86. Winding Down
By the time Celestia and I climb back up the ramp and into the main camp, the sun has already reached its zenith, beaming rays of light down on the camp. Not much has changed in the camp since the last time I was up here, considering the worker ponies are still chilling up here without a clue on what to do.
Opal is in the middle of the camp, sitting down on a log with some of the other workers, warming herself with the campfire that's been set up there. She immediately gets to her hooves when she sees Celestia and I approaching.
“Princess! Are you alright?” Opal exclaims, running to meet us. Her words cause the other workers within earshot to stop whatever they're doing and crane their heads to get a glimpse of one of their rulers. “We felt some tremors while you were down there...we were afraid it was going to happen again.”
“Thank you, miss Opal. You honor me with your concern,” Celestia answers graciously, coming to a halt in front of the project lead. “Do not worry; Seth and I are largely unharmed, for the most part.”
“Oh, that's a relief to hear. What about the monsters? Did you clear them out?” Opal questions nervously.
“Yes, the problem is dealt with. The ruins are safe now,” Celestia responds, much to Opal's delight. “You may inform the others that they may return to work.”
“Excellent! Thank you so much, Princess,” Opal expresses gratefully. With a dip of her head, she retreats to the campfire. “Everypony, let's get to work!”
With that one announcement, the camp bursts into activity, the workers gathering their tools and getting ready to continue the expedition at long last. Celestia smiles fondly at the sight. “I wish them luck. Any discoveries that they can make will no doubt benefit us greatly.”
“Right. No doubt they have enough shit to sift through to last them a while,” I remark, speaking up for the first time since getting back to the surface. “Let's get to Luna. I can't even express in words how much I want to be home right now.”
“I understand,” Celestia replies with a chuckle. I sigh and follow her through the camp towards the main tent.
Rainbow and Twilight are the next ponies to meet us. The both of them are both standing beneath a canopy near the entrance of the main tent. The moment they see us, they both canter towards us, looking both curious and anxious.
“Did you two end up fighting? I could tell from all the way up here!” Rainbow demands, screeching to a halt just in front of me. Twilight says something similar, only she stops just in front of Celestia. “You better not have gotten hurt.”
“What's that supposed to mean? Don't tell me you were worried,” I tease her. My cheekiness earns me a shove from her two front hooves, causing me to reel back and chuckle. “No seriously, why were you even worried? Celestia is with me, and anything that picks a fight with her is just plain stupid. She wrecks everything.”
“Yeah, I guess...jerk,” Rainbow grumbles, though she does walk around me so that she can stand at my side. At my mention of Celestia, she nods and grins. “Remembering seeing her in the wedding hall, practically bringing the sun down to us?”
“There's no way I'm forgetting that. She shows up ready to kick some ass, and Chrysalis is just lying there, all like, 'fuck, fuck!'” I joke, causing Rainbow to laugh, and Celestia to glance over at me with a wry smile. “Anyway, we did run into some monsters down there, but Celestia steamrolled them like she does everything, so it wasn't a problem.”
“She did what to them?” Rainbow questions. Right, they don't have steamrollers yet.
“Ran them over,” I correct. Rainbow nods, understanding. “If you want to hear the full version, come with us to see Luna. We've got some shit to tell her.”
“That is a good idea. Come, dear Twilight. You will hear all about our discoveries down in the ruins shortly,” Celestia agrees, cutting off the stream of questions coming out of Twilight's mouth. “Let us hurry. I believe the captain may already be here?”
“Captain? What captain? Shining Armor? Blades? Who?” I ask curiously, passing through the flap of canvas into the tent. Confusingly enough, none of those ponies are in the tent. Instead, the only ones here are Luna and another pony mare that I don't recognize.
I quirk an eyebrow at the pony I don't know. She's a pegasus with a dark blue coat and a similarly colored mane. Light blue eyes gaze out from beneath a hardened brow, watching the four of us as we enter. Yeah, if this is the captain Celestia mentioned, I don't have a clue who she is.
“Sister, thou hast returned.” Luna walks over to meet us the moment we enter, looking serious. “We were very close to coming down there ourselves.”
“Trust me, Celestia did not need any help,” I remark, much to Luna's annoyance. Behind us, Twilight and Rainbow enter the tent and sit down, likely recognizing that this is a likely going to be a military meeting. “The Oppressed never knew what hit them.”
“Nevertheless, 'twas worrying. We sensed a most curious magic down there, apart from thine,” Luna returns. Hm, she's no doubt talking about that unknown entity we ran into down there. “Sister, can thou shed some light on the subject?”
“Of course. But before that, Seth,” Celestia responds, turning to look at me. She indicates the dark blue mare standing near us. “I would like to introduce you to Moonlit Gale, captain of the Stealth Corps.”
Captain Gale lowers her head politely and extends a front hoof to me. I hesitantly reach forward and accept her hoofshake. So, this is the head of the Stealth Corps that I heard about a long time ago from Luna, just after Chrysalis escaped. Where the hell was she during the Royal Wedding?
