Chapter 15: Waking Pains
Attempting to determine the physical composition of the Elements of Harmony was an exercise in futility. While I could break parts of them down at will, I could not in any way analyze their structure. They are immune to every metallurgical analysis, from simple heat melting all the way through dissolution in acid. They are chemically inert and magically impenetrable.
At one point I obtained use of an electron microscope at Canterlot University, and discovered something astounding: the Elements are solid. Not in the same way that most matter is solid, but absolutely solid. Forced to devise several unique tests to confirm this, I ultimately came to a few startling facts about the physical Elements.
First they are absolutely reflective, at least down to the neutrino level. Heat, light, stray thaumic radiation, all of it bounces off without imparting a single iota of energy to the Elements themselves. This should render them blindingly white except under special lighting, but they remain plainly and simply visible in their current forms. They should also be very cold to the touch, but remain at a temperature we would expect them to considering the environment around them.
Second, they have no mass. This was difficult to determine, as they feel as if they have weight, and several scales will show that they do. However, this is just more perception bias in regards to the Elements, and more in-depth gravity testing has proven without a significant margin of error that they have a total mass of zero.
Taking all these facts together, I can only come to the conclusion that the physical Elements are not composed of atoms. As all known matter in the universe is composed of atoms, the Elements are therefore not made of matter as we understand it, and are therefore not truly 'physical' at all. In fact, I would be willing to say that whatever the Elements are made from, it resembles nothing else in the universe, and certainly doesn't conform to the laws we commonly believe sustain existence.
I cannot stress the importance of this discovery enough in my studies of the Elements. It changed everything.
-From the second section of Harmony Theory by Twilight Sparkle
Chapter Fifteen: Waking Pains
She awoke to darkness and pressure. A great weight was pressing down all around her, holding her in a binding embrace. She gasped for air, and got a mouthful of dirt for her trouble. Spitting and snarling she tried to get up, but found to her rising panic that she was completely stuck from the neck down. There was dirt over her eyes, and when she opened them it stung badly enough that she could only take a quick glance before having to squeeze them shut again. However, she did manage to see that she was stuck down a hole, and there was a harsh white light coming from above.
She was buried alive.
She struggled, fighting the panic that she knew wouldn’t help one little bit. After an eternity of effort she realized that she could shift the dirt around her head and neck, and it gave her some wiggle room to start getting out.
She shifted until she could take a deep breath, then called out. "Help!" she cried. Her own voice echoed back to her. "Hey! Anypony out there? I'm a little stuck! Anypony? Help!"
She didn't wait for a response, figuring that if there was anypony there to hear, they would come running. Instead she twisted her body from side to side, wiggling and pushing with all the little leverage she had. Inch by inch she pulled herself free of the earth and up the sides of the hole she was in.
Then, with a jerk she was free. She scrambled up the hole and out to the open, panting and shaking with relief. A look around showed that she was in a huge cavern with buried buildings jutting out of the walls, all lit with a harsh electric light. She had no idea how she'd come to be here, and that lack of knowledge sent a shiver down her spine.
She set the slow-blooming fear aside and took stock of herself. To her relief she found that she was uninjured, merely dirty and confused. A few swipes with her hat got rid of the worst of the dirt, and just in time, as she heard hoofsteps on the ground behind her.
"Nevermind," she told whoever it was, putting her hat securely back on her head. "Got myself out." She turned to the new arrival, and her face split in a grin. "Rainbow Dash! Well aren't you a sight! Mind tellin' me where in the wide, wide world of Equestria we happen to be? 'Cause I have to admit I have no idea how I got here, and I am mighty confused right now."
Dash just stared at her, her mouth open and moving a little, but no sound coming out. She took a closer look at her friend, and realized that Dash looked terrible. There were huge bruises visible under the pegasus' blue coat, one of her wings was bandaged up and she was clearly favoring one of her back legs. She looked like she'd had one of her worse tumbles, but some of those bruises were suspiciously hoof-shaped. Worse than the physical damage was the way she was staring at Applejack.
"What's the matter, sugarcube? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Applejack?"
The pony in question frowned at her friend. Rainbow Dash sounded like she was about to cry, and that just wasn't in the athletic pegasus' nature. "Of course it's me," she said. "Now, are you going to answer my question or..." She never got to finish. Dash pounced on her, folding her into an embrace that threatened to squeeze the air out of the farmer.
"Applejack! I thought... I didn't..." Dash stammered out before just flat-out crying into her friend's coat.
Something was going on here, and not knowing what irked Applejack fiercely. A crying friend always took precedence, though, so she hugged her back. "Hey, there. Take a deep breath and tell me what's going on."
"I... I thought I'd never see you again," Dash sobbed. "I'd just given up."
"Given up?" Applejack exclaimed. She didn’t know where she was, how she got there, or what was going on in general right now, but she could handle all of that. That was just weird. Rainbow Dash giving up? That was flat-out wrong, and it left her disoriented far worse than any of the other stuff ever could. "Now, since when does Rainbow Dash give up on anything?"
"Since Max Cash brought out the Element of Loyalty," Dash mumbled. Applejack had barely caught that, and the misery in Dash's voice was deeper than anything she'd ever thought to hear from the pegasus. Dash took a deep, shuddering breath and pulled back from Applejack's embrace. "You're here now. Okay. Gotta think. Gamma's gonna be here any second and I gotta know what to tell her."
