“Not good!” Zaid stammered, pulling at his mane. “Not good not good not good!” He spun a sweaty look at the other ponies on board the manaship who were still struggling to get up. “Have I mentioned that this is not good?”
“She’s bent on p-pure destruction…” Zetta whimpered, her face streaming with agonized tears while Basso helped her to her hooves. She leaned against him and shivered, “Her song is the strongest I’ve ever head it! This is the chorus of pure destruction!”
“Then it is over…” Khao’s voice limped through the air, causing multiple ponies to gaze at her in shock. The sun was sliding icily beneath the western horizon, covering her face and everyone else in shadow as she said, “Her minions on board the Lightning Bearer will clear the path for her. And then she will have unobstructed access to the machine world. The very foundation of this world will breathe her chaos, and the venom will spread throughout the rest of this plane.”
Zaid blinked, then thrusted both hooves towards Roarke’s figure. “Are you blind as a fart cloud?! We happen to have somepony here who knows a thing or two about dealing with ‘chaos venom’ crap!”
“It is too late for everything,” Khao said. “I came here to bring the Harbinger to safety, so that she may continue her journey to bring balance to this world. But now…” She stopped weakly in mid-sentence, and it was with a meek expression that she gazed helplessly at Rainbow Dash.
Nightshade of all ponies interjected: “It is not too late. If we can get the book to the machine world before Nagu’n reaches it, then she will be powerless to fulfill the dark purpose of her song.”
“Not possible…” Zetta said, sniffling as she rubbed her aching head. “This is a fast manaship, but it can’t catch up to the Lightning Bearer.” She looked up, jaw clenched. “And it sure as Spark c-can’t catch up with an apocalyptic death dragon.”
“Then what do we do?!” Kera stammered. “Call in the Noble Jury?” She turned and gawked up at Rainbow Dash. “They… th-they could--I dunno--distract the dragon or something!”
Rainbow Dash bit her lip.
“They’d be burned to ashes,” Roarke sputtered, gathering the strength to sit up. “They’re battered enough as it is. Not to mention short two crew members, from th-the last time I talked to them.”
“Short… t-two members?” Rainbow’s voice weakly cracked.
Roarke took a deep breath and nodded. “Simon’s dead.” She gulped. “And Belle is under Shell’s capture.”
Rainbow’s face paled.
“I’m… s-sorry you couldn’t find that out sooner, Rainbow…” Roarke wheezed, her mane’s ringlets rattling as she slumped against the ship’s railing. “Everypony’s been spread apart and you were dealing with some dr-drama of your own. The crew is patching up the ship and Belle is somewhere on board the Steel Wing. I… I-I wish I could have g-given you better news…” She hissed in pain. “For… f-for saving my life…” She gulped. “Again.”
Rainbow Dash blinked. She gazed a thousand miles away with twitching eyes. Her hooves moved on their own, and everypony moved aside as she paced restlessly across the top deck, ultimately coming to a stop near the bow. Slowly, she gazed up, spotting the distant flame of Nevlamas’ flight.
“Maybe…” Kera spoke up, her voice trembling in spite of her courageous smirk. “Maybe Josho got through to that battlefield place where the machine world is exposed! Maybe the Ledomaritans will hold off the Lightning Bearer--”
“And then the dragon?” Rainbow Dash slowly shook her head. “We can’t depend on Josho at this point… or on Seclorum either. Everything’s royally screwed up. We’re dealing with stuff that’s bigger than any of the big stuff I’ve ever dealt with before…”
“Then wh-what do we do?” Basso asked.
“One thing’s for certain,” Rainbow muttered. “Zetta was right about this ship not being fast enough to catch up with Lasairfion’s invasionary force.” She spread her wings. “But we’ve got something that is fast enough.”
“Huh?” Zaid blinked, and then his ears folded. “Oh crapsicles.”
Roarke looked up, her eye-lenses pistoning inward. “Rainbow Dash…”
“It’s up to me,” Rainbow said, stepping up onto the bow’s edge. “I have to be the one to do this.”
“Do wh-what exactly?” Roarke growled, struggling onto her four hooves. “Kill yourself?”
Rainbow looked back. “Every second we sit here and try to plan things, we waste time! Time that Lasairfion and Nevlamas are using to punch a bloody, chaotic hole in the world--And I’m not going to stand for it!”
“Stand for it?!” Roarke winced in pain and scowled at her. “Rainbow Dash, that antler-toting snake Goddess nearly consumed you!”
