"Scarlet roses... Baby's breath... Xonan juniper and Eastern lavender!" Ebon Mane ran his hoof across a garden of flowers at street level. It was nighttime, and a bonfire in the center of town cast a glossy sparkle across his wide eyes. "Eagle, are you seeing all of these?!"
"Yes!" Eagle cooed, mane flouncing. "And I saw them all earlier! Aren't they beautiful?"
"Beautiful? Pffft!" Ebon Mane smirked. "I'm just thinking of the scrumptious broth I can make with them! When was the last time you swallowed down some real, earth-grown juniper?"
"Unnngh..." Eagle Eye rolled his eyes and trotted off in a huff. "Where's Josho? I think I'd rather go test the town's outhouses with him."
"What?!" Ebon Mane shrugged, scampering to catch up with the stallion. "That's what you brought me over here to see, right?! New ingredients for the Noble Jury's kitchen?! EE, wait upppp!"
Past a crowd of ponies gathered around a fire, Zaid leaned against a building corner, wearing a dark brown cloak. "So yeah," he said, nodding towards a trio of stallions standing before him. "I used to be a member of this religious group called the Herald, and then I sort of became a freelance adventurer overnight. But now that—like—I'm here in this killer little merchant village n'stuff, I figured I'd try my hoof at being a tradespony, y'know?"
"You just decided that overnight?" one stallion scoffed with a smirk. "And just what do you have to sell?"
"Well, confidentially..." Zaid glanced over his shoulder, then pulled out a book from his trenchcoat. He opened it and a center page unfolded three times.
The stallions all stared, bug-eyed. One or two of them may have even whistled.
"Wow..."
"Wow is right, pal," Zaid said with a smirk.
"I had no idea that they got that..." One blushed red as a beet. "...hefty."
"Hey, where I come from? Lactose intolerance would just murder a honeymoon! And—look at the bright side! Now that the war is over, you could carry your keisters west pretty darn soon and find out for yourselves!" He waved the book. "Consider this a sample, and I've got more like it."
"Uhhhh..." One stallion squinted, pointing at the corner of the unfolded pages. "What's that stain right here?"
"Certificate of authenticity." Zaid cleared his throat. "So, how about it?"
"How many bits are we talking about?"
"No bits, pal." Zaid leaned forward, practically sneering through clenched teeth. "Grilled. Bucking. Cheese."
Several trots away, Collins stood with Props, their ears collectively twitching from the laughter of nearby parents and their fillies by the bonfire.
"Whelp, but I'm really really really really super dilly needing is some sort of bifurcated hydraulic manifold that can interface with a central core of mana conduits and allow the express transferrence of both skystone energy and compressed steam!"
"Hmmm..." Collins rubbed her chin. "Long ago, there were merchants of the north who were lucky enough to harvest skystone, and they crafted steam/mana hybrids not unlike what you were describing. Unfortunately, most of them operated before my time, in a time when the war didn't consume this part of the landscape."
"Unngh! I know!" Props pushed her goggles up and wrangled her blonde mane. "Mmmphhghhh... if only I had an archetype for that stuff, and then I'd build the darn thing myself!"
Collins brightened. "You know, our town library has a few books that were passed down by descendants of the northern merchants who had decided to settle here! Maybe one of them would have a diagram that you could follow!"
Props gasped, leaning forward from the weight of her bright blue eyes. "Really?! You really really really really think so?"
Collins giggled. "I really really really really know so!"
"Squeeee!" Props bounced in a tight circle. "Oh you sweet, adoracute pony with a funny name! Do that, and I'll hang a hydraulic pipe around my waist, build myself into a steam stallion, and marryyyyyy youuuuuu!"
"Heheheh... I'm afraid I'm already taken." Collins winked. "But how about we barter for some of your ship's excess steam generators and work from there?"
"Dealio!" Props sing-songed, leaning in to hug the villager ecstatically. "Besides, I haven't pajamas for the honeymoon anyway!"
