Cracks and Fissures
He trotted out of the woods, his breath awash with the scents of autumn. His eyes narrowed as he drank in the melting hues of sunset across the golden country. In a straight line, he trotted forward, approaching the heart of a quiet village lying in the emerald valley. Ponies shuffled from store to store on either side of him. Not a single one dared to lift their head and gaze into his face.
He rounded Main Street, taking a right and hiking down a winding gravel road that led towards a grassy knoll full of two story houses. Fresh flowers hung out of every windowsill, dancing in the breeze. As he trotted up the hillside, the setting sun glinted off his polished metals. Several ponies who were lazing on their front patios took sight of him and ended their conversations, trotting briskly into their separate buildings.
At last, he went around a familiar bend around a familiar oak tree. A cottage loomed before him, hanging in the shadow of a mountain that loomed beyond. There was a break in the heavens, and a swath of light illuminated the bright mane of a filly playing in the front yard. She took one look at him, gasped, and waddled up to the edge of the road.
“Daddy! Daddy!” She pounced on him, instantly knocking off his beret as she nuzzled his neck. “You're home! You were gone so long! I knew you'd come back!”
“I had to return,” he said. As if catching how dull and lifeless his voice was, he cleared his throat and knelt down to caress her cheek. “Of course I came back, darling. Our kingdom is... built around the home, after all.”
“Did you have any new adventures lately, Daddy?!” She asked with bright eyes. “Huh?”
“I...” He bit his lip. “Not this time, honey...”
“Awwww... You mean none? How boring!”
“I'll... uhm...” He tried to smile, but all he could do was wince. “I have to pry my memory. I'm sure I'll come up with some tales... to... tell...” He looked up.
A mare with a golden coat stood quiet and emotionless in the doorframe.
His nostrils flared as every limb locked up.
The filly glanced back and forth. Her mouth pursed open. “Are you and Mommy mad at each other?”
He unclenched his jaw just enough to say, “Go play with the neighbors, sweetheart.” His horn flickered once, and he felt the shape of the military orders bundled in his vest pocket. “Your mother and I have a long, long talk ahead of us...”
“Daddy?”
He trotted forward.
“Daddy...?”
He clenched his teeth.
The mare in the doorway crept back into the shadows. “Beloved, just promise me, that when this is over...” A voice echoed out. It was accompanied by a puddle of blood, running down the doorsteps and into the garden. “You won't do to her what you've done to me."
He stood in place, hyperventilating. One eye clenched shut, and he spun around to look.
A wave of water rushed in from behind, slamming his body awake.
Shell gasped as he was dragged against a wall of brick. He kicked against the currents, thrashing and bobbing for air. At last, the rest of his senses kicked in, and beyond the exploding pain he found the will to illuminate his horn. He saw bubbles and more bubbles, but his trained eye followed the direction they were going. He paddled after them, eventually bursting through the surface of the raging stream with a gasping breath.
Shivering from the freezing currents, Shell looked every which way. He was swiftly blurring down a dark tunnel. The walls all around him were fashioned out of decrepit brick: very likely the construction from Blue Nova's olden days. The stallion tested his own knowledge of vintage Ledomaritan architecture, and he kicked along with the currents, keeping his gaze focused to his left.
Sure enough, after forty feet, he came upon a series of stone ridges leading up to a partition that jutted up and away from the currents. At the top of this niche was a stone door. The difficulty in opening it was a faint concept to him; all that mattered was getting there.
Splitting the rapids with bursts of telekinesis, the enforcer managed to steer himself towards his target. When he reached it, he lunged up with both forelimbs, forgetting at the last second that his cast had shattered.
“Aaaaaugh!” he yelped out loud, his face muscles clenching from the stabbing pain in his broken limb. “Nnnngh—Sp-Spark!” After a few heaving breaths, he finally threw himself up onto the topmost stone peak of the platform, rolling over until he rested on his back, cradling his battered hoof.
He lay there for a great deal longer than he would have wished, his body awash in enough sweat and slime that it excused what happened next.
