Kera was frowning, hugging her legs to her chest as she sat upon the precipice of the plateau.
Belle sat down beside her, her lips pursed in concern. After a few seconds, she spoke above the happy sobs of the reuniting families behind her. "Kera. Kera, darling... what are you doing here all alone?"
"Pffft... What does it look like I'm doing?" the tattooed filly grunted. Her brow hardened even more while her nostrils flared. She didn't give Belle the benefit of a solid glance. "I'm always alone. I only got used to it for a reason."
Belle blinked. She turned and looked back at the enraptured Xonans. She held her breath, clenched her eyes shut, and gulped. "Kera..." She reopened her moist eyes, staring straight at the foal. "They have to still be alive. They're... they're back in Lerris..."
"Meh..."
"They have to be!" Bellesmith smiled, though it was a fragile thing. "I just know it—"
"Pfft! What do you know?" Kera flashed her a snarling frown. "I mean really! You and your broken horn and your stupid Rainbow Dash and your stupid Eljunbyro..."
Belle looked hurt. "Kera..."
"You're older. You have friends. It's all okay for you." Kera sighed, hugging her limbs tighter. "Fine. Whatever. I don't want what you have anyways."
"You can't give up hope, Kera. We'll find them yet. I promise you..."
"Hmmph... Shoulda left me to starve off of grasshoppers in the street of that dumbflank city..."
"Oh, Kera..."
The filly sniffled, rubbing a forelimb across her hard, frowning features. "Shoulda just left me on my own. I was fine on my own. Even in Lerris when... when..."
"How did they die, Kera?"
The filly's face blanched, her eyes instantly wet, like she was staring into a basin of fire.
Belle stared at her quietly.
Kera let out a whimpering noise... then a second. "They... they fought Nightshade's ponies when they came to take me away. They attacked them... with angry words and farm tools." She sniffled. "They thought they were brave." She frowned again as a tear trickled down her cheek. "They were stupid. Only adopted me for two years, and they th-thought I was something worth fighting for. Friggin' idiots. Friggin'... dead as brick idiots..."
"Kera..." Belle exhaled, brushing a hoof through her mane. "Darling..."
"Stop calling me th-that!" Kera's voice cracked as she stood up and shouted at Belle. "You're just as bad as them! You think you're brave, but you're just stupid! What are you gonna do with that book, huh, Belle?! What are you going to do with me?! You're just going to die like the rest of the idiots!"
Belle stood up as well. "I'm not going to die on you, Kera."
"Oh yeah?! Why not?!"
"Because I love you!" Belle said, stifling her own sobs as she frowned back at the pony. "And, by the Spark, I'm not about to give up on you! You deserve better than to be angry and afraid all your life!"
"I'm not afraid! I'm... I'm..." Kera glanced at the other children, and something inside her broke. She began hyperventilating, teetering precariously close to the canyon's edge.
Belle caught her, sweeping her up in a dear hug.
Kera hiccuped on a sob, burying her face in Belle's golden coat. "Why d-do I trust you? You're totally g-gonna die on me! I'm so stupid... so stupid in believing..."
"Shhhh..." Belle stroked her bushy mane and nuzzled her dearly. "It's okay to be scared. I'm scared too, but it's not going to stop me from enjoying life, and enjoying the chance I have at giving you something that you deserve."
Kera sobbed, clenching her eyes shut as she clutched Belle's coat tighter. "Please... don't die on me. Promise me that you won't, ya stupid... stupid mare..."
Belle smiled, a tear running down her cheek. "I promise. I'll do everything in my power not to leave you alone ever again. Do you hear me?"
Kera whimpered, shaking her head. "I... I-I don't know if I can even believe you. I don't know if I can even believe anything anymore..."
"I was there once before, Kera," Belle said. "And then something came into my life... that changed everything."
Kera sniffled and murmured, "Rainbow Dash?"
Belle giggled. She caressed the foal as she said, "A spark, Kera. And everything else afterwards was just..." She gazed up towards the golden sky, squinting at a flickering object. "...magical."
Kera took a deep breath. Her shivers ceased in time for her to lean back and gaze at the concern plastered across the mare's face. "Belle?" She wiped her cheek, sniffled, and asked, "What is it?"
"I..." Belle's chestnut eyes narrowed as the object grew nearer. "I-I think we've been followed."
"Incoming!" Phoenix shouted, picking up his rifle and dashing across the plateau as the Xonan families around him chattered in bilingual panic. "Bogey incoming from the northeast! Everypony get down!"
This will be:
A) A tragic misunderstanding
B) A hilarious misunderstanding
C) A tearful reunion
D) A tearful farewell
Dammit, ):(. Twenty-five close-hand pushups. Knock 'em out!
Feels.
I have dem.
I have them, and they-oooooOOOOH CRAP!!
(Well, "oh crap" unless that's Nancy Jane.)
E) all of the above.
3110255
First Dash and co. show up. Hugs, laughs, kisses, etc. THEN shell shows up with armada in tow, and it's run for the hills time!