"What? Who? Rainbow Dash, just what is going on?"
Dash frowned, scrubbing her tears away. "Oh, man, this just got complicated.”
"Complicated?"
"Yeah, she's gonna want to question you, but you don't speak Solar," Dash said, pacing back and forth. "I can translate, I guess, but she's not gonna like it. I'm not going to like it. I don't... Argh! This is Star's thing, I can't deal with Gamma right now; you're here! I don't even know how Star's doing, she'll totally flip when she meets you!"
"Rainbow?"
"The Professor's gonna flip too, but not in a good way," Dash continued, heedless of Applejack's attempt to get her attention. "Oh crud! Does this mean he's got your Element too? Oh jeez that is not good. Right! I gotta tell you about that! But maybe I should talk to Star first and..."
“Rainbow Dash!" Applejack snapped, pushed to the limits of her patience. "Stop your ramblin’ and just tell me what's goin' on!”
Dash stopped, turning back to Applejack and swallowing hard. “Okay, okay. This is going to sound really crazy, and you’re not going to believe me, but just trust me, it’s true.”
“I do trust you, sugarcube,” Applejack assured her, her impatience settling as she saw how nervous her friend was. “And I will believe you, once you get around to actually tellin’ me what it is that’s so hard to believe.”
Dash sighed. “Um, okay. AJ, we're in the future."
Applejack blinked at her for a long moment. "The future? What do you mean we’re in the future?"
"Like, a thousand years in the future." The deadly earnest look in Dash's eyes was all Applejack needed to be convinced that the pegasus wasn’t kidding.
"A thousand... why? How?"
"Uh, nopony knows," Dash said, shrugging. "But Twinkle Shine, um, she's this really smart but kinda grumpy unicorn, anyway, she's trying to figure it out." Dash paused as the sound of a dozen ponies coming through a tunnel echoed around the chamber. "Gamma's here. AJ, do not freak out, okay? They don't speak Equestrian, and talking really loud and really slow won't get them to understand you any better."
Applejack frowned. "If they don't speak Equestrian, why would you think talkin' slow and loud would help?"
"I..." Dash's eyes darted to the side for a moment before focusing again. "Didn't. Just let me do the talking, okay?"
Applejack nodded in agreement. "Sure thing, sugarcube. Just remember to fill me in on what's goin' on, alright?"
"You got it," Dash said, gracing her with a genuine smile that was reassuringly Rainbow Dash: cocky, confident and irrepressible. Applejack smiled back, and kept still as a squad of oddly-clothed ponies brandishing strange devices surrounded them with clearly military precision and efficiency. Applejack couldn't help but glance around at them, feeling a palpable sense of danger from them, but she checked her impulse to shy away and instead waited with as much nonthreatening stillness as she could muster. A unicorn stepped into the circle of soldiers, dark green coat and black mane making her blue eyes stand out like beacons. Those eyes were so intensely focused that they almost distracted from her cutie mark, which was a series of glyphs that somehow clearly spelled out 'Intelligence' despite the fact that Applejack had never seen anything like them before. Applejack forced herself not to stare at the bizarre cutie mark, not wanting to be rude as a first impression.
Dash and the unicorn talked, and Applejack couldn't help a start of surprise at hearing the foreign language flow so easily from the pegasus. Hearing her own little sister talking fancy was nothing compared to hearing a different language from Rainbow Dash of all ponies. Rainbow Dash didn't even like to read!
Finally, the two seemed to come to an agreement. The soldiers relaxed and Dash turned back to Applejack. "Okay, so that went well. I guess," the pegasus said, scratching at the back of her head sheepishly.
"Who are these ponies?" Applejack asked.
"Well, they're, uh, special forces or something," Dash said, shrugging. "Think elite guards. That's Gamma," she pointed at the unicorn she'd been conversing with. "She's a spy, but, like a totally awesome super-spy. Look, I'll explain it all to you, but you gotta come with us right now."
Applejack nodded. "Sure I will. Why are you actin' all jittery?"
"You promise not to get mad?"
"Why would I get... Rainbow Dash, what have you gotten me into?"
"Look, it's just until Star can talk to you. She'll vouch for you and this'll all be good," Dash said quickly. "They're not going to tie you up or anything!"
"Tie me?! What?"
"It's not that bad!"
"Rainbow Dash, you are gonna tell me right now what you just agreed to for me!" Applejack said, steel and invulnerable earth pony stubbornness lacing her voice.
"Well," Dash wheedled. "You're kinda, sorta, maybe a prisoner."
"A prisoner!"
"Just until my friend Star can talk to you and make sure you're, um, you. Gamma trusts her more than she trusts me right now. It'll be cool, you'll see."
Applejack took a deep breath. She could deal with this. After thinking about it for a moment it even started to make sense. These ponies didn't know her, and she didn't know them. Dash was all beat up, and they were soldiers, so maybe something was going on. Something that would put them on edge, and in that case it was only smart to be careful around strange ponies. "Fine. I'm a prisoner. Great. Just so long as I get to keep my hat."
Dash let out a weak chuckle. "Oh, hey, about that."
If looks could kill...
