Chapter Sixty Five
"Ulquiorra? Do you have a moment before you leave?"
With the spell effectively split to include himself -a fact that had been proven by a test scroll being incinerated by Spike's flame breath, only to instantly rematerialize right in front of him- they had all concluded that the best course of action available was to call it a night, go their separate ways, and reunite in the morning for the discussion of various theories related to everything that had happened today.
After exiting the library he had prepared to travel to Sweet Apple Acres, and spend the better part of the night in the orchards, looking for whatever clues could be found. But he had been stopped upon Princess Celestia speaking up, and asking him for his time. Slowly, he turned to face her where she stood, waiting to see what she had to say to him.
"I can't help but be curious about cutting the discussion short tonight. Normally you have no problem going into detail about various matters, even if they're truly disturbing in nature. But this just seems... out of character, and it caught me off guard," she explained. "I don't mean to pry, as I'm sure you have good reason for such. But... was it really because Twilight and the others were getting tired, and wouldn't be able to properly understand what they would be told? Or... was it because the subject matter is more disturbing than usual?" she asked.
After giving a monetary pause, Ulquiorra responded.
"To an extent it's both. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Spike, were all beginning to show the preliminary signs of fatigue, indicating the onset of exhaustion; both of the physical, and the mental variety. Regardless of how well I could explain the situation, it would do little good if they're fully unable to properly comprehend what they have to hear. And what they have to hear has the potential to be significant," he explained.
"If you don't mind the inquiry, I'd like to know what that matter might actually be," Celestia stated. She knew she could compel him to explain himself. But she wasn't entirely certain that was the best course of action to take; at least not at this point in time.
But Ulquiorra was so far saying nothing. He was just glancing from side to side, before looking up toward the sky. At first she didn't get what he meant, until she stopped and thought about it, and then it dawned her. With a nod of understanding, she extended her wings outward and gave a strong downward flap, lifting herself up off the ground as she ascended up into the air, until she was high above Ponyville.
Ulquiorra's ascension was far simpler than her own, making him look as if he'd simply taken an elevator, as he merely stood in place with his hands tucked into his pockets, as he came up to eye level with her.
"I trust this is far enough to avoid any prying ears?" she asked him.
"Far enough that even I wouldn't be able to hear the conversation from ground level," Ulquiorra replied. He knew that this exchange could've easily been done through the mind, just as it had been done once before. But it was a technique he didn't particularly care for. "When I reported that Fluttershy's animals had no useful information, it was accurate. But that didn't mean there was no information whatsoever to be shared. According to Fluttershy, her animal charges are reporting a greater deal of agitation than usual, even after factoring in, and allowing for, the warmer weather of the summer season. According to Fluttershy, they're aware that something isn't right, but they're unable to articulate just what that something is. On top of this, there is a growing sense of fear regarding the close proximity of the Everfree Forest. Her charges are reluctant to set foot anywhere near it, with some even expressing a desire to move closer to Ponyville, for a greater measure of distance being afforded to them."
To him it was a most unusual meeting that had been experienced. Despite lacking even a basic level of sapience, the animals in Fluttershy's care had managed to convey to her a sense of fear and agitation, and it had absolutely nothing to do with his presence. Perhaps the most striking aspect of it all, was how a number of her furry charges had failed to flee from his presence when he'd arrived. It was almost like they'd become aware of something significantly more terrifying than himself.
But that left him with a question he had no answer for. Just what was scaring the animals worse than even himself, that they were aware of, yet he himself couldn't detect? Who or what exactly was out there right now? And precisely where was it?
That was another reason he didn't want to have this conversation on the ground level; it was far too easy to be observed from down there, and potentially sensitive information being leaked to the wrong parties. But a mile above the ground was significantly harder to eavesdrop on.
"I'll admit, that does have a somewhat disturbing element about it. But was it truly disturbing enough, to the point that the information had to be kept from Twilight and her friends for the night?" Celestia asked as she gently beat her wings to maintain her current altitude.
"I can't say for certain, but I believed it best to err on the side of caution for the time being. If they were to engage in random, unguided speculation fueled by fear, fatigue, and caffeine, they could eventually reach the conclusion that there's something far worse in this world than myself. And if they arrive at that conclusion, there's no telling what the end results would be," Ulquiorra explained. He could've elaborated further on how there wasn't sufficient time to spend the night serving as a babysitter to two hysterical ponies, and one hysterical dragon, who had concluded that he was no longer the top predator in their world. But ultimately he decided against such, as, if it should become necessary to do just that, then he would do it.
But he would prefer not going down that particular path if it could be avoided. Not yet anyway.
"Point taken," Celestia acknowledged. The depths of Ulquiorra's true nature were terrifying for her to experience the first time around. And the idea of there being something even worse than him in this world to consider, was definitely not a thought she wanted to consider. She really didn't want to think about what could be worse than him, after seeing what she had about him. That was all too disturbing to even think about. "What about the sadism angle you mentioned earlier? What was that about?" she asked, hoping to change the subject to something slightly less disturbing.
"Little more than pure speculation regarding what Applejack went through, compared to what Rainbow Dash reported experiencing. But going by what they both experienced would certainly suggest a sadistic mindset is in play. It might even suggest that these attacks were deliberately planned out, to the point of being specifically tailored towards each of their personalities, in an effort to generate the most pain and suffering from each of them," Ulquiorra replied. He already knew that there were going to be questions as to what he meant in his explanation, so he chose to cut her off at the pass.
"Rainbow Dash sees herself as a strong, independent, capable mare who can handle her own problems without the help of others, while simultaneously being loyal to those she associates with, even if their own loyalty is questionable. Her attack consisted of being bound and rendered completely helpless, while those she considered her friends maintained total situational control, deliberately chose to victimize, and brutalize her, greatly compromising her sense of loyalty in the process, and leaving her unable to trust the others. In Applejack's case, she sees herself as a dependable pony that others can count on when in need, and who maintains a great deal of personal integrity about what she believes. She was -presumably- left free to move about, able to object to what she was put through, and only relenting once she was forced to do so under significant duress. She was lead to believe that the choices made were her own, rather than a symptom of her mind being manipulated like it was a marionette. And by her own admission, her own view of herself has now been compromised, leaving her uncertain if she's truly as dependable as she first thought."
He paused in his detailed explanation of everything in order to better observe Princess Celestia's reaction. At the moment she appeared to simply be paying attention, and contemplating what he'd been saying. There was no sense overloading her mind with endless amounts of details in a short amount of time, as he may end up needing her assistance in the near future.