“Captain Gale? Okay, now that's a pretty cool name,” I admit, withdrawing my hand. Gale's response is to give a polite laugh as she sets her hoof back on the ground. “So what are you doing here?”
“I'm here on orders of both princesses, to give my report,” Gale answers formally. Huh, the way she's talking all formal reminds me an awful lot of Rose. I sure hope Gale isn't a bitch like Rose is, otherwise this meeting will be rather unpleasant.
“Quite so. I would like to hear your findings once we are finished discussing the ruins,” Celestia rejoins. She meets Luna's gaze. “Speaking of which, this is what Seth and I discovered...”
Luna is understandably appalled by what we have to tell her. As if knowing that undead monsters resistant to magic exist wasn't bad enough, now she knows that there's a lot more out there unaccounted for. The clincher is the revelation that there's something out there with magic like mine. That gets a shocked reaction from everypony except Gale.
“Is it King Sombra?” Luna demands anxiously, grinding her hoof into the ground furiously. “Did he somehow manage to return?”
“No. It was not Sombra. The entity was using dark magic, but its composition is slightly different than his. It is a very similar feeling to what I sense from Seth...but not quite,” Celestia responds. Luna releases a sigh of relief, once again making me wonder how terrifying Sombra must have been to make Celestia and Luna so afraid of him, even now. “We must assume it is another of Sombra's allies. It must be, as it knows necromancy in addition to its normal magic. It was able to command the Oppressed in the absence of the heart.”
“Troubling...'tis very troubling,” Luna muses. “We suppose thou art correct. King Sombra's magic was much stronger than what we sensed.”
“Pardon the interruption, but I believe this ties into my report,” Gale rejoins, gaining our undivided attention. “The intelligence I have uncovered in the northern wastelands may correlate with the subject of this entity.”
“Wait what?” I demand, fully interested in what this captain has to say now. It may not be my responsibility to fight now, but that entity hated me. Not Celestia...but me. I'm more than a little curious as to what could hate me so much I could feel it.
“That is an interesting conjecture. In that case, would you mind repeating your report to us?” Celestia requests. Gale nods, and then she leads the three of us over to the table near the back of the tent. Rainbow and Twilight follow close behind, both of them as curious as we are.
Gale unrolls a map of Equestria on the table and weighs it down with some of the books nearby. She puts her hoof on the map and indicates the region of the map beyond the northern border of Equestria. “As per your orders, we've been investigating the northern wastelands for any signs of suspicious activity.”
“Why the hell were you up north? Shouldn't you have been trying to find out where Chrysalis went?” I interject abruptly. Gale closes her mouth and sighs, clearly annoyed at being interrupted.
“During mine mission to Griffonstone, 'twas a viceroy that informed us of the happenings in the north. 'Twas our decision to divert agents to that location,” Luna answers for her, indicating Celestia as well. “Now, save thy questions until the captain finishes her report. Now, continue, captain.”
“Of course. We discovered several small villages scattered throughout the wastes, inhabited by hardier ponies that aren't very welcoming to newcomers,” Gale begins again, while I sit there huffing due to Luna's chastisement. “From them, we learned that there have been small bands of undead roaming the wastes, though they've never come near any of the villages.”
“As you know, all undead require a necromancer or some source of life energy to function. We believe there is a necromancer hiding within the cave systems in the Crystal Mountains, but any attempts to infiltrate the caverns were deemed too dangerous, as they appear to be infested with undead,” Gale continues. I have tons of questions and comments, but I keep quiet, waiting for Gale to finish her report. “However, eyewitness reports from miners or travelers describe a strange shadowy cloud in the mountains, usually sighted in the cavern entrances or traveling outwards to unknown destinations. Recently, there has been a lack of any sightings...”
“Which is because it was down in the ruins with us,” Celestia realizes aloud, looking at me. Gale nods in confirmation. That's....huh. That doesn't explain its connection to me. “It must have been drawn to the outburst of magical power caused by your battle with Vanta. I don't see any other possible explanation for its sudden presence in Equestria.”
“That's the conclusion we arrived to as well. Unfortunately, we have not been able to discern its identity. But we have assumed it possesses some knowledge of necromancy; this has now been proven by your own report, Princess Celestia,” Gale explains.
“When did these sightings first begin?” Luna inquires.
“According to what we've found, sightings of the cloud began upon the foundation of each village. In other words, it's been present in the mountains for hundreds of years, perhaps more,” Gale reveals. Well, now I have no clue what the cloud could be. If it's not Sombra, and it's immortal, then why does it hate me so much? “However, the sightings of undead are recent; we estimate that the first sighting was approximately several months ago.”
“I see,” Celestia replies. She sighs deeply, either in disappointment or resignation. When she looks up again, her face is grim. “Luna, I believe we should expect the worst. Whoever controls these undead seems to be building an army.”
“Mine thoughts exactly. We should recall Commander Iron and prepare for the worst,” Luna agrees. Celestia shakes her head.
“Not just yet. I agree we should prepare our forces just in case, but I believe we should observe just a little while longer. Consolidating an attack force may do nothing more than provoke this unknown entity,” Celestia advises Luna. “But I will certainly increase the guard at each of our cities. We will not be taken by surprise.”
