A Verdict By Blood
“She… she…” Bellesmith stammered between panting breaths. Her eyes darted to Pilate and the rest of the Jurists lined up beneath the trained manarifles of the collective Ledomaritans. “Rainbow Dash has… has…” Her chestnut brown eyes twitched, and she glanced up. “She’s abandoned us!”
Eagle Eye squirmed slightly, saying nothing. Ebon Mane watched with mouth agape as he embraced Props’ fallen body.
Shell stood above Belle, his eye carving a circle in the deck around her. “Has she, now?”
“We thought she was loyal!” Belle leaned up, gnashing her teeth as she spat, “But she wasn’t! She was a coward! We reached the Eastern Front, and she saw the resistance we’d be facing and she fled!”
“By wing or by hoof?”
“She fled, okay?!” Belle frowned, her eyes growing misty. “She took that heartless… b-bastard of a Searonese bounty hunter with her and the two of them flew southeast, past the front, in hopes that they could sneak quietly past Xonan territory together!”
Shell’s nostrils flared. As the horn around his neck clattered, he shuffled over, knelt down, and stared Belle face to face. The mare couldn’t help but flinch as his sullen breath cascaded across her muzzle. “Tell me, sweet sweet Doctor, would I abandon my own stallions? Even if facing the wrath of the Spark itself?”
Belle blinked, her eyes full of his scarred features and unkempt mane. She took two breaths, inhaling the rancid scent of his unbathed coat, and she whimpered, “No. No, you w-wouldn’t, would you…?”
“Then why should I believe you when you tell me that the target has done something so traitorous to her own beloveds?” Shell tilted her chin up as he hissed, “The Spark built a mirror, you see. A mirror painted with the blood of foals, and until my reflection fades…” His good eye twitched, and he almost sobbed the next few words out. “The father never yields. Never ever…” His teeth clattered, echoing the sound of the horn dangling from his neck. “I owe her that much. I owe you that much. I owe everypony… everypony who trots this world with respect and decency. The chase has to end, and only then will the blood mirror shatter.”
Belle’s brow furrowed. Her mouth opened, but she was at a lost for words. The blackness beyond Shell’s pupil was starting to consume her--
Just then, he stood up. “I gave you choices, doctor,” Shell said, his horn glowing. “And you chose the wrong one.” From beneath his uniform, a gun with a silver handle floated free. Its familiarity caused the likes of Eagle Eye and Bellesmith to gasp. “If there is nothing that I seek here, then there really shouldn’t be anything here.”
“Shell, she’s southeast with the Xonans, I swear to you!” Bellesmith exclaimed, starting to hyperventilate. Her eyes darted from the dangling horn to his face. “She’s in a giant floating stronghold run by Princess Lasairfion and they’ve captured the Lightning Bearer--”
“You’ve lied to me before. Why should I expect the truth now?” He loaded a bullet into the gun and cocked it. “Why should I desire the truth?”
“Because if the Xonans are stopped, it could end this war! Isn’t that more important than capturing Rainbow Dash--?!”
”Nothing is more important!” Shell hollered, his voice booming across the clouds. “I don’t expect you to understand! Then again, I don’t expect you to comprehend anything without a head!” He knocked Pilate aside, marched over, and shoved Belle to the floor. “Just as the target took my daughter from me…” He pressed his hoof against the back of her skull and aimed the gun barrel to her temple. “...so shall I take a beloved friend from her!”
“Belle--!” Pilate sobbed.
”Imre!” Belle shouted.
The silver gun’s trigger froze halfway. With loose magic, the weapon floated away. Shell leaned over, hissing, “What was that…?”
“I… I…” Belle gulped and glanced up at him through the corner of her eye. “I can reunite the two of you…”
Shell’s good eye narrowed.
She seethed and limped forth, “I can junction with her!” A nervous gulp. “I can open communication between the two of you. Let you hear words that she always wanted to tell her father. I… I…” She glanced at the dangling horn, shivering. “I can teach you to listen to her…”
Shell stared at her. For a moment, it looked like his eye was glistening, but one harsh blink got rid of that. “How is that even possible?” he droned. His hoof gripped the horn in a trembling gesture. “There is hardly anything left…”
“The horn is everything about a unicorn,” Belle stammered. “I should know this.” Her jaws clenched from beneath the weight of his hoof as she added, “And so should you. Even with the h-heart and the mind gone…” Her teeth gnashed together. “There is something worth salvaging.”
Shell was silent.
“Would you…. would you abandon her now, Shell?”
The stallion jerked back, his features paling. He took several heavy breaths as a cold wind blew at his mane.
