One In the Same
Rainbow Dash gazed contemplatively forward, her eyes empty yet full of thought, as words echoed around the wooden chamber around her.
“...about half an hour after the grand feast began in the Hall of Honor, the physical competition for
Beholder of Most Honor came to a conclusion. The First Son of Nightmares entered the arena.” Shriike adjusted her thick bifocals while reading off a levitating scroll in front of her. “He personally congratulated the victor of the sparring tournament: Hry'skym'lynnlym of First Root. He then complimented Wry'spek'lym, a bloodcolt from Fifth Root, and proceeded to share the harrowing tale of M'saalt'ym of Sixth Root—an unfortunate victim of Flux incursion.”
Xandraa stood tall and attentive on the far end of the dais within the Quarter Moon hollow of the Tree of Mothers. Two guards stood beside her, likewise observing the words spoken by the Imperialist Clerk. On the other side of the dais, Rainbow Dash stood in formation with Ariel, Wildcard, and Seraphimus. They all waited in polite silence as Shriike read off the summary of her report.
“Shortly thereafter, Lexxy'kyn summoned the so-called Cowardly Twelve: who in actuality were Captain Hry'skym'lynnlym and his company of eleven Bloodwing inferiors, loyal soldiers to Third Root.”
Xandraa's nostrils flared. She nevertheless remained calm and composed, staring at Rainbow's group with a scrutinous gaze.
Rainbow raised her eyes only briefly—if only to glance towards Seraphimus.
Seraphimus didn't look back. She stared forward, mirroring Captain Xandraa's stance.
A closed sigh escaped Rainbow's nose, and she gazed tiredly in Shriike's direction.
“Lexxy'kyn proceeded to assail Hry'skym'lynnlym with guilty accusations, listing the captain's decision to follow the direct commands of Commander Lyw'Malaak as seditious acts against the supreme command of the First Son of Nightmares,” Shriike continued. “Lexxy'kyn preached Hry'skym'lynnlym's dishonor in directly affecting the forced retreat of Third Root forces from their military offensive against the Flux. When presented with the possibility of outright execution, Hry'skym'lynnlym invoked W'ynlppa lysm thy'rym'lykk. In respect of tradition, Lexxy'kyn provided Hry'skym'lynnlym and his Bloodwing soldiers with a captured spiked stone skulker to torture and slay in the arena—thus providing ample harvest for much-needed medical supplies. The soldiers from Third Root engaged the skulker before the W'ynlppa yln H'luun and the rest of the Bloodwings in attendance. The skulker was successfully slain for the harvest—but not without great cost and casualties to the members of the captain's company. The First Son moved to quicken the deaths of those injured, but Hry'skym'lynnlym assured the preservation of their flesh by admitting to his dishonor in retreating from the Flux. Lexxy'kyn accepted the captain's plea; he crippled him and allowed the captain's soldiers to feed on his offering of flesh.”
One of the guards behind Xandraa visibly blanched. The tall mare looked back at her, eyes narrowing. Once the guard composed herself, the captain turned back to look down at the clerk. “Is that the extent of the avatar's experience under Lexxy'kyn's charge, Shriike?”
“... … ...” Shriike's muzzle hung open. “Ahem... erm... well...” She rolled and unrolled the scroll in mid-air, nervously. “Not quite, Captain... erm...”
“Cease with pretense,” Xandraa commanded. “Reach the end of your summary, if you would be so kind.”
Shriike's four-eyed gaze darted briefly at Rainbow Dash, then back at the Captain. “Ahem...” She levitated the scroll to its penultimate parchment. “Upon Lexxy'kyn's order for Hry'skym'lynnlym's soldiers to feast upon his flesh, the W'ynlppa yln H'luun...” Another glance at Rainbow Dash. “...threw herself upon the scene. But seconds after forcefully entering the arena, the avatar collapsed.” A gulp. “As did Lexxy'kyn.”
Captain Xandraa tilted her head thoughtfully upon that. The two guards behind her stirred with curiosity.
“Both the avatar and the First Son of Nightmares swiftly recovered,” Shriike continued. “With the latter emphasizing to L'azarias'ym and Masser'myn that the W'ynlppa yln H'luun not be harmed. The avatar and her company were escorted to an abode within the lateral roots to retire, and—upon waking—the group was escorted back to the interior of the Tree of Mothers.” She finally slid the scroll into her saddlebag, staring up at the Captain. “Where I have now presented you with the abridged summary of the W'ynlppa yln H'luun's experiences under the charge of Lexxy'kyn, First Son of Nightmares.”
Captain Xandraa nodded slowly. “Very well delivered, sister. No doubt you have quite the task to accomplish during this time.”
