Chapter Fifty One
Chapter Fifty One
Twilight moaned as she sat on her haunches on the floor of the Carousel Boutique, her left eye currently bandaged and hidden from view. A towel hung limply around her neck, while a wastebasket sat next to her on a matching towel spread out on the floor should she need to make use of it. However she was quite certain there was nothing left in her to actually vomit. Right now she was delicately rubbing at her aching belly, hoping to sooth her stomach and make it stop its near-constant flip flopping.
Intellectually she knew that the gesture would do nothing to soothe the nauseated feeling she was currently experiencing. But that still didn't stop her from trying it, in a desperate attempt to ward off the sickening feeling she was trying to not pay any attention to. Right now she was motivated to try anything that would even be rumored as capable of stopping her dry -and painful- heaves from continuing.
"Try this, darling," Rarity said as she approached, a porcelain cup of still-steaming tea being levitated in front of her. "I find that a nice hot cup of ginger tea is highly effective for settling an upset stomach," she explained.
The way she felt right now, Twilight really didn't want to drink anything. But at the same time she was desperate enough to actually try it. She reached out with a hoof, before rethinking the matter entirely, and wrapping the cup in her magic instead, and levitating it over to her.
"Thanks," she mumbled, before giving the tea a tentative sip, both due to the heat coming off of it, and to try and avoid upsetting her stomach any further. She couldn't help but wonder if the tea was a special recipe that Rarity got from Zecora, as the brew was already starting to make her stomach feel a little better, giving her motivation to take another sip.
"No trouble at all, Twilight," Rarity replied reassuringly, "although I must admit that I'm curious. What exactly happened that caused all this?" she asked. The entire morning had been strange since leaving the library. And as they sat here in the Carousel Boutique, she couldn't help but wonder just what had gone on while she'd been otherwise occupied.
Some may have assumed that she'd left that morning to tend to dress orders for her various clientele. And truthfully she had done just that. But those plans had changed upon seeing how the others around town had been pitching in to assist with getting the town back to normal after yesterday's events. Being the generous type that she was, she had volunteered what services she could to assist, dirt and filth be damned. There were ponies that needed all the help they could get, and what kind of Element bearer would she be if she didn't come to their aid? If she could help out with yesterday's efforts, and all the horrors that were contained there, she could certainly help with this.
And that was just what she'd been doing for most of the morning, ever since the clouds had been cleared; sorting through rubble for transportation and cleanup. Although at times she would admit the difficulty was intense. Moving rubble for cleanup was supposed to be done in an organized manner that contributed both to safety and effectiveness. Organizing the rubble in a particular way was something she sometimes had to remind herself to save for another, less chaotic time.
And then there was the matter of how her usefulness wasn't static. She hadn't simply been assigned to one particular area and left there, to perform the same task over and over again. Everypony involved was working in shifts, in tandem with one another, volunteering or otherwise being assigned specific tasks to carry out, differing based on the situation.
That assigned task in this instance, had been her and several others moving wheelbarrows full of debris to a designated dumping ground just on the outskirts of Ponyville so the area could be better cleared, as there would be fewer hazards on the ground to address; the likes of which primarily being broken glass and old, rusted nails that'd come loose during all the chaos yesterday.
In her own mind she'd performed her task admirably with others, even if she had been slower than the more physically capable stallions she was working alongside. It wasn't entirely her fault she was the last to arrive at the dumping location. Or that she would be the one that would be last to leave after emptying her wheelbarrow. It was just how things were.
However it was that status at end of the line, which had likely lead to this latest development.
She'd been trying not to complain, to not focus on how the working conditions were absolutely ghastly when it came to her hooficure, and how she would need to visit the spa again when everything was settled, as she struggled to upend the wagon in her tired state. And it was during that exertion, that she'd heard the unmistakable sound of Ulquiorra's sondio not too far from where she'd been at the time. Being curious -and in truth, wanting a short break from the toils of such hard physical labor- she'd naturally gone to see just what was going on. And it was that curiosity that had lead her to find Ulquiorra, Twilight, and Spike present all at the same time, with Twilight being violently sick where she'd stood, and poor Spike being the unfortunate victim of such a fact, his front completely covered in vomit.
Naturally under such circumstances, she couldn't simply leave them in the state they were in. So hastily returning the wheelbarrow, she excused herself from any further volunteer work in the cleanup, citing more pressing matters that needed to be tended to. Which lead them to where they were now, with Twilight getting tea to soothe her stomach, and Spike being given access to her bath -and her various soaps- so that he could clean up, and avoid any risk of his scales becoming horribly stained from what he went through.
"It's a really long story, Rarity," Twilight replied, pausing to take another sip of tea. It was really starting to make her feel a lot better. And if Rarity really intended to hear the full story, she would need her stomach properly relaxed so she could talk without the risk of being sick again. "Are you sure you have the time to hear it?" she asked.
"I've always got time for my friends, darling, don't fret yourself about it," Rarity replied and motioned for her to go on.
"Alright then," Twilight replied, stopping to finish the tea and set the cup down on the floor. "It's sort of like this..."
+++
Spike was doing his best to remain quiet while Twilight sat and concentrated on the spell she was trying to cast. He'd had a lot of experience with keeping his mouth shut from the number of years he'd been assisting her. But still, when the experiment was something that managed to excite him, being quiet proved to be more difficult.
He looked over to where Ulquiorra stood, stoic as ever, and looking like he was utterly bored as he stood at attention in observation. How could he be so calm at any given moment? It just seemed so baffling to him. Didn't anything excite the guy?
That thought was interrupted as Twilight murmured to herself in concentration, sitting stock still with her eyes closed, and head aimed upward towards the sky as her horn continually glowed. As he waited for something to happen, he couldn't really remember any past time when he'd seen her take this long to cast a spell. Was something wrong? Was the spell not taking? Did it take more mana than she had to give?
He then became aware of an... he wasn't sure just how to describe the sensation that was against his scales. Itchy didn't really seem to adequate describe it, because it wasn't painful in nature. But tingly didn't do it justice, as it commanded more of a presence than that. Just... just what in Tartarus was going on here?
Suddenly, and without any warning to signal its coming, a massive bolt of lightning flashed into existence in the distance with a loud crackling noise, striking the lightning rod in front of them, and then disappearing in an instant, leaving behind nothing to indicate it ever existed, other than smoke wafting up from the metal stake.
The flash might've lasted only an instant, but it was more than enough to get Spike's heart racing. The close proximity that'd been shared with such a powerful force was really intimidating to experience. He was really glad Applejack had asked them to leave Sweet Apple Acres now, uncertain of just what kind of reaction the earth pony might've had if she'd been so close to so much raw natural power.
"Woohoo!" Spike cheered after a delayed moment, the terror giving way to absolute excitement. Now that he wasn't quiet so scared stiff, he could admire just how awesome that'd been to experience.
Twilight's response, however, consisted of heavy and exhausted panting as she slouched, no longer looking composed and in control of the situation. As her head hung low, Spike couldn't help but feel concerned for her wellbeing.
"Twilight? A-are you okay?" he asked nervously as he stepped over to where she sat.
Twilight continued to pant, before finally managing a nod. "I'm alright, Spike, really" she panted, "I'm just winded. That spell takes a lot more than I originally believed."
"At least we know it works now," Spike replied as he rubbed her back.
"It does. But not well enough," Twilight replied as she moved to sit up properly. "If I ever have to use that spell for real, we can't afford to wait ten minutes in order to cast it. I need to keep practicing it in order to get faster. It needs to be something that can be cast in less than a minute. It has to be instantaneous, something that can be cast by reflex if at all possible," she explained.
Ulquiorra said nothing as he observed. The lightning had been significantly greater in magnitude than what he'd anticipated to see. The fact that the lightning rod hadn't melted from the heat it was subjected to was somewhat surprising.
However that didn't change the fact that the requirements to use it were significant in nature. Besides the ten minutes that had been spent waiting, the spell had required fifteen percent of Twilight Sparkle's total reiryoku to be cast. It definitely wasn't a spell that could be utilized quickly or efficiently. For it to be viable in its current form would require significant advanced planning. Currently Twilight Sparkle would be best utilized as a specific resource rather than a front line force; something along the lines of a mortar or a howitzer.