"There are a number of possible theories and options available to us. But at the moment, I believe it's fairly safe to conclude that this wasn't the act of some random stranger, but rather someone with an intimate working knowledge of their personalities. Someone who possesses a familiarity with the character attributes that makes them who they are. Someone who could exploit this knowledge in an effort to inflict the most harm possible, by directly targeting their weaknesses," he continued.
"My word!" Celestia gasped and brought her hoof up to her mouth in shock. These were details she hadn't considered before. And a part of her was really wishing that it had stayed that way. She was really starting to wish that she'd just let him go onto Sweet Apple Acres, rather than stopping him for questioning. "Who... who could be responsible for such?" she asked, morbid curiosity reaching the point where she really didn't think she could stop even if she wanted to.
"At present time I don't know the answer. whoever it is, we know that it has to be someone of considerable strength and talent, to be able to attack them directly, while still eluding my detection. And we can safely conclude the one responsible is an enemy to Equestria; that much goes without saying. But that leaves us with the question of whom is the one responsible, as it would have to be someone that's cropped up as recently as three years ago, when they became the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. And the number of significant villains available to us to choose from is incredibly limited. Nightmare Moon, dead. Chrysalis, dead. Sombra, dead. Leaving us with-"
"Discord..." Celestia replied in a hushed tone, sounding as if she'd been out of breath when she spoke. "You... you believe that Discord is responsible for all of this?" she asked him.
Much to Ulquiorra's surprise, there was a very intense... desire... within him to answer the question in the affirmative. There was a part of him that wanted to say yes, that he suspected Discord of being responsible for everything that had happened up to this point. A strong and unexplainable desire to lay blame squarely at the mismatched feet of the draconequus. In all of his research, Discord was the only being that possessed the means, motive, opportunity, and capability to launch such an attack. It wouldn't even be a stretch to imagine such, seeing as he'd already altered their minds once before, when he forced their negative personality traits to the surface the first time around.
There was only one shortcoming with that theory. And that was his own presence here. If Discord was truly behind these attacks, then why had he brought him here in the first place? What was the endgame goal of it all? Had Discord brought him to this world, simply so he could go up against an intellectual to make things more interesting to him? Was he here so he could play the Sherlock Holmes to Discord's Moriarty? Did even Discord know what he himself was doing at this point?
And if it was Discord, what did he have to do with what Fluttershy's animals were sensing from the Everfree Forest? What was the connection between the two?
The uncertainty of these, and many other questions, was enough to give even him a headache. And it was beginning to throb underneath the remains of his Hollow mask.
"As I said, it is mere speculation. The evidence would certainly suggest his involvement, and give reason for his unexplained absence. But it's purely circumstantial in nature, and inconclusive. We have a theory, and we have facts. But unless we proceed with caution, we may wind up twisting what few facts we have, in order to suit our theory, rather than adjusting our theory to suit the facts that we have. If we allow ourselves to become impatient, we'll end up looking for a scapegoat to assign the blame, and allow ourselves to become distracted. At the moment all we can do is exercise situational awareness of our surroundings, and continue to handle matters as best we can, if we're to have any hope of helping the others," he explained. For the time being he wouldn't pursue the matter of Discord being the one responsible for everything that had happened up to this point.
Not unless he could actually find evidence that was more concrete, and more properly able to tie him to what had been going on.
"I should've just kept my questions to myself," Celestia mumbled as she pinched the bridge of her muzzle with her front hooves. She could understand just why Ulquiorra didn't elaborate on this matter inside the library. "So come tomorrow, just what exactly do we tell them?" she asked as she looked back up at him. Surely he wouldn't be unloading all of this on them... would he?
"What we tell them tomorrow, will be contingent upon what questions they choose to ask, and whatever I might find at Sweet Apple Acres tonight," Ulquiorra explained. He understood the need to safeguard certain sensitive information from general dissemination. But at the same time, he wasn't entirely willing to leave the others in the dark. The only reason he'd done so at the moment, was due to recognizing the potential for misinterpretation.
"And what is it you hope to uncover in your investigation?" Celestia asked.
"Maintaining the optimistic belief that things will work out in a positive manner, is not something that I engage in. I do not waste time hoping for the desired outcome to occur," Ulquiorra explained. And then a pause. "But if I were to engage in such a practice, then I would hope to uncover something that would point to a party other than Discord being involved. Some trace of foreign reiatsu amongst the apple trees, that could potentially help us identify who we're facing. Some shred of evidence that would help lead us to who is responsible, and where they can be found," he admitted. Simply because he chose not to actively engage in a useless exercise, didn't mean he couldn't theorize about what might happen if he ever were to engage in such, unlikely as it might be.
"Are there any other matters to cover? Or has this discussion concluded for the evening?" he asked pointedly. The longer they remained here, with her questioning him, and him making her squirm in response with disturbing answers and theories, the less chance they had of uncovering anything on this night. If there were any clues to be discovered, it was entirely possible that a trail also existed. Where that potential trail would take him, he didn't yet know. But he would find the answer to that question, when he found the evidence to support its existence.
"No, no. I think that I've heard more than enough for one evening. Had I known just where this conversation would lead, I never would've asked," Celestia shook her head and groaned. She really should've just let Ulquiorra proceed as he'd intended, rather than prying on this matter. "You've given me far more to think about than I ever wanted to; including the possibility that none of this would've occurred, if I'd just left Discord imprisoned in stone, rather than believing he could be reformed," she stated.
"I merely answered the questions that were presented to me, nothing more," Ulquiorra replied, unfazed by the possibility that he was being blamed for anything. If Princess Celestia didn't wish to know such details, then she shouldn't have asked for them in the first place. It was entirely her own fault in this case. "Regardless of who is to blame, it changes nothing. We all have our parts to play in this game, if that's what this is. And if this is truly a game of Discord's that's currently afoot, then he has erred grievously when he assigned you your playing pieces."
With nothing left to say, and no real urge to elaborate further on what was said, Ulquiorra took his leave in a flash of sonido, rather than waiting to be dismissed. He'd already wasted two minutes with pointless conversation. He really didn't feel like spending anymore time talking, when there were potentially clues to uncover at Sweet Apple Acres.
Celestia blinked in confusion at Ulquiorra's sudden abruptness of departure. She had... almost expected the Espada to berate her over the possibility that it was she who had set everything into motion, by extending some measure of trust to Discord in believing that he could be reformed from his wicked, utterly chaotic ways. But he hadn't done such. He had ignored the opportunity outright, and simply chosen to depart of his own volition.
