Kera's green eyes darted left and right with each step she took. A thin line of perspiration formed along her marked brow.
On household stoops and in storefronts, ponies stopped what they were doing to look. Mares and stallions gazed up from their lawnwork or from their gathering tables to glance at the miniature procession shuffling down the main street of the small town.
"The town is over three hundred years old. The valley is lush, and there are plenty of rivers and lakes nearby. But the ground is far too stony for trees to grow, which makes planting crops and raising orchards nigh-impossible," Golden Happenstance said as he led the filly, Bellesmith, Pilate, and Rainbow Dash down the path. A group of elders followed at a close distance, murmuring in wonderment amongst themselves. "We've survived by growing rice for local trade. And—of course—there are no better fisherponies than the mares and stallions of Lerris." He smiled and glanced back over his shoulder in mid-trot. "It's an old trade, perfected by old ponies, but there are a few young exceptions. Most of them are out by the lakeside at this time of day."
"And..." Belle leaned forward as she trotted closely besides Kera. "...the rest of you?"
"We bide the time peacefully. A good portion of us are veterans of the war who have done our good service. Others are estranged equines from the neighboring kingdoms who seek asylum in this humble place of neutrality."
"The war's never touched you?" Pilate asked.
"Depressed us? Maybe. Starved us? Sometimes. But we keep our ambition in check, making sure that we have enough provisions to keep ourselves warm and fed in the cold stormfronts that blow in from the north on a regular basis."
"Those are some sturdy looking buildings, I gotta say," uttered Rainbow.
"Heh..." Hap smiled up at the pegasus as they reached a courtyard with outstretched banners flapping in the wind. "They had better be. We've constructed and reconstructed them to survive hurricane force winds."
"Hurricane..." Kera blinked. "...force winds?"
"Oh, don't worry, child." Hap turned and smirked. "No building in Lerris has fallen in over a century. Above all else, we ponies of the valley are fantastic architects. Several tradesponies from the outlying cities have traveled hundreds of miles north to learn our secrets."
Kera shrugged. "I-I wasn't freaked out or anything. It's just that..." She gazed towards the northern mountains and the dark clouds rolling slowly over the jagged peaks. "...for a second there, this place was starting to sound like... like..."
"Boring City?" Rainbow Dash belched.
"Rainbow!" Bellesmith hissed.
But several elders were chuckling, Hap included. "It's quite alright. I imagine all of this sounds incredibly stale to a growing filly. Truth is, the peace bodes well for most of us who live here. We spend the time practicing our arts."
"Arts?" Pilate asked.
"Hmmm. Indeed." Hap nodded as he paced across the courtyard between buildings. Ponies gazed from where they sat in the shade along storefronts. "We have a good share of writers, painters, and sculptors among us. Every six months, there's a 'Festival of Rain' that attracts many of the local valley dwellers to our humble abode." The stallion chuckled. "Yes, we may not be quite as exciting and free-spirited as our Archer Point neighbors, but we enjoy our lives in our very own way."
"The key factor is that you enjoy life, period," Belle said.
"I'm afraid I don't read you, ma'am," Hap said with a curious blink.
Rainbow Dash levitated lower to speak. "It just... seems really freaky that you and Archer Point did so well for yourselves while there was a big freakin' war going on just beyond the mountains."
"The mountains had a lot to do with that, really," Hap remarked. "Other than that, there's the simple fact that neither our valley or Collins' has much in the way of... how should I put it..." He smirked. "...exploitable resources."
"Really?" Pilate asked calmly. "And what of conscription? Has either side tried to force your villagers over to their side?"
Golden Happenstance took a deep breath. "Once. Ages ago, before I settled in here. It was when the Ledomaritans had pushed the front forward. They took several able-bodied stallions, the strongest this village had to offer. Only a few of them ever survived their trials to return here, and that was over a decade later." He turned and gestured limply towards the graying population. "As you can tell, we haven't... entirely recovered from that."
