Episode 130: The Immediate Aftermath
Few could muster words to say in the heavy moments following the revelation of Gaia’s condition. It was obvious enough from the bewildered eye blinks and twitching mouth movements on Timber Spruce that he didn’t fully understand, himself. His eyes slowly, haltingly looked towards the empty hole in his sister’s stomach, a hole that shouldn’t exist on a human’s body without being fatal, yet existed cleanly upon Gaia’s body like it was a natural thing. Sunset could see the gears turn in his mind, the refusal hardening there as he shook his head and began to mumble, then louder, with more heated feeling.
“No. No, there's got to be a way to fix this.”
Gaia’s hand reached his cheek and stroked it, her voice strung with sisterly love and shared pain, but the heavier maturity of a much older entity than Gloriosa Daisy’s years, “Timber, there’s nothing to fix. The body I had as Gloriosa is gone. I don’t know if it was destroyed by the portal’s energies, or if my spirit was torn out of it while it got thrown into the vortex, but either way, what you’re seeing now is my soul.”
“What does that even mean!?” he shouted, “Glori, I don’t understand anything that’s happened! You... you what? Fused with one of those Hollow things!? You went crazy there for a second, then somehow Twilight, Sunset, and these other girls got you thinking straight again. But what, then you just up and blew yourself up fixing some stupid magic portal!? What am I supposed to think about any of this!? How am I supposed to just be like ‘Oh okay, sure, I’ll roll with this?’”
“Heh, well when you put it like that it sounds like I’m being unreasonable or something,” Gaia said, smiling in a manner that was very much like Gloriosa’s bright, if somewhat forced cheer. She gripped his arm tight with her other hand, just enough to be both comforting and focusing his attention, “I’m not expecting you to understand everything, brother. Just know that, whatevers happened to me, I love you. You’re my only family. No matter how I change, or whatever comes after this, I am your sister, and I’ll protect you.”
“Glori...I...” he slumped into her, utterly beyond finding words at this point, and simply let out his feelings into her shoulder in a series of wracking sobs. She held him gently as he did so, saying nothing more. Inside, she was both Gaia and Gloriosa now, fully and completely, and there was no difference of emotion between the two. Gaia cried for the human boy who’s life she’d thrown into chaos as much as she cried as a sister who desperately wished for her brother to be happy, and felt his pain like her own.
Meanwhile Sunset and the girls had backed up a bit to give the two siblings their space, Twilight sliding close to Sunset to whisper, “I know the need a minute, but we don’t have a lot of time. The Soul Reapers will have reinforcements coming soon, and I and my fellow Quincy will need to fall back before they get here, to avoid further confrontation.”
“Not to point out further flies in the ointment,” said Clover, who was close enough to listen in and whisper as well, “But while Gaia may be pacified for now, I have no way of knowing how reinforcements from Seireitei will react to finding an Arrancar here, especially one as powerful as she is.”
“I know that,” Sunset said, her spiritual senses spreading out so she could get a picture of who was nearby, “I can’t sense Captain Luna, but she might be in stealth mode. I think I feel Captain Starswirl approaching, along with a few others I don’t recognize...”
“Most likely Cadence, Filthy Rich, and the Quincy we fought and captured,” Twilight said, and at Sunset’s look she coughed and said, “It’s a long story.”
“I get the feeling everyone has a long story, today,” Sunset replied dryly, crossing her arms and thinking, “I still sense Discord and Ditzy close by at the camp. Let’s get everyone together there, first off, and make sure everyone’s alright. Worse comes to worse, maybe we can have Gaia hole up at Discord’s place until we figure things out.”
“Ain’t the worst idea I’d heard today,” said Applejack, hefting her lance over her shoulder, “We’re all banged up an’ runnin’ on empty. I got ta git ahold o’ my ma, too, n’ let her know me n’ Applebloom are okay.”
“Sugarcoat and the rest of my team are there at the camp, too,” said Twilight, “I’ll need to rally them, get to my field lab, and hopefully break it down before the Soul Reapers find it.”
“You’re gonna run off already?” asked Pinkie Pie, “We only got to start hanging out again!”
Twilight managed a small smile, if a wane one, “I don’t plan to be gone long. My family estate is still my long term lab. But the last thing I need is to have a confrontation with Soul Reapers who are coming here expecting trouble already. Better for me and the other Quincy to be out of the area, to avoid any reigniting of conflict.”
“If you’re in a rush, you oughta take your pendant with you,” said Rainbow Dash, turning to look for it on the ground, “I mean, we all got... one...? Huh?”
“What is it?” Sunset asked, then glanced around and realized the problem as well. A minute ago the seven pendants had been laying on the ground in a neat circle around where Gaia had fallen. Now, they were nowhere to be seen.
“Uh, what happened to our new bling?” said Dash, just as Pinkie Pie’s entire body just dropped to the ground. All eyes turned to Pinkie as the girl went into a series of convulsions that shook her whole body like a xylophone in an earthquake.
“Pinkie!” Fluttershy gasped, reaching the girl’s side in an instant. She grabbed Pinkie Pie by the shoulders as Pinkie’s eyes stared up with a wide and wild glaze.
“B-b-b-b-aaaaad juju incoming!” Pinkie Pie managed to stammer, pointing a shaking finger up at the far lip of the crater.
A clear feminine voice spoke, mildly amused.
“Bad juju? Not how I’d have described myself, but hey, who am I to argue with the precog? But that power of yours isn’t the most reliable, is it? Seems to only go off after it’s too late to do anything about it.”
All heads turned to see the speaker. Sunset immediately felt a cold string of tension coil itself around her heart. Not because of the appearance of the woman standing at the lip of the crater. If anything, this individual had an innocuous look to her, like one of those forgettable faces that was designed to just blend into the crowd. Minty green skin, with a darker shade of green hair, cut short in a wavy curl around her plain features that still managed to light up with a youthful yet somehow dangerously intelligent smile and gleam in her eyes. The woman wore clothing similar to a Soul Reaper’s, but Sunset felt the cut of the dark robes and short sleeved white coat had an intentionally casual and frayed look that made her think of a punk rocker or other free spirited type. Sunset didn’t see a Zanpaktou anywhere on the woman’s outfit, but that didn’t detract from the sensation of anxiety and danger she sensed from this woman.
Appearances aside, the most immediate thing of note about the woman was the fact that she was holding up the finger of her right hand, and upon that finger she casually spun about all seven of the pendants that had formed from the geodes.
“What the-!? Who the heck are you?” shouted Rainbow Dash, hands tightening around her lightning spear.
“An’ what’re ya doin’ with them pendants?” Applejack added, leveling her lance.
Sunset couldn’t help but notice that Clover was staring at the woman with far wider eyes than the rest of them, frozen still in what could only be described as shock. Gaia, still holding a confused Timber, also had eyes that sparked with recognition, and it was her that said in a quiet, suspicious voice, “Medley...”
The woman, Medley, smiled even deeper, “Aw, don’t ruin the introductions, Gaia. I wanted to keep them in suspense a little longer.”
“Medley?” Sunset said, glancing at Gaia, “You know her?”
“In a sense,” Gaia replied, standing slowly, on feet that still swayed a bit from exhaustion. She wasn’t in much better condition than Sunset or any of the girls, after their battle, and taking a portal collapse to the face. She still pointedly stood in front of Timber, one arm protectively pushing him behind her.
“Gee, ‘in a sense’ is it? You’re acting like we never hung out any of those times Glory would invite you to the Palace. It’s been, what, a few thousand years since we last saw each other?” Medley said, still keeping the pendants spinning around her finger as she just vanished entirely, appearing a nanosecond later to stand right next to Gaia, one arm leaning casually on the Arrancar’s shoulder, “Although I did think you were dead, so you’ll understand why I never wrote or called.”
Gaia jerked back, taking Timber with her, eyes wary as Medley chuckled. Everyone else stared at her. Sunset turned, hand now holding up Hokori, almost on pure reflex. It wasn’t simply a matter of speed. She hadn’t even sensed Medley move. In fact, she had yet to sense any spiritual pressure at all from the woman. That struck Sunset as a major red flag, and as much as she was uneasy on the inside, she kept her voice steady as she said, “Hey, whoever you are, what do you want, exactly?”
