Ariel levitated at a high altitude, peering into the grand black curve of the world. The twilight above cast a silver sheen across the gray tips of her fuzzy ears.
It wasn't long until a prismatic shape was hovering at her side. Rainbow Dash's pendant glinted as she pivoted slightly to face Ariel.
"So... how's it looking to you?"
Ariel exhaled slowly. "Well... I never thought I'd hear myself say this... but I kinda wish Echo was here right now."
Rainbow nodded. "That dark, huh?"
Ariel pointed a hoof nebulously into the continental shadows. "There's a flat plain of solid stone—for sure—and it stretches waaaaaay out." She tilted her hoof slightly to the right. "There's a dip of some sort from... the north? Is that north, now?"
"Might as well be."
"Hrmmfff..." Ariel tossed her mane, squinting. "Anyways... there's a valley that juts into the plateau—I think. Otherwise, the rock is perfectly smooth. Like a pearl, even. The further away from the Edge of the World, the shinier the rock gets. Of course..." She grumbled breathily. "That could just be an optical illusion on account of the twilight." She rubbed her fuzzy nose, then turned to glance at Rainbow. "You suppose that the further we get from the edge, the easier it will get to actually see things?"
"You're hoping for too much, girl," Rainbow said. "This isn't the Light Side. Firmaments or no Firmaments, there's no Sun or Moon to help us on our journey. Only the stars."
"Egads..." Ariel shivered. She hugged herself in mid-hover. "I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with... that much darkness."
Rainbow bore a bittersweet smirk. "It's not like they called this place the 'Pizza Side.'"
Ariel blinked sideways. "Huh?"
Rainbow blinked back. "You've... you've never had pizza?"
"Should I have?"
"I mean... wowsers... it's like layers of cheese and tomato sauce served on a circular pie of dough and then you've got broccoli and mushroom toppings—" Rainbow Dash stopped in mid-sentence as she saw how adorably confuzzled Ariel's expression was. "Ahem." She hung her forelimbs behind her back and gazed into the dark continents. "Well, when we get to Equestria, we should totally have Pinkie Pie bake some for you."
"Heehee..." Ariel brushed a bang back. "Now there's a goal. Never mind the Harmonic Prism."
"That'll be one for the history books," Rainbow Dash muttered as thunder rumbled over their heads. "When Celestia, Luna, and the Council of Canterlot ask me why I went on such an epic around-the-world journey, I'll tell them: 'I did it for pizza.'"
"Hahahahaha..."
Silence.
Ariel gulped. "So... uhm... where the Hell are we going first?"
"I was hoping you'd have something to help me with."
"Well, I'm afraid I don't." Ariel swung a forelimb. "Either we march towards the fuzzy black area or the fuzzy gray area."
"It's not all blank, though." Rainbow squinted hard, her neck tilting up as her eyes traced faint glowing lines and splotches in the indiscernible distance. "There's definitely stuff going on out there."
"Yeah. Stuff we want to avoid."
Rainbow gritted her teeth slightly. "Not forever, though."
Ariel nodded, gazing down slightly. "Yeah..."
"Well, we've got something to start with, at least," Rainbow said.
Ariel looked at her. "What's that?"
Rainbow's brow furrowed in the twilight. "Darkreach."
Ariel's ears twitched. "Oh. Right."
"If this exact spot is where the Emeraldinians surfaced, then their Dark Side encampment can't be too crazy far away," Rainbow said. "Between Kepler's knowledge of Mortuana's records and Rarity's crazy senses... we're just bound to find it."
"You think?"
"Definitely." Rainbow nodded. "And that's as good a place as any to head to first."
"Have you talked to the others about this?"
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Rainbow's cheeks turned ever so slightly rosy. "I will now! Yup!"
Ariel giggled.
Rainbow smirked.
"Ahem... but seriously, though..." Ariel blinked nervously at her. "What will we even expect to find there? The Gondola obviously hadn't been used in a while when you discovered it. I doubt there was travel between the Light Side and Dark for decades... centuries even. Would there still be any Emeraldinians alive in Darkreach? Descendants... perhaps?" She grimaced. "If I was holed up in a place like this all my life, I'm not sure I'd want to be visited by blood-glowing strangers."