There were a lot of uncertainties buzzing about her mind right now as well. This wasn't exactly the first time Ulquiorra had mentioned the concept of this being some sort of game. But she still didn't know what the full extent of it meant. If this really was a game of Discord's, then why had he gone and introduced Ulquiorra into the equation? It's true that the Espada left much to be desired in character traits. But his analytical skills were sharp like a scalpel. And since Discord brought Ulquiorra into everything, he would be putting himself at risk of exposure if he was truly behind this whole mess.
She didn't know what to think right now. This whole thing, in a way, absolutely reeked of Discord. And yet, at the exact same time, it didn't seem at all like him. Right now all she knew for certain was that she wanted to rip her mane out by its roots in frustration. She desperately wanted to find Discord, and demand that he start to answer up. But she knew that, even if Discord did heed her summoning spell voluntarily -and so far he hadn't, despite her best efforts- there was no way of ensuring that what he said would be the actual truth. This left her in the unfortunate position of being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
All she could do right now was wait. Wait and hope that some development was soon to occur, that would make sense of it all.
The library was, momentarily, silent after the departure of both Celestia and Ulquiorra. None of the three really knew just what to say after everything that had happened. There was a lot of information to try and process, and no real way for just how to go about actually doing that.
"Well, so much fer gettin' any sleep tonight," Applejack commented as she finally spoke up. As if she didn't have enough disturbing thoughts in her head already.
"Speak for yourself. I'm gonna go lay down," Spike grumbled as he slowly made his way to the stairs. Unlike the others, he had been the one who had to undergo the process of having his fire adjusted to include a new member of an ever-growing correspondence network. He'd been the one who had to have Ulquiorra's specific signature tied to him, so he could get word to the Espada in case of an emergency. He was the one that had to deal with the feeling of a bruised esophagus right now.
Sleep might elude the others. But it certainly wasn't going to elude him if he had anything to say about it. He was going to crash in his basket, and absolutely nopony was going to stand in his way for anything. They didn't have to deal with everything involved with being a combination mailbox and rolodex.
"Worst Saturday yet..."
Applejack watched in silence as Spike ascended the stairs, unsure of just what to say. But him deciding to turn in right now really wasn't sitting well with her. If both he and Twilight were around and active, it would be easier for her to be the same. But now that it was down to just her and Twilight, it was only a matter of time before said unicorn decided to turn in as well. She had to try and head that off before it could come to pass.
"So wha' do we do now, Twilight?" she asked, hoping that there would be something complicated in mind.
"Well for starters, I'm going downstairs to bring the guest bed up. You might not feel like sleeping right now, Applejack, but when you do, I don't think the couch or a sleeping bag will be all that appropriate," Twilight explained as she turned towards the part of the library that held the basement door, and turned her attention on the spell that kept it out of view.
"Ah'll help," Applejack announced, not even waiting for the question to be presented.
"It's alright, Applejack, I've got this," Twilight replied as she disabled the spell that kept the door hidden. "But I appreciate the offer regardless."
"A'right, ah guess," Applejack replied, disappointed at the turn down of the offer to make herself useful. "So wha' happens afterwards?"
"Well I really didn't have any plans for tonight. I was just reading some research notes before you showed up," Twilight replied as she paused before entering the basement. Something... something seemed off. She didn't have a clue just what it was, but the feeling was there all of the sudden; like a sudden but subtle change in air temperature. "Was there something you felt like doing?" she asked as she turned to face her.
"Well ah was jus' thinkin', maybe go fer a cup o' coffee, er maybe some stargazin' an' ya could point out the diff'rent constellations. Or wha' abou' some reading? Ya know RD was always goin' on abou' that "Darin' Do" series bein' so great, an' ah jus' thought now'd be a good time ta see fer mahself," Applejack suggested.
Twilight's mind was abuzz with thoughts right now. Coffee? Stargazing? Reading? This was all very unusual right now. All the more confirmation that something new was wrong. Maybe it was time to go with a direct confrontation.
"Applejack, tell me what's wrong," she said as she stepped closer. "And I don't mean in general, we already know that. What's wrong right now, specifically?"
"Er..." Applejack paused, "if ah tell ya, do ya promise ya won' be beratin' me er nothin'?" she asked uneasily.
"Berate you? Applejack, I'd never do that to you. Whatever gave you such an idea?" Twilight asked, caught off guard that she'd be presented with such a question.
"... Because it's what ah've been doin' ta mahself..." Applejack reluctantly admitted and hung her head. "Ah know that none o' wha' happened really happened. Ah know it was jus' a hallucination an' nopony was in any danger. But tha' don' change the fact that ah was the one experiencin' it, an' it was real ta me!"
Twilight remained silent as Applejack explained things, letting her speak uninterrupted. Trying to interject her opinion right now really wasn't called for, and even she recognized it as being such.
"Ah'm scared, Twi', really scared. Ah'm scared that if ah lay down an' close mah eyes, ah'm gonna have ta see it all over again. Ah'm scared 'cause ah know ah'm gonna dream about it, an' ah don' want that. If ah couldn' tell it wasn' real when ah was wide awake, there ain' no way o' knowin' when ah'm asleep," she admitted.
Twilight didn't know how to immediately respond to what Applejack had to say. She understood exactly what she was saying, and such a response was very common from one who had undergone a particularly traumatizing event; she'd read about that in the wake of Rainbow Dash's own experiences. But that didn't mean she knew what the proper response was.
But that didn't mean she couldn't improvise her response, and hope for the best.
"Like I said, Applejack, I'd never berate you. Especially not when it concerns something like this," she said as she approached and threw a foreleg round the back of her neck. The gesture was soon returned. "I guess we don't really have to turn in yet. We'll stay up for another hour or so. Then let me take care of going to bed, alright?" she asked.
"A'right, Twi', ah trust ya," Applejack agreed and nodded, rubbing her chin against Twilight's back in the process.
"Good. Now if you really do want to get started on the "Daring Do" series, I know just the place to start..."
Twilight had been mildly surprised. When Applejack had expressed a desire to get into more extensive reading, she had been certain it was an excuse to stay awake longer, in an effort to ward off the nightmares she feared would be coming once she turned in for the night.
But so far, for the last hour or so, it had been anything but.
They had settled down together, side by side on her favorite reading pillow, an old kerosene lantern serving as illumination while the main lights in the library were off, a mildly worn copy of "Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone" propped up in front of them as they read it together.
Or rather as Applejack read it, while Twilight just skimmed the pages while keeping the earth pony company. This was a book she'd read herself before, with the exploits of the pegasus archeologist still fresh enough in her memory, that she didn't feel the need for a refresh reading. Instead, her attention had been on Applejack as she read.