"That's most unfortunate," Belle said in a sad tone. "You must be incredibly relieved to hear about the cease-fire."
"Relieved?" Hap smiled. "Most especially if it leads to an end of the conflict. Though, to be honest, this landscape has always been something of a demilitarized zone... at least over the past few decades. I suspect that very little will change in these valleys." He chuckled. "Save for the fact that we'll sleep a bit better at night."
"Well, that's always good in my book," Rainbow Dash said. At the sound of a rattling wagon, her ears twitched. She glanced up.
Two stallions and a mare were trotting in from the northeast, dragging a wooden cart full of whicker baskets. The air smelled of fresh fish.
"Hehk mikk leen sunn, Hap," the tallest of the three ponies said. He and his companions were considerably younger than the rest of the villagers, and the one stallion's muscles flexed with a richly tattooed coat as he piled the first of several containers onto the corner of a fish market. "The first catch of the week is here, and by Nagu'n if it's a good one," he said with a smirk.
Hap cleared his throat.
The stallion glanced up, eyes blinking bright and red between his marked face muscles. "Hmmmm?" he uttered in a soft voice. "Oh! Visitors? Did Collins send another group?"
"Beau, you might want to put a rest to your chores for the evening."
"Heh... what for, Uncle Hap?" Beau smirked. "If Collins' cousins want some fish so badly, they can lend a hoof and make it go... quicker..." His gaze fell on the visitors.
Rainbow Dash glanced between Kera and the stallion's gawking expression.
Beau gazed in wonderment, his muzzle agape. At last, Hap trotted over and whispered into his ear. The stallion's pupils shrank. "Nagu'n, below..." He looked at Hap. "Is... is it really her?"
Hap nodded slowly.
A smile crept across Beau's face, soft and tender. His eyes glistened as he said, "Bleen thiul semm. Now I know the war has come to an end if the world has returned... her to us..." Slowly, with pensive steps, he trotted over. "Kera? Kiki, darling?" He chuckled breathily. "It's been a long time. I—"
Kera shrank back, hiding behind Belle's rear legs.
Beau froze in place. He winced, then breathed easier. With a calm smile, he lowered down onto his knees and spoke to her from a distance. "It's okay. I... really can't expect you to remember me. My name is Beau. I knew Radiant Moon and Bene—" He gritted his teeth, exhaled coldly, and said in a warmer tone, "I knew your Mom and Dad, Kera."
Kera glanced up at Belle, then over at the tattooed stallion. "Mmmm... what... wh-what did you call me?"
He smirked. "Kiki. It was a foal's name. You obviously outgrew it. You see, your parents were fisherponies. They and Uncle Hap here taught me everything I knew. I... uh..." He chuckled. "I foalsat for you often, when I was slightly older than you are now. There weren't many young foals in the village, and it was just... really cool to be able to take care of another pony for once. Especially... y'know..." He ran a hoof across his tattoed coat with a nervous grin.
Kera simply bit her lip.
Beau's smile fell, and his ears drooped. "Oh... Oh, well, yes... yes, I-I understand if you don't remember. But... but that's okay." He sniffled, his face lighting up again. "You're alive. You're alive and in one piece and... well... after all that happened..." He grimaced, his eyes growing glossier.
Hap trotted over and rested a hoof on the stallion's shoulder. "This is a time for celebration," the elder said. "That which was once lost is found. There's a new tomorrow—and though it may not be for all of us, we can rest assured it is for Beau and the rest of our youth." He turned and smiled at the rest of the ponies. "I do believe a feast is in order."
"Uhmmm..." Belle stirred nervously.
"We... appreciate the gesture," Pilate said with a thin smile. "But... you see..."
"Lemme guess..." Beau chuckled. "Collins fattened you poor saps up on the way here?"
"Something like that, yes," Pilate said with a nod.
"That's alright." Beau turned and winked at Golden Happenstance. "We're all light eaters here in Lerris. I seriously doubt Uncle Hap here is going to force anything on you, even if it wouldn't be... all that dense."
