The "feast" of Lerris was a very calm, quiet, and relatively subdued affair. Several tables had been set up across the centermost courtyard of the town. Here, ponies either sat with plates of fish and rice or they stood beneath torchlight, chatting and mingling. All the while, most eyes darted towards the center table, where Golden Happenstance sat along with Beau and the elite guests: Pilate, Bellesmith, and of course Kera. Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be seen.
"Where'd she go, anyway?" Ebon asked.
"I saw her circling overhead just a few minutes ago," Eagle Eye remarked. He dabbed his chin daintily with a napkin and placed it atop his empty plate as he sat back in his stool, swirling a goblet of cranberry juice in his hoof. "It's just like her to get a survey of the land," he said with a smirk.
Ebon squinted up at the sky. "It's getting kind of dark, and she doesn't exactly have your eyes."
Eagle shrugged. "She's been doing nothing but chatting up the locals about Lerris for the past hour or so. I'd say she's having herself a little break."
"She isn't very social around strangers, is she?"
"I'd beg to differ," Eagle Eye said. "I think she's the kind of pony who's built to be the center of the spotlight. Only... well... because of her past and all, she's not altogether thrilled to get to know just anypony during her travels." He took a sip and smirked to himself. "Becoming a permanent friend to Rainbow Dash is like a supremely awesome accomplishment."
"What..." Ebon fidgeted. "What kind of past do you think she has?"
Eagle Eye bit his lip. "To be honest, I've only been told so little by Rainbow Dash. Even Belle—who knows everything about her—is hesitant to share information."
"Doesn't... that bother you?"
"Hey, most of us haven't had very pleasant pasts. Why should I judge Rainbow?"
"No, not that you." Ebon leaned his elbows against the table and sighed. "I mean, the fact that neither Rainbow or Belle are willing to volunteer much information about her past."
Eagle said, "I know that Rainbow's lost a lot of ponies that were close to her. I know that she's got a lot to be sad about but she puts on a brave face for her friends. In other words, I know enough that I wouldn't want to pry."
"I'm sorry..." Ebon bit his lip. "I wasn't really trying to pry either."
"Hey. It's alright!" Eagle Eye gestured at Ebon's full plate. "Aren't you going to have a bite, Mr. Cook? Just hours ago, you were going ga-ga over a chance to sample this place's food."
"I... uh..." Ebon winced. "I lost my appetite."
"Awwww..." Eagle pouted. "Why? You feeling sick?"
"Just thinking..." Ebon shifted in his seat. "It must be nice to have a past in the first place, even if it isn't altogether pleasant."
Eagle Eye blinked at that. His ears folded as he sighed, then pivoted to face Ebon. "Maybe, y'know, it's about time we told the others."
"Told the others what?"
"About how you don't remember anything." Eagle smiled gently. "I'm happy to keep the truth secret as long as you want me to, but I don't think it's too healthy to bottle it all in, y'know?"
"I... uh..." Ebon gulped. "I think the others have enough on their plate without me complicating their headspace with my own issues."
"So what?" Eagle smiled. "We're all friends here. We're here for you as much as we're here for Kera."
"Don't you get how special this is for the little filly, Eagle?!" Ebon's brow furrowed as he looked at the other stallion sharply. "She's getting acquainted with her hometown. All of this stuff means something to her, and she's relearning it all over again!"
"If you could say so," Eagle Eye said with a slight shiver. He glanced over at the main table. "If you ask me, I'd say she's been on pins and needles ever since she came here."
"Just you wait," Ebon said in a dull tone. "She'll come around. Already, she's starting to relax."
"Heh..." Eagle Eye chuckled. "How can you tell?"
"I can. I just... I just can..."
Silence.
"Ever the mystery, Ebon," Eagle Eye mused. "I'd say you belong with the Jury more than ever."
"Probably because—just like everypony else—I can't help it."
"Huh?"
Ebon looked at the ex-mercenary again. "Answer me this. If your father accepted you for who you are... if your family was more than willing to accept you in open arms... if there was nothing to ridicule or persecute you back in Franzington, would you really be with the Jury today?"
