"This goes beyond sequencing, Pilate. I... I'm being given a message," Belle said. "Whatever I interfaced with down there in the facility: something r-reached back. I think it even had a hold on me for a while. Either I was dreaming or..." She bit her lip. "Or I've been sequencing outside of the manalink with the subject."
"Outside of the manalink?" Pilate remarked breathily. The two of them squatted on the stoop to the front of their cabin. A gentle breeze wafted through the pine trees above them. A scattering of sunlight bathed their figures as they sat side by side. "How is that even scientifically possible?"
"I don't think the subject was the only thing I was sequencing with the whole time," Belle said. "There's more to the spheres within than just Rainbow Dash."
Pilate tilted his striped head towards her. "Rainbow... Dash, you say?"
"Yes. Though Pinkie Pie tends to call her 'Dashie.' But most friends—like Twilight and Fluttershy—just call her 'Rainbow' and—"
"Hold up... Hold up..." Pilate waved his hooves and patted her shoulder. "Who are all these ponies?!"
"Nnngh..." She tossed her head forward, resting her face and tusseled mane in her forelimbs. "I don't expect you to understand, Pilate, but I felt like I just lived the last two days in the body of Rainbow Dash, along with her close friends. They had just gone to this big dance that turned into a disaster, but they were all making the best of it. They went shopping in this city in the mountains called Canterlot, and then they went to see the Wonderbolts and took the midnight train to Ponyville—"
"Canterlot?" Pilate stammered. "Wonder... bolts?"
"Sorry!" she hissed. "It's just that I have so much information in my head and I don't know how to get it all out..."
"It's alright, Belle," Pilate said, stroking her shoulder. "I'm just... a bit amazed, is all..."
She sniffled, brushed her mane back, and glanced up at him. "And you said that I was still as a stone for two days?"
"More like three," he said. "At least, that's what they implied when they brought you here, unconscious."
Belle gulped. "Shell's guards?"
Pilate nodded.
Belle nervously fidgeted. "Did they... d-did they say when they would be taking me back?"
"They didn't say much of anything. I was quite furious with them," he said, his nostrils flaring. "I had thought they did something terrible to you. You were gone for a week, and then to be just dropped off like a sack of potatoes here..." He fumed for a bit, then blushed slightly. "A... uhm... a gorgeous sack of potatoes, of course."
"Of course," she smiled, reaching over to brush a hoof through his mohawk. "I guess I'm just surprised they let me go?"
"Why is that?"
"Well, because—" she began, but then her face hung in a cold grimace. She thought of concrete walls, of Shell's one glaring eye, of the sounds of muffled laborers and a wall of metal. She started panting, as if a bag had been hoisted over her head.
"Beloved...?"
She realized that several seconds had passed. Swallowing, she said, "Nothing. It's just that... before I woke up, I had gained nothing from the sequencing to tell them. And now..." She turned. She looked closely at him, at his fine black and white coat, at his handsome muzzle, at his softly twitching ears as he tilted his head towards her patiently.
"Now you have things to tell them?"
She thought of a question Shell had once asked her, and she inhaled sharply. She blinked before her eyes could turn moist. Clearing her throat, she said, "Yes. I have many things to tell them. But I don't know the difference from what is real information or what is just a hallucination."
"You think that something got crossed in your leylines?" Pilate asked. "Maybe there was a surge of mana feedback that disrupted your nerves."
"I did think of that..."
"In an attempt to fill in the gaps of comprehension, perhaps your mind constructed these tales about Rainbow Dash and Twilight Shy and Fluttersparkle."
She giggled. "Maybe. But I never saw myself as that imaginative. Or for that matter... religious..."
His brow furrowed around the runed plate. "Religious?"
"I... I had an experience, Pilate," she murmured. "Something glorious happened to me, something more fulfilling than the spark. It... it's been a long time since I had such release, and felt such contentment and freedom."
"This happened in your sleep?"
"It happened in a vision," she said. "I experienced something that hadn't happened before in the sequencing. I met an alicorn."
