“The good news is...” Nick paced around the lopsided body of the trimaran in the morning light. “...the Swan Song can be salvaged. Mr. Theanim Mane says that his friends' ships have been smashed to bits months ago. Only, they still... more or less have those bits. Long story short, I've got the material I need to weld together the missing parts of the Swan Song's hull. I can make her totally seaworthy again!”
“Get on to the bad news, enfant!” Sinrar frowned. “Every minute I stand here without a cane is agony.”
“Well, maybe I should take my sweet time, then,” Nick said with a smile.
“If I'm to be buried from pain and atrophy, then I'm taking you withme,” Sinrar snarled.
“Right, then!” Nick swiveled around. “The bad news is...” He pointed out at the ocean. “That freakin' sea serpent is still out there! I can get the Swan Song fixed up, but I doubt she'll be as fast as she used to be. I'd have to have a lot more professional tools at my disposal in order to bring the trimaran back to top speed. So, in other words, we're even worse off than we were before in terms of wanting to outrun Ultimo.”
“So, we're in the same spot as we were in last night,” Sinrar said. “We're stranded.”
“Looks like it,” Nick remarked. “Unless Rainbow has come up with an awesome plan.” He turned about, eyes bright. “Rainbow...?”
The mare hovered alongside Twilight, her eyes scanning the edge of the southernmost island where the Swan Song had been stranded. “The Nealenders used to have a fully intact Shard of Verlaxion in the very heart of the lagoon.”
“Hrmmmf!” Sinrar rolled his eyes. “More like a giant turd of arrogance!”
“Call it what you want,” Rainbow muttered. “It's real and it's glowy and it's there.” She gulped. “Most of it, at least. A sizable chunk has been bitten out by Ultimo. If it's returned, then I'm willing to guess that the shard will return to its former glory. Energy will return, magic will be restored, and the whirlpool that was once centered in this lagoon will appear again.”
“Yes, but to what purpose?” Nick said. “Doesn't look like this lagoon needs a whirlpool.”
“The way I see it, if there's a whirlpool... then that means that there'd be access to what's underneath the shard... and what's underneath the lagoon in turn,” Rainbow said. “That could finally get me access to the First Seed... the very reason we came here to begin with.”
“Yes, but that dastardly leviathan out there has the shard in its jaws,” Sinrar said. “How do you intend to bring Verlaxion's poisoned gift back to full functionality?”
“It's... uh... rather simple,” Rainbow said. “I get the shard back.”
“... … … from the beast.”
“Right.”
Silence.
Nick cleared his throat. “I wonder if your friend Twilight has a plan, Rainbow?”
Rainbow sighed, rubbing a hoof over her face.
Twilight spoke. “Admittedly, they could use a bit more motivation, Rainbow.”
Rainbow muttered aside, “More like a mallet to the skull.”
Sinrar and Nick arched their eyebrows simultaneously.
“Rainbow...” Twilight chided.
“It's not like either of them can really help me with the matter. The trimaran's busted, and even if Nick can get it fixed, it won't be fast enough to match Ultimo. The kid even said so himself.”
“The two of them never signed up for this. You're used to adventure, so you have to find a way to make this worth their while.”
“... … ...” Rainbow rubbed her chin. At last, she spoke to the pair: “There's more to the shard in the lagoon than the power of Verlaxion.”
“I'd say,” Sinrar huffed.
“Let me finish.” Rainbow raised a hoof. “The magical substance is filled with something else. Something I recognized.” Her jaw went tight. “Chaos metal.”
Nick squinted. “Chaos metal?”
“There's a reason why you've never heard of it,” Rainbow said. “And I suspect it's because Verlaxion—with her grand resources—has scoured Rohbredden and the seas for the stuff. Why she's chosen to imbue her special ice shards with the material? I've no clue. But...” She pointed out into the ocean. “...anything that's continuously exposed to the substance, no matter how small, eventually goes batpoop crazy... and freaky.”
“You mean the Ultimo of the Nealend seas can get... even more monstrous?” Nick asked, his voice cracking.
“I think the only reason the dang sea serpent hangs out around here is because it knows—deep down inside—that there's a connection between what it's bitten and the glowing stuff in its jaws.” Rainbow gazed at the two stallions. “The big friggin' thing is tethered to this place. And until the pieces of the Shard are restored, it will forever remain here.”
