Rumble In the Den
“Slowly... easy... eaaaasy does it,” Rainbow Dash said. Her gaze fixated on the next sarosian body strolling up to her. She stood up tall, lifting her chest out prominently so that the ruby lightning bolt of her pendant was placed furthest from her center of gravity. “You don't have to touch it. Just reach your hoof out... gently... just a few more smidgemeters...”
As she spoke, yet another elder stretched her fetlock nervously towards the pegasus. Once the gray-tinged fetlock was within a whisper's brush of the object, a dim pulse of light emanated between the sarosian and the pegasus. Like so many individuals before her, the mare recoiled. Fangs protruded from wrinkled lips—an instinctual response—and she backed away with bristled back fur...
...only for another elder to trot up in her place, mimicking the gesture, reacting with no less shock and awe. All the while, a quiet murmur hummed through the place, carried on the pensive breaths of the contemplative elders. Even after so much time and ritual had passed, they stood at a cautious distance from their host, craning their necks to observe Rainbow Dash and her alarming neckpiece from afar.
“How many more ladies are gonna wanna get the zappy zap from Dashie's bappy bap?” Pinkie asked. “It's like the entire recreational bridge club of Mareami had a convention up in this Dream Den!”
“S-some of them have even trotted up more than once,” Fluttershy remarked.
“Gaaaaah!” Pinkie Pie pulled at her ghostly eyelids. “Are you serious?!”
“Just calm down,” Twilight Sparkle insisted. Her gaze reflected a sullen sea of fangs and eyeslits. “Let them take all the time that they need. Rainbow's in no hurry.”
Pinkie frowned. “Isn't she?”
Rainbow glanced over at Nat'rdo. The one “familiar” sarosian of the bunch stood in the center of elders, yet somehow apart. While they all hunched over and murmured with pensive breaths, she stood tall and resolute, her glossy teal mane glinting in the runelight. The moment Rainbow looked at her, she looked back—forcing the petite pegasus to wince and look vaguely back into the dim depths of the place.
“You ask me, I'm mighty glad they're takin' their sweet time,” Applejack said. “Shows that they didn't just ask Rainbow here to give her the cold flank. They was really fixin' to know all about her connections with Princess Luna and whatnot.”
“I agree.” Rarity nodded. “Besides, the more time spent up here...” The Fashionista's forelimbs curled as she shivered. “The less time spent down th-there... brbrbrbbrrrrr...”
“It's also rather comfy here,” Fluttershy said with a slight smile. “Everypony looks graceful... calm... thoughtful...”
“They look thoughtful alright,” Pinkie said, squinting anxiously at the crowded and chattering sarosians along the far ends of the room. “For all we know, they're being 'thoughtful' about cooking Dashie up in a big nasty stew!”
“No Evil Enchantress songwriting, Pinkie,” Twilight chided. “We haven't the time for that.”
“Awwwww! But what if I take out the instrumentals—?”
“Let's just be slow and steady about this. Like Rainbow's being.” Twilight looked at their anchor. “How are you holding up? Good? Nervous?”
Rainbow looked silently at her. While more and more mares took their time approaching her and summoning the enchanted light, Rainbow wordlessly glanced over at Applejack.
The farm filly cleared her throat. “Well, they ain't exactly fixin' to put yer head on a plate, Rainbow. Buttttt...” She squirmed a bit where she hovered. “You haven't won them over. Not yet, at least.”
Fluttershy blinked. “Do they think she's a problem?”
“That's gonna be up to Rainbow Dash to work on, I reckon.” Applejack tilted her hat forward. “And how she brings up the Harmonic Prism.”
Twilight perked up. “... … ...is that what they're thinking about?” A blink. “What Rainbow Dash means to the quest for the Midnight Armory?”
“Call it... a hunch...” Applejack said.
“It's always hunches with you as of late!” Pinkie said.
Applejack's eyes were thin. “Just what do you call 'twitchy tail?'”
“Touche.” Pinkie waved a hoof, smiling. “But my hunches come in combos.”
“They've been sorely lacking as of late,” Rarity remarked.
Pinkie shrugged. “Don't blame me! I can't control the twitch-a-twitch!”
“It's probably for the best.” Fluttershy gulped. “Pinkie's senses always come in handy when we're in danger.”
“One thing at a time.” Twilight looked over at the Captain and her two guards. “At least Xandraa seems to be taking this in stride.”
“Reckon so.” Applejack smirked. “That darn talkative clerk of theirs hasn't spoken a peep since these mares began marchin' up to check out Rainbow's pendant.”
“Just what is she writing in that scroll of hers anyways?” Pinkie remarked.
Rainbow's eyes darted towards Shriike. The Imperialist Clerk stood a few spaces away from the Captain. Her refracted eyes were thin and concentrated—locked on a nearby group of elders. Rainbow observed as Twilight flew halfway towards the limit of her reach, hovering like a specter behind Shriike. The unicorn's eyes scanned the pages.
“Well, Twilight?” Rarity asked.
“I hate to say it...” The bookworm looked up with a sad expression. “...but I can't translate Dark Vigil Moonwhinny script.”
“You suppose she's recording the other elders in the room?” Fluttershy remarked.
Rarity looked to the side. “Applejack?”
She was already nodding. “Feels the case to me.”
“Well, what are they saying?” Pinkie asked.
Twilight shrugged, flying back over to the group. “I haven't a clue.”
“Well, we can't just let this go on forever!” Pinkie remarked. “I'm not saying we rush these theatrical geriatricals—but Dashie put a lot on the line to come here and it's only fair that she get some answers!”
“The sarosians deserve answers too,” Fluttershy said.
Applejack pointed. “Now that we can't very well force.” She sighed. “Wouldn't be proper to have a buncha ticked-off bat ponies.”
Rarity nodded. “Just think of how the Luminards reacted.”
“Yeah, but...” Pinkie Pie blinked brightly. “Bleak's Plummet! Dashie succeeded there!”
Twilight looked at their loyal friend. “Maybe it's about time to make a move.”
Rainbow calmly took in all of her companions' words. She looked to Ariel.
Ariel looked back, blinking blearily. The entire proceeding—in all of its anticlimactic inaction—was almost putting the Heraldite to sleep. However, she shook to full attention upon receiving Rainbow's gaze. “Mmmmm... yes? What?”
“First of all... keep chilling.”
