I really don’t know what motivates Rainbow Dash, mother. It has to be something unearthly. Something out of this world. Something bigger than the rest of us combined.
How ironic it is--not to mention flattering--that she chooses to invest all of her strength and energy in seeing us past the next hurdle safely. Any other pony with wings would have just ditched us when trouble showed its ugly head. I mean, why else would you have wings--except to fly away from something?
Rainbow Dash is no coward, but there are still many things that she is afraid of. I think it stands to reason that the most courageous of us are oftentimes the most insecure. What is Rainbow afraid of? Well, losing her friends, obviously. She cares far too much for Pilate and Belle than she is willing to admit, and she has no small amount of respect for the rest of us as well.
I think I understand why Rainbow has remained relatively aloof throughout most of our stay in Lerris. It’s most likely that Kera’s going to come east with us, but there’s still a good chance that she could stay all the same. I’m sure this fact hasn’t slipped past Rainbow Dash, and it must be biting at her. After all, if Kera could be leaving the party, who’s to say that Pilate and Belle aren’t next? Or Eagle Eye? Or myself or Propsy?
To hide her anxiety, I believe, she has endeavored to commit herself full-force into planning mode. While Pilate and Belle are busy mulling over Kera, Rainbow is busying herself with… well… the future.
“Oh yes, the Strip of Flurries is navigable.” An old pony with a flaky beard nodded from where sat on the shady patio of a midtown restaurant. “But that doesn’t mean you won’t come out the other side without losing quite a few cobwebs in your noggin’.”
“Really?” Rainbow’s voice cracked from where she hovered over the group of wrinkly equines. “Cuz Collins made it sound like merchants pass through that area all the time…”
“Bah!” A graying stallion coughed, wheezed, and slapped the table. “What does that frolicking Archer Point filly know?! The closest she’s been to experiencing the Frozen Sea is that one year she spent recovering from a fall into an icy river!”
The nearby mares and stallions chuckled.
“Okaaaaay…” Rainbow’s ruby eyes narrowed on the group. “So, do any of you ponies know about travellers who’ve passed through?”
“Some of us are old enough to,” another pony said, straightening her mane in the gray glow of midday. “Thing is, Xona usually dealt with the merchants from the east. Very few passed their sapphire cities to reach the valley.”
“Yes, Lerris and Archer Point have predominantly traded with the Southern Shores,” a stallion said in a whispery voice. “Only merchants that traveled west past the Xonan hubs were few and far between.”
“Yeah, but do you remember any of them?”
The elders mumbled amidst themselves.
At last, a portly stallion rubbed his stubbled chin and muttered, “There was one group of merchants, come to think of it. Not only did they make it past the Strip of Flurries, but they settled somewhere in the Storm Mountains.” He turned and squinted at the others. “What were their names? The Cabal? The Quorum?”
“The Herald?” Rainbow attempted, eyebrow raised.
“No no no…” The elders shook their collective heads, until at least one of them spoke up. “The Lounge!”
Rainbow made a face. “The Lounge…?”
But the many ponies were already murmuring their acknowledgement. “Darn silly soundin’ name if you ask us, but them Lounge folks were the deal deal. They settled northeast from here. Far away, just west of the Frozen Sea. Seems like they were really desperate about mining skystone. Dangerous business, that.”
“What did the Lounge want with Skystone?” Rainbow asked.
“Apparently their ships got badly damaged on the way here, and Skystone was the only thing that could get ‘em back home.”
“You mean across the Frozen Sea?”
“Yuppers.”
“Why, cuz the Strip of Flurries was super treacherous or whatcrap?”
“Well… reckon it was more than that…” One elder stammered.
“Yes. Yes, it was more.” A mare at the back of the group scooted forward in her chair. She gestured with a trembling hoof. “I was maybe twenty winters when they first showed up in the Valley. Downright frightenin’ group of merchants. You could never see their faces, on account of the masks.”
Rainbow blinked. “Masks?”
The mare went on. “And they always were standin’ all still-like. As if they were waitin’ for glaciers to melt. Heh.” She smiled crookedly. “They came here asking for anypony with the expertise in skystone minin’. We had to tell ‘em that, on account of the war, we couldn’t venture past the Xonan blockade that was formed there at the time.”
“Even now, those blue towers stand against the storms!” spoke a stallion out of turn.
“Who’s tellin’ the darn story?! Huh?” A few elders chuckled as the mare shook her head and glanced once more at Rainbow’s fluttering figure. “Well, they needed the skystone to get home. It’s been a lifetime since that meeting. Spark knows if they ever got what they were clamberin’ for.”
“After all these years, I bet,” Rainbow said, nodding.
“I’d hope so. Poor fellas just wanted to get back home.”
“But they’re still situated north of Mainland Xona?” Rainbow leaned forward. “The Lounge, that is?”
“Yes, I reckon. Why?”
“Well, if they finally got the skystone they needed, it makes sense that they’d keep a trading post in the mountains so that they can ferry stuff to and from the far side of the Frozen Sea,” Rainbow thought out loud. “I figured the Jury could swing by there on the way towards the eastern shoreline. Maybe they’d be willing to give us some hooves-on advice.”
“Oh, I very much doubt that, dear.”
“Huh?” Rainbow blinked. “Why not? Are they a bunch of jerks?”
“No, I’m just sayin’ that they wouldn’t have any hooves at all, on account of them not bein’ ponies n’all.”
“Oh?” Rainbow’s eyes darted between everypony. “Just who are they?”
The group merely shrugged, exchanging nervous glances.
Rainbow took a deep breath. “Does anypony here in Lerris know exactly… who lives just beyond the Frozen Sea?”