Meanwhile, I'm just standing here, turning my head between the three of them to take in everything that's being said. I'm guessing I'm allowed to be here because of my connections to the entity in the first place, but I'm not really a part of the discussion. Like Twilight and Rainbow, this isn't my responsibility.
“There is one last matter of concern, princesses,” Gale speaks up. Oh shit, what could possibly be more concerning than a possible undead army? Once Gale has their attention, she continues. “We believe we may have discovered the location of the changeling hive.”
That gets all of us to express varying degrees of shock. Even Twilight and Rainbow show a reaction, as they too had been right on the front lines with the rest of the army during the changeling invasion. Now we possibly know where Chrysalis is hiding?
“I see. What brings you to that conclusion?” Celestia questions.
“Some of the agents I assigned to search for changeling activity reported back sightings of changeling drones in the area around the Badlands, south of Dodge Junction,” Gale responds. “We don't have an exact location, but the presence of changeling patrols hints at a larger presence. We believe it warrants further investigation.”
“No. Pull out your agents and station them at Dodge Junction,” Celestia orders. Gale blinks, confused, but she nods. “Close the area off to the public and keep an eye on anything that goes in and out of that area. We believe Queen Chrysalis has something akin to a hive mind with her subjects, and thus if even one drone spots you, she'll put her whole hive on full alert.”
“Hey, if you go to deal with Chrysalis,” I rejoin, walking back up to the table and getting their attention. I stare at Celestia. “I want to be there. She's made this personal for me.”
Celestia gazes serenely, her eyes softening. “I understand. If we take any offensive action against the changelings, I will alert you. We will certainly not turn down your help,” she promises me. Luna also nods appreciatively, a hint of camaraderie appearing in her expression. Yeah, I still remember fighting alongside her, and it seems like she does too. “However, I believe we shall observe a while longer. Attacking Queen Chrysalis on her home ground would be a foalish move.”
“Sister, if they choose to attack us both at once, we would be forced to fight a war on two fronts,” Luna warns, jabbing the map in both locations. Celestia shakes her head.
“Let's not jump to conclusions. As of right now, the only one with a grudge against Equestria is Queen Chrysalis. The gathering of undead is a matter of some concern, but until they make a move, I won't act against them,” Celestia declares. Luna looks ready to protest, but Celestia keeps talking. “However, I cannot ignore them either. Captain!”
“Yes, your highness?” Gale responds immediately, saluting.
“Let the Earth Pony Regiments know that they're to double the guard in every city. Make sure Captain Spitfire knows to do the same with the cloud cities, as well,” Celestia commands. “Next, tell Captain Blades that I want a messenger unicorn in each city, village, and town. I will not be caught off guard. You are dismissed.”
“Understood,” Gale affirms, and then she canters past the rest of us and leaves the tent, taking to the air and flying out of sight.
There's a short silence after that, which I feel the need to break. “Goddamn, a possible two front war? Is this like...the craziest time in Equestrian history, or what?” I remark with a heavy sigh. Even though I'm not required to fight with them, just hearing them talk about it stresses me out.
“Perhaps,” Celestia replies. Is it just me, or does she look a little forlorn? Luna notices it as well and moves to comfort her sister with an affectionate nuzzle. “Thank you, Luna.”
“Something the matter, sister?” Luna asks.
“I am disappointed, if that is what you mean. We have tried so hard to keep this country happy and safe from external threats, and now it seems like it is all going to fall apart. I cannot help but feel saddened,” Celestia admits to all of us. “I just wonder if there was something else we could have done to prevent all of this.”
I blink, staring in disbelief at Celestia. Is this really happening right now? I've always viewed Celestia as this country's pillar, unshakeable and stalwart. And now...it seems to me that she can feel uncertain just as much as I can. I don't know why, but this makes her feel a little less intimidating to me. I guess she really is a mare just like the rest of them. A very old and experienced mare, but a mare nonetheless.
“No, Princess! You are wonderful!” Twilight suddenly speaks up, joining the three of us by the table. She gazes up at Celestia with bright eyes. “Every time we've needed you, you've been there for us. Please don't think any less of yourself for this. We all know you're doing the best you can. I know you won't steer us wrong.”
Celestia pauses, looking down at Twilight with a hint of surprise in her face. She then chuckles sheepishly and leans down, embracing her student warmly. “Thank you, Twilight. As my subject...no, as my personal student and friend, it means a lot to hear you say that,” Celestia expresses, earning a happy smile from Twilight.
“Yeah, well, it's not like any of us can do what you do,” I feel the need to say. Now Celestia definitely looks surprised. Why is she so...oh, I guess it's because I've never really given her moral support before. If you can call it that. I'm just telling the truth. “Seriously. This country would be fucked without you and Luna.”
“Definitely! Equestria's not going down with you around!” Rainbow joins the conversation as well, adding her support to ours. “Though if ever need a few flanks kicked, you know where to find me.”
“Thank you, all of you. I appreciate the support you are giving me,” Celestia answers, now back to looking as confident as ever. “I will make sure not to disappoint any of you.”