He murmured in a whispery voice, "An alicorn? As in from ancient times?"
"Yes," she replied just as quietly. "She said her name was Whitemane. She told me that..." She lingered.
"Told you what?"
"That... That I was to bring the wind back to Austraeoh."
"'Austraeoh?'" Pilate remarked. "Is that a place or something? A pony?"
"I believe it is me..."
"You?"
"I-I mean..." She seethed and ran a hoof over her head, gently tapping the stubby horn. "Rainbow Dash..."
"Oh Belle, you must be so exhausted from all this..."
"Yes. But..." she thought aloud, murmuring. "I have to understand. There's more than just that. I think Whitemane is trying to tell me something. I believe something in the subject is... is communicating with me, Pilate."
"Communicating in what way?"
"Ungh!" she tossed her mane and growled. "I wish I could just show you!" She stared at the dirt of the path leading up to the house. "There are these symbols that keep appearing in my visions. Garnet wanted me to interpret one, and now Shell does. I think I'm starting to get names for them in my head, but the meaning is still lost to me."
"Could you draw them?"
"I... think so..."
"Well, let me give it a look," he said. "I've been doing an awful lot of reading lately. Might as well put my mind to good use."
"Oh Pilate, you are always of good use."
"Humor me." He tilted his head back. "O.A.S.I.S. Standby."
The sphere detached from his choker and floated around the two.
"I think I can draw it in the dirt," Belle said, grabbing a stick.
"That'll do. O.A.S.I.S. has had a good eye lately."
"It can have an even better eye," Bellesmith muttered as she began drawing the four emblems in pairs. "I'm so behind on giving it proper maintenance."
"You need not bother. Kenna helped me with a mana recharge four days ago."
"Well, that was nice of her," Belle murmured in mid-sketch. As she dragged the stick over the dirt, she glanced up at the tiny cottages beside them. "It's awful quiet around here."
"Yes. I know."
"Kind of sad that Baxter has not been around at all. I miss his presence."
"He's been having to perform double the tasks in town," Pilate explained. "When he arrives back home, he immediately collapses and goes to bed. Kenna says he's been exhausted."
"Wow. When did he become such a workaholic?"
Pilate chewed on his lips before saying, "He's taken up Placid's job in the General Store."
"Oh?" Belle remarked, halfway done. "What for?"
"He's gone, Belle," Pilate said. "Placid and Felicity are no longer our neighbors. They've been relocated."
Belle froze. She turned and looked at Pilate. "Relocated?" she remarked.
Pilate slowly nodded.
"Well, what for?"
"We were never told." He shifted uncomfortably where he sat. "It happened rather suddenly too. The very day that you were brought back here, both of them were issued the order to move out. They didn't have any time to grab all of their belongings or even say goodbye to the rest of us. They were just told to leave, and so they did."
Belle squinted off towards the house across the dirt road. "Was it... the Enforcers?"
Pilate nodded again. He swallowed and said, "News is that three other couples were relocated as well. Mainstreet is a ghost town as of late."
"Why... are they sending so many ponies away?"
"I wish I knew, Belle. That's why I'm glad you're back," he said with a nervous smile. "It's been too quiet." He shuddered. "Too quiet for my tastes..."
"Oh Pilate..."
"How are... uh... how are the symbols coming along?"
"Oh. Uhm..." She sweated nervously and finished with the illustrations. "Almost done. There. Good thing there's a lull in the wind."
"This shouldn't take long." Pilate scooted over before the twin pairs of symbols under Belle's guidance. He tilted his muzzle towards the hum of the hovering sphere. "O.A.S.I.S. Image scan."
The sphere flickered with magic and levitated over the dirt. With a beam of white light, it covered every inch of the fresh impressions Belle had made: the hoofprint, the solar crest, the hash marks, and the blossoming serpent. It strobed a few more times before retreating to its socket in the zebra's choker. The plate atop Pilate's head flickered with alternating runes, and he positively jerked back from the flow of information.