***
Star Fall watched the gentle rise and fall of Astrid's chest. Her head pounded and her stomach demanded food, but she couldn't pull herself away from her injured friend long enough to take care of either of those problems. Astrid slept soundly, kept from waking or feeling the pain of her injuries by the drugs that flowed into her system from the tubes and needles she was hooked up to. It was a peaceful sleep, especially now that they'd patched her injured lung.
Star Fall's sleep hadn't been nearly as peaceful. The doctor had kept waking her every half an hour to ensure that her concussion wouldn't turn into something worse, and that meant what sleep she got was never very deep or restful. When morning finally came she'd been subjected to a careful scan by the doctor before he had pronounced her healthy enough to not need any more observation.
That was good news for her, but Astrid’s prognosis wasn't nearly as bright. Charisma's attack had seriously injured the Griffin, and only Star Fall's light healing spell had kept her alive. When she'd asked, she'd been told a lot of medical jargon that her biology studies informed her meant that Astrid wasn't going to have any permanent injuries, but would take a month to heal and even longer to fully recover.
"I'm so sorry," Star Fall said, laying a gentle hoof on her friend's side.
"Her duty was to protect you," Gamma said, coming up behind her. Star Fall was too tired to be very surprised by the sudden appearance of her boss. "She did that admirably. You have the fewest injuries out of the three of you, even if Dash seems to handle them better."
"She's different," Star Fall sighed. "I wish I could give half of her resilience to Astrid. She'd be up and healthy in a week."
"I do not doubt that," Gamma said. "But I do doubt Sergeant Steelwing would want you to sit by her bedside moping when there is work to do."
Star Fall nodded, standing. "You're right. We have to find Cash."
"I agree," Gamma said, turning to leave the medical ward. "But a more immediate concern has come up. One that requires your personal attention."
Star Fall frowned at that, but followed Gamma closely. "What's happened?"
"Not what, but who," came Gamma's cryptic reply. "I won't say any more yet. I want your unbiased first opinion."
Star Fall contemplated that as they left the transport, crossing to one of Cash's buildings. There were a pair of soldiers standing at the doors, and their obvious alertness for any threats managed to make its way past her headache to trigger her own awareness. They were worried about something, and soldiers like these only worried when something seriously wasn't right with the world. "What's happened?" she demanded of Gamma as they passed the guards into the building.
"We discovered something this morning," she said. "Something that might bring some connections I’ve been guessing at closer to the light. In here." They entered one of the rooms, and were in a hastily set-up monitoring room. There were crystal screens showing images magically projected from various places around the compound. A pair of unicorns were maintaining the screens, and both nodded silently to Gamma as she entered. "Tell me what you make of this," Gamma instructed Star Fall, pointing to one of the screens.
It showed Rainbow Dash in a room with another mare, both sitting at a table with a glass of water in front of each of them. The other pony was an orange-coated blonde earth pony with a trio of apples as her Glyph. She was sitting with her forelegs crossed in front of her and pointedly not looking at Dash. Something about the pony caught at Star Fall's attention, and she took a closer look, squinting to make out details on the screen.
When recognition hit, it hit hard. She jerked upright, eyes wide and wings spread. "Celestia's light! Is that Applejack?"
"I don't know," Gamma replied. "Is it?"
Star Fall searched her memory, dredging up every fact about Applejack's appearance that were scattered throughout Twilight Sparkle's writings. "Her coloration is right. Glyph is right. Freckles are right, too. I can't tell more without talking to her."
Gamma nodded. "Of course. I'm putting you in charge of her interrogation."
"We're interrogating her? To what purpose? Where did she come from?"
"That is one of the items I wish to address with the interrogation," Gamma said. "Agent Fall, you are first to determine if she is actually Applejack, or at least as much Applejack as Agent Dash is Rainbow Dash. Second, you are to discover how she came to be here, if she knows at all. Third, you are to determine her loyalties in regards to the Kingdom, and if at all possible secure those loyalties for the Crown. Do you understand these orders?"
Star Fall nodded. "I do."
A moment later she was escorted to the room where Dash and Applejack waited. Another pair of soldiers guarded this door, and carefully checked Star Fall over before letting her into the room. Inside, Dash was talking in Old Equestrian.
"Come on, AJ! This is important!"
"I ain't talkin' to you," Applejack said, turning her head firmly away from the pegasus. Her Old Equestrian had an accent to it that gave Star Fall pause, but it was still understandable once she gave it some thought. "You let them take my hat."
"I didn't want to! Gamma insisted!" Dash replied.
"I don't care, I'm still mad at you," Applejack said.
"What are you saying about hat?" Star Fall asked as she walked into the room.
"Star! You're alright!" Dash cried, leaping up and over the table to give Star Fall a tight hug. "How's Astrid?"
"Astrid is... sleeping," Star Fall told her in Solar. "The doctor's say she'll be back to normal in a couple months."
"Months? Oh, man that sucks." Dash shivered. "I can't imagine being laid out for months!"
"Uh, beg pardon, but you were saying something about my hat?" Applejack said, looking at Dash oddly before turning her green eyes to Star Fall.
"I was asking about hat," Star Fall replied. "It was taken?"
"Yeah, Gamma said she had to check it over, or something," Dash said.
Star Fall frowned. Why would Gamma insist on something like that? The answer came to her a moment later, and she sighed. "Wait. I will try to get it."