In simpler terms she did have her usefulness. But only if she worked in tandem with others who could withstand ten minutes of assault. Meaning that without his assistance, she wasn't of much use.
"Stand back, Spike, I'm going to try again, see if I can cast it any faster this time," Twilight instructed. She's already moved from hypothesis to proof of concept concerning the actual casting of the spell. And now that she had the knowledge of how to successfully cast it and rain down lightning without the need for clouds or pegasi intervention, she just needed to figure out how to go about streamlining everything to speed up the process. And the only way to do that was practice, practice, practice!
Ulquiorra continued to remain silent and observe things unfold, noting the fluctuations displayed in Twilight Sparkle's reiatsu and reiryoku levels, as she went about attempting to recast the spell, in an effort to yield better and more efficient results.
Twice more, he observed as the lavender unicorn successfully cast the spell, raining down lightning on the designated target, and subjecting it to greater abuse. After the third lightning strike had landed, he could see signs of metal fatigue becoming present, as it slowly began to sag to one side. If the strikes had been back to back, he had no doubts that signs of melting would be present at this point in time.
Each successive casting was also growing shorter, bit by bit. The second lightning discharge had come after just nine minutes of effort, and the third after eight minutes. She was indeed learning how to become more efficient through continual practice. But the effort involved was significant. Each successful casting was leaving her physically exhausted and drained, leaving her gasping for air, and nearly collapsing on the ground in the aftermath.
At the current rate of depletion it was highly unlikely that the unicorn would be able to kill herself from exhaustion, regardless of how haggard she appeared afterward. But regardless of that fact, he decided to intervene after the fourth successful casting of the spell. She might not die, but near-total exhaustion wasn't acceptable either.
"Twilight, stop! You're bleeding!"
However before he could intervene, Spike was already in the process of doing just that. At hearing she was wounded, however, he stepped closer, and observed that blood was dripping from her nostrils as she hunched over, gasping for air as if she'd been running for miles.
But on closer inspection there was more going on than a simple nosebleed. As he rotated her head upward to look at him, he noticed the white of her left eye was also turning blood red. Demonic possession not being a valid theory, the most logical explanation present was that all of the straining she'd done had ruptured several blood vessels, and that was the source of the bleeding in her eye and from her nostrils. Hardly grounds to be concerned, but it was an indicator that her efforts were harder on her than she'd anticipated.
"I'm alright, Spike, I-" she panted as she moved to sit back up again. But as she tried to reassure the young dragon that everything was perfectly alright, she gagged as the blood dripping from her nose came into contact with her tongue. She coughed hard and spat onto the ground to the side, before wiping her mouth and tongue with her foreleg to get try and get rid of the coppery taste. "I'm alright," she repeated again, "you two might want to stand back. I'm going to give it another shot."
"I would advise against that," Ulquiorra warned as he straightened up, "the costs of the spell are significant. You've already drained sixty percent of your reiryoku. You would only be able to successfully cast the spell two more times at best, leaving yourself severely weakened. And not knowing what may be encountered later in the day, it would be wise not to engage in total exertion simply to practice a single spell," he explained.
Twilight wanted to protest Ulquiorra's observation of her abilities and her current state. She wanted to argue that she was fully capable of continuing so long as she had a few minutes to catch her breath, and maybe something to drink as well.
But deep down she knew that any attempts at arguing with Ulquiorra would be pointless. Trying to convince him that she hadn't bled most of her mana out in casting those lightning spells would be an impossibility. The fact that he could see and measure stuff like that put him at a considerable advantage over everyone else. His eyes could see things that theirs were incapable of seeing. On his very first meeting with Rainbow Dash, he could easily tell that her Sonic Rainboom could only be used once a day. Not only that, he could tell just how much mana she absorbed per hour, as her body replenished itself. That was information that she had never been able to determine on her own!
That had been on their first meeting, when he barely knew anything about her. And if he could so easily determine so much with so little, what chance did she have of him being wrong after so much interaction?
"Alright. You win," she replied and nodded in defeat, knowing there was no way to win the argument. He had her at a tactical disadvantage. But regardless of that fact, she wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet. "So if we're done with the magical aspect of today's practices, should we move onto the next part? Should we see if the containment lantern can actually contain your Cero?" she asked.
"I still possess doubts about the effectiveness of the properties of your lantern," Ulquiorra pointed out. He could easily foresee the artifact being destroyed in this exercise. "However doubts are not scientifically valid. Unless we try, we will know nothing. The results may be surprising to all of us."
Twilight couldn't help but smile at Ulquiorra's words when he started talking about scientific validity. Now he was really speaking her language.
"No."
Twilight turned her head in Spike's direction since he was the one objecting. He had a look of determination on his face that she'd only seen a few times before; one that suggested an age greater than what his actually was.
"We should be getting Twilight to the hospital, her eye shouldn't be red like that," he pointed out.
"Ultimately for what purpose? To divert resources from those in genuine need of medical attention?" Ulquiorra asked calmly, serving as a contrast to Spike's anxious state. "Subconjunctival hemorrhages can occur from sneezing or coughing. In this case it most likely occurred from the strain Twilight Sparkle was exerting on herself in order to cast the spell. The blood vessels of the eyes are particularly fragile in nature and rupture with great ease. Assuming you could even get in to be seen, you would most likely be sent home and told to rest," he explained.
"How exactly do you know all this stuff?" Spike finally asked, finding it hard to believe that the Espada seemed so knowledgeable about everything. It wasn't even the cocky, arrogant type of knowledgeable that some ponies would display when they went spouting off about how they knew something. No, this was the calm, calculated, analytical type of knowledge that was displayed by someone who was well-read in a particular topic. And if it was one thing or another that Ulquiorra had chosen to comment on, he could believe it. But with everything?
"When I was first brought to this reality by Discord's intervention, I arrived at the conclusion that I should familiarize myself with anything that may be of relevance if I was to remain here for an extended period of time. When it was determined that the majority of my interactions with others would involve ponies, I expanded my studied to include relevant matters such as the anatomy of the three races," Ulquiorra replied calmly. Was it really that hard to believe? "I will admit, however, the medical wing of the royal libraries is extensive. There are a number of books I haven't yet gotten around to reading, due to more pressing matters demanding my attention."
Twilight was pretty certain that Spike had some kind of retort in mind for Ulquiorra. So she decided to intervene and stroke Spike's head to the side of his green ridge. Sometimes he was cute when he was worried.
"It'll be alright, Spike, I'll just put in some eye drops when we get home. And if necessary, I remember where Pinkie keeps her eye patches," she said as she did her best to calm him down. They were getting far too distracted. "But right now, could you get the lantern out? We've got important research and preparation to engage in, and that takes precedent over a red eye."
Spike grumbled, not really liking the fact that his concerns were being brushed aside so easily. How exactly was he supposed to be a good assistant if he couldn't even assist? But for better or worse, he was being outvoted on the matter of how best to address Twilight's wellbeing, and he was left with little choice but to sigh, mutter an "okay" of defeat, and go to fetch the old lantern from her saddlebags for what she was planning.
"Just one question. Where exactly should we set it up? From what I've heard this is gonna be... pretty big. And if things go wrong, somepony might get hurt if they're in the blast zone," Spike pointed out. Just because he couldn't get Twilight to take it easy, didn't mean that he had to keep his concerns and observations to himself.
"Hmm..." Twilight mumbled as she rubbed her chin in thought, before turning to look at Ulquiorra. "It is a good point. We need to determined the best location for setting up to prevent such."
"Twenty two degrees southeast," Ulquiorra replied, after taking the time to scan the surroundings to the best of his abilities. And after a moment's pause, he gestured in the direction, just in case neither of them understood. As far as his pesquisa could detect, there was no life in that area that would be harmed should everything go wrong.
Strange as it might seem to outsiders looking in, he did have some measure of concern for the wellbeing of these ponies. But then again it was his assigned purpose. So perhaps it really wasn't all that strange after all.
However before Spike could even take the first step in the specified direction, he spoke up in interruption. There was an unforeseen development about to occur and needed to be addressed.
"We're about to have company," he stated simply, alerting them to the fact.
"How many? Friend or foe?" Twilight asked in response, wanting to know exactly what they were about to be facing.
"There will be no need for combat in this particular encounter," Ulquiorra replied and replaced his hands back in his pockets. There was no way of misidentifying these particular reiatsu signatures.
