Bellesmith had no more tears left to shed. She stood like a statue, hollow and emotionless, as the manacraft carried her up to a large Ledomaritan zepplin hovering south of the heights of Blue Nova. The midday sun glinted off the sleek craft as it levitated to a stop and then floated up against the zeppelin's loading dock. Crew ponies from either ship whistled and gestured to one another, tossing rops and affixing wooden fasteners. At last, a gate between the two vessels opened, and the guards standing tall on either side of Belle urged her forward.
She obeyed, numbly, trotting in a liquid lurch. Several crew ponies paused in their work as their eyes remained locked on the mane-less mare. No words were said, not even a bitter taunt. Once or twice, somepony may have coughed, but it was otherwise silent as the pony was led towards a cabin below the deck of the zeppelin's swaying gondola.
Belle was led into a dark room, lit dimly by a pair of lanterns hanging in the opposite ends of the storage space. The smell of dust and aged wood tickled her nose. She was led to a chair and forced to sit down with her back against the wall. From there, she watched as Shell eventually entered, his every hoofstep a prolonged, creaking thing. All the while, he kept his one eye trained on her, even as he side-stepped over towards a table and layed down Princess Luna's midnight satchel.
After a minute, Shell stopped. He broke his sight of Belle to turn and nod towards his subordinates. The guards saluted and marched out of the room, closing the door creakily behind them.
Shell and Bellesmith were alone.
With a shuffle of his four natural limbs, Shell trotted over to the table. In almost gentle fashion, he unlatched the satchel and started lifting the contents out: a brush, a pair of goggles, shredded remnants of a blanket, a green book.
He paused on the green book. He glanced at Belle.
Belle's gaze fell towards the floor. She stared into nothingness, sitting absolutely still.
Shell flipped the book open. In the flicker of the distant lanterns, he turned one page after another. His jaw clenched and unclenched; otherwise he had very little reaction to the multiple photos of Ledomare's target and her past friends.
Slowly, with slightly less grace, he dropped the book to the table with a thud. He reached into the satchel again with his telekinesis and pulled out the old tome with the ancient symbols on it. He raised it up, slowly twirled it around, then looked at Belle again.
Belle's head kept hanging.
Shell trotted over, opened the book wide, and slapped it down below the mare. "Eljunbyro," he said.
Finally, Belle's body twitched. Slowly, with quivers, her face tilted back up.
Shell leaned forward. "That's what you're supposedly called, is it not?"
The mare said nothing, though her lips pursed in awe.
"Hmmm... Don't look so confused. Not all ponies who serve the Queen are idiots." He paced around until he stood behind her. "Burning down Foxtaur claimed the fortress, but it didn't claim the ruins. We found the remains of that delapidated keep where you and the turncoats cowardly hid from the Steel Wing. We saw the abundance of symbols. Believe it or not, we had scholars to assist us in some much-needed research. 'Eljunbyro: endurance reborn.' Curious that an esteemed professor of physics and mananeurological integration would be so enamored with ancient religious prophecy and nonsense."
Belle bit her lip.
Shell leaned in. "Or was that the beloved's parting gift to you? A wild theory that you clung to with more hope than sense?"
Silence.
Shell's brow furrowed. He stifled a groan of frustration as he trotted to the far end of the room. Belle watched as he opened a closet, pulling out a metal dais. He levitated it over to the table beside Bellesmith and placed it down. Then, after sharing a firm glance, he retrieved a glowing sound stone from his pocket, placed it above the dais, and activated the pedestal. The crystal shard glowed, then spun around as a recorded sound crackled to life across the shadowed space of the cabin.
"Nnnngh... aaugh... ghhh—please! Please, I d-don't friggin' know anything!" The voice sputtered, as if gargling something more than spit and her tongue. Belle shuddered; it was Rainbow Dash's voice. "I j-just wanted to save my friend! I don't know anything about th-this stupid m-machine world! Nnnngh—Gaah! C-Celestia! Stop cutting me! St-stop cutting me, pl-please!"