"Appreciated," Applejack said, her posture relaxing.
"What's going on, Star?" Dash asked.
"Gamma's doing her usual games," Star Fall told her. "Don't worry, it'll all be okay." Dash accepted that, backing off to sit back at the table. Star Fall exited the room and went back to the monitoring room. Gamma was waiting outside it.
"Are there problems?" Gamma asked.
"I'd like to return the prisoner's hat to her," Star Fall replied, holding out her hoof.
Gamma let a faint smile show through her professional mask, and the hat floated over to Star Fall in the blue glow of Gamma's magic. "I took the liberty of cleaning it a bit. She should appreciate that."
"I'm sure she will," Star Fall commented before turning away from the unicorn and returning to the interrogation room. "I have it," she said as she entered, laying the hat on the table.
"Thank you kindly," Applejack said, wasting no time in grabbing the hat and laying it back on her head. Star Fall took the opportunity to call her magic into her eyes and take a look at the pony's aura. What she saw was just as intense as Dash's aura, but completely different. Where Dash's magic was a constant explosion of color and light, Applejack's was a solid, steady presence of life and growth. Earth pony magic, definitely, but so uniquely strong and vibrant that there was almost no comparison to a normal pony. "Why'd they have to go and take it anyway?"
"So I could give it back to you," Star Fall said, letting the magic fade from her eyes.
Applejack frowned. "Now, how does that make a lick of sense?"
"Gamma is watching," Star Fall said. "She knows ponies, how they act. I give your hat back, you trust me more. Talk more. We become friends, she watches, sees how you act. Then she knows if you are dangerous to the Kingdom."
"Aw, she played me," Dash said, sagging.
"She couldn't have just had you ask me?" Applejack asked.
"No. Gamma does not trust. It is her job not to trust."
"Well, ain't that just wonderful," Applejack said. "Aren't you messing up her plan by telling me all this?"
"Maybe. I do not think so," Star Fall said, shaking her head. "I tell you truth now, you know I will tell you the truth later. We have trust, and maybe friendship, too."
Applejack smiled. "Well, that's a plan I can get behind. My name's Applejack." The orange pony held out a hoof.
"Fallen Star," she replied, shaking the proffered hoof.
"Dash has been tellin' me you're a good pony," Applejack said. "I'm glad to see she's right." She looked over to Dash. "And as for you, I forgive you."
"Yes!" Dash pumped a hoof in the air. "I told you I didn't want to let them take it!"
"Yeah, well, a pony just wants to keep her hat when she finds out she's suddenly in the future," Applejack said. "Speaking of, I've got a lot of questions, and I haven't the first idea where to begin with them."
"I will answer what I can," Star Fall assured her. "But first I must ask you questions."
"Well, alright, I guess. Fire away."
"I need to know how you got here. What is it you remember about coming here?"
Applejack shrugged. "I don't know. I was going to bed, then I woke up buried and in the future."
"What were you doing before going to bed?"
"Getting ready mostly. Cider season'd just started. Our farm relies on the money from it to get through the winter, and I was worryin' about not havin' enough for everypony again this year."
"Wait. Are you talking about the time with the Flim-Flam brothers?" Dash cut in.
"The who now?"
"But that was months ago!" Dash exclaimed. "I–I don't understand."
Star Fall frowned. "Dash. We will talk about that later. Applejack, I am going to ask you some questions about your life. I need to make sure you are you, and not a pretender. I do not think you are, but I still must ask for Gamma. Then I promise that I will answer your questions. I do not promise that I have all the answers, but I will try."
"Well, okay. So long as you try," Applejack said, then took a deep breath. "But before I say anything, I want to know. Am I really in the future? And how did I get here?"
"You are," Star Fall said. "More than a thousand years have passed since... since you died." Applejack took that particular bombshell impassively, just nodding for Star Fall to continue. "We do not know how you are here. We are trying to find out, but it is part of things happening with a pony named Max Cash. He is a very bad pony, and he is doing very bad things. Maybe he wants you to be here, maybe not. We don't know, but the more sure we are about you, the more you can help us find out."
Applejack settled herself in her chair, laying her forehooves on the table. "Well, alright then. I trust Dash, and I'm trusting you too. Just tell me what I can do to help out, and I'll do my best."
"Thank you Applejack," Star Fall said, smiling at the earth pony. "Now, first, um, what is your favourite food?"
***
Twinkle Shine stared at herself in the mirror of the well-appointed washroom she'd been given to freshen up in. The purpling bags under her eyes stood out starkly in contrast to her golden coat. The eyes above the bags were bloodshot and weary, focusing only with effort. Her mane hung limp and unwashed around her head, and she feared that she'd begun to smell. Exhaustion hung heavily from her, and even the cold water she was liberally splashing on her face did little to alleviate the weary dullness that clouded her mind.
She filled the sink and dunked her face in, holding her breath as long as she could before pulling herself up and gasping. When she looked in the mirror again her eyes had been replaced by those of the Nightmare. They weren't tired, and even from her dishevelled and soaking face they held the unmistakable expression of absolute rage held in an adamantine control.
"No," Twinkle Shine sighed. "Now is not a good time to talk."
"Events Are Outpacing The Plan," her reflection said. "I Feel A Shift In The Cosmos."
