//------------------------------// // Chapter Eight: In Visible Light (approx 15% complete) // Story: The Ultimate Rebellion // by Cerulean Voice //------------------------------// Chapter Eight: In Visible Light The bedroom was just like any other than one might expect of a studious young pony. Books upon books leaned against a stopper at diagonals on every shelf covering the back wall. An adjacent wall featured a skillfully painted map of Equestria, from the East Celestial Sea to the Undiscovered West, in front of which a purple-sheeted single bed lay. Against yet another wall, a well-varnished oak table supported piles of yet more books, open at different pages—bookmarked of course, not dog-eared like other disrespectful ponies might leave theirs. A trickle of indirect afternoon sunlight filtered in through the only window’s mostly drawn blinds, giving the room a gentle serenity. A serenity that was instantly shattered by a pillar of light and six solid thumps. Nauseating. That was all Liberty Belle had to say about her experience as she collapsed onto the floor. Her head swam in circles, cognitive thought rendered briefly impossible while she tried to regain her bearings. Standing on shaky hooves, she blinked a few times to clear the twinkling lights blurring her vision before looking around. “The hay are we?” Liberty turned on the spot at Ambrosia’s voice; of course the others had also appeared alongside her. With the sick feeling in her stomach already fading, she was able to take in her surroundings with greater clarity. “I don’t know how, but—” Liberty quickly shook her head “—somehow, we’ve managed to arrive in… my… bedroom?” “Oh. Well then, I’m awful sorry ’bout this.” With that, Ambrosia brought up her breakfast onto the plush rug under her hooves. Liberty sighed and looked at the other arrivals. “If anypony else feels like emptying their stomachs, please follow me the bathroom? I hate messes in my room.” Turning away, she opened her bedroom door and ushered the dazed and confused group into the hall. Heat gave a low whistle as the skylights and murals came into view. “Wow. Nice place you got here, Liberty. Maybe I’ll look around a bit more when I’m not so queasy.” “Wuss.” Snow stood tall and strode past his brother into the hallway. “Why don’t you put on your big boy hat and—whoa!” Snow just rolled his eyes as his brother stumbled out the door. “Hey, can we, um, not be mean to each other?” Toffee. Liberty disregarded the twins when the youngest of them spoke up. Out of all of them, Toffee Swirl seemed the most fragile: her cheeks had lost colour, her breaths came in quick, short gasps, and she wouldn’t stop shivering. Wild Seed hadn’t moved either; although he seemed to have taken their surprise group teleportation marginally better than Ambrosia, he sat still, running a hoof through Toffee’s mane repeatedly. “Can you two walk?” Liberty asked. “I know this is all happening really fast, but I feel like we should not linger here.” “I’m fine,” Wild said. “Little Toffee here, though? Don’t think I can say the same thing. I mean, this is all crazy! And she’s just a little filly—” “Don’t call me little!” Toffee’s voice filled the room, causing the others to peer back around the corner.