“Indeed.” Shriike's velvety cheeks bulged with a beaming smile. “Shall I dictate the unabridged logs to you now?” She gestured towards an exceptionally bulging pocket of her saddlebag—
“No,” Xandraa said firmly with the wave of an armored fetlock. “That will... not be necessary at this c-current juncture.” She cleared her throat hoarsely. “Your task—as was so necessarily given at the start of this excursion—has successfully culminated. I now direct you to the Lunar Archives, where you will commit your written records into sanctified permanence.”
“Then th-that means...” Shriike leaned forward, almost trembling. “...I-I am free to return to Gibbous Sanctum?”
“Affirmative—”
“Y-E-S!!!” The Imperialist clerk literally jumped in the air, her horn glowing with felicitous joy. “Ha HAH! Ohhhh I haven't had a bath for AGES!” She pranced gaily for the stairway beyond the quarter moon dais, turning her head to stick her tongue out at the Heraldites. “Smell you nimrods again—never! Waaaaaa haaa haaa haaaaaa!”
“Oh how my heart will weep for your absence,” Ariel droned dryly, not even looking at the exiting unicorn.
Captain Xandraa waited for the clerk—and her echoing cheers—to dwindle in the lofty distance beyond. Once the stairwell was silent, she approached the centerpiece of the dais, gazing down at Rainbow Dash. “So... W'ynlppa yln H'luun...” Her already-tight muzzle hardened under the dim runelight that lined the ancient mural above them. “...you threw yourself into the arena.” An eyebrow lifted under her helmet. “No doubt as protest against the captain from Third Root being ritualistically consumed?”
“Yes.” Rainbow gulped. She looked up at the matriarchal defender. “I must apologize. It was out of place for me to—”
“I am not interested in your motivations—nor your responsibility for the matter.” Xandraa leered. “The clerk reports that the First Son of Nightmares collapsed when you did this. Would you care to elaborate?”
“With all due respect,” Rainbow Dash began. “Shriike's full report will give all the best details.” She pointed at the stairwell behind the guards. “She's really friggin' good at what she does, y'know.”
“She is not a Penumbran potentially gifted with direct enchantment from the Mother of Nightmares herself,” Xandraa said firmly. “Our most high polished Mistress Faatail entrusted you with a task: to remain close by Lexxic's side. Now...” She cocked her head aside. “...am I to understand that such may—in fact—not be possible?”
Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. “I'm a bearer of the last surviving Element of Harmony. Lexxic—for as much as I can tell—is empowered by chaos energy.” She slowly shook her head. “We can't get within a spit's distance of one another. The moment I get close, I suffer dizziness and collapse. And... it's starting to look like the same thing happens to the First Son.”
Xandraa nodded. “How interesting. It is as if... the two of you cancel each other out.” The captain's lips pursed. “The avatar of H'Luun... and the Commander of the Bloodwings... incapable of so much as shaking hooves.”
“Can I ask a stupid question?” Rainbow's eyes were thin. “... … ...where are you even going with this?”
Seraphimus glanced at Rainbow Dash.
The petite pegasus continued: “I thought I was just buying Mistress Faatail time. Y'know... with winning over the matriarchs in the highest branches of the Tree?” Rainbow's muzzle hardened. “Why this big friggin' fascination with what makes both me and Lexxic un-tick? Aren't there more pressing concerns at hoof?”
Seraphimus looked calmly at Xandraa.
The Captain breathed. “The Mistress' concerns remain such: her concerns. Nevertheless, I am quite certain she would be interested to know that something—anything—is capable of bringing the First Son of Nightmares to his knees.”
“Uh huh...” Rainbow leaned in with a suspicious squint. “And to what end...?”
“Towards progress, of course!” rang a charismatic male voice from the labor chambers behind. “And—beyond that—the treasure within the Sarcophagus of Ages!”
Xandraa's groan was more than a little bit audible. She glared tiredly past Rainbow and the Heraldites. “The Imperial Guard would have greatly appreciated an announcement of your arrival, Lexxy'kyn.”
Rainbow, Seraphimus, and the others turned around to see the First Son trotting briskly towards the foundation of the dais. Lukaas accompanied him, along with Sypher—who was pushing a wooden cart full of glass vials containing bright yellow-and-orange liquids.
“Oh, I'm certain there are many things that you would appreciate, Captain,” Lexxic said, the muzzle beneath his helm brandishing an unbreakable grin. “Be thankful that none of them are my concern. Only victory.” He gestured to Lukaas.
The Fifth Son reached into Sypher's cart and hoofed him one of the glass vials.
“And as an accessory to such...” Lukaas held the chalice in a blind hoof as he tilted his pale helm towards the runelights above. “...I provide a fresh bounty. To aid the health of Gibbous Sanctum and beyond, should they find a need to cure ailments—much less suffer them.”