Ariel winced. “If I chill anymore, I might collapse through one of those nearby cushions.” She fought a yawn, watching as another old mare trotted up to summon the glow of Rainbow's enchanted pendant. “How long is this square dance going to last?”
“I'm going to try to start a conversation. Just...” Rainbow tongued the inside of her muzzle. “...don't go berserk if somepony gets uppity and start tossing zealous insults my way.”
“You're expecting that?”
“Not my first rodeo,” Rainbow said. She glanced at Twilight and Rarity. “Not... my first theologically complicated and socially awkward rodeo.”
Twilight and Rarity nodded wearily.
“Hey...” Ariel shrugged. “...I know when to take a backseat.”
“No you don't.”
Ariel blinked. “...is that a challenge?”
“Aaaaaaand thanks for proving my point.” Rainbow whispered aside. “Now clam it.”
Ariel pouted, cheeks reddening.
“Ahem...” Rainbow looked over to Xandraa. “Cap'n, my Cap'n?”
Rainbow sensed Shriike's lensed eyes blinking her way.
Xandraa looked down at the petite pegasus. Even from a few feet away, she towered intimidatingly. “Yes, Penumbran?”
“You... uh...” Rainbow squirmed, her muscles starting to buckle from holding that pronounced pose for so long. “You know these Dream Den gals better than I do. How would a freaky outsider such as myself start out on the right hoof with them?”
“You mean in breaching conversation...” Xandraa remarked.
“Righto.”
The Captain took a breath. “Diplomacy is not my strong suit. The elders maintain laws and I enforce them.”
“Uh... huh...”
“You seem to have a stable head about you, Penumbran,” Xandraa said. “Perhaps you should simply ask them the questions that rest upon your soul.”
“Seems legit...”
“Be mindful...” Xandraa's eyeslits glinted sharply. “You so much as threaten their peace of mind with the Solar Deceiver's accursed spirit, and I will remove your skull from your neck.”
“Well...!” Rainbow bore a crooked smile. “No pressure th-there!”
“For your sake, I would hope not.”
Ariel leaned in, whispering to Rainbow: “How come all the militant chicks love to threaten you?”
Rainbow shrugged. “Started at Foxtaur.”
Ariel squinted. “What's a Foxtaur?”
“These new words are absolutely making my night,” Shriike could be heard from the sidelines. She licked her muzzle and wrote on, smiling geekily. “And the nimrods over in bookkeeping said I'd be bored...”
Rainbow sighed. “This might take a while.” She looked forward. “Okay, ladies, I was wondering—Gah!”
Nat'rdo was staring in Rainbow face, the lines of her muzzle illuminated ominously from the glow of the enchanted pendant. “If I may ask a question.”
“Uhhhh...” Rainbow gulped, ears flattening as she leaned back awkwardly. “Wowsers, you're young.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Rainbow coughed, waving a hoof. “Questions! S-sure! Ask away!”
“That pendant that you wear...” Nat'ro pointed below Rainbow's chin. The magical aura dimmed as Rainbow stepped cautiously away from her. “May we be permitted to remove it?”
“Uhhhhhhh...” Rainbow immediately sweated. She could make out her five friends vehemently shaking their heads in her peripheral vision.
“So that we may study it more closely and then properly ascertain the nature of the enchantment placed upon it,” Nat'rdo clarified.
“That... isn't going to happen,” Rainbow Dash said. She swallowed. “I'm sorry if that comes across as rude for me to say. But...” She glanced towards the guard mares. “...it will be bad news bears for everypony in this room if this pendant came off of me.”
Captain Xandraa jerked to attention, brow furrowed. Shriike's eyes blinked nervously behind their thick lenses.
“D-don't worry...!” Rainbow Dash waved a hoof, raising her voice for everypony to hear her well. “It's for my protection as much as anypony else's! It's just that...” She fidgeted in place. “...if this thing comes off, I'll die. But it's worse than that... others might get hurt before I ultimately kick the bucket.”
“Others hurt?” Nat'rdo calmly asked. “By the pendant?”
“By me,” Rainbow said.
The mares of the Dream Den exchanged glances.
“The harmonic energies in this pendant cancel out a curse that I happen to carry,” Rainbow said.
“A curse...?” rasped the breathy voice of an aged mare. Rainbow looked into the group but—among all the thick shadows and hoods—she couldn't make out which of the elders was speaking. “...you're telling us that you bring a curse into our Polished sanctum?”
“It's no harm to anypony so long as I wear this!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, giving the lightning bolt a slight rub. A dim glow of ruby luminescence emanated from the pendant, causing the group to stir in mixed wonder and worry. “My curse is... chaos-based, you see. This pendant... uh... cancels it out with its alicorn construction.”
Several murmurs in moonwhinny echoed across the room.
Nat'rdo turned towards Captain Xandraa and her two guards. “No wonder—then—that Lexxy'kyn found her so easily.”
One of the guards nodded. Xandraa said nothing.
“It begs the question...!” An elder shuffled up to Rainbow and Nat'rdo. A stern, wrinkled face peered out through the hood of her cloak. “...why the war stallions didn't attempt removing it from you before entering the Tree of Mothers!”
“They... they tried,” Rainbow said, exchanging glances with Ariel—who nodded. “But... uh...” A shrug and a smirk. “Like I said—that's not happening.”
“Those stallions...” Another mare huffed. “They are not doing their jobs.”
“It would fill them with foalish pleasure to have a Penumbran bomb go off in the Sanctum,” another grumbled.
Nat'rdo turned, hissing at the other mares. “You underestimate the intuitiveness of the Dark Vigil's Commander! If he had removed her pendant, he would have failed in his honorable promise to escort her to the Tree!”
“And what if the Penumbran is playing him—and us—for fools!”
“You saw the echo of the dream!” Nat'rdo raised her voice. Her eyeslits sliced into the group, silencing their vitriol. “The very same dream that I channeled! In all visions—both dredged and conjured—the W'ynlppa yln H'luun was wearing this same pendant!” She pointed beneath Rainbow's neck. “If she guards it so strongly in her subconscious, no doubt it reflects the truth for why she guards it in the corporeal plane!”
Twilight and Rarity looked at Applejack. The farm filly held a hoof up, insisting on patience.
Sure enough—
“I object to the casual use for such a glorious term!” An elder spoke up—angrily. Rainbow watched as a tall mare with bleached white fur hobbled out from the group, leaning on a moonstone cane for support. Her face was long and her fangs even longer as she hissed: “'Avatar of the Blood of H'Luun!' There hasn't been such a thing for a thousand years! There hasn't been such a need for a vessel of such importance for even longer!”