Twilight and Spike looked at each other, although Spike had to look away as the sight of her one bloody eye was making his hurt and water, and required him pinching his own shut. Never mind that now though, there was still the matter of just who might be coming, and why Ulquiorra seemed so calm about it. Were the girls coming out to find them? Did some of the other ponies from town come to investigate the bolts of lightning that'd been coming down over the last half hour?
And then she heard the faint buzzing in the distance.
Living in Ponyville long enough, there were certain instances and events that one came to be intimately familiar with. Certain sounds that were unmistakable in nature. So it really proved to be no challenge to know that three certain fillies would be crossing their path any second now.
Running into the Cutie Mark Crusaders was nothing new, what with their penchant for being anywhere and just about any given time. But the odd part was the timing of it all. Why exactly would they be out and about at this time of day when school was in session?
"This can't end well," Spike groaned.
"Just be nice, Spike, everything will work out," Twilight told him, trying to stay calm, despite the potential for disaster that was going to be present now.
Disaster that, as she observed, manifested during their approach.
She knew the hookup of their wagon to Scootaloo's scooter had never been the most secure of hookups, regardless of how much it had proven capable of withstanding with those three. However, as they approached quickly, she never expected that the wagon hitting a partially obscured rock would be enough to buck the frame with enough force that it would send a now terrified Sweetie Belle flying, as if she'd just been tossed by a catapult.
"Oh shit!"
It was a statement shared in unison by both Spike and Twilight Sparkle, despite the former's reported dislike for the use of profanity. Ulquiorra wasn't sure what to think of that fact, as his mind was more focused on the fact that Twilight Sparkle was simply watching, rather than making any conscious effort to prevent the inevitable. Perhaps it was due to the suddenness of it all preventing that thought process from engaging. Perhaps the type of magic that was needed, wasn't the type that acted upon basic instinct. But whatever the reason, he could tell that the screaming filly's trajectory was beginning to be affected by gravity, and impact with the ground was imminent.
Those facts in mind, he was the quickest to respond to the situation at hand, by stepping forward, and catching the falling Sweetie Belle in his arms before she could make contact with the ground, and possibly break something in the process. Instead of landing with a sickening thud and wet squelch, what was heard sounded much more like the squeak of a rubber toy. Whether it was an audible statement from her, or a result of how she came to a stop against his frame, he couldn't really be sure. Nor could he muster the curiosity to actually care.
"Ya a'right Sweetie Belle?"
Ulquiorra looked up from the unicorn filly in his arms, her eyes still squeezed shut as her body displayed signs of still bracing for the impact that wouldn't come. For whatever reason, she seemed to have failed to register the connection her body had made against his musculature, despite the fact that it should've felt much harder than the ground itself.
That matter wasn't important at the moment. He looked up and saw the other two young ponies, quickly dismounting their transportation and haphazardly discarding their helmets as they galloped over to them to check on their comrade.
Sweetie Belle looked up from her balled up, cowering position at the sound of her friends' voices and approach, and came face to face with him, her expression going from shocked to utter embarrassment in very little time once she made the realization of what had just happened.
"Sorry," she stated quickly, her voice cracking and squeaking in the process.
He said nothing in response, and simply set her back on her hooves on the ground as the others approached.
"That was an awesome catch!" Scootaloo stated excitedly as she came to a halt in front of them.
"Yeah that was perdy cool, the way ya didn' have ta dive er nothin'. Jus' stepped right up an' caught Sweetie Belle like she was a fly ball," Apple Bloom added.
Twilight wasn't sure exactly what to say. On the one hoof the interaction between Ulquiorra and the three fillies was interesting to watch. But on the other hoof, her mind was burning with questions as to just what they were up to, and why exactly they were present. Shouldn't they be in school right now? Were they engaged in truancy?
"What're you girls doing here? What about school?" she finally asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this whole mystery.
"Miss Cheerilee gave the class the day off on account o' all the ponies tha' got hurt yesterday. Not even half of 'em managed ta show up today," Apple Bloom explained. She agreed in this case, as there wasn't much point in having school if only a few of the students could actually make it to class.
"I don't even want to think about how many of them we're not gonna see again," Scootaloo stated as she looked at the ground. These were unpleasant thoughts to have thrust upon them at their young age.
Spike winced at Scootaloo's statement, not wanting to think about that either. Thinking about it brought back memories of last night's conversation. Unlike them he actually knew what had gone on, even if he hadn't seen it for himself. But not seeing it happen hadn't made things any better. In fact, knowing what happened but not witnessing it had actually made things worse, as his imagination had worked to try and fill in the blanks.
"We were going to spend the day at the park, but there's still cleanup going on over there. So we just decided to come out here for a while," Sweetie Bell explained in an effort to break the silence that resulted from Scootaloo's statement. They should be spending their time worrying about getting their cutie marks, not about how they'd never be seeing their other classmates again. "So what're you three doing out here with that old lantern?"
Twilight looked between the three fillies and then back over at Spike as he held the containment lantern in his claws. She'd very nearly forgotten about it upon discovering they weren't alone, and watching everything that had unfolded. How exactly could she explain this situation to them properly? And more importantly, how did she convince them to not try and help out?
"What the hay happened to your eye?!"
And along that same vein of thought, how exactly did she explain the matter of a subconjunctival hemorrhage to these three, when they weren't exactly regarded for their patience?
"Oh it's nothing serious," she said as she waved her hoof dismissively, "I was just trying too hard to cast a particular spell, that's all. It looks worse than it is," she explained.
"Actually... it looks kinda cool. Real freaky and stuff. Is that something anypony can do?" Scootaloo asked.
Well that sure wasn't how she figured things might play out. She expected a reaction more akin to fear, not fascination and interest. Every single time she thought she had these fillies figured out, they managed to go and surprise her with something new.
Sweetie Belle just shook her head. Looking at Twilight's red eye was making her own eyes hurt and water, and she really didn't want to think too much about it. It was really starting to freak her out.
"So what's with the old lantern?" she asked again.
"Oh... just a little science experiment with Ulquiorra's help, that's all," she replied, hoping that they'd take the hint to not get too nosy about what was going to happen. After Applejack had asked them to leave the farm, they'd picked this spot for their project due to the fact that, should anything go wrong, there wouldn't be any innocent bystanders who could get hit by a an errant bolt of uncontrollable lightning, or a rogue Cero, or possibly the shrapnel from a defective lantern if it couldn't contain the forces it would be subjected to. And if something were to go blooey -she knew it wasn't the scientifically accurate term for things going horribly wrong, but it still seemed appropriate- the fewer ponies around to potentially get hit, the better.
"Is it alright if we watch? It's not like we've got anything better to do right now," Scootaloo replied, "there's no school to go to. And the adults won't let us help with the cleanup work. Something about not being big enough, or responsible enough, or whatever."
Twilight wasn't sure how to respond to that question. Having the three around could be dangerous, but she also knew from previous experiences that trying to motivate them to leave could be tricky. If they didn't play it right and came off as being secretive, they'd just sneak off to observe from some other place, and quite possibly get hurt in the process. That was entirely unacceptable. She looked up to Ulquiorra for answers to the problem at hoof, hoping that his degree of wisdom could assist on this matter.
Ulquiorra could see the predicament Twilight Sparkle was in. To some extent anyway. If yesterday's actions of these three fillies were any indication of regular behavior, carrying out today's experiments could prove difficult. He would prefer to avoid any unnecessary and avoidable deaths if at all possible.
And perhaps there was actually a way to do just that. A way to show them just how dangerous the situation truly was, and why they would be wise to keep their distance as this was carried out.
"In recognition of your services rendered yesterday, you will be allowed to observe. Provided you maintain a safe distance with Twilight Sparkle. The potential for injury is significant if safety precautions aren't observed," he explained as he looked at them, and then back at Twilight Sparkle where she stood.
Twilight stood in silence, her jaw nearly falling open in response to what Ulquiorra had said. Was he serious about letting the Cutie Mark Crusaders stay and watch what they were about to do? Did he know just how many things could go wrong? She wanted to say something in protest, but the look he was giving her didn't exactly look like the kind of look someone would give when they were actually open to debate. Something about the way he was looking at her right now just seemed to suggest that the best course of action to take was maintain silence, and actually agree with what he was saying.