There were times Twilight found herself feeling like she was scientifically examining Applejack, as she watched her reading with actual intent. Occasionally she'd observe the twitch as Applejack would actually move her lips while she read along, as if she was trying to sound out a particular word. It was all kind of cute to watch.
"Hey Twi'?"
"Yes?" Twilight asked, broken out of her silent trance by Applejack's voice. Had she wound up forgetting to turn the page again?
"Archeology's supposed ta be the study o' lost civilizations an' whatnot, right?" Applejack asked.
"More or less," Twilight replied, even though that was a very simplistic explanation of what the field of archeology actually entailed. But she knew better than to launch into the true in-depth details at the moment.
"So if the civilizations are lost, how'd Darin' Do know abou' the sapphire statue in the first place?" Applejack asked.
Twilight paused in thought. It was certainly a fair question to ask.
"Well just because a civilization is lost or gone, doesn't mean the knowledge held by other civilizations meets the same fate. There's almost always some record to be found if one just knows where to look," she explained, doing her best to both keep it simple, and simultaneously informative.
And apparently it worked. Applejack didn't ask any further questions on the matter, and instead just gave a nod, and turned her attention back to the book to continue her reading. And with that resolved, Twilight returned her attention to where she'd left off, reading next to Applejack.
"Hey Twi'?"
At least until Applejack spoke up again.
"Yes?" she asked again.
"Archeologists are like scientists, right? They go on these digs an' stuff for the furtherin' o' science an' knowledge an' whatnot, right?" Applejack asked.
"Basically yes. It's a very involved field of science, and historical research, and it sheds a great deal of light on how ponies used to live," Twilight explained.
"Well wha' Darin' Do is doin', isn' it more like treasure huntin'? Or... even grave robbin'?" Applejack asked.
Once again, Twilight paused. But this time it was a pause due to discomfort rather than thought, not expecting Applejack to ask just such a question. But the very fact that she had asked such a question, had just gone to reinforce her belief that Applejack was far more intelligent than she let on.
It was quite true that, compared to the traditional field of archeology, the exploits of Daring Do were a highly romanticized interpretation of the concept, and dealt more with gathering treasure, escaping numerous death traps in creative ways, eluding villains, and riding off into the sunset with the riches in tow, rather than the extensive investigative work that went into researching a long forgotten tribe of ponies or some other species. From a scientific perspective, there was far more that could be discovered in a garbage dump, than in a deserted temple that housed numerous priceless artifacts.
"It... could be interpreted that way, I guess," she hesitantly replied.
"Oh..." Applejack replied and paused. It turned into a long, awkward pause. "If it's a'right with ya, Twilight, ah don' think ah wanna do anymore readin' 'bout where the hero is somepony goin' 'round, stealin' from the dead..."
"It's okay, Applejack," Twilight replied and closed the book, before gently levitating it back over to its resting place on the shelf. She certainly didn't want to make her friend anymore uncomfortable than she already was. "It's not a series meant for everyone."
Applejack simply nodded in response. Twilight tried not to frown, while trying to think of what she could say next. But try as she might, nothing was coming to mind. She considered suggesting something else that they could read, like the latest acquisition of a series of three novels written up by a well-respected philologist, who had been born close to Zecora's own homeland. She had spent many a sleepless night pouring over those works with much excitement.
But that idea was squashed when she paid better attention to Applejack's current posture. She could see that she was doing her best to not look tired, while at the same time failing miserably at doing just that. The farmer was currently engaged in a battle of wills with her own eyelids, as she struggled to keep them open, and failing miserably at it. Twilight just couldn't bring herself to suggest heavy reading at a time like this.
"Maybe we should turn in now," she suggested, while mentally bracing herself for whatever resistance Applejack might offer up.
"Do we have to?" Applejack asked, visibly not liking the idea.
Twilight was underwhelmed by the question. She'd been expecting a lot more opposition to the idea of going to sleep. But she only faltered for a moment, before readjusting her plans.
"No, I guess we don't really have to," she replied and shook her head. "If you don't want to go to bed, Applejack, that's alright. If you want, I'll stay up to help you stay awake. I'll put on a pot of Spike's special brew of coffee, recommend a regimen of cold showers, and walks around Ponyville to get the adrenaline flowing. But eventually you're going to need to sleep. And regardless of when that happens, there's always the potential for nightmares to come. I'm sorry, Applejack, but it's just one of those things that has to be done," she explained calmly.
"Really? Ya'd actually set up wit' me all night if ah asked ya to?" Applejack asked. She'd rather focus on that, more than the fact that she'd eventually have to turn in, and face whatever was coming for her.
"If that's what it takes," Twilight replied and nodded. "Is that what you want?" she asked.
Applejack thought about the offer for a minute, before simply shaking her head.
"Ah appreciate the offer more than ah can tell ya righ' now, Twi', but ah jus' can' accept. Ah can't ask ya ta stay up all night, jus' cuz ah'm scared ta sleep," Applejack replied. She really, really did want to accept Twilight's offer right now. But even she could realize that it was a losing battle to try and ward off sleep. Knowing herself as well as she did, in her current condition, she'd only be able to muster a few hours of consciousness, before eventually succumbing. And even though she desperately wanted those few extra hours consciousness, there was only so much that could actually be done.
She really didn't want to think about maybe falling asleep outside, in the dark as they walked along, and possibly leaving Twilight to drag her back to the relative safety of the library. Or even worse, the both of them dropping at the same time, and leaving them separated from Spike.
"Ah'm a might bit curious about wha' ya got in mind ta help me sleep though," she reluctantly admitted.
"Well then just follow me," was all Twilight said in response as she levitated the lantern off the floor, stood up from the pillow, and moved towards the stairs.
With the lantern perched on the nightstand, and Spike's uninterrupted snoring in the background, Applejack watched as Twilight was -literally- working her magic on her bed, and slowly but surely making it grow in width. Not only the bed, but also the covers themselves, being stretched wider and wider, until it was easily double its original size.
It was interesting to watch and all, but Applejack was still lost as to what Twilight was up to. How was this supposed to help her?
"There. That should do it," Twilight stated with a satisfied sigh, as she levitated another pillow over from the bedroom closet, and deposited it onto the bed right next to the other one.
"That should do wha'?" Applejack asked. What was she not getting about all of this? What was Twilight planning?