As Collins chuckled, a group of colts and fillies galloped by, joining the young little crowd that had formed around Kera.
"Wowwwww..." One filly cooed. "I've never seen a Xonan your age before!"
"Tell us," a colt stammered. "Did it hurt getting those tattoos on you?"
"Or were you foaled with them?"
Kera chuckled, basking in the warmth of both the attention and the nearby bonfire. "Well, I was given them shortly after I was foaled, actually. A few of them I got later. Thing is, I don't remember much of it."
"Probably a good thing. I bet you were too busy screaming."
"Pfft! Maybe you would be screaming! But not me!" Kera folded her forelimbs. "I hang out with Rainbow Dash, after all. Y'know... the pony who beat up the evil chaos dragon west of here?"
"Wowwwwwwwwww... really?"
"Yup! She can only fly with the strongest ponies in her posse!" Kera winked. "And that includes the strongest filly!"
"Uhm..." A filly reached out. "Is it okay if I touch 'em?"
"They won't bite." Kera smirked. "Not unless I command them to leap out and attack you."
"Eep!" The filly instantly hobbled back. "C-can they do that?"
"A fully grown Xonan warrior can strangle you with just his neck tattoos alone."
"No waaaaay!"
"Way!" Kera stretched her forelimb. "But these are mostly harmless. Check it!"
Two fillies and a colt reached out, feeling the etched lines across her coat and flesh. They all exhaled and giggled with wonderment.
A few meters away, Pilate sat next to Bellesmith, his ear trained towards the whole conversation.
"I hope that doesn't turn into a habit," the zebra muttered. "When she becomes a teenager, that's gonna be a lot less innocent."
"Oh come on, Pilate, don't be silly."
"I'm not the only one thinking it, am I?" Pilate shrugged. "Being around us gives her a sense of security that makes her fearless, considering all of the dangers we've run into and somehow squeezed by unscathed."
"They're just foals." Belle leaned against him. "Let her have her moment of socializing with ponies who actually care. From what I know of her days at Blue Nova, she rarely ran into a street urchin her age who didn't want to brutally harm her."
"I just can't help but wonder what all of this is going to do to her when she grows up," Pilate said with a sigh. "She isn't exactly having a normal foalhood, now is he? I mean... you and I have been through a great deal of trials and tribulations, but that didn't happen until we were adults."
Belle giggled... then giggled again. Her cheeks turned rosy as she nuzzled Pilate tighter.
The zebra's metal brow furrowed as he tilted his head her way. "What's so amusing?"
"I'm not amused so much as I'm tickled pink." Belle's lips curved. "I always felt you kept yourself a bit aloof around Kera, but here—listening to you go on and on—you really do sound like a worried father."
Pilate bit his lip. "I just think that we've had a major impact on her life and I'd like it to be for the best, y'know?"
"And I don't doubt you, Pilate. It's just nice hearing you actually say it."
"Well, it's been on my mind a lot lately, Belle. And quite frankly..." He winced slightly.
Belle noticed it, of course. "What, Pilate?"
He gulped. "Well, I was... doing some mapping—in the navigation room n'all..."
"Yeahhhhh...?"
"And O.A.S.I.S. stumbled upon a name that struck me as familiar. All it took was a little bit of thought, and then I remembered the place. And with the war apparently coming to an end and all..."
"What... are you getting at, Pilate?"
The zebra sighed. He patted Belle's shoulder and stood up on wobbly legs. "I think it's best that we continue this conversation someplace a little more private."
"By private, you mean away from Kera?" Belle muttered in monotone.
"Yes, Belle. Yes, I do."
The mare glanced worriedly at him. Nevertheless, she escorted Pilate towards a part of the village where the lights of the bonfire didn't reach.
Across the street, Rainbow Dash hovered at the second story level, folding her arms as a shiver fell across her body. Her teeth chattered, and she did her best to remain upright in her wing-flapping levitation.
"Havin' another one of your spells, there, color wheel?"
