//------------------------------// // Goodbye, Farewell, Amen // Story: Innavedr // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// "Well, this certainly will take care of the issue of harvesting the south fields," Lucky Strike said, his face positively glowing in the Aurum afternoon sun. "Provided, y'know, we don't make them all faint from vomit." "Don't be an idiot, idiot," Tweak grumbled from where he sat on his cabin porch with his rear leg in a cast. "The south field is far enough from main street that they can till the earth and not be affected by our glowy glow..." Lucky Strike raised an eyebrow. "'Glowy glow?'" "Ungh..." Tweak ran a hoof over his forehead, wincing. "Sorry, brother. Blame the meds... or maybe the crazy elk with lightning brambles." He cleared his throat and smiled across the porch at the group of tattooed unicorns standing before him and his brother. "Forgive my fogginess. How long have we been here? Two days, ya reckon? We did talk this over, didn't we?" A Xonan mare stood ahead of the group. She nodded with a smile before saying, "Yes. Most grateful. Most grateful for the offer. Not easy is it to give up land." "What's to give up?" Tweak's face twisted slightly. "All of the sapphire reserves thin out nearly fifty meters north of the plot. We'd be wasting time trying to search the ground for more nodes. Besides, nopony owns the soil there, and I'm just sure unicorns like you could easily sow something with enough time and effort." "We... ehhh..." A Xonan stallion searched for the words. He spun a hoof in the air, then brightened as a sentence came to him, "We come from harvesting tradition? Yes? Farmers, most of us." "Figures that Nightshade would have picked on y'all then," Tweak said. "Well, t'ain't happening no more. We're gonna help you guys—and gals—get a new start in life. Y'all deserve it, for what your kids went through if nothing else." "So long as we crystal ponies are here, no Killas or Searonese are gonna try invading Aurum," Lucky Strike said with a pleasant grin. "We have... uhh... a 'secret weapon' that'll keep them away in case they try to raid us." "Yeah!" Tweak grinned. The 'glowy glow!'" Lucky Streak snorted a laugh. "With our magic, much crops and food to you," a mare said in an earnest breath. She folded her hooves together. "A promise!" "Hey! We're in this thing together!" Lucky Strike exclaimed. "Darn tootin'," Tweak remarked, pointing at the group. "Y'all ain't slaves no more. Consider yourselves neighbors. Our new... tattooed... superpowered neighbors. Ahem..." "We're in this together!" Lucky said. "And we'll be helping each other! That's the way it should be, y'know?" "Reckon we can teach Ledomare by example in due time," Tweak added. "Besides, it's not just us alone. We're gonna be having some fine help. Professor Cluck—" "Clark." Lucky Strike hissed. "Whatever," Tweak shrugged. "The smart dude with a mustache and gentlecolt speak. He says he's gonna hang around to help us get this shindig working. Apparently he has a history in real estate. That's a talent that's sorely needed around here." "Yeah, why did we build right next to a big, gaping ravine anyways?" Lucky Strike muttered. "Beats the Hell out of me," Tweak shrugged. "You seen one ravine, you seen them all, yes?" The Xonans collectively chuckled and nodded in agreement. "You... uhhh... sure the Night Shades will not come after us?" a stallion asked. "They had us in Deepest Ridge for big reasons..." "Trust me," Tweak said, "Nightshade is history. If we've got anypony to worry about, it's the enforcers, but I seriously doubt they have a friggin' clue where we all are." "Heck, Aurum wasn't even a place on the map until Searo's Hold collapsed!" Lucky Strike said with a proud smirk. "Seriously, though, I think we'll be well defended." Tweak glanced over towards a muscular shadow. "Isn't that right, buddy?" Crimson trotted across the porch with a nod. "That's right. Right after I come back from Franzington, you're gonna be seeing a lot more ponies around here... especially ones who know how to fight." Lucky Strike raised an eyebrow. "You're convinced you can talk so many families into relocating?" He leaned his head aside. "Besides yours, I mean." Crimson chuckled dryly. "If I know my wife and siblings, they'll be looking for an excuse to not lend our children and our grand-grandchildren to fight for the Confederacy anymore. We were always born as fighters, but never as servants." Tweak whistled shrilly. "So much for tradition, hmm?" Crimson's face took on a slightly dull color. "I'm a turncoat, a deserter, and—in some circles—even a traitor. The one thing I have to excuse the lives that have been lost in following me away from the front is that we were never ever fighting for a just cause in the first place. We were working for a machine that valued life as much as it valued scrap metal. You believe in a system like that, and it's far too easy to accept massacres as the common cold." He gazed up at the group before him. "I want to help build a society that has a firm grip on its integrity before learning to grip a sword. It may be too late to save many of my fellow soldiers—or even the Confederacy as a whole—but I can at least do