Chapter 41 - One day you'll find out
Shackles and Friendship
Chapter 41 - One day you’ll find out
Edited by AndyGrey
Pre-read by AndyGrey, Zanthimos, StormScorpion
AN: The most rewritten chapter yet.
“Are you certain this is the way?” Inquest shouted. Even with his muzzle close to the gryphon’s ear, it was still difficult to hear anything over the roaring winds. Riding on her back, the old stallion tightened his hold as Crea beat her wings to maintain altitude.
“Drag marks lead this way,” she shouted back. “It’s the only fresh track I found moving away from the hospi-” Before she could finish, there was a sudden flash of blue light on the ground some distance away. It lasted for only for an instant but in the dark of night it was easily detected, especially considering the booming sound that came seconds after; like thunder.
“How long?” Inquest asked.
Crea gazed down towards the area where the flashes had originated, a clearing near the edge of a forest. “Ten,” Crea answered with laboured breath, “maybe fifteen minutes.”
Silence followed after as both prepared themselves for the coming encounter. As a strategist, Inquest’s mind raced with calculations and simulations. As strong as Crea was, carrying a full grown pony on her back in flight would take too much out of her. She would need time to recuperate in order to be effective in battle. Meaning Inquest would have to fend, rescue the human, and somehow capture the elusive creature all on his own; which he has yet figure out how.
Not the worst or the most challenging situation Inquest had been through, but then again, those occurred decades ago during his younger years.
About a minute or two later, while Inquest was still formulating his plan, there came more thundering explosions. These explosions appeared repeatedly one after the other as if unending. The closer Crea flew, the more they were able to discern. These explosions of bluish flames seem to originate from small, similarly colored balls of fire, thrown by a tall dark figure in the center of the destruction.
The human.
“Looks like he’s putting up a fight,” Crea said.
At first glance, Inquest too presumed the same, but a closer look showed otherwise. “No, I don’t think so.” The pattern and direction of the explosions suggested the human wasn’t aiming for anything in particular; it was all too random.
“At least our approach is covered,” Crea noted. “With that much noise they won’t hear us coming.”
“He’s a fool,” Inquest replied.
“What?” Crea asked confused.
“What is he thinking?” he said. “He’s not accomplishing anything! If he keeps that up...” Inquest never finished that sentence; he didn’t have to. His intention became clear to Crea minutes later, when the intensity of the explosions became noticeably weaker. It wasn’t long before it stopped, as Inquest had likely guest.
The human had run out of magic and was now defenseless.
“Hurry,” Inquest commanded. Crea obeyed quickening the beat of her wings, and ignoring her body’s exhausted protests. Suddenly her wings rotated against the wind, causing Inquest to lurch forward and nearly lose his hold. “What-” he started when Crea cut in.
“Something’s happening,” she explained, eagle eyes focused on the area around the human. Following her gaze, Inquest strained his eyes.
Unfortunately, the moon had moved behind thick high clouds and offered little light. However, the human’s destruction upon the grassfield around him had created a few small fires. Dotted all around, their combined light made it possible for both gryphon and pony to see through the dark of night.
“What…,” was all Inquest could say at what he witnessed. For a moment it looked as if the ground itself was rising to swallow the human. Only after the surprise died down did Inquest understand what had transpired.
Shadows were rising up from the earth around the human, rising like smoke yet moving with purpose. With every passing second the dark substance thickened and it continue to circle the human like a brewing storm. Inquest and Crea quickly lost sight of the human, swallowed whole by the dark smokey substance.
“What do we do?” Crea asked urgently, still flying towards the human but at a slow and cautious speed.
“Keep your course,” he replied immediately. “It doesn’t matter if we can’t reach him in time to hel-” Inquest froze when he noticed a change.
The darkness surrounding the human seemed to lighten as the color shifted, but the distance made it difficult to know for sure. Not that it mattered, soon the change became so dramatic it was impossible to miss. The color of the substance turned from the black of night to a bluish hue. The most significant however, was how its physical appearance seem to have changed as well. When it rose from the earth it resembled dark wispy smoke; now it took on the form of flames dancing in the air.
“Fire,” Crea said irritably. “Why does it have to be fire.” But that wasn’t the end of it. The flames started to concentrate into a solid form. “Is that…Is that another human?”
“Fascinating,” Inquest spoke in wonder, his mind racing with theories.
Changelings can mask their appearance with magic for the purpose of infiltration and deception. Yet it is still restricted by its physical form, meaning they can only take on the appearance of ponies and not, for instance, a diamond dog or gryphon.
But it seemed this creature had no such limitations. The creature had no physical form - or to be more precise - its body was made up of this malleable substance. Something akin to gas and liquid. Should that be the case, then it could take on the form of any creature or race by simply molding itself to that form. Add the fact that it could also hold its victims in a powerful mental hold...
“The perfect deceiver,” Inquest whispered in awe.
‘But how could such a being function?’ he pondered. ‘How does it eat, live, or even reproduce?’ Inquest shook his head, clearing his mind of that train of thought. Questions like that could wait; the current situation required his full attention.
“Inquest? Is that another human?” Crea asked again.
“No,” Inquest answered. “Believe me, we’d know if another human existed.”
“So I’m guessing that thing is-”
“The other visitor, yes,” Inquest finished.
“So what do we do?” she asked. “What’s the plan?”
Inquest thought for a moment. “Land.”
“What?”
“We land. Here. Now,” he repeated.
Crea hesitated. They were close, but still a good distance away. It would take too long for them to reach the human, should he require their aid. At least for her, Crea had to remind herself that Inquest was with her. Distances like this meant nothing to him. “Where?”
“There, on that hill.” Looking down, Crea saw a small hill covered in tall grass much like those in the field below. From that vantage point they would have excellent vision over the entire field.
Crea descended silently, gliding in circles towards a suitable area behind the hill. With Inquest on her back, their landing was louder and rougher than what she would prefer. Quickly yet silently, Inquest got off and inspected his partner’s condition. As expected carrying his weight on her back had cost her too much. Crea was panting heavily, her fur sticking unto her body with sweat and wings hanging loosely on the side.
“Will you be alright?” he asked worriedly.
“Aww you still care,” she replied jokingly before talking in a more serious tone. “Gimme a breather and I’ll be fine.”
Inquest gave her a nod before crawling ahead over the hill. As expected the elevated position gave Inquest a perfect view of both human and shapeshifter. Furthermore, this human-like appearance was giving off an eerie blue glow; making it easier to observe them both. So far the creature had yet to attack the human. It seemed more interested in conversing at the moment.
“Now what?” Crea asked, suddenly appearing next to him. Even when exhausted she still managed to sneak up in perfect silence.
‘What to do indeed,’ Inquest thought. One part of him wanted to ensure the human’s safety; which he could accomplish by immediately engaging the creature and having Crea take the human away. But that impulse was quickly quelled by his dominantly, logical side. Simply diving into the fray with no preparation or foreknowledge could easily result in all their deaths. Besides, merely saving the human would not eliminate the true threat.