Rainbow glanced down. The fat image of Josho focused in and out of sight.
"Nnnnngh... yeah... kind of." Rainbow Dash rubbed her pendant, summoning a harmonic glow that she held her hooves in front of, as if warming them. "It's not so bad."
"You mean...?"
"It's not like what I went through with the book or with Nevlamas or with any of that crap." Rainbow Dash sighed long and hard. "It's just the same old-same old."
"Hmmm. Well if that doesn't suck."
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Yeah...?"
Josho leaned his plump self against the building's foundation and muttered, "After all you've done, after all of the heroics n'crap, you're still sick as a dog."
Rainbow closed her eyes, hovering limply above him.
"Guess that was pretty low of me," Josho muttered. "Many of us have futures. It's pretty cruel to remind you that you don't."
"I have a future, alright," Rainbow Dash breathed aloud. Her muzzle formed the slightest of smirks. "It may be short. It may come to an end at any time. But, all things considered, I say the ride's been pretty sweet."
"Oh really?"
"I thought all of the crap I went through in Ledomare was for nothing," Rainbow Dash said. "But now—with this whole cease fire business—I'm starting to wonder if I actually made a difference."
"It certainly cost a lot of poor saps their lives."
"Yeah, well—what if the war had gone on for another few decades, huh? What if Xonan and Princess Lassy-Fish or whoever she really was pushed their way into the Confederacy?"
Josho nodded, scratching his scruffy chin. "You make a good point."
"Darn tootin' I do, buckaroo."
"Only... that wasn't what those freakjobs were looking for, was it?" Josho glanced up at her. "The shape-shifters, I mean. Like... from what you say, and from what I saw, it seems like those creepy-crawly things were running the whole bloody show."
"Yeah..." Rainbow Dash's ears drooped. "And now they've teared their way east, doing Celestia-knows-what. I wonder if I'll live long enough to find out what they're actually up to." She gulped. "I wonder if I want to..."
"Well, if worse comes to worst, you have my promise that I'll kick each of their hard-shelled butts," Josho said. "For what they did to you... and for wh-what they did to Secchy."
Rainbow Dash winced. She glanced down. "Everything's been happening so quickly, and yet this crazily cheerful village feels like the biggest jolt of all. Still, it's no excuse for the fact that I haven't gotten a chance to tell you... th-that I'm sorry for what happened to your best friend."
"Eh..." Josho shrugged with a sigh. "Seclorum was my best friend, back when we were almost alive... and almost handsome. Only consolation I have about the whole matter is that the ol' bastard probably got a way better death than the one I was oblidged to give that friggin' imposter."
"He wasn't in that metal ravine full of replaced ponies n'crap?"
"If he did, he died long before the others placed there could have identified him. Hell, most of those guys and gals hated Seclorum's guts—blamed him for being tossed down there in the first place."
"Still, it sucks not to get much closure."
"Eh, I'll live. It's not the thing that's biting me the most."
"Then what is?" Rainbow asked. "Unless I'm prying."
"You? Pry? You'd need a forklift to get under my skin." Josho smirked dazedly into the distant bonfire. "All I ever knew for ages was this damned war. It consumed the better part of my life. At some point, I simply gave up believing that it could ever come to an end. So I surrendered to the bottle and became this lame-ass Prime Enforcer for a trading town in Green Slope." He sighed, then tilted his head up towards the town. "A trading town a hella lot like this one, which is what friggin' haunts me to no end."
"Yeesh. I never thought of that."
"And why should you? First time we met, you and I were playing boomstick tango in the center of downtown!"
Rainbow Dash winced. "Yeah. Uhm... Luna poop, you were one nasty shot."
"Heh... Good thing you didn't ever fight me when I was sober." He winced upon a sudden thought, gazing down into the flame once more. "It's like starting over... standing here... the fire and the stars all clean-like and pure." He gulped. "Now the war's over, my best friend's gone, and the entire horizon is peeled open in front of me. I'm thousands of miles away from the place I used to call home, without a house, without a beloved—and yet, it feels like I'm right back where I started. Hell... if I was a smart horse, I'd take advantage of that."