"Several months ago, I had a conversation with Fluttershy about the subject of proper pet care, and one of the points that came up dealt with care for canines. When somepony gets a puppy, especially a very young puppy, it's recommended that they put the puppy in a box with a blanket, and an alarm clock, to help them adjust. The blanket provides warmth, comfort and simulates the litter environment, while the tick of the alarm clock simulates the mother's heartbeat, and gives them a sense of security," Twilight explained, pausing to pull the covers on the bed back. "So I don't see why the same can't be done here."
"Uh... come again?" Applejack asked, more confused than before.
"Alright. Let me put it this way. With what you went through, Applejack, I don't think you should spend the night by yourself. Waking up alone in the middle of the night, doesn't strike me as being very conductive of making a proper recovery. So we're not going to do that tonight. Instead of that, tonight you're going to be sharing my bed, to see if the close proximity of another warm body, combined with the rhythmic beat of a heart, can ease whatever you're going through," Twilight elaborated as simply as she could.
"An' ya think that'll work?" Applejack asked. From what she was hearing, the idea sounded a lot like the number of times Apple Bloom had come to her in the middle of the night, haunted by a nightmare, and afraid to go back to sleep in her own bed. And if she was being honest with herself, it sounded a lot like what she'd done when she was around Apple Bloom's age, and snuck into Big Macintosh's room for the same purposes. But could something so simple really work with something like this?
"I'm optimistically hopeful that it will. And I really don't have any other ideas right now, so this is all I've got," Twilight replied and shrugged. She had absolutely no idea if this was going to do any good or not. But at this point she was willing to try just about anything."Do you want to do this?" she asked.
"Well... ya already went through the trouble o' makin' the bed bigger an' everythin'. It'd be rude not ta try," Applejack replied. She was pretty much willing to try anything right now.
Twilight nodded and climbed up into the bed first, nestling down comfortably on what was unofficially her half for the evening. Applejack climbed up next, and settled in and best she could.
It was just a matter of pure coincidence, that a matter of long established habit, developed muscle memory when getting ready for bed, and simply not giving anything so much as a second thought, had dictated where she'd been facing when she laid down. In this case, that direction was facing Twilight, who was looking back at her.
"This... this isn' gonna be awkward, is it?" she asked.
"I don't think so. No more awkward than dinner with Ulquiorra was," Twilight replied, although she wasn't entirely sure of her own assessment right now. Right now it was just a lot of playing things by ear, and hoping for the best. "Can you scoot a little closer?"
Applejack wasn't sure what it was about, but right now she really didn't feel like engaging in any debate. So without a word to the contrary, she inched her way closer to Twilight's position. She was slow in her movements, uncertain just how close Twilight wanted her, until they were practically touching noses.
"I-is this close enough?" she asked.
"I think it'll work," Twilight replied, before reaching out with her forelegs, and gently pulling Applejack and her pillow closer to her, until her face was practically resting against her chest.
At first Applejack really didn't know what to make of what Twilight was doing. Even by Canterlotian unicorn standards, it just struck her as being really odd behavior. Her face was so close, she could feel Twilight's chest fur rubbing against her nose and her own fur. She was close enough to easily detect the faded scent of lilacs that went with her friend's usual bathing products. And she was close enough that she could actually feel the rhythmic beat of Twilight's heart, accompanying each rise and fall of her chest with every breath she took, no matter how subtle it might've seemed otherwise.
Twilight's earlier words were starting to come back to Applejack now. Now it was all starting to make sense, and ease her mind. Twilight was using her own body to try and provide that sense of security she was talking about. And she really couldn't find it in herself to object right now. She had to admit that it was a rather comfortable position to be in at the moment. Twilight was a soft pony to be curled up with, she'd admit that. And she was warm, without it being uncomfortably so in the summer heat. And there was something that just seemed so primal, so natural, and so right, about that beating heart of hers being so close right now.
"Is this alright? Can you breathe?" Twilight asked as she rested her chin on top of Applejack's head.
"Ah can breathe jus' fine, Twilight. Gotta say though, this seemed a might bit strange at first. But now that ah'm here, it seems mighty cozy an' all," Applejack replied as she settled in and made herself comfortable. Maybe this really would work out.
"That's good. Just... just try not to snore, alright? I'm really ticklish," Twilight replied, causing Applejack to laugh. It was the first time she'd heard her laugh in a long while, which in turn made her smile. A laugh was a good sign right now.
"Ah'll try, although ah can' really guarantee anythin'," Applejack replied and closed her eyes. "Hey, Twilight? Do ya think we could leave the lantern lit? Jus' a little?" she asked.
Twilight wanted to point out that when it came to lanterns, it was either lit or it wasn't, and that there was no in between on the matter. But she decided not to do such, and simply nodded, her chin rubbing against Applejack's head in the process.
"Sure thing, Applejack, anything you want," she replied, magically adjusting the knob to lower the wick height to its lowest sustainable level, leaving the two with just enough illumination to see each other by. "Just try to sleep now, Applejack, I'll be here in case you need anything," she assured her.
"Ah appreciate that, Twilight, ah really do," Applejack replied, before finally succumbing to her own tiredness, and letting out a yawn that she'd been trying her best to suppress up until that point. But now that she was actually comfortable, suppression no longer seemed viable. Or even necessary for that matter.
With that matter now addressed, Twilight settled herself in to get comfortable for the night, reaching out with her magic to pull the sheets over them.
It went without saying that this situation was far from perfect. But then again so were most other situations that they found themselves in. As far as she could remember, things had been far from perfect ever since Ulquiorra laid out his theory about some mysterious force attacking, and trying to kill them. All they could really do right now was pull together, and try to make the best of it.
"G'night, Twilight," Applejack said around a yawn.
"Goodnight," Applejack," Twilight responded.
Soon, I can feel it, like a note at the bottom of the chapter told me, we will know who to hate.
All I could think of, that and my own asinine theories on who the villain is, but putting that would be obnoxious, kind of like what I'm doing now, good chapter.
Edit: And now 1k likes milestone
I've got some good news and some bad news.
The good news is, I have some things to praise about this chapter.
The bad news is, I still have one little gripe.
Finally, finally there is a bit of intrigue that the story had been lacking the past several chapters. The story mostly grinded to a halt after Rainbow Dash was recovering, with Arc Fatigue rearing its ugly head. Nothing of interest had been happening, and it nothing new was happening. However, Ulquiorra's discussion with Princess Celestia was actually interesting, and the several scenes with AJ, Spike, and Twilight were good. So I feel like a bit more actually happened this chapter than has been happening for the past number of chapters.