This creature, whatever it was, had to be dealt with. Either put down or captured. Failure to do so now might cause the creature to go into hiding. It would also force it to plan more cautiously, which meant it would be far more dangerous. Additionally, with the way it had mentally controlled a dragon and coerced it to attack, a notion once thought impossible, clearly meant that it had hostile intent. Should key individuals become victims, it would plunge Equestria and likely the rest of the world into chaos.
Such an event would no doubt unleash a far greater threat.
‘For the greater good?’ Inquest pondered. Of course he remembered his promise to Twilight, to save the human. But should he prioritize the human over the fate of the world? The answer to him was clear and yet he still hesitated.
“We wait,” he finally decided, causing Crea to look at him incredulously. “We wait,” he repeated in a tone that left no room for argument. “Till the last second. For the opportune moment to strike.”
“That’s…. No, that’s impossible.” Breaths came in so ragged it sounded like I was having an asthma attack. In fact, with all the emotional turmoil, confusion, and now this; I wouldn't be surprise if I was falling into some sort of shock.
Here, right in front of me, glowing and burning blue, was a love from a different life. As I gazed upon her face, memories from what felt like a lifetime ago flooded my mind.
Joana Arila Fraye.
“Call me Jo.”
“C’mon, slowpoke! We’re going to miss the bus!”
“Hey Rodney wait up!”
From a boy’s crush to a man’s love. A happy go lucky girl I met in middle school, this redhead held my heart for most of my life. Call it a fool’s notion to chase love at first sight, but for me, this childish crush grew into something real as the years went by.
“Rodney, can you help me with math?”
“Oh my gosh we totally need to get these for school.”
“Rodney, can you pick me up from the mall?”
Like many young men in love, I was far too frightened and timid to do anything about it. For the longest time, I never attempted to express my feelings to her. I was content to just be close by. Didn’t even speak out when she got a boyfriend. I just smiled and pretended things were okay, no matter how painful. It wasn’t till the last year of highschool that I finally summoned enough courage to take the chance.
“Okay, what’s so important?”
“Wow, uhm, the prom? I-eh...sure. Yeah, I’ll go with you.”
“So...it finally happened, huh? After all this time, we’re actually together.”
I’ll never forget that heavenly, euphoric feeling of having love answered back in full. Even years after, when we went our separate ways in life, I still felt giddy when remembering those short yet wonderful memories. Her accepting me as more than just a friend. I was one of the lucky ones.
“I love you Rodney.”
AN: The music fits Jo’s theme. Plus it helps imagine how her body moves.
“Rodney,” she called in a loving tone. The same way she always does.
“You can’t...you can’t be here.” Strength left me, legs shaking as I fought to keep myself from falling.
“Don’t be afraid.” She stepped towards me. “It’s me.”
“Stop saying that!” I yelled. “You’re not her! You can’t be! Look at you! None of this makes sense!”
“Of course it’s me,” she replied gently, like a mother calming her child.
“You’re blue!!” I screamed louder. “You’re not even human! There’s no way you can be-”
“1376 Walesby Avenue,” she interrupted.
Hearing my address nearly made me choke. “H-how...” I hadn't shared that piece of information with anyone since I arrived in this world. The surprise caused me to slip and I tumbled, landing hard on my ass.
Before I knew it, she was already standing over me, gazing down with hair still blazing blue. She crouched next to me and reached out with a hand. On reflex I immediately brought both arms to protect myself rather pathetically, as if her touch would kill me.
Instead of being harmed, I felt her soft touch on my chest; which at the moment was bare, as the hospital gown was hanging off me by a thread. I could feel her warm touch move up to my left shoulder and stop to trace along a small scar.
“This,” she said, “you got when we were kids. We were playing pretend in the kitchen, and you got cut because of me.” She suddenly laughed. “Your mom gave me such an earful after.”
I didn’t say anything, couldn’t do anything but stare at her with a bewildered look.
“And this one,” she continued, moving her fingers down to a burn mark behind my left thumb. “Katherine knocked over a bunsen burner in chemistry class. You jumped over tables and grabbed it with your bare hands. Miss Angela nearly fainted when she realized what happened.”
“Jo?” I stuttered, eyes starting to water.
“Yes,” she spoke. Her smile widened and she placed her hands on each side of my face. “It’s me. Your Jo.”
With that I leaped at her, wrapped my arms around her, and pulled her into a tight embrace. Nothing mattered to me in that moment. The world felt detached and became distant. To feel her skin on mine, the warmth of her body, breathing in her scent as my face pressed against her chest.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” I cried over and over again, bawling my eyes out like a baby. All the while she stayed silent, wrapped her own arms around me gently. Why was I begging for forgiveness? I didn’t know. Maybe I was apologizing for leaving her and everybody else. Whatever the reason, I kept repeating those two words like a chant and cried for who knows how long.
“Shhh,” she hushed, gently running her fingers through my hair. “Everything’s going to be just fine.” She repositioned herself, allowing me to rest sideways against her body with my head on her shoulders.
We just laid there on the ground, surrounded by small fires that didn’t seem to bother me one bit. My sensations started to become….well, I’m not sure how to describe it. Muddled? Adrenaline was still pumping through my veins and my heartbeat was still racing fast. But strangely I felt peaceful and serene without a care. The sensation was overpowering. My head felt heavier and I wanted to just rest my head on her shoulder and let go. To surrender myself completely to her care.
“There you go.” Her voice echoed deeply in my head, each word seem to push the world further and further away. “Everything’s going to be al-”
‘THAT’S NOT HER!!’ A sharp pain suddenly struck my head, as if someone jabbed a fork right into my brain. It only lasted for a fraction of a second but the sharp pain drew me back to reality.
“Aaagh!” I pushed her away with a yell of defiance, throwing her off me.
The sudden movement also seem to ‘reawaken’ my senses. My nervous system jolted back to life while my brain rebooted. Unfortunately that also seem to bring back the pain. Apparently my fractured rib have been screaming in pain all this time. All I could do was crawl away as I reassessed the situation.
‘Finally! The hell happened to you!?’ the voice shouted, louder than I’ve ever heard it before.
“I..I don’t...” I mumbled, struggling to stand back up while keeping on eye on this Jo look-a-like. The pain became unbearable whenever I tried to push myself off the ground.
‘From the looks of it, you were about ready to sleep with that thing. What the hell makes you think that is Jo!? She’s blue and her head is on fire for crying out loud!!’
“I..I don’t know. I just-” Despite my attempts to keep an eye on her, all it took was a quick glance away and by the time I looked back, she was already back up. I didn’t even hear her move or anything. I expected to see anger followed by some sort of attack, but instead I saw confusion in her face as she just stared down at me.
“Well, that’s new,” she stated curiously.
I couldn’t move, didn't dare attempt anything. I was on my back on the dirt, in pain and with nothing but a hospital gown to protect myself while she was at the ready.
“For a moment there,” she continued, “I thought I heard something.” Her head tilted as she scrutinized me. “It’s yours but, at the same time, it’s...not.”
‘Is...Is she talking about me?’
She took a step forward and reached out with her hand. “Let’s take a closer look.” I didn’t like the way she said that at all. Her face showed genuine curiosity, almost childlike. It felt like she was about ready to dissect me open like a specimen.
