Light exploded.
The pool of metal dust lowered as a fountain of it spilled out of the chamber. Pilate and Bellesmith emerged just below the collapsing ceiling. They spat out filament and ash before gazing towards the brightness.
A pair of ruby eyes reflected their shocked faces. With a glinting smirk, Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Yeah. I don't think so." She stuck two blue hooves in.
Belle and Pilate shrieked as they were yanked viciously out of the compactor. Just milliseconds after their tails swung free from the compartment, the sand exploded from the ceiling smashing its way towards the floor of the dust pool.
Rainbow Dash dragged the two soot-stained ponies onto a metal platform brimming with gold light. Dalton stood a few meters away, dizzy, but altogether in one piece.
"There..." He managed a weak smirk. "As soon as you told me that they fell down a chute, I knew they'd end up behind one of these compartment doors. Whoever built this place had a mind for recycling brittle substance."
Pilate wheezed, still spitting up dust. "Good to hear you too, Dalton..."
"You guys picked the worst time for an alchemist's mud bath," Rainbow Dash said. "Is anything broken?"
"I think we're fine—" Pilate began, but couldn't finish. Belle had tackled him and was baptizing his cheek with tears of joy. He smiled nervously and stroked her mane before saying, "Oh yes. We're definitely fine."
"Oh thank you. Thank you thank you thank you..." Belle sniffled and tilted her head around to bequeath Rainbow Dash a tender smile. "I'm sorry that I ever doubted you..."
"Hey, I couldn't let my saddlebag go to ruin, now could I?"
"Ugh!" Belle rolled her eyes, sniffled, and gave a weak chuckle. "You're impossible, Rainbow! If Rarity were here, she'd say—" Belle froze, clutching Pilate, her face hanging in a wince. "Uhm... Uhm, what I mean was—"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Rainbow Dash droned, waving a hoof. 'We'll sort THAT out later. In the meantime—"
"The pegasus here seems to have found a way out," Dalton said.
"Oh yeah?" Pilate asked, standing up and helping Belle to her hooves. "Where?"
"About one hundred feet up!" Rainbow Dash said. "I saw it while carrying Mustachio here along the way down to save your flanks."
"Up?!" Belle stammered. "But... But I thought there was only one entrance!"
"Maybe whatever Rainbow Dash just did made a new door," Pilate remarked. "If I'm to understand that this place has undergone some changes."
"Look, all I know is that the glowy rune thingies are there and I really wanna get the heck out of this clockwork." Rainbow Dash grabbed Dalton and offered limbs to Pilate and Belle. "Promise not to fall like dumb anvils this time?! I can only stuff so many tricks into this smelly beret to pull out later!"
"We pr-promise, Rainbow Dash," Belle said with a smile as she accepted the pegasus' limb. "And once again, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" she shrieked as Rainbow Dash hoisted the three ponies up at lightning speed.
They were moving too swiftly to see the equine figure below them, clinging to a length of golden chains rising up through the hollow of the risen obelisk.
Soaring up towards a criss-crossing series of platforms, Rainbow Dash hovered evenly and glanced all around. "I think I lost it. Horsefeathers..."
"Over there!" Dalton exclaimed, pointing as he dangled from Rainbow's grip. "Six o'clock!"
"Just because I called this place 'clockwork' doesn't mean you get to be snarky, old stallion."
"Will you just look?! For Queen's sake!"
"Oh... Hey! You're right!" Rainbow grinned towards a glowing circle of runes. As she fluttered closer towards it, the round assortment of symbols coalesced into a ring. With a flash of golden light, a hole formed in the metal wall, revealing the forested mountains of Blue Shelf in the reddening sunset. "Awesome sauce! Let's make like the wind and... uhm... be windy!"
"You'll hear no argument from me," Pilate stammered, holding on for dear life as Rainbow Dash soared out of the magical exit.
As the blue blur vanished, the equine figure from below rode up the last length of chain and tossed himself desperately onto the golden platform nearby. Wincing, Enforcer Shell stood up on three legs, his bad limb dangling in a haphazard metal splint. As soon as he saw the circular exit beginning to fade, he gasped and broke into an awkward gallop. Hobbling and hobbling, he rushed the door, and telekinetically threw his body forward like a living missile just as the runes lost their brightness.
"Nnngh—Gaaah!"
And all was silent.
I died (laughing).
Rainbow Dash will show them... a hole new world.
-Minty
1857725
That's just terrible. You're terrible. I love you.
Anyway, had a feeling something like this would happen, that last chapter ended in that classic misdirection-y way. Similar to how the Axan arc ended.
I'm not sure this is the last we'll be hearing of Shell...
1857734
Plus, we all know he can't kill Belle.
Also, Chapter 100 of 200! We're halfway there!
Hah! Knew they were fine.
1857725
God, why? Why do you abuse the English language so?
Also, Shell is way too lucky. He can't die and can't get locked down there forever. I have a feeling his longevity will last right up until he kills a main character and then Dash will kill him back.
1857725 YYYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
Shell reminds me of Metallo when he crawled out.