"Another one?" Twinkle Shine mused, putting a hoof to her chin in distracted thought. "Bad dreams, maybe?"
"I Do Not Dream."
The unicorn snorted. "Of course not. I'm the one that gets all the dreams. Fine. This just means the timetable is moved up. How long?"
"This Shift Was Not Accompanied By An Acceleration Of My Ascension," the Nightmare admitted, looking ever so slightly annoyed. "It Was The Result Of An External Influence."
"External?" Twinkle Shine pulled back, surprised. "Celestia and Luna?"
"Remain As They Were," Umbra confirmed.
Twinkle Shine growled and shook her head. "Figures. Then it's something new."
"No. Not New," the Nightmare countered. "Familiar."
"How familiar?"
"I ... Do Not Know."
Twinkle Shine's head sagged. "Then why tell me this? If it doesn't affect anything and the cause is unknown, what good will it do to put this on me now? Now, when I'm working on my third day with an hour of sleep? Now, when I'm worried sick about Star Fall? Now, when I have to handle the King in the middle of a crisis I helped cause? I'm practically falling asleep on my hooves here!"
"Exhaustion Is Not An Excuse For Lack Of Concern. The Plan Is Becoming Irrelevant."
"Not yet it isn't," Twinkle Shine snarled. Then sighed and rubbed at her head. "Fine, I'll keep it in mind. Along with everything else I have to keep track of right now."
Umbra narrowed her eyes. "I Will Not Have Inattention Cost–." A knock at the door silenced the Nightmare.
"What is it?" Twinkle Shine snapped.
"Professor Shine, we heard voices. Are you alright?" came the voice of a Griffin from the other side of the door.
"Yes," Twinkle Shine said, casting one last look into the mirror where her reflection's eyes had returned to normal before opening the door. "I was talking to myself. Something I do when I'm worried and tired," she explained to the guard.
He cocked his gray-feathered head to the side as he looked down at her, but didn't comment on her choice in conversation companions. "We've received word that Agent Gamma is going to make contact soon. The King has requested you in the Steel Hall."
The Professor nodded slowly. This could be either very good or very bad, depending on what Gamma had to say. "Lead the way," she told the Griffin.
Of the several throne rooms the Court of the Sun contained, the Steel Hall was the least seen by outsiders. It was primarily a place from whence the Kings and Queens of the Solar Kingdom planned and prosecuted their wars. As such it was built for function over form. There were no windows in the Steel Hall, instead it had wide and tall walls. In the distant past those walls held tapestries picked out as maps of Equestria and the other known continents which could be used to plan troop movements and battle strategies. In modern times they were lined with monitors and large crystal screens that served much the same purpose, but with more flash.
Those screens were alive with images, many of them maps showing the positions of the Kingdom's forces. Most prominently displayed was a topographical map of the Stile islands. Red and green symbols were scattered across the map, representing the standoff between the Kingdom and Republics.
There were rows of desks and benches, each set with a series of crystals and manned by unicorns with the power and Talent to use them. This was the central communications hub of the Solar military, from whence all orders began and to where all reports eventually were made. In times of peace it wouldn't have been unusual for only a third of the desks to be full. Now there wasn't a single one empty.
When Twinkle Shine entered the Hall the King was sitting on his throne, a simple, comfortable chair that did not seem out of place in the utilitarian Steel Hall, but projected a sense of the power of the pony sitting on it nonetheless. The King was engaged in heated debate with one of his generals as she approached, but they broke the conversation off before she could get an idea of what it was they were arguing over. It was interesting that he'd gotten one of the generals riled enough to argue, but what was more interesting was that the Queen was sitting on her own throne next to his, and hadn't been playing her customary role as peacemaker.
"Your majesty," the Professor said, dropping into a bow.
"Professor!" he said, getting up to greet her. She rose as well, stepping close. He'd gotten as little sleep as she had through the night, but somehow he bore it better than she did. "I hope you're feeling better?"
"Not quite yet, your majesty," she replied. "I will feel much better once Gamma has told me about my student."
"As will we both," the King assured her.
"As will we all," the Queen put in, rising to stand beside her husband, her wings opening ever so slightly as she asserted her presence. "Professor," she inclined her head to Twinkle Shine. "You have obviously gotten less rest than my lord husband. I had hoped you would have more sense than to run yourself ragged like he does."
"When my student is in danger, my better judgement is often strained," Twinkle Shine said. "I imagine you feel the same for your children."
The Queen's smile was genuine and warm. "Quite right. Though if my lord husband has his way your daughter will also be my daughter, so I suppose I should start worrying now."
"Aqua," the King gently admonished her. "It is done. Do not burden the Professor further."
The Queen nodded in acquiescence. "As you wish. We shall speak more personally later, Professor."
"As you say, your majesty," Twinkle Shine acknowledged. She and the Queen were both opposed to the King's plan to marry Star Fall into his family, and their failure to prevent him would obviously be a topic she wanted to discuss. Twinkle Shine turned her attention back to the King. "When is Gamma due to make contact?"
"Any moment now," the King replied. "Sit with me."
A bench was quickly brought out and placed beside the King's throne, on the opposite side from the Queen. Twinkle Shine was grateful to sit down, even if it did mean she would start to nod off at the first moment of inattention.
