Bellesmith had free control of her limbs for the space of two seconds. She took advantage of it.
"Nnngh!" In a single bound, she hopped over the kettle of hot potato soup.
"Ughh—Grab her, dang it!" stammered the stallion who was still reeling from her headbutt. His two companions gave chase.
She planted her front hooves against the ground and kicked the kettle with her rear limbs. Hot broth splashed all over the uniformed unicorns' hooves, singeing them. They winced and hobbled in pain.
Belle galloped breathlessly towards the edge of the camp.
Frowning, the first stallion tilted his horn forward.
A tree branch above Belle snapped loose and fell down weightedly. The length of it landed across her flank.
"Augh!" she shrieked as she was flung to the ground. Pain rocketed through her figure. She felt the twigs and leaves of the offending structure getting tangled with Princess Luna's saddlebag. Try as she might to summon some extra energy, she inevitably fell limp beneath the weight of the branch.
Three sets of hoofsteps trotted over towards where she was. Magic kissed the air as the branch was lifted from her back. No sooner was she free then two stallions lunged down and restrained her physically. She grunted and struggled in vain as they forced her into a standing position.
"Crazy mare..." The stallion with a whelt on his forehead muttered as he paced before her. He squinted through the hazy light of the campfire and said, "She's got less muscle on her than my baby sister. Where the heck did she learn moves like that?"
"She looks too soft to be a vagabond to me," said one of the ponies gripping her. He glanced at her cutie mark. "Hmmm... maybe a writer down on her luck?"
"That's some bad luck," chuckled the other one. "What should we do with her? This isn't exactly covered by Nightshade protocol."
"My left eye, it's not," the stallion in front of her grumbled. "Technically speaking, she did try stealing the Industry's property."
"What, the potatoes? You really think that's gonna work if she goes and complains to enforcers?"
"Please, just let me go," Belle managed to murmur. "All I wanted was some food. I'm sorry..."
"Would it have killed you to ask for it, lady?"
Bell glared at the stallion in front of her. "Something tells me you're not exactly the gracious type..."
He blinked at that.
"Pssst... Hey..." One of the other two motioned with his head towards the crates of items packed around the campsite. "Check it out..." A box was stacked up in a hectic fashion atop another crate, and several horseshoes with runic symbols had fallen loose.
The one stallion glanced at it, then at his companions. After sharing a knowing look, he took a deep breath and spoke aloud, "Ma'am, I do believe, for your own good, we should bring you back with us to the city..."
Belle's eyes went wide. "Huh? Wh-what?"
"You're obviously in need of shelter and nourishment. Trust me." His eyes took on an icy glare. "Nightshade Industries will know how to take care of you."
"I am—mmf!" Belle jerked at the grip of the stallions. "N-not about to go with you anywhere!"
"I'm sorry, but I think we both know it's too late for you to have a choice." The stallion closed the distance between them, preparing to strike his hoof across the top of her skull.
She bit her lip, awaiting the inevitable blow.
Just then, the light from the campfire went out.
"Whoah!" one the stallions gripping Belle turned and gasped. "What gives?"
The air rang with metal as the other unicorn lifted his spear from across the camp. "Crud! She wasn't alone!"
"Why the heck would she be sent in, then?"
"Why else?! To get us all bunched up together and—" The stallion to Belle's right was silenced as a lithe body plowed him hard into the side of the company's wagon.
She gasped and crouched down low, covering her head.
The other stallion turned and jabbed his spear over her. Something in the shadows gripped his lance and yanked him forward. His chin flew straight into a waiting hoof. Before he could spit out his own teeth, a pair of forelimbs gripped him hard and body-slammed the uniformed pony into the smoldering ashes that remained of the campsite.
Belle watched as the last stallion standing pulled out a small blade and held it in his magic grip. He panted and glanced every which way in the starlight. Everything was horror and the sound of crickets. Just then, he heard the shuffling sound of one of his partners' spears being picked up. He spun with a shout, swinging hard with his blade.
It was met with the end of a lance. Sparks flew, illuminating a mustached muzzle. Once it was dark again, the invasive shadow flew forward, knocking the stallion off his hooves and slamming him hard through a pile of crates. The air filled with the sound of the unicorn's muffled cries, followed by several heavy blows to the cranium. Then, with a moan, the pony was out cold.
A few more seconds dripped by...
With a deep breath, the attacker stood up above the pile of unconscious stallions. His body shone with multiple scrapes and bruises in the starlight. After catching his nerves, he spun and murmured into the air, "Belle?" He gulped and repeated, "Miss Bellesmith?"
He was answered with the crunching sound of the mare's hooves trotting angrily away through the underbrush.
"Bellesmith!" he hissed, as if the stallions could somehow be woken from their beating. In an awkward shuffle, he bounded after her, following her deep into a cluster of trees. "Bellesmith, will you please stop for one second—?!"
"Go away, Mr. Phoenix," she grumbled, marching north as swiftly as her temper and frustration could take her.
"I can't go away! You know that!"
"I don't know anything," she muttered. "I don't care about anything."
