//------------------------------// // Spread the Love // Story: Innavedr // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// "...and after I fell into the Sapphire Ravine, I swam ashore as swiftly as I could and stole a managlider." Crimson took a breath and continued, "But it wasn't until I ran into Tweak here and his family that I got truly patched up." "And I'm guessing it was Shell who..." Rainbow Dash winced, gulped, and cast a glance at Crimson's right stub. "Who..." Crimson nodded slowly. He said, "To be honest, it was the least of my troubles. Phoenix's betrayal came out of nowhere. I tried to make that heartless Ledomaritan pay for what he did, but he anticipated my every move. Bellesmith and Pilate were lost because of my incompetence. Zenith... Eagle Eye..." Crimson's eyes fell from her face and marinated in the shadows around them. Rainbow Dash shook her head and said, "Look, I know a lot of horrible stuff has happened. But you can't blame yourself. I know I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer at times, but all of my travels have made me a lot more aware of things. And even still I didn't see all the crud that happened from a mile away." "It wasn't your place to," Crimson muttered. "I was responsible for your well-being, and I failed." He bit his lip and said, "Belle and Pilate: do you even know where they went off to?" "Somewhere far north. By the time I flew to Shell's huge megaship, it was too late to track them down. I got my flank beaten up, and that's when Roarke brought me to Searo's Hold so this ice princess of a unicorn here could fix me up." "She brought you here to be cured of your injuries?" Crimson made a face. "But... but what on earth for? None of this makes sense. When I tried chasing you—" "Ahem." Both Crimson and Rainbow Dash looked over. "I'm glad that you're both making friends again," Tweak said as he knelt beside the crystal ponies while Imre tended to each, one by one. The ceiling of the metal chamber shook as another explosion rocked the Hold. "But we're about minutes away from dying horribly, and I've still yet to find my brother." Crimson did a double-take. "Huh? You mean Lucky Strike isn't here?" "Lucky Strike?" Rainbow Dash narrowed her gaze. "Is that a pony or a cigarette?" "He's likely either injured or dead at this point!" Tweak barked across the room. His expression fell into a worried grimace as he said, "I came here to rescue Crimson's friend, yes. But I was also hoping I would find my—" "What about that door behind us?" Rainbow Dash motioned. "The ponies here mentioned something about a 'Focus Chamber,'" Imre said. "Focus Chamber?" Crimson turned to look. "What in Spark's name for?" "We all took turns being situated in there," one of the crystal ponies remarked. He motioned towards the door. "This stallion's brother has likely been in there the longest. The Top Spear of Searo's Hold held a conference of source and no metal mare has been down here in ages to switch us out—" "Right, got it. How the heck do we open the door?!" Tweak grumbled. "The thing is as solid as a mountain!" "Like this!" Rainbow Dash ran to the door and began tugging, yanking, and heaving at the base of it. "Hnnnng! Nnnnngh! Rrgghhh—Guh!" She slumped down, panting in her armor. "Okay, maybe not like that..." "If I had more strength to my manastreams, I could unlock it and make the task easier," Imre said. "Crimson, sir, are you gifted in magic?" "I'm not exactly a delicate unicorn—" "I didn't ask if you could friggin' do surgery," Imre grumbled. "Have you ever lifted objects ten times your weight before?" Crimson blinked, then nodded. "In a pinch, yes. I've done amazing things to get my soldiers and I out of the killing paths of Xonans." "Could he open the door?" Tweak asked. "It's worth a shot." Crimson trotted over and focused his horn at the partition. "Step aside, Rainbow..." "Hey. Give it the golden buck." Crimson's face tensed as his horn shimmered brighter and brighter. His magic enveloped the door, making it jostle and vibrate. However, after much effort and strain, it still wouldn't budge. "Nnnngh! No good. What the heck did they make that stuff out of?" "Hey!" Rainbow chirped, glancing over at the eight crystal ponies—including Tweak. "What's with these guys and their glowy stuff?" "We're channelers of mana," one of the stallions weakly said. "That's why the Searonese have been abducting us." "Well, it's a damn shame," Tweak said, grumbling. "If I had a way, I'd tear this place to the ground—" "One thing at a time, hawkeye." Rainbow turned to Imre. "What if—like—they were to absorb yours and Crimson's energy and then—I dunno—shoot at the door?" Imre narrowed her eyes in thought. After a few seconds, she said, "I don't think that would work. At best, it would make the door collapse on its hinges, making it even more impossible to go through it." "Darn..." Rainbow grunted. "Wait..." Crimson spoke around the dull thuds of explosions through the walls. "What if—instead of channeling the magic into the door—if the ponies channeled it back into my horn?" "To what end?" Imre asked. "It'd give me an extra energy boost for moving the damn door." "Could that be possible?" Tweak asked. Imre sighed, shaking her head. "Possible, maybe. Smart? No." "Why not?" Rainbow asked. "It might overload the leylines in meat soldier's skull here," Imre said, pointing at Crimson. "His brain could literally turn to mush." "Could or would?" Rainbow asked. "Hey, I'm a doctor, not an engineer." "Come on! You've helped us this far! Could you at least lend some sound—" "Shhh!" Crimson hissed. He gazed into the shadows in thought. Eventually, his eyes wandered over to Tweak. Tweak glanced back, his shiny face tensed with mixed worry and curiosity. Crimson took a deep breath and said, "Let's give it a shot." "Hey!" Rainbow Dash spun towards him, frowning. "Dude, I just reunited with you! I'm not about to let you go all imploding cranium on me—" "I don't remember putting this up to a vote!" Crimson suddenly growled, silencing Rainbow in a heartbeat. He swiveled on three limbs and spoke Tweak's way. "We're getting your brother out. You ready for this?" Tweak took a deep breath and motioned the fellow crystal ponies to take position. "Boy, if you're ready to do this, I'm liable to marry you to my brother once we fetch him."