Not long after that, when she finishes with a few last minor points, Celestia dismisses Rainbow, Twilight, and I. “You are free to go, you three. What you do next is up to you,” Celestia tells us, just before we leave the tent.
“Dear god, I am so ready to go home. The first thing I'm doing when I get back is grabbing a book and relaxing on my couch. Whew,” I say, stretching out my arms.
“I need to go home as well. I've left Spike alone too long,” Twilight admits, looking a little anxious. “Rarity told me she'd check on him every so often and make sure he was okay, but I still worry.”
“That's because you're a fussbudget,” I retort, remembering the name Rainbow and I gave her that irritated her so much. As expected, Twilight huffs and gives me a pouting face, even as Rainbow snickers into her hooves next to me.
“Anyway, as long as the expedition is underway, I'm definitely coming back every time I get a chance. I felt like Dr. Forward and I were close to a breakthrough on electrical efficiency! And stop yawning, Rainbow!” Twilight exclaims. Sure enough, Rainbow is in the middle of an obnoxious yawn, letting Twilight know just how uninterested she is.
“What can I say? Sounds like boring egghead stuff,” Rainbow says uncaringly, much to Twilight's frustration. “But yeah, I gotta get back too. The Board's gonna kill me if I take any more time off.”
“Heh, yeah, work's a thing too. But you know what? Farm work is a cakewalk compared to what I've had to do recently,” I recall, shrugging. “But, it just hit me. There's no meeting or anything waiting for us back in Ponyville. You know what that means?”
“What?” Twilight asks tentatively, seeming rather unsure on whether she wants to hear the answer or not. I exchange a glance with Rainbow, who seems to know exactly what I'm thinking.
“Bye!” Both Rainbow and I take off from the ground and soar into the air, leaving a surprised and annoyed Twilight behind. It isn't long before Rainbow and I clear the canopy and put the camp behind us, once and for all. Yeah, I'm not going back to the school. I think I've had enough closure. A little more closure that I would have liked, in fact.
“Hah! Did you see her face?” Rainbow chortles, looking back towards the forest below. “Silly Twilight. Like we were really going to walk back through the forest with her.”
“Yeah, seriously. Especially since there's guards all over the path back to Ponyville. And even if there weren't, she's strong enough to handle anything the forest throws at her,” I return, chuckling as well.
I release a happy sigh. Despite all the shit I had to listen to in the tent, I feel relaxed, because there's nothing on my plate in the near future. I don't have to do a damn thing except for what I want to do. I think I'm going to try out my new piano.
“Yeah, Ponyville! Home sweet home, baby!” Rainbow exults, and she then accelerates, quickly building up her speed.
Just for shits, I try to keep up with her. It goes much better than our supposed rematch back at the airships. This time, I only lag behind by a few feet, and the distance remains constant. Part of me wonders if I can actually surpass her if I do that transforming thing, but I'm not about to open myself up to potential insanity just to satisfy my curiosity. Besides, I don't feel the need to surpass her anyway. Going fast is her thing. No point in taking that away from her because of bullshit magic.
We reach Ponyville in a matter of minutes. Rainbow streaks right into the town square and skids to a stop, looking excited. “Yeah, and the Dash is back in town!” Rainbow proclaims, making me roll my eyes. The other ponies in the square, after getting over their surprise at her sudden appearance, wave and call out greetings to her. They do the same for me once I land right next to her.
“Did you have to make an entrance?” I ask wryly. Rainbow gives me a look that clearly says, “Duh.” I shake my head, but despite that, I'm smiling. Damn, I never thought I'd be so happy to see this stupid town.
“Could you two be any louder coming in?” Oh hey, it's Vinyl. The DJ appears to be shopping at Carrot Top's stall, a bag stuffed full of supplies hanging in the air next to her. “S'up? I didn't know you two left town.”
“Yeah, we had to go back to see Celestia. Remember, she said she had to see me this morning back in the hospital room,' I respond, walking over to meet her. Rainbow follows me, hovering in the air at my eye level.
“Yeah, but I thought she'd visit you at home or something,” Vinyl justifies, though she does grin at our approach. Her face slowly turns serious. She lowers her shades and stares over them to regard us. “So are you two good now?”
“Wha? Oh...yeah, we're cool,” Rainbow responds, taken aback by Vinyl's sudden invasive question. “More than cool, actually. You helped, right?”
“Only because Sethie here was being a bonehead,” Vinyl returns. And she just called me Sethie. I'm literally about to yell at her for that when I realize that considering the subject, I should let it go. “You owe me a cider, by the way.”
“All right, that's fair,” I admit, causing Rainbow to laugh. Vinyl huffs and approaches us, jabbing a hoof at Rainbow.
“No, you know what? You're just as bad, Rainbow,” Vinyl points out, much to Rainbow's confusion. “You have no idea how frustrating it was, watching you two, day by day. It's like, hello, a blind filly with a headache could tell you both were totally into each other.”
“No, it was...it...uh...wasn't that bad, was it?” Rainbow can't even form a protest, because she knows Vinyl is right.