Xandraa exhaled. “The harvest from the Hall of Honor.”
“Procured by Hry'skym'lynnlym of Third Root and his honorable comrades. A pity that the sacrifices of the Dark Vigil don't hold names in your muzzle.” He tossed the chalice towards the upper dais with expert precision.
Xandraa caught the vial in the crook of her hoof. She examined its chemical contents up close.
Lexxic merely smiled from down below. “But what do you know of sacrifice, Captain?”
“... … …” Xandraa's stern eyes sliced down at him. “It has come to my attention that an unorthodox action on the avatar's part caused you to suffer a physical episode in the Hall of Honor.”
Rainbow Dash felt like grimacing—
“See? You attempt to change the subject, and yet you're still shackled to the crux of the matter,” Lexxic remarked. He tilted his head in the petite pegasus' direction. “The W'ynlppa yln H'luun took an awful risk—a seared sin of her Penumbran upbringing, of course—but brave in its own... insipid way nonetheless. One could even say the same about every step she's taken in the presence of the Sons of Nightmares since she was so unceremoniously charged... by those who have a nebulous understanding of the gravity of such boldness.” He faced the Captain once again. “There is much that we have in common, and if she is willing to generally overlook the grim nature of our customs, then I am willing to overlook the occasional foolish mistake on her part.” He bowed ever so slightly. “I have—after all—been forced to overlook the burden that the High Polished believe they have inflicted upon me.”
Wildcard cocked his feathery head aside. He glanced between Lexxic and the Captain.
Xandraa was very close to fuming. “I sometimes think you confuse courage with impestuousness, Commander.”
“Spoken from a place of divine authenticity, no doubt.” Lexxic tilted his head—and his grin—back up. “But then again, Captain, what weight is there in the courage that needs so much armor for so little combat?”
Lukaas snorted loudly. He raised a pale hoof to hide his smirk.
Sypher merely hissed through his voice box, standing tall and resolute.
Xandraa closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then turned towards Rainbow Dash. “I believe...” She opened her eyes only once she was completely composed once again. “...we should continue our conversation in a higher forum.”
“Yes, I would think that you might,” Lexxic slipped in.
Ignoring him, Xandraa gestured towards Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow nodded back. She looked at Ariel—who nodded and trotted forward. She then looked at Wildcard, who also nodded and hung back. Then—“Sera?”
Seraphimus woke to the moment, looking at Rainbow.
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps this time...?”
Seraphimus looked at Xandraa, at the mural above them, then back at Rainbow Dash. “Hmmm... I suppose it could be enlightening.” She waved a talon at Wildcard, and once Jordan responded—she strolled forward alongside Ariel.
Rainbow and Xandraa made to take up the rear—
“Oh Captain~” Lexxic's voice rang once again.
Xandraa scuffled to a stop, jaw clenched. She looked down at the foot of the dais.
Lexxic gestured at the cart filled with the remaining vials. “Aren't you forgetting something?” His muzzle curved beneath the facial slab. “Lest you make a waste out of such a well-earned harvest.”
Xandraa said nothing. She turned and gestured at the two guards. The armored mares nodded back, then briskly trotted down past the dais. Sypher stepped back as the two guards carefully took the cart from them.
However—as the mares got into position—Lexxic blindly approached one, gripping his hoof tightly around her armored withers.
Xandraa jerked in place, reaching for a dagger sheathed beside one fetlock.
But Lexxic—cold and stoic—merely murmured in the guard's ear: “He gave his life and flesh to honor tradition. But that tradition cost the Third Root victory and ground.” He gently released the guard's figure, stepping back. “It would be a shame,” he spoke calmly, his smile slowly returning. “If it lost us all more.”
The guard shook... shook... but eventually nodded. Without looking back at the First Son, she joined the other mare in pushing the cart up the ramp and onto the summit of the dais.
Xandraa—lowering her fetlocks—kept her gaze icily trained on Lexxic as she escorted Rainbow and the guards back up the stairwell towards Gibbous Sanctum.
“Carry yourself well, avatar,” Lexxic waved at Rainbow Dash as he trotted off with Lukaas, Sypher, and a very cautious Wildcard. “Something tells me that we will be seeing each other again soon...”
The group was barely halfway up the stairwell when...
“Mrmfff...” Full-on trembling, the one guard that Lexxic had grabbed lost grasp of the cart and slumped against the wall. Hyperventilation threatened to consume her at any moment.
Captain Xandraa and the other guard were already rushing towards her aid. Ariel, Rainbow, and Seraphimus turned to peer curiously through the darkness.
“Breathe. Just breathe.” Xandraa grasped the mare's armored forelimbs, letting her rest back. “You are safe. There is nothing—absolutely nothing—that he can possibly do to you.”