something for the future of the continent, and it's right here in Aurum." He smiled at last, bearing a very calm breath. "I'll have you know that there are many ponies in Franzington who feel the same way. They simply haven't had the motivation to make a change." "Until now..." Lucky Strike remarked. Crimson nodded. "Exactly." "I'd go there along with you, son," Tweak said. He sighed, gesturing towards his reclined body. "But, as you can see, I'm not exactly all that I'm... erm... cracked up to be..." "Who's this magical space elk again?" Lucky Strike whispered. Tweak kicked him with his one good leg. "Ow!" "Oh no." Crimson shook his head. "You're not going anywhere. You've gone on dangerous, selfless quests enough as it is." He pointed a muscular forelimb. "You're staying here with your wife and kids, good sir. Don't you worry. Our families will get to meet soon enough." "Dayum well better," Tweak grunted. "I need to know if anypony in your household cooks better than in mine." Several Xonans chuckled, as did Lucky. "Don't you be yuckin' it up!" Tweak growled. "If I'm the one who's busted up, guess who's gonna be sampling Franzington cuisine in my place?!" "Hey, I look forward to it," Lucky Strike said with a smile, winking aside at Crimson. "Why else do you think I volunteered?" "Assuming everything goes smoothely, I'm afraid that we won't be bringing all of our family members and farming tools in one single trip," Crimson said with an apologetic face. "As enthusiastic as I am for the venture, it's going to take a while to make the move happen." "Who the heck do you think you're talking to?!" Tweak grunted. "I know that, son! Pioneering was born in my blood! I'll be sure to lend a hoof to anypony with a Blades Guild seal on their vest once they get here!" "And we'll be grateful for it," Crimson said with a nod. "Just think, Tweak. We're building a new union here, the promising future that I had always dreamt of for my family and our descendants." "Ngggh. We get it. Just don't expect the honeymoon to last forever." Crimson chuckled and trotted off. "I'd better go check up on the others," he said. "Floydien should be done with his latest engine tests by now." "Shucks, is that why it's quiet enough to hear a mouse fart?" "Sure, why not." Crimson trotted towards the far end of the field. The body of the Noble Jury loomed above the edge of the canyon, its levitating skystone fluctuating with alternating bands of red and lavender. He smiled to himself, enjoying the fresh breeze blowing over the sapphire fields. He blinked, noticing a figure to his left. Phoenix was leaning against a chunk of blue minerals. When Crimson arrived, the horn-less unicorn stood up straight, took a breath, and spoke. "So, the Xonans are staying after all?" "Yes," Crimson replied with a nod as he walked by. "There's a field just perfect for them south of here. It didn't really take much convincing to get them to stick around." Phoenix nodded wearily. "They seem like really agreeable ponies, not to mention pleasant." "Very true," Crimson said, then squinted at the stallion. "You could have been a part of the meeting, you know." Phoenix sighed, limping to keep up with his commanding officer. "I didn't think it was my place..." "Why not?" Phoenix grimaced slightly, avoiding Crimson's expression as the two trotted side by side. "Do I need to spell it out for you?" "Phoenix, from everything Bellesmith has told me, you've been nothing but an exemplary body guard, going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that she survived her journey through Blue Nova." "I am also the reason for why this whole mess started to begin with," Phoenix muttered. "Mmm... only part of the reason..." Phoenix sighed. "Crimson, don't complicate the issue..." "I could ask the same of you." Crimson stopped Phoenix in his tracks and swiveled to face him. "Look at me." His brow furrowed as he stared into the stallion's eyes. "I've fought with you, yelled with you, and sobbed with you. I'll maintain that through thick and thin, you've had every reason to see me as your commanding officer and nothing else. But as for me? I've been happy to have you as my fellow soldier. In my heart, though, I consider you and every stallion I've ever served with as brothers. And brothers forgive, Phoenix." He smiled as he spoke softly, "I don't think you need me to convince you that there are far worse enemies out there to contend with than you or me." Phoenix bit his lip. His eyes moistened slightly as he eventually said, "I almost wish Zenith was still alive. I think... I-I think that if he saw this side of you, he'd never have made the mistake that he did..." Crimson's smile faded a bit. After a breath, he said, "He's not the only one who's made mistakes." Resting a hoof on the stallion's shoulder, he added, "Let's see what we can do for the ponies who are still alive to reap the benefits of our actions." "Aye, sir." Phoenix grinned nervously. "And... if it's alright with you, I-I would very much like to move here to Aurum with you. Uhm... provided my family is along for the journey, of course." "Hmmm... Perhaps..." Crimson gazed at him with thin eyes. "On one condition." "And what is it?" Crimson playfully "punched" Phoenix in the muzzle. "See what you can do about growing that mustache back, then we'll talk." Phoenix blinked awkwardly, until he heard Crimson's good-natured chuckle. "Eh... eheheheh..." He smiled with rosy cheeks. "I... d-don't know if it will make up for the huge gap in my skull now." "Hmmm... grow a beard, then." "Agreed." Both stallions trotted off into the distance. Meanwhile. a pair of crystal colts gawked at several tattooed foals gathered around the dilapidated chunks of a Ledomaritan managlider. "What?!" Roque gasped, his eyes wide as a beam of glowing light unconsciously rolled through his figure. "You've never ridden on the back of a friendly diamond dog?!" "Uhm..." A hornless filly teetered away from him as if he was diseased. "No... d-do I want to?" "It's only the coolest way to travel!" Nexx added in, hopping besides his brother. "Especially when you have no magic to move around on your own!" Roque hissed, "Nexx! Come on..." He smacked the other's skull and pointed at the Xonan foals' foreheads. "Whoops..." Roque's glossy ears drooped. "My bad..." "It's fine," the filly said with a smile. A tattooed colt trotted up from the group. "Have you ever traversed an integrated ring system of artificial geological structures conjoined and suspended within a chaotic pocket of cosmic space?" "Buh?" Roque and Nexx buh'd. The foals squirmed, glancing nervously at one another. One of the dozen finally said, "Perhaps it is best that you... sh-show us this diamond dog." Roque blinked, blinked again. "Awesome!" he said with an exploding smile, waddling away, followed by his brother. "You're gonna love this place! Aurum is the bomb!" "Only it doesn't explode like that evil place in the north!" "Okay, so it's more like a bunch of fire crackers than a bomb." "Even if our Pa doesn't let us play with fire crackers... uh..." "Anyways! We're gonna have so much fun! Hehe! Come on!" The foals shrugged, then followed the two colts in a parade of smiles and giggles. Squatting on a chunk of sapphires and looking none-to-enthusiastic was Kera. Her green eyes reflected the prancing line of youngsters. Then, in a blink, they disappeared, replaced by a glazed look as the filly groaned and rolled over to face the sky. "What a bunch of nopoopies..." "I beg your pardon?" a female voice uttered. Kera rolled her eyes. She sat up with a sigh. "It means they're bunch of noponies," she muttered. "Also, full of poop. Mostly it's about the poop." "Now now, that's not a very good attitude to be having, Kera," Bellesmith said with a hard-lined smile. The slightest fringe of silk-brown fuzz had collected across her crown, and her chestnut eyes lit up in the afternoon sunlight. "They've been through as much as you, if not more so. They could use a friendly face in a time like this." "Seems like they've got enough friendly faces as it is," Kera grumbled, gazing across the field as one of two colts awoke a shrieking canine by hopping on its backside. "By 'friendly,' of course, I mean 'stupid.'" Belle chuckled before kneeling to be at even level with the reclined filly. "In light of recent events, I can't blame you for being less then enthused, Kera." "Meh..." "But you're not going to have a whole lot more time to spend with them, so it may be a good idea to part with them on good terms while you still have the opportunity." "Double meh..." Suddenly, though, Kera did a double-take. She turned and squinted curiously at the mare. "Wait... what do you mean?" "Well..." Belle tried to hide her blushing grin, fidgeting as her eyes darted from side to side. "I'm... leaving...?" Belle's teeth showed in her smile. The foal's green eyes opened wider. "We're leaving?" A black and white figure trotted up. "Well, I would hope so!" Pilate said in a chipper voice, smiling into the horizon. "Otherwise, I have no idea what Bellesmith and I spent the past three hours talking about—" He bumped clumsily into the crystal chunks Kera was squatting on. "Gah!" Belle winced and pushed him back half a step. "Watch it, beloved." The zebra's ears folded as he let loose a groaning sigh. "One of these days, I swear, I just want to make one smoothe entrance." "It's a-alright, darling," Belle said, stifling a giggle. Failing. "I don't get it..." Kera sat up, breathless. "What's going on here?" "Well, Pilate and I had a long discussion." "Uh huh..." "We know that you really don't want to stay around here in Aurum..." "Just as much as I'd like to stick my plot into boiling water." Kera's eyes narrowed. "Get to the point already!" she squealed. "We've decided to take responsiblity for you," Pilate said. "That includes keeping you in our charge, finding you a home far away from here, and protecting you throughout such a trip that such would entail." "Like..." Kera's voice cracked as she leaned forward on the tipping-ends of her hooves. "Like all the way to the dark side of the world?! Where Rainbow Dash is headed?!" "Mmmm... At least as far as Lerris," Bellesmith said. Kera leaned back, pouting. "Oh..." "Kera..." Belle trotted forward, tilting the filly's tattooed chin back up. "I love Rainbow Dash. I really do. I have no doubt that Pilate and I would follow her to the bitter end, even if we could afford