Nat'rdo faced the rowdy elder. “Byraag, the Book of Saros says—”
“Don't lecture me on the sacred texts!” Byraag slapped her cane down onto solid flooring. “Avatars served their purpose in the Resistance! And when the Mother of Nightmares was banished, each and every one of them gave their lives to see to it that the Dark Vigil performed a safe Exodus from the Burning Lands!” She shook her stick at Rainbow Dash from afar. “Now this creature... hails from those same seared valleys! She bears with her a piece of the weapon! That very same weapon that sealed our Mother in the moon of her making!” Turning about, Byraag glared across the surrounding bodies and hoods. “A thousand years is more than enough time for the Solar Deceiver to take written records of the Book of Saros and twist such words to try and appeal to us in this... most heinous attempt at lowering our guard!”
The elders murmured louder—more anxiously.
Pinkie Pie grimaced, exchanging worried looks with Fluttershy. “Wuh oh...”
Rarity looked at Twilight. “Wish one of us thought about the fact that the Element of Loyalty could be seen as a 'weapon.'”
“I did,” Applejack muttered, tilting the brim of her hat forward.
Before Rainbow could stammer forth a defense for herself—
“There was nothing witnessed in Rainbow Dash's dreams to indicate that she was on a mission of malice,” Nat'rdo said. “If there was, I assure you...” Her eyes narrowed. “I would have picked up on it.”
“And you think the Solar Deceiver's power only extends to the physical?” Byraag shook her cane again. “I'm telling you—this is an elaborate plot!”
“To what end, Byraag?” hummed an eloquent voice.
Byraag looked over and instantly snorted. “Save me the bleeding of your engorged heart, A'othe. I'm dizzy enough without you throwing this discussion into a pedantic circle.”
“A shame.” An old mare shuffled over. She had a round face and peppery blue hair that cascaded over a meditative smile. “If you dreamt as much as you drool, you old hag, you'd be gleaning something from the wise words of our Dream Knight.”
“Ee-ee-ee!” Byraag made to swing her stick, but lowered it at the last second. “Hrmmmfff...” she snorted, glaring at the other speaker. “By all means, A'othe, you poetic lump of bones. Humor the witless Penumbran.”
“The only one lacking wits is you, Byraag, but thankfully that isn't the core of tonight's analysis or else we would be here for weeks.” A few chuckles echoed across the aged sorority as A'othe turned to smile faintly at Rainbow from afar. “To what end would the Solar Deceiver be sending a single agent—clothed with the blessing of the Mother of Nightmares, no less—other than to reach out and appeal to our common histories?”
“Are you deaf?!” Bygaar barked. She pointed her cane at Rainbow Dash. “The Penumbran herself even said she was cursed!”
Another elder nodded. “She could be waiting for an invitation into Crescent Sanctum... to launch an attack on the Maria Matriarchs!”
“With what? Her bare fetlocks?” A'othe gestured. “Look at her! She's a child! Scratch that—foals would have good sense to be bigger at that age!”
“H-hey!” Rainbow's voice cracked. Ariel giggled.
“Nay—a weapon of the Solar Deceiver, she may be, but a weak one at best.” A'othe shook her head. “An artifice meant to influence us unto our own destruction, perhaps...” She squinted at Rainbow from afar. “But I feel that too may be reaching.”
“She is adamant about her presence here,” Nat'rdo said. “Whatever power has sent her, it is something she firmly believes in.” She looked at Rainbow Dash. “And her sense of self-preservation supersedes much. She didn't even desire to come here until I and this very same Council decided to reach out a hoof.”
Rainbow's eyes narrowed. “Are you a mind-reader?”
“She's a dream-reader,” A'othe said firmly. “The best among us.”
“Hrmmmfff...” Byraag rolled her eyes. “Not for lack of trying.”
Nat'rdo sighed, eyes avoiding Rainbow's scrutinous game. “The official term is 'Dream Knight,' of which I am most qualified to serve.”
“I heard.” Rainbow nodded. “Sounds badass.” She arched an eyebrow. “Also rare.”
Nat'rdo's ears reared back as she grumbled: “Rare indeed.” She turned and paced back towards the thick of the group. “And as the Dream Knight—in sworn service to the Maria Matriarchs and the Mother of Nightmares—I have no reason to believe that Rainbow Dash poses a willful threat to the Dark Vigil!”
“Aye...” Byraag waved her cane. “But what of unwillful?!”
Rarity did a double-take. “Buh?”
“She could very easily be brainwashed,” spoke another elder. “A witless pawn of the Solar Deceiver!”
“A thousand years is a long time,” continued Byraag. “Long enough for the Knights of Burning to engineer their own bastardization of the dream-walk!”
Nat'rdo pointed incredulously at Rainbow Dash. “Are you trying to say that she can traverse the Mother's incorporeal stream on her own?!”
“Hmmmm...” A'othe rubbed her chin in thought, looking Rainbow Dash up and down. “She did prove quite resilient when you pierced her visions, did she not?”
“Th-there's a reason for that!” Ariel blurted. The room went silent as stone. Blushing, she looked over at Rainbow. “I-I mean... isn't th-there, Rainbow?”
Rainbow was already face-hoofing. “Rnnnnnghhh...” She slowly looked up at the group. “Nat'rdo, your 'Dream Knight,' isn't the first creature to enter my head.”
“What do you mean?” asked an elder. “Who else... what else...?”
“Let's see...” Rainbow Dash counted off wingfeathers. “...two Divine Dragons... a Siren Queen... one—no, make that two Alicorns outside of Equestria... uhhhh...” She looked at Twilight and the others, then back at the elders with a goofy smirk. “...and then some.”
“How...” Byraag squinted at the mare. “...how far have you been traveling to get here, Penumbran?”
“Far,” Rainbow said.
“I asked how.”
“Very... very far.” After abject silence, Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Look, I've butted heads with chaos dragons and suplexed cyborgs. So I'm more than equipped to deal with the Book Club of the Damned. So just...” She waved a hoof. “...take your sweet time. It's all cake to me.”
Shriike giggle-snorted. When Captain Xandraa squinted down at her, the unicorn clerk shook her head. “Don't pay attention to me.” She licked her floating pen with a smile and prepared the scroll once more. “I hope this goes on forever.”