"Okay, girls, you can stay and watch. Stand over here by me," she reluctantly instructed. She could get a passive use shield going in a matter of seconds, so in case anything went wrong they'd have a good chance of not getting injured. "Spike, could you take the lantern out about one hundred paces and set it down? Make sure the door is open and facing this way, we've only got one shot at doing this properly."
"On it," Spike said as he clutched the lantern tighter and took off at a jogging pace to get to the designated location.
"... So wha' kind o' science experiment is this yer doin' anyway Twilight?" Apple Bloom asked, confused as to how a lantern could be of any use; both so far away, and obviously empty. Even if it wasn't the both of those things, it was still morning.
Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but then shut it again. How exactly did she explain the intricacies of what they were attempting to do, and make it understandable to these three? That gave her plenty of reason to pause, as she tried to formulate an answer.
"You'll just have to wait and see, my little ponies, you'll understand it better that way," she finally stated, seeing it as the most logical answer available to them.
The three looked at each other in confusion, before simply shrugging and sitting down next to Twilight, as they watched Spike run out to the requested distance, before setting the lantern down on the ground, and making his way back over to them at the same pace he'd set out on.
"Hmm..." Twilight muttered as she rubbed her chin in thought, before turning to face Ulquiorra. "Is that too far out for you?"
"Not at all," Ulquiorra replied simply, waiting for Spike to get out of the danger zone before proceeding. Why Twilight Sparkle had not simply levitated it out on her own, he wasn't certain. But at the moment that was neither here nor there. Questions could come later on when the matter was settled down.
The wait for Spike to return was relatively short, all things considered, before he finally rejoined the others, panting as he sat down, winded from the long jog.
"Okay everypony, stand back. To the sidelines and the rear is definitely safest in this case," Twilight announced and prepared her shield should it be needed. The only downside to such was that she couldn't cast it and the mage's sight spell at the same time. She really wanted to study his Cero as it was charged and fired, and learn the mechanics that went into it so she might be able to replicate it in herself. But then again, perhaps it was best if she didn't try such. She already had her own spells to attempt and learn, she really didn't need the added hassle of Ulquiorra's techniques added to her plate. Not right now anyway. "Ready when you are Ulquiorra."
"Very well then," Ulquiorra replied as he withdrew his right hand from his pocket and pointed in the direction of the lantern.
The three fillies sat by Twilight and watched curiously, uncertain of just what they were supposed to be looking at. What kind of science experiment was this anyway? Was something supposed to happen? And if so, then when was it actually going to happen?
Such thoughts, however, were interrupted by the glowing green orb that flickered into existence just past Ulquiorra's fingertip, and began to grow outward in size, whirling trails of same colored energy seeming to flow into it, much like water flowing down a drain.
There was the natural urge to ask questions about what they were seeing, about what Ulquiorra was doing, about what that strange noise was, and the haunting teal tint that he was giving off right now. But that urge never go to be acted upon, as the discharge effectively silenced them, dirt being kicked up in every direction from the beam hurtling down the clearing at a breakneck pace, the resulting shock wave easily felt by them from where they stood, and leaving them certain that they would've been blown over if they were taller.
Further downrange where the lantern rested, the Cero connected with near pinpoint accuracy. In the flash prior to that connection, the enchantments went to work, latching onto the mass of reiryoku energy, and forcefully drawing it inside of its constructed casing, much like a turtle pulling its head back into its shell, or something else along those lines.
When the dust settled, and the Cero faded, Ulquiorra was left uncertain of just what to think. He had expected the lantern to be obliterated on contact in a sizable explosion from the point where his Cero contacted. Instead he had just bore witness to the lantern swallowing his Cero like it was nothing, and the door swinging shut and latching itself automatically. This was truly an unexpected turn of events.
"Wow!" Spike stated in utter amazement and disbelief, this being the first time he'd ever seen Ulquiorra's Cero in actual use before. The sheer amount of force he controlled, while simultaneously making it look so easy, was simply unbelievable.
Pomf.
He hadn't heard that noise. There was no physical we he could've heard that noise.
And yet it had been there as plain as day. Turning to face the others, Ulquiorra saw them staring at him. Apple Bloom looked at him in confusion, Sweetie Belle in terror, and Scootaloo in utter amazement, with her eyes nearly as wide as her grin, her tiny wings sticking straight up.
"That... was so... AWESOME!" she announced, her voice cracking on the last part of her statement, causing both Twilight Sparkle and Spike to cover their ears due to their proximity.
"I know, right?" Spike asked once he was certain it was safe to uncover his ears again.
"Is that how ya beat the dragon Mr. Cifer?" Apple Bloom asked curiously.
"In all honesty it was Fluttershy that defeated the dragon. I merely injured it to the point that it would actually listen to reason and do as instructed," Ulquiorra replied. However he'd purposely decided to leave out the part about how he'd nearly succeeded in killing the dragon with his Cero, and how it only still existed because Fluttershy had intervened on its behalf due to her own guilt. And he'd certainly left out the part about how the entire display had been preposterous to the highest order. Why the dragon had refused to recognize the hopeless of the situation and flee for its own life, he would likely never understand. All he could do was speculate that it wasn't in control of its own actions, and wasn't presented with the opportunity to actually flee when confronted by a superior opponent.
"I have no idea what that was you did, but I felt it running all up and down my spine! That was absolutely incredible!" Scootaloo stated.
Ulquiorra couldn't help but think on Scootaloo's words. They possessed a similarity to a statement made by Applejack much earlier on, regarding a sensation running the course of their spines when in the proximity of his Cero's discharge. Perhaps the matter of the wing deployment was nothing more than an involuntary muscle spasm brought on by atmospheric stimuli, generated by his Cero; similar to the disturbances in the atmosphere created by a lightning strike. Seeing as pegasi ponies were tasked with manipulation of the weather, it would make sense that they might possess a greater sensitivity to atmospheric changes than the others. However that failed to explain why Fluttershy's wings remained at her sides when she had been present for the discharge. Nor did it explain the display on Rainbow Dash's part prior to that.
"It was you... y-y-you were the one..."
His thoughts on the matter were then distracted by the squeaky, shaky statement that came from Sweetie Belle. Unlike her two companions, she was displaying no signs of amazement, but rather terror, as she tried to hide behind Apple Bloom and Scootaloo for protection.
"You were the one from last week, the... the thing that blotted out the sun with utter blackness over Canterlot. You're the eclipse, the... t-t-the monster!" she squeaked in terror.
Ulquiorra remained silent in thought. This was certainly not an unforeseen development that was occurring right now. Truth be told he'd been expecting to encounter a situation like this ever since the changeling incident. What left him uncertain, however, was how long it had taken for this to actually develop. The fact that in the days following, such a reaction hadn't been widespread in all the ponies he met, left him wondering if Princess Celestia had some hand in the aftermath. Perhaps she was exercising crisis management and suppressing sensitive information that could cause a panic? It was a possibility that couldn't be ruled out; not after everything he'd seen occur, and certainly not after everything he'd read up to this point in the royal library.
"Sweetie Belle don' be silly. Mr. Cifer ain' no monster."
But at the moment, Princess Celestia and whatever part she was playing, was a matter of neither here nor there. He would question her another time when there were less pressing matters to tend to.
Right now, however, he was present and currently in the middle of what he could foresee being a minor crisis with these ponies. He could practically feel Twilight Sparkle's desire to diffuse the situation for whatever reason. And she most likely wanted him to play some part in the diffusion. But he would deny her that ability to insist upon it.
"Your young friend is correct in her observation. I really am a monster," he stated casually. What use was there in denying the truth?
"What?" Apple Bloom asked as she turned to look at him.
"You are?" Scootaloo asked and followed. "How?"
"I don't deny my nature. However things are not as simple as all that. Monsters are unfamiliar entities, who are generally recognized and cataloged into one or or more of three specific categories in which they possess the potential to cause harm to others: the nature of their outward appearance, the nature of their abilities, or the nature of their character. I fall into the second category, for reasons of which you are already aware. The dragon, the changelings, the manticore, the aforementioned eclipse, and now the witnessing of my Cero being discharged up close and personal," he explained calmly.