“Bah!” Sinrar grinned. “You'd have much better luck killing the damnable thing!”
“Either way, if I can get the Shard restored, then Ultimo will have no reason to stick around.” Rainbow gestured. “And the seas will be clear once again, as they should be. The Swan Song can make its leave!”
Nick grinned. “Now that's a happy thought.”
Rainbow turned towards Sinrar. “And you can get away from Theanim and all of his Continentalist buddies.”
“Mon dieu!” Sinrar pointed. “There's an even happier one!”
“And what do you get out of all this, Rainbow?” Nick asked. “What about you and Twilight?”
Rainbow gulped then said, “We get to Yaerfaerda, the beacon that brought us to this Point of Interest to begin with.”
“And after that?”
Twilight gazed sideways at Rainbow.
The pegasus sighed. “I've always dealt with this stuff one wing-flap at a time.”
“Fair enough,” Nick said with a smile. “Are you and Twilight sure that this is the way to go about doing things?”
“As sure as we'll ever be,” Rainbow said.
“There's only one problem,” Sinrar droned.
“What's that, Dr. Dude?”
Sinrar's eyes narrowed. “These primeval islanders are in love with chasing and spearing this massive beast. What you propose would bring and end to that. So what makes you think the Nealenders would be on board with this whole endeavor?”
“So what?” Nick remarked. “It'll be for everypony's good in the long run!”
“That's more than obvious to us, larva, but these imbeciles?! They live in the now! And surely Rainbow won't be chasing any sea serpents down on her lonesome. She'd need all the help she could get! But will they be willing to give it?”
“He's got a point, Rainbow,” Twilight said. “If the ponies of the Nealend Atoll aren't on board, then how will we get anywhere?”
Rainbow rubbed her chin. “Hmmmm...”
“Hah!” Kaji spun from his fishing boat with a grin. “Would you mind repeating that, landwalker?!”
“I want to bring an end to Ultimo's prowl,” Rainbow said. Nick and Sinrar stood in the background. Theanim Mane hung out along the fringes of the beach's treeline, observing curiously. “The beast has bitten onto a piece of Verlaxion's Shard. If I restore that, then everything will be as it should. What's more, Ultimo will go away.”
“Pffft!” Sora hobbled over, dragging a bunch of fish nets. “And why would that be 'as it should?' Don't you get it?!”
“Verlaxion has blessed us!” Kaji exclaimed. “She's given us something to enrich our blood!”
“The hunt!” Silver said.
“The hunt!”
“Yeah! Hah hah!”
“Whoop!”
Rainbow flew forward, frowning. “Don't you think that you have it all wrong?! A hunt—by definition—is something that has to end! And there's nothing saying that you can't find more sport in other pursuits!”
“Other pursuits?” Flare smirked, hovering down to the scene. “Better than Ultimo?” She shook her head. “You've been with the Westerners for too long, landwalker. You've no grasp of Verlaxion's divine plan.” She turned towards the treeline. “Tell her, Thunker Meat!”
Theanim Mane winced, but nevertheless spoke: “It may be hard to grasp, Miss Dash. I've spent many a restless night pondering it myself. But, for one reason or another, Queen Verlaxion chose for Ultimo to grace this archipelago. And... behold!” He pointed. “The locals relish in the hunt that she has granted them. It's sad to think that the Shard has been defaced in the way it has been, but obviously there was a purpose to it. It all falls within Verlaxion's will.”
Nick and Sinrar exchanged expressions.
The Nealenders prepared to shove out into the lagoon and resume their fishing.
Rainbow stared dead ahead, her eyes twitching slightly.
Twilight sighed. “Rainbow, maybe we should just try and come up with another way to—”
“You're right,” Rainbow blurted. “You're all right.” She gazed at the Nealenders. “It was Verlaxion's plan to summon Ultimo. And it's because of her power that he remains here, stalking your island. And it has been great... awesome sport. But there's something even more awesome.”
The Nealenders shuffled to a stop, standing in the wet sand. They turned to gawk at her.
“And what might that be, landwalker?”
“Bringing the hunt to an end,” Rainbow said. “And living to boast about it to the end of your years.” She placed a hoof over her chest. “And I will make that possible for each and every one of you.”