It didn't take long before the communication crystal connected to the one Gamma had taken with her began to pulse with magic. The signal went up and the glowing crystal was slotted into a panel that controlled one of the large screens that adorned the wall opposite the King's throne. The room fell into a hush as the screen lit up with an image of Gamma's face. The distance and residual magic interference from the Nightmare's storm made the image waver and fuzz at random moments, but otherwise it was a clear picture.
"Your majesty," Gamma said, her voice coming through better than the image was. "Reception is good. I'm ready to give a preliminary report."
"By all means, Agent Gamma, begin," the King said.
Gamma nodded. "First, I can confirm that the Shadowed Alicorn has returned." There was a buzz of low conversation at this. Rumors had abounded, but there were always rumors of the Nightmare haunting some far-off place, or lurking in the Everstorm. To know that she had attacked the kingdom directly was terrifying even to the military-trained ponies in the room. "She left a trail of devastation twenty miles long through the Reedchime grasslands," Gamma continued. "Including a new crater lake, apparently made in a manner opposite from the usual."
"Was there any sign of where she went?" the King asked.
"No. She engaged in combat with three of my agents and discorporated upon her defeat, making tracking her impossible."
"Defeated," the King mused, eyebrows raising as he thought about it. "I assume our guest had a hoof in that."
"Yes," Gamma replied, frowning. "It should be stressed, however, that the Shadowed Alicorn admitted to being weak during the encounter, and vowed to return at full strength." Twinkle Shine winced at that. Gamma was going to obsess over that comment, she could already see it starting. "She is particularly interested in our guest."
"Is she?" the King looked pointedly at the Professor. "Enough evidence for you yet?"
"Hardly," Twinkle Shine replied. "But it does add to what I already know."
He smiled at her, then turned back to the screen. "Please continue."
"We arrived at Cash dig site three at oh one-hundred hours, but he'd gotten word of our coming and evacuated. We found a small contingent of security, digging equipment, and not much else of substance. My agents were recovered, all of whom sustained injuries in combat immediately prior to our arrival."
Twinkle Shine sat up straighter. "Star Fall?"
"Agent Fall is fine," Gamma assured her. "Mild concussion and bruising only. Sergeant Steelwing is in much worse shape. She's stable, but we'll be moving to the military base at Harrenhorn so she can be treated at the facilities there."
"Astrid was hurt?" a tall, red-feathered Griffin suddenly asked. Several eyes fell on him, and he had the good grace to look abashed at his breaking discipline.
"Roan," the King addressed the Griffin. "You were to be her mate, were you not?"
"I am, your majesty," the Griffin replied, ducking his head.
"Then you have reason to speak," he said, turning back to Gamma. "How did Sergeant Steelwing gain her injuries?"
"She fought Charisma, one on one," Gamma said. There were scattered gasps from the few who knew how dangerous the traitorous pegasus was. The Griffins in particular stiffened, their expressions showing pride and worry for those who could read them. "She lost, but managed to injure Charisma and slow her down enough for Agent Fall to take her out of the fight."
"Charisma is dead?" the King asked.
Gamma shook her head. "She was merely injured, and Cash later retrieved her. The other Agent was injured both in the fight with the Shadowed Alicorn and another personal battle with Charisma. She is currently in good condition, and most of my information is coming from her debrief."
"Magnificent," the King said, a distant look coming into his eye. "Agent Gamma, you are to bring her and the Lady Fallen Star to me as soon as they are able to travel."
"Of course, your majesty," Gamma said, her features carefully neutral. "There is more that I must report, and I fear I can only do so in private. I will await your convenience."
The King nodded. "Very well. Clear the room." There was a prolonged moment of silence as his command was processed. The Steel Hall was the communications hub of the Kingdom military, it was never left unmanned.
It was the Griffins that broke their surprise first. "You heard the King! Everyone out!" came the call from the guard. Within a few minutes the room was empty save for Twinkle Shine, the royal couple and their guards.
Gamma had watched all this impassively, merely quirking an eyebrow at the King's impatience. "Your majesty," she began as soon as the guards made sure the room was secure. "I have learned more about what Max Cash is after."
"Oh? And you saw that as a matter requiring privacy?" the King asked.
"I do," Gamma assured him. "It concerns our guest." The King's interest was definitely piqued. "My previous report indicated that I drew a connection between Rainbow Dash and Max Cash. That connection is now a certainty. Moreover, Agent Dash has told me that Cash now possesses an artifact of immense power. One that she once used in her own time to defeat a Goddess. She called it the Element of Loyalty."
Twinkle Shine had to grit her teeth hard to clamp down on the scream of primal rage that burned through her. She shuddered, as Umbra roared through her mind, beating against the reins of her self-control. She felt something wet on her lip, and when she reached up to wipe it off the hoof came away red with blood.
"Professor!" the Queen said, looking at her with wide eyes. "Are you alright?"
Twinkle Shine took a deep breath before responding, pushing the Nightmare down far enough that her rage and power wouldn't show in her voice. "Not entirely," she admitted to the Queen. "I've had far too little sleep, and I was doing high-energy experiments the other day. It all adds up to a few nosebleeds now and then. I'm sorry, Gamma, did you say Element of Loyalty?"
"I did," Gamma replied, regarding the Professor carefully.