“It was, dear Celestia. It was painful, watching you both putting on the tsundere act. I just wanted to walk right up to you and...” Vinyl says, and then she rears up on her hind legs. Before either of us can react, she uses her two front hooves to bang Rainbow's and my heads together, causing the both of us to yelp in pain and surprise. “...knock some sense into you. Sheesh. But at least you're cool now, right?”
“Yes, we already said so,” I snap, rubbing my head. Vinyl nods, satisfied, and settles back down on all fours again. “If you're free, I'll buy you that cider you wanted.”
“Wait, did I hear that right?” Carrot Top interrupts, peering over the stall towards us. I realize too late that we are standing way too close to the stall to have a conversation like this. “Rainbow, are you and Seth together?”
“Uhhh....” Rainbow has no reply, probably because the phrase “oh shit,” is running through both of our heads. Or the equivalent in Rainbow's case. As Carrot Top walks out from around the stall, a blush suffuses Rainbow's face. The same goes for me, because this was not how I expected word getting out.
“Ohmigosh, you are! Aaaah!” Carrot Top squeals, streaking over to us excitedly, a bright smile crossing her face. She comes to a stop just in front of us, grasping my hands and one of Rainbow's hooves with her own. “I'm so happy for you two! “
“Thanks, I guess,” I reply awkwardly. I really wish word could have gotten out on my own terms...but at least it wasn't Pinkie who found out first.
“Aww, you're all blushing! You two are adorable!” Carrot Top exclaims, letting go of our assorted appendages and resting back on all fours. Of course, her commenting on our appearance only makes it worse. “I just knew you'd be together eventually...oh, which reminds me.”
To our bemusement, Carrot Top looks beyond us and dashes past us, heading for another mare in the crowd...whom I recognize. “Hey! Bon Bon!” Carrot Top calls out, getting the mare's attention. Bon Bon, who appears to be on her way home from work, pauses. “You won't believe it! It happened! You better pay up!”
“Oh, are you kidding me? Him!?” Bon Bon seems less than pleased by that announcement. Then, after shooting Rainbow and I a disbelieving glance, she passes some money over to Carrot Top. It suddenly dawns on me what's going on.
“Were you fuckers making bets!?” I demand loudly. Next to me, Vinyl promptly loses her shit and starts laughing her ass off to the point where she finds it difficult to breathe. Next to me, Rainbow looks indignant at the prospect of being bet on. “Seriously!? It was that bad?”
“You're...darn right it was....oh, you should see your faces right now...!” Vinyl manages to choke out in between her bouts of merriment.
“This is not how I planned this...oh dear Celestia,” Rainbow groans, facehoofing. Yeah, I agree wholeheartedly. I can't believe they were fucking making bets about this. Around us, other ponies are starting to get curious, and it doesn't seem like Bon Bon or Carrot Top has any qualms about sharing the news. Shit, it's going to be all around town by the end of the day. “At this rate, it's only a matter of time until...”
“THEY'RE WHAT!?” Oh, sweet Jesus Christ on a motherfucking motorcycle no. I know that high pitched voice anywhere. Next to me, Rainbow's wearing the most deadpan expression I think I've ever seen her wear. It isn't long before a pink blur streaks from practically halfway across the town straight to us. I can't help but groan and rub my forehead as Pinkie shows up in front of us and starts hopping around us in rapid circles. She starts talking at an incredibly fast speed to the point where I can barely understand it. All I can make out is her last sentence. “We need need NEED to have a party right now!”
“Pinkie! Slow down!” Rainbow yells at her, rubbing her forehead in a very similar matter to what I'm doing. Pinkie's response is to continue bouncing around us...except in slow motion. I don't even with this pony.
“Hee! Sorry. I'm just sooo excited to hear about this! I mean, aren't you excited? Because I'm sure the rest of the town is because you're finally together. Did you know that Bon Bon was making bets that you would never get together?” Pinkie replies extremely quickly. “No, we need to have a party, tonight at my place! I'll invite the whole town, and I'll bake you a cake just for this occasion, with all of your favorite flavors! Vinyl, would you DJ for it?”
“Hold up, there's a party happening tonight? Like, right now? How the fuck can you plan a party that quickly?” I demand, but Pinkie's on a roll and doesn't seem to be slowing down. I should just give up, because I knew this was going to happen. I thought I'd have a bit more time though...I blame Vinyl for this.
“Hay yes, I'm going to DJ. Seth showed me a song one night that works extremely well for this occasion. I want to remix the hay out of it,” Vinyl responds, giving me a mischievous stare. She shakes hooves with Pinkie. “Good thing I'm not doing anything tonight.”
“I'm not either! If there's a party going on, I'm definitely in!” Carrot Top announces as she passes by us with Bon Bon, heading back to her stall. “I can't wait! The first human in Equestria for over three thousand years gets hitched to our Rainbow Dash! This is totally party material!”
“Isn't it? I'd love to stay and chat, but I have a party to plan!” Pinkie agrees excitedly. She then gives both Rainbow and I the most serious stare. “You two must be at my place by tonight. Don't be late! Toodles!”