An enforcer leaned towards him. “Prime Enforcer? Sir, are you--”
”Silence!” he barked, training the gun on him for a few trembling seconds. He let his face fall to the top deck as he shivered in place. After several moments, he finally calmed, and glanced up at the mare seated across from him. “What must be done? Do you need sequencing equipment?”
“What I need…” Belle glared icily as she stood up, staring fixedly at him. “...is for you to leave my friends, my beloved, and everypony on this ship alone.”
“Belle, what are you--” Pilate started.
“Do I make myself clear?!” Belle leaned forward, snarling. “If you must chase after Rainbow Dash, so be it! But if I do this for you, you leave everypony else alone!”
Shell stared at her. At last, his lips dripped. “Agreed.” He jerked aside, then motioned towards a pair of enforcers.
Two soldiers rushed up and grabbed Belle from behind. She winced as she was forced towards the skiff levitating alongside the Noble Jury’s port side.
“Belle, no!” Pilate stood up and galloped towards the sound of her scuffling hooves. “Belle, don’t do this!”
Belle leaned forward and nuzzled the zebra. “Darling, I have to. It’s the only way--”
“No, it isn’t!” he stammered, tears rolling down his striped face. “You can’t trust him! There’s gotta be another way!”
“You’re the smartest stallion in the world, beloved. But with all due respect, I thought of it first.” She smiled bitterly. She leaned forward to kiss him, but he was being yanked away by other soldiers.
“Belle…” Pilate sobbed, thrashing helplessly in the enforcers’ grasp. “Belle, I love you! Please! Don’t do this!”
“I love you too, Pilate,” she breathed, her face awash with tears. “That’s why I am…”
Ebon’s voice gasped from beyond view. Out of nowhere, Props was back on her hooves and rushing towards the mare. “Belle! Sweet, sweet Belle!” She somehow managed to reach her way through the enforcers and give the mare a tender hug. “You are so brave! So beautiful! And so… so sisterly!”
“Uhhhhh…” Belle squinted at her. “That is nice of you to say, Props--” She froze, her face blinking blankly as she felt Props’ right hoof slipping something deep into the cluster of her chestnut brown tail hairs, hidden. “Uhhh… Props?”
The enforcers forced the blonde pony away and onto the top deck. “You be a good mare, Belley Belley!” She winked through cracked goggles. “And we’ll speak again!”
“Yes…” Belle slowly nodded as she was ushered onto the floating skiff. “Yes, I think we will…”
One by one, the enforcers ditched the top deck of the awkwardly floating Jury and mounted the skiff. At last, it was Shell’s turn. He paused, staring at the injured crew members lying in separate piles across the ship. With a deep breath, he back trotted onto the miniature transport and grunted, “Back to the Steel Wing. All eyes on the doctor.”
As the skiff floated away, Belle kept her teary eyes locked on Pilate’s figure.
The zebra sat alone in the blistery high winds. As the vessel puttered away, he collapsed into a black and white heap, sobbing openly.
Belle’s eyes turned too cloudy to register anything at this point. She buried her face in a pair of quivering forelimbs. Somewhere in the midst of cold breezes and roaring manaengines, she heard Shell’s deep voice.
“Evans. This is Shell. Do you copy?” A deathly pause. “Fire when ready.”
Belle gasped, her eyes exploding wide. She spun in time to see the Prime Enforcer lowering a sound stone from his muzzle. “What… but…?!”
“We have work to do, doctor,” he said. Beyond him, the Steel Wing was pivoting so that its broad side faced the Noble Jury once again. The skiff lowered out of range. “Eyes front.”
“Shell, you monster!” Belle snarled, slapping her hooves against his muscled side. “You’ve got me for speaking with Imre! Isn’t that enough?!”
“It’s not a reunion, doctor. It’s a memorial. Nothing will bring back what the target has taken from me.”
“We had an agreement!” Belle shrieked. “We agreed that you would leave my friends alone!”
“And indeed, they will be left unbothered…” He icily turned to stare at her. “For all eternity.” He waved a hoof into the air.
Belle spun. The cannonshots masked her high-pitched scream.
All it took was two flashes. The starboard side of the Noble Jury burst into flames. The skystone buckled and the steam thrusters flew loose. Like a giant anvil, the entire ship plunged into the clouds below, falling to a burning death.
“The mirror reflects true, doctor…” Shell leaned forward, whispering into her ear as the hellish noise beyond settled. “Now you can join me and the target in the blood. We are finally equal.” He patted her shoulder lovingly. “My beloved Imre awaits us all…”
She was too busy sobbing Pilate’s name over and over, curled in a little golden ball as the skiff docked with the Steel Wing and was hoisted far away.