I quickly realized that I needed to get as far away from her as possible.
However, before I could even budge, her hand suddenly stopped and she froze. Her curious expression quickly changed to one of surprise and alarm. She suddenly jumped backwards for no apparent reason, leaving me alone.
That reason became apparent when the ground she stood on suddenly exploded in a flash of white light.
The force of the explosion wasn’t anything to worry about, the chunks of earth and rock that hit me hurt more. It was the sudden brilliant light and noise that invaded my eyes and ears. Felt like a flash grenade exploded right in front of me; my vision was dancing all about in a blur while my ears rang. Luckily it only lasted a short while, and within moments most of my senses had returned and I was able make out my surroundings.
Standing in front of me, right where she’d stood, was a pony. A stallion to, be precise. For a moment, I thought it might be Bronze, once again coming out of nowhere to my rescue. But this pony was no pegasus and his fur was was all grey. What grabbed my attention most was the long horn atop his head, the longest I’ve ever seen on a pony aside from Celestia and Luna. It glowed a clear white light which, against his greyish appearance, created a ghostly aura.
“Can you stand?” the stallion asked in a deep, unfamiliar voice. His voice sounded old and carried an air of authority.
“Uh, yeah. I think so,” I answered without thinking. “Who-”
“Stay close,” he cut in. “We’ll take it from here.”
‘We?’
There came a sound of rushing wind and I caught sight of something massive fall from the sky on the other side of Jo, trapping her in between.
Gustave, the first ever gryphon met, was a sight but he was not what I expected a gryphon to be. He was more strange, and even comical. But this one, oh my god. This gryphon stood a good head or two above mine, easily taller than most if not all humans. Not only was it large, it also possessed a perfectly balanced physique. Probably weighing at least three times my own. It wore belts lined with numerous pockets all over. A few were bulging with what looked like plants. The combination of eagle and lion gave the gryphon an imposing, regal appearance. There was an undeniable air of savagery in the way it glared, demanding respect and caution.
This gryphon was the kind legends were made of.
“You two,” the imposter spoke menacingly. She hadn’t taken a readied position or prepared herself for the coming confrontation. Rather she just stood there glaring at the stallion and occasionally glancing back to the gryphon.
“Ah you remember us,” Inquest replied casually. “We weren’t properly introduced when we last met.” His head dipped a little as if he was bowing. “Professor-”
“Inquest,” she cut in. “Advisor of Magic to the throne of Equestria.” She turned her head slightly to glance back at the gryphon. “Crea Whistwind; one of the world’s most renowned hunters from the Gryphon Confederation.”
‘The throne? Did Celestia send them?’
‘Does it matter? They’re here to save our butt.’
Inquest, the stallion, didn’t seem bothered at all that she knew about them. “You have us at a disadvantage; you know of us, but what should we call you?”
“Call me Jo.” With a smile, she looked past him and right at me. My fingers curled into a fist as I suppressed my anger. Whoever and whatever this thing was, it seemed bent on insulting the real Jo just to aggravate me.
“Well, Jo,” he continued. “I’m going to have to ask you to come with us. I have many questions, and you have a lot to pay for with that dragon.”
“Dragon!?” I asked caught of guard. “You were behind that!?” I screamed.
“Be quiet!” Inquest hushed before turning his attention back at the impostor. “As I was saying, you’ll have to come with us.”
“Could this wait?” she replied, acting as if their sudden appearance was nothing more than an irritation. “I was having a private moment.” She looked at me again, licking her lips like I was a piece of meat. “Things were just getting interesting.”
Inquest stepped to the side and blocked her view. “He’s under my protection,” he threatened, all trace of the casual tone from before was gone. The glow from his horn intensified as he gathered more magic. “And you will come with us. One way, or another.”
She leaned forward and looked Inquest in the eye. “Make me.”
The tension in the air seemed to multiply, making it difficult to breathe. Inquest’s hooves spread out ever so slightly as he readied himself, while Crea, did the same. Oddly the impostor just smiled and waited. Appearing vulnerable, though there was an undeniable air of danger emanating from her.
‘This might be a good time to leave.’ Agreeing, I slowly started to crawl away. Trying to keep myself as small as possible so as to avoid drawing attention.
CRACK
But of course, in situations like this there’s always a dry twig just waiting to break. That miniscule sound seem to reverberate louder than it should in every direction. Like a match to gunpowder, all the built up tension was suddenly unleashed as everything exploded into action.
Crea was the first to act, I saw her lunge at Jo with razor sharp talons. It seemed she was hoping to quickly subdue Jo by overpowering her with her clear physical advantage. If anybody else had been in Jo’s position, they’d probably be paralyzed by fear.
But Jo didn’t seem phased at all. In the split second that all this happened, I saw her smile at the gryphon without a care in the world. Something was clearly wrong.
“Crea!” Inquest shouted. It seemed he too noticed this, but it was still too late. Crea’s momentum could not be stopped and the reason behind Jo’s calmness became apparent when Crea made contact.
Like fine dust, Jo exploded outwards into bluish flames as Crea went right through her. But these flames didn’t just stay still, they moved like a swarm, rushing towards the gryphon just as she touched the ground. She swiped the flames with her talons but they merely parted away like water before she was enveloped by it.
“Crea!” I heard Inquest shout again. His horn ignited as a wave of ghostly white light burst forth from the tip. As best as I can describe it, the light rushed outwards and grew dramatically like a wave towards the flames. It literally looked as if the light was washing and pushing the flames away, revealing Crea collapsed sideways on the ground.
She stirred and quickly got back up, though with a noticeable grogginess in her movement. No doubt something happened but there were no discernable signs of injury on her.
“Are you alright?” Inquest asked worriedly.
Crea blinked a few times as if having trouble keeping her eyes open. “I don’t know what happened but…she nearly knocked me out there.”
“I think she did the same to me,” I said without thinking. Both regarded me for a second. “That’s what happened in the hospital. I just blacked out.”
“But magic seems to work at least,” Inquest added, mostly to himself. There was a slight change in the way his eyes looked that showed a sudden conviction and determination. “Crea stay with him. And if anything happens, take him safely away.”
“Inquest,” Crea called in a slow, worried tone, “don’t. We have the number advantage.”
“Unless you can spontaneously use magic I don’t see how you can fight her,” Inquest replied coldly. “Don’t interfere.” With that, his horn glowed brightly once again before he stepped towards the flames, leaving Crea and me to watch.
“You know,” I started, “we could just run away.” I would love to get my hands around her neck after all that’s happened. Especially if what Inquest said about her being responsible for Falnor was true. But still, considering the situation, it seemed best to just book it.
“That doesn’t seem likely,” Crea answered. “He’s bent on neutralizing the threat. Besides, he detests running away.” She gave me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, he can take care of himself.” She turned and I followed her gaze to watch the coming battle.
“Honestly I’m surprised,” Inquest spoke to the flames loudly. “I didn’t expect you’d be polite enough to wait till we had finished our conversation.”