The gripe is not necessarily specific to this chapter, but one that persists throughout the story, and even in the show proper. The treatment of Princess Celestia is less than ideal. In the show, she takes a backseat to everything, occasionally provides exposition, and ultimately serves as the villain's punching bag. In this story, a lot of things seem to be her fault. "Big dumb Celestia's at it again, fucking everything up!" one could all too easily say.
The only awesome moment she had that I can recall was her plan on dealing with Chrysalis, what with faking her death with Ulqy's and Luna's help. But even that ended with Twilight having a huge meltdown and fucking up their relationship. And then later Celestia foolishly trusts Chrysalis and almost gets taken out. It just disappoints me that Princess Celestia does nothing but get shat on time and again, useful ONLY for exposition, and is characterized as nothing but a fuck up who makes everything worse in spite of centuries to millenniums of life experience and rulership. Proposing the idea that the entire mess they're in is because she gave Discord a second chance isn't helping. Please tell you will be turning this around later?
Aw. That's so sweet.
Ulquiorra, you are the smartest espada. Now though, will your search bear fruit-no pun intended- or will it fail. Guess I'll just have to wait and find out.
5246580
I think I can answer why Celestia seems stupid. In earlier chapters we were told there were no wars in equestria, so in this universe she has never if not rarely had to deal with these kinds of things, and we were also shown she was bad at intrigue, with how much her baiting Ulquiorra failed. While she did have a good moment with the faked death. That was more of a defensive measure against chrysalis, who she already knew the personality of so she could think of a plan that chrysalis would fall for that she could easily pull of.
Centuries of experience of peace do little to prepare for war, let alone the cowardly actions the big bad/the dragon/possibly co-dragons, is using, taking pot shots at the elements and keeping hidden. Trusting chrysalis a second time nearly screwing her? Well hindsight is 20/20.
But thats just how I think of it, too used to peace.
So Discord as a possible suspect, as trite as it's been considered by both the story and it's author as of late, has finally been addressed.
Now I look forward to Ulquiorra's inspection. Really did like that small analogy with Holmes and Moriarty
Impressive. It's hard to find intimate interactions like that anywhere, let alone in fanfiction.
My money is on a Windigo/Changeling/etc type creature that feeds on fear, stress, trauma, depression, and/or emotional pain.
Also, the interactions between Twilight and Applejack were very well written, and kind of adorable.
Heh, never underestimate an animals instincts, they can often tell when something dangerous is around even without sight, sound, or smell. Gotta say that I'm loving the buildup to the big bad, can't wait to see the reason Discord's been a no-show for the greater part of the story.
Also, congrats on reaching 1000 likes!
Below are the edits for this chapter:
*become aware of significantly - become aware of something significantly
*meets the same faith. There's - meets the same fate. There's
*theory about some mysterious force was attacking - theory about some mysterious force attacking - or - theory that some mysterious force was attacking
I honestly doubt that it is Discord as frankly I just can't see him being THAT sadistic at all, I mean the guy has the power over more or less everything and yet when he went crazy on the world the worse he did was make things a Heaven for old slap stick cartoon characters. Dancing Buffaloes in tutus is a BIG distance from the level of sadism we been seeing, just my thought without any of the stuff from the story.
Now for the bit from the story that helps me believe he isn't the one doing this...the simple fact that Ulquiorra the poster boy of never having whims or urges without good reasons. Was feeling a strong urge to blame Discord...yet he had no hard evidence and was working with conjecture. That just raised a lot of warning flags in my head that our little evil coward is intentionally trying to misdirect all attention toward the easiest most accessible target the ponies know.
Now is the evil mind fucker actively trying to get Ulquiorra to think like that I do not know, maybe it is sneaky enough to do something as subtle as that without being caught. Or just maybe it making sure to set up a lot of things to ensure that line of thought. I mean all it has to really do to get Discord thrown under the bus was to make him be MIA and unable to prove he isn't at fault...smart move too since I highly doubt Discord would be amused by what is going on as he likes to be entertained. I highly doubt RD's messed up state would have been entertaining to him...more so with the kill them all mindset she was having toward others. As nothing is more orderly than death, it is always the last thing, it makes any future actions no longer possible, and the body is just going to stay in what ever position it fell unless moved by something else. -not chaotic at all-
Wonder if the villain the author eventually comes up with will live up to the hype that is being created around it.
THE DEBATES THIS STORY RAISES ARE HELL ON MY EYES.
like, everyone of them is TL;DR styled.
but then again...with who and what is involved....
Celestia never seems to learn her lesson when it comes to asking Ulquiorra questions. Now he has a new one way message receiving system by Spike mail, should be interesting to see hoe it will be used or even abused. Nice little touching moment with the friends sleeping together, it is nice to see something innocent rather than the usual sexualized things. Great chapter.
And thus she faceplants as her weight is unbalanced on two rear legs...
I think it sombra.
5247617 They were flying in the air during this remember.
Huh. So since Daring Do is a grave robber, and Daring Do is actually real, does that mean AK Yearling is a grave robber?
Good
5246511
Technically I promised a villain in the immediately coming chapters.
5246580
Ah, so you caught that little detail, did you? Very good. I wondered when somebody would actually get it.
Throughout the story, I've been making my best effort to show that the adult ponies actually work rather than just running around, and having fun all the time. This was a decision made way back near the beginning of the show, due to disliking certain, commonly used and poorly executed, tropes in an effort to maintain a specific cast setup for specific plots. I've been actively trying not to involve certain characters, unless I can give some justification for why the story is focused on them, and why they aren't at work at that given time during the day.
And when it comes to Celestia, she has the most responsibilities to tend to, and the fewest believable opportunities to be elsewhere. The day court could certainly be postponed during times of need, but the work is just going to continue piling up and need to be tended to later on. The only time I can see her conceivably having any time to be available, would be in the evening when Luna's on call to take over responsibilities.
Now I don't want to spoil anything, but the next few chapters are going to feature more of Celestia's involvements than just exposition and supposition. Whether it's good or bad, however, remains to be seen.
Originally, way back in the drafting phases for chapter 53, the setup was going to be way different. Even as far back as then, I fully intended to introduce the issue of Celestia assembling an emergency council that would take over all duties not related to raising and lowering the sun, in order to better assist her in tending to the current crisis with Rainbow Dash. But that idea was then shelved because of how the issue of Rainbow Dash's suicide attempt was playing out.
As to her being portrayed as stupid, I'm gonna have to call a justified trope in this case, because Hasbro was the brains behind making her believe that Discord could be reformed into a less chaotic state. With that being show canon, certain courses of action have to be addressed to some degree.