“Hah! You?! How?!”
“Because Verlaxion wills it.”
A murmur ran through the natives. Theanim and his companions leaned forward, genuinely interested.
“That's right!” Rainbow spoke, her tone louder. Twilight looked on with a nervous expression as the pegasus said, “I was sent here by the divine will of Verlaxion! Just as Ultimo was! The attacks of the beast... the disappearance of the whirlpool—they were all precursors to my arrival! To the destiny I've been made to restore!”
“That's a bold claim,” Sora remarked, his brow furrowed. “But how can we risk exacerbating the ire of Verlaxion by humoring you?”
“How can you not risk it?” Rainbow smirked. “You've no idea how many miles I have traveled—both land and sea—how many continents and cultures and wars I've endured to come to this single spot... this one dot of wonder in all of Verlaxion's seas.” She flew higher, her forelimbs outstretched. “I am unlike any other pony here! I am no islander... no Colonialist... no Continentalist! I am an outsider... the outsider. And the reason for that is because I was summoned by Verlaxion herself to forge a new destiny here!” She touched down, her hooves kicking up sand. Her eyes narrowed as she spoke in a breathy tone: “And the future I bring this island will be a blessed thing, no less willed by Verlaxion. Tell me... are you willing to risk angering her by ignoring a blessed gift that's right in front of you?”
Silence.
“Hmmmff...” Kaji smiled. “We would be poor subjects if we didn't embrace the tests given to us by the Queen of all things.”
“Yes!” Theanim called out. He and his companions were grinning. “Give her a chance! Why not?”
“Yes, Thunker Meat! Why not!” Flare flew over and slapped Rainbow's shoulder. “And if she's simply full of hot dirt, then at least it would have made for some great sport!”
“Hahah hah! Whoop!”
“Ha ha ha ha!”
“Eat a fine breakfast, Rainbow,” Silver said as he and his group shoved out into the lagoon. “You'll need plenty of meat inside and out of you for strength.”
“Ultimo does not entertain small gnats. Eh?”
“Heeheehee!”
“Heheh... for Verlaxion!”
As the Nealenders paddled away, Rainbow stood on the shore, watching.
Twilight hovered down and stood in front of the pegasus. “Rainbow...!” she hissed in an unnecessarily whispery tone. “What are you thinking? It isn't right to entertain their spiritual beliefs like that!”
“Sinrar was right,” Rainbow said. “I can't even get close to Ultimo without the locals help.”
“Yeah, but now they're gonna think that the reason for you being here is some... s-some destined plan of Verlax!”
“I know a thing or two about fate,” Rainbow muttered. “This isn't so different.”
“Isn't it?” Twilight frowned. “And what happens if you succeed—”
“When we succeed.”
“Rainbow, that's not the point!” Twilight grumbled. “The point is that they think the Divine Verlax is a goddess! And what you'll have done here will solidify that hollow faith for generations and generations afterwards!”
“Twilight, think about it,” Rainbow said, making eye contact with the phantom. “Verlax has been running the show here in this ocean for centuries before you and I even arrived.”
“Yes! But—”
“Do these ponies really seem that bad off? Are they suffering? Are they killing each other like the Ledomaritans and the Xonans did?”
“... … ...”
Rainbow's nostrils flared. She looked out onto the lagoon where the Nealenders went about their fishing. “The world is dying, Twilight. And all that matters right now is that we visit these Five Seeds—that we find the Yaerfaerda beacons in the machine world and restore our friends. After that, what matters if the dark side and the Harmonic Prism. If we can save bits and pieces of the world along the way, then that's fantastic. But the whole world?” Rainbow took a deep breath. “That's endgame stuff, Twi. But between now and then... everything else can wait. Verlax and her weirdo frost religion can wait.”
Silence.
Twilight sighed. “You've changed, Rainbow. I... I don't know any other way to say it, but the brash and impulsive pegasus I once knew wouldn't have stood for—”
“Does this mean you disagree with my plan?”
“I didn't say that!” Twilight exclaimed. Her face grew long. “It just... it j-just boggles my mind...” She gulped. “All of the horrible, epic things you had to have gone through to get to this place.”
“But it's not that bad a place, eh?” Rainbow smiled. “I'm still awesome, you know.”