A'othe paced closer towards Rainbow Dash. “...are you... on a mission to serve the Solar Deceiver?”
“Not... … ...” Rainbow Dash fidgeted, her eyes swinging left and right like a clock's pendulum. “... … ...exactly.”
“But you do... serve her...?” A'othe asked, eyeslits peering.
“Can't help it, really. I was born under her rule,” Rainbow Dash said. “And from the look of things, she hasn't exactly been mean to anypony, so I never had a problem with calling her Princess.”
The group stirred with mixed reaction.
“But...” Rainbow tongued the inside of her muzzle. “...not gonna lie. I... wasn't too terribly fond of her for a while there...”
Twilight Sparkle gave Rainbow a double-take. The other girls looked similarly surprised.
A'othe lowered her hood, squinting curiously. “Continue...”
“It's just that...” Rainbow Dash brought a hoof to the article hanging around her neck. “This right here? This pendant?” She clenched her teeth. “It was assigned to me. The Elements of Harmony—they became entwined with the souls of me and my bestest of best friends. We never asked to become the vessels of Harmony. It just... became our destiny n'stuff. And... y'know... at first? I was pretty much on board! It felt really badass to suddenly be a defender of Equestria and whatnot.” She gulped, her voice taking on a weary tone. “Until... one day... when a very old evil showed his ugly face around town. And Cele—... our Sun Princess' harmonic 'weapon' was needed to banish him. The rest of my friends lined up to do the deed. Me? I was... away... my mind having been zapped by the same evil they were prepared to zap back to stone. And...” Her nostrils flared. “It killed them. It killed each and every one of them... just for having and using the Elements of Harmony... w-without me.”
Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie looked sad. Applejack calmly threw Twilight a glance. The unicorn in question bit her lip, as if never perceiving things from this angle before.
“... … ...for months, I blamed it all on... the Princess of the Sun,” Rainbow Dash muttered, observing Twilight's sad expression in her periphery. “Heck, I hated her. It was the simplest way I had to channel my frustrations... frustrations that were really aimed at myself. I also wanted nothing to do with this stupid pendant thingy, but... it was the only piece of the Element of Harmony that survived and it was the only thing that could keep me from succumbing to the curse of chaos I had suffered shortly after... my fr-friends' death.” She was silent for a bit—before looking up with a bittersweet smirk. “It might interest you to know that I got along more with Princess Luna than with her older sister all the while.”
Shrieks and chirps filled the room. Byraag fell back on her haunches in shock while A'othe blinked hard. Nat'rdo calmly looked at the group, as if waiting to gauge their reaction to that the entire time.
Even Xandraa craned her neck with interest while Shriike struggled to keep the scroll levitating upright.
“I apologize...” A'othe delicately cleared her throat. “...but... did you just mean to suggest that... the Mother of Nightmares has returned to the seared lands?”
Ariel glanced at Rainbow.
“Oh...” Rainbow's ears flattened. “Oh right... eheh...” She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “Yeah... so that there's a doozie, huh...?”
A loud bass roar.
The barren earth shook under leathery limbs and raking claws.
A six-legged reptilian beast thrashed left and right, howling into the twilight. But try as it might to spring forth from the ground and gallop to freedom...
...several chains yanked and pulled down at savage hooks that had been embedded into symmetrical spots along the creature's bleeding hide. Rows of nostrils set within its headcrest sputtered and wheezed as it lost its struggle with the far-smaller hunters reeling it in. From all sides, Bloodwing stallions hissed and shrieked, yanking on their ends of the chains and slowly hauling the pained beast towards an outcropping of hollow rock set within the shadow of the Tree of Mothers. It took the coordination of no less than two dozen of the Dark Vigil's finest, but they soon succeeded in kiting the wounded beast underground—where their hisses and chirps turned into victorious jeers lobbed at the heaving animal. It was soon lost in the dancing firelights of that subterranean hovel, from whence the stench of death and ashes consistently vented.
All of these images reflected off Wildcard's goggles as the Desperado calmly strolled alongside Seraphimus and Lexxic.
“That looks like a fine catch,” Seraphimus remarked. The group walked over the blood trail left by the beast. “No doubt it will feed your soldiers for a fortnight.”
“We've already caught the current season's game,” Lexxic declared. “There won't be need for another hunt for several cycles.”
Wildcard looked curiously at the First Son of Nightmares.
“Then I fail to understand...” Seraphimus waved vaguely towards the noisy cavern. “...why bring it to slaughter? Is it for leather? Ivory?”
“We don't intend to slaughter it,” Lexxic said, trotting slowly with Azarias not far behind. “We need it nearby for when we cut into its calves.”
Wildcard raised an eyecrest.
“By calves, I suspect you mean...” Seraphimus' charcoal brown eyes narrowed. “...its young?”
Lexxic nodded calmly. “The canyon pounder gives birth regularly. A set of organs deep inside its torso produces mammary glands that are conveyed out from its scaled carapace along a sheet of regenerative cartilage. Once the pounder's milk is completely consumed, it sheds the glands along with its skin at the next molting. It's a useful mechanism devised by nature, but also sinfully wasteful.”
“So you've learned to capitalize?”
“Vegetation is... sorely lacking for the canyon pounder to graze on. But they haven't the good sense to go extinct. So...” A slight smile formed under the First Son's helm. “...we hunt its calves after each mating season, and we take the mammary glands and all of their content to properly supply our rations.”
“I see.” Seraphimus nodded. “But why the... bloody ritual?”
“You mean bringing the mother into the presence of the litter's slaughter?” Lexxic breathed. “Experience and observation has taught us much. You see... the canyon pounder has a deep psychological response to distress of its young. Special chemicals are released from the heart muscles, and this—combined with an intravenous diet—results in greater production of milk in the regenerative glands.”
“The longer it spends around its dying calves, the more it makes for us,” Azarias said.
“Quite right, Second.” Lexxic nodded in mid-trot. “Besides... the 'ritual' makes for good sport with each retrieval.”
Loud squealing issued from the cavern, followed by a deep bass howl in response. As the noise echoed across the surrounding supply camp, Seraphimus looked at the flickering entrance, then back to their host. “You mean that mother has undergone this multiple times?”
“How else are we to get more milk? She has plenty to give after all.”
Seraphimus exhaled slowly, beak clenched. “It seems... seems...”