"Speak for yourselves!" Rainbow Dash blurred over her friends' manes and spoke with a cracking voice, "Lemme try out some of this rice you got!"
"Not a fan of fish, are we?"
"Please! I'm a vegetarian who's been suffering through an entire continent!" Rainbow rubbed her hooves together as she followed Beau through the chuckling crowd. "Shovel up what you got! I'll make it worth your while!"
"Oh, will you, now?"
"Yeah! I can... like... push away cloudstorms for a day or two!"
"You must be some sort of magical pony."
"What, are you blind? Feathers of awesomeness here!"
As the crowd dissipated, trotting every which way to set up the evening "festivities," Kera stood stock-still besides Belle.
"How are you doing, darling?"
"I... uh..." Kera gulped. "I'm doing okay..."
Pilate glanced over. "These are friendly ponies, Kera. But please, don't feel pressured to speak if you don't want to."
"This 'Beau' character couldn't be faulted for having a better memory than you," Belle said.
"No, that's... th-that's just it..." Kera winced, her voice wavering slightly. "I... I-I do remember him. And that name he'd call me. 'Kiki.' I hated and loved it all at once. He was... so nice..." Her lips curved slightly. "And funny."
Belle glanced at Pilate, then back at the filly. "Then... you remember things?"
Kera bit her lip, trembling slightly. "I'm starting to..."
Hmmmmm.
Stay, or don't stay. That is the question.
Starting to remind me of "Total Recall."
Am I the only one getting a Pleasantville/Stepford feel from this town?
The harder coming home hits in the memory, the faster it can make you slingshot past and out of there .
I don't like that Kera isn't happy. She has a negative reaction to everypony she was supposed to know, who loved her. As much as I want her to stay with Belle and Pilate, and as much as I want the three of them to stay with Rainbow Dash... I don't like her freaking out toward them. Something is wrong. I guess we'll find out.
Also, the story is getting to the point where there's either going to be a cliffhanger like the first two stories, or some sort of peaceful resolution like the third. I. Have. No. Idea. Where. This. Is. Going.
3903050 In that something just isn't quite right? Yeah, I'm getting it too.
I think Kera is scared because she doesn't want to remember cuz she doesn't want to leave Belle and Pilate and gang
3903050 I felt the same way about Archer Point.
Maybe it's just the whole previous continent that has made us paranoid.
I just hope I didn't jynx it...
3903047 Great! Now all I can think of is Kera speaking in the Govenator's voice!
3903094 I agree, im afraid where this is going. With only 30 chapters left I can't possibly imagine it being complete peace the entire time. Im preparing for the worst!
Shell is coming. He is coming and will destroy this village as soon as Kera is happiest.
Because that's what this author does to his ponies.
There had better be a happy ending at the end of all this.
My prediction: Kera will stay. Whatever's scaring her will probably be revealed soon, and then
Shell returnswe'll have a better clue. However, it's still a toss-up, and I think we'll be in Lerris for a pretty good amount of time.Anyways, it looks like have a good chance of actually seeing the end of, or at least seeing, Shell.
I'm scared...
3903275
Oh God, no...now I'm afraid...
I'd say Kera's reactions are reasonable for a child being reunited with people who remember her but whom she hasn't seen in years, especially considering her fear of losing her new adoptive parents. Since she last saw these ponies, her previous adoptive parents were killed, she was abducted, escaped, lived alone on the street hiding from other urchins, and developed a fear of attachment.
I'd hope that Kera, Belle and Pilate could settle here, but 3903275 makes a good point. With Shell not dead and The Author's tendencies, the safest place for Kera is far away from Belle and somewhere no skystone ship has ever been seen, probably in the opposite direction of Nancy Jane's journey.
Cannibals. All of them.
Why Shell is not the doom-bringer he once was:
-He has no ship
-Most of his forces are dead or dying slowly
-He is wanted by Ledo's government for a long list of crimes
-He has no food
-Xonans will kill him if he tries anything
I doubt we have seen the last of him, but he is at a great disadvantage to the Noble Jury.
