//------------------------------// // Act 3 Chapter 36 // Story: Collision Code // by SSJRandomMaster //------------------------------// Act III: Collision of Wills Chapter 36: Crushing Situation ------------------------------------------ “Heart rate, seventy beats per minute. Body temperature, ninety-three degrees Fahrenheit.”   Concern filled Twilight’s eyes as she checked Corey’s vitals. His temperature was dropping, and his heart rate was even slowly than that of an elderly pony. His breathing was more strained as well; he sounded as though he were suffocating. Watching his strength slowly deteriorate was heartbreaking to see, but it wasn’t even the worst part. The worst part of all was that she couldn’t do anything to reverse it.   She’d tried spells, medicine, praying, just about anything a pony could do in hopes of saving another. Nothing helped, nothing had an effect on him, not while he was still under the influence of Kurama’s curse.   “Dammit…” Twilight quietly swore, angered by her own inability. To her, there shouldn’t be a problem. She was someone who’d read more books than anyone else. She was someone who had accomplished things older, more experienced ponies couldn’t hold a candle to. She was a former student to Princess Celestia, and now she herself was a princess.   I should be able to fix this. I should be able to fix anything! She thought to herself, shaking her head furiously. But she couldn’t. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was sure she already knew it all along. It was hard to admit, though, that you couldn’t help someone, and hard to watch something happen that you can’t stop. All she could do was stay there, crouched beside him, watching his health slowly fail. With tears welled up in her eyes, Twilight reached out to Corey, grabbing both of his hands.   On contact, she could feel their chill. Nothing she did could help bring back their warmth, but she didn’t care. Even if he’d never know, she just wanted to hold him. It was the only support she could offer at this moment, the only comfort she could try to bring him. And yet, she could only feel that she was wasting her effort. If he was unreachable in the dream realm, she knew she probably wasn’t reaching him in the real world either.   “Just hang on a little longer,” she said, trying her hardest to sound confident, “We’ll stop Kurama. I promise…”   Despite her wanting to believe that everything would be fine, there was always that one lingering thought. The escaped prisoners had managed to take lives in the past. They were getting more vicious with each one they faced. The possibility of something being killed was becoming dangerously high now. With Corey being Kurama’s first victim, his time was almost up.   But it wasn’t just the fear of not being able to make it in time that she feared. It was Corey being taken from her before he could find any closure in his life. Before Kurama’s attack, he was still recovering from his battle with Slayer. His soul was still fractured by what he had done, and he was too scared of himself for what he could have done to even use magic. She had tried to help him, help him finally come to terms with what had happened and maybe even move on. But she never got the chance to get him there.   Right when she was finally starting to make progress, when she felt she could bring Corey back to his old self, Kurama grabbed him. Whatever progress she had made was suddenly gone, and she knew that these nightmares were only making it worse now.   And that’s what I fear most, She’d only felt a fraction of his fear in the past, but there was no doubt in her mind what he was going through. He was going to sink back into the void of his own despair, continue to suffer for something he had only just learned he didn’t have total control over. And if they couldn’t save him in time, he would die, cold, scared and alone. The mere thought was enough to make her spine shiver. She didn’t want to think about it. She wanted to believe that they could save him in time.   Just push it out, Twilight, push it out, she said, rubbing her temples, forcing herself to put away any negative thoughts. For a moment, it seemed to work. Indeed, the negative thoughts stopped playing with her mind, and for a moment everything was quiet.   Too quiet.   “No…” she opened her eyes. This silence was too great for her to have done it out of sheer will alone. It was then that she noticed it. The room itself had gone silent. Never in her life had she wished to hear the screams of her friends.   “Rarity!” Releasing Corey’s hand, Twilight ran to the other side of the room. There she saw Rarity, whose screams and thrashing about had come to a stop. Just as she did before, Twilight kneeled down beside Rarity and quickly checked her friend’s vitals. Upon touching her Twilight could already notice the chill of her skin. But that wasn’t all. Her pulse was already weakening as well. It wasn’t as weak as Corey’s just yet, but it was still a disheartening feel.   “No, no, it’s too soon!” Twilight said, pulling at her hair. Rarity had been taken a day later. She shouldn’t be in the same state as Corey, right? Yet still, she could see it: it was happening, and she had no idea why.   “Is it Kurama? Is he accelerating the nightmares?” She began to pace the room as she thought, the silence making it easier to hear them. Not that there was any variety in them at the moment.   “He shouldn’t be able to do that with the inhibitor on him, right?” she began to question herself. Was it possible that he’d just gained enough magic that even with the inhibitor he was still able to do so much with it? If that was the case, then their advantage would have already been made pointless in less than a day.   “But if he can accelerate the process, then… then…” Twilight’s eyes gazed back to Corey. The mere thought that he might have even less time than anticipated caused her own breathing to quicken. Hyperventilating now, Twilight quickly made her way towards the door of the balcony.   