Rainbow couldn't tell if those words settled the mare. But perhaps the tone in Xandraa's voice did. Slowly—nodding and panting—the guard took off her helmet, revealing a smokey mane bespeckled with tiny diamonds. Sweat clung to Mistress Faatail's aged muzzle as she breathed... breathed... breathed... then looked weakly in Xandraa's direction. “I would very much love to believe that, Captain.”
Seraphimus blinked. She looked at Rainbow.
This time, it was Rainbow's turn to not look back. “Your little charade was never destined to work forever, Mistress.” She pointed down the stairwell. “What are the odds he caught on long before I ever arrived here?”
“Well...” Faatail gulped, attempting to wrest control of her regal tone of voice. “He certainly chose an apt time to play his hoof.”
“Oh yeah?” Rainbow's brow furrowed sternly. “Like after you gals chose to play yours?” She frowned at Xandraa. “What went down in the Hall of Honor is nothing to gloat over. Even for me.”
“Mind your place, Penumbran,” Xandraa spat. “Just because you inadvertently discovered a weakness in the First Son of Nightmares doesn't earn you leisure to speak with such a tone—”
“Weakness?!?” Rainbow's voice cracked. She waved a hoof past the shadows of the Tree. “Have you melon fudges forgotten the fact that he wields control over an entire friggin' army?!” Her teeth showed. “Your army!”
“Rainbow Dash...” Still shaking, Faatail reached a hoof out in the mare's direction. “Please, you must—”
“I've played chaperone like you high-polished gals wanted me to!” Rainbow snapped at her. “At potential risk to myself and my travel buddies! I even had to stick my neck out for that uptight little clerk of yours more than once!” Her eyes narrowed. “Don't I deserve a little more for my efforts? Huh? The one pony who's given you the only solid whiff of Luna's divine blessing in eons?!”
Xandraa avoided her gaze, staring off into the shadows and fuming. The other guard was likewise reticent to stare Rainbow in the eye.
Seraphimus gazed at the group of sarosian mares silently, her avian expression blank.
“Let us...” Mistress Faatail stood up straight, finally... finally composing herself. A hard swallow. “...let us find a quieter place, avatar.”
Rainbow Dash sat on a pile of cushions within the Dream Den. She cradled a steaming mug of... something in her hooves. It smelled good—like a broth of spiced leaves mixed with ginger and honey. She hadn't taken a single sip. She stared across the dimly-lit domain at where Mistress Faatail paced and paced across the soft floor of the dreamtrotters' sanctuary.
“I... have convinced my fellow elders that you are indeed imbued with the grace and power of Princess Luna...” Faatail's eyes wandered quicker than her hooves, and—in an abstract way—she looked almost as panicked as the rattled mare trying to shake off the scent of Lexxic in the dark stairwell below. “After ample description, they acknowledge that you bear an actual peace of the weapon that once banished our divine Mother. What's more... the testimony of the Dream Knight has added substance to your presence here. I've... also been able to employ the support of A'othe and Lady Prunus. While there... st-still isn't a majority of support from the whole Dream Council, the opinions of both the present and past Dream Knights hold a great deal of weight in the eyes of the Elders. I have faith that they believe you are precisely who you say you are.”
Silence—save for the scuffle of Faatail's hooves. The mare was still pacing and pacing.
Rainbow observed each anxious step. She still couldn't bring herself to sip from the mug. “So...” Her ears flicked, one after the other. “...if this is all good news, why do you look and act like somepony's about to get their head chopped off.”
“I only wish that was the case,” Faatail grumbled. She shuffled to a stop, her bejeweled hair swaying into place. “At least then it would suggest actual change.”
“Wow.” Rainbow Dash blinked. “Okay.” She gave her steamy mug one final lethargic look, then finally placed the damn beverage down at a fetlock's distance. “Ahem...” She leaned forward from where she sat. “So what—then—is the reason for why all of our saddles are about to turn brown.”
“It's not that dire, avatar.”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Isn't it?”
The elder turned towards Rainbow Dash. After a deep breath, she spoke: “Do you remember the substance of our last conversation?”
“I wouldn't mind a refresher course.”
“I educated you on the divination of the Mother of Nightmares,” Faatail stated, stepping closer. “Nightmare Moon is comprised of multiple facets—united in horrific purpose.” Her jaw muscles tightened: “The vessel... the miasma... and—”
“The shell. Gotcha.” Rainbow nodded. “Nightmare Moon's armor. You've got it somewhere here in the Tree—along with the Book of Saros.”
“Correct.” Faatail said, trotting slowly. “We have watched guard over the shell in hopes that someday we would restore both the vessel and the miasma.”
