The morning sun's rays glittered off the alabaster skyrises like gravestones. Below the looming spires of the sepulcher-gray city, unicorns and earth ponies from all trots of life wandered the wide open courtyards, carrying on with various means of business between the majestic, circular walls of the spacious metropolis.
Most of the equines trotted in pairs, with loving couples pausing at street corners to nuzzle each other and exchange warm wishes before splitting up and heading off to their individual occupations. Strolling slowly through the bustling crowd, mules, rams, and other work ponies carried carts full of mana crystals and other sensitive wares from one destination to another.
Every now and then, a thick line of unicorn soldiers—each bearing an identical uniform and a purple beret—marched as one through the crowd, carrying swords brimming with electrical energy. High above them, zeppelins and swift aircraft gliding on filtered mana darted between the towers. The city's height was a spectacle all on its own, with cylindrical skyscrapers literally hovering above the lower buildings via interconnecting concrete bridges supported by propulsive, magical crystals.
Banners fluttered from where they hung between sapphiric buildings and pale spires. The ornate profile of an elderly mare loomed in dozens of places and across several walls above the ponies' heads. Her glinting, regal crown was almost as sharp as her glare, and beneath her—repeated in bold text—were the impressionistically enscribed words: "Honor Queen Ledo – Patron Matriarch of Blue Nova."
The air turned gold as the rising sun of dawn swam its way over the urban vistas. All was the continuous murmur of city life, interrupted every now and then by the roar of mana-powered ships of war rocketing eastward towards the enemy front. While adults trotted in and out of granite buildings, engaged in bickering sales or casual conversation, a tiny cloaked figure galloped through the criss-crossing crowd.
A little foal darted left and right around the routinely strolling bodies of ponies. She squeezed under a hovering blue cart, leapt over a gutter full of garden water, and ran down a narrow cobblestone alley echoing from puttering airships high above.
Threading her way across the city, she headed towards the lower districts, leagues away from the highest skyscrapers. A rancid smell filled the streets, accompanied by the noise of endlessly squawking fowl. With a panting breath, the filly drew her cloak tighter, approached a tiny crack in a wall, then sild her way through.
She came out the other side, crawling through muck. Without the least bit of hesistance, she dashed over towards a pile of refuse and gazed cautiously around the side of it.
Stretching out before the tiny foal was an immense courtyard that had been reduced to a smoldering landfill. Heaps of garbage burned, churning smoke and ash into the air. Lining the edges of the concrete partitions were several metal doors built into the ground. As the foal watched, several large crystal-operated machines were busily shoving chunks of debris into open chutes, out from which the tell-tale breaths of an underground furnace billowed with fury.
The foal shivered for a few moments. A tiny mouth bit its lip—then gasped in surprised as the hooded filly glanced up towards the sound of a rumbling engine.
A grimy, rusted zeppelin was hovering down, its mana-generators struggling to keep the heavy dirigible aloft. The flocking birds clambered all around the vessel, poking and clawing at its hull. A loud, bass horn emanated across the wastelands. The soot-stained operators of the machines rolled out of the way as a pair of bay doors at the base of the transport craft opened up. A fresh mountain of rank garbage sloshed over the center of the landfill, piling the gunk high for eventual incineration. The birds immediately flew down and perched on the mess, pecking everywhere their beaks would let them.
The filly gulped, glanced over her shoulder, then made a courageous run for it. Panting, she galloped through ravines of steaming garbage. The morning light glinted through the smelly haze—like a hue of alien gold touching the miniature wasteland in the heart of the city. She kept low and waded through the sea of filth, jumping every now and then with the grace of a dolphin, her nimble little hooves careful not to land in the wrong spots or else she might sink.
Soon, with fluidic finesse, she sped her way to the side of the mountain of junk. She reached into her cloak and produced a small club which she gripped in her mouth. Unabashedly, she slapped at the first few birds perched on the wall of gunk. After receiving a few merciless smacks, the gulls flapped away, unwilling to test the pony's wrath.
With a victorious breath, she slid the club back and dug into the mess, elbow deep. A few bangs of frazzled emerald hair dipped out of her hood, but she slid the fibers back—almost detesting the touch of her own mane more than the festering garbage she was shifting through.
From the other side of the fresh hill, she heard the sound of trotting hooves and bickering young voices just a few years past her age.
Suddenly hyperventilating, she dug and tore through the trash with greater vigor. She tossed aside glass bottles, spent mana cartridges, food dishes, and various disposable tools of pony hygiene. At last, a victorious breath escaped her.
There was a paper bag, partially folded up and only barely soiled. Frantically, she ripped the thing open and shifted a hoof through it.