“What? Cruel?” Lexxic tilted her helm towards her. “Each and every time we catch a pounder, we expose it to the evisceration of its young. And each and every time we set it free, it returns to the same breeding grounds—just to be caught once again.” A slight chuckle. “Honestly, Penumbran, which is crueler? Those who do the best for their brethren? Or inane creatures who are too stupid or selfish to throttle themselves to death against the rocks upon release?”
Seraphimus and Wildcard exchanged glances. At last the former Talon Commander spoke to Lexxic: “I can't help but get the distinct feeling that you're trying desperately attempting to faze us.”
“I am simply displaying to you the essentials of what keeps our industry in motion,” Lexxic said. “To be shocked by that is to be shocked at the necessities of living. But—nevertheless—there is a certain truth to your assessment. And it pleases me to know that repugnance does not consume you.”
Seraphimus cocked her head aside. “And why is that?”
“It gives me hope that this entire wild charade isn't a banal exercise in criticism,” Lexxic said. “Coming from a source that has no business whatsoever in the affairs of this War.”
“You may be alarmed to discover that Rainbow Dash's business is the business of everything—the War and then some.”
Lexxic suddenly pivoted on scraping hooves to face Seraphimus. “And you believe that?”
“... … ...” Seraphimus stared calmly back at the stallion's pale slate, seeing the faintest outline of a reflection, greatly faded. “... in my experiences with her, I've found... good reason to challenge many preconceptions that once qualified as 'beliefs.' But at the end of the day, what I hold true to is still of my own choosing... and I choose to have an open mind.”
“And yet your openness of mind has become the estuary of her Penumbran ambition,” Lexxic said. “What talons were use to carve that basin, commander? Yours? Or hers? Is there enough depth to fathom that an even greater shore encompasses it entirely?”
“I have the faculties to entertain higher notions,” Seraphimus said with a nod. “And yet, I suffer the experience of knowing that cruelty and zealotry land their volleys very low.”
Azarias blinked at that. He looked quizzically at the First.
Lexxic merely smirked. “Hrmmfff...” He tilted his helm towards Wildcard. “I already know where he lies.”
Wildcard's beak tightened.
“Loyal to a fault,” Seraphimus muttered. “I'm not surprised whatsoever that you would admire him.”
“Duly noted,” Lexxic remarked. “We're few and far between, commander. Creatures with no room left for surprises. I imagine I am not the only one who envies those who stand to be flabbergasted by this world.”
Seraphimus said nothing.
“I know that—volunteer or not—you have taken it upon your duty to be Rainbow Dash's scout. I admire an obedient soldier, so I shall give you this.” Lexxic leaned towards her, his breath lowering. “I frankly do not care what your Penumbran superior wants from the Bloodwings. You may very well think that it is of concern to me, but I assure you that you are wrong.”
“I shall... keep that in mind,” Seraphimus muttered her feathered face nevertheless sprinkled with confusion.
But Lexxic wasn't done. “What is of concern to me... and what should be of concern to you...” His helm pivoted slightly towards the body of the Tree looming ever-above. “...is what Rainbow Dash means to the elders.”
Seraphimus took a breath. “Assuming they don't kill her on sight for being a supposed agent of your ancient enemy, they could... possibly see her as an emissary of your very first Matriarch.”
“Maybe she's a demon. Maybe she's the messiah.” Lexxic's helm slowly shook. “Neither matters.”
“Neither matters...” Seraphimus repeated in abject monotone.
“Because...” Lexxic continued the thought for both of them. “...in the end... it's all about how they will use her to wrest control.”
Seraphimus nodded. “From the Night Shard and the Flux.”
“Hah!” Azarias laughed, his fangs showing. “Hah hah hah hah haaaaah hah hah hah!”
Lexxic formed a crescent moon beneath that helm, chuckling breathily.
Azarias laughed even louder once his leader cracked a grin.
Seraphimus and Wildcard exchanged confused glances.
“I stand by what I said,” Lexxic exhaled. He rested a hoof on Azarias' scarred shoulder to quiet his laughter. “You two are great soldiers.” He turned and trotted once more along the path in the center of camp. “But—perhaps—you should leave the intuition to your superior.” A shuddering breath. “Granted—if she has enough of it—then I may have little to be concerned about.”
Seraphimus moved after him, wanting to comment on that—
Swooooooosh! A massive velvety figure touched down. Literally.
“Brother...!” Masser exhaled, sweaty from a long and fast flight.
“Ah! I knew the air needed more muscle!” Lexxic reached out and brushed the Third's withers. “Come! Walk with us! We were recently talking about your favorite topics! Milk and blood! Take a pick, brother—”
“I'm sorry, Brother, but...” Masser fidgeted, glancing at the two griffons.
“Speak on, Masser. There is nothing to hide.” Lexxic tilted his helm back. “They have no way of hurting me.”
“It's not that...” Masser gulped. “I just came back from the Pit...”
“Escorting M'saalt'ym.”
“Yes. A messenger flew in from the brinks. He had word from My'spyd'ylm.”
“Yes?”
“The Sixth says that a company from the Third Root is inbound.” Masser waved both meaty fetlocks. “Not the entire Root! Just one company—to escort the twelve.”
Lexxic slowed slightly in his trot.
“The twelve?” Azarias hissed. “You mean those cowards who were nearly pardoned by Lyw'Malaak?”
“Right after their failure at the reclaimed nest,” Masser said. “My'spyd'ylm was able to intercept them before they could return to Lyw'Malaak's camp.”
“And it's a good thing too,” Lexxic murmured, rubbing his chin with a pale hoof. “With all of the shenanigans she's been pulling as of late, that would have been victory for the upper branches. A small victory, but enough to gloat on.”
“It can't be a coincidence...” Azarias sneered, his leafy ears folding back. “The recalling of the Fourth and Fifth Roots? Along with the attempted pardoning of the failing dozen?”
“According to My'spyd'ylm's messengers, the company from the Third Root will have escorted them here in the next cycle,” Masser said. “They should arrive brinkside at the outer supply station.”
“Then I must arrange a meeting,” Lexxic said. “I want them at the Hall of Honor by next feast. The timing is of supreme importance.”
Azarias flapped his leathery wings. “I'll see to it right away—”
“No,” Lexxic raised a hoof. All three were still, waiting on the First. “I shall go. And you shall accompany me.”
“But...” Masser looked nervously at the two griffons. “What of these Penumbran outsiders?”
Lexxic turned towards him. “What of them, Third? I can only hope you will keep them entertained.”
Masser did a double-take. “Me?”