His interaction with these three ponies had been limited. However his experience with Sweetie Belle, while limited, had given him some reason to believe that she possessed a reasonable degree of intelligence. Her manner of speech had included some degree of complication and refinement that the other two didn't share. Perhaps logic would indeed work in this situation. But considering the age range, he may have to simplify it to some degree so it could be more easily understood; just as Twilight Sparkle had simplified the explanation of what nihilism truly meant.
However at the moment, all that had been accomplished from his explanation, was the unicorn filly barely peaking out from behind the other two in order to regard him. Undaunted with the results, he continued in his explanation.
"Your fear is reasonable in nature, and even logical. However in this instance it's unwarranted. Despite my being a monster, Princess Celestia has seen fit to trust me; to the point she has tasked me with keeping Ponyville safe should a repeat of yesterday occur," he stated. If they trusted Princess Celestia, then they should have reason to believe him. However he wouldn't be surprised if they were still suspicious of him, as the holders of the Elements of Harmony had been after learning about his true nature.
"Ah don' get it," Apple Bloom spoke up as she tilted her head to the side, the large bow the held her mane together flopping and bouncing from the motion. "How can ya be a monster if yer doin' good things and not hurtin' nopony?" she asked.
Ulquiorra said nothing at first as he looked at Apple Bloom and the other two young ponies. Unlike the adults of this world, their lack of knowledge regarding the finer details of life could truly be excused due to their youth and corresponding lack of real world experience. It wasn't truly stupidity that kept them from understanding things. They lacked the experience that would help them understand that doing good deeds didn't truly mean anything, as anyone could truly do such if they wished. The concept of affably evil apparently didn't exist to them. Even Aizen could've been accused of doing good deeds, depending upon how his actions were viewed by others. But nobody would argue that Aizen himself was actually good.
He considered explaining the fact to them, pointing out how good deeds didn't necessarily make a good individual. But he ultimately chose against going with that particular approach. Not due to the subject material, but more out of the difficulty in explaining the situation, and the time that would have to be invested in such. And right now time was something that had to be managed more intelligently.
He would explain things in finer detail to these three later on. But for right now he would have to customize his explanation into terms they might readily identify with.
"While it's true that evil individuals can be considered monsters, not all monsters can truly be considered evil in nature. The definition of "monster" is incredibly vague and subject to interpretation, depending not only on who is asked, but just how the question is worded and structured. As explained I am certainly a monster, but I am not the type of monster that causes needless suffering to others. For every action there is a reason to justify it. And I foresee no reason that would amount to sufficient justification for causing harm to any ponies," he explained.
"So..." Sweetie Belle spoke up slowly as she further peaked out from behind her friends. "All the rumors that were going around town, about there being a monster being sent to throw Equestria into ten thousand years of darkness... none of that's true?" she asked, somewhat less scared and more curious than she had been just a couple minutes ago. Could he really be a monster, and so eloquent and intelligent at the same time? Just because he said he was a monster, that didn't make him one... did it?
The utter foolishness of these ponies. Ulquiorra nearly quirked an eyebrow at what he heard. What kind of rumors had these ponies been spreading to one another as if it were no different than the common cold? He would have to address that matter.
"None. What was witnessed, was nothing more than a side effect of dealing with Chrysalis and her changelings. Although I will admit, I find myself rather curious as to how exactly you correctly arrived at the conclusion that I was the one responsible for the incident," he replied, wanting to get to the bottom of this new mystery. He didn't doubt that, had anyone been looking toward Canterlot at the time, they would've been able to see his resurrección occur, even if they wouldn't be able to see his form. But the massive release of reiryoku that exploded around him when he revealed his resurrección differed so much in appearance from his base Cero, that the connection shouldn't have been made based on sight alone. There was certainly more going on than meets the eye, but he wasn't yet certain of just what it was.
"Well a lot of us saw the eclipse when it happened. Something big and black blotting out the sun is kind of hard to miss. And I don't know about anypony else, but I kind of felt it too. It was really frightening to have that feeling just suddenly wash over you like it's a tidal wave. And when you did that thing just now I noticed how similar that feeling was, and then I just put two and two together," Sweetie Belle explained as she slowly stepped out from behind her friends.
Truth be told, as far as Sweetie Belle was concerned, frightening didn't even begin to describe what she'd experienced. It was more like terrifying. It was like coming face to face with the physical ponyfication of fear itself, as it reached out and swept over everyone present. She really didn't know just how to go about properly elaborating on what she'd experienced during that brief period of time, when the sun hadn't been visible from their vantage point. She knew a lot of fancy and complex words that other ponies her age didn't, but that knowledge was really failing her right now. It was like trying to explain what a tree was to somepony who had never even seen a plant of any sort.
And then when she'd seen what Ulquiorra could do, and felt what he could do, a sudden flashback to that panic-stricken moment had come right back and bit her right on her blank flank. The only thing she could be mildly thankful for, was the fact that the sensation experienced when he'd shown what he could do, didn't carry the exact same stifling intensity as the last time. But that hadn't exactly made it any easier to actually sit through.
"Fascinating," Ulquiorra replied. He truly hadn't believed that the reiatsu of his resurrección would be experienced as far away as Ponyville. Not with how every single pony he'd encountered seemed to able to tolerate his presence, when any human right even a slight spiritual awareness could so easily be floored in the same circumstances. Perhaps it was due to Sweetie Belle being a unicorn, that had allowed her to actually feel his reiatsu from such a distance. The way she described it as a tidal wave would suggest that he could still overwhelm them, just as Rainbow Dash's statement last night would suggest the same. And yet none of them were sent to their knees while in his presence. This was certainly a peculiarity to be encountering. Perhaps another of Discord's examples of trickery? And if it was, then ultimately for what purpose?
"Okay I'm a little confused now," Scootaloo spoke up, breaking his train of thought, and bringing his attention to her. "How'd you cause that eclipse thingy to happen anyway? As high up as it was, wouldn't you have to fly to do that?" she asked.
"Correct. And it is for that reason that I did," Ulquiorra explained.
Scootaloo snickered at the answer given, before bursting out laughing. The answer given had been so ridiculous, and delivered in such a deadpan and serious manner, that it was impossible to not be highly amused by it.
However that amusement soon died down, as she realized nopony else was laughing. Ulquiorra, Twilight, and Spike all looked quite serious in nature, giving no indication that would suggest it'd been an attempt at humor. No laughs, no chuckles, no smiles or grins, not even a smirk. Everyone outside of her and her friends were quite serious in nature. Almost dead serious.
"You mean... you actually can fly? Without wings?" she asked.
"Correct," he repeated, just as calm as the first time.
"But how can... how... what the... but..." she stuttered in disbelief. There was no way that this could be possible. Nopony could fly without wings! But Ulquiorra wasn't a pony... but he didn't have wings, but he flew, but... but... "This stinks! Pound Cake can fly and he's just a baby! You can fly and you don't even have any wings! Every single pegasus in Ponyville can fly EXCEPT for me! None of this is any fair!" she shouted, utterly frustrated by it all.
Ulquiorra remained silent as he observed the three fillies talking back and forth, with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle trying to bring Scootaloo's mood back up, either through reassurances that she would learn how to fly, or pointing out that they too couldn't perform certain tasks that they should be able to at their age. He turned his attention to Spike and Twilight Sparkle who had moved to the side before this point, and they looked back at him, presenting nothing that might be productive in this matter.
"Show me," he finally stated, bringing the back and forth bickering to a halt, and bringing their attention back to him. "Show me how you attempt to fly."
"Um... okay..." Scootaloo replied and slowly stepped forward. Taking a deep breath, she started flexing her wings to loose them up, before beginning to flap them, and gradually picking up speed until they were buzzing at a considerable rate. Before long they were going the fastest they'd ever gone before. And slowly, very slowly, her efforts were beginning to pay off, as she could feel her hooves leaving the ground.
However just as soon as she felt the grass no longer under her hooves, her wings gave out and she crashed back to the ground with a thud, panting and wheezing from her efforts.
"That's pretty much as far as she gets when she tries flying," Sweetie Belle explained as she looked up at Ulquiorra. Apple Bloom silently nodded in agreement.
This was a matter that wasn't right. Of that fact, Ulquiorra was quite certain.