Belle gasped lightly. "You okay?"
"I..." His brow furrowed as his mouth hung open for a few seconds. "...am intrigued."
"You... you know these symbols?" she asked.
"Hmmm..." He rubbed his hoof beneath his chin. "Great Stare..."
Belle raised an eyebrow. "The buffalo? What about him?"
"He should be running the town archives right about now." Pilate stood up on wobbly knees. "I think... it's time to pay him a visit, assuming he still has a few old tomes in his possession..."
"What kind of books?"
"The names escape me at the moment, but the symbols most certainly don't." Pilate turned and smiled at his mate. "Shall we?"
"Well, alright!" she smiled back and led him forward by the hoof.
Oh, looks like we might get some answers soon.
Incoming answers!
1573559
We are, aren't we? Looks like in just another 3 months and maybe some measly 15-20 thousand words we might get something resolved.
Some thing.
Just one.
(sorry, just my harmless humor)
On the way, to some answers today!
La la la la la laaaaa!
...
Aah yeah...
Answers soon anyone?
We will find out.
Still with the italics.
I thought it was an unclosed tag error in the last chapter, but it's obvious now that it's intentional.
But why?
Tune in next time to find out! Same Rainbow-time, same Rainbow-channel!
Heh, all that wind/sun imagery
Pay attention to what Belle says about her feelings, she has admitted to being an unreliable narrator while simultaneously providing evidence for all the theories presented last chapter. The metaphor of the reader/author relationship between Pilate/Belle is something to keep an eye on as well.
Belle has a head full of ideas, and they're driving her insane.
1573610
Eeyup.
(PS: Twin Pairs.. heh)
Answers? No, no, that isn't IC's style. Something bad's gonna happen, I just know it.
I an certain now that RD is watching. These spontaneous sequencing events are showing that these out of lab sequencing events are creating a deeper bond between Belle and RD than the cientists initially expected.
I am cuious about the buffalo now. I feel that they may have predated ponies on the Equestrian planet.
Also, typing this out on a tablet sucks.
1573734
Is she? I think Belle doesn't know what Belle knows, Whitemane/Magic is the one watching, but Belle doesn't know how to interpret everything. Rainbow hasn't been exerting control over Belle, Belle has been adopting Rainbow's memories and experiences.
1573653
Maybe she still in a "sequencing" state that Shell has control over. Belle would spill anything to Pilate, which is something that Shell could put to good use.
1573764
Though sequencing does not necissarily mean control of the subject. Remember that RD is still rather uninformed about the symbols and what they mean. I think that she is witnessing a 'key' memory od Belle's and it will help her understand her quest more. Bellesmith went through several of RD's key memories to help understand RD to aid her quest.
And i think that Whitemane is watching regardless of the point of view. She has already demonatrated a knowledge of Belle without directly acessing her memories.
well Belle is starting to think she's Rainbow Dash. The rescue every pony wants isn't too far away i hope.
1573799
Interesting hypothesis, but Belle has had to describe everything to the techs, Dalton and everyone else. I'm not sure Shell could just look in, that's what sequencing is in the first place.
1573800
Yin and Yang, I like it. Still, sudden understanding is not a new concept for the story, see: Axan.
Wait... Pilate talked about "Twilight Shy" and "Fluttersparkle," but Belle never said Twilight's full name - she never said anything about "Twilight Sparkle," just "Twilight."
1573834
Clearly RD is influencing the pseudosequencing.
1573703
Inevitably, all of the theories are actually incorrect anyway.
YESS ANSWERS WOO
1573703
Her head is full of ideas - whose ideas? Hers? Rainbow's? Whitemane's? There are so many pieces in play right now. Who knows what will happen with so many different influences exerting control over Dash's memories. I wouldn't be surprised if those memories proved unreliable as (zebra) Pilate pointed out. Everything Belle has seen so far should be suspect. There may yet be be unknown forces distorting the sequencing. I think Belle's mind will be the battleground for Rainbow Dash and all the power that goes with her.