He brought his good forelimb over his scarred face, seething, clenching his teeth together so that a single squeak couldn't escape. After several vomitous seconds, he fought back the sobs, and the hauntingly warm voices disappeared with them. When he brought his forelimb down, his face was yet again the utter definition of icy.
He stood up, hobbled about, and trained his horn on the door. Halfway through opening it, Shell whipped out his sound stone, shook it until it glowed, and spoke firmly into the shard.
“This is Prime Enforcer Shell. I am alive. I need an update on the situation...”
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*looks at chapter title* Indeed...it does appear that, to a degree, this Shell is cracking...
Damn it, will you stop making me feel bad for Shell?
Phew, good to be back on here. Looks like Dash's Scooby gang is almost properly reunited again as well. I've got a lot of pushups to catch up on, but keep 'em coming!
As an aside, this is why the site's interactive pony is best pony:
i.imgur.com/VO35EOO.jpg
Shell just can't be put down, can he?
Sorry Shell. You're not going to Nuremberg your way into my sympathies.
I do have to wonder, though, what the deal is with Shell's daughter. This isn't the first time the "You won't do to her what you've done to me" line has come up. Could be significant later on. I could get into Really Weird Conspiracy Mode (TM) and wonder if one of the existing characters is actually his daughter (do we know just how old Shell is?), but I'll hold off for now. It could just be a matter of that line serving as a fulcrum for Shell's shell finally cracking/fissuring for good, exposing some modicum of equinity (?) underneath. While I accept no excuse for his past decisions, I'll be willing to consider forgiveness if he repents.
Funny thing is, I can easily imagine Shell as a commander, in say... oh the U.S army, in a video game, in which all of this happens to you just 'cause. I mean, yeah, it sucks and all, but I'm still seeing Shell as the stereotype evil military leader. He's just there because he needs to be. Then again, this gives some character development, so I suppose there's room for him to grow out of it.
Then again, I might just be spouting a lot of non-sense trying to sound smart and not making much sense at all, y'know. Just random thoughts.
As sympathetic as his backstory is (I think I already called it once before, but Belle is totally his daughter), I still want Shell's head to explode in a major way.
SUDDEN PIECE OF VILLAIN BACKSTORY GO.
And I'm glad.
Those things can be awesome.
How many times is it gonna take?!?!?!
3025478
I've been thinking Imre's going to be his daughter. She worked at Pale Shelf so we know she's originally Ledomaritan, and when she, Rainbow, and Tweak first ran into Shell a few chapters ago, I'm pretty sure she knew who he was. It might be a bit of a stretch but I have a good feeling about this one
3025744
glad to see i ain't the only one thinking that!
Goodness. Y'know, I started feeling a little bad for Shell here. He's really lost everything he's cared about, for the sake of a state that couldn't care less about him. He's just as loyal as Rainbow, but to the wrong cause. Him killing his wife kinda reminds me of Abraham sacrificing Isaac (almost). The only difference is that in that story, God actually gave a shit.
It's too late to weedle your way into my heart. Not after what you've done. Please, continue to suffer.
...That said, I have some respect for the guy. He's every bit as badass and unkillable as our protagonists. He could probably beat the Nemesis in an arm wrestling match AND beat him to all the S.T.A.R.S members.
Awww,does wittle Shell need his bottle?I always wanted to do that.Anyways,seems like Shell just might start showing some feelings.
I would LOVE to put Shell in a sequencing unit and make him feel all the pain he's caused. Drive that icy demeanor out of his mind for good.
I'm not gonna say I called it or anything, but... well...
What the hell? Why are you trying to make us feel bad for Shell? I like disliking him!
3025186
if one of the existing characters turns out to be shell's daughter, then he has to be really old.....
and for some reason, he is capable of that much ass-kicking!
you think they put some formula in their oats?
I wonder what these Cracks and Fissures will reveal beneath the Shell...
Surprise, surprise, Shell still lives.
Much as I dislike the guy, you gotta admit he´s not giving up....