5246658
It's not quite so much that, although it does play a part. As Ulquiorra explained in the late 40s chapters, Celestia's experience is primarily with ruling and government work. She's skilled at what she does, much like everyone else is, but her skills are limited to what's relevant to her position. Case in point being chapter 52, when she was called to investigate the matter of Rainbow Dash, and her specifically stated that she first had to familiarize herself with a bone-mending spell beforehand. And in other chapters where she's noting to herself that areas she and Luna were well versed in during their time, might not be up to date with the times.
5246687
What can I say? It just seemed appropriate. Readers have been asking where Discord is, and it's being addressed. It was even pointed out that he's resisting the summoning spell that would call him forth.
5246780 5246843
That's sort of why I did it. Proper and platonic friendshipping is so hard to find.
5246875
Like Ulquiorra said, that's why he didn't bring it up. The animals are less afraid of him, than whatever it lurking undetected in the forest. The embodiment of death of two legs has been judged as less frightening than something else.
5247114
Very clever. I may have to reference that in a coming chapter.
5247337
As always, that's up for debate and personal interpretation.
5247450
Yeah it's hard to portray the bond between two friends in a proper light, without them being just two steps away from deciding to take advantage of the friendship. I managed to do it properly way back in chapter 33 with Rainbow Dash snuggling against Twilight in her sleep, and I've been trying to replicate that innocent portrayal ever since.
5247617
It was stated pretty early on that Celestia and Ulquiorra are having a conversation a mile off the ground. So she's got her wings keeping her aloft.
5247709
A good theory, if not for the fact that he was already slated as being dead.
5248047
Perhaps
5248081Except that it worked in canon. The only reason Discord temporarily relapsed was because Tirek convinced him to with some smooth talking. After that, Discord genuinely learned a lesson. Celestia was ultimately entirely right about Discord being able to be reformed. It's not the show that makes her out to be a big dumb dumb, but it seems to be fanfictions. In the show, she merely takes a backseat, gives exposition, and ends up as a punching bag.
That, and she's millenniums old. She must have so much knowledge and experience, that I find it entirely unbelievable, no, downright impossible for her to be "stupid."
Something else just occurred to me though. Why is it that a bunch of woodland creatures can sense something is off better than Ulqui-freakin'-orra? Considering that magic more or less = Reiatsu, one has to wonder why his Pesquisa never detects anything. Even attempts to hide and mask reiatsu can fail because the detector is more powerful than the target (eg, Quilge Opie and the Tres Bestias. Though, Opie is a Quincy, so it's unknown how differently he might sense something compared to Ulquiorra. Then again, no difference has been mentioned yet. Any difference in mechanics seem to be irrelevant, if there even are any at all).
5248426
It's no argument that Celestia was right about believing Discord could be rehabilitated. But the argument is that she believed it at all to begin with, despite witnessing what he did. Comparatively speaking it would be like America actually believing that Osama Bin Laden could behave himself while simultaneously having access to a nuclear enrichment facility. Simply because her beliefs turned out to be correct, doesn't change the fact that it was dangerous to actively entertain such beliefs at all. Even Ulquiorra pointed that out in earlier chapters, and speculating how Discord could've easily removed them from existence if he really wanted to.
5248462
Because as awesome as he is, Ulquiorra isn't infallible. His pesquisa let him down against Ichigo, even if it was a cheap asspull way in which it did occur. Plus he's the foreigner in Equestria, and his knowledge is limited.
5248661 But that still doesn't really explain why his Pesquisa fails. It's just... really? Woodland creatures can sense better? There's a difference between not being perfect, and that. You might as well say "it doesn't work because it doesn't work." Although part of this chapter was a step in the right direction, it's starting to tug on my Suspension of Disbelief.
5248675
Well if you'd like some theories that have been considered for explanation, and even hinted at throughout the story, I have a few.
The first theory is area saturation, in which whatever/whoever has been lurking about for an extended period of time, tainting the area with its presence just enough that Ulquiorra couldn't detect anything out of place, because it's quite literally all over the place. And as he stated way back in chapter 52, an increase in reiatsu output, like during an attack, doesn't change the texture, just the intensity. And if you're looking for a specific texture that's saturating a huge area, how do you pinpoint a specific area of greater intensity?
This was further addressed in chapter 53, with Ulquiorra actually voicing the possibility that what's amiss, has been amiss since before he actually got there, and it's hiding in plain sight where nobody would fine it. And then he presents for Celestia's consideration -and terror- that whatever's going on could be happening in the air, where there would be no residual reiatsu traces to detect; which counts as the second theory, and a part of the third theory, with the third being that the spikes in activity are timed to coincide with Ulquiorra's absence from the immediate area where he could detect something going on. At the time Applejack was attacked, Ulquiorra was in Ponyville, talking with Lyra and Bonbon, and quite possibly beyond the usable range of his pesquisa. Sort of like how he failed to detect the manticore attack, even once his senses were cleared.
It really never was specified in the show or manga, just what extent his pesquisa is bound by, other than how he can measure a target's strength with just a glance. And the closest I've come to fleshing it out, is that he can sense about the entire perimeter of Canterlot palace.
Think of it like a covert spy mission, exaggerated to whatever degree Hollywood insists on. The spy in question has access to Predator stealth technology and can easily slip past the detection of the mook guards (the ponies in this case) but that technology is useless against the guard dogs (that being Ulquiorra) who have a greatly heightened sense of smell, and will find the spy immediately, unless said spy is paying attention to the wind, and knows when their scent will be blowing in the opposite direction, and uses that window to sneak by.
nice touching chapter, please dont make it too long before Rainbow dash atleast gets better enough to trust her friends and get into the main thick of the coming battle and hope to see Resurrección: Segunda Etapa
5249372
Partly to give other characters a chance to show up. Partly to show that what's going on is starting to spread out, and give readers time to speculate and develop their own theories about what's happening. Maybe it really is a virus. Maybe the one behind it is practicing espionage so Celestia and the others will have to divert resources. Or maybe said villain just doesn't love Derpy.
5248865 Ehhh... I still don't know. His Pesquisa can't detect differences in intensity? That's what I took away from it. Which makes no sense considering that Pesquisa's entire function is pinpoint a reiatsu source, and gauge how powerful it is. So, intensity is absolutely something that is determined. It has to be by its very nature. That not being the case is like writing a story where DBZ Scouters don't read power levels, when we all know they absolutely do. Just my thoughts on that.
When Hollows Ichigo used Sonido and slipped through Ulquiorra's Pesquisa, I interpreted the (unrevealed) reason that Ichigo was simply way too fast for him to detect. Which works, considering how badly he got his ass kicked. Thoughts on that one?