A high pitched, childlike laughter echoed out from the cloud of flames before it quickly formed back into a duplicate of Jo. “Dealing with you one at a time suits me just fine,” she spoke calmly.
“Then let’s begin.” As soon as he finished speaking his horn exploded once again in brilliant white light. Several large projectiles of magic burst forth from the tip and flew straight at her. It was if I was watching some sci-fi, space movie with aliens shooting plasma weapons. He fired three more before the first even hit.
Not that it mattered, none of them actually hit.
The second before he opened fired, Jo had already leaped out of the way. Now, I say ‘leaped’ but it’s not exactly what you’d imagine. From the waist down her form changed back into this flaming vapor which seemed to let her slide away as if she was floating, which was fortunate for her. The projectiles, no bigger than baseballs, seemed to ignite rather than explode. The ground where they struck appeared to have singed, often leaving rocks glowing red hot.
This didn’t seem to surprise Inquest one bit, rather it seemed he expected it. He fired more in faster succession as he swerved his head to follow. For several intense seconds this exchanged continued on, Inquest firing relentlessly and Jo dodging every single one with incredible ease.
“Hmm,” Inquest hummed thoughtfully, ending his barrage. The tip of his horn smoking slightly from the discharge.
“Aw, done already?” Jo teased childishly, half her upper body still floating in midair.
“I’ve only gotten started,” Inquest replied with a smile of his own. “Try dodging this.” His horn blazed again as he fired even more projectiles, but these were miniscule compared to the ones before.
What they lacked in size, Inquest more than compensated for with sheer numbers. Like an automatic rifle, his horn fired a stream of magical missiles, hundreds were probably fired in a manner of seconds. In simple terms, he was going for a ‘spray and pray’ strategy. Despite how agile and elusive Jo was, there was no way she could evade them all. But evade them she did, in the most inconceivable way.
She disappeared.
There’s really no other way to explain it. One second she was there, about to meet Inquest’s new assault, and the next she was gone. There wasn’t even a sign of movement, not a blade of grass around her stirred. It was like some god just decided to pluck her from existence.
“Where’d she go?” I mumbled. I turned to Crea, whose eagle eyes danced about as she scanned the area for any trace of Jo.
“No,” she eventually answered. “Inquest!” she called in warning.
“I know,” he replied. His back was against me so I couldn’t see his face, but I could feel an air of intensity still radiating from him. “She’s still here.”
A heavy silence fell on us as we waited for something to happen. Crea took a step closer to me and placed her wing over me like a shield. Meanwhile Inquest stood his ground, his horn still ablaze. More than just power, I could ‘feel’ how sharp the magic in his horn was. This might sound a bit of an exaggeration, but in that moment I could compare Inquest to a samurai. His horn was a katana, holding magic at the ready just as a samurai would hold his sword.
“Is hiding all you can do!?” Inquest yelled, his patience wearing thin.
“It’s only natural to play with your toys,” I heard Jo reply, her voice echoing from every direction. “I tend to break them too fast when I’m not careful.”
The way she hid, the way her voice seem to reverberate from every direction; I had seen it just recently before.
“She’s under you!!” I screamed. It’s not that she disappeared, she simply reverted back to that shadowy form from when she first showed herself. The fact that it was night and the moon was hidden allowed her to blend perfectly with the dark environment. She even kept her distance so that the light from Inquest’s horn couldn’t reach her.
“Too late,” her voice echoed again. Black needles sprang up from the ground beneath Inquest, and I don’t mean needles doctors use; these rose a meter high. Some were as thick as coins. They were more like black spikes actually. A single one could easily kill any pony, human, or giant gryphon should they pierce.
I didn’t even get a chance to react before we saw Inquest get pierced. He practically turned into a pincushion in a split second. Hooves, shoulder, neck, body, even the head; all were repeatedly pierced through without remorse.
“Well,” Jo spoke in a disappointed tone. “That was rather anticlimactic.”
“Dammit!” I may not have known him, but the fact that he came to save me and died meant that it was my fault. A deep rage built up inside me. I was ready to make Jo pay, magic or no magic. Luckily, before I could do anything rash or foolish, I felt Crea’s large talons on my shoulder holding me back.
“It’s not that easy to kill him,” I heard Crea spoke. Turning I was surprised to see a calm expression on her face, even the tiniest curve of a smile. “See anything strange?” I turned back, giving a second look and immediately realized what she was talking about.
There was no blood.
“Crea,” I heard the riddled body yell, “get back!”
“Could’ve warned us earlier!” Crea screamed just as she roughly grabbed me around the waist. Before I could do or say anything she pulled me off the ground and carried me who knows how far.
Not a second sooner did Inquest’s body, still with those black needles impaling him, start to glow bright white. It shone like the dawn of a new day before exploding into a column of fire. In that short amount of time Crea managed to carry me a good ten meters away, yet I could still feel the heat of the blast on my face. Only a smoking crater five meters wide was left where Inquest stood as all manner of earth rained down on us.
“Holy shit!!” I yelled in awe.
“A decoy,” a voice answered close by. Turning I saw Inquest somehow standing close by appearing perfectly fine.
“You could have mentioned you were planning on using that!” Crea yelled angrily.
“It was a spontaneous decision,” he replied with a nonchalant shrug.
“Wha-what just happened!?” I asked. “How are you-”
“When she disappeared it was obvious she’d attempt a sneak attack,” he explained. “I immediately replaced myself with a decoy and laid a spell inside it. Depending on the distance, I can even control it as if my own body.”
‘Can he really weave a spell like that?’
“But how did you switch places with the decoy?” I asked. “How’d you move without me seeing?”
“I teleported,” he answered in a ‘isn’t it obvious’ tone. “With practice one can weave and cast spells without the glow.”
“Wait wait wait, you can teleport?” I spaced out for a second trying to wrap my head around the idea and implications. “Teleport? Like, moving from one place to another instantly?”
This time he turned and looked at me confused. “You’ve never seen Twilight teleport? Exactly what has she been teaching you?”
“Apparently she’s been holding the good stuff back,” I grumbled.
“Not that this is important or anything,” Crea cut in. “But maybe we should check if that thing is still alive.”
“Oh I’m alive.” Before either of us could respond, a single black spike shot up from the ground and pierced Inquest’s left forehoof.
“AAAAARGH!!”
If it had been me, I would have probably pulled my limb back which would in turn worsen the injury. But through the pain Inquest kept his focus. Rather than removing the spike from his body, he moved his body from the spike. In bright flashes of light Inquest’s whole body glowed before disappearing and reappearing almost instantly several feet away. Still, that might have been a mistake. With the spike missing I could see blood gushing out of his wound like a broken water bottle. If this keeps up, he’d soon die of blood loss.
“Inquest!” Crea reared back and was about to leap towards him but was immediately halted.
“No! Stay with him! Protect-AAAAGH!” As the previous spike evaporated like smoke, another rose from beneath Inquest again, this time piercing his right rear hoof. Jo had two perfect opportunities to kill Inquest if she had aimed for his heart or head, but the fact that she aimed for his limbs meant that she was toying with him.
“Go!” I yelled at Crea. “Help him!” I would of course have loved nothing more than to have a giant gryphon by my side protecting me. But I couldn’t watch somebody get tortured either.