Pinkie zooms away as fast as she arrived, giggling and talking to herself loudly about what kind of decorations and entertainment she should use. Rainbow and I watch her go, and then we slowly look at one another. “There's no way she's going to be able to set up a party with such short notice,” I state flatly.
“Oho, don't you underestimate the Pinkie. If anypony can do it, she can,” Vinyl remarks.
“It's not a matter of underestimating, it's a matter of simple facts! You can't set up a party without first writing up a guest list, sending invitations, and then finding out whether or not enough ponies are free and willing to come!” I shoot back, even though I feel like my protests don't really matter. Pinkie just defies logic in every way.
“You forget that it's Pinkie. Whenever she makes a party, half the town just drops whatever plans they have that night to go to it,” Rainbow reminds me, her tone resigned. “I know it's a bit sooner than we expected, but we're not getting out of it. If we don't show, Pinkie will hunt us down.”
“Yeah, I figured as much. Welp, so much for resting tonight. I guess we're partying instead,” I grunt, giving in. Though mostly I'm just being stubborn. Pinkie's parties are always fun and a great way to blow off stress...which I have a lot of right now thanks to that semi-war council we had not long ago.
“Yup! It should be fun though. Provided Pinkie doesn't try to make us do anything too crazy,” Rainbow remarks. “Anyway, because apparently I have someplace to be tonight, I need to get going. I gotta check in with the Board and see what's up.”
“Me too. I need to grab my tables and get set up. Seth, you mind if I use that one song you showed me?” Vinyl says next, glancing at me questioningly. Next to me, Rainbow gives us a wave and takes off, heading for wherever that board she mentioned is.
“What song?”
“The one where the singer wakes up in a house fire,” Vinyl clarifies. I give her a deadpan stare. I love that song, but why is that one particular line the one she chose to fixate on?
“He doesn't literally wake up in a house fire. That's a metaphor, dumb ass,” I remind her. Vinyl shrugs. “Yeah, sure. You'll need my phone if you want to do it, though. I assume you plan on pulling some magic bullshit to get my song playing over your speakers?”
“Yup! Though you'll have to let me use it while the song is playing. That cool?” Vinyl asks, knowing how attached I am to my phone.
“Only because it's you who's asking. Though if you damage it I'll shove your horn up your ass,” I warn her. Vinyl doesn't bat an eye at my threat, no doubt used to me by now.
“Thanks! I'll come grab it for you just before I start playing. Anyway, I'm off. I'll see you tonight!” Vinyl calls, and then she too heads the other direction, leaving me alone in the town square with a bunch of ponies looking at me curiously and gossiping amongst themselves.
I turn and take to the air, heading back to my house. If I'm going to be up for god knows how long at a Pinkie Party celebrating my new relationship of all things, I'm going to take a nap first.
I'm almost late for the party, because I ended up being so tired I almost passed out for the whole night. If it weren't for the alarm I set (even though I hit snooze several times) I would have missed the party entirely.
Sure enough, Ponyville is practically a ghost town when I leave my house again. I shake my head, feeling embarrassed and a little incredulous that the entire town is going to a party to celebrate my relationship with Rainbow. This is ridiculous.
I don't think it's a surprise party this time. I say that because Sugarcube Corner is lit up like a Christmas tree, Vinyl's LEDs already lighting the place up. Several stragglers from town are filtering into the store, some of which I recognize.
I land right beside Bon Bon, who looks up at my approach. She narrows her eyes as if she's trying to be mad, but then she sighs. “You cost me a lot of bits, you know,” she informs me as the two of us approach the store. “I didn't think Rainbow would ever look at a jerk like you.”
“Yeah, well, honestly, I still can't believe this happening. I can't believe you bet on me,” I express, taking her insult in stride. I deserve it, to be honest. I have been quite a prick ever since getting here. It's hard, but I'm trying to change that.
“I'm regretting it. Did you like...get nicer when I wasn't looking?” Bon Bon admits, looking surprised that I didn't respond hatefully to her like I usually do. “Usually your first response to seeing me is a bunch of human profanities.”
“I dunno. Maybe. A lot has happened in the past...” I try to say, but then Pinkie streaks out of the front door and drags me inside before I even know what's happening, leaving a laughing Bon Bon behind.
“He's here, he's here! Let's get this party started!” Pinkie declares to the crowd gathered inside, consisting of, as I expected, most of the townsponies. Just one cursory look reveals all of the Elements, including a harried looking Twilight who looks like she rushed here, an energetic Applejack, a beaming Rarity, a smiling Fluttershy, and a very embarrassed Rainbow, who is currently being assaulted by well-wishers and questions. There's also other ponies that I've interacted with in the past, such as Lyra, Flitter, Cloud Chaser, Derpy, and Apple Bloom. There's a ton more that I don't have time to mention, because now Vinyl is in my face. As we agreed, I pass her my phone with one last word of warning, and then Vinyl retreats to her tables. “First things first! Let's kick things off with a dance! Hit it Vinyl!”
