Return to Hunter's Dream?
Later...
Rainbow Dash and the Herald drifted through one of countless serpentine corridors, making their gradual way Curveside. Vibrant vines of fungal growth draped over the looming precipices above them, casting a kaleidoscopic glow in all directions. All the while, various creatures of hitherto inconceivable configuration flitted and scurried about the path of the mana-powered caravan.
Fluttershy's vision darted every which way, and the ghostly pegasus' lips pursed as she observed specimen after mysterious specimen with bright, enthusiastic eyes. Once or twice, an insectoid lifeform with luminescent blue wings flitted by, and Fluttershy drifted steadily after it—mesmerized—only to collide muzzle-first with a translucent lavender forcefield. The mare hovered in place, rubbing her fuzzy nose while the rest of her companions caught up, giggling and nuzzling her sweetly.
Rainbow Dash watched from afar. Occasionally she would throw a look over her shoulder, taking note of Seraphimus.
The griffin in question sat silently where she was chained-up in the back of the wagon. She looked lethargic—yes—but alert. There was no question that Seraphimus had taken the necessary step in... sustaining herself.
Rainbow took a deep breath—but it wasn't in pride.
"It's for the best, Rainbow," Twilight said.
Rainbow looked at her.
Twilight explained: "Keeping her restrained. Seraphimus is simply too much of a liability—even now. We can't risk what might happen to you or your friends if she were to be let go."
"I just can't seem to get to her," Rainbow Dash muttered.
Twilight gave a supportive smile. "Just give her time."
"Is that enough? I mean, really?" Rainbow glared ahead of them, nostrils flaring slightly. "What did Princess Celestia do to get you to value the magic of friendship?"
"Ehhhh..." Twilight Sparkle fidgeted in mid-hover. "She... gently prodded me into visiting Ponyville... so that you and I and the rest of us would be in the right place and time to help out her sister, Princess Luna escape the clutches of Nightmare Moon. But..." She cleared her throat. "... ... ...what precisely are you getting at?"
"I dunno, Twi." Rainbow sighed. "It just feels as though I'm practically beating Seraphimus over the head with 'harmony' and crud. Like... 'Hey! Guess what! I'm going to chain you down for months and months until you accept Harmony into your heart as your personal, magical savior!'"
"Seraphimus has tried multiple times to kill you and your friends, Rainbow Dash," Twilight said. "All things considered, you've shown waaaay more than ample mercy."
"I'm not talking about 'mercy,' Twi. Besides, we're beyond that." Rainbow exhaled heavily. "I just feel that... if Princess Celestia were here, she'd have figured out a method that's far wiser and... kinder by now."
"Princess Celestia isn't here, Rainbow Dash. And—besides—hasn't the likes of Mortuana taught us that not all things this far from Equestria can be solved by the usual methods of the Royal Sisters? Or even Whitemane?"
"Even still, I wish I could make things easier for Seraphimus."
"But you can't. So you've gotta resort to this... for her safety as much as for your own." Twilight smiled. "It's going to work, Rainbow. It just takes time."
Rainbow squinted at her in mid-glide. "Y'know... the Twilight Sparkle who joined me in Kihutaja would have been appalled at me chaining up anyone."
Twilight looked back with a stern expression. "Well, I've come a long way from the Twilight Sparkle who stumbled back to life in Kihutaja... or abandoned you in the Quade." She gulped. "And you've come an even longer way than the rest of us, Rainbow. Only... it's taken a greater toll on you, I fear."
Rainbow stared ahead, wings flapping limply. "I'm alright, Twilight. Trust me."
"I do." Twilight nodded. "That's what worries."
Rainbow glanced back at her.
Twilight bit her lip. "I just hope... when all of this is said and done and we've finally returned to Equestria... that you can be alright with returning to who you once were."
"And just who says that that's what I'm going to earn, Twilight?" Rainbow asked. "Or even that I deserve it?"
Twilight fumbled for a response.
In the meantime...
Logan and Flynn were eyeing a scurrying reptilian creature with a pulsating blue tail. It ran up the side of a wall, then clung to a patch of rock hanging over the canyon path as the Hover Plank shifted beneath it.
"Hey... Baldy..." Logan nodded his head towards the small animal. "You see that thing?"
"Mmmhmmm." Flynn responded in a knowing tone. "Same specimen we've been seeing all throughout this leg of the trek."