“DON’T INTERFERE!!” Inquest bellowed through gritted teeth. His horn flashed again as a glowing, white, translucent disk materialized in the air above him. Inquest then teleported on top of it, balancing himself on his two uninjured limbs.
Seeing as the spikes were rising from the earth, Inquest choose to create a floating platform for which he could stay away. But the damage was done, the glowing white disk soon turned deep crimson as blood covered it. With his safety momentarily secured, Inquest immediately tended to his injuries.
“Inquest” Crea called out again, “here!” She grasped and pulled one of her pockets before throwing something up to him.
It glowed white as Inquest caught it in his magic. From inside various colored leaves floated out and were immediately squeezed in the air, turning into a deep dark green paste. He then quickly applied them to both hooves, where it did little to stem the flow of blood. To secure the leaves in place, two thin layers of glowing material grew out from Inquest’s horn which coiled around each wounded area. Inquest gritted his teeth in pain as the cloth-like material wrapped itself around his hooves. The impromptu bandages held the green paste in place while the pressure prevented any further excessive bleeding.
All the while we heard Jo’s childlike laughter and giggles echo all around us, as if she was enjoying the spectacle.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, still hidden. “Done already?”
Surprisingly, Inquest replied with his own laugh. “I’ve suffered through worse than this.” His horn blazed brighter than ever before. “And I’ve dealt far worse!”
With that shout Inquest fired an uncountable amount of projectiles into the sky where they glittered momentarily like stars. Once they had reached a certain height, they curved back and rained down on the area. For several seconds, magic fell like hail all around us, burning and melting the earth where it struck. Though where these things landed were random, Inquest made an effort not to accidently hit either Crea or myself. A good meter around us was left undamaged.
Inquest had chosen to count on the law of probability, his impressive rain of magic was actually making progress for the first time since the battle started. Though I couldn’t hear any yelps or screams of pain, I would occasionally notice wisps of black smoke rise and evaporate where Inquest’s magic struck. But whether or not it was actually hurting Jo, I couldn’t tell.
Eventually the attack ended, leaving scorch marks and rocks glowing red hot all around us. While Crea was keeping her eyes peeled for signs of Jo, I was left speechless with my jaw hanging loose at what I witnessed. The sheer amount of magic it took to accomplish this could have drained every ounce of my own magic if I had tried the same. But what made it so hard for me to believe was the amount of control needed. The fact that none of them had hit us meant that Inquest would’ve had to control each spell individually so as to exclude a certain area. Even if they were simple spells, the amount of focus and effort required to cast so many so fast would’ve melted my brain.
Inquest did it while controlling a magical platform and suffering two punctured limbs.
“That hurt!!”
I winced in pain at the sudden high pitched yell. I felt the ground rumble slightly as thick black smoke sprang up from the ground around us. It quickly gathered into a dark cloud before turning back to bluish flames. Jo stepped out from inside the torrent of blue fire looking absolutely pissed.
There were no signs of injuries on her that I could tell. She just stood there like she does but with a noticeable change in demeanor. I wasn't sure at first if Inquest’s attack actually managed to do anything to her. If not for her sudden outburst and expression you’d think she was unharmed. However, at times bits of pieces of her would, well, just fade out. Like a blurred photo or distorted image. To me, it looked as if she was having trouble keeping herself together, literally.
“Good!” Inquest yelled back with a satisfied smile. “Here’s a taste of something new!” The white glow on Inquest’s horn suddenly dimmed out, replaced by flashes of light as electricity sparked from and all over the tip. Think of a tesla coil and you’ll get the idea.
“Cover your ears!” Crea shouted.
It all happened in a split second. For just the briefest moment, I remembered seeing a white line arcing out from the tip of Inquest’s horn, zigzaging sharply as it traveled through the air towards Jo. For a long time I had trouble believing what I saw, but there was no denying it.
Inquest just shot lighting out of his horn. Actual, wrath of the gods, lighting. It came with everything; the flash of light, the smell of ozone, and of course, the thunder. Being struck by lighting can be bad and lethal for sure, but being close to one is no pleasant experience either. The thunder left my ears ringing and the impact of sound knocked the air clean out of my lungs. I could only imagine how much stronger real thunder from a real lightning strike would be.
“What! The actual fuck!” I shouted, reaching far too late to cover my ears. There was no signs of Jo, a red glowing spot where she stood was all that was left.
‘So is she dead?’
“Is it over?” I asked aloud, my ears still ringing. Neither answered, Inquest busy eyeing the ground and ears twisting about. Unlike pony’s ear that can swivel like a radar dish, Crea needed to turn her head around for the same benefit; much like an owl.
“There!” she suddenly shouted, a claw pointed towards a beachball sized boulder. Inquest and I instantly turned our heads to follow, and though it was difficult to see in the dark of night, we definitely spotted something moving.
Inquest somehow managed to focus the glow from his horn into a spotlight, though I’m not sure if it was an actual spell or just him molding the ambient light of his magic. In either case, he offered enough light for us to see what Crea was pointing at. Something small, dark, and long scurried away from us through the grasses. I only got a glimpse, the tall wild grass blocked much of it, but it moved in the same manner a snake would.
If I had been in his position, I would most likely have hesitated for a second or two, thinking it was a false alarm, but not Inquest. He acted without hesitation, trusting in Crea’s judgement. I suspect he didn’t even know what he saw, only that Crea pointed in that direction and something moved.
Now let me just remind everybody that at the time, I was still confused by everything. I didn’t know what was going on or how I fit into all of it. Not to mention all the crazy spells Inquest was throwing around. That said, here’s what I saw.
Imagine two halves of a giant sphere materializing out of thin air roughly above where the snake was. It looked similar to the platform Inquest was laying on, glowing white and translucent. Like a crane, it dropped down to the earth and snapped shut, forming a perfect sphere with bits of earth trapped inside. It then rose back up into the air, carrying its contents where it hovered, a meter of the ground.
“And where….do you think you’re going?” Inquest spoke in a strained and exhausted tone. It seemed to me that despite his earlier performance, Inquest was was close to his limits. For a while there was nothing, no voice mysteriously speaking from every direction. “It’s no use pretending,” he gazed at the sphere with a confident smile, “I know you’re in there.”
Still nothing.
“Well then.” Despite the obvious mental strain on him, Inquest started firing many small projectiles at the sphere.
Obviously I was confused, why would he attack his own magical construct like that? But it immediately became clear when the first projectile came into contact with the sphere. Or rather, when it didn’t.
It went right through the wall, all the way to the other side of the sphere. That’s where things got pretty damn cool. Once inside the sphere, the projectiles started ricocheting seemingly infinitely all over the place. Only when striking the small patch of earth inside did it stop, leaving behind a smoldering char of mud, rock, and foliage.
With such a contained barrage, it really doesn’t matter where you go or what you become. It didn’t take long for us to notice a writhing black form, rising from the earth inside the sphere. At first my guess was correct, it looked like a black snake trying to stand on its tail. But the higher it climbed the less concentrated it became, eventually diffusing into a dark fog similar to that of a rain cloud. From within came a high pitched, blood chilling scream. The sphere started to vibrate as the clouds suddenly acting violent, pushing and slamming itself against the walls.