“You know as well as I do that if I left them with Azarias, they would be limbless by next cycle.” Swooooosh! Lexxic flew skyward with a faint beam of chaotic/runic energy. “Do take care, brother! And fear not the female! Her plumage hides that which would be detestable!”
“Ee-ee-ee-ee!” Azarias said—with a trace of sadism.
As the top two sarosians of the Bloodwing military hierarchy made their leave, Masser stood awkwardly in their shadow. He turned to look down at the two catbird creatures, sweating through his geometric scars.
“Grmmfff... hrmmm... so... uhhhh...” His leafy ears twitched, and he put on a crooked fanged smile beneath penetrating eyeslits. “...do you like blood?”
Seraphimus and Wildcard merely coughed.
“Mmmmm...” Masser clenched his jaw. “...really, though, that's about all I've got.”
“...and so... after we talked to the big effeminate sea serpent... lake serpent...?” Rainbow Dash shook her head and continued. “...and after my friend Rarity gave him a piece of her tail to fix his mustache, we came across this canyon in the middle of the Everfree Forest where a rope bridge was lying in tatters, needing to be fixed. So I flew over to take care of business and—like—the smokey essence of a lurking evil broke off into three pieces and floated down in the form of a bunch of fake high-flying pegasi who called themselves the Shadowbolts who tried to recruit me to their team... as if they were nearly as awesome as the Wonderbolts. Pfffftchyeahright! No friggin' way that was gonna work on me. Anyways, they interrupted my repair of the rope bridge, saying that they needed me to be a part of their team and—”
Rainbow Dash's words trailed off.
She blinked.
She looked at the mares of the Dream Den ahead of her.
“I... uh... I'm not losin' any of you, am I?” Rainbow's voice cracked.
A sea of wrinkled faces spilled out of their hooded cloaks on waterfalls of confusion and vexation.
“What's a lake serpent?” one elder asked.
“What's a mustache?” another stammered.
“Rainbow... Rainbow...!” Twilight finished pulling at her ghostly face to spin and frown at her anchor. “You're getting too mired in the details! They just need to know about Princess Luna's return! They don't need to know all about our first real true adventure as friends!”
Pinkie Pie pouted. “What's wrong with giggling at the ghosties?”
“Rainbow can't sing it like you can,” Fluttershy droned.
“They're gettin' mighty impatient, sugarcube,” Applejack said in a tone of urgency. “Better step it up!”
“Yes, darling!” Rarity nodded. “Just go back to the last time you mentioned Nightmare Moon and leap to the moment we used the Elements on her!”
“Last... time I mentioned her...” Rainbow Dash turned towards Shriike. “Heyyyyy... stenographer? When was the last time I mentioned Nightmare Moon?”
“Uhhhhhhhhhh...” Shriike sweated. She rolled through one scroll, googily lenses reflecting columns of her own penwriting. “Uhhhhhhhhh...” She sweated and rolled some more. “Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—”
Ariel leaned in, whispering in Rainbow's ear: “Your past could use an editor.”
“Okay, look!” Rainbow hovered in place, waving her hooves. “Bottom line—Princess Luna's back. After a thousand years, the stars aided in the escape of the Mare in the Moon! No longer imprisoned, Nightmare Moon showed up in Equestria to make the night last forever! But then my gal-pals and me took on the Elements of Harmony and we zapped Nightmare Moon. Only this time...” She pressed a hoof to her pendant for emphasis. “...we freed Luna from Nightmare Moon's influence! She remained Luna! The Princess! The younger and loyal sister to Princess Celestia—”
More than half the room instantly hissed.
“Yeah yeah—like it or not, that's her name! And for all your hating on the so-called 'Solar Deceiver,' the very real truth is that Princess Luna calls her by 'Celestia' these days. And you know why?” Rainbow folded her forelimbs as she hovered indignantly in place. “Because they love each other. And they've forgiven each other! That's right... after so many long years... after so much pain and abandonment... and after a friggin' civil war... Celestia and Luna are once again ruling Equestria as beloved sisters! The way they were always meant to!”
Rainbow rubbed the lightning bolt once last time, producing a faint ruby glow.
“And this thing I carry with me—for better or for worse—carries the touch of Luna. Her blessing... her magic... her harmonic gift to me... so that I can stay alive and not be consumed by chaos. For months... years... I've used it to talk to her at every full moon... and I've even used it to help make things right with the rest of the Exodus that lingered on the other side of the plane. That's right! You've got Penumbran sisters, yo! They eventually gave an ear to all the things I had to tell them! I don't see why you can't too!”
“Uhm... Rainbow...?” Twilight whispered, wincing. “...Luna was able to talk to the sarosians of Bleak's Plummet directly, remember?”
“Yup!” Rainbow kept her plastic smile on, eye twitching. “I don't see why the whole fluffy lot of you can't give an ear too!”
Twilight face-hoofed.
It was clear that Nat'rdo wished to grab hold of the conversation, but most of the other elders were too quick. They hissed and sputtered in anger, and Byraag was loudest of all.
“First you sully our minds with this convoluted story of pretend heroism! Then you insult the sanctity of this Roost by invoking the Deceiver's spawned name! And now you insist that the very Mother of Nightmares has betrayed her true high calling?!”
“The stars aided in her escape so that she could bring nighttime forever!” another elder snapped.
“For the first time in millennia, our Mother nearly achieved her goal...” Byraag shook her cane. “And you mean to tell us that you and your dead allies thwarted her?!?”
“Thousands upon thousands of fallen heroes...” moaned another elder. “And for what?!”
“Oh goodness...” Fluttershy winced. She spun towards their anchor. “Quick, Rainbow! H-hug them! Or something!”
“This is going to rubbish fassssst,” Rarity squeaked.
“Look, if...” Rainbow held her hooves out. “If you would just listen—”
“We've had enough of your seared lies, Penumbran!” Byraag huffed, her entire wrinkled face encompassed in a frown. “What did you even hope to accomplish by coming here and shoveling such filth into our ears!”
“I can't believe I'm saying this, Byraag, but you make a good point,” A'othe said, stepping once again into the conversation. “What is she hoping to accomplish?”
“Rrrrngh...” Byraag pivoted to frown at A'othe. This time, the surly mare had the majority of the angry elders on her side. “Haven't you muddied things enough in humoring this creature, A'othe?”
“She's telling us things that are outright heretical,” A'othe declared. She tossed her curly mane back and bore a plump smile. “All things considered, we should have Xandraa gut her right here. On the spot.”