Eagle Eye opened his mouth, but he hung there in muddled thought. His eyes turned glossy in the torchlight as he eventually murmured, "No. No, I... I wouldn't be here." He gritted his teeth. "I wouldn't even have followed Crimson as far as I did, I guess..."
"Eagle Eye, the Noble Jury is my home," Ebon said. "At least... it's the closest thing I have to a home. The only place I remember where I've felt comfortable."
"Not even in Gray Smoke—?"
"I love Propsy to death. Don't get me wrong. But her innocence and naivete is oftentimes a barrier that isolates me. I'd be sad without her, but I can't exactly be myself around her either. But here? With so many unique and honest and upfront ponies? With somepony as courageous as Rainbow Dash? With someone as smart and thoughtful as Pilate? With... with..." Ebon shrugged and pointed. "Well, with you..."
Eagle blinked.
Ebon took a deep breath and smiled warmly. "I feel at home when I'm with you." A twitch. "The whole lot of you, I mean."
"Er... r-right." Eagle coughed. "Of course."
"But Kera?" Ebon turned to gaze melancholically at the table. "There's no doubt that she loves Pilate and Bellesmith dearly, just like I lean so much on Props' shoulders. But there's more to it than that. She's got an inner-strength, stronger than either of her foster parents, maybe even stronger than Roarke's and Rainbow's. She's survived on it for so long that she's grown callous to her own memories. And now, thanks to Pilate and Belle bringing us here, everything's all flooding back to her. And... and..."
"You think she'll drown in her memories?"
"No, Eagle Eye. I have every faith that she'll swim to shore. She's a strong mare beneath her young exterior. And while that's good for her... I... I feel sad. I feel very, very sad."
"Why, Ebon? Why so sad?"
The stallion sniffled, leaning against the table as he shuddered to say, "Because I feel... I know in my heart that a piece of my home is going to crumble away." He winced. "And I don't think I have the wherewithawal to catch myself as Kera does."
A lavender hoof gently squeezed his.
With a startled breath, Ebon was shaken from his sorrowful gaze. He turned to look at the petite stallion.
Eagle smiled. "Hey. You're going to have a home. Okay?"
"But... but if—"
"Even if Rainbow Dash was to leave us tomorrow. Even if the Noble Jury was to suddenly burst into flames." Eagle Eye winked. "I promise you, you'll find your home, Ebon, and you're going to be happy."
Ebon blinked, then briefly frowned. "You can't possibly know that."
"I don't care," Eagle Eye said, squeezing his hoof again. "You deserve the best life imaginable, and as a friend and a soldier, I'll defend your right to happiness to the bitter end. Okay?"
Ebon opened his mouth to protest, but said nothing. His gaze lingered on the warmth in Eagle's violet eyes as they reflected the first stars of the evening. He exhaled and produced a thin smile. "You really are a princess, you know that?"
Eagle's muzzle scrunched up at that. "What has Josho told you?"
"Nothing." Ebon smirked. "All he does is belch in my general direction."
"Yeah..." Eagle Eye giggled. "The old stallion will do that. Just wave your tail in his direction and he'll learn twice."
"Pffft... sure, alright."
Both chuckled into the torchlit night.
D'aww...
Really laying the changeling sauce on thick in this one.
...that sounded a lot better in my head.
Shiptease. Shiptease everywhere.
Ebon's past might come to bite him rather soon now.
~Basso
I love me some EE-Ebon interaction.
You're not entirely off the hook, Ebon.
I'm still onto you.
Stop with the ship tease!
I'm trying to be suspicious of you!
The shipping!
The changeling hints!
The suspense!
...but wait, there's more!
I totally forgot that only Eagle Eye knows that Ebon doesn't remember his past. That...complicates things.
um... ya okee.
3908213 I agree. It's getting slathering it all over everything. The fact that Ebon can't remember his past combined with "knowing" Kera's feelings is highly suspicious.
I know this isn't exactly from this chapter but anybody mind filling me in on this? I can't remember it.
3908213
I'm sure that 'changeling' would like to lay some sauce out. Possibly just for EE.
Er, I mean, chefs do that sort of thing.
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Cold Canter, most likely. Austraeoh, desert edition. Way back when.
Ebon really is starting to seem more and more like a changeling......
Also, in regards to the shiptease:
A Couple of Colts...who were up to no good?