“With... the Harmonic Prism...” Rainbow arched an eyebrow. “From the Sarcophagus of Ages.”
“It has vexed us terribly that we have not been able to acquire such a treasure,” Faatail sighed. “Even after so many generations of violence and bloodshed, it remains elusive. In all that time, the pieces of the whole of the Nightmare Mother have only grown more and more estranged from one another. The shell—we've had to seal the armor away in the Uppermost Sanctum of the Tree. Only through mastery of a special key have we been capable of doing this, and we live in abject fear that time and decay has allowed the Solar Deceiver to forever disenfranchise the armor from the constituent parts of our exiled Mother.”
“So... what...?” Rainbow cocked her head aside. “...you thought that—like—the miasma or the vessel might come to your rescue? That they might... help the Trinary War come to an end and bring everything all back together?”
“It would most certainly confirm many of the prophecies contained within the Book of Saros,” Faatail said.
“Well, what might those prophecies say about—y'know—me?” Rainbow held both fetlocks out. “Isn't this the closest you guys have ever gotten to what you so desire?” She pointed at the ruby lightning bolt beneath her chin. “Luna's blessing! It's here! It might be faint and dim—but it's there. And by 'there,' I mean here.”
“But that is the problem, avatar...” Faatail came to a stop, standing before the pegasus with a weathered expression. Her eyeslits lingered sadly on the Element of Loyalty. “None of this... makes sense to my fellow elders... or to any pony who maintains the scripture.”
“How so?”
“You are neither the miasma nor the vessel. You are...” Faatail sighed melancholically. “...merely a Penumbran.” She gulped. “And a denizen of the Solar Deceiver's seared kingdom to boot.” She clenched her fanged jaw tight. “All that you present us... is a meager glimmer that barely pierces the shadow cast by all we hold dear. The same goes with what we fear. You... do not even present a convincing weapon from the Daybreaker.”
“... … ...” Rainbow Dash slowly, quietly stood up. Straightening her mane and wingfeathers, she slowly approached Faatail in a dignified stance. “Mistress...” Her tone was straight and serious. “...consider for a moment—just a moment—that your scripture and prophecies mean nothing.”
Faatail opened her mouth—
“And consider...!” Rainbow held up a hoof. “...that the miasma and the shell are never coming back. Because they can't.” Her eyes narrowed as she stood face to face with the elder. “The miasma—the essence of Nightmare Moon was exorcised by the Elements of Harmony back in Equestria... in the Castle of the Two sisters. And the vessel—Princess Luna? She's forsaken all things 'nightmarish.' She's in charge of Equestria... the Sun... the Moon... the whole kitten kaboodle. And because of so many epic responsibilities, she can't leave her ponies—long lost cousins, both yours and mine—even for a cause as big as the Dark Vigil's. Or the Austraeoh's.”
Rainbow Dash pointed through the rune-etched ceiling of the Dream Den.
“That armor—the shell—waits for nothing. The Armor of Nightmare Moon is exactly that—a shell. An empty container that has nopony left to fill it.” She lowered her hoof, as well as the tone of her voice. “So maybe... just maybe... the heroes who are left to save the Dark Vigil aren't what's written in the Book of Saros.” She shook her head. “Or in prophecy.” A firm breath. “But—instead—the heroes are those whom we choose to put our faith and trust in.”
Faatail gazed down at the floor.
Rainbow arched an eyebrow knowingly. “...and something tells me that the elders aren't proud of whom they've chosen as their hero.”
After a while, the elder agreed to look Rainbow in the face once more. Weathering a sullen sigh, she spoke: “Captain Xandraa was merely fulfilling her duty when she pressed you on the collapse of the First Son. Truth is...” She cleared her throat. “We did not need the Imperial clerk to inform us about what transpired inside the Hall of Honor.”
“Oh?”
“Word travels fast inside the Tree,” Faatail declared. “And when it involves a disruption in the First Son's status quo, it travels even faster.”
Rainbow folded her forelimbs with a suspicious squint. “Why do I get the feeling that you all are particularly thirsty for Lexxic's failures?”
“Don't be so quick to assume, avatar.” Faatail resumed pacing again, following the length of the den's circumference with slow steps. “We may not appreciate him—or even fully trust him—but we need him.”
“Funny,” Rainbow muttered, turning to follow the elder's movement. “I've gotten the distinct impression that he doesn't entirely need you.”
“A grim reality that is not lost to us, Rainbow Dash.” Faatail glanced over in mid-step. “To assure victory, we have given him much liberty. Legitimately too much, but such has been the necessary cost of victory. Until now.”
“What's the final straw?” Rainbow cocked her head aside. “Is it Lyw'Malaak?”