3903050 I still think that its pretty likely if Kera wants to leave and they try to go, the village isn't going to let them take her with them.
Something's fishy...
Now, I feel that's a flimsy thing to say, since I'm pretty sure I've said it about 99% of the towns we've seen (such as Archer Point, when turned out pretty swell). Or maybe, at some level, I'm so sad at the prospect of Kera dropping out of the story that I'm looking for things to find suspicious. But even so, something about the town is... well, not quite rubbing me the wrong way, but something like it. And the fact that Kera, despite having memories of them, seems so skittish about it only adds to that feeling. And then there's the looming threat of Shell, unless Colon intends to postpone his return until book 5, which seems kinda redundant. Who knows? Maybe I am just being paranoid.
derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/1/27/535988__safe_solo_applejack_animated_upvotes+galore_reaction+image_three%27s+a+crowd_spoiler-colon-s04e11_unamused_frown.gif
3903644
On the other hand:
- He's Shell.
>>Yeah that's what I'm saying too...though I'm hoping that wasn't done just to lower our defenses so it happens here, lol.
...hmm. Veeery eenteresteeng. What's around the riverbend?
There is definitely something off about Kera's reactions.
~Basso
3903685 That is also true.
3903094 Seems a natural reaction from someone who was whisked away at such a young age that any memories of her former life there would seem like a dream.
She's figured out that dream was real and she's torn,she wants to stay,and rebuild her life there.
But at the same time, she's grown attached to Belle&Pilate and the rest of the Jurors,it's as much her journey as it is theirs,so she also feels obligated to stick with them.
All her reactions are entirely natural.
Changelings.
Perhaps Kera was reluctant to come here because she knew part of her would like to stay. But we'll see.
Only a month till Urohringr starts. Or less, if the last ten or so chapters are released at once again.
3903280
3903685 Hunting Changelings, Shell style. He may not be hunted himself yet.
All these nice little towns are setting people on edge, but I disagree with the general paranoia. Come on now, IC's not that cruel!
...Wait, yes he is! Oh goddamnit, this is going to end terribly!
3903631 3903683
"Here! Have some...fish."
Even Kiki gets a name drop... That's surprisingly heart warming IC.
Theorizing really reaches the point of literary analysis now - when reading with the aim to support the Changeling theory, there are plenty of clues all over the place throughout the entire chapter. At the same time, it also makes perfect sense without the slightest bit of fishiness going on. I really have no idea which one to favour.
3903050
Jake! Weren't you disappointed in all of us who were suspicious of Archer's Point?
Then again, this town does seem fishy....
I kinda doubt the changeling theory though; I don't think we've seen changelings implant memories at any point, and it would very much surprise me if the changelings know all these obscure references to Kera's past.....
Unless they copy memories. Seclorum's state would support that I guess.
3904306 Urohringr?
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
Sleepy.
Sleepy.
Kera remembers.
Sleepy.
Uggggghhhhhh.
Interested to see how this will play out. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
Oh, Kera...
-Spirit
This is all very very interesting indeed...
It's odd Kera remembers stuff but shys away from everything. It's like she is afraid of something.
I think Kera's fear is coming from her remembering how much she loved living here... and how she might not want to leave even though she loves Pilate and Belle. She put up a lot of mental blocks to survive on her own at Blue Nova, and we watched Belle break those barriers down in Innavedr and here in Odrsjot. Now she's just a vulnerable, scared filly... and she knows it.
not sure if im misreading it but im totally getting the implied cannibalism vibe, no clue why
So much familiarity, so much strangeness.
Wow. Coincidence? Mind magic?
6686141
More like suppressing memories to keep herself from hurting as bad as she could have been. By thinking it was only a boring town, with nothing good about it, and noone there who she could connect with. She didn't have to think of all that was stolen from her other than her parents being "super lame" by dying.
Which actually makes this chapter super depressing now that she's remembering things.
Oooh, she's getting close to that nightmarish day that Nightshade stole her away.