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I guess that making deals with Shell don't make ANY sense at all. From the very beginning I simply knew that something is not getting right here. And then *BAM*, we got our so truthful and so cunning Shell.
...
I'm not sure how Shell will die, but it will be a turning point for the entire Austraeoh series.
well.
f
k
wonder how they're gonna survive this one
...
I had hoped belle would tell shell something like 'I can't do either of those things, you insane, murderous bastard, because I do not have rainbow dash, and, not bei g a coward, I do not posess a cowardly spine'
Goddammit, Shell. Goddamn you.
No workout today... just a breath or two.
I refuse to believe the Noble Jury's crew is dead. Ponies in this story have survived worse. Remember rule one: no body, no proof.
That said ... damn it, Shell. Would it kill you to go with a sane and nonviolent solution for once?
I honestly don't know what I expected.
3497563 Yes. Yes it probaby would. I assume that's the reason he's not dead yet.
You son of a whore!
Shell, I will kill you! Do you hear me!
I will wipe your existence off the face of this Spark forsaken world!
You will know my wrath when I lay my vengeance down upon thee!
3497568 Obviously we have to have him get a vision of Imre in his dreams who finally gets him to un-snap and then die from making a sane decision!
3497542 You WANTED Belle to get shot in the face?!
3497539 With one antagonist gone, we'd probably get more of a focus on Rainbow.
All of this said, it is possible that the Nancy Jane's crew is dead. This is Shell, after all. He'll probably lower to ground level and shoot every single bit of remains himself.
By then, we'd get a focus on two or three protagonists, depending on whether Belle somehow could escape from Shell.
Gah.. Shell is doing the same he always has. Get what he wants, wipe out the history immediately so there can be no back tracking.
The only thing I can think of now, is that everyone jumps for it, and Simon has enough nuts left to slow them before they hit the ground.
Unless the crystal rig is still in place, and Simon, Floyd, Pilate jury rig the skystone, to Simon, to lad the Jury herself, which would be right up there with Dash beating Basso in a hoof wresling contest.
3497563
no body, no proof
no body, no proof
no body, no proof
no body, no proof
*curls into a ball*
DON'T SPLIT THE PARTY... Argh, it is Inna all over again.
Oh, and one massive headache incoming for Josho through the link with Pilate.
riding for a fall..
I never would have expected Belle to turn on Rainbow Dash the way she did, even if it were in an attempt to save her friends. Something about her lying like that... just doesn't feel right.
Did you expect anything else, guys?
I honestly am not sure if Shell's even really a part of the story anymore. It's not like the last two stories where he was constantly on the tails of our heroes and an ominous, constant threat. Now he just sort of pops in and ruins things. Hopefully he actually dies soon, I think he's overstayed his welcome, even as far as easily hate-able antagonists go.
Although, don't hate me for this... The cast might have been getting a little too big anyways, as much as I love 'em all.
3497594, 3497539 You know...
Once that (If?) Shell is gone, who will fill that receptacle of hate?
Khao is more misguided than outright evil, maybe Princess Lasairfion...
I guess we'll have to wait and see.
3497684 Yeah... Remember back in Innavedr?
Wow. Sorry, Khao, but looks like Shell has reclaimed his position at the top of my hit list.
3497635
Pilate has fallen out of a ship before and survived...
Well shit.
There are a lot of possible outcomes here. Maybe they escaped to another part of the ship before the impact. Maybe somehow they'll crawl away from the wreckage, not unscathed, but alive. Hell, maybe Simon can somehow slow the fall, and soften the landing.
I want to be optimistic about this, but something tells me it is as bad as it looks. After all, that happens a lot here in good 'ol Ledomare.
Something, something, no corpses, yada yada. So yeah, they're alive. Worst case scenario, one or two of them don't make it. Shell better hope a certain elk doesn't survive, or else his ass is Floydien's.
I didn't expect Belle to take that approach. It was gutsy, but I had a feeling it would backfire.
Sigh. So long, Nancy Jane. We hardly knew ye. Hopefully, this'll take a Flight of the Phoenix route, because them having their own, specialized ship was pretty snazzy.
*waves* Bye-bye, Nancy.
Shell is like an 8-ball that keeps knocking the other balls around.
Speaking of beloveds, if Floydien makes it out of this alive, Shell had better look out.
...ohgod...
My mind tells me they're still alive, somehow, but I can't see any explanation for it....
Goddamn you, Shell...
3497905 Im just surprised he doesn't have a phobia for flying vessels yet
I told you that Nancy Jane wouldn't make it! Not too sure about the rest of the crew though...