“It's imperative that she maintains command of the Third Root,” Faatail said. “If all rule of sarosian law collapses entirely, then Lexxic's unbridled violence threatens to turn inward.”
“As if it hasn't already...”
“I'm sorry?” Faatail paused entirely to face her.
“Do I need to say it out loud?” Rainbow shrugged dramatically. “Ma'am, I don't honestly know how much time Malaak has left.”
“Enough time to hold out until Lexxic's offensive successfully breaches the Sarcophagus of Ages,” Faatail declared. “That's all the time we need.”
“You're throwing an awful lot of hope on one mare. The last mare, as far as the Sons of Nightmares are concerned.” Rainbow frowned. “Look—you barely could even hold your lunch the moment Lexxic sniffed you out downstairs. And you're a friggin' High Polished Elder!” Rainbow waved. “What chance do you even think Malaak has against all that horse hockey?!?”
“She has a greater chance now, Rainbow Dash...” Faatail stared solemnly at her. “...since you have arrived.”
Rainbow Dash blinked. In the ensuing silence, she glanced left and right... then slowly sighed with drooping ears as the reality settled in.
“Alright,” she muttered. “Out with it, lady...” She gave Faatail a lethargic glance. “What 'decision' have your fellow sisters so wisely come up with?”
“One thing is in order before anything else...” Faatail's eyes hardened. “Do not trivialize their position. Not all leaps of faith must be as dramatic as what you did in Honor Hold, dear avatar.”
Rainbow Dash sighed, closing her eyes. “I apologize, dear elder. Of course, we've all gotta make concessions to reach a common center.” She reopened her eyes and spoke in a calmer state. “Now... please... fill me in.”
Faatail spoke: “The elders—as briefly hinted—do not have full confidence in your divination. But... they do have exceeding confidence in your power.” She gestured at the pendant. “So long as you possess a sliver of the vessel's blessing—even the barest shred of it—you carry great weight in moving the soul of every devout sarosian since the night we were all ferried into this world. Therefore, you represent—even in a fractured faculty—the power and authority of the Mother of Nightmares in all ventures of the Dark Vigil.”
“Yeah...?” Rainbow Dash squinted. “...and to what end?”
“The same end that is desired by both the elders and the First Son.” Faatail lifted her chin. “Victory—against all enemies. The Flux... the Night Shard...”
“...and the Solar Deceiver?”
The elder ignored that. “You've made it clear—to both me and the Dream Coundil—that we share a common goal in opening the Sarcophagus of Ages.”
Rainbow slowly nodded. “Uh huh...”
“It would only be advantageous to us all that... we continue the partnership that we've entertained thus far, with the same aspirations in mind.”
“Let me guess...” Rainbow Dash gestured. “You want me to join forces with Malaak.” She clenched her teeth. “To deepen the thorn in Lexxic's side.”
Faatail's eyeslits were piercing. “No, Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow leaned back with genuine surprise. “No...?” She blinked.
“For the record—that was my the first suggestion of my companions,” Faatail said. “They immediately insisted that you support the Commander of the Third Root. But...” She slowly shook her head. “...I think we both know that this would only further drive a toxic wedge. It would not be a solution to the problem. That is why I presented a counter-proposal, and after much debate... it won over the Council.”
“And that is?”
“You continue to accompany Lexxy'kyn,” Faatail declared. “With the mutual goal of pushing our enemies back and seizing the Sarcophagus of Ages.”
“You want—” Rainbow's head dipped forward with a look of disbelief. She pointed limply out the door of the Dream Den. “You want me to stick by his side even longer?”
“That is affirmative.”
“And you convinced your fellow elders about this?!?”
“In time—perhaps—the true nature of the vessel and the miasma will be made clear to them, but until then—”
“Ma'am, I just can't...” Rainbow Dash grimace, shaking her head. “I can't be your tool of sabotage against your wayward rook!”
“This is not a call to sabotage, Rainbow Dash—”
“Isn't it?!” Rainbow Dash blanched. “Look at what this dude has done to the Dark Vigil! To the Roots! To all of the matriarchal commanders who once served proudly for the Mother of Nightmares—!”
“I assure you, dear avatar, I am quite aware of how far we have all fallen,” Faatail spoke with a grim expression. “It is so low that we simply cannot afford to rely on any other power but his. Nevertheless, you are correct to recognize our discomfort... and distrust. This does not change the fact that we need Lexxic to acquire the Sarcophagus' treasure at this point.” Her eyeslits narrowed. “And so do you.”
Rainbow opened her muzzle to protest... but had nothing to counter that. She leaned back in a defeated huff, ultimately shaking her head. “You're putting me in a really... really poopy position, Mistress.”
