"Lookie!" Props shouted, pointing a hoof at the peak of the maelstrom.
Several of the survivors swiveled away from the Tarkington, squinting up at the rainy sky. In thin threads of winged flight, several black bodies lifted from the large central structure and vanished amidst the gray malaise of Stratopolis.
"Is it another wave of undead?!" Prowse exclaimed.
"No," Josho said, shaking his head. "It's the changelings."
"Where in the heck are they going?!" Seclorum exclaimed.
"Their work is done here."
Everypony looked at Belle.
She stared back at them, speaking, "They're no longer bound to the same hive mind."
Several ponies exchanged nervous glances. Arcshod silently fumed while Seclorum held his breath.
Josho looked past Belle's shoulder. Eagle Eye was gone, and in his place was a changeling with a familiar scar across its back. He turned to squint at Belle in particular. "You've known all this time...?"
Belle didn't respond. She kept her position in front of the shivering cluster of changelings atop the platform.
Josho took a deep breath. His brow furrowed. "Belle..."
"They've released us, Josho," she quietly said above the pitter-patter of rain. "It's time we released them."
Silently, Josho turned to look at Seclorum and the others. Arcshod was frowning, but at the shuffle of hooves, the large Xonan stepped aside. Lasairfion stood in the midst of the group. She looked at Belle, then at Josho, and slowly nodded.
Seclorum closed his eyes. After a deep breath, he turned towards the changelings and spoke icily, "The longer you stay here, the greater the odds of all of you being skewered alive by crossbolts." He sidestepped several feet. "Now scram."
The changelings' fangs rattled. In frightful flits of dragonfly wings, they all took off, soaring into the swirling clouds beyond.
Prowse and Props watched, standing side by side in the continuous drizzle, until at last Props tapped on her uncle's side. "We gotta get the crystals in place!"
"Right. After you, lass."
Belle slumped back, exhaling with relief. She looked over at Elma—only for an obese figure to block her vision. She looked up into Josho's serious face.
"And the real Eagle Eye? Is he..." The stallion lingered, clearing his throat. "Do you know if he is safe?"
Belle bit her lip. "I hope so..."
Hoof after lavender hoof, Eagle Eye climbed up into the cockpit of the Noble Jury. Once he reached the top, he leaned against the wall—stagnant—his face very pale and distant.
Floydien sat at the controls with Zaid leaning on the back of the elk's chair. Outside, Stratopolis reeled and pivoted beyond the ship's windshield.
"Cheese and crackers, ya space moose! How can you control this thing so well?"
"Nancy knows when she's in the grip of her lover."
"So you're saying that the reason I could only fly us in useless circles is 'cuz I suck at foreplay?"
"Annoying boomer sucks at many things. Floydien is too busy to make a list."
"Now that's just a lazy excuse—even for me."
Lightning flashed, piercing the murky heavens with strobes of bright blue illumination. The clouds were getting darker, and it was obvious that the Sun—wherever it was beyond the depths of Stratopolis—was starting to fade away.
"Eugh... it's getting worse out here!" Zaid exclaimed.
"Boomer has a point of stating the obvious."
"Goddess, I'm so glad only one of us speaks in third pony or else all of our collective heads would explode."
"Enough with the gas gas and help Floydien find the others."
"Where else is there to go?!" Zaid pointed over Floydien's sparkling antlers. "There's that bigass building in the center where we dropped off Rainbow Dash and the others!"
"Floydien can hardly see through this mess mess. Is annoying boomer sure they would still be there?"
Eagle Eye lethargically spoke up, "I'd go searching over there."
Zaid spun around. "Huh?" He blinked. "Over where?"
Eagle pointed with a limp hoof, barely tilting his head up. "Where the changelings are fleeing from."
Floydien leaned forward in his seat. "For the love all that glimmer spits..."
Looming ahead, floating a reasonable space from the central structure, was a platform engulfed in rain clouds. A patch of shape-shifters flew from the sight, flitting away into the dense murk above.
"Reckon it's worth checking out," Zaid said. He turned back to Eagle Eye with a smile. "How'd you spot that, anyway?"
"You do remember my name, right?" the unicorn muttered.
"How could I forget? It's so marketable." Zaid squinted. "You okay, buddy? How's Ebon?"
"Fine." Eagle Eye looked up. He gave a tender smile. "We're b-both fine..."
So, can we finally put the "Ebon is a Changeling" BS to rest?
Thirty push-ups, ):(. Knock 'em out!
These chapters have such great title names.
I hate jury duty.
Wait, I'm not old enough for that.
I hate it anyways.
4473285
I'd say so.
4473285
Not until Pilate comes back aboard.
Ebon is secretly Tchern, which means the entire time she's been trolling her sister in a giant inter-plane troll-fest. So she's also deluding Eagle into thinking he's gay. When he finds out, he'll abandon Ebon/Tchern and go make love to Zaid in the non-existant broom closet on the Jury. Meanwhile, Axan finally shows up, rips open the Black Heart of Stratopolis (killing the Smooze)and escorts Rainbow Dash, Roarke, Pilate, and Belle to the edge of the world in style where they promptly turn Austraeoh's quest into a wicked awesome foursome atop a waterfall. Cause they're that awesome.