"Star Fall mentioned something about that," Twinkle Shine mused. "I'd never heard the term before. I didn't get the full story about them from her, and I didn't think they were important enough to ask Rainbow Dash. You say they were used to defeat a Goddess?"
"Nightmare Moon," Gamma said. "From what Dash has told me she was actually an Alicorn Goddess and, from the name, a predecessor to the Shadowed Alicorn. Agent Dash said that she and her friends, including Twilight Sparkle, used these Elements of Harmony to defeat her. Dash herself wielded the Element of Loyalty, but there is also Honesty, Laughter, Kindness, Generosity and Magic. Max Cash has the Element of Loyalty, and has somehow managed to either corrupt it or tap into its power."
"You're sure of this?" Twinkle Shine demanded.
Gamma's eyebrow twitched at the Professor's tone, but she continued without pausing. "Agent Dash is. Agent Fall has also said that Cash has some sort of ability to influence others, possibly to the point of mind-control, and possibly powerful enough to work even in a magic-dampened area. She cites one time when he nearly talked her into betraying the kingdom, and another when he forced her to speak truthfully. She resisted the first instance, but not the second. This is not consistent with what we know of Cash's magical abilities, though with his Talent I can't put it out of the realm of possibility. I am inclined to attribute these powers to this artifact Agent Dash says he possesses."
"I see. So you were right to prioritize your investigation of this Republican unicorn," the King said, rubbing thoughtfully at his chin. "A weapon that could defeat a Goddess. To control such a power... could this be why the Shadowed Alicorn is focused on Rainbow Dash?"
"Almost certainly," Gamma said. "There is something else. Something that I believe connects Cash even more deeply into recent events, and Agent Dash's presence. I cannot yet determine the nature of what is going on, and because of that I request that you allow me to hold off on bringing Agents Fall and Dash back to the capital until I know more."
"Gamma, I have plans for the both of them, and I wish to see them through before the Republics work up the courage to attack," the King said.
"I understand that, your majesty," Gamma replied. "But as your spymaster I am saying that there are too many unknowns to allow them access to the royal family. I only request some time in which to make a determination of the security risks."
The King's lips thinned as he set his jaw in a hard line. "Very well. Professor Shine has already discussed certain timings with me. You have twelve days. After that I want them at my side, are we clear?"
"Yes, your majesty," Gamma said, bowing carefully.
"Now, what is this thing you've discovered that gives you so much doubt?" the King demanded.
"Early this morning an earth pony mare was discovered in the dig itself. We had done a thorough sweep of the dig, and she hadn't been hiding beforehand. We checked the perimeter security, and she did not sneak past our sentries. She somehow appeared inside the dig, half buried in the dirt. Agent Dash was the first to get to her, and was able to convince her to be taken into custody without force. She does not speak Solar, Lunar, or any of the languages spoken across the sea. She is apparently completely unfamiliar with where she is, and Agent Fall tells me she possesses incredible levels of intrinsic magic. Most importantly, she and Agent Dash know each other. Her name is Applejack."
NO
Umbra’s rage swelled up in her so fast that she had no chance to hold it down. It snapped the bonds of her control and burned through her brain. Twinkle Shine barely had enough time to gasp before darkness closed in on her vision and she fell unconscious to the floor.
***
Charisma snapped upright, her hooves reaching out to attack before she was even conscious. She hit solid flesh, instinctively grasping and twisting, lurching her body up and on top of whoever she had caught. There was a strangled grunt from her victim as she rode them to the ground. Her wings flared out, ready to take off if she sensed a danger coming from the sides. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked beneath her to find her forelegs wrapped around Cash's neck, her weight holding him in an awkward position on the ground that gave him no leverage and her total control.
Kill him, her Talent urged. Snap his neck.
She let go, staggering back as she felt a wave of nausea descend on her. A moment later she was on her knees, retching empty bile onto the grass.
She used the time it took Cash to get up and her stomach to stop roiling to take in her surroundings. They were in a hilly place, trees growing in green copses that were too thin to provide much cover from the air. The sky was clear and blue, and from the smell of things the rain hadn't completely dried from the soil.
The smell made her nausea return, and she spent a few moments regaining control of her stomach before turning back to Cash, who was watching her with a small smile as he rubbed at his neck. "Sorry," she managed to say between slow breaths.
He shrugged. "Meh, what's a little strangulation between employer and employee?" His voice was jovial and energetic. Just great, he was happy about something. He was always at his most unpredictable when he was happy. And after a night like they had just been through? Happy meant something terrible had happened. "Aw, come on, buck up there!" He teased. "Don't feel bad for trying to kill me, I hired you because you're a murderous psychopath! I'm frankly amazed you haven't taken a shot before now."
"I don't want to kill you," she told him, standing up. She shook her head in a vain attempt to clear it, and nearly pitched over on her side. It was like her skull was filled with some viscous fluid that was sloshing just out of sync with how she moved. "What happened?"
"Well, after I got pounced on by the third wheel you didn't take care of, you then proceeded to not kill a Griffin and then get beaten by a pampered little noble of a pegasus," he said, grinning all the while. "All in all, a good night's work." She narrowed her eyes at him, but the implied threat only made his smile widen. "Anyways, you're probably feeling a little sick right now. Balance problems, a little stiffness in the wings."
She sighed. "Concussion. I hit something pretty hard."
