//------------------------------// // Act 3 Chapter 47 // Story: Collision Code // by SSJRandomMaster //------------------------------// Act III: Collision of Wills Chapter 47: The First Day ------------------------------------------ John flew well into the night and most of the next morning, flying as fast as he could muster without tiring himself out. Spanning past miles of ocean and seeing creatures he’d never thought possible, John finally saw his destination coming close in the distance.   “Finally,” John picked up the pace, reaching the coastline in a matter of seconds. Finally, he came to land on top of the mountain’s tip. As he stood there, staring off into the distance, the sight John could see was anything but welcoming.   Several active volcanoes could be seen, their black smog causing powerful thunderstorms in their wake. On the ground were several pools of lava, some parts seeming to have been hit by bombs judging by the size of the craters. But John knew differently, something else caused them, something alive.   But visuals weren’t the only intimidating thing about this island, it was also what he heard, what he felt. Roars with unseen sources echoed all around him, the ground trembled at every moment, footsteps, battles of giants, it didn’t matter because both had huge implications. And yet, as he stared on what would have had anyone else pissing their pants where they stood, John couldn’t shake a feeling inside of him. This was Devil’s Eye, the land where dragons made their home. It was a vast, almost endless island. All of its dangers were told to him by the maps John used to get here.   But despite the warnings, despite the obvious risk of coming here and the dangers he would face in doing so. This place, though the first time he’d ever seen it, felt like home.   “The best way to learn how to be a dragon is to live among them,” From behind him, several shadowed figures started to close in on him.   “Looks like someone’s ventured into our territory,” John turned, some were smaller than himself, others, to his surprised, were even bigger, “If you want out, you’ll have to pay the toll.”   John pulled out his empty pockets, finding and odd enjoyment of the feeling of a shakedown, reminded him of his world.   “Sorry fellas, but I’m tapped out,” he said casually. The dragons began to surround him. That clearly wasn’t what they wanted to hear.   Well John, you wanted to learn from them, John took up a stance, brandishing his claws just as the others around him did, Looks like you’ll need to be a fast learner. ------------------------------------------ Morning had arrived in Ponyville as well. The light of the sun, a signal for a new day, burned brightly in the sky above. Everyone had made up their minds and found resolve to continue on towards the final battle. In one of the areas close to Ponyville, an area normally avoided by many of the civilians, Twilight had chosen her and Rarity’s training arena.   “I must say, Twilight,” Rarity said, “I am surprised you would choose the Everfree, but of all places in the Everfree, why here?”   The two were in a clearing that was fairly deep within the forest. They were surrounded on all sides by thick shrubbery, and this place was a ways off from the dirt path. Towards the center was a small pond, into which a waterfall flowed from above. There was a small river flowing out of the pond to the bottom.   Twilight turned to Rarity. “Do you remember when Trixie came back to town?”   “Oh, I do,” Rarity said, “I remember you said something about practicing with Zecora for a time?”   “That’s just it,” Twilight said, “Up until I realized confronting Trixie with brute force alone was going to do no good, she’d taught me something. It wasn’t much, but for her, it was a basic exercise.”   “I do not believe ‘basic’ is what we need, Twilight,” Rarity said, “Did Zecora teach you anything else?”   “She might have, at the time, if Trixie hadn’t been using an evil artifact we simply had to trick her into removing,” Twilight said, “I did make sure to ask her about it before setting out, to see if she’d offer me any hints about what to do.” “Did she say anything?” Rarity asked.   Twilight paused, before smiling. “I think I have what I needed. If I don’t, she said she’d give us any help we needed. Zecora did not like what she heard when I explained the situation in full.”   “That’s very good to hear,” Rarity said, “So then, the exercise…”   “Of course,” Twilight said, sighing, “Like I said, it was just a simple exercise, but it’s going to form the basis of what we’re doing out here.”   Twilight walked towards the edge of the pond before coming to a stop. She did have wings now, but the training was only going to work if she kept them closed and did not rely on them whatsoever. She took in a deep breath, calming her mind before her horn began to light up. She took a single step forward.   Rarity gasped. The Everfree water wasn’t good for fabrics. But before she could vocalize her concerns, she saw Twilight’s foot make contact with the surface of the water. Rarity could only look on as Twilight continued her way forward towards the center of the pond with slow, sure steps.   “First…” Twilight kept her breathing as steady as she could, “You need to focus your magic, allowing you to walk on the water’s surface like it was solid. Then…” Twilight focused a bit harder, and Rarity’s jaw started to unhinge as small bubbles began to float from the surface, three in total, held in Twilight’s magic, “You hold water, just like this. Conceptually, it’s simple, but believe me…”   Twilight released the water as she began to walk towards the shore again, letting it drop back to the pond’s surface. “It’s not easy in practice.”   “This…” Rarity gaped, “This is what Zecora was having you do?”   “It wasn’t much, but I did apply some of this where I could after that incident,” Twilight said, “But I guess there’s no real substitute for the real thing. This will be our warm up, of sorts. We’ll move on from there. But for now, we’re going to try to float as much of the pond as we can while we stand on the surface.”   Rarity stared towards the pond water, really not liking the idea of falling in. She lightly swiped her hand through a stray bit of mane that had fallen out of place during the hike.   “I must say, Twilight,” Rarity said, “I think you’ve added a bit of incentive to this training without realizing it.”   Twilight paused, thinking about what Rarity meant. It didn’t take long for her to realize. “Never thought of it like that, but that works too.” ------------------------------------------ Still outside of Ponyville, but not far removed from where Rainbow taught John to fly, Applejack and Fluttershy were waiting in a clearing. By now, Applejack’s arm had been fixed—compared to what Princess Celestia had to say about Pinkie’s request, it was a simple matter to reverse the damage that had been done to it. With what was ahead, there was no way Applejack could take the time to let it heal naturally. Not that she would have anyway.   “I’m havin’ a hard time thinking about all this,” Applejack said, “So where’s Rainbow, anyway? Wasn’t she supposed to meet us here by now?”   “She said she needed to pick up something,” Fluttershy said, “I don’t think she’ll be much longer?”   “Just what could she be pickin’ up that would take her this long?” Applejack asked, “For her, flyin’ to Canterlot and back shouldn’t take this long.”   The two stood in silence for a while longer, eyes to the sky above. Eventually, Applejack was the first to say something, pointing up in the distance while squinting her eyes.   “I think I see her…” Applejack said.   Fluttershy turned, putting her hands to her brows to block out the light so she could see better. Applejack was right. Rainbow was there… leading a chariot being pulled by about four pegasus guards, all of whom looked a bit tired.   “Why… why is she leading a chariot?” asked Fluttershy, confused.   Eventually, they got the answer to that question. Rainbow managed to guide the chariot down close enough to the others, and only then did she land. The guards took a moment to take a breather, one taking the time to put his hands to his knees and pant. The others did their best to remain upright.   “Sorry I was so late,” said Rainbow, “I put in an order to Princess Celestia too. It got done this morning, so I had to go pick it up before meeting you guys here.”   “The hard part was figuring out how to get it here,” said the panting guard.   “What is it?” Applejack asked.   Rainbow opened the door to the chariot and reached inside. Surprisingly, she didn’t bother using her wings to do it. However, when she came out, she came out visibly straining with a case of… something really heavy in her arms. The handles did little to give Rainbow relief, it seemed. Rainbow slowly walked over to Applejack.   “Your…your arm better, A.J.?” asked Rainbow.   “I… Yeah, I’d hope so,” Applejack said.   “Here, hold this,” Rainbow said. Applejack quickly deduced it might require both of her hands to hold, and slipped her hands into the handles next to Rainbow’s. The instant Rainbow let go, Applejack felt her entire upper body jerk forward violently from the weight.   “Whoa!” Applejack shouted, righting herself, “Just what is this thing, anyway??”   “It’s armor,” said Rainbow, “The only thing it doesn’t have is the helmet. There are three sets, one for each of us.”   “Th-they’re all in there though, aren’t they?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes wide.   “Hate to break it to you, ‘Shy, but that’s just one case,” Rainbow said. Two of the stronger guards promptly walked into the chariot themselves, and with the same level of struggle, retrieved the other two cases.   Fluttershy let out an “Eep” of disbelief, but soon recovered. “A-and this will make us stronger?”   “It’ll get us results faster than without,” Rainbow said, “Alright then, girls, suit up…” ------------------------------------------ Fluttershy suddenly understood what it felt like to be a turtle even more than she had ever in her life. Applejack had never carried a load quite like this. And Rainbow had never felt more weighed down in her life. Even if she could conceivably get any lift out of her wings in her state, she’d just drop back down to Earth before she could make a single flap. The guards had bid them farewell, and enjoyed their much lighter ride back to Canterlot, no doubt to prepare themselves for what was to come.   “So… now what?” Applejack strained to take a single step forward as she spoke.   “We prepare just like this,” Rainbow said, trying to raise her arms to emphasize. She could barely raise her arms past chest-level, “We get used to the extra weight, and we train like we were doing before. This will make us faster and stronger at the same,” Her voice hitched and her arm fell, “Time.”   “So, is there anything else, you want to say,” Fluttercruel answered; it was the only way Fluttershy’s body could handle the weight.   “Just one thing…” Rainbow said, “Until you’re used to the weight, whatever you do, just. Don’t. Fall…” ------------------------------------------ Though Corey did not spend all night preparing for what was to come on his end, he still managed to eat up a bit of time before tiring himself out. That said, he was still up pretty early, but had been told to wait for a bit while Celestia got herself ready. She had told him that it had indeed been a while since she’d had to train someone directly, and with so little time to spare she needed to make sure she had the right idea going in.   So for a while, he’d simply waited in the room Celestia had told him to wait in. It was a large, cleared-out room on the castle’s second floor, with only a couple of windows letting in the light. Corey sat impatiently in the center, wondering just what it was she was doing.   You know, I had expected to be woken up at sunrise, but that wasn’t it either. I can’t really tell what time it is offhand, but I don’t think it’s early, thought Corey. Taking in a deep breath, he rerouted his thinking, Then again, maybe she needs to take time to herself to… take the rust off?   Corey’s thoughts were interrupted when the large door to the room opened. As soon as he saw the multicolored mane, he immediately stopped sitting down and rose to his feet. Celestia turned, and Corey could see her horn was lit up.   “Have you been waiting long?” she asked, as a case levitated behind her, guided by her magic.   “Not really,” Corey said, “I’m just surprised.”   “I had a lot to look over and a lot to get ready for,” Celestia said, moving the case in front of her, “I first had to ask Shining Armor about what he’d seen during your training, as well as what he’d seen out of you.”   Corey subconsciously gulped as he wondered just what that entailed.   “I looked at what your growth has been since coming here,” Celestia continued, the case now four feet in front of Corey, where it was set down, “Go ahead and take a look inside. I think Rainbow Dash had the right idea when she made her request.”   Corey looked to the case, then to Celestia, then back to the case. What had she gone and done now? Corey took a couple of steps forward, and unclicked the latches on either side. What he saw inside made him blink several times in shock.   “That’s armor, with extra weight,” Celestia explained, “I’ll explain everything as soon as you put it on.”   Corey blinked, looking at the pieces of armor inside. Why does this give me a sense of déjà vu? I’ve never done this!   Corey reached inside, and finding with no surprise that he could barely stand to lift a piece up, let alone slip it on. Corey’s body became shrouded in runes, and his arms bulked up, allowing him to more easily move the pieces to where they went.   Celestia blinked, watching Corey in action. “Right, your strength augmentation magic. Shining did say something about it.”   “Is there something wrong?” Corey asked, looking up.   “No, not at all,” Celestia said, “Though I will ask from here on that you try not to use your magic to lift these. Although, from what I pulled together from what you have told me yourself and what your mentors have said about your growth, I think I know exactly what we’re to do.”   “Alright,” Corey said, slipping the last heavy piece on before canceling the strength buff and immediately feeling gravity do its work, falling forward with a cry. Strained, he slowly started to get to his feet, “S-so then… what’s the… plan…?”   “Each and every time you’ve had to push your limits, your magic would help make that transition,” Celestia stated simply, “Is that true?”   “Y-yeah,” Corey said.   “As far as I can see, that’s worked for you more times than even you realize,” Celestia said, pausing in front of him, “So each day, we’ll simply push your limits more and more, and each time, you’ll be further and further to where you’ll need to be.”   Corey strained, now on all fours and urging himself to move. He simply looked at Celestia for a few moments longer, trying his hardest to forget the fact he could already feel himself crying for mercy.   “We’re going to divide the month into two,” Celestia said, “The first two weeks will be about getting your physical form to its absolute best. For those two weeks, other than basic needs, you need to wear that armor at all times. Each time you get used to it, I’ll increase the weight bit by bit. Of course, you won’t simply be walking around the castle in heavy armor. This room is heavily reinforced. In fact, it’s where many students have practiced before you. Though it had been a separate study for a while…”   “So, then, in this room,” Corey said, making one final strain to get to his feet and barely succeeding, staggering madly.   “I’ll do my best not to leave you with any scars,” Celestia said, “But I will be pushing you myself in battle. If the stakes weren’t so high, there might have been other ways to condition you, but…”   “I understand,” Corey said, trying his best to wave his hands dismissively, even as he subconsciously realized exactly what his training was going to consist of, “This is what’s best. If I can’t push… past this, then it wasn’t… meant to be.”   “I’m glad to hear your resolve hasn’t wavered, Corey,” Celestia nodded, “The second two weeks will be, of course, about magic. I’ll explain more about that when the time comes, but I can say that you won’t need the armor then, but you can feel free to keep it on you if you wish. Though, by that time, you may just want the weight off of your back.”   “I see, I see—“ Corey’s breath hitched, nearly dropping forward again as he took a single step, “Like everyone else, I’ve got my work… cut out for me. There’s really no other way to it.”   “That’s right,” Celestia said, “So with that in mind, are you ready?”   “As I’ll… ever be…” Corey said. He then blinked, “Wait, you said Rainbow—ugh—came up with this? Are they wearing the same weight I am?”   “Oh, heavens, no!” Celestia said. After a short pause, she added, “Yours is heavier!” ------------------------------------------ Though Pinkie loved nothing more than to forge her various creations from the comfort of her basement, it just wouldn’t do this time. What she was planning now was big, far too big for such a confined space. Luckily, though, Mayor Mare was more than happy to supply the space Pinkie needed. In a large, vacant lot of Ponyville, several large steel frames had been welded together by the pink pony herself. The guards told to protect it watched in surprise as Pinkie swung from one steel frame to the next, her welding equipment on her back doing nothing to slow her down.   Even more impressive was her lack of protective gear aside from her welding mask. No matter what she did, no matter what angle she welded at, she never once got burned.   “And done!” Pinkie lifted her mask and wiped the sweat off her brow. She looked over her work and nodded at a job well done. Dropping off the pipe she hung from Pinkie managed a single flip before landing gracefully on the ground, “Now we can put up the tarp.”   Just as she said so, the guards brought it up, but after a small inspection, Pinkie pouted. “Hey, that’s not the color I asked for! This is like an off-green, I asked for super glittery rainbow!”   One guard looked to another. The other guard simply offered a shrug.   “For safety reasons,” said a third guard, “It’d be better if the tarp blended with the surrounding area. We apologize but the princess herself had to insist.”   Pinkie let out a small grumble and crossed her arms. The guard let out a sigh and rubbed his temple.   “However,” He nodded to the guards, and one lifted it to show the other side of the tarp, “The other side is white, and since it’s not visible you will be allowed to decorate it to your liking.”   Pinkie’s eyes lit up and she opened her mouth to respond, but the guard cut in once more. “But no flashing lights!”   Again, Pinkie pouted with her arms crossed, but she could tell the guard wouldn’t budge on that. “Fine…” She sighed, rolling her eyes.   The guard, relieving that they reached a compromise, motioned the pegasi of their group to set it up. Just as they draped it over the newly forged frame, Pinkie’s attention was called again.   “Um, ma’am,” Pinkie turned to see a rather surprised-looking guard holding some forms in his hands, “Your uh…your order is here.”   Pinkie let out a squeal and clapped her hands, doing her usual bounce as she waited for it to arrive. As she did, several large shadows loomed overhead, catching everyone’s attention. Several unicorns slowly willed their magic to move the objects that Pinkie had ordered. The guards hadn’t been told much other than their task to keep Pinkie and her project under supervision until it was completed. But as the largest package yet finally arrived, one guard’s curiosity got the better of him.   “W-what exactly did you ask of the princess?” he asked, leaning over. Pinkie, in turn, put up a large grin and wrapped her arm around the soldier’s shoulder, pulling him close such that their heads were touching.   “If I told you, it’d ruin the surprise, but I can say this,” Grabbing the guard’s head she turned it so he was looking directly at her, “I’m the kind of pony who always thinks big, and I always deliver. And when this month is over, those baddies won’t know what hit them.” Just as she finished, her last package was placed inside of the cage, allowed to fall to the ground at last. Even from a few feet up, it still made the surrounding area tremble on impact.   Walking up to what would be her working space for the next month, Pinkie pulled out a sign from within her mane and pinned it to the tarp.   “No peeking!” the sign read, with a “That means you!” in smaller print next to it.   Now that she had everything that she needed, Pinkie stepped inside. She had something huge planned, something never seen before in the world, and she had one month to complete it.   “Alright, Pinkie,” she said, rolling up imaginary sleeves, “Time to show ‘em what you got!”