//------------------------------// // Mourning and Stealing // Story: My Little Forumites are Magic // by Mx Story Anomalax //------------------------------// Phynicxs, Vark, and Smeareyes looked down at the entrance to the tallest building in the city. They had been waiting there, watching, for several hours. Every few hours a group of ponies would be led out by changelings and later a group of ponies would be led back in. They had already surmised that the slavery was mostly used to extend the hive in the basement and make it bigger. Phynicxs assumed that they had probably moved the ancient legendary weapon deep into the changeling catacombs, and was having a hard time figuring out how to get inside. At a certain point Vark pretty much said to forget it, because they weren't going to move. They would probably have to fight their way in. But Smeareyes had a better plan. He whispered for Twilight to come over and when she did, Smeareyes asked her how far back she could go. She mentioned that it would be at most a day, and Smeareyes nodded. Smeareyes was about to volunteer to go get Thunderhead but Phynicxs stopped him. "I've been thinking about this for awhile. I think their might be a hivemind among them, and the Witch is probably toying with it." Smeareyes nodded and asked him where he was going with this. "Their minds aren't being controlled. They're willingly connected with the witch, I assume. Which is how everything seems to run so perfectly here. They obviously need a leader and the leader is obviously the witch. So I've been thinking about it and I think we may be dealing with a witch of heart. If we are, then you, Smear, should be able to see their emotions and use them to sever their connections. Smeareyes nodded, agreeing with the idea. --- The sadness was tangible and permeable. It filled the air like a blanket. Luna's stars and moon shined down on the group as they mourned over the loss of not only the element and harbinger of loyalty, but of one of the best friends one could have. The loss of a protector. The loss of a knight in a cyan coat. Jordan took it the hardest, feeling the regret in his soul welling up to a breaking point. He cried long and hard, and wanted nothing more than to leave the area. But that wasn't enough. He wanted to leave the planet. He wanted to forget all of this. He wanted to forget the pain. He didn't want to go on in this situation. His determination wavered. Was it truly a win if there was loss? Was it truly a win when there was sacrifice? Was it truly a win when a friend died in vain; when anyone died without dignity and integrity; when anyone died in so foolish a manner? By one they used to call friend? Was this really the world that the players had forced upon the inhabitants of this planet? Jordan turned around, unable to handle it. Applejack and Rarity took the brunt of the blow, and knew that Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight would take it the hardest. Applejack not only lost a friend. She had lost a rival. She had lost her competition, and all she had now was the hope that she could live for Rainbow Dash and herself. She helped others so much. No one could help her here. She had to help herself in this situation. She had to help Rainbow Dash who never even got to accomplish her dreams. Out of all of that, that hurt the most. Rainbow Dash could never achieve her dreams now. She was gone forever. Applejack felt her hope and belief waver. Was this what happened to good ponies? Was this how it had to be, for an innocent pony to never achieve her dreams? Applejack took off her stetson, and laid by the body, as though she could keep Rainbow Dash company in some way, be it physically or spiritually. This hurt hard, and she buried her face into Rainbow Dash, racked with sobbing. Rarity was prime and proper. She was a lady. She knew all the manners. She knew all the etiquette. She knew how to respond in certain situations. She never felt uncertainty. She knew who she was and she knew what she wanted. She knew what to give others and how to help. She knew how to do everything. But she didn't know how to say goodbye. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she tried to stand stoically, breaking apart on the inside as she questioned mortality, and why things had to be taken away. She had been given the gift of these friends. And one of them had been taken from her. Was this what the world was like? Was it dull and lifeless. Was there not some being out there that only gave generously? Rarity recognized that ultimately it was Rainbow Dash's choice, but she didn't want to lose her most precious possessions. She didn't want to lose her friends. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head down, tears falling down her face. Ying was also racked with sobs. He had lost a friend. He had been unable to help, unable to save. His principles and his morals got him everywhere, but it didn't teach him how to act in situations like this. He felt anger. So much anger. And despair. And sadness. He understood some would die. But for it to finally happen? He worried about Phynicxs and Smeareyes. His heart ached. The space inside of him that was filled was now a little bit empty. And it hurt like hell. It hurt worse than his eye hurt. It was so painful. The emptied space in his heart felt like a void, but he knew it wasn't. It was just empty space. He could increase and decrease size and he could move through space with relative ease, but to increase the size of what was in his heart; to even think of placing something else there was something he couldn't live with. He fell to his knees and cried into his arms. It was gone. His immortality had changed his view of life. But this reminded him how fragile it was. Typo was stoic, frowning but hurting. He hadn't been able to show Rainbow Dash that he could change - did he even really want to? He clenched his teeth together tightly, uncertain about the path to take even though he knew what his goal was, even if to accomplish his goal he had to die. He had lost so much. He had started to trust again, and he had been slapped in the face. He covered his mouth with his hands and closed his eyes tightly, unable to believe this. Was he cursed? Could he neither find immortal love nor immortal friendship? Godtier made him immortal, but everything else? It just fades away. Especially when you're ignorant of what could happen. Maybe to reverse it he had to start expecting the worst? No. He couldn't do that. He didn't want anymore connections. They