Twilight bore a bittersweet smile. “Awesome and a half...”
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH!!!!!!
That was so good RD. Geez, is adding yourself to an religion so easy?
So they have to get a piece of shard from the stomach of a sea serpent to complete the shard to activate the whirlpool that will let them access the First Seed?
I'm suddenly having flashbacks to old action adventure games...
right, that's....
i don't know how to feel aout the blatant lies
it does make one wonder, though, just how "bad" Verlax actually is
i mean, we kinda asume so with the whole "trick the locals into worship" thing, but she's done fairly well by them so far as we've seen
and having something/someone to put faith in does wonders for stress, so she's at least doing one good thing
5974664 o.o yes, perfect
5974634
She's just easing them for the transition to Zoroaustraeohism.
5974634
She's practically a demigod anyways. She never claimed which pantheon she's part of, and nobody needs to know.
Neat, so you just have to go "because Verlaxion" and no one will ever question what you're saying.
She had to learn and adapt to survive. I think her travels have taught her when to cut losses and when to think. Sometimes you have to be cunning to reach your destination.
The only place so far that had religion issues was Durandana, kinda ironic considering how similar the cultures are.
I have mixed feelings. On one hand, that was pretty clever of Rainbow. On another, I have the sneaky suspicion that it'll backfire at some point. But really, she wasn't entirely blowing hot air. As Austraeoh, destiny does seem to have a lot of things lined up for her, and I've wondered before this chapter whether Ultimo's arrival was just a coincidence. There may end up being more truth to her baloney than she realized.
Also, how are we already 1/4 through this installment?
Wow, Dash is being far more mature about this than she was back in the crater. The character growth is real.
Oh, no. Dashie grew up. Woe is us.
Stuff it, Bookworm. This needs to happen.
Ten burpees, ):(. Knock 'em out!
Huh, didn't know that was a dialogue tag. Maybe it's a french racial bonus, extra dialogue tags.
Also, Rainbow had a nice oration this chapter.
Yes, yes, you are.
5974795
A few books back we all thought that half the story would be spent on the light side and half on the dark side, but I'm beginning to think it's more going to be 8 books/4 books.
The only thing missing is Rayvinne.
5974715 That'll be my excuse next time I call in to work. Nothing can possibly go wrong with this plan. "Sorry. I can't come in today. Hmmm? Oh, I'm not sick. No, it's Verlaxion.... Verlaxion? Beloved Queen of Frost and ancient divine? Yeah, her will says that I have to watch ponies and eat Cheetos today, and you know Verlaxion... If her will isn't done she'll freeze our bones, heh heh. What? What do you mean, 'fired?'"
I don't see one single difference between what Verlax has done in this region over the course of millennia, and what Dash has done this morning. Using religious arguments to justify your own agenda to a mass of believers seems par for the course. Maybe ):( is drawing a correlation between Dash and the Divine, urging us to believe that Verlax is, in the end, no worse a being than our beloved paintbucket.
That's probably gonna come back to bite her
Not too surprised. After all, RD mas as well be named Jesus Dash at this point with all of the messianic attributes shes gotten.
...I also still hope we get Ultimo as a living ship. Just duct tape the Swan Song on top of his head and call it a day.
Nealender: I like turtles
Theanim Mane: Cant you ponies pay attention for five seconds?
Nealender: Of cour- Shell! *Rushes off after a shiny object.*
Rainbow Dash: Shell?! Where! *Flairs wings and grabs a spear.*
Nick: This mare is nuts... I think i'm in love~
I can feel this arc coming to a close. It's coming. Soon, very soon, we won't have to wait any longer. Rarity's return will no longer be postponed. Just another chapter. And another chapter. In a few more chapter, it'll all be over. Maybe a week or so. Two weeks. Then we'll be done. A month.
A cookie if you can guess the reference.
-Spirit (Yeast and Treacle)
Dash is the Outside Context Problem.
All she needs to do now, is be a bit Excession.
Hey...
Hey Twilight...
Why the long face?
Get it? 'cause she's a horse?
can someone give me a synopsis of what this story/series is about? i don't mind spoilers so please answer as best you can. Thanks in advance.
I wonder if there's a Lunar Trident laying around that Rainbow can use to talk to Luna.