“Chaos can’t stand a beacon of harmony.” Rainbow nodded her head towards Roarke. “You’re a living testimony of that. If there’s anything that can catch up with the Lightning-Bearer, it’s me. And if there’s anything that can slow that chaos creep down…” She shuddered and tapped the pendant around her neck. “...it’s the Element that I carry.”
“Rainbow…”
“Do me a favor. Signal Pilate with the sound stone. Tell him and Floydien to fly towards where they sense Josho to be via the zebra’s manasphere. I’m willing to bet that Josho made it, but now he’s in the path of the dragon. Whatever happens next, we’re still gonna need the Jury to get the heck out of Dodge. Pffft… horseapples, we’re gonna need all the help we can get!”
“But Rainbow--” Kera started.
Nightshade trotted over the foal and exclaimed, “There’s only one way to ensure the machine world isn’t polluted!” She pointed at the filly’s tome. “We need to get that book to the pedestal beneath the surface!”
“As much as I adore the thought of lugging that lavender thing around…” Rainbow pointed at Kera’s horn. “There’s only one thing keeping it from grounding me for good. And I’m not about to risk separating the thing from the Odrsjot rune, especially when I’ll be flying in the company of dragons!”
Kera clenched her jaws. “Then take--”
“Nor am I going to risk Belle’s surrogate little scamp by carrying her into the flames with me!” Rainbow snapped. She looked towards Zetta. “This is still a fast ship. Set course for the Eastern Front, Seclorum’s camp. You know where it is, right?”
Zetta and Basso exchanged glances, then both looked at Rainbow. They nodded fervently.
“Good. If I do my job right, then there’ll still be a battlefield left when you arrive. Nightshade, that’s when you and I will deliver the flame to where it belongs. After that… sky’s the limit. And I hope to mean that literally.”
“What about Belle?” Kera mewled.
Rainbow frowned into the northwest horizon. “Shell’s gonna learn just how hollow he really is.” With a fuming breath, she leaned over the edge. “Right. Let’s do this--”
“Dammit, Rainbow! Wait!” Roarke stumbled up to the ship’s edge, all-but-collapsing against the bow’s railings. “Nnnngh… We can go after Belle together! We can save the Noble Jury… together!”
“No offence, Roarke, but you’re in no shape to punch a kitten, much less a Prime Enforcer in the face--”
“You know what I mean!” She snarled. “Now that we’ve got you all fit, why fling yourself into oblivion again?! It’s not worth it! It’s stupid and suicidal!”
“By now you should know that I kick most flank when I’m stupid and suicidal.”
“But it’s not worth it!” Roarke spat. “What has this continent ever done to you that made it worth saving?! It has nothing to do with your journey--”
“It has everything to do with my journey!” Rainbow shouted back at her. “Look, I know it sucks, but that’s just the way things are! I’m here for a reason! I started something and now I gotta see it through! It’s what the Princesses would expect of me! It’s what my friends would have expected of me!”
“But--”
“And it’s what I expect from myself! So… talk’s over!” Rainbow Dash lunged again. “Time to fly! It’s the one darn thing I’m good at--”
“Rainbow, don’t!” Roarke grabbed onto her tail hairs. “I…” She grimaced. “I won’t let you!”
Rainbow froze. She slowly looked back.
Roarke instantly looked away, sighing.
Rainbow leaned down and tilted Roarke’s muzzle up. She spoke calmly. “Don’t blush. It clashes with your plugs.”
Roarke blinked at that, then frowned.
Rainbow smirked. “You never let Imre down. What makes you think I’m gonna?” She fell backwards, wings spread. “Peace.”
With that, the pegasus toppled off the manaship’s edge, spun around, and blurred her way northwest, straight after Nevlamas’ flaming path.
Ladykiller-Dash
Youll never make it cuz.
Yes I will. Overdrive.
All the way? Youll burn up.
Then Ill burn up, but I gotta save my boy.
Nice. so we have a little bit of love from Rourke, Dash is going to fight a chaos Dragon immortal thing, and everything is screwed up. sounds like a party.
Scolon y u do dis. Y u tease me.
<3 oh the shipping. Isn't it gorgeous?
Time to go piss of a chaos dragon. Should be fun.
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3639687
Agreed. Argahahaga
You ahre tearing me apaht, Colon!
heard
everypony. :D
in another news, the excitement is killing me. >.>
d'awwwwwww
That almost reminded me of the black knight vs arthur of camelot in monty python. I won't let you -- yeah Roarke -- you are kind of in need of a lot. Actually she has probably never been this helpless in all her life.