"Josho, are you..." Rainbow fumbled for words, fidgeting. At last, her voice cracked, "Are you actually thinking of—?"
"Staying here? Pffft. With how cheerful these Archer Pointers are, I'd be liable to shoot myself by week's end." The stallion shook his head. "Naw... The only thing I can think of right now is the one thing that made sense to me the past month and a half."
Rainbow Dash nodded. "Moving forward."
"Damned if I'm not jealous of you and your wings sometimes, color wheel." Josho shrugged. "But that's all good. I've got the Jury, even if it is piloted by a mad deer-thing. And... besides..." He stared down at the ground and muttered. "More than anything right now, I kind of wanna see that the prissy little scamp makes it through all of this mess in one piece."
Rainbow Dash blinked. "What 'prissy little scamp?'" She glanced down at him. "You mean EE?"
"You breathe a single word to him and I'll make you eat that pendant around your neck," Josho grumbled. "I don't care how many months or years you have left to live."
"Heh... I gotcha." Rainbow smirked. "And on that note, I think I'm gonna go check on Roarke. Have you seen her, by the way?"
"Pffft. She never friggin' left the ship."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, probably back on the Jury playing hoofsie with Floydien."
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Right. I get it. She's just sulking by herself in the hangar."
"Of course." Rainbow Dash turned around and floated towards the edge of town. "Try not to eat your weight in depression while I'm gone."
"Y'know, it wasn't a friggin' backup manacore that kept that dayum broad alive."
Rainbow Dash froze in the air and glanced over her shoulder. "Excuse me?"
Josho grunted, waved a hoof, and trotted closer to the blazes. "You know what? Forget I said anything. I'm gettin' frickin' ancient, I swear to Ledo's tailbone..."
Rainbow Dash watched him trot away. She was about to shrug the whole thing off when she heard a sharp noise to her right. Twirling about, she craned her neck, hearing a heated conversation reach a fever pitch. Flapping her wings, she edged herself around a building, finally spotting the shadows of a mare and a zebra in a dark alley.
"...even think of such a thing, Pilate!" Belle snapped. "You're more intelligent than this! Don't make... br-broad assumptions based on circumstance!"
"It has nothing to do with trying or not trying to be intelligent, honey! I'm not seeking to impress you, the Jury, or even her! I just think—"
"What?! That we can ditch her like some pathetic, unwanted toy?! Hasn't she been through enough?!"
"Okay, for one, I think you're being too overprotective of her—to the point that it's clouding your judgment."
"Oh, and since when were you expert on that?! You barely spend any time with her!"
"Belle, you're not even trying to listen to me! I'm just saying that we should stop by the place and let her see it for her own eyes."
"What good will that even pretend to do?!"
"Think of it this way. Years from now, when she's grown and matured, and she realizes that we never even bothered to give her an opportunity to witness and feel the town for herself, much less have a say in the matter, how do you think she's going to react?"
"I... w-well..."
"Are you prepared for her to be hurt? Maybe even be angry at us?"
"You can't expect it to be that way..."
"Belle, I can't expect anything! But it's healthy to anticipate anything. And it's high time we thought about her choice in the matter! I mean, this is her future, after all! And now that this war is coming to an end, the landscape may still be too hostile for us—but not for her!"
"Hey, uhm... g-guys?" Rainbow Dash nervously squeaked.
Pilate tilted his head while Belle looked up. The zebra clammed up while the mare hung her head, shivering.
Rainbow winced. "I... I-I'm sorry. That was totally uncool of me to intrude like that." She swallowed a lump down her throat. "It's just that... th-that I've never seen—"
"It's okay, Rainbow Dash," Belle stammered through a heavy exhale. She ran a hoof over her short bangs. "We weren't arguing about you."