“Indeed,” said Rarity, snapping her fingers, upon which the massive red gate of her Fullbring sprung up at the crater lip opposite where Medley had appeared, and a group of her knights emerged to take up positions with crystal bows all aimed down at Medley’s position, “You wish to introduce yourself? Then do so properly, and cease these games. Also, you’re holding property that doesn’t belong to you.”
“Girls, don’t...” Pinkie Pie said, forcing her body to stop shaking and sitting up. Fluttershy still stayed next to her, holding Pinkie.
“Don’t what?” Applejack said, “We ain’t done nothin’ yet.”
“Don’t fight her. Whatever you do. Don’t fight her,” Pinkie said past heavy gasps, almost as if she was hyperventilating.
“Yikes,” said Medley, “Didn’ think my reiatsu would be doing such a number on your precog ability, Pinkie Pie. I’ve tried to dial it down to a point where you shouldn’t be freaking out this much, but I guess I’m a bit out of practice. Let me try a little more...”
Suddenly reiatsu did come crashing out of Medley, like an explosive wave that hammered into Sunset and the girls. Sunset grit her teeth, feeling her bones rattle with the spiritual pressure that weighed upon them like being buried at the bottom of some oppressive mountain. Gradually this sensation slacked off as Sunset’s own reiatsu adjusted to it, but for a second she could only shake her head to get her focus back.
Medley sighed, “There, that ought to be low enough that you can actually sense me, but not freak out. Sorry about that. I keep forgetting anyone down here beside Little Scorpan has a hard time getting used to our reiatsu.”
“Excuse me, but did you say Little Scorpan?” blurted Dash, blinking, “As in that old, super powerful Soul Reaper Commander dude?”
“Sure did,” said Medley, holding her free hand out to the side of her waist, “I knew him back when he was just this tall, following his Big Bro Tirek around like a duck waddles after it’s mother. Heh, then again, I was pretty young back then too, and not much taller. Actually, just between us girls, I kind of crushed a bit on the older brother. Tirek rocked a serious stache back in the day, and it really did it for me. Ah, bygone times. But I’m not here to reminisce.”
“Then how about you tell us why you are?” Sunset said, “Like Rarity said, those pendants don’t belong to you.”
“Oh? Possession is nine tenths the law, isn’t it?” Medley said, ceasing her spinning of the pendants, letting them dangle from her fist as she held them up to examine them. The light of the pendants reflected off her glassy eyes as her smile faded and her voice turned deathly serious, like a winter wind. “Weapons this powerful don’t belong in the hands of children. So I’m taking them for safekeeping.”
“The hell you are!” Rainbow Dash said, her prismatic energy wings flaring bright as she tore through the sound barrier, shattering the stone beneath her in her flying charge at Medley. Dash’s speed went past anything even Sunset could easily follow, lightning kissing the ground in Dash’s wake. But when Rainbow’s hand grasped at the pendants, they grasped only air as Medley simply appeared back at the top lip of the crater.
“Huh?” Dash looked around, spotting Medley and grimacing, “Alright, I’m calling foul on that! How are you faster than me!?”
Medley simply gave Rainbow Dash a look of pure incredulousness, “Okay, first of all, do you have any idea who I am? You’re fast, kid. Damn fast. Might even be close to the mark. But still not there, yet. Then again, if you had this pendant, who knows? One of the main reasons why I’m making sure you kids don’t get a hold of these. You aren’t ready for that kind of power.”
“Why? Because you’re afraid we’d use them against you and the rest of Zero Division?” Sunset said, going with what her gut was telling her. She might not have known for sure who Medley was, but it wasn’t as if it was that hard to guess. Soul Reaper trappings? Insanely powerful and arrogant? Knew both Gaia and Scorpan from the distant past? It wasn’t exactly quantum physics to guess who Medley was.
Medley simply confirmed it with a grin and a bow, “Good call, Sunset Shimmer. I am, in fact, Medley, member of the vaunted ‘Zero’ Division of Soul Society. As to your question, I’ll decline to answer. Let’s just say I don’t think you girls having these will work out for either of our best interests. And since none of you can stop me from taking them-”
All of Rarity’s knights opened fire with their bows at once, while at the same time a series of curving spears and crystal blades of purest red erupted from the ground beneath Medley’s feet. Rock exploded everywhere as the arrows drove home like super sonic javelins, and for a moment nothing could be seen.
As eyes turned to Rarity, she gave a dainty shrug, “She looked distracted?”
A soft, impressed whistle came from above, and Medley was seen floating just below the stable portal, scratching the back of her head, “Not bad at all, Rarity. I knew I had you pegged right as the most ruthless of the team. Real shame, what happened to you today.”
Rarity’s marble white skin grew a gray, waxen shade as she went very still at those words. Sunset noticed instant tension in some of her other friends as well, Rainbow Dash in particular making a choking noise and looking rapidly back and forth between Rarity and everyone else. Only Applejack looked as confused as Sunset felt as she lowered her lance a bit and turned to Rarity, “Rares, what is she talkin’ about?”
“I... um, really would prefer we not talk about it at this very moment,” said Rarity, swiftly composing herself and then fixing Medley with a piercing gaze so frigid and pointed that it nearly unnerved Sunset to see such a look on her friend’s face, “If you say another word to them, I don’t care how powerful you think yourself to be, I will stitch your mouth shut with crystal needles.”
Medley gave a little shiver, although how genuine it was could be anyone’s guess. “Ooow, gave me the chills right there. You’re definitely one to watch. No fears, Rarity, I won’t spill your beans. I’ll just leave all of that surprise for you girls to figure out yourselves.”
“Ma’am, uh... Captain Medley?”
Medley tilted her head to glance down at Clover, who had spoken. Clover looked ready to collapse, her skin turning even more ashen than normal. Medley placed a hand on her hip and said, “Third Seat...Clover, right? One of Starswirl’s bunch. I have to thank you.”
“Thank me...?”
“For doing such a good job guiding these girls from the start. Without you around, they might have flailed around a lot more. Granted Discord and Ditzy did all the heavy lifting on that front down the road, but I acknowledge you did alright yourself. Now, you look like you had a question?”
“W-well, it’s just that... are you going to hurt my friends? Is the Zero Division going to harm them or their families?” Clover stammered out, mustering up a burst of courage to get her voice louder.
Medley’s smile didn’t falter, nor did she blink, “That’s why I was sent here. To evaluate the situation and determine if matters warranted a drastic response.”
“You were watching everything,” Sunset said, her gut telling her it was true, so she didn’t even bother phrasing it as a question. Medley confirmed with a swift nod.
“Sure was. And you girls put on quite the show. I was on the edge of my seat for most of it. We had thrills, chills, daring rescues, reversals of fortunes, tragic fates, heroic sacrifice and redemption. You could pack a whole cartoon season with everything that happened just today. Of course you’re not looking for my opinion on what happened, but rather whether or not I’m going to decide if you need to be dealt with or not.”
Sunset’s hand gripped tighter around the handle of her blade and her shield, while her friends all tensed as well. “Yeah, I’d like to plan my day, you know?”
“Hah! Got to love mortal humor. Relax, girls, if killing any of you was what I’d decided to do, there wouldn’t have been any conversation beforehand. You’d just be dead, and I’d already be heading home to listen to Glory chew me out,” Medley said, holding up the pendants, “No, there’s no need to kill you, same as there was no reason to kill your mothers when they had their spat with Soul Society. I think taking these is enough. You’re all powerful enough without them, I’d say. With them? Well, then we might have problems. And trust me, you don’t want me or any of my fellow Zero Division members thinking of you as problems.”
“Why? What is the Zero Division up to?” Sunset pressed, knowing it was risky, “Why did Starlight’s friend, Sunburst, end up in Hell?”
Medley blinked. It was hard for Sunset to be sure if she’d actually surprised the woman or not, but Medley did pause a moment before saying, “Dangerous question, kid. As it happens, I don’t need to answer you on that one, since Discord will give you all the exposition you’ll want on that front. Right... Discord?”
Sunset felt him before she even finished turning her head to look behind her. There, up on the lip of the crater opposite from Medley, stood not only Discord, but Ditzy Doo. Both of them had their eyes locked on Medley, Discord’s normally ever wry face now hard as steel. Ditzy was no more friendly in her look, her gold eyes narrowed and lit up with razor edged alertness.