I hope things aint progressing towards another Buggy.
As others have noted, the changeling!Ebon theory seems to have gained some ground. I'd forgotten about his memory loss. And I can't help but remember that Seclorum didn't seem to know that he was a changeling. Curiouser and curiouser.
And maybe, just maybe, EE will find that "somepony to come home to" that he's always talked about.
3908764
yeah...totally possible Ebon gets knocked out, and then somewhere along the line Changeling!Ebon wakes up.
3908213 And they called me crazy when I pointed it out in the past.
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Aside from changelings or wendigoes, I don't know of any other cannon creature that have some sort of empath-like abilities...
The sexual tension is as thick as Gak.
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...wow.
Certainly have come a long way, have we not?
Yup, EbonEye/EagleMane is new OTP
Is it really so hard to believe a straight guy and a... probable gay guy can be bros?
I'd normally say that sugary-sweet shipping is enough to make me gak, but the budding relationship between EE and Sailboat, with the implication of Sailboat potentially being a changeling, is working very well.
It looks like Kera may have to deal with some inner conflict very soon, and then everyone else will be sad. Or the villagers will be sad. And stuff. I can only guess, I have no idea where this is going to end up.
I just know something big and bad is going to happen soon. It really feels like we're in the proverbial 'eye of the storm' right now.
say it ebon! and yea..changeling suspicions growing...
I'm sure someone can go through the records about 150+ chapters and look at the comments.
Ebon = Changling?
I fucking called it.
3908662 Are you expecting trouble in the neighbourhood?
So I have one good reason Ebon cant be a changeling, if he was he would have lost his disguise when Rainbow used the flame to uncloak all the changelings, so unless he is some kind of super changeling who cant lose his disguise, he cant be a changeling. (I may be wrong im just saying what i think.)
Well shit. Well, if all of those comments are right after all, at least he won't go hungry.
I'll probably die from diabetes when they first kiss anyway. Or shred my vocal chords by squealing.
3910949 You can't die, Nev. You're already dead.
~Basso
3910787 Princess Buch Tania Lasarfion, a changeling queen, didn't lose her disguise either. So the royal class of changelings seem to have been immune to it. And if Ebon is writing letters to his mother, and his mother is the changeling queen, he may be royalty as well, and hence immune to the rainbow blast reveal power.
Daww budding gay love~
I'm a RainxProps can, but I'll take what I can get. IC is very good at this, and he's got so much character to work with.
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
I see...at this point, I'm thinking that Ebon is a deserter changeling. This could become interesting later on along with his EE bromance. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
4079788 maybe he lost his memory when he severed his connection to the hive mind. Like, all their memories are stored on the cloud, and he severed the link.
4079788 I was having the same thoughts. Be interesting to se how this plays out
Is Ebon a changeling?
-Spirit
4089188
Lost my shit like you wouldn't believe~
Ebon Mane is totally a changeling
4089188 now THAT was funny lol
Eagle Eye and Ebon Mane are adorable together! *Squee*
So . . . there are a trillion unanswered questions here and shipping. I wonder how long we'll wait for the answers.
There's enough shipping fuel on the jury to keep it powered for thousands of years.
The picture is quickly coming into focus now...only a matter of time.
Literally everyone aboard the Jury has no home except Kera, and maybe Zaid. We don't know enough about Zaid though. A very sad and strange common bond.
I wonder what's going to happen to Ebony to remind him that he's a changeling
Aw, how cute! It's really nice to see a back and forth like this after all the... other back and forths like this.
To me, though, it seems suspicious how Ebon didn't go all changeling like the others at the end of the battle a couple dozen chapters back. Even though all the other signs point towards "bug butt"...
I dunno. Doesn't sit right.
Is EE just going to bromance all of them?
BRUH
I'm firmly in the camp of "Ebon Mane is a changeling" at this point. I'm now also firmly in the camp of shipping Eagle and Ebon.
I really really want to see a sappy scene of Eagle finding out and like loving Ebon anyways I know it's cliche but I'm a sucker for that shit okayI'm starting to come around to the Ebon's-a-changeling theory.
Does he ever actually eat food? Or does he just like to make food for other ponies to enjoy?
Make ready the sails.