"Oh, well... uh... th-that's great!" Rainbow chuckled nervously. A beat. Her brow furrowed. "Wait. Then just who were you...?"
As the pegasus' words trailed off, Belle bit her lip. Pilate kicked loosely at the shadowed blades of glass. Everypony was silent.
Rainbow blinked, and then her eyes twitched in realization. She turned and gazed pensively towards the center of the town, where the bonfire flickered like a distant star.
Oh, Archer Point. I want to give you a chance so badly.
Either way, lovely chapter, and I agree with Pilate.
They'll most likely never return to this place. So it's better to let Kera know about her birthplace now.
3833566 Just you wait, Nevlamas.
Just you wait...
Get out of there -- NOW.
I don't think this town is what you think it is.
And then everyone turns into a cutie mark hating zombie.
I think we're past violent danger at this point. Probably more getting into interpersonal drama. Like possibly leaving Kera behind...
Fifty sit-ups, ):(. Knock 'em out!
Rainbow Dash is also becoming an alicorn in mind at least. It is the way she is thinking.
Oh gawd, I love the relationship that Basso and EE share but I can't help but prepare for the worst, one of them is totally going down
Is this Kera's home town they are talking about? Was it destroyed or something?
And then Zaid... not sure if... I don't really want to find out what was in that book
Zaid pls
3835091
coughcoughcluelesscoughcough
I feel like Kera may or may not have been misled on the state of her parents life.
Oh come on! We were just about to get to the good part! The Roarke part.
Anyway, I get how everyone is all nervous about stuff suddenly exploding. It's kind of been a running theme. But I actually think we've reached a genuine cool-down period. Sure, it won't last forever, but we have a little time to enjoy purple mountains and 'love em and leave em' villagers for a while. Just like old times.
Zaid and his grilled cheese....
I still don't like this place. Not one bit.
On another note, I have an idea what this "backup manacore" might be. But being the tease you are, the reveal is probably about ten chapters away.
3833270 Romans Chapter 7 (verse 5 onwards) whilst convoluted, does explain it. The natural man is an enemy to God. Also check out around 1 Corinthians 2:14 for a decent summary.
Thus, you have to look at the carnal physical, natural man, and the enlightened spiritual man, as two halves of a whole (ie the soul). This is why we can be the source of both evil and good, as we exercise our free will to choose to overcome and follow God's righteous path, or fall in submission to our carnal side and follow the temptations of Satan.
If such a thing were possible, I would posit that Kera has been around Rainbow a bit too much.
3834927
That stallion sure loves his grilled cheese...
Just felt like sharing music that enhanced the reading experience for me.
A lot of drama happening this chapter. Can't tell if that will be a good or bad thing.
Still calling that it's a changeling hive. Perfect base of operations, not far at all from the battlefront, and nestled pretty much between both countries. Too convenient.
Probably wrong though. Hopefully. These poor saps need a break.
Zaid as supplier of illicit high quality, material, to the lands of the East. High quality? It folds out another 3 pages my stallion.
Props looking for a plasma manifold. Wonder if La Forge has a spare one in back.
Bits? No bits, just. a. grilled. sandwhich.
The real question is, where did Zaid get his hooves on that illicit supply...
3835163
As much as I love Belle/Kera as mother/daughter style thing, Pilate has a point. Kera's proven she's more than capable of knowing, and Belle's afraid of losing a foal. Which... may not be so much of a thing anymore, given Kera's actions in the past few chapters.
I tried to resist... Honestly! I did!
Can't help it though:
Pistons.
There, it's done.
Also, Zaid trades tintillating though tainted texts and textures for tasty tostis?
And we don't even know if it worked!
And Pilate found Kera's home town....
I say visit, if only for the memories.
If it's not too far out of the way o'course
That whole section with Zaid. Holy fucking god, dude.