“Medley,” Discord said, “It’s been some time.”
“Today’s all about reunions, looks like,” Medley said, her voice striking a balance between joking and stabbing, “I figured you’d come over soon as you felt my reiatsu. Don’t worry about your... what, do you think of them as ‘students’, maybe? ‘Specimens’ would have been more your style, once.”
“Once,” Discord said, “Not anymore, or ever again. It looks like your fingers are as sticky as ever. The Zero Division has lowered itself to petty theft, now?”
“Pfft, come off it, Discord. You know as well as I do that these girls are playing with fire, and if they soar too much closer, their little wings are going to burn right off. Assuming Glory doesn’t just order them pinned and mounted, first. You should be thanking me for just taking away their new toys, instead of offing them outright.”
“As if we’d let you,” Ditzy said, not even hesitating to raise her hand and bring it down across her face, forming her feline Hollow mask as her eyes turned dark, “You so much as move an inch towards them, and we’ll see if your Zanpaktou’s mental bullshit can shield you from getting my hands around your throat.”
“Mrrreoow, fierce as ever, Ditzy. No wonder you got Time Turner to completely forget about his own race to shack up with you. Enjoying the domestic life? How’s the kid?”
Entire city populations could have been melted to glass by the rancor in Ditzy’s reply, “She is none of your concern.”
Medley shrugged in a manner that showed little to no care for Ditzy’s venom, although Sunset picked up on the subtle shift in the way Medley stood that hinted at a readiness to engage in violence without actually putting off any aggressive vibes. “Won’t argue that, Ditzy. You might want to tuck her away somewhere less conspicuous, just FYI. This city is getting a little hot for being where your loved ones live.”
Ditzy looked ready to explode, but Discord held up a hand in front of her and started calmly walking forward, his steps taking him across the air above Sunset and the other girls as he approached the halfway point towards Medley, just beneath the hanging roots forming the portal. Medley, in response, joined him with equal slow, calm steps across the air, until the two stood facing each other just a few feet apart; the two biggest sharks in the pond, circling.
“Getting real annoyed by this chick’s attitude,” Rainbow growled under her breath, and Flutterhy, who’d helped Pinkie Pie steady herself, reached out with one of her golden hands to pat Dash on the shoulder.
“It’ll be okay Dash. I don’t think she’s actually here to fight.”
“Nah, just rob us like a damn thief!” Applejack said, her left hand balling into a tight fist.
“Guys, stay put, but keep an eye on her,” Sunset said and she jumped upwards. Not in any way to suggest she was on the attack, she just leaped up to Discord and Medley’s level, standing not quite between the two, but just off to the side. She didn’t release her Bankai, nor either her blade or shield, but nor did she lower her guard.
“Sunset Shimmer,” Discord said, raising a hand to tip his white and green striped hat to her, “You and your friends have been busy today.” He briefly glanced at the portal, then at Gaia, who remained tensely watching things from below. He smiled a small, satisfied smile at Sunset, “Good work.”
“Yeah, it was an impressive show,” Medley said, cutting in, “Which means I hope you get why I’m taking these magical weapons for safekeeping. Glory is going to be hard enough to convince these girls aren’t a threat as is.”
“As if you care what happens to these girls,” Discord said, and Medley rolled her eyes at him.
“Oh cry me an ocean of tears. You’re the one who turned down Glory’s offer, so you already know the score and skipped out on any chance in having a say about how things go down.”
“Then why go out of your way to shield them from Glory? What are you after, Medley?” asked Discord.
“I’m not shielding anyone,” said Medley, “No point. Right Sunset?”
“What do you mean?” asked Sunset, to which Medley puffed out a knowing laugh.
“Discord loves chaos, and you and your girl pals are chaos incarnate to the system that’s been established for this world. I don’t have to shield you, because one way or another, you’re going to be smashing things up and making a mess. All I’m doing is ensuring you can’t make too much of a mess by taking these magical nukes in the shape of overly colorful necklaces, and putting them somewhere safe,” she took the seven pendants and placed them inside her robes, “And far as I’m concerned, without them, you’re not enough of a threat to worry Glory about, no matter how much trouble you cause. Go after Starlight Glimmer if you like. Smash up Las Noches and Tirek if you can. Hell, smack around the Quincy and Gotei 13, too, if it suits you, since I get the feeling you’re tired of watching them all fight each other anyway.”
Medley’s smooth, casual tone froze over as she stared Sunset dead in the eyes, “But if you come to the Soul Palace for any reason, you’ll die.”
The woman didn’t leave, or swiftly vanish with a Flash Step. She simply... wasn’t there anymore. Her reiatsu, which had remained at that potent, drowning level, just ceased to exist before Sunset had finished another eyeblink. Sunset looked around, focused her senses as sharply as she could, but there was just nothing. Discord grunted, taking off his hat and fanning himself with it.
“That was entirely too close for comfort,” he said, and Sunset looked at him.
“What just happened?”
Discord looked at her with a heavy weight in his eyes, suddenly looking his age as he put his hat back on, “You and your friends were spared, that’s what happened.”
“Spared nothin’! We plump got robbed!” Applejack shouted.
Ditzy Doo appeared beside her, arms folded beneath her substantial chest, and she kept her Hollow mask on. “No denying that, but frankly we’re lucky that those trinkets were all Medley decided to go after. If this had come to a fight...”
“C’mon, we could have taken her!” said Dash, “I mean, all of us together, with you and the D man here, too?”
Ditzy looked flatly at Rainbow Dash, who after a second paled a bit more and said, “Right?
Discord floated down to the ground, with Sunset following him. He planted his cane and leaned his hands on it, “If we had engaged Medley earnestly, and she’d responded in kind? Hard to say.”
“She’s that strong?” Sunset inquired, feeling a spark of frustration.
“She’s a member of the Zero Division,” Discord replied flatly, “With Ditzy and I here we may have won out, but it would have been costly for us. You’d have lost friends...” he cast a glance at Rarity, his eyes briefly narrowing, but he said nothing more and turned towards Gaia, “At any rate, Gaia Everfree... I’m not certain what to make of you. We haven’t had the pleasure to meet face to face before, have we?”
“Waitwaitwait!” shouted Dash, “Hold up before we get to pow wowing! Are we seriously just letting that stuck up, arrogant jerk take our new magical necklace dealies? Just like that!?”
“What do you suggest we do, Rainbow?” said Fluttershy, “Do any of us even sense her, anymore?”
Pinkie Pie shook a bit, and her face changed, taking on Pinkamena’s more serious, if somewhat manic vibe as she spat, “She’s gone. Pinks’ wasn’t joking around with you guys. Fighting her would’ve been a spectacularly gory, messy, limb losing idea of the highest order. Trust me, crazy sniffs out crazy, and that minty maniac reeked of it worse than I ever did.”
“She didn’t seem that crazy to me,” pointed out Rarity, “Insufferably full of herself, but not mad.”
Pinkamena shook her head fiercely, like a high strung bobblehead, “No. Don’t get me wrong, she’s not looney toons. Not crazy like you see in a mental ward. It’s a different brand. That’s all I can say about it, really. Just a smart move for once, not to bite that particular elephant in the ass. We would’ve been trampled, especially considering how tired and beat to crap we already are after today.”
Rainbow Dash’s foot kicked the ground, leaving a burst of sparks and a fried rock skipping around the crater, “Screw her, then! Just shows up outta nowhere, shoots her mouth off, nabs our stuff, then peaces out easy as a breeze!? How’d she even pull off that disappearing act? I didn’t see her Zanpaktou or anything!”
“Medley had her Zanpaktou active before she revealed herself to you,” Discord said, “I know some of its workings from second-hand accounts, although I’ve never had the experience of facing it myself. Suffice to say you can’t fully trust your sense of the reality you perceive when Medley is around. From what I understand, her blade affects the mind, adding or removing elements of one’s perception and memoires, although I can’t say precisely what limitations it has in that regard. Chances are she had her blade drawn the entire time, and simply edited out our memories of its presence.”
“Even you?” said Sunset, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice. “I thought your reiatsu, at least, would’ve given you some kind of resistance.”