“Holy shit,” I mumbled, not quite believing it. “You caught her.”
“Let me go!!” she screamed, her high pitched voice stinging my ears. All of a sudden it converged together and turned into a large black bear. It started clawing at the walls which caused small sparks to fly out. When that didn’t seem to work it started bashing the walls with brute strength, sometimes causing the walls to bend dangerously out. I could tell all that struggling was actually making progress, the walls started to turn more transparent while Inquest tried his best to fuel the spell with more magic.
“Enough!” Inquest shouted, firing more projectiles into the sphere. The bear howled in pain before exploding back into black smoke, only to converge once again into a…
“What the hell!?” I nearly jumped back in surprise at the sudden monstrosity. It took me some time to recover from the initial shock before my brain kicked in. I’ve never seen a picture of it before, but I had read a description in one of Twilight’s books that matched perfectly.
A manticore. Head and body of a lion, large bat wings on its back, a massive scorpion’s tail, and all kinds of ferocious.
With a roar that made my genitals shrink, it started going ballistic inside the sphere, clawing, beating, and stabbing with its tail against the walls. Again Inquest fired several shots into the sphere burning the creature where it struck, hoping to control it before the sphere collapsed. The manticore resisted at first, shrugging off the first few burns, but eventually it too was overpowered. It exploded again into black smoke, spinning and moving around inside the sphere, hoping to find some weak point.
This whole thing repeated several times, Inquest firing into the sphere while ‘not-Jo’ continued to resist with the ferocity of varying wild beasts, both normal and mythical. She even tried turning into an elephant hoping her sudden increase in size would break the sphere, which it nearly did. But another lightning strike directly into the creature stopped that.
Finally things slowed down. The transformations came less often and the black smoke swirled about with less intensity. It was clear she was either weakened from her constant attempts to break free, or injured from Inquest’s assault. Likely both. In the end, the black smoke stopped moving altogether, settling on the bottom of the sphere like a calm fog. Finally it seemed this nightmare was coming to an end.
“Inquest,” Crea called worriedly.
“I’ll...I’ll be fine,” he replied in laboured breath. “Just need to...”
His horn glowed brighter and so too did the sphere. Slowly it started to shrink, removing most of the excess space. I suspect that doing so meant less wasted magic, though that’s only a speculation. Surprisingly, the smoke didn’t move or retaliate at this sudden change. Perhaps it was too weak to do anything.
“Rodney,” a feminine voice called from within the sphere. “Help me.”
I wasn't sure if I heard correctly at first. “Help?” Something in me stirred. “HELP!?” It wasn’t simple rage, but something much deeper and primal. My hands shook as I clenched them into fists, knuckles white. Though the pain from my fractured rib was still there, it felt deadened and distant.
“After what you’ve done!” I shouted. “Why the fuck should I help you!?”
“Quiet!” Inquest threatened. The sphere stopped shrinking as he fired several projectiles at the smoke, to which it recoiled away. As it settled down the color changed back to blue. Before Jo, hair still burning, appeared from within the flames. She was on all four, weak and hurt, slowly her hands pressed against the wall as she looked right at me with a pained expression.
I knew exactly what she was doing! Using Jo’s face to manipulate me, hoping to use my own emotions to help her. At this point I was well aware that this creature, despite her intimate knowledge of me, was not my Jo. Nothing more than a perversion of the real one. A fake. But still, seeing that beautiful face in such a tortured expression made my chest tight. Even with all my anger and resentment, there was a small part of me that wanted to save her.
“That’s enough,” I spoke out to Inquest, his eyes fell on me. “It’s over. You caught her. There’s no need for torture.” We locked eyes for a few seconds. He had likely guessed the reasons for my request. He let out a sigh, just as the glow on his horn dimmed a bit. With the battle over, the magical platform Inquest was on slowly descended down. It broke apart and disappeared as it touched the ground, causing Inquest to hop on two hooves before settling down. I grimaced at the sight of his wounds. It was covered with the green paste and the magical bandage was still on, but nearly every part of his limb was soaked with blood.
Crea immediately went to his side and offered herself as support. Exhausted and nearly spent, Inquest allowed himself to sink and rested against her. His focus and concentration, however, never wavered. The sphere prison still held strong.
“Crea,” Inquest started, “take the human back to town while I prepare this thing for transport.”
Crea glanced at the sphere and at the creature within hesitantly. “I can’t leave you alone with this...thing,” she argued. “Especially not with those injuries. They need to be looked after before-”
“The sooner I get the creature in my lab, the sooner I get medical attention.” He paused momentarily for some much needed breath. “I may be injured but I’ve got enough in me to get back to my lab. There I can fashion a more permanent containment for it. Should be easy enough now that I know magic is effective against it. You take the human to Twilight, then fly back to the castle.”
‘They want us to leave? Screw that! We need answers!!’ Usually I find myself in disagreement with the voice in my head, but not this time. This time we were in complete agreement.
“Now hold on!” I interrupted attracting both their attentions. “I’m not going anywhere until I get some answers.”
“This is not the time-” Inquest began, but I wouldn’t have it. I may have been submissive in the past, but not this time. No more waiting for answers just because it was inconvenient to someone, not when it seemed to involve someone I loved so dearly.
“How does she know so much about me!?” I asked aloud, more to the impersonator herself than to the two. “How could she know things only that I know!? What does she want from me!? And more importantly, why the hell does she look like that!?”
“I understand you’re confused.” Inquest tried to console. “But now is not-”
“Fuck your ‘I understand’ bullshit! You know shit about how I feel! You’re not the one who woke up on some fucked up world, dreamed up by a ten year old girl!!” I glared and pointed a finger at the impostor in the sphere. “You! I want answers and I want them NOW!!”
I felt Crea trying to restrain me. Couldn’t really blame her. It must have been plain to see that I was starting to lose control. I remembered coming that close to siphoning her dry, just so I would have something to focus all the pent up emotion that had been piling up. But the fact the fact that these two came and risked their lives in order to save mine. That knowledge was all that refrained me from using my syphoning powers on them.
I heard the impostor laugh which stopped my struggles as I turned my attention to the sphere. “Oh, Rodney,” she said in a husky whisper, “I know everything about you.”
Crea’s hold was too strong for me to pry off, I could only lean my head towards the sphere, paying no mind to my body’s protests. “What do you want from me?” I demanded.
She laughed before suddenly giving me a strange look. “Tell me, am I the enemy?”
I paused. “What?”
My confusion made her laugh again. “Come now, you’re smart. Don’t you think it’s strange that you're still alive? Why bother dragging you out here? If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it much sooner. Think about it.”
‘She….has a point.’
“Then why didn’t you?” I pressed on.
“Well now, isn’t that the question?” she teased.
“Aargh!” I screamed, frustrated by her cryptic words. “Give me a straight answer dammit!!”
“Enough of this,” Inquest interrupted. “Crea! Now!”