1574144
You have much to learn, young grasshoppa'.
Answers! Fuckin finally.
Are we finally gonna get some answers?
I see a lot of people expecting answers soon...I can only assume that these people have never read a chapter of IC before :P
Incoming answers?
HAHA!
I'll believe it when I see it. More like more tantalizing hints infuriatingly short on explanations. You all should be used to this by now!
the questions...they need answers
EX-PO-SITION!
WE'RE GO-NNA GET SOME
EX-PO-SITION!
IT'S A-BOUT TIME FOR SOME
EX-PO-SITIONNNN
TO-DAYYY!
...so... yeah. Any chapter that involves visiting a library makes me happy.
Well, that was at once informative and at the same time raised even more questions XD
I ccouldn't help but remember how Belle and Pilate referenced their mana-lines crossing when Belle tried to directly recharge O.A.S.I.S. Somehow, I feel that this, and the constant mentions of Belle needing to upgrade O.A.S.I.S. may be a chekhov's gun. . .
1573734 lol I use tablet to
(Ps it does suck)
A buffalo, eh? And it's interesting that Pilate recognized the symbols...
The idea that RD might be watching Belle is interesting... and convenient if only for the fact that she'd end up knowing a lot more about the symbols and the quest and so wouldn't have to be informed later on. Although it might be Whitemane watching at this point, or the italics might just mean that Belle's control and clarity are growing muddier the more she sequences with RD. Hard to say.
1573610
Yes, and then when we get answers, they'll only dredge up more questions, which will then take another month to answer, and so on...
Onward!
It worries me that his may not be real. That Shell has her hooked up to the sequencer and is using Pilate as a vehicle toward information gain.
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
So, although there's a lot of plot going on in this chapter, there isn't too much I can say about it. We might get the meaning of the symbols soon, although I doubt it. Also, the italics are starting to scare me. I can't understand them...These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
Where's twilight when you need her-OH WAIT
then again Pilate is a pretty cool guy, he's blind and isn't afraid of anything.
Huh. So I guess the symbols aren't for Austraeoh and Eljunbyro then.
Now we know where they're all going. But why do they need so many bodies down there? Are they hoping to dig through the door somehow, like the minotaurs?
i hope shell is not using Pilate to get answers unknowingly
GOIN AAAANYYYYWHEEEEERE~
1573653
I have an idea:
The focus has switched. These are now Rainbow Dash's dreams.
This is absurd.
I-
I just-
But at least we're going to get answers.
Convenience is but another way of tricking the reader into a false sense of security before soon thereafter pulling away the veil and showing the pistol that has been pointed at you the whole time.
What do you have in store?
4033028 Very VERY interesting thought...im gonna be expecting that the next few chapters now lol
Rainbow's vision?
Welp, that's what you get for doing funny mental magic stuff with someone who is connected to an Element of Harmony plus whatever else is going on with Dash.
Now we're cooking.
I'm rooting for Belle... but not because anything she comes up with just goes straight to that jerk Shell.
Yes! Out-of-Animus synchronization! And it's definitely from Dash's PoV now.
I've got the feeling something really bad's gonna happen to Belle, and Dash is going to swoop in and save her.
Or, worse, she won't.
And then we have Great Stare and the symbols, and...
...Nooo, Baxter! Why? You were too young! You were too pretty for God to let you die! Just look at that chiseled jaw!
Now who's gonna be Mustang!? *sobs*
This has recently gotten a tad bit confusing. Now the chapters are in italics, which was normally when she was in the spheres and stuff... ugh, onward to clarity!
~SolidFire
6607589
I agree. Breaking format, to have memories / dreams format. As normal story format is jarring. Hopefully that fixes itself later on.
6972319
6607589 Well, there's a reason for everything. I imagine it'll be explained later.
7657165
It doesn't really.
It’s not scientifically possible. You are not scientifically possible!
Maybe I'm paranoid, but anyone else feel like this is all a setup and Shell and his gooneys are actually listening to all of this?