to venture to the edge of the world where she's headed. But, I can't imagine flying another mile... or even trotting a single step... without having you by my side." "Uh oh..." Kera winced. "Is this where you're about to get mushy?" Belle giggled, her eyes briefly moist. "I do love you, my little pony. And I would be happy... and h-honored to help find you a place where you deserve to grow up with safety and satisfaction." "And I would be happy to help a filly that has brought so much joy to my beloved," Pilate said, wrapping a forelimb around Belle's shoulder. Kera blinked at the two. "So..." She squinted. "Does this—like—mean that you two are my parents now?" Belle and Pilate tilted their heads toward each other. "Think of us as..." Pilate tongued the inside of his lips. "...adventure guardians." "Huh..." Kera smirked slightly. "Yeah, I could totally dig that." "Then you... are okay with this?" Belle asked, squirming slightly. "Ugh..." Kera rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright already, Belle. Yes. I'm saying yes." With an audible squee, Belle leaned in and nuzzled the child. "You won't regret this! We will take good care of you. We promise!" Kera chuckled and tried to hide the rosiness in her cheeks. "Just promise not to brush my hair out anymore." "No promises," Belle blurted, gazing guiltily towards the floor. Kera tilted her head towards the stallion. "So, Mr. Pluto—" "Pilate." "Are you actually blind?" "Yes, ma'am. Indeed, that I am." She bit her lip. "So, like... do you know that you're a zebra?" Belle winced horribly at that. Pilate stared deadpan into the proverbial abyss. "Ahem... yes," he eventually uttered. "I do, as a matter of fact, know that I am a zebra." "Okay. Cool. Just making sure we're all on the same page." Licking her lips mischievously, Kera hopped off her platform and scampered away. "Speaking of which, I've got a good few to flip with these guys before I say goodbye to them!" "Be careful, Kera!" Bellesmith exclaimed, waving a hoof. "Play safe with them!" "Pfft! Please! I'm the only one with a horn! They're the ones who'd need to be careful!" "That's what I meant!" Belle half-shrieked. She sighed, leaning against Pilate's rigid figure. "Beloved, do you think we're making the right decision?" She gulped. "For her, I mean." Pilate took a deep breath. "Well, by staying with us, and by taking a proverbial seat on board Floydien's Noble Jury, she is essentially signing up for a life of danger, destruction, and chaos at every turn." "I know..." Belle said in a worrisome tone. A beat. "But, at least she won't be living on a farm," Pilate added. Belle nodded fervently. "Agreed." "Speaking of farms..." Pilate turned towards her and gave her a playful nuzzle. "You've been cultivating some remarkable knowledge of your own, beloved. I would very much like to know more about this 'cosmic ring' that you stumbled upon in your sequencing." "Unngh..." Belle sighed, running a hoof tiredly through a mane that wasn't there. "Please, beloved. One thing at a time..." Pilate winced. "I apologize, Belle. I certainly didn't mean to dig up a painful memory—" "No, it's not that. I would love telling you what I learned. No doubt you would have much wisdom to shed on the topic." "It'll be a little bit difficult," he said with a smirk as the two trotted across the lively field full of crystal shards. "Seeing as the only lexicon at my disposal is serving as some sort of fantastical energy core to a magical elk's ship." Belle bit her lip. "I apologize..." "Please, no need." Pilate nuzzled her again, leaning on her soft weight. "I'd rather distance that from my mind for the time being." "Exactly..." Belle shuddered slightly as she said, "We've just been through so much, most of it because of Nightshade and her obsession over the ancient pegasi and their runes..." She gazed towards the floating image of the Noble Jury up ahead. "I'd rather focus on something that matters right now, like the fact that we're safe, that we have friends..." "They certainly are a merry bunch of ponies, aren't they?" Pilate said with a smirk. "Not to mention eccletic." "I'm a little wary of the fat one," Belle muttered. "Who, Floydien? Our friendly pilot?" "No, the other one." "Hmmm? Oh. Josho, our friendly enforcer..." "Yes. Do you think we can trust him?" "Do you think we can trust Roarke, for that matter?" "But Roarke has evidently sacrificed so much..." "Josho has as well, from what I heard." "Who told you this?" "Eagle Eye," Pilate explained. "And he also assures us that he'll keep the stallion under his watch at all times." "Wait!" Belle turned and gawked at Pilate. "Do you mean to say that... th-that Eagle Eye is coming along with us too?" "Why, yes," Pilate said with a smile. "Didn't you know that?" "No! I mean... that's great! It's just that..." "Hmm?" "Well, I figured that he wanted to get home to Franzington as much as Phoenix and Crimson..." "Evidently he wants to find a home for himself beyond the limits of this continent." "Come to think of it..." Belle tapped her chin in thought. "He did have a few less-than-pleasant things to share with me about his household once." She gulped. "And his father..." "I do suppose," Pilate said with a