“It does, and I could feel it’s reiatsu pressing on my own,” Discord replied simply, shrugging, “If I’d pushed back with my own reiatsu I likely could have seen her Zanpaktou. Considering I didn’t want to spark a fight if it wasn’t needed, I choose not to provoke her in that manner. Had things come to a fight, rest assured I’d have made full use of my powers to try and buy you girls a chance to get away. I do believe my Konran Arashi’s own power could disrupt Medley’s at least to a degree.”
“Wish ya had,” Applejack said, “I’d have liked ta rearrange that gal’s smarmy face.”
“Did you not hear the part about us getting squashed?” Pinkamena said, tossing her hands up, then making a gesture with her hands in which a floating pink elephant appeared briefly, falling butt first atop a group of chattering pink mice, with squishy, splattering results, “We’re the mice, in case you didn’t get the freakin’ metaphor!”
She blinked and Pinkie Pie’s still somewhat shaking voice said in an attempt at a joking tone, “Aw, I’d say we’re at least honey badger status at this point, Mena.”
Another blink and Mena said, “Honey badgers still lose to elephants, Pinks.”
“She... left,” Gaia said, shaking her head in wonderment. Her eyes briefly focused on Timber, who stood mutely confused, before she turned to Discord, “Medley would not have left if she thought she could destroy us with no effort.”
Discord returned a thoughtful look, “I suppose she wasn’t any more keen to toss the dice on winning any more than I was. Still, given both you and these girls are hardly in peak condition after your battle, now was hardly the time to test our luck against a member of Zero Division. I trust you don’t disagree?”
“No,” Gaia said, “It’s fortunate enough she decided to leave with the geodes and nothing else, but... I feel strange. As if I can still feel the geodes presence inside me.”
“Same,” Sunset said, finally deactivating her Bankai, which flowed in a wash of flames back into the shape of her sealed Zanpaktou’s katana form, which she then sheathed. “It’s weird. I feel like the pendants themselves didn’t mind being taken.”
“The heck does that mean?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Can’t you guys feel it too?” said Sunset, and her friends all looked about at each other before each one slowly gained thoughtful looks.
“You know, now that you do mention it,” said Twilight, rubbing her chin, “I do feel a strange sensation of... patience? And calm? I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like when I imagine the pendants, there’s this feeling of ease, rather than anxiety.”
“Huh, well that’s just plumb weird if ya ask me,” said Applejack, touching the breastplate of her armor, just above her heart, “Feels like them gems are saying ‘Don’t fret’ or somethin’. Sunset, ya got any notion o’ what’s goin’ on here?”
“Well, the magic from the geodes was all but identical to the massive bursts of magic we’ve used in the past, which as near as I can tell stem directly from harmonious elements from Equestria. I know when I came here through the portal, Equestrian magic came with me, and especially when I, uh, stole Princess Twilight’s crown that seemed to resonate with you guys and awaken that magic. Now Gaia, do you know where precisely these geodes came from?”
“No,” Gaia said, “Not in any great detail. I know they weren’t always in my forest or in the cave that was once used as an altar by the local tribes to worship me. These geodes grew later, much later. In fact I would not be shocked if their appearance coincided with your own in our world. I may never have fully understood how to use them or direct my human self towards them if not for the instruction of my Equestrian accomplice.”
“Ah, yes, that,” Discord said, his tone growing far less cordial, although not dangerous or threatening, “I’d very much like to know about whom you conspired with from the Equestrian side of things, and just what their part of the plan was. This battle may be over, but there are concerning matters tied to all of this, including the presence of individuals from the Beast Realm who seemed to be in league with you and your ‘accomplice’. I’d say quite a bit of light remains to be shed on this affair.”
“And I am willing to cooperate, as I’d hope my not trying to kill any of you any longer should prove,” Gaia said, stepping closer to Timber, “But before that, I need some sense of assurance that I and my brother are no longer in danger. Given I expect the Gotei 13 to be swarming this place soon enough, I’m not exactly eager to continue standing here, talking.”
“Gaia, I already showed you how far I’m willing to go to protect you and Timber,” Sunset said, “I’d say all of my friends have shown you that. I promise you, whatever happens, we won’t allow any harm to you or Timber.”
“Yes,” said Twilight, approaching Gaia and Timber and all but bowing her head to them, “You have my word as well. I won’t allow any of my fellow Quincy to do you harm. And... and I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything, Gloriossa, Timber. I never meant for all of this to happen...”
Gaia looked like she was about to say something, perhaps a bit sharp, to the girl, but Timber grasped her shoulder, gave her a solemn look, then moved past Gaia to stand on shaky legs in front of Twilight.
“Look, Twilight, I don’t really understand everything that’s happening right now. Feels like my head’s getting fuzzier by the second. But I know this wasn’t all your fault. I mean, maybe a little your fault, I guess, but I mean as confusing as all this insanity has been today, it’s pretty clear you didn’t plan for all this to happen. You didn’t try to harm me or Gloriosa. In fact, far as I can see you tried your hardest to keep us and the camp safe. So, uh... thank you for that. Now, guys, girls, weird scary mask lady and creepy old dude-”
“Creepy old dude?” Discord muttered.
“-I know there’s some kind of Go-something coming and you guys got things to do, but can we seriously go back to the camp? Please? I am super tired, super hungry, and really, really need to have a sit and process some things.”
At Timber’s plea, the girls all shared looks, and Discord himself gave a light laugh, “A fairly made point, Mr. Spruce. I think we should all retire to Camp Everfree for now, and lick our wounds. Regroup, as it were. We may have a few minutes still before Celestia arrives with Gotei reinforcements. It may behoove us to all be in one spot, with Captains Luna, Starswirl, and Sweet Cider to greet them. And Miss Twilight, you may wish to confer with your Quincy comrades as to not open fire the moment they arrive, so as to facilitate a little diplomacy.”
“Of course,” Twilight said, “I sincerely hope that the fighting is over for today.”
“Me too, Twilight,” said Sunset, “Me too.”
“So, what, are we just gonna leave that thing hanging up there?” put in Rainbow Dash, pointing up with her spear at the portal.
“What do you suggest we do with it?” asked Rarity, “We’re hardly in any condition to just waltz on through, especially considering we don’t actually know where it goes yet.”
“Huh?” Rainbow scratched her head, “Doesn’t it, like, go to Equestria?” She looked at Gaia, “It goes to Planet of the Ponies, right? You’re the one who used our stolen bling to fix it or whatever, didn’t you?”
“I stabilized the portal,” Gaia said, “I had no control over anything past that part. I can’t say for certain where the portal leads at this point. Why don’t you go take a peek, if you’re so curious?”
“Know what, think I will!” Rainbow replied with a snort and in a lightning zap of speed, she was up there in front of the portal, peering into it. Sunset sighed and flew up as well, soon followed by her friends. Ditzy remained behind, but Discord silently followed the group up to stare into the liquid light of the doorway to the beyond.
Once looking directly into the portal, Sunset was struck by how different it was from what she’d seen before of such portals. This one’s surface was like a small maelstrom of bright, luminous liquid that filled the dimensions of the hanging roots in an oval shape. The surface was stable, but if Sunset put her hand towards it, she could almost feel a form of suction, and there was a faint breeze as air flowed into the portal. In the portal’s depths she saw a circular point, and as she squinted, she realized she could actively see through the portal’s “tunnel” to the other side!
“Wowie zowie,” said Pinkie, “I feel like I’m looking down the tube of the world’s craziest water slide.”
“It’s beautiful,” said Fluttershy.
“Yeah, great, but where’s this fancy glowin’ water tube go?” asked Applejack, “Hate to have gone through all this dang trouble an’ not even be able ta git ta where we need ta be goin’!”
“Fret not,” Discord said, “I think I know exactly where this portal goes, now that I’m looking closely at it. Observe carefully, girls. Do you see that on the other side? A landscape. Specifically, a mountain.”
Indeed, as Sunset watched closely, finally getting a good glimpse at the exit point on the other side of the swirling tunnel of liquid light, she saw a breathtaking view of what looked like pristine green hills and the base of what had to be a truly enormous mountain. For a second she thought of the mountainside Canterlot was built upon, but as she looked closer, no, the shape of the foothills was wrong, and the mountain itself... even Equestria didn’t have mountains that big.
“What are we looking at, Mr. Discord?” asked Rarity.
“That, my girls, is the Beast Realm. The hills in front of Mt. Joutinheim, I believe, home of the Land Tribe.”