"That's not true!" he stammered, hobbling to catch up with her. "You care about yourself, don't you? You care about whatever this journey is that you're on—"
She spun and flashed a furious glare in the starlight. "Have you been following me all this time?"
He rebounded from her expression. Gulping, he nodded and said, "Yes... At a distance."
"Nnnngh..." She face-hoofed.
"Look, it's dangerous out here..."
"You think I don't know that...?"
"No!" He briefly frowned. "No, I think you don't. Or else, if you do, then you've got some serious, suicidal complex and it's only going to end with you losing your head and—"
"Good Bye, Mr. Phoenix," she grunted and turned around again.
"Hey!" He stomped his hooves. "You're welcome, by the way!" His teeth grit. "So maybe I am the scum of the earth, but would it kill you to sit back and think for once?! This is twice now that you could have been either Ledomaritan property or food for worms in the ground!"
"If you think... for one second..." She paused to spit back at him. "For one measely moment of my life that I actually owe you anything—"
"Not a damn thing!" he shouted. As the echoed died out against the tree trunks, he panted for breath, swallowed, and said, "And no matter how much I owe you and my fellow soldiers and myself, I'm never gonna win it all back. Not after the damage done. I know that!" Phoenix shuddered as he fell back on his haunches, his gaze falling towards the forest floor. "Just as I know that there's no way I'll ever get back to Franzington at this rate... and... and see my family again... and live a life of peace where I don't have to worry about looking over my shoulder the whole time." He ran a hoof over his head and grumbled on, "Funny, after all the stuff I did in fear of myself and that one goal... I have no chance of ever getting it..."
Belle stood still in the night air. She said nothing; she merely looked at him.
"Look, you don't have to like me or the fact that I'm around, but the fact is you're in a great deal of danger," Phoenix said. "And though I may be a terrible soldier or a terrible pony in general, that doesn't change the fact that you're out here all alone with the entire Confederacy looking for the likes of you and it's not right!" He gazed up with melancholic eyes. "I know that helping you out won't redeem me, but that doesn't change the fact that protection is what you deserve."
"I'm not going to Franzington, Phoenix."
"I don't care," he blurted.
She leaned back, blinking at that.
"Don't you get it?" He stood up and slowly trotted towards her. "I know you're not going there... and... y'know... that's okay..." He smiled painfully. "You're on your own little journey. And after all that..." He froze in place, wincing heavily. After a sigh, he eventually continued, "After all that's happened, the least I can do is make sure you get as far as you want to go. Never mind me. Really."
She squinted at him. "How do I know you just won't try to sell me out again?"
He gazed at her with jaded eyes. "What are either of us worth at this point?"
The air above them was dead silent. A full minute passed, and Phoenix was starting to shift uncomfortably. At the sound of crunching hoofsteps he looked up—then spun around.
Belle was marching back towards the campsite where all of the supplies lingered under darkness.
"Ms. Bellesmith...?" Phoenix stammered.
"They likely have food, water, and provisions for long travel here. Would be a shame to let them keep it all for whatever ill-purpose they had in mind."
Phoenix cocked his head aside, his ears twitching.
"...you going to make yourself useful or not?"
The faintest of smiles crossed his lips. The starlight caught a hint of moisture in his eyes, but it was all too quickly dried as he shot up to his hooves and practically galloped over to assist her.
Geez, I guess Belle doesn't like Phoenix all that much.
Well I guess I can start commenting now. I'm glad that Belle at least let Pheonix tag along. Also I am curious as to how Belle will react once she finds out Pilate is alive after she has acted so different.
I knew Phoenix was around somewhere.
He's become too awesome to just leave.
Belle kicks butt.
Awww yeah! Looks like everybody now has their own entourage! RD and Roarke, Crimson and the Crystal ponies, Belle and Phoenix, and EE and Josho. Hopefully this means nobody's in any immediate danger.
oh you and your funny choice of titles
Well, considering in her eyes he's pretty much responsible for the love of her life dying, it's not really a surprise she is not overly fond of Phoenix's company.
Still. From the ashes, he will fucking rise. Said it before. Still true.
Wait. What is Belles cutie mark? I don't recall.
Yay, Phoenix's back! Hopefully for the better.
2374784It appears so. Perhaps some..."measures" must be taken to prevent your overtaking of me...muahahahahah...
(Think I'll do a few extra chapters tonight.)
Redemption ho, Phoenix!
Suddenly, Phoenix.
2375845 You do your "measures" I'm on the latest chapter and now I have nothing more to read!!! (BTW is there an emote list for mobile?)
nooooo! She spilled the potatoes! Not the potatoes!
2376064Yeah, I think so. The new mobile version is...kind of bad, though. Whenever I try to post a comment, the site lags and Safari has to be rebooted.Now, when I evaluate mobile, I copy/paste the chapter into my Notes, then write the evaluation in my Notes, then copy/paste that into the comments before it lags again. It's quite a process, and I wouldn't mind Knighty fixing it.
2376154 Yeah I liked the site the way it was before but oh well. Change happens
2376154 I haven't had any problems with the mobile other than the fact that sometimes a chapter won't load properly. I'm not sure if this is the mobile at fault or my crappy internet connection. Either than that its pretty good.