nod. "He's a remarkable stallion with an inspiring spirit. I have no doubt that opportunity waits for him. I just hope he finds out where." "I agree." Belle smiled. "And in the meantime, I'll have a pony besides Kera whose mane I can brush!" "Hrmmm..." Pilate's jaw clenched and unclenched. "Don't push it..." "Oh, beloved..." Belle giggled, nuzzling him dearly. "Don't let your stripes turn green! We've been over this..." "I approve of his expert sight, if nothing else," the stallion said. "I do hope it counts for something." "It does, darling. It does." "I hear voices," Pilate muttered. "Are we nearing the Noble Jury?" "Mmmhmm. And how..." As the couple approached the ship, several ponies could be seen shoving a pile of crates out of the open cargo bay in the stern. "Nnnngh!" Props grunted, then dusted her hooves off before flipping her sweat-slick mane back. "Whew! That's the last of the building tools that Mr. Handsome Horns was willing to provide! I dunno about you all, but I'm all boxed out!" Her eyes took on a sad glint. "You sure you won't be hanging ten on the eastward lavender wave with us, Jasper Wasper?" Clark chuckled, shaking his head as he stood in the ship's shadow. "I am a gentlecolt of many talents. Navigation is sadly not one of them." He nodded towards the arriving couple. "For that, I suppose I should leave you in the capable hooves of Mr. Pilate. He is, after all, the continent's foremost renaissance zebra." "I will miss hearing your genteel voice, Mr. Clark," Pilate said with a return nod. "May I ask what your plans are?" "Yeah!" Ebon Mane panted as he shoved a box full of tools against another. "How the heck do you plan on making your way back west to the University?" "Like anypony would..." Josho said, heaving two boxes down and leaning against it. "Ulpp!" He stifled a belch and muttered, "He'll hitchhike the death barges and hope a metal mare doesn't gut him." "Actually, showing my face west of the Sapphire Ravine would not be opportune," Clark remarked. "At least, not at the moment. There's no telling whether or not I am an enemy of Her Majesty, after all." He bowed with a smile and said, "No, I'd much rather go where I am needed." "Awwwww..." Props vaulted herself over the wooden stack and gave Clark a squishy, sweaty hug. "But what if we need your mustache?" She pouted. "Huhhhh?" "Eheheh..." Clark gently patted her shoulder and forced her to let go. "I'm flattered. Really. But I'm needed a lot more here." "Why's that?" Josho's face scrunched up. "You're rather thin for a doorstop." "Perhaps, but I've got a great deal of experience in architecture as well as engineering. I can help these Xonans build homes that will last against any storm, be it natural or artificial. These ponies have gone through too much to suffer from anything unnecessarily trite now." "Well, we think that's very nice of you, Mr. Clark," Bellesmith said. "And we will miss having your sensibility around to keep us sane." "Why, thank you, Doctor Bellesmith. I don't think I've ever received a better compliment." Clark smiled. "Especially from somepony as esteemed as you." In the meantime, Props had pivoted about to give Ebon Mane a sweaty embrace, nuzzling him. "Mmmmmm..." "Gaaah!" Ebon wheezed for breath. "Propsy?! Why are you h-hugging me! I'm not leaving!" "But you're so burgundyyyyyyy..." Clark chuckled and said, "I trust that you two will be heading back to Gray Smoke." "And how!" Props suddenly gasped, dropping Ebon like a sack of potatoes. "And we'll be sure to use our powers of pretty pony persuasion to get the engineers there to resupply Mr. Handsome Horns with all the special bits that Nancy Jane's womb could ever ask for!" "Nnngh..." Ebon Mane struggled to stand back up. "B-But what makes you so sure that th-they'll be willing to assist us?" "That's where you come in, Ebony!" Props ruffled his mane. "You're the 'pretty' part!" "Derr..." "Besides, I'll be using my lean-mean-wrenching-machine skills to make sure Nancy Jane's womb stays clean the entiiiiire way!" Props sang, charading dramatically with her hooves. "She deserves no better, ya think?" "And... uh..." Ebon shrugged. "You ponies could definitely use a cook along for the ride. Besides, I wouldn't mind practicing my skills before I get to return to my workplace in Gray Smoke, assuming it's still open." "It'd better be!" Props frowned. "Their Cloudy Bay Biscuits are to die for!" "Unnngh..." Josho rubbed his plentiful, rumbling belly. "Stop torturing me, ya melon fudges..." "What is with all of this spit of biscuits and wombs and dying?!" A voice shouted from above. "Are the boxes of clank-clank out of my beloved's behind yet?!" "You can bet we de-grindered her hinder, Floyd-Boy!" Props called back. She giggled and smiled at the others. "He's so dayum hot. Reminds me of this one time my Uncle Prowse stepped out of the stallions' jecuzzi wearing nothing but these torn, wrinkly coveralls—" Ebon Mane reached a hoof over Props' muzzle. "Ahem..." He smiled awkwardly up at the top deck of the Noble Jury looming above them all. "You doing okay up there, Mr. Floydien? It's a beautiful day! Why don't you come down and stretch your air-legs a little?!" "The only creature that can stretch Floydien's