"I... kinda doubt anypony's going to be waiting for us there," Rainbow said. "But... who knows? It could have supplies. Stuff we could use to help us on the journey ahead."
"Fair enough."
"I dunno about you... but I kinda want something familiar to help me... to help us feel 'grounded.'"
Ariel nodded shakily. "You won't get any argument from me."
More silence.
"Guess... we'd better get going, then, huh?" Ariel remarked.
"Yeah." Rainbow inhaled. "First thing's first, about Bard..."
"Rainbow..." Ariel rested a hoof on her shoulder. "We already told you. It wasn't your fault—"
"Hey. I'm cool." Rainbow turned to face her. "Well... cool enough. But this isn't about me."
"What are you getting at?"
"Maybe... uhm..." Rainbow gazed down at where the rest of the group were gathered. "...now's as good a time as ever to let everypony else clear the air."
"Oh." Ariel stared down at them as well. She hesitantly nodded. "Y'know... that's not a bad idea." She looked at Rainbow. "What did you have in mind?"
"The better question is..." Rainbow looked back. "What do you guys have in mind?"
That would be a no.
And as for Bard, are they planning a memorial service? Hope it is a good one.
silently bows head
I actually forgot about Darkreach. I'd be surprised if it's still inhabited, but hopefully they'll find or learn something useful.
Also, if this series doesn't end with a pizza party, I'll be bummed.
Darkreach would logically either just be an abandoned ruin, or the sarosians are occupying it as some kind of border garrison to keep watch on the remote chance of arrivals from the Light side.
Hooooo boy, maybe I should just shut up during any Bard quasi funeral stuff, but I know I'm not that smart. That'll be fun. I just hope they also do something for Axan too.
There seems to be some awkwardness between Dash and Ariel.
At least when they're not casually flirting in the middle of a fight anyway.
-Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
Rainbow should really get on the talking to the others thing. Seems pretty important if you ask me. It also looks like we will get some kind of service for Bard, good he needs it and one for Axan too.
"I did it for pizza." Story of my life.
8224703
My thoughts exactly. It'd be the equivalent of the Avengers silently eating some well-earned shawarma after the Battle of New York.
I think pizza with all her best friends at the end at Sugarcube Corner would be awesome.
A 'global' pizza party... As it were.
So, I guess our next destination is Darkreach...
>inb4 something horrible has happened to it
Ain't that the truth...
Such heresy!
I knocked on wood so hard I broke my desk, and I expect everyone else to do the same, but I swear . . . I swear if Ariel doesn't get her slice of pizza by the end of this . . .
Well, let's just say the dark side isn't nearly as dark as it could be.
vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/muc/images/8/8c/Pinkamena_lickin%27_a_knife.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150619135627
Whelp, there's Ariel's death sentence right there. Nobody ever talks about 'when this is all over' and survives. RIP future Ariel.
SO MUCH TO CATCH UP ON. I'm still three books back and there's more! GAH! Ah! Overload!
Stay with us Ariel you will get your pizza slice.
I'm expecting Darkreach to be abandoned, but this side is probably gonna be full of surprises.
Still waiting on that ambush, though. I bet that's gonna be it.
None so noble a goal as a quest for some delicious 'za.
I'm expecting Ariel to tragically die before pizza happens. Its gonna be super sad and shit.
And what's next, a funeral or memorial for Bard? That seems like something that needs to be cleared up before they move along. Also, Axan. I'm sure she'd either be annoyed or uncaring if they skipped out on a tiny vigil for her passing or something.
Time to bury some friends.
Ariel must live. For Pizza!
And even if she dies Rainbow can resurrect her with Super Awesome Magic Harmonic Prism Beam PowersTM
The dark side seems to have taken the Sundering a lot better than the light if the edge of it is that remarkably smooth.
What did I just tell you about writing while hungry?
8224699 Certainly one should honour Bard with anything but silence.
8225014 Knowing Axan she'd probably be annoyed by them holding a vigil for her instead of using that time to get closer to the Armory.
8225014
Ariel will die in Rainbow's hooves just as they reach the light side again, because that would be the most tearjerking.
Haha it's 4:37am where I am and I'm high on Molly and sharing this amazing journey across the dark side with you guys!
