"Grnnnn-brbrbrbrbrbrrrrr..." Josho seethed through clenched teeth. Vapors wafted out of his muzzle as he paced back and forth across the top deck. All the while, the Jury swiftly ascended at a sharp incline to clear the Sky Stabs passing gradually beneath it. "I swear, if I have to go for another full week of these Spark-forsaken temperatures, I'm gonna piss out pine cones!" The stallion paused every now and then to shrug his shoulders in his leathery coat and clap his hooves together. "Why couldn't the turtles be assed to strap big burning brazers to this part of the continent, huh?"
"If you don't like it, then why not take your complaints downstairs?" Rainbow Dash muttered from where she stood along the ship's bow. "It's a lot warmer there, courtesy of Props' steam pipes."
"Ugh. You been down below lately?" Josho frowned with chattering teeth. "It's loud as all get-out! You can't swing a dead cat without running into a laughing youngster or a frolicking fruit basket!"
"It's called happiness," Rainbow Dash said with a smirk. "I'm sorry that you can't get used to it."
"I can get used to things fine," Josho grumbled, plopping against the railing right beside Rainbow Dash. He rubbed his muzzle—made rosy by the cold—and squinted at the rock formations passing underneath them. "Ehhh... who am I kidding? Old soldier's gonna old."
"If you ask me, I'd say you were adjusting perfectly fine."
"So you're the expert on Ledomaritan veteran psychology, eh?"
"Pffft. Better than you are."
"True. True." Josho nodded towards the cockpit. Even Floydien refused to open the door more than a crack. Delicious steam wafted out through the slit in the elk's compartment. "I can't help but feel like we should be preparing for something."
"It's only natural, I guess."
"What'd they say exactly at that town back down there?" Josho's brow furrowed as he stared at Rainbow. "That ponies see beams of light shooting up out of the crater?"
"Something like that."
"And it doesn't freak you out at all that we may very well be floating into the mother of all traps?"
"I think the ponies who live in the shadow of the Sky Stabs have gotten comfortable with their superstition," Rainbow Dash said. "I mean, this place doesn't exactly strike me as a war-torn continent. I suppose the residents here have to choose something to be anxious over."
"My, if you aren't a confident spitfire."
Rainbow twitched upon hearing that word. "Hah!" Rainbow clenched her eyes shut and giggled helplessly.
Josho raised his eyebrow. "What?"
Rainbow cleared her throat and waved a hoof. "Eh... it's nothing. Just..." She sighed. "Ancient history. Really... really... ancient stuff."
Josho concentrated, sent a glow through his horn, and used it to warm the immediate area.
"Mmmm..." Rainbow shamelessly drifted over and hovered close to him. "Thanks..."
"Don't mention it," Josho muttered, rubbing his forelimbs together in the coat's sleeves. "Figured while I'm here..."
"Being sober has done loads of good for ya, Josho."
"Mmmf. Now you're starting to sound like that little lavender bed stain I'm saddled with."
Rainbow smirked. "Don't tell me you're not proud of Eagle Eye."
"'Proud' may not be the word for it," Josho said, staring at the deck beyond his own hooves. "'Content' is more appropriate, I guess."
"Seems like the dude's more than content," Rainbow said. "Looks to me like very day is his best day ever now."
"Yeah. A little burgundy goes a long way."
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "You don't approve?"
"Pffft! I ain't his dad!"
"Aren't you?"
Josho clammed up.
"Y'know, I barely knew my parents," Rainbow Dash said. Her eyes took on a brief, bitter twinge. "And as for my dad, I wish I knew him even less." Clearing her throat, she nevertheless continued. "I used to tell myself that the day would come that I'd get everything squared away in my life." She gestured with her hoof while speaking. "A career with the Wonderbolts... a bunch of kickflank trophies... a big house... a fortune to live off of..."
"A wife," Josho droned.
Rainbow blinked savagely at him. "...is it that obvious?"
"Do pigeons shit earthward?"
"Heh... touche."