hoofers is the one whom Floydien bent his antlers backwards to save!" The elk flashed a frown over the side of the railing. "Treat Nancy Jane nicely and she will return the favor!" "And we did our job!" Ebon chuckled, shrugging his limbs dramatically. "We cleared all the junk out of the hangar! The Xonans and the crystal ponies are bound to find stuff useful here for their house-making!" "Oh..." Floydien blinked, fidgeted, and blurted, "Then why all the spit?" "We are simply saying our good-byes and paying our respects," Pilate said. "You're welcome to join us, Mr. Floydien. You're the reason we are all here, after all." The elk made a literal buzzing sound before croaking, "Mouths within mouths! That's all the boomers are! Floydien wouldn't have shot a single spark west if it wasn't for paint bucketeering. No no no." "Don't pretend that you're not being super gracious to us, Mr. Floydien," Belle said, smiling warmly. "By giving us this ride, you're helping more than just Rainbow Dash, you're helping us all get as far away from the Council of Ledo as possible." "Most certainly," Clark added with a nod. "One simply doesn't do that without a smidgeon of kindness to motivate him." "Don't be so glimmer-glimmed!" Floydien spat. "Mother Queen of stabby staby is an enemy to Floydien. And enemies to the queening are friendlying to Nancy Jane." "I can only wonder if you have a goal in mind," Clark uttered. Floydien's red eyes twitched. "A... goal... f-for Floydien?" "Well, I certainly didn't mean to imply a goal for banana splits." Floydien fidgeted, his antlers sparkling in the wind. With a chirping sound, a certain gray squirrel landed on the railing of the Noble Jury beside him, its tail twitching. Floydien gave Simon a dull glance, then spoke aside. "Floydien would... like to see boomers find their own homes. After all, Floydien already has one with Floydien's beloved." "Awwww..." Belle smiled. "I think that's a very sweet way of looking at this journey." "Not an invitation to fill Nancy Jane with spit!" He shot his head forward, making Simon bark in surprise. "And tell paint bucket that the bright boomer has the skies, but she does not own Floydien's beloved! Yes yes yes?" "Erm... no no no, sir..." "Affirmativing..." Floydien backtrotted and made for the unseen cockpit. "Now to hang antlers up to dry. Nnngh... Glimmer squeak never stops to leak. Yes yes..." "Yeahhhhh..." Josho grunted, kicking at the dirt below him. "I'm going to fit right in with that." "Uhm, if I may ask, Mr. Josho..." Belle fidgeted as Pilate tilted his muzzle towards her, but she continued anyways. "Do you have a destination in mind?" "Wherever you bleeding hearts decide to kick me off, I bet." Belle winced. "I didn't mean that—" "No no... of course not..." Josho leaned back and scratched his neckbeard. "You gotta give me some space. I'm not used to being sober for this long." "I... see..." "Heh... maybe it's why I've made so many dayum crazy decisions lately." Josho smiled bitterly. "I had hoped I would have lost some weight before becoming an enemy of the state. I bet they need a billboard to show off my mug." "Is it true that you nearly killed yourself in the battle against the managliders?" Ebon asked. "Before Crimson and Roarke grabbed you, I mean." "Is that what I did? Shucks. I took so many of those mana-huffing buggers down that I didn't notice." "Err..." Ebon squirmed. "Look..." Josho sighed. "I can already tell that you're already uncomfortable with me." He waved a hoof. "I'm sure I can make do on my own, though it'll be a lot less sexy. Last time I slept in a forest on my lonesome was during R&R against a Xonan incursion of the Northern Straits." He winced slightly. "Boy, did those trees burn down in a blink." The stallion froze there, his face wrenched in paleness and pain. It took him a few seconds to gather his breath, and it produced a wavering voice. "I... I-I suppose I've got a lot on my hooves," Josho muttered in a low tone. "What, with all these crappy thoughts floating back up to me..." Ebon took a deep breath and said, "We can help you with them... y'know. We can help you find a new life... not to mention peace with yourself." He smiled hopefully. "Since, I think it's obvious to everypony that that's what you want." Josho squinted one eye towards him. "So, you mean it? You'd help me with the floaters?" "Erm..." "Heh... You're alright, sailboat..." Josho reached over and viciously slapped the back of the yelping stallion's back. "Even if your cutie mark is fruitier than Mr. Lavender Licks over there," he said, smiling towards the image of Crimson and Eagle Eye beyond a hill. "Thanks..." Ebon Mane wheezed. "Don't mention it..." Props giggled beside him. Several feet away, standing near the edge of the farmland's ravine, Crimson stood tall, his shadow casted partially over Eagle Eye's petite figure. Phoenix stood upon the fringes of the conversation. "So..." Crimson fidgeted slightly. There was a vulnerable softness to his usually-chiseled brow. "You are sure about this? After all we've been through?" "Uhm..." Eagle Eye smiled down at the ground as his hooves kneaded the earth. "I'd like to see it as being sure of it because of all that we've been through." He tilted his head up. "And because of all that you've taught me." "I only wanted you to survive, EE," Crimson said. "So that if I died before my time, you would be able to—" "Crimson..." Eagle Eye only had to gaze up at him. His smile leaned upon the precipice of melting. Crimson gazed at him. He took a deep breath then spoke tightly, "I don't think I can sleep well at night knowing that you're out here alone somewhere..." "Hmmm..." Eagle Eye brushed a hoof through his own mane. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that what spouses are for?" Crimson broke into a chuckle, shaking his head. "Eagle Eye, you know what I mean..." "Of course I do." The stallion took a long, shuddering breath. "And... uhm... I-I hope you know wh-what I mean too..." He sniffled, the first tear running pitifully down his cheek as he fought for control of his quivering lips. "When I say... wh-when I say that I love you..." Crimson slowly, slowly nodded. "EE, I understand completely—" "No..." Eagle Eye squeaked, shaking his head. "No, you don't. I..." He gritted his teeth, clenched his eyes shut, and simply fell forward. Crimson's forelimb caught him. It was just what Eagle Eye expected, and that's what tore the first sob from him. "I love you, Crimson," Eagle Eye whimpered, his tender voice muffled by the stallion's muscular chest. "Y-you're my family, my hope, my everything. If it weren't for you, I'd never find a way t-to be strong all this time... to believe in myself..." "But you are strong, EE," Crimson said, gently patting his back. "You're stronger than most stallions I know..." A chuckle or two broke through Eagle Eye's weeping. He leaned back, drying his face with a hoof as he said, "That's cute, Crimson. But if it were true, then this wouldn't be happening." He gulped and murmured, "I need to do this. I need to go someplace and... and f-find that strength that truly belongs to me, that will make me the kind of pony I have always wanted to be. So that when the time comes that I can call myself 'strong,' I'll be home, and it'll be a place where I can share that confidence—and that love—with a pony whom I can inspire as much as you have blessed me. Because..." He choked on a final sob, then stood at a resolute height. "...it's not waiting for me in Franzington." "But maybe it is, EE," Crimson said in a soft tone. "Maybe... maybe things will change. Maybe after all that we've been through... all that you've been through, your father and the rest of the household will actually think with their hearts for once." Eagle Eye shook his head. "The only change you can be assured of is the type you make for yourself. And if my father did have a heart, I wouldn't have nearly gotten myself killed in the first place." He smiled at the two stallions collectively. "Maybe it's different for the two of you, but... you see... that's life: dealing with differences." Phoenix smiled bitterly. "And you're sure tailing Rainbow Dash is gonna cinch it all for ya?" He gestured towards the eastern horizon with his horn. "She's certainly different enough." Eagle Eye giggled, drying the last of his tears with a forelimb. "There's something I'll always admire about Rainbow Dash, even if she's sometimes a Ledomaritan-wrecking monster." "Oh yeah?" "Yup." Eagle Eye nodded. "Above all, she's loyal to herself, and the rest just..." He shrugged. "Happens harmoniously. Well... eventually." "Right..." Phoenix said. He sighed, his eyes thin and his ears folding slightly. "Egads, I never thought I'd say this, but I'm totally gonna miss ya, princess." "You should have tried romancing me when you had the mustache." "You kidding?!" Phoenix scoffed. "With a muzzle as ticklish as yours?!" "Heeheehee..." Suddenly, Eagle Eye went ghostly white. "Wait. Howdoyouknowthat?" "Erm..." Belle and Pilate trotted over. "Oh... we apologize. Are we interrupting anything?" "No! Not at all!" Phoenix said with a bright smile. "My flank, they're not!" Eagle Eye glanced at the beloveds. "One second..." He then spun and flew forward into Phoenix's forelimbs. "Gaaah! Oh for the love of the Spark—!" Phoenix wheezed. "This is the nuzzle of the centuryyyy!" Eagle Eye cooed, rubbing his cheek raw against the other stallion's. "Oh come on!" Phoenix grumbled. "If I only had a horn—Why didn't you just smother Crimson! He's the one whose lap you wanted to jump over a dozen campaigns!" "Yeah, but he's married!" "Argh! You're so stupid!" "Heeheehee... I knowwww..." While Belle giggled, Pilate trotted forward and tilted his head around. He eventually froze, then faced Crimson directly. "Crimson?" "How'd you know I was standing here?" The zebra smiled. "I can smell 'resilience' from a mile away." Crimson smiled. "I'm having a hard time believing that I won't be seeing the two of you ever again." "Why?" Pilate winced slightly. "Because... we have certainly cost you a lot, haven't we?" Crimson's nostrils flared. He gave a good look around the farm, towards Tweak and Lucky Strike chatting amicably with the Xonans, towards the happy ponies gathered around the Noble Jury, then towards Phoenix laughing as he finally disentangled from an inarticulately happy Eagle Eye. "Crimson...?" "No, Pilate." Crimson shook his head. "You haven't cost us anything at all." He added in a soft tone, "As a matter of fact, quite the opposite." Pilate exhaled as if a heavy weight was lifted from his shoulders. Crimson saw it. He decided to clear his throat and say, "So... dare I ask what your next destination is?" Pilate shrugged. "East." Crimson raised an eyebrow. "Just that? 