The hoofsteps of strangers came closer, their voices growling. "Kera?! Kera, is that you?! Ungh!" They were galloping now, casting menacing shadows in the scant rays of golden light. "I swear by the Spark! If you beat us to the good stuff again, we're gonna send your motherless flank back where you came from!"
She pulled out a steak bone, a bent fork, a drink container and—
A pair of green eyes lit up from beneath the hood.
With two tiny hooves, she pulled loose a red apple, and it was miraculously whole. The shine of the fruit literally brought a crimson glow to the landfill. A bright smile reflected off the surface, along with several swirly lines across foalish dimples.
"Do you hear that? Breathing!"
"Kera! It is her!"
"What's she have in her hooves?! Queen's nipples—Get her!"
Stifling a yelp, the foal clasped the apple between two sets of teeth and galloped away. Sticks, bricks, and tiny rocks landed all around her as the youthful shadows dashed around the corner, making chase.
She was too fast for them, darting in and around abandoned garbage haulers and discarded mana engines. As the cluster of street urchins coalesced into a thundering herd, she was already squeezing herself beneath the crack in the wall and emerging victoriously on the other side.
Pulling the apple out of her mouth, Kera held the round fruit, smiling with each pant that billowed out of her lips. Then, with a sudden jerk, she glanced both ways down the street, tore down an alleyway, and ran for four blocks.
Eventually, she came to a tight corridor located in the crook of several looming skyscrapers. The roar of mana engines thundered down the concrete ravine, making her ears twitch as she squirmed through a tight slit and approached a shantytown made out of densely populated lean-tos and delapidated shacks. Here, the bowels of the city consisted of non unicorns: earth ponies and gazelles and rams who stumbled from hovel to hovel, their faces blending with the miserable shadows of the place. Equines coughed and beggars murmured unintelligibly as Kera sprinted past all of them, squeezing her way into yet another tunnel through which only a foal of her size could fit.
She climbed up a rusted rain spout and slithered her way towards a winding alcove hugging the base of a gigantic spire. Here, no adult pony could reach, much less see from the upper streets. Still, a sliver of golden dawnlight managed to waft through, illuminating a series of cushions and a ragged blanket, along with a metal locker full of meager knick-knacks.
With one lasting breath, Kera plopped down on the moth-eaten pillows, shaking loose the smells and sweat of the morning. She cradled the still-ripe fruit to herself, even going so far as to nuzzle it with a smiling cheek.
"Mmmmm..." She slid her hood back, revealing a peach coat beset with several jagged, swirling patterns—seemingly etched into her skin. A tiny horn glowed at the tip, illuminating her tangled mess of emerald hair and shimmering green eyes. Sighing into the morning, she sniffed the fruit one last time and actually giggled. "This is a good morning already..."
That said, Kera hummed to herself and leaned in, taking the first succulent bite of food in days.
Damn, I should really catch up on these.
Lots of goodies to start with: green eyes, orange(ish) coat, the Capitol, three-word titles and so on. Kera is a Xonan.
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Jesus christ dude, you post so fast. It's overwhelming.
Yup
2237976
Regidar get's first post once more.
Scootaloo?
2237985
IT BEGINS
yes.yes.yes.yes.yes.yes.yes.....
Did I mention yes?
2238033 It began a LOOOONG time ago.
oh god. it's happening again. now I want to go back and finish eljunbyro, have my heart ripped out, and refuse to read this one until it is finished.
Then do it again when this does finish. and for any sequels this might have.
Oh, awesome. Thank you, Scolon. Also, how will Keratin react to this?
I can tell Kera is going to be bothersome for Dash when they'll meet up later on.
Already seeing the heavy tie-ins with the very first chapters of Austraeoh.
Anyways, the next chapter is Kera, shocked to discover that she is the Innavedr (because she's an innovator, and the two words rhyme, it makes perfect sense). She eats the apple and goes to sleep. Rainbow dash dies on the way back to her home planet.
The end.
Damn, that was fast.
Adorable new character.
Another foal OC?
So when will this one die then?
alright, so where does Pilate come in?
2237976
How far are you behind?
I can't stand seeing or reading things about poor-looking beggars. It makes me really angry at those greedy and corrupted government people here in my neighborhood.
anyway, a nice new story. the setting is pretty nice, and the foal as the main char is nice. :3
New protagonist? And it's a foal this time!
"A pair of green eyes lit up from beneath the hood.
With two tiny hooves, she pulled loose a red apple"
Ohhh, I wonder how Dash will react to this. . .
Plus, good job on pulling out some more chapters, Colon. I already love the dystopian setting that you are weaving.
Great start for the new story in this series.
I love little Kera already!
IT BEGINS.
AGAIN.
2238338 I suppose the sphere is laying by him "sparking" and in some mysterious ways he will somehow regain his ability of sight. Just a thought...