"Please, do go on."
Rainbow did. "And I told myself that once I had everything together, I'd go back home and make everything square with my relatives, old acquaintances, the school teachers whose lives I made a living nightmare. All that sort of fluff."
"What happened?"
"Jee..." Rainbow smirked bitterly, adjusting the pendant around her neck. "What do you think?"
"Hmmm..."
"Long story short, I've had no choice but to accept my life for what it is... or—more realistically—what it isn't." She gulped. "Words such as 'orphan' and 'outcast' and 'homeless' don't really have that much of a punch to my heart. Because it's not like it can be helped, y'know? At least not in my case. So, I might as well make the best of it all, and seize the things around me that I really, really love." She smiled at the stallion. "The Noble Jury is my family. This ship of Floydien's is pretty much my home. And—"
"You getting to a point somewhere or do I gotta shove you towards the finishing line?" Josho muttered.
"Yeah, there's a point." Rainbow nodded, staring at him. "The point is that Eagle Eye's kind of in the same boat as me, but thanks to you, he's not sinking. And it's funny, cuz I envy him."
"You what-now?" Josho glanced over.
Rainbow gulped. Her voice wavered, "I would kill to have a dad like you." A few seconds passed, and she smiled calmly beneath a pair of glossy eyes. "Anypony would, really. Just..." She gulped. "Pure inspiration, ya feel me?"
Josho's nostrils flared. He glanced off the starboard side. "I don't take much stock in feeling."
"At least you admit you can," Rainbow said. "I think that's the real reason Eagle's happy these days."
"Mrmmmf... maybe..."
Silence.
"You can head on down, now," Rainbow said, ruffling her wingfeathers. "I'm out here to keep watch, is all."
"Eh..." Josho shrugged. "I'll stick around with ya."
Rainbow smirked at his glowing horn. "I was born in Cloudsdale. I can deal with the temperature."
"Who said anything about the temperature?"
Rainbow opened her mouth... but paused. With a blink, she smiled.
Both ponies stared out at the passing mountainside.
"... ... ...so what do you think is really waiting for us in that crater?" Josho grumbled.
"Eh... some ancient horror that'll probably wanna fry us all to a crisp."
"Great. Wonder what Sailboat's cooking tonight."
"I dunno. Something crunchy, I hope."
"Oh, girl, I'd castrate myself for 'crunchy.'"
"Heeheehee..."
Aww. That was so, so sweet. I dont even care if I get the diabeetuses.
Man, Josho is just one big softie in the inside.
Josho sure has come a long way from the crazy drunk soldier of Eljunbyro.
Yes RD its obvious, it has a Neon sign pointing at it the size of Canterlot.
Spot the phaser used to heat rock to keep from freezing Star Trek reference
Also, maybe, climbing the side of Mount Impossible in Ringworld.
Josho sure has changed a lot, in good ways.
Josho has come a long way.
-SPirit
I'm disappointed in you Josho. You passed on a perfectly good opportunity to ship Rainboarke. For shame.
Back in early Austraeoh, RD said she never knew her parents. The continuity!
The Noble Jury really isn't afraid of anything at this point.
I love how nonchalant they are about possibly confronting another ancient eldritch abomination.
Well, if you want crunchy, I'd imagine the tortoises gave you some lettuce... Ebon did mention salad earlier.
I wonder when all of this lovely sappy time will come crashing down. I dread its coming, but still.
If Belle is the team mom, then Josho is the team dad.
And Floydien is the weird uncle.
I'm stealing that.
4669808 What you tell casual acquaintances is often less of the full truth than what you tell those who you know well.
*squee*
BONDING!
also, getting a little more of rainbow background......
4669939 don't trust the salad!
Auto-castration?
I love the bonding time here.
It just makes everything feel so much more real, I guess.
So much wonderful bonding and characterization these last few chapters...I wonder who dies at the end of this one.
4669637
More like the size of Equestria~
4670004 Hm I cant seem to find it now. It seemed honest and sincere, but I see why she would change it.
Awww, Josho's being a bit on the soft side.