“Wait a moment,” Clover spoke up, “How is that possible? The portal being studied was tied to Equestria. How did it shift to the Beast Realm?”
“I believe the portal still connects to Equestria,” Discord replied, pointing with his Zanpaktou cane into the portal’s depths, “Sense carefully, you can tell this portal’s energies don’t stop here. They continue on, like threads, towards the mountain.”
It only took an instant for Sunset to confirm that, feeling out with her spiritual senses to get a feel for the energies swimming around and through the portal. There was a definite sensation of energy flowing onward, almost like a river, towards the base of the mountain. “So you’re saying another portal was opened to Equestria, via this portal, through the Beast Realm?”
“That appears to be the case,” Discord confirmed.
“I still don’t know how that could have happened,” Clover said, arms crossing in thought until her eyes suddenly lit up, “Unless... there were Beast Realmers here, weren’t there? They must have been coming and going with their own portals, leaving behind signatures, traces of energy. Due to the experiments with the Gargantas, Captain Starswirl discovered how magic can cause unpredictable results through... Sunset, was it magic refraction?”
Sunset nodded, “That’s right. We figured the geodes might be the cause of the instability that Starswirl’s experiments were causing. Thing is, I guess the Beast Realm portals those creatures who were helping Gaia used to come here might have had a similar effect.”
“And when she used a Garganta in conjunction with the geodes to stabilized the portal, this ‘magic refraction’ occurred with the trace Beast Realm portal energies to redirect the portal to the Beast Realm itself,” Discord concluded, “Albeit only as a detour, as it still formed a portal to Equestria within the Beast Realm itself.”
“Aaaand my brain is official fried trying to follow what you guys just said,” Rainbow Dash said, still scratching her head, “But the short version is if we want to go to Equestria, we have to first go through the Beast Realm and get to that mountain, right?”
“That sums it up nicely, yes, Miss Dash,” said Discord.
“Hmph, weren’t too fond o’ the Beast Realm folk we already met, but maybe other folk from there are more reasonable sorts, ya think?” said Applejack, causing Discord to chuckle.
“That didn’t sound like a good laugh at all,” Pinkie Pie said, “That was more a laugh of ‘we’re doomed’.”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say doomed,” Discord said, “But let’s say that the Beast Realm and it’s people are not known for friendliness towards outsiders, or having a great track record on diplomacy. However, that is a hurdle for another day. I think for now we can safely leave this portal as is. No one is likely to disturb it, and if someone did decide to go through, they are unlikely to get very far on their own. Come, let’s return to Camp Everfree for now.”
----------
Medley had returned to the spot upon the mountain where she had observed the battle against Gaia Everfree from, and where Bowtie still stood waiting. As she did so, she waved her right hand through the air beside her, and the air appeared to twist like putty, blending colors together until they took the shape of a hilt of carved redwood. The hilt was long and straight, carved with holes like that of a flute or ocarina, the pommel carved into the shape of a smiling mouth. Where normally a metal blade would be, instead a wavering force took the vague shape of a blade, like air hardened into an edge roughly three feet long and slightly curved.
She grasped her Zanpaktou and gave it a light flourish before sheathing it through the sash of her robes. She then reached into the folds of the robes to remove the pendants and examined them once more. Bowtie, otherwise placid as stone, gave a curious flick of his eyes towards the colorful necklaces.
“I sense immense power from those objects,” he said, “But not reiryoku. Is that... maho?”
“Magic, yup,” Medley confirmed, “Not just any magic, either. These relics are emitting power that is to magic what our Mother’s transcendent reiatsu is to spirit energy.”
Medley could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times she’d seen Bowtie look unnerved. She felt a splash of satisfaction at the sight. It wasn’t much to show, just a slight quiver in his throat as he swallowed before saying, “Bakana.”
“Impossible? Pfft, Bowtie, think about it. We know the other world is essentially a mirror of our own. Or perhaps we’re a mirror of it. Either way, there’s no denying the intimate ties between our existence, and that of ‘Equestria’. There are mirrored versions of numerous people, perhaps every individual soul in our population, over there. Doesn’t it then stand to reason there’d be an equivalent mirror of Mother in that world as well?”
“Madness. You speak complete madness. Our Mother is unique. None could replace her. Even...” he trailed off, visibly composing himself. Medley smirked.
“Even us? That what you were going to say?”
Bowtie grunted. He sat down on a nearby large rock. His eyes looked at her with renewed steel. “We made the necessary choice. We are not a replacement for Mother, but as Glory once argued, perhaps that is for the best. We can do what she could not. But are you making the assertion that there is another that is her equal from this Equestria? A being whose power rivals that of the First Soul?”
“I think I’m holding in my hand here some pretty damn compelling evidence of that, yes,” said Medley, holding the pendants up to examine them closer in the light of the sun, “Of course, looking at these, I get the feeling whoever she, he, or it was, it’s power is just as fragmented as Mother’s is right now.”
“We should destroy those,” Bowtie said, his left hand twitching and the air next to it wavering like a hefty summer heat, “Anything of that nature is a threat, especially if these ‘fragments’ are somehow tied to those children.”
“Again with the lack of imagination, brother.” Medley tittered with an airy breath and tucked the pendants back away, “You see something even remotely dangerous and your first thought is to smash it? Nope. Not happening.”
“But you will then take them to Glory? She may well decide their destruction is preferable to whatever schemes you may have.”
“She won’t,” Medley said with certainty, “Not if she thinks she can possibly get something out of them.”
“And what of you?” asked Bowtie, “What are you planning, sister? You revealed yourself to the human children, and even bantered with Discord, when all you had to do was take the pendants and leave, using your Zanpaktou to ensure your presence was never discovered. What was the point of all that?”
“Relieving boredom isn’t enough of a reason for you? It is for me,” she said, knowing there was no point trying to reveal the truth of things to him. Bowtie was an exceptionally loyal, straight laced, and forthright sibling, who would utterly fail to comprehend why Medley went out of her way to make sure Sunset Shimmer and her friends knew who she was and would be provoked by having the pendants taken. He wouldn’t grasp why she’d allow Ditzy Doo to bring to Discord, and by extension to the human girls, the information that Ditzy had discovered buried deep within Seireitei’s classified archives.
She could see him trying to puzzle out her motivations, his eyes like a placid sea in their unblinking thought. Eventually he sighed like a sagging mountain and rose from the rock he sat on, “No matter. Glory will have her say, and you can trade words with her on the matter. If those human children ever do become a threat, with or without those pendants, they will be dealt with. Come. We are done here, and it is time to return to the Palace.”
He reached into the wide arms of his kimono and removed in his right hand a shining golden object. It was no larger than a billard’s ball, square in shape. It’s surface was covered in engraved lines, and at the top was a raised portion that was shaped like a small cube. Depressing the cube into the larger object caused it to glow brighter. Then, while still holding the object out, Bowtie reached out with his left hand. Grasping the air, a blade suddenly appeared there. It was a shard of darkly gray metal, like a large scimitar that had a hooked tip. It’s hilt had a cross shaped guard that in turn became sharpened metal points. Both the hilt and blade had partially transparent portions, showing a strange internal structure of revolving, metallic gears, each spinning at a slow, steady pace.
He inserted his unusual Zanpaktou into the air, and gold strands of light flowed from the square object in his hand and merged with the blade, spreading out to create a gateway. Unlike a normal Senkaimon gate, which was a fairly plain, traditional Japanese style sliding paper doorway, this gate was larger and far more ostentatious. Gold enameling in the frames formed the shapes of long bodied, serpent-like dragons, and the paper itself was painted with a mural of a misty land with a rising red sun over a gorgeous palace standing atop the clouds.
Medley followed him through the gate, glancing back but once towards the distant Camp Everfree.
A wry spark of anticipation filled her eyes.
What kind of lovely chaos will you girls and Discord bring to our system, I wonder? Will you burn it all down, or get burned up yourselves before even setting foot in the Palace? And Mother, are you watching all of this, even with your Eyes ripped from you? Hope you are. Watch it all either burn or get rebuilt, by your eldest childrens’ hands, or these tiny soulspecks you named ‘humans’. No matter how it all goes down, I doubt I’ll find it boring.