just hurt so much. The group held a temporary and quick funeral for their fallen friend. Instead of burying her they would take her with them. Ying took her body and stowed it away in a small extra dimensional space that followed his person. There was no weight, and yet he felt burdened by so much. He had to protect her body. Could he even do that? Jordan sighed, wanting to just sleep, but feeling extra responsibility thrust onto his shoulders. He needed to keep everyone safe. He couldn't be lax. He had to make sure something like this didn't happen again. He needed to be vigilant. Life does not sleep. Life keeps growing. He would learn from this mistake, and would honor Rainbow Dash. --- Phynicxs was fast. He blurred by changelings before they had a chance to ask what the hell happened. They added to the collective hivemind that there was something among them, and that they should be on watch - not that it did any good. Phynicxs had snuck up on the first changeling he found, used his dagger to stab it in the temple, and drew its blood in order to help his powers. He was currently skating on thin-blood skates and as he moved would occasionally use the extra blood to blind the changelings that were alert and watching. They may have heard him, but they had no clue who or what he was, or, at this point, not even what he looked like. He had about a day to get back and catch Thunderhead's attention. - Smeareyes was quiet, motioning for Vark and Pinkie to keep quiet as well. They had snuck up as close to the central, largest building, as they could. Smeareyes had decided to leave Fluttershy at the hideout for now and would follow them once Thunderhead attacked. Smeareyes had his own spray paint and was making symbols that he had explained to Fluttershy - symbols that would confuse the changelings, if they even saw them. Pinkie was quiet, and much more energetic and alert. Twilight Sparkle had helped her get more sleep by sending her to the recent past - about five hours prior - on the condition she would find a different room to hide and sleep in so that she wouldn't create any paradoxes. For now. Twilight was tired after all this time hopping - it wasn't the time hopping that tired her, it was the fact that she was sending ponies into the past. It tried her out. She was giving them more time, but it was taking from her. For a moment Twilight wondered about her recent studies, how there were magic coils and leylines throughout all creatures. She had read that there were, in ancient history, strange creatures that had learned to use these coils and leylines in different ways. She started to wonder if she could power her magic by finding a way to absorb unused magic from other creatures. She nodded and determined that when she got back she would study this quickly, especially because her help might be needed again in the future. Smeareyes looked up into the sky and saw a black and red dragon quickly approaching. - Phynicxs had been fast. He was nearly out of the city before someone spotted him. It was Chiri. Phynicxs swore, thinking about getting away and hiding in a box for awhile, but that wasn't going to happen. This guy was catching up quick, insanely quick. He looked out of the corners of his eyes, glancing back slightly as he moved forward, jumping over a few obstacles and going fast. None of the changelings had seen him but this guy did. And then he recognized him as the knight of doom that had attacked them before. His eyes widened significantly and he tried to think of a plan otherwise he wasn't going to make it. Chiri's biggest power was understanding laws and limits and then destroying them to exceed others. It was something that came naturally to him. It was something that made him special as far as he knew. Throughout his godtiering days he had learned to exercise every single ability, sense, and phyiscal characteristic, significantly surpassing his session's players. Illusive had followed him, believing him to have a destination. Chiri had expressed himself as a leader before, but no one had ever given him the chance until then. - Alarms were sounded, thousands and thousands of changelings starting to chitter to get the attention of others. The buzzing sound that also came was deafening. As the changelings in front of the main tower started to get distracted, Smeareyes - the best ninja magician he could be - threw his voice to match a general changeling's voice. He was rewarded with the two changelings looking at each other, calling out to the changelings inside, and flew off. They were soon followed by dozens of changelings that flooded out from the entrance, small lapses between changelings occurring before more came out. After a few minutes past and no more came out, Smeareyes shushed the others and motioned for them to follow. As they got close he whispered to them that there were more than likely still many patrols, especially under the earth, and he told them that he expected there to be more prisoners down below. They would probably have to use other changelings to get where they needed to go. Smeareyes thanked Phyncxs - he definitely knew what he was doing. --- Applejack had demonstrated her ability to fight in the face of danger. Rarity had not. Rarity would be left in safety and Applejack would come with them for the battle. They knew what they were getting themselves into and what to do. Jordan, Ying, and Typo, all nervous in their own way were as ready as they were going to get. Typo knew Auryie and Gamarya well and knew that they would take care of the problem themselves than let their growing army take a risk of fighting three godtiers. The area around their current position had not succumbed to the effects that the Lord of Doom had learned to force on his surroundings. But they saw that in the forest ahead of them, passed these houses, would be dangerous. Likely they would have to fight in here. They put their hands together, and Applejack put her hoof in on top - it had been her idea - and even if Typo didn't mean it all, he trusted Applejack and Rainbow Dash - he wouldn't let the same mistakes happen twice. He didn't need the bonds of friendship to strengthen him here. He just needed to believe in himself and trust the others to do their part. "To friends! To VICTORY! We won't let this Gam... Gam guy take the world without a faht. We will stahp his cronies here and take out his subordinates." Applejack felt hope swell inside of her. She would do this for Rainbow Dash. They wouldn't let her death be in vain.