3027746
It´s Propsy
Seriously. Someone needs to put that poor thing out of its misery. An empty shell creates a vacuum, the existence of which the universe does not accept. And if you can't fill the space (and since he's obviously doing his best to prevent it from being filled), you have to remove the compartment.
But we already knew that Shell was struggling with his tiny, crippled conscience and we knew he had a daughter. I really don't see anything redeeming in this chapter - he remains the same kind of bastard that he has been before.
I like how Shell went right back to business as usual instead of trying to find his way out of there.
3027746
Heh, yeah, it would kinda be a long shot.
Plus the whole thing would reek of Darth Vader. More likely this chapter is just indicative of something more psychological.
3028586 Could Imre be Shell's daughter?
3028684
It would depend on their respective ages, of course, but it would actually be pretty interesting. It might explain some of Imre's issues with her past and so forth. Hmmm.
3028261
Pretty much. It's not supposed to be a surprise, just a reminder.
Shell is basically Max Payne as this point
Shell can go ahead and can keep on crack-a-lackin'. Anyone who would personally sacrifice their loved ones just because some knob told them to do it deserves all the guilt and emotional trauma they can't handle, and then some.
Imre being Shell's daughter would actually be pretty cool. I never expect these kinds of things (until I read the comments section and a billion theories start circulating, of course) and it would make quite a bit of sense. Shell wouldn't even have to be that old. If he was 25 when he had kids, and then his kid is 25, that'd only make him 50. With the way ponies seem to age and how indestructible most of them are, his abilities don't seem out of the realm of possibility at around that age (especially if all he does is train and work).
Eh, I guess we'll see. His daughter could be completely irrelevant save for serving as a device to remind us all that he isn't, in fact, an indestructible government drone programmed to kick ass and follow orders.
Onward!
Of course he's alive. Why wouldn't he be?
And we have proof that once upon a time, Shell had a soul.
IIIIIt's Dashie's First Get-Backing Adventure!
Shell is the Joker! Right here, you can totally see it! His world has to work for him to stay sane! He has to stay a shell to live! He can't take into account the terrible things he's done or he'll break down! And I think that being beaten by Dash one more time will break him. Mark my words. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
P.S. Time for act two! Four more chapters to go!
3028084Ptobably something gross and slimy.
Progress.
Wow shell was human, er pony once before this whole rainbow insident had hapind.
So now the question is what changed him?
God fucking dammit.
Hell yeah, more fleshing out of Shell!
Come on guys, stop wishing he was so dead! He's a great villain, and I can't help but think of Shell as the Judge Dredd of the Ledomartian enforcers. He's a bit of a badass.
3151575 AGREED!
3025060 That's utterly adorable.
Wait... Shell still has feelings? Like, actual, raw emotions other than ice-cold fury?
That's new...
For Spark's sake, Shell...
WHY DO YOU PERSIST!
Shell is so deep.
-Spirit
Damnit, now I know Shell has feelings, I can't hate the magnificent bastard for pure Villain content. Now I;m gonna start seeing emotions comnig through.
Everyone's running from something . . .
4402646 But Shell's fighting for the preservation of the current regime. And a bad guy.
Jesus, Skirts, why do you bring such humanity to your villains? I can't hate them properly!
Cracks are appearing in Shell's wall... and it's going to come down sooner or later.
I don't feel bad for him, he put all of it on himself when he made the conscious decision to carry out those orders.
Yet another flashback into the mind of a monster.
Holy hell he just won't die! That'll change eventually. Kinda weird to see that he once had a normal-ish life, and a daughter to boot. I wonder what could have happened to her...
~SolidFire
No matter how cruel people are, they still have a feeling, they just doing pretty good hiding it.
Welp, this was exactly what I thought.
I know this is an attempt to give more character to Shell and stuff, but honestly I still feel about as much for Shell as Shell feels for anybody else.
If anything, I'll take this and add it to the traumatic, dramatic past of Belle and pretend that hat this was meant for.
Man, talk about family issues.
Reminds me of Odin, actually...
Ah, so he's one of those guys.
"Kill your emotions, no weakness" <bonified, grade A BS × 9000