----------
Upon their return to Camp Everfree, Sunset rapidly noticed that the camp itself had largely been evacuated of the Canterlot High students. She could see a pair of city buses near the camp’s exit arch that was filled with the students, and spotted Screwloose and Screwball hanging out next to the buses. When Sunset and the others with her all appeared, either through flight or high speed air stepping, in front of the buses, Screwloose gave a wave and said, “All the school piglets are nice and corralled into our cozy getaway vehicles, boss. Shall me and Screwball go deliver them safely back to town?”
“That would be wise,” Discord said, “Try to avoid the main road in the city and circle the back roads to the school to let them off. Then keep an eye on them to ensure they get home safely.”
“Cover story for their families?” asked Screwball, “Earthquake at the camp, had to close down early?”
“All things considered that would be the most believable, so we’ll go with that, at least for now,” said Discord, “Things may change, soon, but we’ll hopscotch over those bridges when we get to them. Who remains in the camp?”
“The Quincy piggies, Ditzy’s squirt, those three rambunctious ‘Crusaders’ along with two mini-Quincy... oh, and Captain Sweet Cider.”
“My ma’s here?” Applejack perked up, looking towards the camp, still partially hidden by root walls the size of dump trucks, “I can’t sense her spiritual pressure none.”
“She’s conserving it,” Screwball said, “Trying not to spook her littlest daughter and her pals I’m thinking. Anywhos, we’d best get these sardine cans filled with hormonally charged, anxious teenagers outta here before something else goes wrong.”
A minute or so later the busses were pulling away, and the group was left to venture into Camp Everfree itself. Gaia looked at the root walls with a hint of embarrassment, taking a moment to summon up Gloriosa’s Fullbring. Her hands trembled slightly as it took her a few seconds to concentrate enough to get the massive roots to start moving, pulling back and sinking into the earth like wooden serpents sliding into a murky lake.
“You can still do that, even without the geodes, sis?” Timber said, and Gaia nodded.
“The magic just brought out what was already there. Between my power as Gloriosa, and Gaia’s inherent tie to nature she possessed when purely a Hollow, I can still command plant life readily enough. It’s just... a bit harder now, without the geodes super charging me. And I’m exhausted. I used up so much in that fight, I doubt I could even discharge a proper Cero at the moment.”
“Let us hope that the need for Ceros has ended for the day,” Discord said as he led the group into the camp area.
Within seconds the group was bombarded by two flying missiles of overly excited young teenagers as Applebloom and Sweetie Belle both proceeded to projectile tackle their respective sisters.
“Applejack!”
“Rarity!”
“Guwh! W-watch it Applebloom. I’m a might sore.”
“Sweetie Belle, I... I’m glad to see you’re alright.”
Both Applejack and Rarity had weathered their sibling’s tight hugs and returned them in kind, although as Sunset stood back and watched it was impossible to miss just how much Rarity appeared to freeze up upon contact with Sweetie Belle. She still hugged her sister back, but Sunset noticed a distinct look of pain on Rarity’s face that didn’t remotely resemble the wince Applejack had due to simple physical wounds. A creeping sensation started to squeeze Sunset’s chest as she started to suspect something was very wrong, but she couldn’t bring herself to just outright call Rarity out right then and there. It would have to wait, at least until things had settled down.
At what was left of the camp center, Sweet Cider was sitting against one of the partially destroyed walls, her head leaned against the wood with her eyes closed, almost like she was napping. Both her Zanpaktou, now back in it’s sealed state of an oversized machete, and her Fullbring sword were leaning against the wall next to her. She cracked open an eye at the commotion and with a groan managed to stand up, leaving her blades against the wall as she approached, “Ya’ll finally sorted out that Gloriosa lady?”
Gaia eyed Sweet Cider and cleared her throat, “Ahem, we have come to an understanding and mutual truce, if that’s what you mean.”
Sweet Cider glanced at Gaia, quirked an eyebrow, then crossed her arms and cracked a sly grin, “Ya mean my daughter n’ her pals kicked yer keister hard ‘nouth ta git ya seein’ sense.”
Gaia pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head, “Soul Reapers.”
Apparently that alone was enough to convey her sentiments on the matter. Sunset cleared her throat and said, “Captain Sweet Cider, don’t antagonize her, please. We’re guests in her home, and she is being very understanding, all things considered.”
“If ya call all o’ what just happened being understandin’, Sunset Shimmer, I’d hate ta see what ya consider ‘unreasonable’, but I git what yer sayin’. I’ll lay off the lady,” Sweet Cider said, glancing at her two daughters, “AJ, what was that reiatsu I sensed a’ bit ago? Was pretty dang fierce.”
Applejack scowled, setting Applebloom aside with a pat on the head as she addressed her mother, “Some big headed gal from Zero Davison. Called herself Medley. She tossed out some veiled threats n’ then stole somethin’ from me n’ the girls ‘fore runnin’ off like a’ liver bellied snake n’ the grass.”
Sweet Cider’s eyes lit up like emerald torches as she filled her voice with heat, “Knew Zero was downright shady. Discord, ya got anythin’ ta say on this?”
“Nothing I can go into right here and now, Captain,” Discord said, “For the moment we need to ensure that when your comrades from Gotei 13 arrive that no further violence ensues. We, after all, have Arrancar and Quincy alike here who are non-hostile, and I’d like to ensure none jump the gun, so to speak.”
By now the very Quincy in question had approached Twilight, led by Sugarcoat who marched straight up to Twilight and looked the other girl over with her visor. Twilight almost blushed at the intense scrutiny and awkward silence. “Uh...S-Sugarcoat?”
“You’re a mess,” Sugarcoat said bluntly, then without hesitation grabbed Twilight and pulled her into a tight, if brief hug before letting her go, “I’m glad you’re still alive. I was worried.”
“All of us were,” said Indigo Zap, standing awkwardly as she favored her left leg. Twilight looked at her with concern.
“Indigo, are your legs holding up?”
“The left one started giving me some lag a bit ago. Think something inside broke that’s making it hard to control. Still, they both held up pretty well during all the fighting, so far as I’m concerned, this was one hell of a successful field test,” Indigo Zap said, giving Twilight a thumbs up.
“I’m glad,” Twilight said, looking at the rest of her squad, “You all did very well, protecting the students. I’m grateful.”
“That’s great and all,” said Lemon Zest, “But don’t we need to scram? Heard those big wigs over there yapping about Soul Reapers on their way. Not exactly eager to still be here when they show.”
“About that...'' Twilight said, taking a deep breath, “We can’t leave immediately. There’s a few matters that need cleaning up, not to mention there’s other Quincy who will be here momentarily. I’ve been assured by Discord that he will handle the immediate diplomatic issues when the Gotei 13 reinforcements arrive. I also trust Captain Sweet Cider and Captain Starswirl to help temper their comrades’ attitude and give us time to sort our own matters out, including dismantling our field lab. For now, you four are on standby. Stay here in camp, don’t make any aggressive moves, and just keep an eye on things while I tie up some loose ends with my friends and the other Quincy.”
“This has something to do with the assassination plot against you, right?” said Sugarcoat, and Twilight nodded.
“The plot against my life has been dealt with, although there’s... a lot to deal with concerning the aftermath of all of this. Sombra is not going to be happy when he learns the truth,” Twilight said, suppressing a heartfelt sight. She wasn’t looking forward to dealing with all of the fallout the revelations of Sapphire Shores’ plot might bring to the Quincy. She certainly wasn’t looking forward to telling Sombra about it all. As far as she knew, Sombra had trusted Sapphire implicitly and considered her a close confidant. Knowing that she’d been the one to seek Twilight’s life would be devastating. More than that, what of Sapphire’s reasons for seeking to assassinate Twilight at all? She still didn’t feel entirely clear on that point, but feared learning the whole truth. With Sapphire utterly under the influence of Cadence’s Lust, there was no doubt Sapphire would willingly reveal everything, but did Twilight want to know all the details?
Well, it was a matter for when she returned to the Silburn, but it left her uncomfortable, all the same.
Spotting two forms sitting near one of the other camp buildings, a storehouse, if Twilight remembered right, she nodded towards them and asked Sugarcoat, “How are they holding up?”
The ‘they’ in question were Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. The former was holding the later as they sat side by side on the short wooden steps up to the storeroom doorway. They both looked exhausted and disheveled, but Silver Spoon still had an alert expression, eyes watching the unfolding scenes carefully, whereas Diamond Tiara was staring at the ground with shell shocked eyes.