Belle could barely hear from the sound of the sob running up her throat. She covered her mouth with a pair of hooves as the screams grew louder and more sopping wet.
At last, Shell snatched the sound stone in the crook of his hoof, silencing the recording altogether. He leaned in and hoarsely uttered, "She's still alive, though that isn't saying much. Wings or no wings, she was in far worse condition when I first found her, lying tattered in a wooden hut at Aridstone. Do you know what it is that brought her back? It wasn't you. It wasn't that zebra. It certainly wasn't ancient prophecy or religion. It was me. I provided the metals that nourished her back to health. She owed her life to me, for she became Ledomaritan property. And she can owe her life to me again. Spark knows, she owes her life to you."
Belle sniffled, tilting her face to look at Shell directly.
He glared at her as he said, "Tell me what brought you to Blue Nova. Tell me what you were looking for in Nightshade's city. Work with me... be compliant... and I will see that her suffering on board the Steel Wing ends."
Belle started panting in cold breaths. She gazed with twitching eyes at the sound stone in Shell's grip.
The stallion paced around her. As the silence persisted, her grumbled, "Why do you do this, Doctor Bellesmith? Is there even a goal in mind? Do you even have a future? The ponies that you meet most certainly don't. Your beloved... a company full of Franzington mercenaries... and now a little filly..."
Belle clenched her eyes shut, gnashing her teeth.
Shell stood behind her, placing a pair of firm hooves on her shoulders. He leaned in and whispered into her ear, "Do you see now the price of loyalty? All I want to do is to set your priorities straight. Believe me; it will be the best for you as well as it will be the best for Ledomare."
Seething, Belle finally opened her eyes. She snarled, "Do you want to know the price of loyalty?"
Shell's grip of her shoulders lessened as he awaited an answer.
She gave it. "Let me show you." With a snarl, she hopped off the chair and bucked it straight into the stallion's gut.
Shell fell back like a sack of potatoes. He struggled to get up.
Belle flew forward, brushing past the table. She paused, reached into Luna's satchel, and pulled out the hatchet. Spinning around, she launched it with a grunt at the stallion.
Shell stood up, but swiftly ducked the bladed weapon. It spun towards the corner of the cabin, knocking a lantern loose and catching half of the room on fire. Shell cursed under his breath and launched a blast of telekinesis to put out hte flames. When he turned to look over his shoulder...
Belle was gone.
YAY BELLE!
That was surprisingly easy, awfully convenient, and full of continuity errors.
(Even more so than usual, that is)
something feels off about this.
1 she left the saddlebags
2 the guards are outside
"With a shuffle of his four natural limbs, Shell trotted over to the table." Haha! The ruse has been confirmed! Im completely on board now with the whole "Belle is in a dream of some sort". Kera lives!
2866274
Welcome aboard!
here I was hoping Kera's death was a dream... sadness
Remember folks, Dash is still in Imre/Roarke's armor due to wing injury; she can't fly. No way Steel Wing canons (which are broken thanks to Josho) can shoot them off if they're not exposed to start with. No mention of the armor at all, either. Four natural limbs? I don't think so, Shell is missing a leg.
Dream on.
Okay, I didn't want to have to believe it at first, but yeah, it's a dream. At least Kera's not dead... but I'm not going to be happy when this happens again....
2866234
Yeah. The highly-trained military guy... gets knocked around b7y the physically, mentally, and emotionally broken mare?
Forty sit-ups for the convenience, ):(. Knock 'em out!
Oh good.
I mean, I knew/heavily suspected it was a dream since yesterday's first chapter, but it's nice to see it basically confirmed.
Now we have to wonder where exactly Bellesmith is. Did she get recaptured and hooked up to the sequencing machine? Did she ever escape the Nightshade HQ in the first place? I think whatever's going on, this is not a normal dream, and it's certainly not natural.