Xandraa shifted in her armor. “Standing by.”
Ariel jerked at attention; Rainbow held her still with a hoof, eyes on A'othe.
“However, that would be an awful shame,” A'othe said. “And I don't mean the fact that it would stain your favorite pillows, Byraag, although that too would be somewhat discomforting.” She squinted at Rainbow Dash. “It just... doesn't make sense that a singular agent of the Solar Deceiver would come all this way—crossing the brinks themselves—just to commit abject suicide.”
“If she follows the order of her Burning Knights, she's as good as dense!” Byraag hissed.
“And thank you for proving my point, you sour bottle of sycophantic snores!” A'othe spat, trotting over to Rainbow Dash's side. “That is our young guest's singular sin!” She bravely rested a hoof on the petite pegasus' shoulder. “She's dense!”
“Uhhh... thanks...” Rainbow's muzzle twisted. “I think.”
“Not to say that her negotiating skills are entirely tragic,” A'othe said. “This is simply a very tragic room. I should know—I see Byraag standing in it.”
“Rrrrrgh...” the pale mare growled back.
Nat'rdo stepped closer, sighing. “A'othe, madame, if you would get to the point—”
“When it comes to the tale that our guest is trying to tell us, it isn't a matter of... matter.” A'othe pointed to her own scalp. “But it's a matter of perspective.”
“What are you suggesting, A'othe?” Byraag asked.
“We must induce sleep,” spoke a weathered, wispy voice from the sidelines.
Every body in the room turned.
Rainbow Dash and Ariel craned their necks.
Out from one of the cubby holes—an obese old mare was being helped out onto all fours by another elder. She had long flowing gray hair, and neck folds that hung off her upper frame. Her head looked round and pronounced, and her eyeslits had glossed over completely with thick cataracts.
“Oh st-stars,” Shriike could be heard murmuring in legitimate surprise.
Rainbow took note of it, all the while staring at the sudden awakening.
“Lady Prunus,” A'othe did a curtsy in the presence of the mare.
“Induce sleep,” the old pony repeated. With the help of guiding hooves, she waddled slowly in the vague direction of Rainbow Dash. “And encircle her in the dream walk.” She took an awful lot of effort to inhale and exhale, doing her best to stand tall and composed. “Allow her mind to reveal the details that her words fail to.”
“Prunus, with all due respect...” Byraag murmured in a sullen tone. “...putting us all in that insufferable creature's memories? That could very well be the ultimate trap.”
Rainbow leaned towards Nat'rdo. “Who is this...?”
“Lady Prunus,” Nat'rdo leaned back, her tone serious and reverent. “The Dream Knight before me.”
Rainbow's eyes rested on the elder's large, wrinkled figure. “... … ...talk about one heck of a dropped ball.”
“She is crude,” Prunus declared, her jowls wavering with each forced breath. “Headstrong. Impulsive. A bittersweet bedmate to guilt and responsibility.” She slowly nodded. “But she has a message to share, one that I suspect we would be remiss to ignore.”
Byraag snorted. “This is a pathetic waste of our time!” She frowned at the other elders. “The Dark Vigil doesn't have time for Penumbran distractions of this nature!”
“In case you haven't noticed, you insufferable ninny...” A'othe's fangs showed as she frowned back at Byraag. “The Dark Vigil doesn't have time at all!”
The room fell deathly silent.
Captain Xandraa hung her head, glaring into the floor.
Applejack looked intently at her.
Rainbow cleared her throat. “Sorry to rain on everyone's sleepy parade... but...” She shrugged. “...what does this entail?”
“I put you into a deep sleep,” Nat'rdo said. “The elders collectively meditate, and—by your grace—we enter your mind's memories and experience what you know via the dream.”
“And you all can do that?” Rainbow asked.
“I can,” Nat'rdo said. “My skills are adept enough to both induce sleep and ferry the visions. But the tables will essentially be turned. You will be the host and we will be the guests.”
“I do not want any part of her mind,” Byraag grunted.
“Then sit this one out.” A'othe smirked. “I, for one, wish to show proof of service to the Maria Matriarchs.” She looked at the rest of the elders as a whole. “Who else is with me?”
The old mares looked at one another, murmuring intimately. Heads were nodding, group by group.
“Lady Prunus...” Nat'rdo faced the eldest of elders, curtsying. “...your wisdom—as always—is appreciated. Would you do me the honor of assisting me with the sleep inducement? You've often spoke about wishing to re-live the days of training.”
“No, Dream Knight.” The old mare shook her head. “That honor shall fall upon you. I have spoken my peace.”
“Much thanks, my Lady,” Nat'rdo said. “May I be so bold as to ask your assessment of the Penumbran outsider?”
“Is that really necessary?”
For once, Nat'rdo looked speechless.
Prunus tilted her head in Rainbow's direction, smiling vaguely. “She has a nice smell about her.”
Rarity and Fluttershy smiled.
Ariel nodded. “I could have told you that.” A prismatic tail whapped her in the face. “Ow!”
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That meeting was doomed to turn sour as soon as she mentioned purifying Luna.
Also, Rainbow seems to have forgotten that the communication enchantment died after the big show at Bleak's Plummet. Luna's blessing is still there, but she can't talk through it anymore.
Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
Lesser Mawlek?
This was a great chapter. Glad to be back in the action scenes, and it’s always awesome to see those real old events brought up.
Luna is a drug.
Royal guard joke here.
I wonder would they try to take the pendent off her during this?
Phew, looked for a second there that things were spiralling out of control
Ariel really needs to get fucked.
Literally.
Yo those Old Bats go hard
I'm impressed Rainbow isn't more offended at everybody and their dog just kind of helping themselves to her innermost thoughts and memories. Guess she figures it just comes with the territory at this point.
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Hey congrats, you're an old fart!
Yeauch.. I take it the lizert tail doesnt Torue regrow, so another method had to be used?
The Elders were having so much fun with light on, light off, and then there was talking.
Now they want to go exploring Dashs Mind?.. Theres Pinkie in there.
And This guy?
After all.
Its just a Game.
She probably should have mentioned that through her actions of abandoning the Elements of Harmony to die, Luna is now in charge so, Mission Accomplished? That said, looks like we are going to have another dream trip. I also do not like what Lexxic is doing, as it smells rather deeply of a coup. Lexxic and his lot have lost their humanity, for lack of a better term, and desperately need it back to stop circling the drain to oblivion. Also am wondering who the twelve is. Questions for later I guess. At any rate definitely looking forward to the next chapter.
