//------------------------------// // Act 3 Chapter 32 // Story: Collision Code // by SSJRandomMaster //------------------------------// Act III: Collision of Wills Chapter 32: The Cracks of the Mask ------------------------------------------ Within a few minutes, Rarity was moved to Twilight’s room, right next to Corey. Twilight stood there, looking over both of her friends. The only thing that kept their screaming from getting to her was her worry. The sheer agony on their faces as they pushed against the bindings that kept them on their beds was bone-chilling. Twilight couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going to through their minds at the moment, and honestly, she didn’t want to try. Turning away from the both of them, she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.   When she returned to her living room she saw that Fluttercruel had returned while she was upstairs. Even though she had a more hardened appearance than Fluttershy, this side of her couldn’t hide her displeasure at finding out what had happened. The same went for everyone else: Applejack’s hat was tilted downwards, covering her face. Pinkie’s mane had lost some of its fluff, though she was clearly trying to hide it. Even Rainbow couldn’t hide her worry, but the more Twilight looked at her, the more she wondered if Rarity was on her mind at the moment. She wasn’t looking at the door to that room.   Rainbow was looking at something, and after Twilight followed her gaze, she managed to figure out what. Standing at the window was John. In the wake of coming to terms with what had happened, she hadn’t had the chance to check on him. Never taking her eyes off of him, Twilight walked up to Rainbow.   “How’s he doing?” she asked. Rainbow didn’t break eye contact with John’s back, letting out a small sigh as a response.   “After Rarity started screaming and we sort of panicked, I took a second to check on him…” Rainbow trailed off for a moment, thinking back to the look he had given her, “It wasn’t long, maybe a second. But it was enough to see just how hard it hit him.”   Twilight’s brows furrowed. It sounded like what happened after Kurama got to Corey. But when that happened, he was furious, vocal. Now, he was completely silent. In her curiosity, Twilight took a step towards him, only to feel a hand on her shoulder.   “Hold on,” Twilight turned to see Rainbow shooting her a quick smile, “Let me take this one.” With that, she began making her way towards John. Twilight watched her walked towards the dragon until she was standing next to him, staring at whatever he seemed to be focused on. Though Twilight was also worried, she could trust Rainbow to come through when she felt she was needed. Though Rainbow couldn’t see it, Twilight nodded her head and turned towards the others.   “So, whatcha lookin’ at?” Her speech came off as laid back, casual. Her eyes scanned everything within sight with clear curiosity. If John had heard her, he didn’t show it, still staring off into empty space in silence. But Rainbow paid it no mind, her eyes still darting around to every corner.   “Is it the clouds?” No response, John didn’t look like he was going to give in, but neither was Rainbow, “Is it the stars?” Again, he said nothing. Rainbow simply hummed as she continued searching. Eventually, her eyes paused at something, after placing her hands behind her back, she tilted her head up towards John.   “Is it the moon?” It was subtle, but this time, Rainbow saw something flicker in his eyes. At the very least, she knew now he was listening, “You know she wouldn’t have given you that power unless she thought you could handle it, right?” Her voice changed to a serious tone, but it still had a level of understanding in it, “You’ve managed to save several ponies, and no one’s blaming you for the ones you couldn’t.” John finally moves, turning his head away from the window and closing his eyes. Rainbow began to notice his body starting to shake slightly, not that she could blame him.   “But trust me, we’ll beat this. And the next time we see Kurama, we’ll—“   No sooner did the name escape Rainbow’s lips did John’s eyes snap open. His pupils narrowed to slits and his body trembled as he let out a small snarl that only she could hear. With a small gulp, Rainbow took a step back, something that John noticed. His eyes opened wider before he closed them again, placing a hand over his head. He started to take deep breaths, fast at first but steadily slowing down. When his breathing returned to normal he tilted his head up and took in one last deep one before letting out a long sigh. Rainbow stood in silence for a moment, wondering what would happen next. It wasn’t until he opened his eyes again that she finally managed to relax. His pupils had turned to normal, the distant look on his face seeming to have vanished without a trace. He turned his head to her and smiled.   “Yeah, you’re right,” he said, turning back to the window, “We’re not beat yet.” This time it was Rainbow to stay silent. This change was unexpected.   “I guess I’m just a little stir crazy… been in here all day,” John said, “I think I’ll just get some fresh air, clear my head…”   John tapped Rainbow on the shoulder as he walked to the front door, still leaving her in silence. She could only stare at him as he calmly walked out of the door and closed it behind him. She turned her head to see Twilight and Pinkie had been watching, only able to offer them a confused shrug.   “Well, didn’t think it’d be that easy,” she said, rubbing the back of her head. Even as she sat with the others, she still couldn’t believe it had gone that smoothly.   “It’s never that easy, Dash,” Twilight and Rainbow turned to look at Pinkie. She was looking down at her empty cup, biting her bottom lip.   “What do you mean?”   Pinkie closed her eyes for a moment and let out a sigh, reaching into her mane to pull something out, “When it comes to any emotions, or, well, negative emotions, in this case, there are two kinds of ponies.”   In one of her hands, Pinkie held out a balloon, holding it up to her mouth.   “There are the kind who can’t repress them, so they leak out,” She began to blow into the balloon, causing it to expand. But after she stopped feeding it air, it began to deflate; there were a few small holes in its surface, “It takes some time, but eventually all of the emotions will come out. Then, it’ll be at full force.”   Pinkie took a moment to glance at Twilight. She didn’t understand at first, but as soon as it hit her she turned her head back to the stairs. When she turned back to Pinkie, she gave her a small node of her hand.   “And, the other kind…?”   Pinkie put the first balloon back into her hair and pulled out another one.   “The other kind are the ones who keep it bottled up inside,” Again, she began to blow air into the balloon. This one, however, did not have any holes, so the air stayed inside, “There’s almost always something inside of someone that they don’t want others to see. So some think they’re better off just keeping it inside, so that they won’t worry anyone else or be a bother to them,” Pinkie continued to inflate the balloon until it was the size of her head, mane and all.   “Some are really good at it, but everyone forgets there’s a limit. And if they keep repressing those feelings, and the limit is reached…” She gave the balloon one last pump of air, and on cue the latex tore open and the balloon popped, causing everyone within earshot to flinch. Twilight and Rainbow stared at the broken remains of the balloon on the table. Even if Pinkie hadn’t said it, the implications were clear.   “Corey reached his breaking point, but it was a slow process,” said Twilight, “Before he reached it, he kept some level of control over himself… but then, when he finally did…” She shivered slightly, remembering just how close it was. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to forget it.   “So if that’s what happens when it’s a slow build up…” Rainbow said, reaching out and examining a shred of the balloon, staring at it closely, “What happens when it hits you all at once…?” -------------------- The room had gone silent after Pinkie’s explanation. Everyone had receded to their own thoughts. Twilight, on the other hand, tried to go back to her books in search of help, but she was having a hard time focusing. Pinkie’s explanation on what was happening to John was still fresh in her head, and judging by the way Rainbow looked out the window, it was clear it was the same for her as well. He still hadn’t returned after stepping out; she could only wonder what he had set out to do.   Unable to shake it any longer, Twilight closed her book and began to make her way to the front door.   “I’m going to get some air,” she said, “I’ll be back in a minute.”   Pinkie waved at her as she stepped away, informing her that she was going to get some more coffee before heading off into the kitchen herself. The cool, crisp air hit her as she stepped out, a nice change of pace from the gloom she had been surrounded by on the inside. She took a few steps out and looked around, noting that there were no other signs of life.   “John?” she asked.   “Up here,” Twilight blinked, before she tilted her head upwards. There, she saw John, sitting on the railing of her room’s balcony. It was a small relief. She had thought he’d gone somewhere to vent, but at least he was still around. With a flap of her wings, Twilight rose up towards the balcony until she was at eye level with him.   “Mind if I join you?” John raised a brow and looked down at the balcony he sat on.   “Well, it is your house,” he said with a light chuckle. Twilight took it as a yes and landed on the balcony next to him. She leaned on the railing as she stared up at the sky alongside John. She felt lost in her mind for a moment. She had come outside hoping to talk to him, but now she didn’t know what to say. It was clear to her that John was making the same mistake Corey was; he was pushing himself too hard, even if he was trying to hide it.   But what other option did he have, really? They were on a time limit and they couldn’t afford to slow down, especially not now of all times. John was still figuring out how to use his magic, and had only know found out he could bring someone else along with him. But after what happened with Rarity, Twilight could only guess he wasn’t going to risk that happening again.   “Sorry…” Twilight blinked, having just registered what John had said. She turned her head towards him, though he was still looking up to the sky.   “I promised you that I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to Corey again. But when push came to shove, I couldn’t keep that promise. And now another one of your friends are in danger because of me,” Though he wasn’t in the same state he was before, John did frown, letting out a sigh. He was carrying what happened to both of them on his shoulders, and it looked like nothing short of saving them both would lift it.   “You don’t have to apologize to me. The promise was a nice sentiment, but to hold you to it would have been unfair,” Twilight looked up, thinking back to her earlier adventures, “There are just times when things are out of your hands. Everything spirals out of control, and you’re left feeling empty, like everything you’ve done was for nothing. It’s only when you look back and remember what you were fighting for can you find the will to fight on again.”   There was emotion working its way to Twilight’s eyes, but she managed to push them away for now, “I know this seems bleak right now, and trust me, we’ve all been there at some point in our lives… bur we can’t give up. We can still fight back, which means we can still win.”   John looked to Twilight for a moment, closing his eyes and letting out a small chuckle.   “Trust me, I’ve got plenty of fight left in me,” John said. Both were content with that answer, and they settled back into a comfortable silence. After about a minute, though, John managed to break the silence again.   “You know, when I found him this time, I hit him so hard he lost a tooth.”   “Wish I could have seen it.”   “Yeah… too bad it was just a dream.” -------------------- The Everfree Forest was a dangerous place, one where few would travel in good faith. In it were monsters which wouldn’t think twice to make you its next meal. At night, the danger would increase tenfold. Nocturnal predators would rise from their slumber in search of food. One would have to be made to venture into this zone. But as dangerous as it may have been, it was without a doubt a place where if someone was able, they could hide without fear of intrusion. With the help of a natural security system, one only needed to seal themselves away from the world around them, and they would never be found.   For Kurama, this was without a doubt the best and most convenient place for him to store his body while he prowled through the dreams of the sleeping ponies. With the use of his magic and natural means he was able to hide the entrance to his cave from any and all beings. The inside of the cave was lit by a campfire he forged himself. The only other visible object inside was his own sleeping form not far away from the flames. In time, Kurama’s body began to stir as he mumbled incoherently. Slowly, he turned until he was on his stomach, letting out groans with each movement it took to get him that far.   He tried to get up, but his body fell limp a second later. Only when he put his hand to the wall for support did he finally rise from the ground. He panted heavily as he held onto his stomach, his vision slightly blurred. Legs shaking, Kurama tried to take a step forward. However, after his first couple, he fell to his knees.   “That… was a risky gamble,” he wheezed, going into a coughing fit right after. When he finally finished with that, Kurama spat out a splash of blood. Mixed with it, was a single tooth.   “I cannot afford to make another…”