Y'know...besides having a case of The Fat.
This is new favorite chapter.
"Do pigeons shit earthward?"
That speaks for itself.
I was dying.
4669923
This would be, what? Five, six Eldritch, Cthulhu-esuqe horrors? Do we count non-Eldritch horrors? like Shell or that trippy synchronizing dealy back in Innavedr?
Vista Chino - Barcelonian
Noble Jury Slice-of-Life. I like it.
Twist: Light beam is actually a giant laser by an incompetent mad scientist.
Gawd, I'm a sucker for slice-of-life stuff like this. Just two characters chilling in the cold, shooting the breeze, speculating, reminiscing, flinging zingers, etc.
Rainbow, you literally have a gay pride flag growing out of your head and ass. It couldn't be more obvious if you spelled it out in semaphore.
Josho is my favorite character
4669637
4670226
I know, right? An athletic, tomboyish girl who doesn't like girl stuff? I think it's pretty obvious that she's a lesbian. Just like if a guy watches a tv show for little girls and collects the toys, it's pretty clear that he's either a socially-maladjusted man-child who lives in his mother's basement or a pedophile. Right?
<_<
>_>
What?
*Le gasp!* You're telling me that THE Rainbow 'Daring' Dash is a fillyfooler!? I had absolutely no idea...
How the heck do you blink savagely?
Hot damn, emotions!
Also, a very nice reminder of why Josho's my favourite. Not simply for him, but for his interactions with others (usually EE, but RD works too).
Josho is best supporting character.
Hey now Rainbow, you're not an outcast! Technically, you're a refugee.
4670659 We need to cross Shell and the Smooze. For science.
4671773
Hey! Socially maladjusted man-children don't always live in basements!
Dash is confirmed gay. At this point its not a surprise, but maybe it will get things moving for RainBoarke. Also, what's this whole Joshi dad thing? I mean I got it with EE, but RD? I'm excited for the adopt Cashier thing.
swinging around dead cats tho
4672530
It's simple; glue teeth to your eyelids and kill someone with 'em.
4675402
Am I the only one who sees "Rainboark" and thinks of a rainbow-pelted boar?
Glad to see that everyone is coming out of their shells. Time to see how long it lasts. Probably until chapter 140ish.
I feel like crying and wrapping myself in a straightjacket...Rainbow is confirmmed gay...i pretty much knew before but now its on paper...electronically speaking
GOD DAMMIT!
And to add insult ti injury, this adds another point to why i support the -now certainly impossible- Rainbow Eye ship.
I've never been much of a shipper. but of course, the ONE ship id like to see is now impossible...at least in this phenomenal story...only in shitty knock offs. :(
I love how at this point, they're more concerned with what Ebon's cooking than with what might be lurking around the corner with the intent to brutally kill every one of them.
4671773 she's shown plenty of interest in quite a few mares over the course of the series, and none towards even a single stallion. Plus, as Antsan said, it's not that much of a stretch from the behavior and assumed identity of the changeling Josho watched her interact with.
Yup, Josho confirmed for best dad.
This was nice. Josho has a heart in there. Somewhere. We'll go by the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.
I love chillout chapters like this one.
6029141 I love em because you get to see the characters interacting with eachother outside of panic, the world is ending mode. It's nice..
Heh, more concerned about dinner than any potential horrors ahead. Like real veterans. that moment alone sold this chapter for me.
Just as long as he doesn't start doing dad jokes.
Josho and Dash really don't get enough quality time together. I hope this changes in the future.
Nice, it was great to see these two get some quiet time together.
Second time you used that word ... I don't know what word your trying to convey. But neither a donkey, a buttocks, nor an insufferable idiot are involved in this chapter and the previous one.
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every
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Nice couple of chapters. Giving a break from the madness to just let things chill and unwind after 3.75 books of near constant insanity and death. This fic needed it ^_^, and it's good to get some nice interaction chapters.