"What's the count, you think? Two dozen? Three?"
"I've been keeping a thorrough count!" Kepler spoke up. "It's well overr forrty in the past thrree hourrs alone!"
"That's a large enough number to me." Schiiing! Logan pulled out his axe and spoke over his shoulder. "Double-yoo?"
Without hesitation, the Desperado at the rear of the craft picked up an Emeraldinian dagger from the back of the wagon, twirled it once, and—thwisssssssssssssssssh!—flung it in a blur at the creature.
Thunk! Glowing blue blood splattered across the rock as the ancient blade pinned the alien reptile in place. Before it could so much as squirm—
"Hnnngh!" Logan swung up with his blade as the craft passed under. SCHLIIIINK! He instantly decapitated the specimen.
Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack winced. While staring with beaded eyes, Rarity reached a fetlock over and belatedly covered Fluttershy's dumbstruck face.
Rainbow barely flinched. She looked over with an exasperated sigh. "Really? Must you?"
"Yeah." Logan reached over and grasped the creature's still-twitching torso. "We must."
"Clean swing, Big Show," Flynn said. "Let's hope all game goes down that quick."
"Hold onto that thought." Logan turned and tossed the bloody source of meat towards Kepler. "Here ya go, Keps. Take a closer look and see if our stomachs an handle it."
Kepler grasped the creature and prepared his alchemic equipment. "Will do, frriend. And—might I suggest—we shouldn't land any morre kills until I have prresented a scientific opinion."
Seraphimus droned: "You'll want to spread the kills out across the environment—so as not to disastorously alter the local food chain." Her manacles rattled as the wagon navigated bumpy terrain. "There's not telling if your group will need to perform a strategic retreat and camp out in previously-tread locations."
"Indubitably!" Kepler proceeded with his dissection.
Twilight Sparkle struggled to keep her nonexistent lunch in. She looked away from the gore—only to find herself staring in the face of Rainbow Dash.
"Are you still so sure that I should reconsider traditional Equestrian dieting customs?"
Twilight gulped. "To b-be fair, Rainbow Dash, I never told you I was ever 'sure.'"
Rainbow contemplated that with a sullen breath, then resumed her steadfast glide.
As Kepler carved into the meat, the reptilian muscles of the thing finally stopped twitching. A translucent cloud of ruby energy rose up from the creature, waving back and forth like a leaf caught in the breeze.
Ariel passed by—and as she did so, she reached her hoof out and watched as the stream of ruby light phased through her fetlock. She exhaled with an undeniable shudder. "Not so easy to have a sandwich when the lunch meat does that."
"Then keep your eyes shut," Logan grunted.
"Easy for you to say."
"Don't be an asshole. It's never been easy." Logan's nostrils flared. "But—then again—that's why we all made it this far. We've known that since day one."
Wildcard hand-signed something.
Flynn interpreted: "'And the ones who haven't?'"
"Well, now they know more than the rest of us combined," Logan said.
Rainbow bit her lip.
Seraphimus looked thoughtfully at Logan. She leaned back in her restraints, resting.
The Herald continued through the ravines in somber silence.
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To be honest, I'm kind of scared at all those chapters and updates and stories related to Rainbow Dash and others.
I don't think I can go on a marathon reading spree. I just WILL loose no matter how I try.
Forcefully reforming usually doesn’t work.
Rainbow's own words say that. As long as she can remember her conscience, she can come back to what she was, and as long as she still wishes she could make others suffering less, she still deserves peace.
8477827
???????
8477827
I mean . . . we all did it. It's not impossible if you just get yourself on a reading schedule. Hell, if you don't want to do that, just read every now and again, but make sure you read it in tens of chapters. Trust me. It'll make the experience go faster and feel far better overall. Ten chapters a day is small, too. It would be better to try and read 25 chapters a day. You could read the majority of the series in a couple months.
I don't know how many people can read 25 chapters a day, especially if you aren't a fast reader, but this series is over 3 million words long. You aren't going to be able to go very far very fast anyway, but it isn't impossible. We still have lots of story left to cover.
madhurijewel.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/lizardonastick.jpg
This is a very important quote, I feel. First, I believe that acclimating back into Equestrian society might be literally impossible for Rainbow. I also think that there is a very good chance that it might be impossible for the rest of the main six as well as we approach the Midnight Armory. Things are only going to get worse and worse, and Rainbow's true trials have yet to come.