5250960
Not exactly. It's not that Ulquiorra can't detect the intensity of something substantial. What's being said is that if the entire area has been saturated in a foreign mana pattern since before he even got there, and it's just become nothing but simple background noise to him, how exactly is he going to tell if the intensity is suddenly greater in one area; especially if the spread isn't evenly spread, and subject to high spots and low spots?
It's sort of like the noises of everyday city life for an area you're familiar with. If you're used to hearing traffic, do you think twice about hearing more traffic noises? Does your interest get piqued if you hear the sound of an engine in the distance that you're not readily familiar with?
There's also the fact that, as Ulquiorra has explained, what he's sensing isn't true reiryoku or reiatsu. And that was something I was trying to emphasize early on in the story, that he's simply using the terms of convenience, as he tries to better understand his own new surroundings, and make sense of them. Sort of like on NCIS how Ziva David was a very competent agent, but had a great deal of difficulty grasping American culture, be it either slang, or just basic driving.
As for the issue of Ulquiorra getting his ass kicked by Ichigo... fuckit I got nothing that makes sense. Kubo pulled a major asspull on that one.
5251604 The funny thing is, I don't see that one as much of an ass pull as others.
IIRC, Zangetsu (the real one) made a claim that when Ichigo is down for the count, he'd forcefully take the reigns (or something along those lines). Him taking over at all was an established thing already (it happened twice by then), which people seem to forget. Was the timing very convenient? Yes, but at least the hollow side takeover wasn't actually out of nowhere like people claim. It was an established thing, to reiterate.
No, Kubo is not the best writer or storyteller, but he's better than people give him credit for in my opinion.
Coup d`aww right into my heart. I need some more resilence for not taking crits.
5252590
5250960
5251604 Actually guys I have a plausible answer for you. Aizen explains it perfectly in his final fight with Ichigo. Beings with Spiritual pressures that are much higher than other beings cannot be detected by those with lower spirit energy. For instance neither hollows nor Shinigami/soul reapers can be detected by normal humans. Only humans with high spirit energy can even sense them, much less see or hear them. So if an arrancar had a high enough spirit pressure, a normal hollow wouldn't even sense his spirit energy. The hollow could see and hear the arrancar but it would feel like he (the arrancar) had no spirit pressure at all. So it might stand to reason that Ulquiorra couldn't detect Ichigo, and subsequently got his ass handed to him so easily, becasue Ichigo's spirit energy was just that much higher than his.
5254860 I had thought of that, but I wasn't totally sure. I can't remember if anyone commented on Hollow Ichigo's reiatsu, or lack thereof, depending on their point of view. I know Ishida was able to sense Ulquiorra's second release, commenting that it was so overbearing it didn't even feel like reiatsu.
Meanwhile, IIRC, it was one of Ichigo's normal human friends that could sense Butterflaizen's power (though he may have deliberately lowered it).
If this is indeed the case, could it be that our unknown villain has power far greater than Ulquiorra? If that's the case though, why must he hide?
Thoughts?
5255023
Maybe he has that intense amount of reiatsu but can only use his power for manipulation of thoughts and memories, which could justify him hiding if he is terrible at physical confrontations being able to manipulate thoughts he would never resort to using strength, or any fighting skills, or the villain could have no actual physical form.
5255023
Thoughts as to why hide?
Perhaps the enemy is like Hachigen Ushōda. Highly skilled in the area of Kido, but not when it comes to direct combat. So perhaps said enemy is a master at weaving brain-busting illusions, but has inadequate physical strength, and can literally be crushed like a bug.
5255605 Or it could be Aizen using Kyoka Suigetsu, witch causes perfect and absolute hypnosis. No one would know if he was there doing it and I don't remember any of the espada, or anyone else for that matter, saying they ever felt his spiritual pressure even before he absorbed the hogyuku.
5256457
Or it could be something even worse than that. It could actually be Kyoka Suigetsu itself, after the hogyuku removed it from existence. Just imagine the untold horror that could be had if Kyoka Suigetsu has been let loose in Equestria as its own entity, and equipped with Aizen's more undesirable personality traits, and absolutely none of his restraint.
5256696 If that's the case you are a devious individual. Bravo. That would be a horrible and terrifying development. It would also make perfect sense, since a zanpakuto itself has no spirit pressure and can manifest itself physically with it's own personality (hence the zanpakuto rebellion arc).
5256726 except that he just said it which means its either a diversion or a spoiler and most writers dont like spoiling their own stories... unless he knows that people would think that so then it wouldnt be a spoiler...
5259541 I thought about that, so I'm still wondering what is actually going on. It's still a devious thought to consider. To think that the zanpakuto itself would/might be causing all of this; it's pretty brilliant.
5259674
Devious is good, but fridge horror is awesome. So time for some fridge horror thoughts pertaining to the theory: what if Kyoka Suigetsu didn't want to be separated from Aizen, and removed from existence by the hogyuku? What might've been going through its mind at that particular point in time?
5259879 Hmm, then there is a very odd thing to consider. Taking only the manga (the pure canon) into account, the zanpaktou are extensions of the souls of their wielders.
This would mean that an entire segment of Aizen's soul was split off from the rest of him.]
Why... of course! It went into Equestria and became a Horcrux and that's why Aizen can't die in "Bleach"!!! If I cross it with the Harry Potter-verse IT ALL MAKES SENSE!!!
Hmm, I got a idea for Spike's nightmare... If he gets one
Ya know all those Naruto-esq Spike fanart with the black scales and glowey eyes?
fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/001/a/c/corruption__v_2_by_onyxprince-d5q0f0g.jpg
What of his nightmare was being trapped in a body like that, walking through a burning ponyville and he enters the library. Twilight and Rarity look at him with fear in their eyes, Spike tries to move and help them but his body doesn't respond and instead, charges them and sqwerers their chests on his hands. Just to add pain to it all, Twi could say "why?... Spike..." Then he regains control just to let two of the most important ponies in his life lay in his blood covered arms
Well that or Spike could find himself in the Treebrary and Twi could be all "I never needed you, you whiney useless reptile" and either kick him out or try to kill him...
... I think I prefer my first surgestion... Yeah....
5261826
Have you got a particular piece of dubstep in mind? After all, you saw what I could do with Moondance.
5270377
Actually she's referencing the subtle little indicator included back in chapter 41, when he snapped her out of her uncomfortable train of thought.
Between a rock and a hard place. You seem to be using that phrase a LOT lately.
ABOUT TIME.
Breather chapter!? More wild!!? Aw jeez
Rolodex? 😂
Maybe you're as old as me!