Ten chapters of random action, cross border into Xona, end story. we'll pick up the rest in Austraeoh 4: Jason Takes New York
3110335
You mean Neigh York.
Also acceptable is New Yolk.
And besides, it would Austreoh 4: The Final Chapter.
Or Austreoh 4: Jason Takes Manehatten.
Dear god, I need a girlfriend...
A nice heartwarming moment, soon to be filled with death.
3110335
i find this disturbing.
Yay! Mommy Belle is best Belle! Sorry Sweetie Belle...
Crap. Everyone's about to get devoured by a big glossy black sphere of nothing, aren't they?
Hopefully it is the noble jury and not Shell... Like when Gandalf showed up in the two towers when they were expecting Saruman.
I would really like how Colon or whatever can make a title out of the letter "O"
and Belle, go adopt her already.
It's just Nancy Jane and the others. As for Kera, I'm so happy for her and Belle. I hope it works out in the end. It's kinda reminding me a bit of Aliens with Ripley and Newt...just...just let's not have an Alien 3 with that new-found family here, okay?
You know what would be awesome? If the object was actually, I dunno, a battle cruiser full of Pegasi who felt the power of the flame book and Eljunbyro just like Dash did.
3110472
New Yoke?
3110182...ohhh. Okay!
Damn these feels! Damn 'em hard!
This next chapter or two ought to be interesting. Inb4 we just cut back to Shell instead.
Flipping. Finally.
Oh boy. Here comes the Big Dumb Object!
3110472
You mean New Yoke?
3111486
I see what you did there. 100% approved.
3110335
I'm going with this option. It would be a lot more tragic to save tragedy for right after reunion, and better yet, avoid tragedy altogether.
Seems like when they all come together again,Pilate will have a new daughter.
AHA! I knew Kera was an orphan!
okay now I feel bad.
But hey, more reunion on the way.
Son of a bitch. Everything was all fine and dandy and everyone was feeling good and then this mystery motherfucker comes out of nowhere and incites panic. No matter whether it's Shell, the Noble Jury, or some other yet-to-be-revealed asshole, they chose perhaps the worst time to arrive.
A Message from MASH-
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I almost fought back tears of manliness in this one. I haven't done that since Austraeoh...
Aaaaaaaaand it's gone!
I'm really hoping its the Noble Jury so that I may fight back more tears. Of manliness.
I'm going to guess that the beacon analogy was a bit more than just some off-hand line of text.
Oh no! That's the worst kind of panic!
Seeing as The Noble Jury is the fastest ship ever built (tm), I'd be surprised if the object could be anything but them. :shrug:
Hey, it's those people! Next chapters going to be fun.
3110848
The chapter where the foals spoke cryptic phrases in Xonan to Belle included two suspicious words with O and U. From memory, they were something like Ordsjot and Uhoringr. Could be a red herring too, of course.
3114912
Looking at that makes my mouth hurt.
So, is this the stage for the final battle against Shell?
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
Awesome! Don't worry, Kera. You have a new family now. And that had better be Dash and her crew incoming...Also, Imploding didn't post a chapter today. Get ready for a storm of chapters...These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
This was so sweet. So absolutely sweet. I love it. I love them. I love you.
images.wikia.com/mlp/images/archive/9/93/20120205040046!Pinkie_Pie_about_to_cry_S2E13.png
It would be the cruelest thing on earth if something happened to Belle after this.
Do it.
Another point to the 'Austraeoh is harmony' camp. No, I'm not giving up - I'm just giving in.
Aw, crap. Don't you dare start shooting, Phoenix. They have enough reason to distrust you already.
Also - don't you dare kill Belle. Or Kera. It would just be so tragic You know what, just don't kill anyone. Turn the next story into two hundred chapters of fluff where all anyone does is snuggle or something.
Nah, that'd be boring. And we'd all die of sugar overload.
Well, off to the next one, for better or worse. Onward!
This chapter reminds me of one of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite non-fan fiction stories.
Poor Kera...
>inb4 dead Belle
FOOLISH OBJECT! YOU DARE TO INTERRUPT OUR FEELS?
Oh snap. Depending on the identity of the vessel, the next chapter could go so many different ways...
Please be the Noble Jury.
-SPirit
Oh, I hope this isn't Shell.
Great, now that Belle's promised, this can only end it tears...
Either Shell or the Noble Jury.
Only two ponies it could be. One good, one very bad.
6178838 Why not both?
This chapter made me need a tissue.
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
♫ Don't stop be-liev-ing
Hold on to that feel-ing ♫
7246269
My little horse must think it queer;
To stop without a farmhouse near
More feels. Oh god, Belle is going to be a mommy.
RD " we come in peace!"
Floyd "the glimmer spitters are garming Nancy Jane with glimmer spit!"
RD "they're shooting at us! Why are they shooting at us!?"
Pilate "I believe it is because we sponaneously appeared in a large, ausoucious glowing ship...it doesn't help that this haze probably makes us unrecognizable."
*RD groans...then yells when a shot hits her.
It was by Belle no less.