//------------------------------// // Just a Gentle Push // Story: Odrsjot // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// “You sure about this, Pilate?” Eagle Eye asked nervously from within the lounge of the Noble Jury. “I’m not even sure this is possible.” “I’m quite certain that our friend Josho is attempting to send us a message,” Pilate said, seated carefully before Eagle Eye. “He wouldn’t be sending these feedback surges if he wasn’t in sincere need of help.” “I’m sure Josho can hold his own in any situation,” Eagle said as Ebon Mane looked on anxiously from the dining table. “But what about you?” He pointed at the zebra’s metal choker. “I don’t want to be overloading that thingamajiggy of yours.” “I wouldn’t be worried all that much about O.A.S.I.S.” Pilate smiled reassuringly. “My beloved built this thing to last. As a matter of fact, if anypony’s going to have to exercise caution, it’s you.” “Me?” “This will be your hoofwork, afterall. You’ve shown your telekinetic dexterity in disentangling my and Josho’s leylines before. This will be something similar. Only, instead of yanking the thread straight, you’ll be sending a ripple through it.” “What kind of a ripple?” Eagle asked. “Once you’ve pierced the barrier of O.A.S.I.S., you’ll essentially be hijacking Josho’s leyline through me, using the manasphere as a junction.” “Hoo boy…” Eagle Eye gulped, fidgeting on his hooves. “Do I have to understand it to do it? Cuz you’ve lost this former mercenary, Pilate…” “I trust it’ll come naturally to you once you’ve located his leyline,” Pilate said. “The next step will be to perform a simple repulsive spell.” Eagle’s face twisted. “Repulsive spell?” “Erm…” Pilate winced. “I suppose I do not know what to call it. It’s a basic telekinetic spell that would utilize magic in shoving something off of your horn, assuming it was covered with something.” “Oh!” Eagle Eye nodded. “You just need me to… to…” His face scrunched. “Shoot, I dunno what to call it either.” He shrugged his lavender shoulders. “I just move stuff.” “The wonders of unicorns…” Ebon droned. “Yeah, don’t put us on a pedestal,” Eagle murmured over his shoulder. “We get vertigo easily.” “But Belle never--” “I... get vertigo easily!” Ebon chuckled. “Very well. Let’s give this a try, shall we?” Pilate leaned forward in the chair. “Concentrate on the sphere around my choker.” “Okay…” Eagle aimed his horn forward. “Now, relax, and try to funnel your spell into the body of the--” Eagle blasted Pilate over the back of the chair. “Oh crap!” Eagle hissed, wincing as if he was passing a coconut. “Pilate! You okay?!” “Unnngh…” Pilate squeaked, stumbling up to his hooves. If he could see stars, they’d be spinning through his milky eyes. Ebon had rushed over to help the dizzy zebra up. “I think we may have confused a step there, Eagle…” “Pilate, I’m sooooo sorry!” Eagle Eye collapsed on his knees. “I don’t think I’ve got the grasp of this ‘funnel through O.A.S.I.S.’ thing!” “It’s… all well and g-good…” Pilate wheezed, shaking the cobwebs out of his skull. “We simply need to repeat the endeavor…” “But next time I might send you flying through the bulkheads!” “Nonsense!” Pilate managed hoarsely. He cleared his throat and patted Ebon’s hoof on his shoulder. “Mr. Mane here will be good enough to anchor me in place so that his body can soften the blow.” “I will…? Ebon blinked. “Yes.” Eagle frowned in his direction. “You will.” Ebon smiled nervously and stood behind Pilate. “Good to know that the vote is unanimous.” He gripped the zebra’s shoulders tightly. “Ready for round two?” “Be gradual with the manastream, Eagle,” Pilate said. “Don’t unleash all of your energy at once. This isn’t a battle. You’re simply sending a ripple down the leyline so that Josho can perform a spell that his own horn can’t produce. I’m sorry that I cannot explain it any better for you.” “No, I think I get it.” Eagle took a deep breath. “Okay.” He gulped. “Ready?” “I’m certain I can’t get any more bruised.” Pilate and Ebon both tensed. “Anytime now, EE.” Eagle Eye bit his lip. He concentrated deeply, and his horn glowed softly this time. The luminescence intensified over time, casting a golden sheen across the interior of the Noble Jury. At last, a fine beam oozed through the air, almost like pixie dust. It channeled into Pilate’s choker, christening the air around the zebra with the sound of ghostly wind chimes. All three ponies were still, but then, about a minute and a half in, Pilate twitched. “Zounds!” he exhaled, gritting his teeth as a glow flickered across his eyes. “What?!” Ebon panted. “You okay?” “I… I think I’m actually seeing something…” “Maybe it means you’re making a connection!” Ebon grinned wide. “Can you describe it?” “It’s… a very muscular stallion, wearing a vest with… a familiar insignia…” Pilate instinctually blinked. His lips curved. “Oh! But of course! O.A.S.I.S. has a record! It’s the Franzington Blades Guild Crest!” “Tell me what to do, Pilate…” Eagle Eye breathily stammere.d Pilate’s metal