'East?'" "It works for Rainbow Dash." "Indeed." Crimson took a cautious step forward, casting a weary glance towards Belle and Eagle Eye. "But does everything that work for Rainbow Dash necessarily work for you?" "It has so far, hasn't it?" "In a roundabout fashion, I'm certain. But let's be honest here, Pilate." Crimson's face was neither sad nor cheerful. "With her constant fainting spells, with her impulsive tendency for wanton destruction, and with her habit of making the right friends in all the wrong places, do you truly, truly believe that she will make it to this 'Midnight Armory' on the dark side of the world?" Pilate was silent for a while, before eventually uttering, "Austraeoh is larger than life, to say the least. She's destined for something grander than any of us can estimate, herself included. I have every reason to believe that she will reach her destination, but not by the power of sheer prophecy alone." "Then what?" Pilate smiled. "Why, her awesomeness, of course." Crimson shared a chuckle with the zebra. After a few seconds, both grew silent, and the muscular stallion uttered, "And how long do you think you, Belle, and the Xonan foal will be able to follow her?" Pilate opened his mouth, but lingered. His face took on a grayer tone as he eventually said, "As far as she is willing to take us." Crimson somberly nodded. A few steps away, a golden hoof tapped Phoenix on the shoulder. The stallion turned from sharing a last joke with Eagle Eye to blink at Belle. "Hey, you." Phoenix gulped and nodded. "'Hey' back..." Bellesmith gazed at the floor as she said, "I... wanted to thank you before it was too late." Phoenix shrugged. "For what?" Bellesmith's eyebrows were flatter than the ravine's cliff. "Really...?" Wincing, Phoenix blurted, "Bellesmith, all I did... I did because I owed you more than I could ever pretend to make up..." Her sad eyes wandered above his brow. "And don't you believe you've earned your keep, Mr. Phoenix?" He sighed and ultimately said, "Zenith is dead. Crimson lost his leg. And now Eagle Eye is going away." His gaze hung towards the floor. "I know that there have been a lot of good changes too, but I don't like how they all came about." Belle reached forward and tilted his gaze up. When their eyes met, she said, "I want to thank you for reuniting me with my beloved." Phoenix's face was wrenched with confusion. "But... h-how?!" He gulped. "It was Mr. Floydien and Simon who kept your mate alive..." "And you kept me alive so that I may someday reunite with him," she said with glossy eyes. "Ms. Bellesmith..." "Shh... I mean it." Belle smiled deeply. "Pilate's not the only one who almost died." Phoenix stared at her. "So many times... I felt like giving up. I felt like just rolling over and letting fate pulverize me into the ground. And then... when sequencing in Nightshade's mana-driven trap, I finally gave into that despair. Praise the Spark that it was just a simulation, but I had finally given up all hope. And I realize now—now that I walk in the joy of the real world—that it wasn't just because I felt that my beloved was dead, but I was tricked into believing that you were as good as dead too." "Belle..." "And I knew that my last bulwark of strength was gone, and not even Rainbow Dash was in a place to save me." Phoenix grasped her hooves in his. "You are the source of your own strength. Please, understand... I never saved you. I only ever assisted you." "But if it weren't for your steadfastness and your sacrifice—" "I think I've finally found a fault in you, Ms. Bellesmith," Phoenix said with a painful smirk. "You're far too humble. I think it's what allowed you to get caught underhoof by the Council back in Blue Shelf to begin with." Belle blinked at that, as if stunned by the sudden implication. "Look, I can't pretend to make any affirmative statements about your life. I can only make observations. And you know what I've observed?" Phoenix released her hooves and stood before her with a smile. "Rainbow Dash... Pilate... Kera... they would all be nothing if it weren't for you to keep the whole picture blending together. You do more than sequence spheres, Ms. Bellesmith. You bridge the gap between ponies. You're Eljunbyro after all. Well..." He nodded towards Pilate. "Half of it, at least." Slowly, Belle blinked. She sniffled and said, "I'm very glad you got to live to see your family again, Mr. Phoenix." He nodded back. "And I'm happy to see that you lived to... make yours..." At that, Belle turned over her shoulder and smiled at the sight of Kera playing with a bunch of foals, giggling mischievously as she wrestled Roque and Nexx to the ground. "Yeah... heehee... imagine that..." "Hey, uhm..." Eagle Eye spoke up suddenly, trotting circles in the middle of the group. "I hate to be Captain Obvious here... but..." He fidgeted. "Has anypony seen where Rainbow Dash went...?"