Vinyl finishes adjusting her tables, and then the song we discussed starts blasting on the speakers, filling the room with its quick and rocking beat. “Aw yeah, let's give it up for the most oblivious, frustrating couple to ever exist! Kick it!” Vinyl exults, rearing up on her hind legs and kicking at the air enthusiastically.
I don't even get a chance to catch my breath before Lyra and Cloud Chaser shove me towards Rainbow, who is also shoved towards me by Applejack and Flitter. We end up standing very close together, both of us feeling a lot more awkward than we should.
“I...uh...guess we have to dance,” I say awkwardly. Rainbow looks awkward for a second longer...and then a confident grin crosses her face.
“No, I have to dance. You just have to keep up!” Rainbow challenges me, already starting to move her body to the beat.
“Okay, now you're asking for it. You don't even know how to dance, you silly pony,” I return, mirroring her expression on my own. Now that she's acting as confident and ridiculous as she always does, my awkwardness slowly fades away, the party atmosphere taking over.
Together, the both of us start dancing, much to the excitement of the crowd around us. More ponies join us on the dance floor, until I no longer feel as exposed as before.
Just looking at Rainbow now, watching me with that competitive gleam in her eyes, the ruins and the battle with Vanta seem like they happened a long time ago. Nevertheless, I don't regret what happened down there in the least. Because of that...I've learned something about life that I never knew before.
And it feels good.
And finally, with that, not only have I broken 600,000 words, I've also finished arc 5, at long last. Sheesh, this arc was longer than even the last. The Royal Wedding was 23 chapters, and this was 28. With all of the content I have to cover in the last arc, I'm starting to wonder how long that one is going to be.
Now, after this chapter, there's going to be some much needed (and requested) down time, because like Seth said, he has no intention of going back to battle. As for whether or not he will, that's another matter. With all I have planned, good luck trying to predict future chapters. 
I picked the song "Rock of Life" by Rick Springfield to play for the party because of its symbolic meaning and how the lyrics can be applied to the lessons Seth has learned since coming to Equestria. That, and it's got that party atmosphere to it. I saw the chance to legitimately include it in the fic, so I took it. If you finished the chapter before the song finishes, do me a favor and listen to the rest of it. It's a meaningful song.
Lastly, I feel the need to mention that I had some help editing this chapter, thanks to one of your fellow readers by the name of The Wolf of Triage, who contacted me earlier hoping to help. There should be less immersion breaking typos in there now.
Make sure to leave your comments and tell me what you think! Though if any of you correctly predict what I'm planning, I will be honestly surprised.
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'Kay.
Glad to see we get to see some good ol' Slice after all the Epic Screaming and DBZ-style beam attacks of epic proportions in an underground facility straight out of Resident Evil.
Also, is it bad that I feel like this shadow-ghost-thing is another failed human experiment?
5592264
It's possible, but it could also be ghost Sombra, and I have a pretty good feeling that he'll start season 3 when he's ready, but with a army of undead to make things bad, instead of...the usual episode.
oh sh
here comes cupcakes! 
another wonderfully written chapter and the pacing was done in a way that you could feel the stress of the arc slowly fade and pull away from the body and atmosphere until..
cant wait to see Seth and Rainbow's first date and how awkward they (and you
) will be
5592329
issue i have there is that it was stated three times that it is not Sombra in composition or power output
5592264
If reader predictions are correct, then not exactly - but close.
5592264 Oh shit, it's evil ghost Armylris or whatever her name is D:
And she mad cause he used to luv her and he is now into little horses XD
I'm sorry, but I have to do this. Don't you mean, "Sweet Mother Teresa on the hood of a Mercedes Benz!"
Cookie to anyone who gets that reference.
Oh, and now that I've been watching SAO, it's sorta colored how I see the fights in this fic differently...
5593397
"You sound like a majestic FUCKING eagle!"
Yay, out in the open. Can't wait to hear what people have to say.
5593650 Terran! Love the chapter, and god damn! This arc was a long one! I can't wait for the upcoming arc and all of it's mysterious bullshit.
This was a nice ending for the arc
Starting off we have Celestia and Seth return to camp to tell everypony about the Oppressed and the Dark magic entity. The new Captain of the stealth corps seems interesting, though she doesn't get a lot of time to really have her character flushed out. She seems to hold no grudges or anger toward Seth and even smiled at his comment about her name. Until she and Seth have some interaction (if they even do) it's difficult to tell what she thinks of him, but she certainly doesn't seem to hate him. At this point it seems like only Rose and shining don't like him. The rest either respect him or outright seem to enjoy his company (Iron was even willing to perform a funeral service for his niece despite not knowing anything mo0re about her then she was now a dead Oppressed).