Anyway, I find myself agreeing with Pilate. I like Kera a lot, and I don't necessarily want her to leave the party, but it might be best to let her see her hometown (that's what I'm assuming it is [I wonder if Pilate 'saw' a town on the map that shares Kera's last name or something]), get some insight into her heritage, and let her choose. Though, I struggle to see her choosing a people she doesn't seem to even remember over the family she's found in the Noble Jury, but you never know. If nothing else, it would be nice to see some real Xonan culture.
I always knew/suspected that the team would start shedding members along the way, but now, with the war over, we're starting to see the first signs of it since Crimson and Co. stayed behind.
And here is where it all falls apart.
Grilled cheese! And Kera sadness? I hope she doesn't leave us...
Lerris.
What's with all the sexuality in this chapter? I mean, I don't mind, especially not the stuff going on between EE and Ebon (in case I didn't mention that yet) but y'know - that's new.
3834888
It will happen. We're all gonna die. No mercy.
The fact that there exist neutral/disputed towns where Xonans and Ledomaritans live side by side (pony Switzerland?) might explain how Kera got adopted, especially if Lerris is in the same area. Although I don't understand why the Xonans in Archer Point don't have children, or do they simply not tattoo them here?
3835082
According to this chapter, only her parents were killed.
3838091
aahhhh....
looks like we might have a feels chapter for Kera comin' up memecrunch.com/meme/F5F8/feels-feels-everywhere/image.png
3839977
Kera can wait.
Roarke Most Mope first.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
Emotional Josho is emotional...that was some heavy stuff following the light comedy. I really liked this chapter, and now I'm curious about this whole new thing with Kera too. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
P.S. -Get ready for evaluation
-Get sick
-Go to Bahamas
-Wi fi doesn't work
-Come home
-Study study study
-Not enough time
-"There's always time for a song."
-Now I return
RECOMMENCE THE EVALUATION!!!!
You know, that's actually a really good question...
mlpforums.com/uploads/post_images/img-2456214-1-373805.gif
I mean, it's not like there are too many possible explanations for why he asked Ebon to come see beautiful flowers with him... alone... on what sounds like a rather atmospheric night...
The moment I saw the title of this chapter, I knew that something bad was going to happen sooner or later. Now to actually read the chapter!
Now, what are they talking about?
-SPirit
Kera wouldn't leave them, would she?
i know i'm over a year behind, but i just can't NOT comment on Zaid's secret stash. this crud is absolutely hilarious .
oOoOoOo
Oh god
Also, jeez, this story has... matured, to say the least. Teenage Kera with a-a... sex drive...
[muffled screams of horror from the not-so distant future]
3834833 God dammit Zaid you're nasty but the groove can't be denied
Well that went from funny to contemplative in no time flat
If she survives her journey, I wonder what she will think of doing next.
Josh has an interesting point about Roarke.
she
_______________
6287966
On an earlier convo we had.
Josho was a Prime Enforcer ... so that does make him the only non-evil Prime Enforcer in the Confederacy.
And it's true. Zaid's knowledge of Fairy Tales is what brought her back ... well that and "True Loves Kiss".
Trading porn for grilled cheese sandwiches... Zaid, you...
*pauses*
Eh, at least the dude knows what he wants out of life.
So...a flux capacitor.
In a cave? Out of a box of scraps?
OUCH? Ouch on SEVERAL levels!
EE takes it rather hard that Ebon didn't appreciate the beautiful flowers... Hm.
6204783 Having thought about it some more, I think it is likely that she will go back to ponyville, only unlike in the main timeline, she will be content to stay there, happy with the steady job, good friends, and small town troubles it would provide her. Also having seen and experienced everything the Wonderbolts would have given her (fame, a captivated audience, power, respect, all that kind of stuff) and found it to be overrated, she likely would not desire joining them anymore. However, it is unlikely that the Wonderbolts would be done with her.
05/29/2017 16:28 UTC
As I recall, Kera was already fearlessly leading you two goofs around while you were feeling queasy about eating grasshoppers.
This guy is totally a changing. No way the real Josho would say these things
Soooo does Thorax exists in this world? If so where?