I could feel Crea’s talons press down tighter, but I didn’t care; not even when they drew blood. I’ve yet to get the answers I wanted. I dug my feet into the ground and fought as much as I could against Crea’s pull, but it was futile. Her superior strength easily overpowered my resistance and soon I felt myself being lifted and placed over her muscular shoulders.
“I’m not your enemy Rodney!” she screamed as I was forcefully carried away. I noticed the sphere’s luminance brightening as Inquest too started to glow. Jo’s expression turned to panic, yet her smile remained. “You'll see soon enough!”
I tried shaking and wiggling out of Crea’s grip, but in the end all I could do was watch as Inquest and the sphere shrank away in the distance. The last thing I saw was Jo’s face, still smiling confidently at me before being swallowed up by bright light. Inquest’s own body matched in brightness, and soon both he and Jo seemingly blinked out of existence.
Her lasts words echoing in my mind.
“I have the answers you need!”
Oh my goodness this was a hard one!
Not that the action scenes was difficult to write or anything, I mean it was rather intimidating but I've tackled bigger. Rather, I kept second guessing myself in almost every plot progression; 'Is this the way I want the story to fold out?" What happens in this chapter will set the tone for a good portion of the story, so I had to get it right.
I know the word count for this chapter is around 9K, but I'm pretty sure I've written at roughly three times that. There were about 4 different scenarios on how this chapter panned out. One, Rodney falls under Jo's control and battles Inquest and Crea. Two, Rodney becomes unshackled. Three, in the battle the "limit" placed on him was removed.
But in the end I decided with the way it is; Rodney sitting on the sideline and giving the fighting role to Inquest and Crea. Shows a bit more of how capable the two are as individuals and as a team. More importantly I think this chapter showed how human Rodney is, that he is not perfect.
I know it's not much, but I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I put a lot of effort and heart into it. But hey, if there is something that bugs you then by all means tell me. Just please explain why, it will help me become a better writer.
Till the next chapter, which hopefully comes WAY faster than this one.
~ Zai
P.S Also I totally understand if you've forgotten what happened in the story, considering how long it's been. Besides, adds more views on the previous chapters. 
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God Rodney quit being such a hard head. That thing is seriously dangerous and they barely caught it,yet you wanna sit down and have a nice chat. Their is time for that after it is secured. Also, ya, he is getting lied to a little bit, it's not like he needs more magic when he had none to begin with.
lul gud
With how he's been treated and a line like that. It'll be interesting what will happen when he demands answers. At this point, he better get some answers. I think the worst will come when he learns the truth about the shackles and that they've been lying to him for so long. Essentially the pain he suffered in absorbing the gem to prevent the destruction of the town was Celestia, Luna, and the shackles fault rather than any inherent problem of his own.The longer they go without telling him the truth about everything, the more it'll come to bite them in the ass or at least I hope it will. I've always had an inherent dislike for manipulation and Celestia takes the cake (pun intended).
That was a awesome chapter. I'm really looking forward to more chapters.
m.memegen.com/bqpzgj.jpg
Well considering how many stories i've been waiting several months for and a few stories over a YEAR for, waiting a little over 1 month isn't too bad.
4335457
quickmeme.com/img/b7/b796bf4e2da0c02bf98f193d3e54c346cd20b584f3d3db708b500d06cd2c4c1f.jpg
i like this chapter, this is a good chapter
i like the manipulation "jo" is using, making him react to news in the way she wants once he finds out.
"Fuck your ‘I understand’ bullshit!" My favorite part. I'm sorry but it's about time Rodney said some shit like that.
"One day you’ll find out who the real liars are!"
Finally, jeeze!
Great
Oh noes! Is our hero going to be manipulated into a bad guy? The horror! The magnificently splendid horror! I hope this doesn't happen! (snarkasm)
I hope Rodney will not do something stupid like letting out "Jo" when he will learn the truth.
Punch Princesses all you like, but letting out evil... It's beyong stupid.
I'm starting to think that the blue voice isn't just Rodney's common sense. Maybe it's a third "visitor", one that doesn't have a physical form but instead binds itself to a host and forms a mutualistic relationship with it.
update WOO HOO!!
s23.postimg.org/8rd3nmaez/Happy_Jelly.gif
though, and I don't wanna be "that guy", I've been wondering something why can't Rodney take magic from the ambient stuff in the air and world around him? and if someone fired off a spell at him could he not catch it and ... metabolize it? and why not drain the mimic, she seems to be nothing but magic?
4335787 Honestly from the fact that the 'Band' or whatever the fuck it's called nearly killed him on several occasions? I think it'd be justified especially if he decided to just say fuck it and drain her dry instead of letting her out.
Here's how I think it'd go.
Jo: "I knew you'd come for me when you saw the truth"
Rodney just grabs her face with an empty expression and begins to siphon her of everything she is.
Jo: "R-Rodney stop! Why are you doing this?!"
Rodney: "Because I need the power to get back at those liars and you're to dangerous to let live."
So many plots! So many questions, not enough answers.
Yeah, I also agree with some people here: The two princesses will get a good portion of their asses remove once Rodney finds out. Onwards to the next chapter plz.
4335957 That does make sense also why was Rodney so quick to trust it? Even fi it does turn out to be just a part of him why is he so quick to believe what it says about itself?
4335787
Unless she has already forged a mental link with Rodney, whispering temptation and madness in his head like a Denarian from Dresden Files.
4336156
I think it's more of a case of Rodney being Rodney as to why he just seemed to accept Blue Voice's explanation for it's existence waaaay back in chapter 6. Since then though, Blue Voice has done nothing but be helpful and act as a source of common sense. Except for a few chapters that showcase Blue as not being so above it all, he has tried to steer Rodney towards being much more of a responsible adult. And Blue has pretty much stuck to the role of an adviser, giving Rodney advice and alternate points of view. In fact, this chapter could quite possibly the first time he's actually taken direct action by executing a well timed mental "get a hold of yourself" slap and snapping Rodney out of the attempted brainwashing.
I can't fault Rodney at the end there. That thing needs to give answers.
*reads chapter title*
I really don't like the sound of this.
*reads chapter*
Yup, goddamn fucking well knew it.
He gets a few minor hints and otherwise it's back to the status quo. Again. As if the torture spell breaking during the fight with Falnor, only for the bitches to simply put it right back on wasn't infuriating enough.
4336024
Damn, I hope so. But after what they've done, even letting her out is not outside the realm of possibility. Perhaps drain her a little bit to remind her not to tangle with him, then set her loose on the ponies. Plenty of other toys out there for her to play with.
Honestly, I feel far more rage towards the Princesses and Twilight than towards "Jo". You expect evil creatures like her to pull this sort of crap. But them... to keep him under control they've lied to him, tortured him and nearly gotten him killed while feigning friendship. Putting the torture spell back on was pretty much the point of no return. Drain them dry, turn them to stone, put them on display next to Discord, carve "sic semper traditoribus" on the pedestals and call it a day.
Frankly, the whole Jo plot annoys me just a bit. She's a distraction. What I want to see is for the real villains of the piece to finally gets what's coming to them, and rescues like this both delay that and make it more likely that they won't get it at all in the end.
