Belle sat on the stoop to the town archives, staring at the lines that rolling wagon wheels made in the soft dirt of Blue Shelf's village square. Her face was moist from tears, but her eyes were dead still. She breathed deeply, her body eerily calm.
A gust of wind blew at her brown mane, and then a pair of shadows crossed over her figure. Blinking once... twice... she looked up and squinted above her.
Kenna and Baxter stood side by side. They smiled nervously, a feeble attempt at joy. They had canvas satchels slung over their shoulders.
"We didn't think we'd find you here," Kenna said. "We're glad to see you one last time."
"Yeah!" Baxter exclaimed. "Odds are you were snoozing away in pegasus land—"
Kenna nudged him harshly.
He winced, his gaze falling elsewhere.
Belle blinked once more. "Uhm..." Her hooves squirmed nervously in the dirt. "What do you mean... last time?"
Kenna gazed at Baxter. She sniffed and put on a brave smile as she glanced down at Bellesmith again. "It looks like our talents are needed elsewhere, Belle. The Council of Ledo is moving us."
"Important business, it seems," Baxter added. "We've been told that firestarters like ourselves are incredibly qualified. Only the top magic practitioners are headed where we're headed! Erm... N-not that you're a novice at magic. I mean, you're good at what you're doing here... at least before the fainting and the sl-sleeping and... uhm..."
"Quite frankly, we don't have many options left when it comes to staying in Blue Shift," Kenna said. "We'd love to stay. We really do. But they've escorted so many ponies away as it is. There just isn't a real infrastructure anymore. They must not want this place to function anymore. It's all about the facility. It's all..." The female anteloupe clenched her eyes shut, took a deep breath and calmed herself. Eventually, she opened a pair of moist eyes and looked at Belle. "I just want you to know, in spite of all that has happened, in spite of how awkward things may have gotten, you are still the most remarkable pony we have ever met. It kills me inside to no longer have you as a neighbor. Your grace and eloquence will never be forgotten."
Belle nodded slowly. She smiled, but a tear trailed down her cheek. "Just the rest of me is forgettable, and that's nopony's fault but my own."
Kenna opened her mouth to reply, but had no words to give. She gave Baxter a forlorn glance before dropping her things, squatting down, and giving Belle a dear hug. She nuzzled the unicorn's shoulder and spoke in a wavering voice, "I don't understand why he did what he did. It's not like him. There has to be another explanation..."
Belle choked on a sob. "If there is..." She buried her neck in Kenna's shoulder. "Nopony is telling me."
"Everything changed after the Enforcers arrived," Baxter said, thinking aloud. "This place has always been regimental, but as soon as those beret-wearing goosetrotters came in, all the life around this place has been utterly stripped out! I don't get it! The Confederacy has always function through the power of its populace. Without couples, without workers and their beloveds, the spirit is gone! What do they expect us to be? Machines?"
"It makes no difference," Belle whispered. Sniffling, she gazed into Kenna's face and smiled warmly. "Wherever they are taking you, it has got to be a better place than this."
Kenna's face grimace. "I just wish there was something I could do. There's so little time."
"Then spend it doing what you can to stay together," Belle said. "Be honest with each other. Share your fears as much as your love. And most of all..." She lingered, her face tensing in pain as she added, "Share your moments, for they can go by so swiftly."
Kenna and Baxter exchanged glances. Before they could respond, there was a sharp whistle from behind. Several Enforcers stood by a wagon filling with ponies, buffalo, reindeer, and goats. They were glaring that way.
"Well... this is so long," Baxter said. He bowed his antlers and added, "Try not to stare down anymore manticores."
Belle smiled and whispered back. "I'll try not to."
Kenna and Baxter hesitantly turned away and shuffled off. They climbed into the vehicle on hovering manapanels. Not long after, the wagon resonated with a low hum and coasted away, around the corner. The anteloupes' faces vanished in a blur.
Belle wiped the tears clear from her face. With a sigh, she stood up and trotted slowly up the vacant hill leading towards her home.
And the emptiness inside.
wow this was late today. I never realized how much I'd come to expect this every day until the day when it almost doesn't arrive. Am I the only one who had no feels for Belle?
You will find him eventually.
Well that was slightly depressing.
1647916
A step up from the now-normal really depressing!
Super relevant to theme:
To comments:
1647916
Only a little. A tad. Just a smidgen.
It's been a while since I've commented, I to explain why I ont comment is because of ich insightful minds such as zap and pilate take the prizes for thinking ahed. I just don't feel like repeating something someone else pointed out.
As for the story I believe belle is going to go threw hell to find Pilate and rescue/revive rainbow dash.
And she will damn you she will.
sad chapters are sad.
Baww, this makes me so sad, I love this story.
Also, as far as I can tell, first!
EDIT: God dammit, I waited too long.
Huh. Well now Belle's situation mimics Dash's alone-ness, except all her people are still alive.