“Was it any better a place than you were in when you first crossed over?” Faatail raised an eyebrow. “When you forsook the seared lands for the Dark Vigil's abode? A land of eternal night and chaos? I know I only have the Dream Knight's visions to go by, but I nevertheless declare with great confidence that we're not the only ones to have fallen so low.”
“... … ...” Rainbow Dash plopped back down on a set of cushions. She sighed long and hard, reaching up to brush her bangs back—exposing her faint scar from the Quade to the runelight once again. “What a desperate pair of saps we are, huh?”
“You and I, perhaps. I... doubt that the rest of the elders share my precise intent.”
Rainbow arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“I made my position clear to my fellow sisters,” Faatail declared. “I proposed that you accompany Lexxic to temper his position. Not to destabilize him. There is something noble in his campaign—a power in the charge that could finally assure the Dark Vigil supreme victory. What we all fear—however—is his intentions beyond the Sarcophagus. That—I believe—is where my compatriots see you coming through.”
Rainbow's nostrils flared. “As a tool to use against him.” She shook her head. “It ain't that simple, ma'am. Even if I had the nerve to betray Lexxic—which I'm not entirely sold on yet—I don't think it's in my power to do so. He has the same effect on me as I have on him.”
“And I understand that. And I understand that—for anything to work whatsoever—it will come down to how the two of you manage to work together.” Faatail breathed out the side of her muzzle. “If at all.”
“How do you intend to inform him of what the elders have decided?” Rainbow's expression wasn't a very pleasant one. “Cuz it's not exactly winning me over.”
“I... have many reason to believe that he already knows our intent.”
“Why? Because word travels fast outside the Tree as well?”
“No. Because he is Lexxic.”
Silence.
“Yeah, fair enough,” Rainbow muttered. She stared off across the Dream Den and stifled a long groan. “Not gonna lie. I was hoping for something a great deal more concrete than this, Mistress. Especially given the fact that I'm the Avatar of Luna and jazz—”
“What would you rather have?” Faatail cocked her head aside. “Complete command over the forces of the Dark Vigil? Full license and to commit murder and mayhem on a grand scale? Solitary ownership of all the necessary horrors we can and will unleash upon the denizens of this forsaken plane?”
Rainbow blinked. Her lips pursed as her coat noticeably paled.
Faatail slowly shook her head. “You are bound to that 'harmonic' weight around your neck, Penumbran—along with all the seared hypocrisies attached to it. There is no greater burden that could have dragged you this far, after all.” She exhaled coldly. “If you truly desire to go down this path—as the 'Austraeoh' or whatever pagan title you proclaim to carry—then Lexxic will be your accessory as much as he's been ours. In time, perhaps, we will all learn to bear the shame of this... … … but only after we've acquired the loot of our mutual pursuits.”
Rainbow Dash looked sadly at Faatail, then off into the runic glow beyond. There was a rosy warmth to it, unlike the cold glow of all of Verlax's trials. It frightened Rainbow how much it resembled the alluring gold that lingered through every wall and obstruction whenever she gazed at the Midnight Armory from an incalculable difference.
“At the end of this road...” Rainbow declared. “Even if there is an end... … … I sometimes wonder if there will be a difference, y'know?” She gulped and glanced back at Faatail. “Between me and the shame. Or would we just be... one in the same? Forever and ever?”
“According to your testimony—and the Dream Knight's—our Mother has learned to live with her shame. She's even adapted.” She stood tall, approaching the door. “Perhaps—as her loyal children—you and I will learn to do the same.”
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Lexxic seems really happy despite the setback and the fact he's probably feeling very nauseous.
East Horse: Destroyer of civilizatons.
So they're hoping Rainbow and Lexxic will work together long enough to get inside the Armory, at which point Rainbow will yoink the Prism and bounce so he can't carry out whatever nefarious plans he has for it?
38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m70n4lnbdD1qh16rfo4_r1_500.gif
I would pull an "um, actually" here but honestly I can see the Equestrian version of this phrase legitimately being "kitten kaboodle" so
I feel like this act, and probably this book, are coming to an end. I'd say in the next 5-10 chapters maybe. The Bloodwings will have to go around the ocean though, as I doubt the boat the Herald got is big enough to hold more than the Herald themselves. So maybe The Herald will all meet up and cross the ocean, ending this book, and then meet up with Lexic on the other side at the start of the next book? Or since it'll take a while for the Bloodwings to go around there may be an entire act before the Herald meet up with the Bloodwings again.
Whatever the case may be, I look forward to what's next
10626297
"I am become East, destroyer of worlds"
This type of dialogue usually means we'll be seeing you again, but I won't pretend I know for sure. Bye-bye for now or forever.
The dialogue with Faatail took some interesting turns, but it winded its way to kinda sorta more of the same, with the whole Rainbow Dash and company are stuck with Lexxic and company until further notice.