However, I feel that she does deserve peace, but I think that Rainbow will end up quite a bit like Frodo in Lord of the Rings. They both have touched ancient magic and began a journey to save the world, and the things they saw, did, and experienced changed them, the world, and their companions forever. Frodo couldn't go back because he was influenced by the ring, and that's far more mystical than what Rainbow will undergo.
Simply put, I don't think that she will be able to get past all the things she has done, all the friends she's lost and left behind, and all the atrocities she has seen. I really hope that she can, but she's been at this for a long time. This journey is her lifeline and her life. I feel that the Austraeoh is about as bad as being the Arbiter from Halo. Only in times of great need will the Austraeoh be called upon, but I don't know if the Austraeoh will inevitably die just like all the rest of the Arbiters. Of course, the best one didn't die, so maybe that will bode well for Rainbow.
Either way, I feel really bad for Rainbow at this point. She has her mind so deadset on this journey and accomplishing the mission that I doubt she has considered what is to come after. However, I feel she is kind of . . . betting on her own demise so she can stay focused on the mission. If she were convinced that she would complete her task, then she wouldn't have answered Twilight like that. Moreover, we would have heard her talk more about what she is going to do when she finally finishes this.
Once again, I feel really bad for Rainbow. She can't accept a good outlook on anything without an ample amount of negativity.
8478022
Is . . . is that a humanized Ariel? I mean . . . she's gray, but I don't think she's that old.
Somber and thought-provoking. Rainbow at the bare minimum is going to need a lot of therapy if she gets back to Equestria and honestly, even then I doubt reintegrating into Equestrian Society will be extremely difficult, to say the least. This says nothing of the other six who are going to have a hard time as well, just likely not as hard as Rainbows.
Visit strange new worlds, discover strange new lifeforms.
And eat them.
8477827
It's worth it, it really is. Don't try and go through in one go (like I did), but just start reading a bit a day and you'll make steady progress. If you like reading, you can't always been intimidated by stories or series which are so long. There are some aspects of character investment that you will miss out on, and arcs of stories which are impossible to fit in a single book. Yes this has become a very long series (with more yet to come), but that isn't always a bad thing when the story doesn't lose sight of it's goals.
8478008
Or you be like me and read the entire series in under a month. No seriously, don't read it that quickly, because even if you can without skipping words, you'll lose time to digest the story.
Welcome home, good hunter.
Wasn't Kepler also running a test on the glowing grass to see if Dash could eat it? What became of that?
-Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
Deserve is such a weird, sticky term, Dash. I'm not sure its even possible to objectively determine who "deserves" what. Its a word we often use to either justify our actions in delivering what we think others "deserve", justify our own emotions on the subject, or justify our own moments of self-doubt and pity. I'd say if you're feeling like you don't "deserve" to go home after all this, then do something about it rather than mope.
Besides, you got a Roarke waiting for you. Don't screw that up.
Right back at you Logan. The other path is just as hard, if not harder, and its still possible to keep going regardless. Just ask Dash.
I literally just bought Bloodborne today.
8478334
s'a brilliant game.
Hope you have fun with it.
8478355
I've played, loved, and beaten all 3 souls games, and so far I can tell I'll really enjoy this so far.
8478245
That depends on the method he's using. Considering he's probably never heard of a mass spectrometer, he's probably had to take several samples and check for toxins the old fashioned way: one toxin at a time through known reactions. That said, there's still nothing saying it could possess an unknown toxin. Because something something darkside, something something magic.
8477827
Well, look at it this way: As long as you read at least two chapters a day, you will eventually catch up. Beyond that, it all depends on the person--how fast they read, how much free time they have, etc. Personally, I have fairly low stamina when it comes to reading. If I read for much more than an hour at a time, I start getting antsy and distracted, even if I'm enjoying it. So, when I started reading this series, I just read five chapters a day, ten on days off from work, just a nibble at a time, and in no time at all I was caught up. Granted, the series wasn't nearly as long at the time, but still.
I know it's easier said than done, but try not to worry about how long it is. This is a great series, and definitely worth the time investment. Just read it at your own pace and enjoy the ride.
8478027
Well, there is hardly any larger feat than saving not only one world, but several simultaneously. If that is not a sufficient reason to deserve peace, then no one is worthy of it. Rainbow's only true problem in this matter are her mental scars. Honestly, I personally hope that she can overcome these somehow, because I still hope for a happy end.