A mare shook her head. “Fraid not, darlin’. Place is almost as dense as the Grand Choke of legend. Figured whatever’s on the far continent, it’s best keepin’ there, just as we’re best to keepin’ to here.”
Non-equine entities... Interesting. Can't wait to see what comes of it.
I bet those Lounge fellow are extremely cozy.
So the Lounge isn't ponies. Griffons, maybe? We haven't seen anything of them at all in this entire epic, come to think of it.
Where there be griffons?
Masks, eh? I like the sound of these non-ponies already!
The lost locality of lounge lemurs
An ancient, super secret civilization of advanced giant grasshoppers.
Just mark my words.
Ooo interesting.
Another Mega Arc coming up, just through the introduction of extra locational masked cloaked strangers?
Worked for Zecora.
3936359 For their sake, I hope Kera stays in Lerris. Otherwise, the Jury will be in trouble when Kera tries to eat all of the natives..
Griffins do seem to be the most plausible species out there.
While Kera is pondering her future, Rainbow will also have a difficult decision. With all this dangerous talk, I'm thinking she may want to leave Kera, but she also doesn't want to lose any more friends, even if she knows they will be safe.
Maybe Ebon should talk to Rainbow or the others about this, and not just his mom *cough* changeling hive queen *cough*
And the potential for adventure never ends! I was thinking windigo's earlier but I don't think they can wear masks...tribal griffons perhaps?
Well, That's... Ominous.
That said, Archer Point had many of us suspecting something bad to happen, and then, nothing.
This is Australia...
Hmmm...I wonder just who and what this mysterious group of non-hooved individuals is...
3936308
Yes. This
I mean, it very well could be. I wish the elders of Lerris had said more than just "they don't have hooves".
3936308
Lounge Lemurs. This sounds like something ):( would do.
I'll throw in with "Lemurs".
Hyuuuuumaaaans...
Or hey, maybe it's the changelings? *stray thought*
3936504
Hmm, I never thought of that. Ebon is a Changeling. Makes sense. Could be...
Goddammit, I hate that we're not even in the middle of this journey yet. I want Rainbow to find happiness.
I doubt it would be squirrels or marsupials, they don't tend to be the solemn or, well, non-jittery kind. Griffons are applicable, but I'm sure the resident's would've noticed something more standoffish than "not having hooves" as being the distinguishing feature to a bird/lion/predator thing with a mask over it's face. So... I got nothing.Walruses with steam powered jetpacks. I don't know.
Oh hey, It's the Grand Choke again.
Also, any dibs on robots? Or *gasp* friendly Changelings?!
3934125
I'm not asking!:
Throwing my vote in with griffons. Who else lives up in mountains and doesn't have hooves?
Creatures of the Lounge? I hope they like to share.
Not ponies. Interesting.
Well, I don't quit think their changelings, they resemble ponies enough to be called ponies. But what else.....
That would be interesting if they were something like a draconis. (I have no idea how to spell it, whatever discord is.)
Lounge, huh?
Plot twist: They're all couches.
3937655 That would explain them standing still.
3937406 Draconequis? Noe,that would be noticeable too,I'm betting Griffons.
Soo...no hooves?
Griffons, that's really all we have, right?
Small dragons?
Some kind of primate?
Wait.
Standing around? No hooves?
Sloths. It's going to be sloths.
EDIT: Or mountain lions.
Humans.
Someone totally needs to start a band and call it "Lounge Lemurs".
It's intriguing to think that the new continent might be predominantly non-equine. Griffons seem to be the prevailing theory. I can't help but think that the masks they wore and the fact they stand all "still-like" is important, though whether that's a mark for or against griffons is hard to say. I also wonder, considering that Xona seems to have had a monopoly on contact with this eastward civilization, if that might account for Xona's... exotic nature, to some extent.
Anyway, it seems like we have some idea of where they'll be going next, though my guess is they'll be staying in Lerris for the remainder of this installment. With another mention of the Grand Choke, I'm also reminded of the oft-mentioned Stratopolis. Hard to imagine that won't come into play at some point.
soooo.... no hooves?
is that like, griffons or something or is a new race being created for the story?()
Gorgons (oh, please let it be gorgons)
Dragons (doubt it)
Griffons
Primates/Humans
those are my guesses.
3937885 i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/252/920/c23.jpg
I suspect The Lounge will make for some pretty slow chapters when we finally get there. Slow, relaxing, maybe a bit of bowling.
im thinking griffons but they honestly could be anything.
Elves!!
1.bp.blogspot.com/-y4QkY-3NxDs/Tc1js5sTQyI/AAAAAAAAAT0/y9lUfEi6wAg/s1600/006+YAHOO.jpg
It's Yahoos!
Those bloody Yahoos...
Oooooh. I'm excited! A new species. I'm guessing griffins. (Griffons? Gryphons?)
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
A new species, huh...intrigue! We'll see who they are soon enough. I can't waaaaaaaiit...These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
4130684 your not even going to guess?!
New species...?
-Spirit
The Lounge aren't ponies?
hmmm...guessing time... well...lounging... cats lounge... so do reptiles (although i suppose the proper term is Bask)
I'm betting we meet cats/tigers/lions something like that
im laughing my FLANK off at what people are saying about the lounges......i can NOT believe...i simply will NOT believe...that im the only one believing them to be changelings....
And now we are looking at another species being thrown into the mix. Or maybe they are just changelings. Who knows at this point.
Ooh, color me intrigued... I'm putting my cash down on the lounge folk being griffons, myself.
Curiouser and curiouser.
I bet that Frost Divine lives down there