Well now. The gang's all getting back together for one big ol' pow-wow at the Machine World complex right there at Seclorum's hill.
Tell your friends, bring your family, it's gonna be one heck of a show.
Damnit, Roarke and Dash...
Damnit, IC!
Wow, lotta crap going down. Unfortunately, Belle will have to be on her own for a bit, but methinks she can handle it. Not to mention that Shell's about ready to implode. So, hole-to-the-machine-world or bust!
Also, Rainboarke ftw.
roarkes got a crush it seems.
SHIP EVERYTHING WITH RAINBOW DASH!!
Man, way to miss an opportunity, Dashie.
Also, that moment when Roarke grabs Rainbow by the tail, and Rainbow freezes up... Oof, right in the feels. The little things that remind Dash of AJ.
Being in the presence of that much awesome must be a turn-on for so many ponies. Even Roarke Most Rare is not immune! And slowly, Khao is learning just what Austraeoh is actually capable of.
So now Dash has a dual-phase mission. She first has to stop Nevlemas from reaching Seclorum's encampment at the machine world, and either slay, delay, or dare I wish it, save the Dark Divine until all parties arrive. This is going to wind up a four way free for all between Laisfarion/Nevlemas, Seclorum/Nightshade, Shell, and Elljunbyroh.
I'm seriously starting to wonder if IC is planing this as the last fight before they leave the benighted lands of Ledomare and Xona behind, shells of themselves, but in no place to wage war on one another anymore, and giving them room to heal. I have a feeling too, that while we love Zetta and Basso, that they will wind up staying behind to help repair Ledomare, and a substantially diminished and humbled Khao with a smartass Zaid at her side will do the same for Xona.
Funny enough this story is partly why I took up skydiving.
AFF level 8 this Sunday.
Also dat shipping.
C'mon, IC! it's been too damn long since RD has french kissed anypony!
That was absolutely adorable! And tragic... lik if u cry ev3ry t1me
Dash went from eyeing up all the mares in Grey Smoke and having a crisis every time she was in the vicinity of Props to passing up an opportunity like that.
I'd be rather admiring of the emotional improvement and character development if it wasn't such a tease.
I bet that Lardo did survive whoever fall he made... but I do wonder how he's doing exactly.
3639874
This is the part where I defeat Rainbow, eat Roarke and destroy the world, right? Right?
3640379 You're doing it again.
3641836 Whowahuh what am I doing again now?
Rainboarke most Tease.
…that was awfully cute.
~Basso
3641931
3639706 Anyone whose played Dark Souls knows what happens if you do that.
Seath the Scaleless was a pushover.
I thought Rainbow was gonna push the ship for a minute
If there was ever a time for the Rainboom, it's right now
D'aww.
3642623 Sorry I keep typoing it. I'll fix it, you're right, it's Nevalmas.
IC confirmed for United Kingdom.
yeah pretty much
also... the shipping i kinda see it like a bromance most of the times, but this is just too big to ignore.
3642900
My skin just turned yellow, my nose grew a foot long and I got my own sound sword. I then went for a stroll and yelled at my neighbour's cat for a while, but everything is fine again and I'm ready to deal with everything you can throw at me.
3645652 Sheesh, crazy divine! All right, all right, I'll get it right this time. Navelmass, that has to be it!
I kid, I kid.
3645744 I'm not crazy! I'm a reptile! I don't even have a navel!
3646305 The Dark Divine might just have one once Dash gets through with her!
3640224 Shall we include The Lightning Bearer in that list?
3646358
YES. IT IS THE BEST SHIP!!
Ahhh drama overload plus shipping prospect increase equals brain implosion!
3654179 With your icon picture, that made me laugh really, REALLY hard
IIIIIt's Dashie's Second Get-Backing Adventure!!
Well...this chapter built up what 's to come next big time. I think that this is going to be the end of the Ledomare Saga...
...HOLY SHIT.
This is huge! Amazing! These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
P.S. One left, do it!
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmevflYaDt1qjpx78.jpg
3640385 congrats!
Roarke will die shortly.
-Spirit
4455672
Goddamnit... you're probably right.
Now kissDamnit with all this shipteasing, I got a feeling Roarkes gonna die
Rainboarke is best ship. But dammit, Dash, why can't you make like Eljunbyro and give wind to its sails?
You have no idea...
Or rather reckless. To borrow from Red vs. Blue