EDIT: I thought I added this last night but apparently I was too high to press save:
PINEAPPLE 🍍 GOES ON PIZZA 🍕!!!
^-^ Onwards! For pizza!!!
8225190
You've clearly never heard me try to make music.
A battered crew of griffons, ponies, and sarosians stared at the hordes of Changelings that were streaming towards them.
Rainbow Dash lept to her feet. "Alright, everypony, let's remember why we're here!"
"For pizza!" Ariel hollered.
Rainbow stared. "......."
Ariel better get her pizza. Teasing someone with the thought only to kill them is just cruel.
On a brighter note, the crew needs some way to deal with their grief. Good thing I'm here. There's plenty of booze to go around.
8224699
i.4cdn.org/tg/1495892422103.jpg?__cf_waf_tk__=032673002GxMKPvWguM-M_chDWBf8vK6JlmU
Harmonica solo from WC? What better way to salute Bard than through music?
The 4th wall crumbles again...
First thing that came to my mind would be a vigil similar to one in Star Trek VII:
4.bp.blogspot.com/-fBp7KyAa6gY/ThDxaz8oAoI/AAAAAAAACU8/WYkT7-Pj6TE/s1600/trek.png
Such a thing at the end of the world would certainly look impressive, but finding enough rocks for a dragon divine sounds a bit hard.
Edit: Maybe the scraps from the gondola can be used for something. I doubt that everything was spent on Seraphimus and the sled.
Well, feels are incoming next chapter. My body is not ready. And hey, some pizza is absolutely worth a harrowing journey to the other side of the world. Let's just hope they can make it back to enjoy it, like the Avengers and that Shawarma joint.
~SolidFire
I really want to know what they're gonna do for food. There can't be a whole lot growing on the dark side.
mmm blackdust pizzas!
I can just imagine in equestrias history books, "It was for pizza!" "teacher, whats a pizza?" "well young student, (insert explanation of pizza here)"
lol
When Arial first professed her attraction for Rainbow Dash, I made a prediction on her death. I think it was something along the lines of "She is going most likely die a terrible death, perhaps in Rainbow's arms." And that was before we lost Bard and Axan. Now I think her death is going to hurt Rainbow Dash more than anything.
Also just out of curiosity, is Ariel's mane red? Cuz if she starts singing about wanting to be "Part of Rainbow Dash's world", I'm leaving...
Yeah, who am I kidding I'd love that more than anything.
Get Ariel some pizza 2k17
None of us are, Ariel. None of us are.
8227552
Just when she decides to give up and get with her, Roarke will come tunneling through the earth to reclaim her should-have-been-bride. And then AJ'll get her body back, and Gold Petals will show up somehow, and long story short IC is pretty much committed to never letting Rainbow have a flame that doesn't get snuffed out. And we love him for it.
Batman would feel right at home.
8228478
Now there's a goal I can stand for. Forget saving the world, what we need is pizza.
It's hard to talk about any directions on this side, but I'd just go with the closest planetary analogy. That would mean "North" is facing toward the same edge on both sides, "South" faces away from it, "West" is 90° left from North and East is 90° right.
(This would coincidentally let Rainbow Dash keep on east-horsing.)
If you would like Rainbow Dash to fly East, turn to page 47. If you believe the Herald needs more time to recover, turn to page 29. If you want Rainbow Dash to passionately kiss Ariel, keep reading.
8253680
img15.deviantart.net/9495/i/2013/127/a/0/i_threw_myself_into_my_studies__1_4__by_futuresparkle-d6077ft.png
I already feel sorry for Ariel and her crew. Just one more thing to look forward to when this journey is done.
09/30/2017
20:05 UTC
At last, a funeral. As it should be.
Yeah, there's your motivation. Who cares about saving the world, pizza is the real goal here.
Maybe, but more likely because their eyes will adapt to the darker conditions of this side of the ring.
11/12/2019
23:42 UTC
Ariels last words better be about pizza
1:09
There's a game where you save the world because someone stole their cake; saving the world for pizza is a noble cause.
This is the true horror of this series.
Truly the most noble of quests.
Yeah, as much as it sounds callous, we need to get the horror and sadness of what happened to Bard out in the open and put of the way for the journey.