems like Dash is going to have a little while to do some deep contemplative introspection, having the chaos, "evil," inside you be your savior can't be easy when you're used to polarized and straightforward concepts (We battle evil, I must fly east, etc).
1291344 looks like your outta the job
Sand does indeed suck
1291500
Nooooo, how am I gonna feed my recent grilled cheese addiction now?
-Minty
1291504 get addicted to something cheaper
1291510
Sugar cubes?
-Minty
:1291504 sure thing sugarcube I'll get u an unlimited supply
she (was) slightly less surprised to be alive
I think a word was missed.
And I dont think this implies discord actually intervened just that she reflexively went a little into her chaos form while unconscious...
How many times has she "died" so far? ("died" meaning gone into one of those dream sequences)
Title Obtained: More lives than a stray cat.
Challenge complete: Why'd it have to be sand?
Get sand everywhere. Also, survive a sandstorm.
1/1 completed
+250 EXP
Achievement: Splintery (500)
Resolve the mysteries of Windthrow.
Achievement: Not to Be (250)
Hot hot kiss with a cute filly.
Achievement: Savior of Industry (500)
Get shot at by lazers. Oh, and save the foals.
Achievement: Queen of Dreams (500)
Meet Queen Whitemane and learn your destiny.
Achievement: Keys to the Machine (500)
Discover your purpose in the alicorn architecture.
Trophy Get: Parmesan Cheese and Chocolate Sandwiches- Have chaos save your flank.
Spoiler alert: Dash needs to retrieve the last Core from the Midnight Armory so she can fix the Bastion and revert Equestria to how it was before shit hit the fan.
Herp derp.
1293358
Brilliant!
Sand in the air, sand on the ground, doesn't matter... Still sucks
Excellent story. One chapter at a time from now on.
1293358
Something like that, this could also end quite tragically. After all that time flying East, could Rainbow even go back to anything "normal?"
1294036
Well, in Bastion, it's implied that the Calamity happened again even after you restored the world. So she'd be stuck in this weird Groundhog Day loop of fixing the world, forgetting what she did before, and going East.
And that's terrible.
1294124
And completely in the realm of possibility considering the heavy RPG themes we've already seen. I'm shocked someone hasn't yelled "saving throw!" yet.
1290973
Bwhahaha! Someone who is artistically talented just HAS to Discord-ify that
finally made it!!!
I love this author whose identity is totally unknown
1294189
And yet they have, as I recall. In one of the earlier chapters RD got ambushed by something and someone commented that she must roll for initiative and chance to dodge, or something to that effect.
DEAR GOD. FINALLY CAUGHT UP. AMAZING STORY!!!!! NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED MOARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!
1294124
That is why when you restart the world you have to put something non-magical in the box.
(Yeah I played enchanter-sorcerer-spellbreaker back in the day)
1291378
I say we form an Unofficial Austraeoh Fan Art Committee and get a decent artist or two to make pretty pictures, because the lack of fan art makes Fluttershy cry.
Uh oh. Chaos is rising, RD, get your flank moving. I'm closing in on the home stretch, but that worries me. How will I binge on chapters? Eh, at least it'll be easier to keep up! Anywho, yeah, this fic definitely needs more love, especially from the fan art department. I can't draw that well, sadly, but maybe my class-time doodles will amount to something regarding this story. I'll just read a chapter before I go to history next week to get myself in the zone. That class is boring anyway Onward!
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
So this is a rather troubling chapter. It seems like a miracle has happened and everything is coming up roses and sunshine, but it makes me very worried for what is to come. This chapter implies that Discord saved Dash from certain death, even though she had the Element of Loyalty Necklace on the whole time. I'm worried as to how that's possible. It's clear as to why he saved her - if she were to die before their essences were separated, he would die as well. But in order to help her, the seal the Elements have over him must be weakening. That or he is getting stronger. Either way, he's one step closer to being free, which I don't like one bit. Recall also that, in an earlier chapter, Luna mentioned that Dash's dizzy spells would get worse as the journey went on. Is this because the Elements are weakening without the six physical bearers? Or does it mean that Discord is simply getting stronger? Again, it's bad either way and means that Discord is closer to being free. Perhaps Discord will pop up more in the upcoming chapters...These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
P.S. That's right, readers! No hiatus for me, no siree bob! I said that I would catch up to Eljunbyro and I intend to do just that!
1671474 Hello Dashie, you may want to hurry up if you plan to reach Eljunbyro and catch up to it. I recommend a marathon to help move you forward. I await your arrival into Eljunbyro
Totally unrelated question: Who do you vote for president, Pinkie Pie or Derpy?
Fuck this. I'm going to finish this story tonight.
Oh damn discord is back in Dah house.
1673268
You and me both.
Achievement unlocked: Sandstone.
Discord saved Dash. Oh no. Dash! She must be saved!
Wholehearted Agreement: Yes. Yes, it does.
Sand resents that.
Sand! It's everywhere. Get used to it.
5676607
So much yes. SO MUCH!
Why did discord save Dash?
Well, that's an interesting little thing there. Discord saved Dash from the sandstorm. But why? More questions keep on popping up. Would he end up dead if she died? Only time will tell.
~SolidFire
I hate sand.
It's rough and coarse.
And it gets everywhere.
Or so I've heard.
LOL
Knowing what I know, I can understand why Rainbow is not thanking Discord considering it is his fault for getting her into that mess.
03/29/2017 13:23 UTC
I have to say that there are only two things I hate about living in Las Vegas.
1) Out of nowhere wind/sandstorms. (After one such storm I found my carport relocated 80 feet up a tree that was 200 feet away!)
And
2) People who put money ahead of decency.
Three guesses which one is more destructive.
I liked this chapter short and sweet but still full of at least some very interesting story information, Rainbow Dash doesn't like sand.
8058603
I take it you found the answer to the question later on huh, thank you for know how to use the spoiler bar.
8601051
NO, 2, am I right?