I'm still thinking maybe Pilate left to find help for Belle, although I don't know why he wouldn't have at least left a note or told someone what his plans were. Unless he feared they'd get intercepted by the police ponies? Or maybe Whitemane paid him a brain visit and told him to peace off so Belle could focus on saving Dash, and he didn't tell her because she needs to feel Dash's pain to properly rescue her or something?
Or Pilate's just a douche that way. Still, all character development says otherwise. Now awaiting Belle's transformation into "I got nothin' to lose" badass. Or depressed loner. Either one. Until tomorrow!
1647916 Hey, you got a new avatar. Pinkie agrees
1648084
Like it?
I made it myself.
1648100 Insane pinkie is best pinkie all the way. I love it
1647884
Yes.
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6aqg8Jy4w1r353teo1_400.gif
Oh. Last chapter, I was all for calling BS on Pilate leaving. Now, it's finally sinking in...
1648011
Perhaps you just don't comment because no one can make sense of whatever the hell you're saying.
1647952
No green eyes, only dead ones now.
1648057
I like the idea of Pilate getting a message from Whitemane. Something along the lines of, "You have to leave right now. You cannot talk to your beloved before you go. If you value her life, you must get as far away from her as you can." That would explain the complete break from character our favorite zebra seemingly had and makes sense in the context of Belle's upcoming journey.
It'll be ok Belle... It'll be ok...
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb1ohzW5g61rvt9r7.gif
Sorry. Couldn't resist, despite the sad moment.
1647916
That just means I can break out the Candlemass.
Solitude - Candlemass
Poor Belle .
On another note: shouldn't Belle be pretty physically weakened by now? She has been dropping in and out of consciousness for many days at a time, so there should be at least some physical repurcussions on her. Pilate probably fed her and gave her water while he was still with her, but Belle should still be significantly weakened by these fainting spells. It's not too much of an issue right now, but it would still be worth addressing, especially if Belle is gonna do any running or physical excercise in the future (I.e. if she has to break out of Blue Shelf, possibly with Dash in tow).
It's not like Pilate leaving wasn't expected. The only thing is how she deals with it.
1648365. On a other note never type with your German keyboard on it mis-spells everything.
I think Pilate was "relocated" because he "knew too much." I mean he figured out all of those shenanigans about Austraeoh and Eljunbryo etc. So, if he worked all this out, the enforcers and by extent the Ledomartian Council found out that he knows this, and they now either have Pilate because they know about this already, and don't want anypony else to know, or they don't know this and think that this knowledge will help them with the giant wall they have down below them.
Oppressive governments never take long to figure things out.
Onwards!
"Your grace and eloquence will never be forgotten." These are two specific qualities that Dash, love her though we may, is fairly obviously lacking. A bit of contrast for us there.
I see a lot of correlation between rainbows memory and belles reality(?) here. Everyone she knows Is leaving her. At least they're not dead.
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
So we basically get more sad, emotional scenes in this chapter. It's not as bad as the previous chapters, though. So don't worry. I've been racking my brain for an explanation as to why Ledo would choose to distance Belle from all if her friends, though. (Assuming that is his intent, of course.) Also, Kenna recites what we've been saying about Pilate's disappearance - that there has to be an explanation. There better be...These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
P.S. Merry Christmas, everypony! Also, Happy Hannukah and Kwanza!
Pilate, there better be a good reason for your leaving.
are they trying to simulate dash's loss?
All that's left you.
1940981
Blue Shelf, or Whitemane?
1854903 happy soon to be labor day
1648428
why would you do this
Man, the part where they talk about how they are heading to a place where everything is better and they are extremely qualified-- I get this horrible feeling it's gonna be like how the nazis told the jews and other "undesirables" they were only taking a cleansing shower...
>The Confederacy has always function through the power of
Do you mean "functioned"?
And she's alone.
I feel like the Enforcers are deliberately trying to make Belle alone so that she will continue to sequence without hindrance.
" Without couples, without workers and their beloveds, the spirit is gone! What do they expect us to be? Machines?"
Well Steelteeth would be insulted!
What now?
3441750 I didn't consider that but that is a valid point. I do remember earlier in the story, pyros were hardly needed more anyways...
2125768
2589064
Umm...Happy Victory Day!
Well, Belle's hit the Despair Event Horizon, and now there's gonna need to be some big event that gives her the kick in the pants she needs.
My bet is that it's gonna be Dash related.
C'mon, Ed!Al, don't fail me now...
Ah, the consistent Skirts message of getting the most out of life, and doing it with the people you love. Always nice to see.
8192826
Well there's one moral message.
1854903
5955109
Technically it's an hour late for this in my timezone, but west of the Atlantic it's still the right date to wish Americans a happy "good riddance, ungrateful colonists day."
No offence meant, of course, whether or not you are from the US. (And I have no idea if you are, but it's often a good bet on the net that someone is and I'm guessing from tailspin's Canadian flag icon that they aren't the one.)
Affirmative statement: They who would be unicorns of Darkstine think this is a great idea. Proceed with the machinification posthaste.