"And where did you learn that?" he asked. Surely in a world such as this, where the inhabitants were blessed with second chances and friendship, surely there were those that specialized in teaching pegasus ponies the proper manner in order to fly. Somehow the notion of such things being left purely to animal instinct didn't register with him as being a likely possibility. Survival of the fittest didn't seem to apply outside of the Everfree Forest. Instead it seemed like the concept was survival of just about everyone through the help and intervention of others.
"Well... nowhere actually," Scootaloo replied as she slowly climbed back to her hooves. "Rainbow Dash is teaching me though. Or... she will be when she's got some time. But I've been watching her when she's flying and what she does."
"Do you now," Ulquiorra replied as he looked down at her. "Have you truly been watching her as she's flying? Or have you simply been observing her in flight?" he asked.
"Say what now?" Scootaloo asked.
"Is that a trick question er somethin'?" Apple Bloom asked, not getting what he was saying.
"The manner in which you were attempting to fly is far more appropriate for a bee hovering about a flower. Have you even observed other pegasi taking off in flight? Or have you simply observed them when they're already flying? The movement of your wings may be conductive of locomotion while on your scooter, but it's entirely wrong for attempting flight. Proper flight requires rotation of the wings in addition to up and down movement, to be propelled forward through the air via manipulation of the air currents," he explained.
"Rotation?" Scootaloo asked. She looked back towards her wings, giving them another set of warmup flaps to get them moving again. She tried to move them like he was talking about, but it was hard to get them to do anything flap up and down. As she tried to move them, she couldn't help but think that it was weird how they didn't respond. It was almost like they weren't even her own wings, and she was looking at the wings of somepony else. "I can't do it. I don't get it, are they broken or something? Why's it so hard to make them move?"
Muscle memory was the first possibility that came to Ulquiorra's mind. Based on what he'd observed, Scootaloo's primary method of getting around town was riding on her scooter, using her wings to generate movement in the same fashion an on-board engine would. If it was something she had been utilizing for years, then it was likely the movement she was most familiar with, and most likely to rely on by default.
There was also the possibility of skeletal deformation being at work. But that was quite low on the list of possibilities, based on the way he'd seen her move and flex her wings in other situations.
He briefly considered the possibility of it being psychological in nature. Perhaps a fear of heights? But he quickly discounted that notion entirely.
"A lack of practice is more likely. If you're serious about learning how to fly, then you'll need to come and understand that it takes far more than simply trying to muscle your way through like the Diez Espada would," he explained.
"Who?" Sweetie Belle asked, confused with the term he'd just used.
"A large, stupid, brutish individual I was tasked with working alongside. Comparatively speaking, a living sledgehammer. No finesse, no intelligence, just dumb muscle with poor impulse control, and a tendency to shout at inappropriate times," he explained. He noted how the description given caused some amused chuckles, but he paid it no mind.
"So what you're saying is... practice, practice, practice?" Scootaloo asked.
"Correct," he replied, feeling no need to elaborate further. If this pegasus truly wished to take to the skies, then she would need to work towards it with genuine interest; not the same half-assed approach that was used by these three when they attempted to gain their cutie marks. "Perhaps at a location less likely to experience explosions, and dangerous scientific experiments that could level an entire mountain."
+++
"I'm sorry, darling, I don't mean to interrupt your story, as it's quite riveting in nature. But are you quite serious? Ulquiorra was being sociable with Sweetie Belle and the others? Even after they interrupted what you were doing?" Rarity asked. She certainly didn't want to suggest that Ulquiorra was mean-spirited or abusive in nature. But she knew from her own experience that he didn't possess the greatest degree of tolerance for when important matters were sidetracked by what he considered to be nonsense. And if there was one thing the Cutie Mark Crusaders did better than anyone... it was most certainly nonsense.
"I know it seems strange to hear. I was there and watching it, and it was definitely strange to watch. But that's how things went. I always knew that he could be patient, but I didn't know that he could be so... compassionate," Twilight replied. The way Ulquiorra had been so calm when talking with Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle still seemed so strange. From the Espada's efforts to calm Sweetie Belle when she was scared of his unbelievable strength, to giving Scootaloo hope in overcoming her inability to fly. None of it had been anything he'd been required to do, or asked to do, but rather it had all been of his own volition. She could supposed that his actions yesterday had been due to how they had been the ones to get him the antidote. But the degree he'd exercised didn't seem like that was all there was too it. If it was anyone else then she'd believe it. But Ulquiorra didn't deal in excessive gratitude or coddling. It was... really strange. Strange enough she almost wondered if he'd truly relapsed from poison joke. But then she'd discounted that notion as being ridiculous, as he hadn't been acting like that yesterday. "No offense."
"None taken," Ulquiorra replied from where he stood in the Carousel Boutique, listening silently as Twilight Sparkle recounted the events of this morning to Rarity. He could interrupt and elaborate on the parts that weren't being recalled with full accuracy, but ultimately there was little point in doing so. It truly didn't matter to him if her recollection was being guided by personal opinion rather than actual fact. While he had exercised civility towards the three fillies, he hadn't been quite as civil as she was making him out to be. But that was neither here nor there. However it could be seen as possibly giving some insight into how her mind worked at times.
"Whew!" Spike breathed as he walked into the main room, fresh from the shower he'd taken, smelling lightly of talcum powder, and feeling greatly refreshed from earlier. "That's much better. Thanks for letting me get cleaned up, Rarity, I'd hate to have to walk home like that."
"No trouble at all, Spike, what kind of friend would I be if I left someone in such a state?" Rarity replied.
"Spike, I'm so sorry that I threw up on you," Twilight apologized upon seeing him return. She hadn't meant for something like that to happen, but it had all happened regardless. It'd all happened so quickly that she didn't even have the chance to avoid hitting him. She hadn't been able to warn him, or even turn her head to the side.
"Hey, these things happen. It's not like you did it on purpose," Spike replied, wanting to put the whole ugly incident behind him. The less he thought on things, the better off he felt. "So what'd I miss?"
"Twilight Sparkle has been bringing Rarity up to speed on the events that occurred this morning, that lead to our meeting," Ulquiorra replied, seeing no reason to elaborate any further than that.
"And doing a beautiful job at it. Although I must admit, I still don't quite understand how all of that lead up to our meeting. What happened then?" Rarity asked curiously.
"Right. I was just getting to that point," Twilight replied, "anyway. After the Crusaders left..."
+++
"Spike, could you go retrieve the lantern? And be careful? I'd hate it if something bad were to happen," Twilight stated, concerned more for the wellbeing of her assistant than the lantern and its contents. Losing their experiment would be bad, but compared to losing Spike it would be nothing more than a minor-to-moderate setback.
"Alright, I'm on it," Spike replied as he took off at a jogging page over to where the lantern had been placed.
Ulquiorra simply remained silent as he watched. There had been a great deal of unforeseen developments occurring on this day. He truly hadn't expected to be encountering the Cutie Mark Crusaders today. Truthfully it was strange that any foals would be allowed out after what happened yesterday. He could only speculate as to what possessed the adults to carry on their everyday activities with only mild adjustments.
But at the moment that speculation would have to wait for another time, as he became aware of the fact that Twilight Sparkle was looking up at him and smiling. It wasn't the wide, ear-to-ear and teeth exposed type of smile that Pinkie Pie was famous for. But nonetheless it was a smile.
"What?" he asked, curious as to why she doing such.
"Are you sure you don't have a heart? What you did for Sweetie Belle and the others, that was a really nice thing to do," she stated.
"I believe it's already been explained how being heartless, and being a monster, do not necessarily go hand in hand. Nor do they indicate a personality bent on sadism and ensuring the suffering of others through the exercising of cruelty," he replied simply. The three had truly done nothing that would warrant harshness on his part. "Truthfully they would be wise to fear me. However if they wish such, it would be wise that their fear be for the appropriate and correct reasons," he elaborated.
"And you helping Scootaloo, helped them realize that fact, how?" she asked him.
"Merely pointing out a glaring error in her technique. An error that apparently no one else either recognized, or simply chose not to point out. The exact reason for such a lapse in judgement, I'm uncertain," he explained. Did she truly believe that his informing Scootaloo that she was foolish in her approach was a kind gesture? Hardly. What he had done with the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been no more and no less than what he had done in any other interaction, when faulty logic had been presented for consideration; he called them out on it, and explained the fallacy of their logic. The simple fact that he hadn't berated them to the extent he could have, meant absolutely nothing of significance.
