• Published 16th Sep 2014
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Yaerfaerda - Imploding Colon



Rainbow Dash and the Noble Jury continue to fly east.

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A Little Love Goes Long Distances

Slowly, one by one, the Soul Sentries stood up in the streets and courtyards of Val Roa. They shook their heads, wincing through receding waves of pain.

Several suited naga trained their weapons on the reindeer, but they did not fire. As the spheres floated low over the spiraling rooftops, all eyes fell on the recovering guards. Josho flinched slightly as one buck stumbled wearily towards the group. Eagle Eye trotted forward and supported his weight. The lavender stallion stared into the guard's thin eyes.

“Sir?” Eagle blinked. “Are... are you alright?”

“Guh... my head...” The reindeer blinked, squinting towards the crowd. “Mother? Father? Where are...?” He gazed at the citizens gawking at him fearfully. “Why is everyone looking at me this way?”

“You mean, you don't remember?” Eagle Eye asked. The air of the streets was quiet enough to hear a pin drop from several blocks away. “You enlisted in the Soul Sentry division of your kingdom's defense force.”

“I... I did...?” The guard gazed incredulously at the pony. “I... I remember reporting to Saikano's base of operations, but... becoming a soul sentry?”

“Where's my family?!” another guard shouted, gathering strength as he stomped his hooves. “I never asked for any of this! What's going on here?!”

“They... they brought us to a room...” one buck stammered. “The General was there. We... we were asked to stare at a glowing green beacon...”

Suddenly, members of the crowd shouted in surprise. “Sam!” Two does ran past the line of Lounge members. “Sam! Is it really you?!”

The buck standing before Eagle turned about, his eyes widening. “Amy? Faith?!” Eagle made room as the reindeer limped past him and collapsed in the embrace of the two females. They nuzzled each other closely, sharing tears and happy shudders. “Is everything okay?! Why is everyone so frightened?!”

“You... you became a Soul Sentry months ago, Sam,” one doe sniffled. “No one understood why. Not even Mother and Father.”

“You just up and left, never to return,” the other stammered. “Weeks later, we got a letter from the Defense Ministry, stating that you had given up your life to defend the Crown. It broke our hearts. But... but you're really back! Aren't you?!”

“I...” The buck shuddered, smiling painfully. “Yes. Yes, I think I really am, Sis...”

They hugged again. Meanwhile, more and more members of the crowd came trotting through, reuniting with the former Soul Sentries. The air filled with warmth and cheer, swiftly drowning out the sullen atmosphere that had so tensely filled it just minutes ago.

Seclorum leaned back on his haunches, folding his forelimbs with a smirk.

Phoenix and Crimson exchanged glances. “Guess it wasn't that much of a loss cause after all,” Phoenix stated, still trying to catch his breath.

“Only because we all got here in time,” Crimson replied. He then gestured at the bipedal reptiles as they finally lowered their manarifles. “Same can be said for the happy brigade here.”

“Yeah... who exactly brought them, anyways?” Lucky Strike wheezed.

“Who the Hell cares?” Tweak grumbled. “They trained their weapons on the right punks, didn't they?”

“Malaseethrem vaal kremdem siulen threem,” Arcshod muttered, looking past his two companions.

Seclorum nodded. “The big guy has a point.” He looked Josho, Eagle Eye, and Floydien. “What now?”


“Grkkk...” Chrysalis leaned back on her haunches, hissing in pain as her body settled into deep, even breaths. The bloody gash in the center of her skull closed up as metamorphic flames cauterized the wound from where the horn had been torn clean off. Her eyes opened thinly, though they were weak and bereft of the threatening glow that they had previously possessed.

Ebon shook and squirmed. Finally, with a watchful glare, Rainbow Dash let the stallion go. He galloped forward, sliding to a squatting stop right in front of the injured alicorn.

“Mother... Mother!” Ebon Mane choked on a sob, clasping her forelimb with his. “Why did you do that?! Your... your horn! Your magic! You didn't have to—”

“Yes...” Chrysalis shuddered, fangs shuddering. “I did.” She tilted her head up, breathing easier. “Rainbow Dash is right.” She gulped. “You're right. My desperation is no excuse. It all has to end.”