Sugarcoat shook her head, “Better than I expected, but Filthy Rich’s daughter is pretty shook up. Her friend held up well during the fighting. Real potential in that one.”
“Filthy Rich should be here soon, along with Cadence. Gladmane and Sapphire Shores... they were among the traitors. Both are subdued for now,” Twilight said, earning a few gasps, Sunny Flare’s eyes shooting entirely too wide.
“Sapphire Shores!? But... but how!? She’s... she’s nearly as respected as His Majesty himself! Even other Sternritter idolize her! She couldn’t have...”
“Sunny, calm down,” Sugarcoat said, although her own tone held a hint of being shaken by the news as well, “I’m sure Twilight isn’t lying, and that there’s an explanation for all this.”
“I’m more impressed Twilight won,” Indigo Zap said, not even hiding her surprised awe, “I mean, how did you win? Sapphire Shores is supposed to be among the very elite of the elite. Even your father wouldn’t be able to take her easily.”
Twilight felt Midnight stir in her mind. Midnight had been keeping fairly quiet as she focused on recovery, but the pride and smug satisfaction inside Midnight oozed into Twilight a little, and she quickly looked away, cheeks blazing as she rubbed the back of her head, “It wasn’t all me, really. I mean, I had a lot of help, and with the right tactics, timing, and a little luck, we managed to defeat her.”
Her voice quieted as her mind flashed back to Soarin, remembering the moment he was injured, “And we didn’t win without cost. Soarin is... is in critical condition right now.”
Critical condition. That was one way of putting it. He was essentially dead, his body frozen in stone, and he would have to remain that way until a means to save his life was found. Perhaps Quincy medicine alone might be enough, but Twilight wasn’t certain, and that uncertainty gnawed at her. Soarin had gone well out of his way to help her since he’d been assigned as her bodyguard. He’d been a supportive, calm pillar amid a time of pure uncertainty and danger in her life. He hadn’t hesitated to put his life on the line for her, more than once. She owed it to him to take any chance necessary to restore him to good health.
Yet again another matter to leave for later, but it was one she promised herself she wouldn’t forget.
Twilight sensed a familiar presence approach her, and didn’t even have to turn around to know it was Sunset. Her friend’s spiritual pressure had a warm, gentle quality to it, not unlike Sunset’s namesake. Sugarcoat and the other Quincy girls all gave the pair their space, Sugarcoat simply mentioning that if Twilight needed them for anything that they would be nearby. Then for a second it was just Twilight and Sunset, standing side by side looking at the smaller, but still sizable, tree that stood in what was left of Camp Everfree’s lakebed.
“...Quite the day,” Sunset said.
Twilight made a sound that wasn’t quite a laugh. More like a tired, humor dipped sigh. “Yeah.”
“Was the fight at Las Noches like this?” Sunset asked.
After a weighty second, Twilight said, “No. It was worse. I had less control. Lost... more.”
“I...” Sunset hesitated, then Twilight felt her friend's eyes on her, that warmth turning into something more intense, “I want to make sure things like this stop happening, Twilight. You understand? Innocent people are getting hurt by this war, and I think we’re the only ones in a position to do anything about it.”
“I don’t disagree,” Twilight said, slowly turning to face Sunset. It briefly startled her, the shining mix of pain and resolve in her friend’s soft eyes. “Believe me, I want nothing more than to end the fighting between everyone.”
“Then make a stand with me,” Sunset said, holding out her hand to Twilight, “You, me, Adagio, the friends we’ve all been building along the way... we’re a force to be reckoned with. We proved that, today. I know that I have to deal with Starlight first, make sure Equestria is safe, but... that isn’t going to be the end of it. Medley just made that pretty damn clear. If we’re going to put a stop to whatever the Zero Division is planning, it’s going to take all of us. We might have to knock a lot of heads together to make it happen, too. That might mean the Quincy, too, you know?”
Twilight understood what Sunset was getting at. She’d already come to similar conclusions. Even if she convinced Sombra fully to seek an end to the war, that didn’t mean every Quincy was going to fall in line. Sapphire Shores might not be the only one who would need to be subdued. And Sunset was facing a similar issue with the Gotei 13. There might be opposition to peace, or indeed another fracturing between those who wanted to be loyal to their “superiors” in the Zero Division, and those who might be willing to fight against whatever plot remained hidden behind the scenes.
In such a conflict, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity were the foundation upon which opposition to the war and Zero Division could be built. With help from Twilight, bringing any willing Quincy aboard, and Adagio, readying her own rebellion among the Hollows against Tirek.
And perhaps, even, if Starlight Glimmer could be defeated, but also convinced to cooperate against Zero Division...?
Twilight took Sunset’s hand, “You didn’t even have to ask. I am a Quincy, but I’m always going to be, first and foremost, your friend. We’ll save Equestria and this world, whatever it takes.”
Sunset’s hand gripped hers tightly before yanking her into a hug, “All I needed to hear.”
----------
It was only an hour later that Sunset and her immediate friends found themselves inside Camp Everfree’s storage building. It was the only spot with any real privacy, and given how crowded things had gotten outside, they’d wanted a place to sit and talk for a bit while Discord was playing diplomat.
The Soul Reapers had arrived in force, and a sizable contingent of several hundred of the black robed warriors, led by Celestia and Hurricane, were now either standing sentry over the camp or sweeping the forest. The Quincy that had been with Twilight had also arrived, along with Captain Luna, who had apparently shadowed the group until she’d confirmed Starswirl had not been a prisoner.
Gaia and Timber were being watched by Sweet Cider, and Gaia’s presence was causing as much if not more tension than the Quincy. It seemed that having their ‘Kenpachi’ watching Gaia was at least keeping immediate fears from erupting into conflict, but there was serious disquiet concerning the Arrancar’s presence.
Sunset wasn’t sure just how things hadn’t devolved to violence yet, but it did seem to help that Celestia, Starswirl, Sweet Cider, and even a reluctant Luna were not only keeping Hurricane on a leash, but seeming to keep the lower ranked Soul Reapers calm. It also helped that the Quincy weren’t going out of their way to antagonize matters, mostly thanks to Cadence taking charge of things and maintaining a diplomatic air with Celestia and Luna.
On top of that, Discord seemed to keep both sides enough off kilter to ensure nobody was willing to strike first, lest no one know which side he’d support. Still, it was tense at the moment, and the Quincy had already agreed to depart as soon as Twilight was ready to do so. Sugarcoat and the rest of the girls from Crystal Prep had gone to disassemble the field lab, so all that was really left was for Twilight to be ready to go, but had requested some time to still talk with her friends before doing so, which Cadence had agreed to.
“So, that Cadence chick still hooked up with your bro, Twi?” asked Dash, who was digging around in some of the boxes on the west wall of the storage room, fishing out some packages of beef jerky. She tore into said food with a hungry vengeance and tossed some of the other packages to the other girls, those who wanted them at least.
“What?” Twilight said, “I mean, yes? They’re going to be married soon.”
“Is it a Quincy wedding with, like, fancy uniforms and involves bows somehow?” Rainbow said, cracking a smirk.
“Not everything Quincy do involves bows,” Twilight said defensively, “Sometimes it’s guns. Or any projectile based device, really. Honestly, is that what you want to talk about, my brother’s love life?”
“Nah, but figured it was an ice breaker for asking what was up with that weird looking, multi-armed silver chick,” Rainbow said, her expression darkening as she bit off a big hunk of jerky, “The one who was trying to kill you. Do you know why she was trying to do that?”
“More or less,” Twilight said, shuffling over to a step stool that she sat down upon, shoulders slumping, “She thought I was a threat to Sombra, due to her Schrift giving her a flawed but not entirely inaccurate ability to predict future events.”
“So like Pinkie’s sense?” Sunset asked, and at Pinkie’s look she quickly held up a hand, saying, “Just asking. I mean, you have to admit, your sense can really be all over the place.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie admitted, “It’s been real on and off lately. I really...” her eyes flicked towards Rarity, “Wish it was more reliable today.”