Yep, totally calling it.
I really need some sleep.Next step of calm down and reordering, before taking it to the Smooze. That plant is going to be annoying one way or another, or quite possible three more as well.
4473285
Looks that way, now I'm just wondering what he is exactly. He clearly isn't a normal pony. Still going with the Empath idea, seems the most likely to me personally.
Belle is wonderfully forgiving. Let's hope this doesn't bite her in the ass some day.
Ten chapters to halftime! So close! Then again, ten chapters was how long it took for Lerris to burn...
4473285 Hopefully. (The big twist now would be that he is, somehow, a changeling.)
4473285 Might also be somewhat related to him either not knowing he's a changeling or simply not being Chrysalis's.
Y'know what? I'm gonna stick by the changeling!Ebon theory for the time being. We haven't actually seen Ebon since the changeling conversion. But you know who was with Ebon during that time? Eagle Eye. The same pony who crawled up onto the bridge, "his face pale and distant", his attention focused on the changelings in the distance. I mean, last we saw, he was watching over the unconscious Ebon. So what's happened to get him so upset during that time?
I'm gonna say that Ebon is a changeling, something happened to him down in that engine room, Eagle Eye witnessed it, and that's what's gotten EE so spooked. Pay attention to EE's mannerisms here, and the way even the descriptions are worded.
Unless, of course, it's something else entirely. I've always conceded that there may be another explanation, or that IC is deliberately feeding us red herrings. But hell, why not stick to my theory until proven wrong, right?
4473737
Wait for Pilate. He's a changeling detector.
4473737 I agree. Ebon changed, and EE witnessed it. He's trying to decide whether he'll stick with Ebon. Poor guy needs a hug.
4473874
I just had a mental image of Rainbow boarding the Noble Jury, carrying Pilate around like a metal detector, and scanning all her friends as his helmet beeps. Thank you.
4473978
That's my guess. Though, hopefully Eagle's last line - stuttered though it was - suggests that he will.
To me it was obvious that Ebon wasn't a changeling... Too much suspension of disbelief.
Changeling Ebon is finally going to be revealed one way or the other. Thank goodness.
4474017 Nothing's set in stone. Except that one sword. But besides that, nothing.
Well I think a lot of things still point to Ebon being a changeling.
I'm still with whoever said he's a windigo.
4473737 Or Ebon woke up long enough to freak out,still thinking that EE was the changeling,which really hurt EE's feelings.
Man, rainbow has had some cool deus ex stuff in this story. Remember the suit she had briefly? What if she had the suit and the sword at the same time?! She'd be unstoppable.
yea cool down moment!
and then smooze......
4474552 Damn her stupid sexy machina.
*Giggles happily*
4473737
4473978
EE seems exhausted more than he does totally freaked out, although I would argue it's a mix of both. Fear? No. He's not jumpy, he's tired. Presumably one is supposed to imagine him having had a rather enjoyable and carnal experience in the engine room that left the other too spent to even remain awake. Presumably. Regardless, someone should make Eagle Eye a cup of coffee.
4473994
Everyone stutters, an affectation of the author's style.
so, the jury will get RD and Pilate, while the Tarkington gets everyone else. Then they haul ass out of the city and watch it crash and burn.
good stuff
4475742
I dunno. I have no doubt that he's tired - even if nothing happened in the engine room, it's been a strenuous day(s?). But it seems like something more than mere exhaustion, too. And he doesn't seem like someone who's just had a round of satisfying nookie, either. Just sayin'.
I mean:
And so forth. I don't think I'm being nutty in saying that he seems shaken or unsettled. If he was simply pooped, or experiencing afterglow, it seems like there are other ways IC could have described things (unless, of course, he's intentionally being vague). I freely admit that I could be wrong (and upcoming chapters could easily prove me so), but for now, I think my hypothesis is reasonably well-founded.
Also, as far as the stuttering goes, you're right that IC (etc.) uses stuttering a lot, but there's usually a context for it - fear, anxiety, surprise. The way he stuttered "We're both fine" just stood out to me as relevant somehow.
* shrugs* We'll see.
4477256
I don't disagree, EE is certainly unsettled, but I don't think it's necessarily a negative, you know what I mean? I think that's the war in his head right now. "I have this new information, but I am unsure how to go about dealing with my friends on this issue."
4477465
That's a good point. If something did happen in the engine room, worry of how the others might react may weigh on him as much as anything else. The "tender smile" bit gives me hope.
Oh, Floydien is back. You feel it instantly.
Not much to say about the chapter, except that we still don't know what Ebon is.
-Spirit
so much for an army..thanks seclorum ya douche...
Okay, what's up with Ebon? Seriously, this is worrying.
Something must've happened.
Zaid and Floydian, best pals until the end
the end being when Floydian curb stomps Zaid approximately ten chapters from now
5810445 Well, um, remember when he, um, fed on a huge amount of love and passed out several chapters back?
Eagle you're scaring me. Please.
8132677
I hope Ebon didn't die...
4497468
Well we know he must be a very special Case indeed...and thats it.
Twice now, harmonic events have failed to effect him, so maybe it's just something in the water?
Worried about your surrogate kiddo Josho?
...boy that's suspicious.