“Don't say that. Please!” Ebon leaned forward, nuzzling her carapace. “There's still hope for you! There's got to be!”

Chrysalis' eyes narrowed. “I... I have shattered everything, child...” She shuddered from her fresh wound. “I can no longer wield empathy. I am now as dependent on base elements as the common mule,” she spat. “I may not even live forever anymore...”

“I don't care. You still have the power to change!” Sniffling, Ebon stared up at her with piercing eyes. “Please. Don't give up.”

She gazed at him weakly. “Why... why do you believe in me so much? You cannot trust me...”

Ebon smiled weakly. “I can still hope for you. When all was hopeless for me, ponies gave their all to keep me from fading away. They believed in me when I felt there was nothing... when I felt like nothing.” He stood up tall to be more even with her eyes. “This doesn't have to be the end, Mother. This can be a beginning... a glorious beginning. Will you let us? Will you let me help you?”

Chrysalis clenched her jaws tight. Her dull eyes moistened. “After all this time... after all the pain and death I've caused...” She grimaced. “After having to butcher myself to stop it all...” A shudder ran through her. “Why is it now that I can almost sense it? I... I can almost taste it, and yet... yet...”

Ebon smiled as tears ran down his burgundy muzzle. He rubbed his cheek against hers, murmuring: “There are far richer, deeper ways of being nourished with love.”

“I'm afraid I'll never learn how...”

“Let me teach you,” Ebon said. “There's so much worth living for, Mother. I can show you the healthy way... the Harmonic way.”

Chrysalis gazed at him. Slowly, weakly, she brought a hoof around and draped it over his back.

He sobbed tearfully and clung to her, morphing back to his glossy black shape.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had pulled out her sound stone. “Arcanista...” She spoke into the device. “Duchess, speak to me.” She gulped, keeping a wary eye trained on Chrysalis. “Are all the Soul Sentries down?”

“Snkkkt. That indeed they are, Rainbow Dash. What's more, every guard is reverting back to their normal self. They are no longer even remotely possessed.”

Rainbow's nostrils flared. She gave the sound stone a shake and spoke again. “Eagle Eye. You hear that? Is it the same where you are?”

“Scrkkk. Absolutely, Rainbow Dash. No more glowing eyes. Is Ebon Mane okay?”

“Yes, he's fine.” Rainbow took a breath, then smirked. “And so is his mother...”

“Huh? Wait, do you mean—”

Just then, the door burst open. Rainbow turned to see several naga rushing in, rifles armed. As the sight of Chrysalis, they all aimed at once.

“No! No!” Rainbow Dash hollered, flying between the suited lizards and their weaponry. “She is a prisoner of King Lunarius! You will not kill her!”

The Lounge members fidgeted, until one spoke up. “The mare with rainbow hair...”

Another naga nodded. “She is attached to the Vaughan. Remember her instructions?

“Affirmative.”

The lizards stood down, unholstering their weapons. “We await your command, as courtesy of the Vaughan's authority.”

Rainbow blinked, pronouncing that name mutely with blue lips. She then blinked knowingly. “Heh... good touch, girl.”

“Rainbow...?” Ebon spoke up meekly from where he sat beside Chrysalis' figure. “The Jury...”

Rainbow nodded. She turned swiftly towards the naga. “How much air support did you bring?”

“Our armada is two dozen strong.”

“Buck yeah...” Rainbow Dash spread her wings and blurred towards the warehouse's doorframe. “You guys stay here. Keep a trained eye on these two. The big one goes nowhere, and nothing bad happens to either of them. Got it?”

“Affirmative, rainbow one.”

“Ebon...?” Rainbow turned to look at him.

“Go, Rainbow.” He motioned along with a porous forelimb. “I... I will stay here with her.”

Rainbow hovered in place, blinking. Gradually, a smile spread across her lips.

Ebon's gossamer wings twitched. “It... it worked, didn't it?” He gave a fanged grin. “It all worked out in the end.”

Rainbow took a deep breath, her frown reforming. “Almost all of it.” FWOOOOSH! That said, she burst out of the warehouse, spread her wings wide, and rocketed south over the bronze rooftops of Val Roa.

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