Ulquiorra could claim whatever it was that he wanted about the situation. He could claim that he was being logical, or that he was simply doing what came natural to him. But from Twilight's point of view, he was actually starting to understand friendship better. He hadn't been hostile towards Apple Bloom and her friends, hadn't chased them off from the location in which they were conducting their experiments, or even belittled them for their lapses in logic. He'd been relatively cordial in nature, all things considered. It was entirely possible that his behavior was in recognition of how they'd helped him yesterday during his time of need. Or it could simply be that everything he'd learned about friendship up to this point was actually starting to click, and he was actively referencing it in his interactions. Maybe what she'd been witnessing was his own attempt at exercising kindness.
However her train of thought was interrupted as Spike came back, carrying the containment lantern in his claws and panting.
"This thing is still warm. Is that even normal? Shouldn't it have cooled off by now?" he asked as he set it back down on the ground.
"Containment lanterns always run warm when they're in use, Spike, it would be a violation of basic physics if they didn't radiate at least some heat from what they held inside of them," Twilight explained as she observed the teal green glow shining through the lens on the front. The fact that the lantern was still intact and showing no signs of excessive strain were all very good indicators that it was perfectly up to the task of keeping Ulquiorra's Cero under control, and unlikely to explode. And that meant it would be safe to store back in the library.
"If you say so," Spike replied and shrugged, "so now what do we do?"
"Actually, I was thinking on that," she replied as she turned her attention back to where Ulquiorra stood. "I know you have your hesitation on the subject, but I'd like to try and understand your sonido faster. More specifically, I'd like to see how it might affect a pony's body. And I'd like to volunteer for that," she explained.
Somehow this turn of events didn't surprise him any. Twilight Sparkle's desire to understand anything even remotely related to science was strong, and he knew that full well. And apparently it was strong enough that she was even willing to put herself at risk of bodily harm to get the answers she desired. Did she truly grasp the risk that she would be subjecting herself to in this experiment? Organ failure and tissue disruption couldn't be ruled out as potential outcomes.
"I think if we follow yesterday's protocol, we should we alright. Start out with a short, three meter burst, and then stop and examine what results are had. If there are no signs of physical harm, then we continue in a controlled and cautious approach," she explained further, presenting her case for his consideration. "I'm willing to take the risks, as I believe this could be potentially vital research. And I don't feel right about asking somepony else to serve as the lab rat for it. If I can't step up to the situation... then I'm not really worth my salt, am I?" she asked.
He was quite certain that no matter what he said, Twilight Sparkle wasn't about to simply forget this idea of hers, and would not let the issue drop until she got what she wanted, regardless of the dangers that she would face in the process. Didn't she understand that simply because Spike was durable enough to withstand the forces of instantaneous physical movement, that didn't mean she could claim the same? There was no reason to believe that any pony had the physical constitution necessary to come out of this alive, and with their physical body still fully intact.
"You're quite certain that you wish to proceed with this plan, even in your current condition?" he asked, giving her one last opportunity to let the matter drop entirely.
"We don't always get to wait until we feel that we're ready. Sometimes we just have to go when things the opportunity presents itself, even if the conditions aren't right," she replied.
He couldn't argue with that logic, as it was reasonably sound. Often times it was necessary to proceed regardless of the readiness of the individual. Sometimes failure was had, sometimes not.
"Very well then," he replied as he stepped closer to her. "For this a firm and secure hold will be necessary. Remain still," he instructed.
The way Ulquiorra picked her up was quite different from the last time he'd done so, during the changeling invasion when he'd had to pretend to defect to Chrysalis' side. In that instance his approach had been one to suggest a certain degree of roughness, with little regard for the wellbeing of the one getting carried. It was likely born from a necessity to convince the changeling queen that he was truly devoted to her. But this time around it was completely different, as he was using both of his arms to not only hold onto her as he picked her up, but also support her weight in a manner that felt like it wouldn't put any undue strain on her body. None of her limbs were left exposed and hanging out; but then again that made sense, as they would be subjected to what just had to be significant physical strains.
It was... actually nice, all things considered.
"I think I'm ready," she replied, once she was certain she was settled in properly.
"Very well then..."
+++
"... and that's pretty much how it happened," Twilight stated in conclusion as she eased the towel off her neck, feeling far better than when she'd arrived here in the first place. "More or less," she said as she stood up to stretch her legs and let her muscles flex better. She'd been sitting down for way too long as it was.
"Well I must say that's quite an interesting story, and it does explain quite a few things. But I can't help but wonder something; just what was it like when you were being carried around by Ulquiorra?" Rarity asked her.
"Well in simple terms it's very... educational. It turns out movement faster than the eye can perceive works both ways, and when you're the one moving at such a rate, you don't see where you're going. One moment you're standing in one location, and the next it's a completely different location, and you have no idea what route you took in getting there. It can be very disorienting to experience if you're unprepared, but that's as far as it extends... for the first few attempts anyway. It's sort of like teleporting long distances, but more physically taxing to experience. When we realized that I wasn't experiencing any physical damage from the sonido, we started going further distances with each use. And that's when I started to feel... funny. At first I just attributed it to being a massive influx of adrenaline due to what we were doing. But it seems I was wrong," Twilight explained.
"You could say that was an understatement," Spike commented, causing Twilight to flinch in an uncomfortable manner. "I don't get it, Twilight, how'd you get sick anyway? I didn't when I was the one being carried around," he pointed out.
"I'm aware of that, Spike, and I'm really not sure. But I do have a few theories that might explain it," Twilight replied. And all of them were very sound theories. First and foremost, her body wasn't accustomed to such rapid movement, and it had responded the way it did due to that fact. Secondly, attempting her sonido travels that soon after breakfast -consisting of heavy pancakes and rich maple syrup no less- hadn't been a good idea, and if she'd waited a few more hours, things might've gone better. Thirdly, it was possible that in her exhausted state from her own experiments with the lightning spell, her already weakened state hadn't been up to the strain she would be put under, and her motion sickness had been an unfortunate side effect. Forth, but highly unlikely, was that in the position she was being carried, Ulquiorra's hand had been pressing against her stomach at just the right location, that the combination of it and the high-speed movements had triggered an emetic effect.
No matter what the answer was, it still lead to the same unpleasant results.
"But we did learn something very important today," she stated, "Ulquiorra's concern that a pony can't withstand his sonido travel are without ground. Despite the end result, my body didn't suffer any serious damage, like organ rupture or internal bleeding. That means, theoretically at least, it is safe to utilize such movement if necessary. It might be unpleasant, but that doesn't mean it's unsafe. And with continued exposure, my body might be able to adapt to the conditions, and won't be fazed by it anymore," she explained, before pausing to think a moment, and then turn her attention to where Ulquiorra stood. "That is, if you don't mind."
Ulquiorra couldn't deny that the result of today's events had earned his curiosity. Learning that his sonido didn't instantly cause serious bodily harm to these ponies -or more specifically, a pony that was as physically soft as Twilight Sparkle- had been somewhat... surprising to discover. However today's results only provided them with a new theory, not an actual proof of concept. The fact that the limited distance they'd covered did nothing more serious than cause motion sickness, was of limited value. There was nothing to say that traveling longer distances, such as from here to Canterlot, would be safe to engage in; either now or in the future. It was possible that continued exposure may result in her body becoming more resilient to the strain it would be put under, making her more able to withstand extended travel.
It was even enough to make him wonder about the physical resiliency of pegasi and earth ponies, and how it might affect their efforts at travel.
However his thoughts were interrupted as his pesquisa detecting a quickly approaching reiatsu of a very familiar texture, and the ringing of the bell above the front door of the Carousel Boutique.
"That's strange, I could've sworn I left the "closed" sign up this morning," Rarity commented, shortly before the pony who'd invaded her store came into view. "Rainbow Dash? What're you doing here, darling?" she asked.
"You..." Rainbow Dash growled as she locked her eyes on Rarity where she stood. "I'm gonna KILL YOU!"
None of them had the opportunity to respond to, or even comprehend, Rainbow Dash's statement, before the cyan pegasus flew into a rage as she flew forward, and slammed into Rarity with full force, sending her flying backwards and crashing into her work table, toppling it and sending the tools of her trade flying in every direction.