5975683 Rainbow Dash flies east. Really, that sums up this whole story. It chronicles her adventures and misfortunes and the ragtag gang of misfits she befriends. She is flying across a flat plane (Equestria) on a quest to reach the dark side of the world and restore Harmony
Considering gods and their testing al the time, how do we know what is a part of their test and what is not? Dash may seem full of it, But what if what she said was true?
It seems to me that usually whenever someone talks of a test, it's kinda like an excuse to not do anything about it and endure. But what if it's a test to see if they actually have the guts to do something about it? Or is it a remnant of the church wanting docile sheep in the past?
Meh, thinking about religion in the morning. You are evil, IC.
5975683 Sent a PM.
While I have a feeling this plan will likely not end very well. She has a good point, right now there isn't much else they can do about Veralx's religion for the moment. It's best to do what they can and move on.
OK, so what happens when word gets back to Verlax that someone messed with her shard, and claimed to be an integral part of her religion?
Verlax vult! Verlax vult! Verlax vult!
It's hard to believe we're already one fourth through this book. It feels like Spookle only showed up a little while ago.
5976285 That was my first thought too.
It seems as though the religion is a method of of Verlax's to control the population and now that Rainbow has decided to play false prophet and claim she speaks for Verlaxion she could potentially destabilize the entire system. I have a feeling that Verlax won't hesitate to intervene against a threat that big to her rule over the continent.
Can the next island be filled with monkeys?
Call it: Monkey Island
Oh wait copyright.
Boo...
So, just how are they going to take down Ultimo? I mean, I doubt they're going to make any more progress by spearing it repeatedly as they have ever since it was willed into existence to fulfill Verlaxion's divine plans.
Well, the weird chaos bat creatures in Windthrow were pretty much indestructible, but that was before Dash weaponised her harmonic laser necklace. As we saw from Nevlamas, you can blow up a chaos dragon with some supercharged harmonic rainbooms, so it stands to reason Rainbow can damage a chaos eel with her "concentrated ruby harmonic prismatic glow blast" technique demonstrated in the books before.
Of course, if all it takes is a tiny ruby zap to take out Ultimo, the Nealenders are going to be extraordinarily pissed, and probably hunt her instead.
5974883 Ah, but isn't sand the worst when it gets everywhere? I remember having my face smashed into the sand once. It was wonderful.
Ooh. Rainbow Dash becoming a new Chosen One. I can't wait til word spreads ahead of her. I super hope it stays a big plot point. Chosen One vs Goddess, with neither confronting up front due to the damage to their reputations. A Dare I say it, Cold war.
Sorry, the title made me think of this.
Anyway, Rainbow is best heretic.
5975683
You're going to regret asking, my friend. I have no problem telling people, but I personally refused to ask about Austraeoh because I wanted to experience the story. I'm so happy that I did, too.
And then, suddenly, I'm four chapters behind. It's great to graduate, but damn it does take you away from a lot of things. I see that we are going back to what we learned in Durandana. Odd that Rainbow suddenly obtains objectives after what all happened on the last continent, but she has been transformed, I guess. She's definitely been given a second wind . . . or I guess fiftieth, really. She's come back from a lot of stuff changed.
5989135 She has grown in amazing ways throughout this story from it's humble beginnings, and I suspect she's a long way to go yet.
She's on a mission from...herself, actually.
Rainbow Dash is on a mission. A mission from god, who may be a fierce dragon.
with me
______________
6971738
Or a Crystal Dragon Jesus.
I was wondering how Twilight was going to behave when it finally began to really sink in to her everything Rainbow has seen, said, been subjected to, and done...and i can empathize :applejacksleepy:
Oh dear, I am so far behind now. Hopefully I'll be caught up by the first quarter of book 9.
spacing
5974690
That was brilliantly horrible.
I don't get Twilight at all, really.
If Verlaxionism is harmful, then the harm either comes from Verlax herself, or from the theocratic government on the mainland, and either of those would be problems Rainbow could only tackle after she gets off the island. Whether or not some carefree natives on a tiny ocean atoll keep believing in her has no impact on them or anyone else.
8172630
Thanks!
Freedom of religion, as long as their religion does not harm anyone, in the short or long run, who cares what they believe?
07/28/2017
15:07 UTC
I was wondering what you intended to fill 400k with. Now I know.