“Alright, that tears it,” Applejack huffed out. She’d been staying near the door, but now she pushed off the wall she’d been leaning against and strode towards the center of the group, facing Rarity. Aside from Rarity the girls had all deactivated their Fullbrings, and they were just standing around in a haggard, but otherwise normal state. Even in Rarity’s case, her gate and army of knights had been sent away, although she still wore her armored battle dress. Sunset wasn’t really sure why that was, but didn’t feel the need to question it. Sunset was still in her spirit body, as Chappy was sticking close to Discord and Ditzy. More than a couple of Soul Reapers had given her odd looks, recognizing her as an artificial soul like many of them might use in the field to get out of a gigai body, and seemed to assume Chappy was ‘normal’ but such standards despite her erratic behavior.
Sunset just hoped Chappy wouldn’t do anything to draw too much attention until everything settled down.
However, at the moment her attention was arrested by Applejack, who was staring hard at Rarity. For her part, Rarity had broken out into a slight sweat, having flinched back from Applejack’s piercing look.
“Is something the matter, Applejack?” Rarity asked, and the other girl’s brows twitched into a tight furrow.
“Yer darn right somethin’s the matter. I wanna know what’s goin’ on with ya, Rarity. Ain’t nothin’ seemed right since ya ran off ta go after that Quincy fella, Hoity Somethin’. Now I know I ain’t the sharpest tool n’ the shed, but dang it I can tell when people ain’t bein’ honest with me.”
Sunset frowned, and that uneasy feeling in her chest that had been sitting around since Rarity had returned now uncoiled a bit more. She’d been feeling the same thing Applejack had, that something wasn’t right, but there’d been too much to deal with to focus on it. Now that they had a few moments to breath, Sunset could focus her attention on Rarity. Really focus upon her, both physically and with her spiritual senses. Sunset had felt it before that something was off with Rarity’s reiatsu, but hadn’t been able to place her finger on it. It felt lighter, less constrained. This wasn’t just a factor of her Fullbring being complete, but rather the basic difference between a spiritual pressure that’s contained inside a living body and a spiritual pressure that’s...
“Rarity...” Sunset said in a quiet, frozen tone as she felt her stomach drop out and her legs lock up, “Why do you still have your armor on?”
“I, ah... want to stay ready, just in case another attack happens?” Rarity suggested, but a combination of Applejack’s eyes boring into her alongside Sunset’s more fearful look of growing understanding caused Rarity to let out a regretful sigh and lower her head, “I guess there’s no point hiding it. Everyone here already knows, save for you and Applejack.”
“Know what?” Applejack said.
Rainbow Dash’s face had become a crestfallen mask, while Pinkie Pie’s entire expression drooped like that of a sad, abandoned puppy. Fluttershy had a look of mournful acceptance on her face, at peace with what she knew but not feeling any less pain for it.
Sunset already knew what to expect now, even before Rarity deactivated the last of her Fullbring and let the armor melt away to her normal clothing, revealing the broken Soul Chain beneath that dangled from her chest.
Applejack stared at it with uncomprehending eyes for several long seconds, her mouth slowly opening and then closing, as if unable to form words. As Applejack remained in that shocked, static state, Sunset moved forward and reached out to Rarity, touching her arm.
“The fight with Hoity Toity?”
“Before,” Rarity said, “Sapphire Shores. She got me from behind. Stupid mistake on my part. I should have been more careful. I’m... sorry Sunset...”
“No,” Sunset said, a roughness entering her voice past a growing lump in her throat, “Please don’t be sorry. Rarity, this is my fault. I should have been there.”
“Don’t even start with that. I won’t hear a word of it,” Rarity said, cutting through Sunset’s rising sorrow like a knife, “I alone am responsible for getting myself in this mess. If any one of you so much as whispers a hint of trying to blame this on yourselves I shall twist your ears like you wouldn't believe!”
“Sapphire Shores...” Applejack finally spoke, and it was like the sound of an awakening volcano moments before eruption. Sunset looked at her friend and felt her mouth dry out at the sight of murderous rage that shone inside Applejack’s eyes. “That... thing that’s outside right now with the other Quincy?”
“Applejack-” Twilight began, but Applejack just stomped her foot on the ground, shattering the floorboards as her reiatsu spilled out of her in a golden wreath.
“Rarity, Sapphire Shores... she did this to you? Stabbed you in the back?” Applejack said, steam rising from her, the wood beneath her feet starting to burn. “She k...killed you?”
Rarity’s own expression was like flat snow, her fists clenched at her sides. Sunset had seen more expression out of mannequins in the boutique Rarity had worked at. “She is, and before you do anything Applejack, understand that if anyone has a right to be furious with her, it’s me. And I’m asking you to politely control yourself.”
“Control myself?” Applejack breathed, “Are ya bein’ serious? Yer murderer is standin’ right outside! I ain’t controlin’ a damn thing other n’ my lance goin’ right through that killers chest!”
Fluttershy moved before anyone else, even before Applejack was able to even halfway turn around. It even surprised Sunset just how swift and smooth Fluttershy’s motion was. She didn’t so much hold Applejack as become a breeze that spun Applejack around and placed her gently into a grip that was as much a hug as it was a sleeper hold.
“No.”
Fluttershy’s voice was much like her actions. Kind, gentle, but allowing for little argument.
Applejack let out a noise like a tire being deflated mixed with a hound’s feral growl. “Gosh...darnit...Fluttershy...I can’t... can’t let her get away with doin’... oh God... Rarity...”
“I know,” Fluttershy said, slowly releasing Applejack, who sank to her knees, “I know it hurts. It’s okay. We’re all here. Even Rarity is still here.”
“In spirit,” Rarity said, then cringed at her own jest, “Apologies, that was bad.”
Pinkie Pie sniffed, wiping a stream of tears that had bloomed on her own face, “I thought it was funny.”
Whether it was her friend’s attempt at humor at her own situation or Fluttershy’s encouragement to let go, Applejack broke into harsh, choking sobs right there. Rarity, unable to do anything else, knelt in front of her friend and accepted Applejack’s tears into her chest. Rainbow Dash, face flush with embarrassment, shed her own tears quietly, looking away at the wall as if she could bore a hole through it and stab Sapphire Shores with lightning. Pinkie Pie didn’t hesitate to dogpile into the group herself, holding both Applejack and Rarity tight.
Twilight looked utterly miserably on her stool, but Sunset went over to her and sat down as well, taking her friend’s hand.
“Did you know?” Sunset asked in a whisper, and Twilight shook her head.
“No,” she whispered back, glad her voice was masked by the tears of the other girls,”I had a suspicion, but I was hoping so hard that my intuition was wrong this time... Sunset, I know what Rarity just said, but this wouldn’t have happened if Sapphire Shores hadn’t been targeting me.”
“Twilight-” Sunset began, but the other girl cut her off.
“All I’m saying is that, if there is anything I can do to try and set this right, I’ll help you do it.”
“Alright,” Sunset said, looking on at the sight of her friend’s mourning, “I don’t know what that’ll be, though.”
“Hey, Twilight,” said Rainbow Dash suddenly, “If we’re not doing in Sapphire Shores ourselves, and you’re the one who kicked her ass, then tell me what your Quincy pals are going to do with her. She betrayed your King or whatever, right?”
“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said, “That isn’t important right now.”
“Sounds pretty damn important,” Dash said, using an elbow to wipe her eyes, “Ain’t saying we’ve got to do anything. But I want to know some kind of justice is on the horizon for the person who killed my friend.”
“I don’t know, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said honestly, “I have no idea how Sombra will react to what’s happened. I don’t know what punishment he’ll decide upon for her and her co-conspirators. It may be out of my hands, and even if it was in my hands I... I don’t know what I’d want to have happen. Sapphire Shores has already been stripped of her will, maybe most of her mind, by Cadence’s Schrift.”
“Hmph.... guess that’s something,” Rainbow Dash said, and went back to smoldering up against the wall.
Rarity, still holding Applejack, simply shook her head, “I couldn’t care less what becomes of her. I have far more important matters on my mind.”
“We’ll figure something out, Rarity,” Sunset said, hoping to sound assuring, “I promise you that.”
“Perhaps we will, perhaps we won’t,” Rarity said, “But that doesn’t change that as painful as this is right now, this won’t compare to what comes next.”
“Which is?” asked Rainbow Dash.
Rarity closed her eyes, “Telling Sweetie Belle and my parents...”