I wonder how Kera will fit into the unfolding narrative now? She seems an even less likely hero than Belle or Pilate.
Either way, I'm ready for 199 more chapters of Innavedr!
MY BODY IS READY! And the Ledomare story continues,(atleast for a little bit).
hoh mah gawd. I'm reading this from the beginning this time.
That is a damn shiny apple, particularly for one scrounged from a garbage heap.
I have to wonder if we'll be seeing any zebras crop up in one of those landfills.
I bloody well [url=mobile.fimfiction.net/story/57450/200/eljunbyro/seeing-eyes#comment/2236320]CALLED it, didn't I? Or, at least, the first letter of the title. Still good, right?
The journey begins anew !
Jeepers! Purple berets, the capital city, my very own poster, and a foal protagonist! This should be exciting!
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
And so it begins.
So, before I get into the actual chapter, a few things we can know already - first off, since Austraeoh and Eljunbyro represented real ponies, we can bet that somewhere along the line, Innavedr will show up. Second, Austraeoh's chapter titles were one word, Eljunbyro's were two word. Now Innavedr's is three. Also, Austraeoh was more focused on a solitary journey with Dash alone. Eljunbyro had two main ponies, Belle and Dash. Now, Innavedr will probably have a theme of doing things in threes.
Okay, the chapter - I agree with Pilate one hundred percent already. We're clearly in the capital city of Ledomare here, and we've got a filly living on the streets who will probably meet Dash later. Kera's also got those weird "swirls" on here skin, like those tattoed Xonans. Coincidence? Probably not.
These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
P.S. It begins! A big thank to everyone who reads and enjoys my evaluation times! Let's go and see what Imploding's got in store for us this time!
Ooh, this is new. A foal protagonist you say? One that likes apples, has green eyes and a pale orange-ish coat? I foretell future feels already. Liking the dystopian vibe going on - its seems we're getting closer and closer to the stupid hag behind this whole thing (no offence Ledo). I can't wait to find out what's going on with all of the others - onward!
This is Gonna be epic. Further Up and Further In!
2238258
NO.
She hath been given plot armor, by dint of her adorability, and the absence of one Rainbow Dash.
(See, I'm so angry that I'm speaking Old English at you.)
This is Australia...
2239089
Ooooooh, I hadn't thought of that angle. Good catch!
Hm. Is that what a Xonan looks like? Tattooed fur? Every pony talked about them like they were monsters, and here we have a little foal struggling to get by on the refuse of society.
I love the running chapter title theme you have in this series. I didn't thing it would continue.
Can't believe I finished the other two and this one is only 11 chapters in... No idea how I read that fast.
good lord, its about time i caught up!
hello! Honeytiger is back! What did Honeytiger miss?
A Xonan in the Capital of Ledomare. Street rats in a culture that claims to be perfectly organized by queen, spark and couples. An apple a week - well, at least her hair isn't blonde. Wouldn't want to have Dash feeling like a pedophile.
I feel like I know that city setting from somewhere. Towering spires with slums at their feet? Rings a bell, I just don't seem to remember which one...
So the third adventure begins with accidental filly xonan infiltration? Can't wait to see how IC tears apart my emotional fiber this time. In other news, I'm getting close to catching up, and here's to hopes that somehow lolpas is a usable name, and will be killed off very quickly in a manner totally unrealted to the story.
I'm glad to have reached the third installment after nearly a month of reading the previous two. Hoping to catch up with Colon soon :)
I suspect the name Innavedr refers to Kera, just like the previous titles appear to refer to Dash and Belle.
Nice tradition of starting each installment with a sunrise.
2247402 I did it I have finally made it to innaerdr
Now just got to cach and keep pace with your evaluations
But first, sleep. The midnight sun may be up but I'm not, good night, (ish)
P.S the sun is not actually up right know but it is still bloody light outside and it's 1:40 in the morning
Ah book 3 begins and it's already an interesting read. I can't wait to see what will happen as the story continues
Finally catching up on this...while eating a very substantial meal and now you've made me feel BAD
2247402 given how fiercely the Xonan seem to be hated, I doubt she's one.
IT BEGINS!!!!
Also, I fully expect this to be another case of the characters from the previous novel slowly trickling in but not for a while.
Heeeeeeere's Whizzy! I'm here in INnavedr, finally.
So we're introduced to a new character, a foal, named Kera. An orphan, possibly Xonan as stated by Pilate. Pulls out a red apple. Let's see how long Kera lasts.
...
......
I say one chapter.
-Spirit
And it begins again. This one's pretty intense.
Once more unto the breach, I suppose. Some brilliant description here, but I can't really comment past that at the moment.