"Somepony..." Bellesmith's lips murmured breathily into the cold night air. She lay with her eyes shut and her body curled in a soft heap against the furthest corner of the concrete alcove. "Somepony tell me..." Her hooves squirmed as her lungs expanded and contracted. "...what's going on?" She hissed through her teeth while her golden brow furrowed. "Blessed Spark, I'm dying..."
The building above them groaned. Concrete slabs slid apart, pouring starlight onto the mare's sleeping figure. With a blue pulse of light, a petite figure rushed into the niche, her hooves forming a cacophonous pitter-patter against the mildew stained floor of the hiding spot.
"Belle! Belle!" Kera stammered, leaning over the mare and speaking hoarsely, "Crud has hit the fan! We gotta move! We gotta move now!"
"Nnngh... I-I'm going someplace," Belle whimpered, her body curling into a tighter fetal position. "I-I don't know where!"
"Belle, wake up!"
"The singing! It's d-deafening!"
"Belle, you're dreaming!" Kera reached in and viciously shook her shoulder. "Wake up!"
Belle winced. Her chestnut brown eyes fluttered open. She gazed in confusion at the starlight wafting in all around them. "You... you opened the hiding place..."
"Yes!" Kera nodded, her glowing horn waving around. "I know!"
"But... but why?"
"Look, it's my fault! I went out to find some grub for breakfast 'cuz I couldn't sleep, right?"
"Er..."
"Right, and I-I think I may have accidentally let an enforcer or two see me. Whatever. It's all bad news, Belle! We gotta get out!"
"Wait... wait..." Belle sat up, rubbing a hoof over her shaved mane. "I... I don't understand..."
'What part did you not flippin' understand?!" Kera exclaimed, motioning emphatically out the exposed air of the alcove. "There are enforcers all over the streets of Blue Nova, looking for a 'mare with a shaved mane and a strange book!'"
"Huh?!" Belle stood up, her eyes gaining strength as the shock of the moment gradually woke her. "But... but how?! The last time we ever ran into enforcers was the day before yesterday, and they barely got a good look at us!"
"Look, I don't know how it happened, but there are wanted posters and crap all over town with your face on it!" Kera exclaimed, her voice squeaking in fitful breaths. "Whatever cover we may have had; it's blown! We gotta make like the wind, girl!"
"I-I think we should stay right here where it's safe from other ponies' eyes—"
"That's what I'm trying t tell you, Belle! I was listening in on a pack of these beret-wearing bozos and they spotted me! I tried running away, but I think they saw me! They'll not stop searching these slums until they've found us! You know that!"
"This... this is all happening so fast..." Belle gazed out the alcove, her coat sweating profusely. "How'd they even connect you with me?"
"There are posters with m-my face as well," Kera said, her head hanging in shame. "I bet it was Nightshade. She must have gotten pictures of us while we were in her tower and gave them to the enforcers."
"They... they must be investigating her," Belle thought aloud.
"Anyways, we gotta move, Belle! I'm not kidding!" Kera tugged and tugged on Belle's forelimb. "Please! I don't want them to put me back in Nightshade's tower!"
"Right... right... let me just... let me just grab my things..." Belle trotted over to her saddlebag. She paused, reeling dizzily. "Nnnngh..." She rubbed her head and grumbled, "I think I-I'm coming down with something..."
"Belllllle!" Kera stammered, hopping worriedly up and down before the exit. "Come onnnnn! We gotta move!"
"Right, Kera... I'm coming..." Bellesmith shuddered as she slid on Princess Luna's satchel and fastened it around her figure. She reexamined the pockets to make sure the old tome and the rest of Rainbow Dash's things were still there. She wasn't disappointed. "I'm coming, alright?" She briskly trotted over to Kera's side. "There's no reason to be scared..."
Without warning, Kera clung to Belle's forelimb, trembling, burying her face in the mare's shoulder.
Belle blinked. Her mouth fell agape as she brushed a hoof over the foal's bushy mane. "By the Spark, you really are frightened, aren't you?"
"Please..." Kera stifled a whimper, clinging tighter to the adult pony. "I just don't want to go back. I've seen what it's like, and I don't wanna go. I don't wanna..."
Belle smiled softly. She leaned in and nuzzled Kera. "Don't worry. Just stay next to me. We'll get out of here and find a place to hide."
Kera sniffled. She gazed up at Belle, the starlight glinting off her moist eyes. "But what if we don't?"