brow furrowed. “He… appears to be soaked from head to hooves with water and a copious amount of soap-- ”Tell me what to do, Pilate…” Eagle Eye sneered, red-faced as he struggled to maintain the energy beam. “Ahem.” Pilate bit his lip and said, “Okay, I believe you’re just at the leyline junction at the moment, Eagle Eye. I can feel the manacore of O.A.S.I.S. attempting to bypass the energy surge. You need to push harder.” “Like… literally?” “As if you’re levitating something across the room, only you’re doing it… uhm… through my skull.” Ebon whispered, “Did Franzington even hoof out that much soap?” “Shhhh!” “Ahem… sorry.” “I… I’m feeling…” Eagle Eye gritted his teeth. “Feeling something--Gah!” His eyes flashed wide, brimming with energy. Pilate jerked slightly. “Eagle? I think your magic has passed on through. Do you sense anything?” Silence. Ebon glanced up. “Eagle Eye?” Eagle Eye belched loudly. Ebon grimaced, his ears folding. “I take it you’ve encountered our good friend?” Pilate muttered with a smile. Eagle smirked bitterly. “Oh yeah, it’s totally-- “--him in the disgusting flesh,” Josho uttered with an uncharacteristically higher pitch. The Ledomaritans and Xonans glanced over at him, surprised at his sudden speech. “Mr. Josho?” A nurse trotted across the metal platform. “Did you say something right now?” “What is that perfume?” Josho purred. “Jasmine? With a touch of vanilla--” He growled and slapped his own face. A low, grumbling voice: “Friggin’ newspaper. I didn’t ask you to recruit him.” “What?” a Xonan warrior asked. “What does it speak of?” “Just hold onto your saddle sores, ponies,” Josho grumbled. He grinned gradually as he stood up. He quivered before the edge of the metal platform, and a pony or two rushed forward to catch him. “Stay back a bit! Not sure if this is gonna cause an explosion or not!” “An explosion?!” “The hay are you doing?” “Nnnnguuuuuaaaaaamewaaaafwegggggh” Josho went cross-eyed as the cap at the end of his horn wobbled and wobbled. “Not so hard, fruitcake! We haven’t even ordered a honeymoon suite!” “Uhhhh…” “Swear to Ledo’s third testicle!” Josho dramatically thrashed his skull up. “Like I’m passing a kidney stone through my sinuses! Grrrrrr-Aaaaugh!” Then, with a flash of bright gold energy, the metal cap flew off his horn like a bullet, ricocheting off the pendulums and metalworks above. “Hah! Happy New Year, everypony!” He chuckled breathily, then collapsed dead on his muzzle. “Mr. Josho!” “Hey!” Eagle Eye grinned wide. “I think we did it!” “An astute observation, EE,” Pilate droned. Blood trickled down from his left nostril. “Would you mind retreating from the entanglement, now?” “Whoah! My bad!” Eagle Eye dimmed his horn. He slumped back, panting for breath as his eyes blinked to normal. Ebon gently helped a similarly winded Pilate over to a chair. Patting his shoulder, he turned and nodded towards Eagle. “Well, that experience was certainly…” He blinked. “...metaphoric.” “I think I need to take a shower.” Eagle sniffed his own fetlock and made a face. “Sheesh, does that dude always feel smelly on the inside?” “I’ve kept the observation to myself…” Pilate muttered, sniffing as he wiped his bloody nose dry. “...lest I offend anypony.” “Heh, you would, wouldn’t you?” Ebon said with a wink. Just then, a high-pitched voice wafted across the lounge, rattling off the portholes full of starlight. ”Pilate?” It was whispery, frantic. ”Pilate, are you there, beloved?” Ebon gasped, juggling the soundstone and pointing at it. “Give it to me!” Pilate hissed, forelimbs stretched forward and waving wildly. “For spark’s sake! Hoof it over!” Ebon swiftly complied. “Belle!” Pilate practically shouted into the shard, trying not to hyperventilate. “Bellesmith, beloved! Speak to me!” ”I… I’m afraid I can’t, Pilate. Not for long, at least. He’s watching me. He’s watching everything I do!” “Who?” Pilate grimaced, and then that grimace turned into a frown. “Shell?!” He gritted his teeth. “If he’s hurt a single hair of your coat, I swear by all that his holy--” ”I haven’t got time, Pilate! I needed to contact you!” “I’m right here, darling.” “We’re all here, Belle!” Ebon exclaimed. “Yeah! We’re listening in!” Eagle added. ”Good. Then I need you all to promise me something.” “What is it?” Pilate stammered. ”You are en route to Seclorum’s hideout, yes?” “Yes, Belle. We are.” ”I need you to slow down.” Ebon did a double-take. Eagle gawked at Pilate. “Slow… d-down, Belle?” ”Just a little bit!” The voice faded in and out, then crackled with intensity. ”Pilate, promise me that you will not fly into Seclorum’s airspace until after the first shots have been fired!” “First… shots?” ”Promise me! I don’t want you or anypony else I care for getting hurt!” “I… I…” ”Promise me!” “I promise!” Pilate exclaimed, then gulped. “But Belle… what do you mean by first shots?” Silence. “Belle…?” The stone went dim. Lips quivering, Pilate clutched the stone to his chest. He gawked in the direction of the others. Ebon and Eagle Eye were likewise mute.