Oh, also, I still think someone's gonna die in this story. Since Kera's was (likely) a fakeout, and not reflected in the real world, that means we've got one spot open. Personally, I'm tentatively placing my bets on Roarke for now.
2866337
Yeah, I'm not sure she's hooked up to anything so much as it's residual from getting ripped out of the large sequencing. Something maybe to do with how artificial the flame was.
2866337
I think Roarke's a setpiece that SS&E loves too much to kill just yet. Josho seems more likely to me.
I'm extremely confused right now. Oh my gosh.
Possible option: Every character in the dream thusfar is Nightshade (or another actor) asking the same questions via different proxies in this dream... thing. Shell and Kera were asking the same questions, they want to know the same thing. Kera was acting so stilted, Shell keeps acting like a parody of himself. I mean, he's not the deepest of characters to start with, but his villainy isn't so ripped from an action movie as it is here.
Shell would never say this. Someone working for Nightshade, or Nightsahde herself, would.
This chapter is a treasure trove of wrong information, all of which still points to dream. I do not think that can be disputed, and I think there is strong evidence that Nightshade, or a Nightshade-related incident, is the cause. Say Nightshade learned through Phoenix what Belle was up to, and now she wants to learn more information for her own purposes. Nightshade doesn't know what Shell currently looks like, so she is relying upon the fragments of the original sequencing from back in Eljunbyro to construct a new dream. She's going Belle's most emotional centers.
At least we know that this isn't reality.
I still want to see Shell roasted alive.
Oi, vey... I can't wait until this dream sequencing shit is over and done with...
2866269 3: Shell has all of his legs.
We definitely know this isn't real. Definitely a mindfuck though.
In reality, Shell would have taken that blow like a champ and would have crushed her neck.
Yeah, this chapter pretty much confirms it. "Four natural limbs"? "Nightshade's City"? Belle leaving behind the satchel? A supposed investigation of the ruins in Foxtaur, a ship-wrecked group of soldiers having brought in experts? Shell knowing about Eljunbyro and how it ties into everything, when he's shown no such knowledge before? Plus all the weirdness of the past three chapters? Definite bullshit. Meaning, of course, Kera is
hopefullyprobably still alive.Has to be Nightshade trying to figure out just what Belle knows. I sort of thought Belle's escape from Nightshade earlier was a tad too easy. I do wonder how Nightshade knows some of these things, like about the kerfuffle in Foxtaur or Dash's arrival in Aridstone, but I suppose Nightshade is simply tapping into her memories.
C'mon, Belle! Show Nightshade who's boss!
2866274>>2866279
t.qkme.me/356wcq.jpg
BWAAAAHHH BWAAAH BWAAHHHHHH
Might I draw attention to the where we left off of Belle before these newer chapters:
And where we picked back up to Belle in these newer chapters
I'm going to go with after affect of being torn out of sequencing... If I recall correctly there were a few incidents in Blue Shelf where Belle was unconscious for a few days after sequencing, where she still experienced a lucid-dream kind of state.
2866831
Exactly. In those instances Whitemane was involved, occasionally, so I don't think it's too far fetched that Nighshade is doing something, here. That said, too much contact with Rainbow Dash in Eljunbyro also caused strange side-effects which may or may not be part of Belle's destiny.
I leave open the possibility there is no malice behind this, that it is simply a side effect, but I think it's more likely that someone, Nightshade, is trying to get info by taking advantage of the what we saw occur in early parts of Eljunbyro.
She may be "gone" but is she really gone?
Sounds... delicious.
Oh, this is definitely a dream. Thank goodness.
I'm just waiting for Belle to figure stuff out and say the immortal words to Shells face, "Buck you Nightshade". That would make a great line for a chapter title, don't you agree IC?
2866279 Alrighty, fine, now he's throwing the truth at us. Shell suddenly growing back his limb is almost, almost as absurd as Rainbow begging for mercy just because of physical torture. He even made sure to stress the fact that no leg was missing. There, you were right, as always.