I knew Phoenix wouldn't just let Belle wonder off by herself! Even if he doesn't see it, I smell redemption coming his way.
Also, kudos to him for taking out three stallions by himself by using stealth and the element of surprise without killing them.
And so, Phoenix lives up to his name. It'll be a hard journey...I actually hope he makes it and doesn't get killed though. Not everyone Rainbow Dash meets needs to have the bad ending.
2376405 PIE!? Anyone got a Soarin pic!?
It's killing me that I have to actually WAIT for chapters now.
Yay!(if only their was an emote list on mobile).
2376523
I haven't had any real issue with mobile either, then again, I've only left a comment or two with it. Additionally, the fact that I don't have to resize my mobile screen now is fantastic(before I'd have to zoom in and adjust horizontal area)
Also, Phoenix is best tragic/redeemed hero... And his name says it all. I'm expecting a great heroic Crowning moment of awesome eventually, at which point he dies (because there's no way to let everyone forgive him without it seeming convoluted and out of character for the rest of the party).
Man I've been late in my duties of following this fic.
Also yus, more of me now and I love this little scene.
Would you really give up your personal goal for the need of a stranger?
I can see things getting a little complicate between these two. They think Pilate is dead. Pheonix might develop something.
This is... not easy to read when you're drunk. Not at all. But very fun.
2377597
It would only get complicated for Phoenix. Belle is still reeling from the "loss" of Pilate - I doubt she's in any condition to shift her affection so quickly. And with Phoenix's current self-image, I doubt he'd see himself as worthy of Belle's attention in such a manner.
The mustache of justice.
2375437 We don't even know.
So he saves her life thrice and she still goes all "And what do you want from me?"
Mares. Seriously.
I get the feeling that Belle must be a bit of a complicated character to write. With Dash in her head, Pilate in her conscience and her own troubles in her mind, there are quite a few forces pulling her into different directions. Had a character like that myself once - even I didn't know what he was going to do next at any given time. To many cooks...
Side note: ceterum censeo Searinem delendam esse. Furthermore, I consider that Searo must be destroyed.
2379367
To her credit, it really isn't the best idea to trust Phoenix, perhaps even now. I do feel a bit for him, though.
2379939 I think there is barely anyone more trustworthy than him right now. He is in the middle of atonement for a betrayal he did out of fear - weakness. Not only has the situation changed and taken away the reason for his treacherous behaviour, he has also found his inner courage, plainly. He is the lost son returning home - he won't leave again anytime soon.
I was wondering when this guy would turn up again. I'm glad he and Belle are on...well, not good terms, but terms of some sort, at least. Maybe its easier for me to forgive him because I know he didn't actually get any of the group killed, so its nice that Belle can agree to travel with him. And now they're all fueled up, too. Onward!
IIIII Dashie's evaluation time!
Well, I could've been wrong. Now that Phoenix is back in business we can see how he will redeem himself. Although I believe it was ultimately peer pressure that forced him into vouching for Zenith. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
2417971
Peer pressure? Dude, I think if a guy's head exploded right next to you, and the guy who made the head explode started telling you to do things, I'm pretty sure no one in that situation would start weighing options. If it were me, I'd be like, "So, which foot did you want me to kiss again?" No way am I letting my brain get exploded all over the place.
Although, then again, you could pretend to play along, using the maybe-sort-of-real urine running down your leg to sell the point, and try to get the jump on him. Depends on how well you can fake a panic attack.
Hm I had thought that he would be following her.
Nice job, Phoenix! Looks like the pairings are back.
Belle and Phoenix, Pilate and Floydien, Crimson and Tweak, JOsho and EE.
-SPirit
3279012
Jesus, are you rereading this series again or something?
You know, as much as I understand Belle, I think that she has been a little harsh on him. Especially since, you know . . . his friend's head blew up in front of him, and he was coated in his friend's brain matter, and then threatened with that same thing happening to him and his family.
I'm not fond of Phoenix either but
jeez
5609868 He's an idiot, but at least he is trying.
Trying to reach an impossible redemption. Keep soldiering on Phoenix.
You do everything you can to make up for it, knowing that you'll never succeed in getting rid of the guilt.
You devote yourself to spending every second trying to do better despite the fact that it will never be enough.
And you pray with every single good act you do that somehow, when your life is over, that you came close to making up for the wrong you committed.
- Watcher
6186014 I'm not an executioner.
Seriously though, Phoenix has a lot of making up to do, but this is a start.
Phoenix is back, hell yeah!
Much better.
I love how even in the wilderness, Phoenix, Belle, Pilate, EE, and Crimson are still polite/respectful enough to say Ms., Mr., sir, etc.
Okay at least you're being honest now, Phoenix.
..huh.
I wonder if he's going to live up to his namesake.
Looks like Phoenix will redeem himself the die-hard way. Through bad assery.
Belle kicks flank.
Oooof course sonething freaky happens.
What's it gonna be now?
The boogeymare come to save the day?
Well...they're back on neutral terms at least.
That's sonething
6186014
Brilliant use of a Brilliant quote from a Brilliant story (you should seriously consider joining MENSA with that much brilliance).