//------------------------------// // Ch. 11: First Signs of Release // Story: Nothing Probably Goes on Forever Too // by TundraStanza //------------------------------// And I might know of a future But then you still control the past. Only you know if we'll be together Only you know if we shall last. Chapter 11: First Signs of Release --- "Roar, Zabimaru!" Somehow, I wasn't surprised hearing the shout come from Applejack. I could see her wielding the long, flexible sword with spikes running along the inner edge. As the weapon stretched out and made snapping noises, the timber wolves that were in its path soon became piles of broken twigs. "Bloom, Fuji Kujaku!" shouted the youngest of the Apple family. Apple Bloom held a sword that resembled four long hooks attached together at the hilt. With one diagonal sweeping motion, the diamond dog standing in front of her was torn into ribbons... literally. "Growl, Haineko!" called Sweetie Belle. It looked like she was just swinging around a swordless hilt. In actuality, a cloud of gray sand seemed to respond to her hoof's motions. The dust seemed to hack and slash a shadowy silhouette in front of her. Whatever creature it had been, it no longer was. "Scatter, Senbonzakura," said a neutral tone. The blade in Rarity's hoof appeared to break into several hundred pink, cherry blossoms. I expected yet didn't expect the various cutting motions that the blossoms took on the Windigos in view. Soon, the cold ghosts that fed on hatred dissipated and there was nothing left. The cold calculating gaze of Twilight Sparkle fixated onto a distant, invisible target. She pulled back on a bowstring made entirely of bluish-white light. An arrow made from the same light was released and rushed through space. My view was suddenly in front of the receiving end of the arrow. --- I slowly opened my eyes and blinked. Sunlight had a tendency to blind me in the mornings when I wasn't ready for it. I reached a hoof to my forehead hoping to alleviate the grogginess I was feeling. It helped, if only marginally. Though, my ears were beeping. Wait... I thought, that's not my ears beeping. A quick glance to the left of the bed revealed an old heart monitor showing a green wavelength every time the machine released a beep. I turned my blinking eyes to my front. This blanket wasn't pink but rather a faded green. It was safe to assume that I had somehow been checked-in to a hospital. What did I do last night? I asked my mind. You confronted a Lupus Major and won, said another voice. "Oh, a Lupus Major," I said quietly. (Thought process loading... loading... loading... download complete.) "Wait, what?!" I asked slightly louder. You know, I can hear your thoughts just fine if you let me, said the other presence. Shirayuki, I replied via thought, a... Lupus Major? Yes, affirmed the other mind, Quite a feat as well. I wasn't expecting that Kido technique. You truly are remarkable. "Uh, thanks," I said taking the compliment. I tried to remove the blanket and sit up, but a sharp, piercing pain sent me onto my back. I let out a short cry from the pain. That's when a door opened a ways from the foot of the bed I was on. The one who entered was a unicorn in a white doctor's jacket, although his coloration reminded me of Caramel. "Ah, you're awake," he said. He seemed genuinely happy about that fact. "What's the diagnosis, doc?" I asked going for the direct approach. He looked taken aback. Maybe I came on too strong. "Well, you've got a few scrapes and a broken rib," he finally said, "Normally we'd be looking at about 3 weeks of bed rest for that to recover properly. But you might be lucky enough to get out by the end of the second week." "How long have I been here so far?" I inquired. "Just short of a full day," was his response, "Don't strain yourself too much, Miss Tundra Stanza." With that, he made his way out the door. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask one of the nurses," he called as the door closed. I had to spend two more weeks in this place? I sure hoped the food wasn't as bad or worse than what Rainbow Dash had made it seem in "Read it and Weep". Strangely, even though I had just woken up, I felt my eyelids getting heavy. I guess horizontal positions made me sleepy. Darkness took my vision away. --- "Snap, Tobiume!" called Fluttershy. The multiple-pointed sword she held released a large, plum-shaped fire in the direction that she swung her blade. The pink swirl called Screwball literally ate the fire plum before exploding, twice. (I don't know how that happened either.) "Getsuga Tenshou!" yelled the wielder of the butcher knife Zangetsu. With raw power, Rainbow Dash released a wave of energy from her blade strong enough to slice the heavens. But it was all for naught as the paw of Discord managed to snatch her and crush her into unconsciousness before tossing her aside. "Dashie!" yelled a teary-eyed Pinkie Pie. She held a katana pointing in the direction of Discord as her hair suddenly snapped straight and the empty space felt much colder. "Um, Pinkie Pie?" I was afraid to ask, "Are you all right?" "Don't worry about me," ordered Pinkie, "No one messes with my friends. No one." The familiar paw of Discord reached out as if to crush a second pony. "Reap, Kazeshini," commanded the pink pony in a monotone. The draconequus's paw was immediately severed as the katana reformed into two pinwheel-scythe blades attached together by a chain. Pinkie proceeded to throw said blades at his head and chest. Even chaos beings cannot live without their brain and heart. Discord was no exception. His voiceless corpse was proof of that. --- I woke up again. I wasn't sure how long I was out for that time. In any case, the sunlight was gone leaving a faded glimmer of moonlight to fill the room. Not being able to move for a while was frustrating to say the least. I decided now was as good a time as any for an impromptu musical number, courtesy of adrisaurus. Day to night, dark to light, Fall the sands of time. Let the years like the gears Of a clock unwind In your mind walk through time Back to better days. Memories, like a dream, Wash tears away. I could almost hear piano and harp notes joining the melody. Like a star in the sky, Darkness can't reach you Light the night, joy is light, Till the new dawn. Cast away your old face Let go your spite, With this mask I'll ask To borrow your light. I looked around for the source of the closing instrumental, but it refused to be visible. "That was beautiful," said a voice. I turned to look to the far left. How did I not notice another patient's bed in the same room? The world may never know. "Oh, thank you," I quietly replied. I couldn't get a good look at her in the dark, but the whitish hoof cast was easy enough to spot. I could see magenta eyes close before mine decided to do the same. --- "Sting all enemies to death," whispered Scootaloo, "Suzumebachi!" Her blade transformed into a yellow, stinger needle sprouting from her hoof. A large, black butterfly appeared in the middle of the gray abyss. It then flashed a bright red color before dispersing into red dust.