Nothing like a blue pulsing lizard and some blue grass to wash down the bleakweed
8478370
Well if you need help, my PSN is SweetieBelleCmC
Level 135 Bloodskill build.
8478687
I appreciate it, but I actually haven't got ps+ lol. I only have a few games and none of them justify paying for online play imo to me
Well, there may be a possibility of Dash eating meat sometime in the future. That is, if Kepler deems the meat safe to eat.
8478143
Do you like that last step or boldly do what Captain Kirk does?
As a wise moustache with a guy attached to it once said: dailygarlic.com/userImages/quotand-if-you-gaze-into-the-aby.jpg
8477827
Hey, I read the first half of the series (Austraeoh to the beginning of Ynanhluutr) in just 6 nights. It can be done.
8479512
If you have the time to spare, alternative you can 'fly read' all parts which you're not so interested in. But that comes at a risk of sacrificing crucial information.
I'm more one for detailed reading, slowly reading passages to recreate or imagine the scene and movement's in my mind, including speeches or dialog.
That hardly makes it possible to make it in 6 nights, at reasonable times... unless you really read them 6 nights in a row, about approximately 10 hours a night.
And to be honest, I actually started with Ynanhluutr, which is in my eyes a pretty good in between start for newcomers, ,who don't want to read as much or want to see Rainbow interacting with the Twilight and the others, since Rainbow 'finally' gets Twilight and later the others back (after an obvoiusly long time of absence, and painful departure). Most of the past storyline from then on is often then enough reexplained, by Rainbow's remarks or retelling of the past towards her friends, sometimes a comment in the comment section also helps you out to clear up confusion.
It also appears to be a turning point in RD's purpose, since she finally regains her sense of duty to succeed in her journey.
I found that a really good start to continue reading the story, after having read a few trail chapters.
8478143
The universe is a parlor, its denizens spiders all.
8477827
Like a lot of others here have said, just take it at your own pace. I found that I quickly got hooked on the story and the chapters just flew by. I would say that you should try occasionally reading the comments section, as the community that built up around this story is one of the best parts.
Would Fluttershy really mind the killing and eating of critters?
Im sure if you beat her over the head with it enough you'll finally get through to Sera, Rainbow. One day she'll cave, one day.
To be honest even if she tries I don't think she'll ever be who she once was.
Dead lizards and angry murderbird. Surprisingly, the two are not connected.
Now just punch her until she understands the values of Friendship, and you'll be Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
8478027
I really, really want you to be wrong, but you're making far too much sense. I'd see an ending as her flying off to explore the rest of the disc; satisfying, in a way, but not happy. I'm still holding out for the wife and kids ending, though. Its never too late to buck the never-let-Dash-be-happy trend.
KMan missed chapters this weekend for busy reasons. Monday rolls around, birthday teim. Sees title of Ofolrodi chapter 121, "Return to Hunter's Dream?". I don't have a playstation, but Bloodborne's lore (allusion of a chapter title there) is the brain-rotting philoso-candy for me. I lurve me a good lovecraftian comedy (comedy as in classical def'n: happy ending, as opposed to tragedy). I'm read 119 (Always Ever Charcoal Brown) through 121 (Return to Hunter's Dream?) yesterday, but I needed to consider my comment for this chapter a bit more.
OH BOY!
Also, I just noticed that there's two more chapters to subsume.
Now, it's not about mercy, but about understanding.
It's still twitching. A snake's head can still bite and envenom shortly after decapitation. Caution is advised ahead.
Quoting 8478027:
Considering Dash has effectively died a few times already. This doesn't seem like that much of a concern right now.
8478143,8478661
Sure, we're on the other side of the world-construct, but I bet it still tastes like chicken.
8478245 Let's just hope for the Herald's sake that the group doesn't run into beings that would classify as "Kin".
8478334, I wish you a successful hunt this full moon.
I still ship it.
I’ll bet Rainbow ends up eating meat eventually. It’s only a matter of time.
In the days of the bible fish and shellfish were not considered meat, so in biblical terms if Rainbow stuck to those she could technically stay within Equestrian customs
11/15/2019
00:27 UTC
Well, when I saw the Bloodborne reference in the chapter title, I expected things to not go well. Glad I was wrong! These downtime chapters are always nice.
Sorry Fluttershy. That's kinda awkward.
Logan increasingly impresses me with his wisdom