Bellesmith sat up. The covers flew off her.
She blinked, her eyes being stabbed by golden light.
She tilted her head to the left. An open window stretched by the bedside.
Climbing over a slumbering zebra, she fell gracelessly onto the floor, stood back up, and crawled towards the window.
She peered out.
It was morning. The crisp air tickled her nose. The rising sun burned over the horizon, forming swaths of shattered light through the trees.
Belle's irises shrunk, and she smiled wickedly. Spinning around, she wildly shook the warm body of the stallion on his side of the bed.
"Pilate!" her voice cracked. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"
"Nnngh—Mmmf... Hhhuh..." His ears were the first to move. Slowly, he sat up, shaking his groggy skull. "Whuh... b-beloved?"
"How can you sleep at a time like this?!" she exclaimed in a raspy voice. "When it's such an awesome morning outside?"
"Awesome... morning..." he droned.
"Ffffffff..." she inhaled heavily, then tossed her mane back. The yellow hairs of her shoulder stood on end. "Ohhhh blessed Spark! I wish that wind would kiss my face forever!"
"Wind... kissing...?" Pilate's gray eyes fluttered open, as if seeking clarification beyond the moment. "Darling, are you okay?"
"Okay?! I'm alive! I'm here! I'm with the zebra of my heart and—Nnngh! Goddess!" she yanked his hoof out and aimed it towards the window. "Don't you feel that wind and sunlight?!"
"Gaaah!" Pilate yelped as he fell like an anvil out of bed and rolled against her. "Mmfff... I'm feeling the floorboards, h-honey..."
"Pfft! Screw the floorboards!" Belle galloped out of the room. "I'm grabbing my saddlebag! I want grass! I want pine! I want more wind in my mane!"
"Unnngh..." Pilate sat up. "Belle? Why are you... uhm.... why are you so much more awake than me?"
"Wrong A word, Pilate!" she called out from the kitchen, fumbling through several clanging items.
"Huh?"
"Stretch your legs! We're going out for a jog!"
"We are...?"
Welp. Belle is quite alive, although I wouldn't say the same as before...
Yeah, we're headed for total containment failure here. Aaand I'm conflicted on whether to feel happy or sad.
If this transformation keeps up, Pilate is going to find himself very unsatisfied...
RIP Bellesmith?
the personalities are melding beyond control now. I think that unless Bellesmith recognizes this, she will be completely overpowered by RD's consciousness/memories.
And going outside exposes you to danger. I hope they are ready.
Uh oh... Belle's slipping.
Hmm... Rainbelle? Dashbelle? Dashismith?
The commonly accepted thought is that Dash and Belle are merging, where as I'm starting to think Rainbow is simply providing Belle the drive she needs to complete her purpose. Belle is intelligent, but she is/was passive. Adopting some of RD's personality gives her the assertiveness to get going.
Zap asked me to post this:
[11/11/12 5:10:03 PM] pilate: if anything, the Italics are probably meant to signify that Belle is constantly sequencing

[11/11/12 5:10:06 PM] pilate: as in, without the machinery

[11/11/12 5:10:19 PM] pilate: which is why she's adopting more Dash-like personality traits

[11/11/12 5:10:32 PM] Zaponator: could be

[11/11/12 5:10:33 PM] pilate: notice how belle wakes up after each dash segment

[11/11/12 5:10:43 PM] Zaponator: yes

[11/11/12 5:10:45 PM] Zaponator: interesting

[11/11/12 5:11:01 PM] pilate: but you could easily cite a million things for other theories

[11/11/12 5:11:12 PM] pilate: of note is that "closed eyes" is a belle chapter and "open eyes" is a dash one

[11/11/12 5:11:25 PM] pilate: in that way, Dash is clarity and Belle is confusion