"We will," Belle insisted. "I promise you. Just stay close, and keep within the shadows." Belle turned to face the exit from the alcove. Her heart skipped coldly upon hearing the shuffle of hooves beyond the nearby alleyways, followed by distant shouts. "Your horn ready to open stuff?"
"Y-yes, Belle. I'm ready..."
"Good." Clenching her jaw, Belle galloped straight out into the moonlight of Blue Nova. "Let's make like the wind."
Kera's sheild has officially fallen.
Uh oh, Belle's coming down with something? Same time as RD having a dizzy spell? Is it related? Probably not knowing my luck, but until I'm proven wrong, headcanons!
I wonder if the friendship and bonds being forged between Dash and the others, as a part of their roles of Elljunbyroh and Innavedr now, allow her to have more harmony in her than chaos, allowing her to fight the growing effects of the Discordian essence within. It's an interesting thought - her friends help her fight the chaos simply by being her friend, enabling her to travel longer, farther. She would in essence then absolutely need them to survive the trip to the Midnight Armory...
Okay, I was wrong about Belle and Pilate reuniting in the Nightshade HQ, but this time I have a real good feeling about it.
Just you wait, that reunion is coming right up!
2856651
A solid connection to make, actually, considering Belle is so closely linked to Rainbow Dash due to her unique position. Belle is sort of acting as a proxy Dash, or at the very least she is continuing to exhibit Dash's traits. I'd call it a necessary component of Eljunbyro, as in order to bring the wind it must also understand why.
Notably, however, Belle continues to have a companion.
EDIT: Further discussion leads me to think it's more thematic, however, as Belle comes off the sequencing and Dash has the dizzy spell; it's a thematic parallel.
Dawww! Kera has a filly side!
...I wonder if she has an explosive one...
What if all of Dash's dizzy spells were caused by Belle sequencing with her mind in the future
Whoa
Wow! I am finally back and caught up! Dang, a lot has happened!
Looks like the poop cakes are going to come in contact with a fast rotating blade, as everyone from everywhere comes to BlueNova to either destroy Dash and co. Or help her.
Bombs away!
There's something about this chapter...a lilting sense of unease. Not-rightness. Maybe it's just me. I'm a little sleep-deprived at the moment.
Either way, Belle's dream and the apparent compromising of her constitution are worrying, though I suspect others might be right in thinking that her unique connection to Dash is part of it (keep in mind Dash was JUST having one of her dizzy spells in the previous chapter). ForestFeather also raises a good point: What if Dash's new friendships actually have the effect of lessening Dash's condition; a collective shouldering of the metaphysical weight Dash is carrying around via the magic of friendship? As he/she said, it would pretty much inherently necessitate a permanent party forming around Dash and accompanying her on her quest, which is alright by me, because, as fun as Austraeoh was, the whole "lone wolf" angle has about played itself out, in my opinion.
Also, vulnerable Kera is best Kera.
If Belle and Rainbow share some sort of connection, I'd hate to see Belle going full chaos. It wouldn't be fun to make much sense for her to use magic.
2856830
I'm getting a weird timey-wimey vibe.
2857115 To confirm what you suggest:
Could some of Belle's sequencing caused dizzy spells in RD's timeline at the moments surrounding Rainbow's 'recent' memories, Not before Discord's statue was shattered (when she had dizzy spells when her Element was still on vs the reaction when she took Loyalty off)?
For some reason I read the "make like the wind" part in that bully guy's voice in Back to the Future.
2857437
I like this idea because it plays into the harmony thing I've been harping for a while. Dash says herself that she's all that's left of harmony, and now that she's started espousing it more through her friendships, it seems to be having an effect on the chaos that inhabits her (provided we ignore the simple plot convenience of not having dizzy spells during other exposition).
Man, I am anxious about Kera. And not just for the obvious reason. I can't help but feel that something really bad is about to happen.
Happy to oblige the need for escape music.
Escape - Metallica
2857809
Right? If she ends up getting seriously injured at the hooves of Shell or (shudder)... killed off... I think I may quit reading... for a little while at least.
2856712 adding to this theory, if Rainbow Dash were to suddenly be without her friends for too long, (Like she is now) she would likely experience something akin to drug withdrawal where the negative effects of her going alone (dizzy spells) are experienced much more often and are noticeably stronger than before she experienced this harmony once more.
I also would like to point out the thought I had while misreading your theory. What if Belle were experiencing an abundance of harmony while Dash experienced an abundance of Chaos. Their traits are shared when together, therefore canceling Ill effects and balancing the two. When apart, however, they revert to their overabundances and experience dizzy spells.