Rarity crashed hard to the ground with a cry of pain, landing roughly on her back as she slid along the floor. However she had little time to recover, as Rainbow Dash landed on top of her, effectively pinning her to the floor and leaving her unable to move.
Rainbow Dash glared down at her as she raised her right foreleg, before bringing her hoof down on her face as hard as she could, eliciting a pain-filled scream to accompany the sound of her hoof connecting with her skull. Another quickly followed, and another, and another, and another, each one bringing an accompanying scream. Rarity's attempts at shielding her face and head with her forelegs was ultimately proving futile.
"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight yelled as she approached, far too stunned to be able to construct a more appropriate response to the situation unfolding before her. She didn't have the time necessary to think about what was happening, all she knew was that she had to do something.
Unfortunately Rainbow Dash was in absolutely no mood to talk, and Twilight found that out as she got right within striking range of her friend. She never even saw the blow coming that landed on her face, but she certainly felt it after it landed, finding herself actually sent sailing from the force behind it.
How in Equestria did a pegasus get to be so strong!?
Rainbow Dash seethed as she turned her attention back to Rarity below her, her face and head bloody and bruised as she screamed and cried in both terror and pain, unable to open one eye due to the swelling and bruising already developing around it, while blood leaked from her muzzle and stained her white fur. But it was far from over, as the next thing she became aware of was a pair of scissors laying close by, sent flying by the impact against the table. Without a single word she reached out and grasped them in her right hoof, and lifted them up over her head, before jamming them down as hard as she could, aimed right for Rarity's exposed snow-white neck.
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Um. What the hell Rainbow?
And suddenly, shit gets real and weird all at once! What the hell, Rainbow?!
Woah. Suddenly, Rainbow Snaps!
...Dun. Dun. Duuuuuuuun!
???? im lost
What... The fuck?
I get the feeling I can guess the first few lines of the next chapter.
Just before rainbow dash was about to connect the scissors to Rarity's neck
She found herself much farther away and held back by the hand of the still stoic espada
"What exactly has caused this intent to murder your supposed friend?" Ulquiorra said in his even tone.
Or something along those lines.
Excellent chapter, loved it.
well what do you know admittedly i was skimming ever chapter till something interesting happened and its finally here rainbow is attacking her friends for some reason
The end of this chapter gets this reaction from me:
Okay who here besides me wants to see Ulqiorra vs., Tirek?
4370490
I've not seen a single episode of season 4, and even I can say based on what I read. I want this.
And it can only end with one thing
True despair
4370508 Season finale: Warning! Spoilers!
4370524
Maybe I was wrong to stop watching....
Though comparing him to
I think there would be a clear winner.
4370558 I think it would be hard to say since after Tirek absorbed Twilight's powers he god tiered until he was beaten by the Rainbow Power.
I heard of Rocket to Insanity, but this is ridiculous.
Let's see where this goes
4370594
I see your point. Though with ulquiorra's fighting style I think he would have an easier time.
4370622 We'll have to wait and see...
4370648
Indeed.
Though now that I think about it. I kind of want an Ulquiorra-esc character in the show.
Also thinking about how Tirek absorbs magic make me think of the 9th espada with the whole absorbing thing.
4370664 Tirek merely swallows the magic whereas Aaroniero Arruruerie just eats the victim whole.
4370698
Yeah, you're right.
We should probably stop using the comment section like this though.
4370724 Hmm...nah, unless the author says otherwise why not?
Well clearly something must be messing with the girl or what not, no way Rainbow Dash would do even a tenth of that much harm to a friend normally.
I blame that she being manipulated or effected by a spell or some creature, though surprised our favorite hollow hasn't stopped her. It would be easy as pie for him to just blur in and grab the mare and keep her from doing anything with ease until she settled down, or they made her settle down.
Still...daaaaaammmnnnnnn Rarity is not gonna be happy at ALL when this is over, either at Rainbow(on the highly unlikely chance she did this willingly) or at the thing or substance or what have you that made her go crazy. The beat up mare look is not something she will like...
4370735
Ha, guess you have point.
4370748 So thoughts on the upcoming Rainbow Rocks movie?
Awesome chapter!
4370754
Apathy. I know nothing about it, and don't really wish to know anything.
I stopped watching a year ago and this fic has been my only tie with the series.
I did see the other movie, and wasn't to fond of it.
Besides even if I did wish to see it I'll be going to USMC bootcamp soon.
4370766 Wow you've seriously been out of the loop then.
4370773
Yeah. After seeing that fight I have some regret over it. But I don't have time allowed to be regretful.
Though speaking of year ago. in 2 days is this fics anniversary of its creation.
4370781 Meh, just wait until the Season 4 comes out on DVD then you can watch said episodes at your leisure.
4370794
If my financial situation improves, possibly.
Not to sound like I'm fishing for sympathy but I've had to stay at my uncles do to losing my home.
Hence why I'm looking into the Marines.
4370798 Ah, can't be helped then, once things settle down to a degree it would be possible.
4370806
Yeah. Though an upside is not many people want to go to Japan when they go into the Marines.
So I've been guaranteed a free ride to Okinawa if I can get through bootcamp, which I've had a few months of pre-training for already.
4370812 Me, I was trying out for the Naval Reserves back in 2007 or was it 08? Anyway they discovered that I had what's called Cognitive Disorder, basically if you give me an order more than likely I would get distracted, so they deemed me too much of a risk to myself and anyone else so I was honorably discharged before going into basic.
4370831
I've been checked out and I'm completely fine, so I know they'll accept me in.
Sorry to hear about the discharge, at least you didn't go through basic before finding out.
4370837 Meh, I was too lazy for the military anyway, the only reason I applied in the first place was because I was forced to.
The king of cliffhangers everypony, and a psycho berserk Rainbow Dash.
4370847
Well it was for the best then.
4370852 By the way, this is a true story but apparently one applicant neglected to mention a tattoo that he had on his head and when they shaved his hair he explained that he forgot about it and was promptly kicked out.
4370857
I've got no tattoos so thats not a problem.
I've even mentioned to them I have a lazy eye but my other compensates so well that its 4-5 times greater than average.
They said it would be fine.
4370864 Good luck then you're going to need it.
4370872
People always say that to me....
Usually not about this, but for smaller things.
Thank you though.
4370879 Yeah, when you've had a female DI yelling and screaming in your face it'll take every ounce of restraint and common sense not to retaliate.
4370887
Oh if thats what you were referring to then I'll be more than fine, I've had to keep quiet to people yelling at me for so long its become second nature.
Woah
Good chapter.
Should have pointed this out earlier, but...
Equines can't vomit. They are physically incapable of vomiting. Just uh, an FYI.
4370379 Rainbow snaps, sounds like a yummy breakfast cereal
It may have gone a bit too much for me but I do approve of Rainbows' assault on Rarity since she is literally THE worst pone
Also, Uluquireliarah, what's with saving Sweetie before she lands but just standing there while Rarity gets hit three times and Twilight once as well?
4371221 They are also incapable of speech, magic, spontaneous wing/horn growth, weather-manipulation, and flight.
But yeah, the digestive-system is where I draw the line. That's just far too unrealistic.
RAINBOW SMASH!!!!!
4371221 Equines also can't talk, fly or do magic. Nor do they have large heads and they aren't pastel colored. magically appearing butt tatoos. Also, they don't have legs that can move like human arms. So I really don't see your point.
4370326 4370365 4370379 4370400 4370406 4370423 4370454 4370601 4370851 4371263
I stated that shit was going to hit the fan this week. I never said that the shit would make sense.
4370414
Perhaps.
4370490 4370508
No you really wouldn't want to see Ulquiorra vs Tirek occur. And I can tell you why. As logical as Ulquiorra is, he would make every effort to observe Discord from a distance, utilizing him like a bird dog to flush out or otherwise locate Tirek in his weakened state, before stepping in to intervene. The conflict would be short and brutal, consisting of impalement right through the chest from behind, descorring him back to the gates of Tartarus before he could retaliate, and then drop kicking his wrinkly ass back through the gates.
And poor Twilight would continue to remain uncertain of her place in Equestria.
4370766
Bootcamp?
4371221 4371493 4371501
As Rainbow Dash said a few chapters back, Exhibit A
4371847
Yeah that being the "fight" between them makes a lot more sense.