[11/11/12 5:11:36 PM] Zaponator: That's deep yo

[11/11/12 5:11:54 PM] Zaponator: You should actually probably comment that

[11/11/12 5:12:02 PM] Zaponator: 'cause that is a keen observation
Next time on Eljunbyro: Belle goes headstrong against Shell and gets the filly slapped outta her.
Physical changes confirmed. Personality/memory changes have been evident, but now there's something concrete. Looks like Dash is coming back quickly!
1600751 She's Pregnant!?!
There's a theory for you. She's pregnant and she gives birth to a filly Dash
1600896
Now THAT would be a twist of events.
1600866
Change or emulation?
yay Belle is starting to act like Dash does. As long as we have Rainbow's personality showing i will be pleased.
Oh hell. Take cover, everyone, shit is about to get real.
Dash's personality has consumed Belle! not sure if I should be happy or sad about that. =/
1600984
... I dunno. Good point.
I wonder when Dash's memories take over and she realizes she's no longer the same pony.
And when she realizes she's totally overwritten another pony's mind.
She's pretty much already taken over in personality, but at this point Belle is more or less unaware that she is slipping, and Dash's personality has not fully caught up and made the bridge into Belle's mind. At the moment, the personalities are the same, but the memories of both ponies are separate. It's only when they join that Dash will take over, and also realize that she's not truly Dash anymore.
Although Belle was contacted by Whitemane and told that she would effectively be the courier that brings the "wind" to Austraeoh, I believe that it doesn't fully mean that Dash will take over her body. Belle is a messenger, not a servant. She will fulfill a purpose, and then her duty will be finished.
Perhaps her job right now is to rekindle Dash's memories and spirit, and transfer that spirit back to Dash (bring the wind to Austraeoh), and then proceed to guide Dash to her next objective. Hopefully. I will be kinda sad if Belle is permanently overwritten, even though I do want to see it happen for a short while.
That good ol' "A word"... talk about recurring motifs, man
This mind melding is starting to look more and more like a reverse Veil of Thoughts. (If you haven't read that yet, I suggest you hop to it right now.)
1601279
At this point I'd say emulation.
Have any of the Ledomarians used "Goddess!" as an exclamation before? I can't recall ever seeing it.
Summer Song - Joe Satriani
The seed is strong...no wait, that's Game Of Thrones.
1601426
Yes! Sir I think you are on to something here! The whole rekindling of Dash's spirit and memories to then be returned to dash, as the wind being returned to austraeoh, I agree!
It seems that the way Belle is gaining more and more of Dash's personality clearly should the intertwining between the two characters, however it wouldn't work if dash completely took over belle. A pegasus in a unicorn? Doesn't seem to quite work...
Also, I reckon that based on the speed that this is all developing, I think we could have dash back by chapter 60. Not gonna get my hopes too high, but things are moving fast!
Onwards!
1602726
I'm hoping for Dash by the end of chapter 200.
1602878
We should definitely have her by then, but I get the feeling we'll have her before then.
Also congrats on being comment no. 1000
1602878
1602726
We all know Dash is at least one of, if not still the only, main character. She will end up being revived, whether in person or through Belle's spirit, and will continue on eastward, as always, to fulfill her destiny.
But I also expect that it's not going to be immediately as simple as "take over Belle, reacquire body, leave". Knowing my own government, it's going to take some planning to get out of Dodge. I really hope that Belle and Dash are not mutually exclusive aspects of themselves, because I would love for Belle to be all Schizo and be arguing with Dash in her head trying to determine the next course of action.
On another note, the plot line is about Dash, but the story right now is about "Belle performing experimental tasks". The focus of this part of the "Eastward Series" is Belle. Meaning that we're not going to see her go away for a while, and certainly not Dash. Which leads me to believe at some point, they will both be fully aware of themselves, both Belle-inside-Dash and Dash-within-Belle.
1600896
So, Rainbow Dash is Jesus.
.... Works for me
1603216
It's interesting that you should point out the fact that the two characters will be aware that they are 'within' the other. We all seem to have decided that at the moment, the story it's being told through dash's perspective, even in Belle's story. In other words it feels as though dash is unintentionally viewing belle's life, as belle was doing to dash earlier in the story. However, if this is the case, then dash does not seem to be aware of it. If (and most likely when) dash does realize that this is going on, then I get the feeling something may end up happening that will be significant.
What might happen I don't know, but it will be something.
Onwards!
happy belle is best belle
1603774 Gak is a product that was on a commercial EVERY TIME there was a break during the season 3 live stream. It was shown so much that it annoyed the hell out of most of the watchers.
1600713
Wrong A word, I believe you're looking for Awesomeness
1604827
I wasn't even thinking.
Weird. So Dash has taken over Belle (at least for now) but seems to know what's going on, at least to know that Pilate is her zebra lover. Question is, does she have Belle's feelings/emotions as well? Or is she just playing the part? Or is she somewhere in between the two, like Belle was with Dash? My feelings - they're so conflicted! One more chapter left till I'm caught up - Onward!
1603321
That would make the dragons the Romans and the Silvadelians the Jews. The dragon part there makes far too much sense in my mind right now.
So is his name pronounced 'pie-late' or 'pih-lah-tee'?
If what I think might happen is going to happen, it isn't fair for you to make him so likeable and sympathetic.
GAK, GAK GAK!
Yep drugs will do that to ya
1600713
That was Undeed deep, yo.
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
So it appears that Belle loses some of her short term memory after each cut to Dash's memories, seeing as how she is now waking up from a sleep. I'm starting to get a theory...it wouldn't have made sense for Shell to just let Belle go after what she'd seen underground. What if Shell knew this mind melding would occur outside of sequencing and decided to see how it would play out? It's possible. Also, Dash now has a VERY firm hold on Belle. Pilate, make sure your beloved doesn't randomly start sprinting towards the rising sun. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
No Bellesmith.....you are the spark!
and then....Belle was Rainbow Dash
2006432
BWAHAHAHAHA
She's caught a case of the Awesomes!
2711374 or ALIVE
Oh no. What's happening to Belle?
Interesting, Belle is going full Dash soon. And while everything seems "awesome" I'm waiting for the other horseshoe to drop. And I think it will involve Pilate.
1603321
Rainbow can be seen as the Messiah of Awesome in most religions.
Well, Belle, you sure are up and ready to . . . dash out the door.
Awww hell...-_-
FUCK IT!
All sorts of theories floating around. Rather than merging, I think the italicized Belle chapters signify Rainbow Dash sequencing into Belle's life rather than the other way 'round.
In order to go deeper, both needed to form a closer bond.
So that's what it's like to be imbued by the spirit of Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash is the best antidepressant.