Anyway, we learn that the entity is some type of necromancer that has been hanging around for a while in the Northern mountains, but has in recent months begun constructing a large force of undead and now has the remaining Oppressed as well. The fact that this entity both hates Seth despite how old it is and possesses a magic very similar to his own, seems pretty ominous, especially if you also consider Vanta's closing remarks before his death. We also learn that Chrysalis and the changlings appear to have set up camp by Dodge Junction (best not mention that to Applejack, lest she flip her shit about how close that is to Appleoosa and her kin). Seth may have decided to back off from the undead front, but he still wants to make sure Chrysallis goes down for trying to make him abandon his friends. With his new powers, the next fight will be far more even, that is if it ends up as a straight fight. Luna seems pleased about his camaraderie, and really I can see why. It was the first moment they actually bonded over something. Before then they, if not hated, at least refused to trust the other, but nothing forges a friendship like fighting together for a common cause. Luna also states to have gotten in some training and subsequently boosted her power somewhat. I doubt she could beat Seth or Chrysallis one on one, but in a team effort with Seth, Chrysallis is fucked.
After the meeting Rainbow, Seth and Twilight head back for Ponyville. Rainbow and Seth immediately going airborn and ditching Twilight was hilarious, plus more 'fussbudget' teasing. Not even sure if that's a word, let alone why it ticks her off so much, but it's certainly funny to see her get annoyed about it, plus it gives Seth and Rainbow another bonding activity. Nothing brings others closer then incessantly teasing their other friends
. Of course upon arriving in town, Vinyl immediately alerts everypony of them now dating and Carrot reveals they were all betting on whether they would go for it. I wonder if any of the mane 6 got involved in that (I can just imagine Fluttershy at the party trying to hide a suspiciously large bag in her mane while Applejack just starts grumbling).
Of Course the instant its revealed, Pinkie shows up and declares its party time (by this point, Seth has just given up trying to explain or reason with her. Best case scenario, he can hide for a few hours before she finds him for something). Lots of ponies arrive at the party, though we only really get brief look at the mane 6 reactions (Twilight didn't really seem to have anything beyond being shoved into the party last minute on her mind. I wonder if she actually knows what the party is for or just got forced into it at the last second and just thinks its Pinkie being Pinkie). Be interesting to see how everypony reacts over the next few slice of life chapters, after all, Ponyville is full of weirdness, and most of it comes from its eccentric citizens. I can't wait to see how Lyra reacts and someone as drama queeny as Rarity. The next arc is going to start of fun.
Overall a really good arc with some brilliant character development, epic fights, evil villains and a newfound romance. The next arc is already looking pretty awesome and I can't wait to see how it starts. Great job.
Just had a thought of one of the researchers uncovering a copy of "Back To The Future" (all three parts) somewhere in the ruins.
Well I just spent the last week binge-ing this whole story ever since it was featured. I have to say, I really like it. I love the comparisons you make to animes like Dragon Ball Z too. It totally deserves more views than what it has right now. I look forward to the upcoming chapters so that I can give my own feedback and maybe even give a few suggestions.
I don't suppose you have a Steam account?
5600204
I do actually, though I don't have very many games.
I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far.
Sombra's arrival is getting closer, and closer, and closer.
Can't wait.
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3c/9e/df/3c9edfef2e3177014a6eb9e073b6c385.jpg
5594816
i just love that picture :P
A war on two fronts? That will never happen.
...
Yeah, of course that's going to happen.
That cloud is probably an evil human. Vanta said Seth wasn't alone, Seth didn't tell anyone else this, so Celestia never had the chance to super critically analyze it. Not to mention it specifically hates Seth, a human. If Sombra was hand picking subjects, then that means hateful others as bad or worse than Seth were sent into the future and given power. Though the fact that it has apparently been around for centuries is strange. Maybe Sombra sent people to different points in time? Certainly a mystery. Though an undead Oppressed army makes sense. Humanity was taken down by an army, why would that army just disappear? But apart from the ones the evil cloud is amassing... it looks like they did, so... where did they all go?
I'm just finding it a bit odd that Vanta was the only authority to spearhead basically what was global domination. From one location! Clearly there has to be hundreds, or at least many dozens of such facilities to launch a global takeover. The logistics just seems highly unlikely, is what I'm getting at.
Also, I guess you could say it looked like Celestia had seen a ghost down there. That ghost crap was legitimately creepy as hell. Ghosts don't have magic but they can still manipulate things, whether it's a mental thing or actual physical changes I don't know, which is super unsettling and disturbing. At least stuff like Chrysalis, Discord, Sombra, Vanta and their magic is able to be comprehended, understood. (Discord is understandable in his identity; he's Chaos. Thusly chaotic magic) Ghosts? They don't have an explanation. They're beyond the living. Beyond science, and in this story, apparently beyond magic according to Celestia. So ghosts. Creepy as fuck and I wish they weren't here, it made everything dark in top of what was already dark. Dark magic? Cool. Necromancy? Ok. Undead? Sure. Ghosts of people stuck to their genetically altered, mutated undead bodies for thousands of years? Holy shit, nope. NOPE. Celestia freaked out by said ghosts? FUCKING NOPE.
p.s. Hey look! My first huge comment on this story! Been wanting to leave one of these for a while now. But mobile sucks for leaving comments. Eh, did it anyways.
Welp,that whole archeology expedition arc was honestly the best part of this story by far. *sigh* now back to the boring slice of life for the next few chapters
10013582
Yes but with more Rainbow awesomeness!
Alsoo the last link is broken :'c