She wants harmony, even for ya'll here on the Dark Side, and three Shards of Endrax, please. No? Okay, I'll keep reading to see how the story goes from here.
That would really suck, Rainbow Dash. I hope better for you.
You tell her, Mistress Faatail. This lady's alright.
Man I love her so much! I'm gonna miss having her around
Dash seems to be taking Sera's words to heart. She's being a bit more aggressive in her tone when trying to get information.
It's a shame Sera didn't seem to be in the room with her. I imagine her and Faatail would have interesting words.
Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
Hmm, it seems a lot of things now hang on assumptions, where words like maybe or perhaps find themselves in the picture more often than we would like them to.
...As such, I have yet to decide if Faatail's intellect is incredibly dim or dimly incredible.
Who understands politics.
The horrors of the Quade have been mentioned often, but for the life of me I don't remember what happened.
Yeah... I don't like Shriike very much.
...You have got to be pulling at my mane right now.
Man Shrike way to be rude.
I wonder how many arguments in the main chamber were proposedand denied, where Dash and Lexxic are placed together, so that Lexxic is now unconcious and unable to prevent his harvesting?
Let me guess, Shriike will be accompanying them? ;)
10626742
It's mainly the next-to-last chapter of Ynanhluutr:
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/254555/199/ynanhluutr/youll-do-very-very-unkind-things
Start at "The still waters of the Quade reflected a yellow sky." if you wish for a refresher re-read.
If not, the main thing to remember, I think, that Rainbow feels really guilty for, is that she attacked innocent ponies to get what she wanted. She convinced herself it was something she needed to do, that she could not be kind to everyone, that it was for a greater good. The result included the reed being destroyed (which she didn't think would happen) and many monks throwing themselves to their death afterward though she did not outright kill anyone during her raid.
Welp, pretty much saw that one coming. I expect this isn't the last we're going to see of Shrike, either.
So the clerk learned absolutely nothing from this, how unsurprising. I am surprised that Lexxic seems to respect Rainbow, for what reason I am not sure, but it is there. That respect does not extend to those he works for however, though I cannot blame him for that. Those he works for are stale and static, waiting for prophecies that will go unfulfilled in the way they expect them to.
At least then Rainbow could count on her enemies to be enemies and her friends to be friends. Here... They would doom the entire ring if it meant getting an edge.
Juicy chapter. I’m glad that this is the route the arc is taking but does that mean that the quest for varnish to cross the blob was pointless?
Another great chapter, everything's getting so angsty and serious lately. And IC, you won't sink my Shriiriel ship that easily! I will continue to cheer for their union until you write a better match for Ariel into the story. She's been too thirsty, for too long.
10626474
Yeeeeaaahh, I don't think she'll be away for nearly so long as she thinks, especially with Rainbow getting assigned more permanently to the Bloodwing front lines (let's be real here, Lexxic's not going to sit on his haunches much longer now that the tribunal's done and Rainbow and crew are permanent fixtures of his unit).
10626416
As we know them at least.
10626378
I'd say either 2 more chapters or 102 with this being Chapter 298 and IC's dedication to keeping books in the even hundreds of chapters with no lingering non-zero numbers in the tens and ones place. Same way I know the next book will start with an 'I' and have three-word titles. IC is nothing if not consistent in this sense. I do wonder whether this means that there won't be a peaceful resolution with the Flux and Night Shard as there has been with most civilizations she's come across. And what about the gathering friends from all factions along the way tactic Rainbow's employed literally everywhere? The Night Shard showed some interest in her towards the start of this book, what happened with that? Will she somehow manage to form an alliance between these bitter rivals of factions or will she and Lexxic eradicate them all in a wave of military might? I kinda hope we don't entirely go the full genocide route with this, but it'd be super difficult to get Lexxic and even the Council off the war path now. Almost makes me wonder if Rainbow's gonna get pony-napped by one of the other factions.
This 'alliance' is becoming more and more solid by each chapter.
To which I wonder, when will the rest of the Herald be brought in? I imagine they won't be happy with some of the decisions so far, and they will be even less with the fact that they were left out of so many of them.
Okay but like... what is even the point of this war anymore? They wanted Nightmare Moon back (which isn't happening) and why? To bring eternal night. But they already live in eternal night. So... what the heck does Lexxic want?
This is truly a "Cold War" going on here. Both sides are distrustful of the other, but instead of going with full on violence, they are quietly extracting and transferring information from the other in a game of chess.
1998 chapters.
Behold the face of DEATH...
Welp Dashie, you’re getting your wish of getting all the factions to work together.
Granted it’s a twisted circle-of-backstabby sort of “together,” but hey, beggars can’t something something something.
After being burnt out, I am back. Let's see how this goes.