If they were shocked and surprised now, imagine their reactions when they start peering through Dash's memories...
What a bombshell to drop in such a passing conversation!
I guess Lexxic's aiming to become the supreme darkside conqueror/leader?
Hmm... I wonder if the Ghostly Five will be able to see the projection of these memories. It would certainly offer some perspective on Rainbow's travels before the Grand Choke.
I remember. It was pretty hot there, heh ;)
Umm
Ummmmm.....
Ummmmmmmm....
....
....
I Swear By Luna's Friggin' Tits....
Good night everyone!
Okay.. okay..whew.. I'm here at the forefront, at last.
Just had to re-read the whole Ofolrodi before tackling the newest chapters in one fell swoop. I actually remembered Night Shard as Crystal Pew Pew guys.
And that says how much I remembered after our extended break.
I'm SO happy about the switch to slightly longer chapters, even if they are weekly now. At this point, we can wait. Speaking more about the content itself, our adversaries for the time being are all what I hoped them to be and SO much more. Positively loving the look of Lexxic and all the other brothers.
SO, big thanks to IC for continuing this at his own pace and good luck to you, my man! You'll surely need it.
Also..
Likely should have started off with the Luna being around. Hopefully this dream walking will bring some of them around on RD but time will tell.
Capturing a "canyon pounder" and making them watch the slaughter of their own young is freaking savage. But I guess that's what they gotta do.
Lexxic finding that funny as well makes me nervous.
Crashes
Ho snap. I caught up.
Ow.
Ready to latch myself to this rollercoaster just in the nick of another imminent crash-tastrope Mark 6,112.883,402b ver. 98z.
Can't wait to see their reactions to her dream instant replay. Will they even understand all the things they'll see, or will they just be thrown into some memory without knowing the context?
Y'know, considering that this is a culture perpetuated by war, it's a little concerning that there is no clique of injury retired veterans.
It makes you ponder if all injuries that would cripple a sarosian result in a battlefield Coup de grace. This makes their plight all the more inefficient, and depressing considering that even crippled soldiers can provide fantastic experience and support for younger soldiers.
Really liked this chapter, soooo excited for the next one! As an thematic expression of excitement, take my EEEE-EEEE-EEEE!
10386065
Congrats on the old bat cameo!
10387184
Congrats on catching up, welcome to the club!
It seems really weird for Rainbow Dash to forget that Luna can't speak from the pendant while she's on the dark side, but... meh...
10387259
Yeah, I feel like it's one of those "You fight, no matter your injuries, till you die in battle." kind of deals.
Retired veterans? What retired veterans?
I smell a revolution.
In more ways than one
Hmmm, Lexxic laughing makes it seem like he intends to use rainbow to take control of the blood wings. Huh
Darth Malak is up to no good. I can feel it
I dread the thought that Rainbow will have to show the Sarosians the real reason she's on the Dark Side. It's all a matter whether they'll aid her in completing her mission or not though.
I miss Luna.
I wonder if RD's friends will get to ser her memories too.
Haven't read this yet, decided to take the sum total words so far from every "book"
3 Million, 729 Thousand, 611 words so far.
Fallout Equestria and Project Horizons only equates to 2.4 million words COMBINED.
This is the longest Story on FimFiction I've seen thus far. And bloody hell am I impressed.
10392586
Don't look at the word count, this is an Odyssey of phenomenal proportions and honestly the best fanfic I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. If you want, start reading. It'll be slow, sometimes boring, but It'll all pick up and not let you down. But to reach the current point of the story is to join an eclectic group of marsupials that have all experienced one phenomenal journey.
Now is an exciting time to start.
It is time to go deeper...
*insert inception sound effect*
All things considered, a dream-walk through Rainbow Dash's dreams would be far more expedient than her just trying to convince these mares that everything she's saying is true.
Yeah, although I get the impression some of them already sort of get that Dash is being truthful, if only because she really isn't cunning enough to be any good at lying. Honestly is really all she's got here, and while there is some expected religous and cultural barriers that need to be bypassed here, there seem to be enough sensible heads in the room that it can actually work.
But there's some political layers occuring here we still don't understand. Lexxic is in the center of some serious machinations occuring, and Rainbow Dash is soon to likley find herself being used as a tool by others to perhaps... try and reign the First Son in?
You're thinking that this Malaak or whatever represents another faction within the sarosian culture that is none-too-happy about Lexxic's rise and wants to take control of the military back from him? And, what, if the Dream Council does decide Dash is a legit champion of Luna, they'd somehow use her against him in some fashion?
I don't know the situation nearly well enough to know, but at a guess, Rainbow Dash has the potential to shake things up enough that any of the groups seeking control of the Bloodwinds could stand to gain. Lexxic included.
Going to get Game of Pones up in here?
Verily.
Rainbow Dash and politics don't mix, that's for sure. So, random thought... didn't the sarosians have a shit ton of airships at some point?
They might have all been destroyed at one point or another.
Pretty sure these bats have got industry covered, so they ought to be able to build more, right?
Have you seen any wood anywhere lately? Chances are the resources needed to build proper airships were used up long ago.
Damn, you might be right. I keep holding out hope the group will be able to 'acquire' an airship at some point. And by acquire, I mean steal.
Well, the Night Shard have ships...
*shudders* Uhhhhhh... nooooo, I don't think, from what we've heard of the Night Shard so far, that Dash and company will want one of those. Pretty sure the idea of riding on something powered by souls would be among the least awesome things Dash could do, and hence pretty sure she wouldn't be cool with it.
Who knows? The sarosians have defied many expectations thus far. It's entirely possible both the changelings and the Shard will defy expectations as well.
I suppose so. One of the general themes of late seems to be to that things aren't often what they seem, especially based upon expectations. Wild to think there's still so much of the Dark Side left to explore, too. It's honestly held plenty of interesting and even kind of pleasant surprises for a place that's still got plenty of horrors to go around.
In any case, we're nearly caught up. Onward.
best discussions starter, especially for murder chicken.
Dodged a bullet there, Dash.
>IC when he has to find something that previously happened
*claps* It's comment time!
10392586
You might find yourself more impressed after you've read all of them.
10394632
Oh man, whenever I end up re-reading the all the dream-sequencing chapters, I'm finding a way to squeeze inception references into my interpretation!