Fine. I like Kera, I guess.
Dammit
Hold on to your butts.
jeez, this is not going as planned.
I bet IC is reading through these comments while cackling like a madman.
So Belle did inherit a piece of Discord after all. Or is it something else? It is connected to Rainbow - but she seems to be seeing things that Rainbow never knew... or did she?
2857437 2857650 Pilate isn't having a dizzy spell right now. Belle's connection to Rainbow is much, much deeper and utterly unique. Bear in mind that even her very personally was bleeding through to her at the end of their Sequencing. I am not certain if it is their mind-link, the power of the Xonan foals or the influence of Discord that is causing this synchronized metaphysical experiences, but it is most definitely no harmonious force.
2858398 It's okay. You can still hate Roarke.
2856829 Give it another fifty-five chapters.
Well, looks like Nightshade really does know what's up.
Kera is Scared? IMPOSSIBRU!
The singing? What's Belle dreaming about?
"Sing her song an become nothing"
2859325
No... I can't hate Roarke, either.
It's nice she found a practical use for a Pin Head, though.
I still have one of those in my closet, somewhere.
Well, poop. Belle and Dash are still pretty tightly linked, it seems. If something terribad were to happen to Dash again (like getting stomped by an age-old dragon bad) would Belle survive it? Can they send each other good things (energy/encouragement) through this channel as well, or can they only share Discord's influence?
Hmmm...So many questions, and I'm nowhere near eggheady enough to answer them. Onward!
IIIIIt's Dashie's 12th Marathon Evaluation Time!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here, we get a brief glimpse at Kera's true self. Like Rainbow Dash, she's got fears beneath all of that spunk and is still, herself, a child. I think it would be cool for, during their escape, Belle to be "the Dash" and Kera to be "the Belle." Get what I'm saying? They'd kinda switch roles. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
P.S. Seven left. At five I'll get something to eat.
Events seem to be really coming to a boil on this front. Belle's been pushed way past her mental and physical limits, and Kera's still reeling from the possibility of returning to Nightshade's employ.
Other than that, lots and lots of major psychological breaks in the main characters. Dash is making preparations for failure, Imre's confessions and Kera's temporary loss of that street-urchin roughness. Great to read.
2934591
Semi-spoiler (highlight): this sentence is quite amusing when you've read ahead.
Nobody else has mentioned this, but what if Belle's condition is the result of her being... "infected" by Nightshade? Nightshade is, after all, a poison (ironically, derived from the Belladonna plant).
I ask, heart in my throat, to a room full of the shadows of people who have already read the answer...
2857115 I love time travel as much as the next guy, but Let's try to keep this story REMOTELY sane.
4026964 Sanity? NEVER!
So Kera can be scared. Well, she is just a filly after all.
-SPirit
God, Kera is just . . .
Exit Music (For A Fic)
Aw, Kera's become dependent of Belle! Or at least, she's come to respect Belle since the whole sequencing deal in part of:
1. Belle putting her hoof down and getting stern with Kera
2. The feat of seqencing in and of itself
3. The fact that Belle still acts motherly towards her in spite of both events
Is cute~
I glimpsed a traveler today....whether I surpassed him, or he me, I do not know.
Stay strong, Belle. Kera needs you.
to
___________
6984076
Something more recent than a year... I may yet find something living here.
7711569
Sorry I stopped reading this saga after the bullshit with Swan Song. And the mysterious case of me getting 5-7 downvotes on every comment I made in the most recent story (well recent as of about half a yr ago).
It was too much trauma drama, victim card bullshit, and her starting crap. So I don't need that stress in my life. So I left the Austreoh community for good.
It's time to open some cans of whoop ass
My body is ready!
3817999
It's called the Deadly Nightshade. I've never heard if any of this Belladonna stuff.
Far as I know it's got a purple flower, and a long line.
8664354
Belladonna, mi amore.
8664808
dam sum spanish
RUN TO THE UNDERBELLY!!!
8664354
The nightshades are actually a big family, including potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, bell & chili peppers, and tobacco. But when most people think of “nightshade”, they’re specifically thinking of atropa belladonna, or Deadly Nightshade.
Interestingly, while the berries as a whole are terrifically poisonous, they’re also where we first discovered and isolated atropine, which is on the WHO’s essential medicines list.
(Which is not to say that atropine is all happy and friendly. I used to work in a facility making atropine injectable solution, and it had to be done on the same production line that handled the horrifically toxic chemotherapy agents. Good times.)