What were you up to, Propsy? Obviously Belle is still alive as bait for RD, the Noble Jury does not have confirmed head-splosions, and I don't know whether Belle was talking out of her rear end about the 'speaking-with-the-dead' thing. That would certainly be interesting...
Next chapter: Probably RD!
…ouch.
~Basso
...and then everyone got separated again... -,-
DAMMIT SHELL THIS IS WHY WE CANT HAVE NICE THINGS!
3497688
Yah, pretty much an ignorant bullpooper who already got her mind closed with three thousand locks guarded by a japanese demon made of unbreakable stone, but for all she knows, she's basically helping Austraeoh by guiding her through the righteous path and saving her from the false Eljunbyro.
At least she's trying to make the world work better.
Kinda has the right idea.
But just the idea, everything else is just hilariously wrong and omgkhaowhathehellaryoudoingyoushouldnteven.
son of a muffin huffer, why!!!!!!
I know shell has lost it, but this is bordering on impossible levels of insanity. If my feels go unchecked any longer I might just friggin explode.
3497684 I'm pretty sure it was a calculated move. Belle had time and time again shown that she is loyal to the group including dash and I think she chose the best option with the limited time she had. She got more time to think of how to stop shell
That's it. I'm done with Shell. He's an effective villain but ow, now I have lost ALL, any shred of pity and sympathy fr him. I hope Chaos Dash rips his rib cage out and spills the bile from his intestines into his empty eye sockets and puts Imre's horn in places that makes him sear in agony so intense that it feels like an eternity. FUCKER JUST BLEW THE NOBLE JURY APART!
What? I'm not mad because I think he killed those aboard. Lol, I can imagine they are hurt but not dead...or at least not ALL dead...maybe.
No! NO! Yes! YES! I suppose the Jury technically counts as a character. A real blow, a deep blow, a SERIOUS blow at least. Though I suspect that on the long run, even ol' Nancy herself will fly again. Until then I will sit back and watch it burn. Related picture:
static.ddmcdn.com/gif/storymaker-nero-palace-rome-archaeology-slide-show-1104151-515x388.jpg
But I do so love crazy psychopaths.
This paragraph is the best thing I've read in months. This part alone sent shivers down my spine.
and when your face lie on the floor our loving eyes did meet once more and so I pledged to you that day the Brotherhood would dearly pay and just as they took me from you I'd find and kill their mother too
Well. Ah. Hm... That happened. Don't worry everyone, I'm sure they're fine and they all teleported off Nancy Jane somehow. I mean, we thought Kera was dead that one time and she was okay. Its not like IC is gonna kill them off just like that, right? Right guys?
*Wimpers*
You can't reason with the unreasonable.
Some days I want to reach into a piece of entertainment and rip a character's heart out through his anus via his eye sockets. That's my reaction to Shell's every appearance.
Too bad Shell already did that to himself.
Doubt it would kill him, anyway.
I get the sense that the survivors are as follows:
Props
Pilate
Ebon Mane
and Eagle Eye
That is all.
We have now hit a category five shit storm, and we are not even halfway done yet.
;_;
They aren't dead. Unless somebody's head got blown off,they aren't dead.
I am waiting for the mutiny lead by Evans.
It has to happen at some point.
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
Oh, dear...I pray that Props' little item is something that'll help them through this fix. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
I guess that's one way to clear all ties holding Rainbow here. If they were actually dead that is. Which they are not.
This whole chapter was, um, kinda dumb. Shell for worst character. Pilate for least believable emotional response.
What is it with mad villains and mirrors? It's epicly creepy as hell, but damn...
Also - Shell is stupid. Why would Belle help him now? If she thinks everyone she loves is either missing or dead (yes, "thinks" - too much time has been spent building the Noble Jury for them to be taken out in one fell swoop like that - although it was epic and feels-inducing) then why would she bother? I suppose he's going to physically force her, now that she's on his ship and personally under his command, but still...
The next bits are going to be pretty epic, in any case. Have I said epic enough, d'you think? No?
Epic.
Onward!
3497717 but you still get this consolation prize of a 3 days, two nights, all expenses paid vacation in DOUCHEVILLE!
And here I thought Shell might actually hold his end of the bargain... I suppose it was naïve of me to think he would actually keep a promise. He's progressively gotten more and more insane and cruel as the story has progressed. By now, he's the kind of guy who points a gun at you, shouts "Your money or your life!", takes every cent you own, shoots you anyway, and kills all of your family and friends just for good measure.
-Spirit
CALLED IT
I knew shell would pull a Tarkin.
"continue with the operation. you may fire when ready."
tyrannical types are so predictable.
It's always something, huh? Shell, you truly are an evil bastard.