The pressed zebra was brought back to the kitchen by the unreliable narrator.
Classic misdirection, now times two?
1857811
I feel like this video fits the theme...
...and this one for Shell
1857878
Edit: This is my song to Shell:
And eeenope! Man, compacted would be one of the worst ways to go, y'know? Question is, can Shell really be that desperately devoted?
1857970
If you understand his previous descriptions of his actions... then yes.
WHY. WON'T. HE. DIE.
1857748
Considering the likelihood of this being a trilogy, I'd say we're half way to the end, as well. 300/600, has it really been that long?
1858130
It has.
I still remember the days when I saw Austraeoh in the feature box and thought "WTH is this?"
Those were the days...
"Back from the dead, assholes!"
Escape - Metallica
If Shell's going to be stuck there forever with nothing to do except to die, then my holiday's complete.
Geez, hard to believe it's 100 chapters already! Austraeoh felt much slower than this. 'Course, it was a much slower story.
Maybe it's just because I've finally gotten used to it.
Nuuuuuu, pony Quaritch has escaped!
100 chapters? Normally the sign of a crazy long story, but when it's already been preceded by Austraeoh...IC is definitely insane.
1857878
10 bits says Shell ends up as a potato in the next installment
1859213
Subject: Enforcer Shell
Future Suffix Title obtained: "The Potato"
Preview: "Shell the Potato"
It is prophosized.
1859861
Can you give titles before they're earned?
1859874
Twas only a special case for Shell, my favorite soon to be Potato.
Now I'm having flashbacks to Portal 2.
Shell-Quaritch: "Before you showed up, nopony tried to murder me, or put me in a potato, or fed me to the chaos-corrupted Element of Loyalty. I had a pretty good life. And then you showed up, you dangerous stubby lunatic."
I was half-expecting a desperate final battle with Shell on the spinning clockwork a la The Great Mouse Detective
Okay. I'm a quarter of the way away from the end of AustrailiYu-Gi-Oh. Just wanted to let you know that I'm now officially a member of the Noble Jury. It'll take me a minute to get caught up, but I'm coming, ):(. LAWLZ GET IT?!?! AN IMPLODING... COLON!!!
I need a nap...
I really like this line for some reason. Its kinda poetic.
I like this one as well, but for different reasons.
And yes - my mediocre instincts proved correct and Belle and Pilate live on to snuggle another day! And damn, Shell won't bite it until someone important tries to off him again. That or he gets devoured by a passing Manticore just as he tries to make his dramatic return. Talk about an anticlimatic but appropriate death. Well, got more to read - onward!
Ok, so Belle and Pilate have cheated death again, Shell Haas been slogging it for the past god knows how long, and just "died" in a similar way to how Belle and Pilate just "died."
Aah I love fiction!
Onwards!
come on, chop the son of a bitch in half.
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
Well...um...now I feel like an idiot. They didn't die after all...The one other thing I'n this chapter is Shell. From the way he escaped, I don't think we've seen the last if him yet. Unfortunately. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
P.S. 1859861"In case you've started sequencing with the new test subject here, here's some advice I got from the lab boys."
<shuffles paper>
"Do not start sequencing with the new test subject she is. We haven't entirely nailed down whatcreatire it is, but it's a lively one. And it does not appreciate chaos energy."
Am I alone to wish for Shell to come back? He was a fun antagonist.
1859861DID SOMONE SAY POTATOS? POTATOTIGER LIKES POTATOS!!!!!!!
Halfway once more!
This is the last we shall see of Shell :Liarjack:
1858130 A trilogy? how cute. based on the 12 slots on Imploding colon's page, four of which are filled, there will eventually be twelve books, making this one of the longest novels ever written.
DAMMIT SS&E YOU TOY WITH MY EMOTIONS!!!
I knew it! If Belle is Eljunbyro, she can't die, or the whole story is ruined. And Shell escaped!
EDIT: :D 1/2 done! Woohoo!
3442217
Someone's probably pointed this out to you already, but this is by Imploding Colon, not shortskirtsandexplosions.
I forgot to start commenting on every chapter...
I guess we're going to have Shell come out of nowhere and kill, like, Dalton or something. *sigh*
Whooaaaaaa! We're half way there
Whooooaaaa! Livin' on a prayer
Take my hoof- we'll make it - I swear
Whooaaaa! Livin' on a prayer
Flying off into the sunset, eh?
Half way through. Still catching up. One day I'll be there guys.
Knowing Shell, he probably got chopped in half, but will end up coming back with a robotic back half.
1857748 LIVIN ON A PRAYER
as many before me, I feel obligated to say....1/2 way done....with 2 of 7. I'll catch up eventually
Queen of the metaphors everyone
That's some next-level imagery right there.
Chapter one hundred, and it starts with an explosion? How entirely appropriate.
Rainbow Tactfulness Dash.
Shesh, Rainbow. You'd think a weather pony would have more clever saying about wind and such than that.
In spite of everything else to hate about him, Shell has impressive determination.