Air, I need air… She thought to herself as she pushed the doors open and walked outside. Quickly, she was hit by the crisp, clean air which seemed to help. But she still couldn’t calm down. Too much was happening now. Too many lives were at risk and that risk had just increased even more. Things were just getting worse, and it seemed that them getting better was an ever-dimming hope now.   Please… please let us make it in time…   Leaning over the railing, Twilight placed a hand over her head, a single tear running down her cheek. ------------------------------------------ Kurama sightings had increased since the battle at Sweet Apple Acres. It was clear now that he was growing desperate. Fluttershy had eyes everywhere now. He couldn’t trust any animal he could come across. He couldn’t leave town and find a better place to hide because the surrounding forests were being heavily guarded by the creatures who lived in it. Every step he made closer to Ponyville was just a greater risk of being spotted.   In most cases, guards only saw him by chance; he was trying to move out of sight when he got found. This was without a doubt what they wanted. It was clear he was starting to panic for once. He was still elusive, though, still able to avoid the guards and refraining from engaging in battle. Soon enough, the sun was starting to set and any and all sightings came to a stop.   “Dammit…” John cursed as he looked on to Ponyville from above. Though others had managed to see Kurama, he hadn’t, not once. But there was no time to dwell on that, he needed to regroup with the awaiting guards. Quickly he descended back to the ground, meeting them.   “Alright, we all know what’s going to happen now,” he said, “If he’s desperate for power, he’ll probably try to dive back into ponies’ dreams. This might be our last chance. Fan out, search every corner, search every home to be safe, we have to find him, now!”   The soldiers saluted before turning and marching in all directions, leaving John with the burning sensation of understanding that this was the final stretch.   “We’re going to find him,” said Rainbow, floating up beside him, “You know that, right?”   He didn’t answer. Remaining optimistic was proving difficult now. Try as he might, he couldn’t shake the thought of what would happen should he fail now. The mere thought of it was enough to send a shiver down his spine.   Wait a second… A small shiver was one thing, but what John was feeling was more than just goosebumps. In fact, he’d felt it before, but only in…   “Rainbow, we have to get back to the library!” he shouted, turning to her.   “What, what?” she asked.   “He’s already jumped into the dream realm. I need to track him, fast!” Already, he took to the sky, heading to the library, Rainbow close behind.   “But how do you know? I thought you said you could only track him in dreams?” she wondered.   “Something’s different… I can feel it now. It’s weaker, but it’s still there. He must be slipping more than we thought. I’m not letting this slip by. I’m going to find him this time!” Both he and Dash quickly reached the library, John running to the door and wrenching it open.   “He’s on the move!” John shouted, only to stop when he noticed the mood of the room. He saw Twilight sitting on a chair, her head held low, and her friends standing beside her with the same glum expression. A lump formed in John’s throat, and he knew he wouldn’t like the answer to the question that boiled inside his skull.   “What happened?” His voice was hushed, the fear in it clear as day.   “Time’s running out,” was Twilight’s response, nothing John hadn’t known already, but he knew there was more, “Their vitals are dropping faster than they should… they have less time than we thought.” Her voice hitched. She was struggling to keep her breathing calm.   “How long…?” The air fell silent as the tension rose. The weight of everything would be determined by Twilight’s answer. With a sigh, she looked to him with tear stained eyes.   “A few hours at best…” John’s expression did not change. His fists, however, clenched to the point veins could be seen from underneath the scales. He stood there for several seconds until he finally closed his eyes and let out a small, steady breath.   “He’s in the dream realm right now. I can sense him,” John walked to his usual spot, a chair that had remained unmoved since he first made the dive. He stood up straight as he reached it, his eyes locked on to it. He wondered, would this be his final dive, and if not, what would be lost with each dive?   “What’s the plan?”   “Same as always, stop him,” These were the words John said aloud, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard a guttural growl.   “No matter the cost…” At any other time, he would have questioned this, wondering what the words could mean, and why he’d think them. What worried him more, though, was that he didn’t question them, but was willing to agree. Even then, he couldn’t care about it. Closing his eyes, John turned and sat on his seat, taking in a deep breath as he prepared to make what he hoped would be his final dive. But as he opened his eyes, he was met with a surprising sight. Rainbow had placed a hair in front of his, a hand held to him, accompanied with a confident smirk.   “Well then, what are we waiting for?” she asked. John could only stare back at her for several seconds, until it finally clicked. With wide eyes, John was prepared to say something, but Rainbow was way ahead of him.   “Don’t you dare…” Her smirk turned into a scowl as she began to glare at him, “We’ve talked about this already: you’re not alone in this. And last I checked, you can bring someone with you if you want to. So I’m going with you, and the two of us are going to kick this guy’s ass once and for all, got it?” John stared at Rainbow for a little longer, her stern expression making it clear that there was no way to talk her out of it. Yet still he was hesitant, memories of what happened before still fresh in his mind. The fear of it happening all over again was clear on his face.   “Listen to me,” Rainbow placed both hands to the side of John’s head, forcing him to look her directly into her eyes, “Whatever happens is not your fault. This is my decision, one I’ve made several times before I even met you. Don’t tell me if things were reversed that you wouldn’t want to be at my side too.”   John was taken aback. He had no possible counter to that. He knew Rainbow was right. She’d been up against beings more powerful than what he’d faced before. She already knew the dangers and the risks already. And right now, she wanted to help shoulder that with him, and he couldn’t find a way to refuse.   John silently nodded his head. Rainbow released her hold on his head and too her seat. John then extended his hand to hear, which she happily accepted.   “Ready?” he knew he didn’t have to ask, and sure enough Rainbow nodded in agreement. Both John and Rainbow closed their eyes in unison, preparing for the dive. Within seconds, a glow began to emit from their conjoined hands as John’s magic began to activate. Finally, their eyes opened, both glowing the same bright white, signifying they were both now in the dream realm. ------------------------------------------ Her scooter had always been her means of transportation, her tiny wings providing the acceleration needed for her to move. Through this, she was capable of riding faster than anyone else. But while she loved her scooter, and loved zipping past everything as she rode along the ground, Scootaloo had never before wished so badly that she could just take off and fly. But it wasn’t just that she’d never been able to that fueled this desire. It was that fact that she wasn’t fast enough to escape what was behind her.   “Don’t you ever get tired!?” Behind her was a beast comprised of total blackness, save for its bright yellow eyes. It ran on all fours behind her, as she pushed her small wings and scooter to their limit. Through an endless field, it dodged trees and rocks, never once showing a single sign of slowing down. And while its speed and stamina was a clear problem, Scootaloo soon learned that this was just the start.   With her eyes glued to the path in front of her, making sure not to crash into anything, she hadn’t noticed the shadows around her beginning to shift. From within them, more beasts began to emerge, continuing the chase as they joined the first. Only after Scootaloo noticed the increased stomping noises behind her did she finally turn again to check.   “Oh, come on!” she said, angry at the lack of luck she’d been having so far.   Pushing harder, Scootaloo refused to give in, just like another mare she knew who’d never quit no matter what. In the distance, she finally saw a clearing in the three, hope building that she could go faster without crashing. But that hope was soon dashed when she finally reached the clearing and noticed that the road was coming to a stop. A large ravine cut her off from the rest of the trail. She looked on in horror before turning back again to see the shadow creatures still in pursuit. She couldn’t stop now. There was no telling what would happen if they got her. She’d heard the stories around town already…   “No other choice,” she said, turning back to the oncoming ravine, “I’m gonna jump it!” With one final push, Scootaloo threw herself off the edge of the ravine, her scooter beginning to lift higher as it rolled off of solid earth.   “I’m gonna make it, I’m gonna make it!” she repeated over and over as she began to reach the other side. But halfway through the jump, her climb sopped and she began to fall. Both she and her scooter began to tilt forward as well. She was nowhere close to the other side. As she began to drop past the bridge of the other side, she had no choice but to accept it.   “Not gonna make it!” With that, she went into a free fall, frantically flapping her wings in some hope of saving herself. But while she managed to slow herself slightly, there was nothing she could do. In due time, her wings gave out, and she continued to fall unobstructed towards the bottom. All she could do was scream and wait for her to hit the bottom. And in due time, she did feel like she hit something, but to her surprise, it didn’t hurt.   “I gotcha, squirt!” With a gasp, Scootaloo opened her eyes. She’d recognize that voice anywhere.   “Rainbow Dash!” she called out in glee as she watched her hero fly her to safety. Before long, the two landed on the other side of the ravine, Rainbow finally letting go of Scootaloo so that she could stand on the ground.   “It’s really you, right?” She asked, “Not just some dream?” Rainbow chuckled as she patted Scootaloo on the head.   “No dream here,” she assured, “Only the real deal can pull off a save like that.”   Rainbow turned to the shadow creatures watching them now. “Looks like you’ve been running with a bad crowd, Scoots.”   “They just won’t quit,” Scootaloo yelled, glaring at the creatures, “And I don’t know how to get rid of ‘em!”   “Well, luckily, I brought a friend,” Raising her hand to her mouth, Rainbow placed two fingers into it and let off a loud whistle. On command, something dropped from the sky above, landing on the ground hard enough to send out a shockwave to the surrounding creatures. This was followed by a torrent of fire that engulfed the lot of shadow creatures in a single sweep, leaving behind only the molten ground, and the dragon who had caused it.   “Cool…” Scootaloo said in awe.   “I know, right?” From the other side of the ravine, John took off towards them on theirs.   “He’s here, I can feel it,” he said upon landing, “But finding him might be harder than I’d hoped…”   From the trees on the other side, they could hear more movement. More creatures were coming, and from the sound of it, bigger ones were going to be joining in. As they watched, their yellow eyes glowed in the darkness of the tree lines. Rainbow picked up Scootaloo once more, placing her on her back.   “Hold on tight, Scoots,” she advised, “This is gonna get messy!”