2866337>>2866421 Also, Roarke is a warrior. I don't see how her death could end up as anything but heroic, glorious sacrifice in battle. That mare has long come to terms with her own demise - Kera, Belle and Pilate on the other hand...
2866862 You bring up another fascinating point. Whitemane can and has interfered with sequencing dreams. If Belle is really being manipulated - which does indeed seem likely - and Mother Hulda back in Emeraldine would get wind of that, things could get extremely interesting. Then again, I feel like this kind of deus ex machina isn't Scolon's thing; I mean, 340 chapters later and Axan is still lurking. What's up with her, anyways?
Wait... comments... Shell only has three legs? Oooooh yeeeeaaaaah...
Aha! Didn't Belle lose the hatchet when Phoenix saved her butt back on the airship? Inconsistency! Thusly, this must be a dream sequence thingy!
(after perusing some of the comments) Oh. And the whole Shell making like a salamander and regrowing a limb thing. That, too.
So either Belle's mind is sadistic as all get out, or Nightshade is a major weenie and is making Belle live out all her worst fears. Poor girl can't catch a break, can she?
Welp, off I go again. I will not rest until Kera is safe and accounted for!
IIIIIt's Dashie's 12th Marathon Evaluation Time!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wait...
...What?
Is this a dream or something...A vision...It has to be. It would explain how Shell got Dash's voice and fabricated her capture, because I still believe he faked it. That has to be it...
...right?
Right?! There isn't any other explanation, right?! And then Belle just disappears?!! IT HAS TO BE!!
THESE ARE MY THOUGHTS SO FAR.
-MASH
P.S. Four left, but I never went to get a snack.
Odd. Shell having a fever dream or something? That'd explain a lot.
Meh, onwards!
BELLE CANT KICK SHELLS ASS! WHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAATTTTT?
Wait so this is all a dream? That means Kera isn't dead!
-Spirit
Continuity errors? more like Dream sequence!
Please tell me Kera lives!
2866234
It has become far more obvious now. This Shell knows far more than he should, and he has done far more than he could and would. I believe I am on board fully, now.
Shell knows too much . . .
This isn't real.
2934707 i have to agree...this is wrong...
Bella will become a great warrior one day
Ah, so the dream is falling apart, becoming more and more evident.
Most excellent! Now the question remains... what's causing it?
Unless I missed something, Shell never actually lost his leg. It got fractured/broken and he had a prosthetic brace of some sort around it. He didnt want to waste time waiting for his leg to heal and that was why he stayed with the Steel Wing as opposed to his other mentioned option of going to a hospital
Eeyup, a dream.
I know this isn't real, but GO BELLE
"...in Nightshade's city..." Shell would never call it that. Nightshade would.
So this one gave it away more than anything that it's a dream. But... does that mean she's still in the sequence thing? That would be quite the backtrack, but oh well. Kera will still be alive!
~SolidFire
Something here doesn't add up. I doubt that Rainbow would be captured without a chapter dedicated to it...
6967566
I was thinking that it was a recording from back when the Ledomaritans first found Rainbow Dash.
Other comments have illustrated what seems to be the truth however.
And considering the four months between your comment and mine, I'm guessing you've found this out yourself.
5982256
Ooohhh.
I didn't even pick up on that.
2888262
Or that.
Actually, on perusing the chapter again I'm spotting more than a few things that seem... incongruous.
Eeyup. This is not real. There is no way Rainbow Dash has been captured. This is probably Nightshade somehow playing mindgames with Belle to try and break her and get information. Belle's probably still asleep next to Kera.
Nicely done, Belle!
Shell has a really horrible track record of letting ponies escape. I bet the Council of Ledo could vouch for that.
8510797
It seems Everytime he gets ahold of someone,they always manage to slip from his grasp.
He does not have as iron a grip as he may think. More like butter fingers of death