Alright, Zaibatsu sir, I just want to say oh...my.
This chapter, where to start? Ok so I have a strange habit of being able to predict where most stories are going from the way it's written, but you went in a completely different direction and I love it. I believed that you were going to release Rodney's limiter here, but i'm so glad you didn't, it would have been too soon in my opinion. I'm getting a bit excited about this, but I actually learned quite a bit from this chapter I... ok let me try this. It might help me get my point across. *Ahem*
Dear Princess Zaibatsu.
Today I learned that while Rodney may have raw power at his disposal, he still only has a loose grasp on the control of magic, as well as insufficient training and experience to handle a major crises. I believe that the choice to refrain from allowing him to use his abilities to their fullest was the correct one. If his raw strength and shaky control was able to defeat a being with enough power to control a dragon with the skill to disable an entire building full of people without being noticed, I believe it would have felt like a hollow and honestly meaningless victory. Even if he would have lost against such a foe with his full powers it would have brought far too many issues that would have to be dealt with extreme care, and might have brought a premature ending to this story. However this outcome allows the story to go on with the knowledge that there exists a being with far more experience and skill than Rodney could ever hope to have. It allows the reader to understand just how powerless Rodney can be, and sets the feeling of a slight frailty upon a being that previously seemed invincible. It's a sobering experience to be sure.
Sincerely yours,
The Rambling Fool,
Azuredart.
(Seriously though, great chapter sir, can't wait for more.
)
P.S. Sorry for calling you princess I couldn't help myself.
thanks for the update
Once again the plot thickens......The evil shadow fire thingie knows of the limiters on Rodney!
And once he finds out the truth...that's a chapter I can't wait for! Will he break "Jo" out of containment, or will she have already escaped at that point? Will he listen to the excuses from the princesses, or find a way to remove the binds and drain them? Will he see his friends as enemies and vice versa? So many possibilities! I can't wait to see where you're gonna take this!
And I really do love Inquest and Crea. Really hope to see more of their teamwork in battle
aww FINALLY!! and update at last i've been waiting 4ever
I'm disgruntled by only one thing: that I have this fic faved for over a year and a half and hadn't upvoted it until now.
woot! update!
Wow, what an excellent chapter! Kudos Zaibatsu, this is currently one of my favorite stories on the site. I can't wait for the next chapter!
Inb4 she turns out to acctually be the good guy
Great job keeping tension high in the story.
This just makes the anticipation for future chapters greater.
4335787
Aye, just because the Princesses are manipulating him, it doesn't automatically make miss 'sic a dragon on an innocent town' the good guy.
you did great!
i like this chapter
Smoke monster, check. Unanswered questions, check. Now we just need an island and a few polar bears and we've got the pony version of Lost!
4335378 That means I'm doing good
4335409 Even though many seem to be liking the plot so far, I miss writing hilarious and lighthearted scenarios of Rodney's daily life. There's a simple pleasure from it, nothing serious. I'll probably return to that style for a bit soon after this arc.
4335700 Hmmm, maybe it's a good time for some filler chapters.
4335596 Yup, sort of the whole point of the chapter; making Rodney more human. I realize sometime ago he's too passive and tolerant.
4335778 Oh that's it! I've ruined the fic! Time to cancel it!
4335787 I wouldn't say he won't do something stupid. Mistakes can be good mistakes, at least for the story.
4335957 *ignoring this comment*
4335991 First, thank you for reading it again, though I'm not sure why you would go through my horrendous writing in the early chapters. Bit of self abuse there. As to your question, nothing complicated like that. More like simple pings and signals that one spell creates and another received, to which it reacts in a certain way. So just like a garage remote. I wanted to keep it simple and not confuse some readers.
4336023 Some a food for thought; ponies and all living creatures in Equestria (sentient or not) gradually refills their magic from the world. For example a cockatrice use magic for their petrifying gaze and cannot spam it on everything whenever it feels like it, otherwise there'll be statues of animals and whatnot all over the place.
I'll let you theorize whatever that means for Rodney.
4336115 Asses of princesses...removed. There, another one added to the list of retribution.
4336508 I am slowly mastering the art of plot teasing.
4336589 Yeah I remember you once coming close to predicting some plot turns some chapters ago. Glad to hear some who followed the story so long ago still enjoys it.
As for calling me princess, I suppose I deserve it when the first words of this fic is "Dear Princess..."
4336763 Others enjoy them too, like you they request a spin off for Inquest and Crea's adventures. Who knows, maybe. But for now, SaF is my main focus.
4337295 Shame on you
4338003
4338121 Happy to hear you like it, this chapter took a lot of effort and time to get it right.
4338509 "Tension", translation =
4340503 I lol'ed
4341128
Yea, can't wait to see his magic shenanigans again
.
In this chapter it was done well.
But don't overdo it. Otherwise he'll become either JerkSue, or just too unsympathetic.
4341128 Here's a better question, Is Blue Voice the source of Rodney's magical prowess?
4341128 I don't think I will ever dislike this story, no matter where the plot is headed. This story inspired me to write again (it will come out eventually... I think.
) and you actually gave me the confidence to start regularly commenting again. It might sound a little silly but it's true. Also Rodney is the type of character I want to hug and tell him to not give up. He is very well written.
Now then, I can't wait to see what Rodney's reaction to the truth will be, and how far it will be taken. I think he would understand the reasons behind the limits placed upon him,and possibly even the secrecy and lies, if he thought about it calmly, however the flames of anger are easily stoked and often cause even the most calculating person to become a fool.
Also, after some thought I have realized that the voice in Rodney's head may have a larger part to play in the plot than I originally thought. I knew it was important, but I always thought that Rodney just absorbed discord when he first appeared or something...especially since Rodney seems to be quite the chaos magnet.
...I really need to work on the length of my comments.
Oh, and Zaibatsu is best princess! Glad to finally get that out of my system.
*twitch*
The way I see it, he's been putting on a brave face, both to the ponies and to himself, ever since he got here. But there's a lot of pain inside that man, as the dream he had while in the hospital shows. He's lost everything and everyone he ever knew; after the way "Jo" used those memories and feelings to try and control him, it's no wonder he lost it.
Which is one reason I expect the explosion to be fairly spectacular, once he realizes the friendships that've been his lifeline here are lies.
can you post the other drafts for this chapter? would be interesting to see what other ideas you had about what direction the story should go. Good chapter and cant wait for more.
Its been far too long since rodney did any butt kicking. He should do moar of that, in my oppinion.
4341734 Unfortunately no, it contains too much spoilers. There are even tidbits that people can easily deduce which further ruins the story. Besides, at the moment it's nothing more then a pile of mess.
4341357
........challenge accepted
Chapter 42:
Rodney dies from hernia.
The End. Fin.
4343137 Oh my...didn't see that one coming, so brash, so bold...I love it!
Oh well, I could actually imagine that being much more comical than it seems. 
innuendo, innuendo everywhere
Ya know I don't want Rodney to lose the shackles now. I would, however, be interesting to see his potential power temporarily.
4347107 So happy someone noticed
There's actually an Indiana Jones reference as well.