"A guard tower," Cash supplied. "And concussion is putting it lightly. I had to seal up a couple skull fractures and realign some vertebrae."
Charisma froze, an icy thread of fear tickling at the back of her neck. "You used healing magic on me?"
"Lots of it," he said. "Lots and lots and loooots of it."
Lunge low, strike up with right forehoof, aim for his throat, her Talent whispered into the back of her mind. She ignored it. "How long until the cancers start?" she asked him, shaking out her legs to keep them from tensing up.
"With your lifestyle? I wouldn't worry about it," he replied.
She huffed in annoyance and sat down, stretching out her wings and running them through a few limbering exercises. "Where are we?"
"Not sure," he admitted, sitting down as well and rummaging through his saddlebag. "I just picked a direction and started dragging you. Wherever we are, it's leagues away from all the military-types, so I figure it's a good place. Cookie?"
She rolled her eyes and took the cookie he floated over to her. One sniff though and she gave him an incredulous look. "A poison cookie? Really?"
He chuckled. "Yeah. Hold on to that for a moment, would you?"
She sighed and began working on her legs, stretching and rotating them. The stiffness and dizziness was fading fast. The speed of her recovery was a testament to how good Cash's magic was, even if his Talent didn't lie specifically in healing. She was glad for it, the danger to her long-term health notwithstanding.
"So, how'd you get away from hot stuff?" she asked him as he kept nosing about in his bag. "She's pretty hardcore."
"Yes she is," Cash agreed, giggling a bit. "You have no idea. I was worried at first, but it turns out I have her off button."
"You couldn't have used it earlier?"
"Woulda, coulda, shoulda," he shrugged. "I didn't know."
"Well, if we meet her again, I get first crack," Charisma said, getting to her hooves and moving slowly through a series of training poses. "You can off-button her if I lose."
"Sure, why not?" Cash said. "I thought you'd be more interested in Lady Star, though. She was the one that put you down."
"She's got magic," Charisma replied. "Don't know how, don't care. If I fight her again I'll kill her right away. Quick, clean, no chance for her to pull something like last time. No challenge, no fight, just dead. Hot stuff's different. She's a real opponent."
"Hmm. No," Cash said. "No killing. Not her, not any of those three."
Charisma didn't even pause in her routine. She'd worked with him for years now, and knew Cash well enough that odd prohibitions against removing obvious threats weren't anything to be surprised at. "Fine, but they'll just keep coming at us. I'll try not to kill them. Fortunately, even if the Griffin isn't dead she's not going to be up to challenging us before we're out of the sunlands."
"We'll be seeing her again," Cash said. "I'm absolutely sure of it. Those three are perfect for what I need. Just so deliciously perfect." He laughed softly to himself as Charisma ignored him. Suddenly his head snapped up to her. She froze, he was doing that thing with his eyes that made you look at him. It was weird as hell and she hated it when he did it to her, but from the way he used it she thought he didn't actually control when it happened. "Speaking of delicious," he said. "Aren't you going to eat that cookie? You've got to be hungry, and it does smell delicious."
Released from his gaze she looked down at the cookie. It did smell delicious, and her stomach rumbled in a reminder of how long it'd been since she last ate. For a moment she wondered why she hadn't eaten it when he'd given it to her, but she shrugged off the thought and tossed it up to her mouth.
A bolt of magenta light smacked into the cookie and knocked it away from her open mouth, sending it spinning into the dirt. She flashed Cash an indignant look. "If you were going to smack it away, why bother even giving it to me?"
He looked down at the broken remains of the cookie, then back up to her. His eyes had gone wide and intense in a way she had only seen from him a few times in the past, none of them ever pleasant. "It was poisoned," he said, his voice calm and quiet but filled with such absolute focus that it chilled her.
"It was poisoned," she repeated. She remembered now, how obvious it was. Yet a moment ago the cookie had smelled like the most delicious treat she'd ever had. His horn hadn't glowed, that hadn't been a spell. He'd just told her what she was experiencing and it was so. "How did you do that?"
"Deceit," he said, as if that explained everything. The intense look faded from his eyes and he let out a wild, delighted laugh. "Oh, this is going to get hilarious!"
Kick dirt into his eyes, then rush in while he flinches. Her Talent demanded. Strike his horn first to disorient, then grab his head and use wings to swing around and snap his neck. She shuddered. "Max, what did you do to me?"
"Just tried out a little trick I picked up," he replied. "It's hit-and-miss right now, but as my old hoofball coach used to say: practice, practice, practice!"
"Yeah, well, don't practice it on me again, okay?"
"Cross my heart," he said, snickering. It was the best she was going to get out of him, so she just accepted it without comment. "How are you feeling? Up to a bit of wandering aimlessly until we figure out where we are?"
She shrugged. "I could walk. I'm a little hungry though. I don't suppose you have anything non-deadly in that bag?"
"Not really."
"Figures. Grass for breakfast, then. I hate grazing."
"That's good. Maybe you can focus that hate into a way to get us to civilization," Cash urged, using his magic to tighten the straps on his saddlebag. "We've got to get back to our people and moving before the Kingdom gets the drop on us."
"You really think they'll be coming after us?" She asked him. "They've got a war coming, they've got bigger things to be worried about than you."
"Without a doubt," he chuckled. "I'm just one little pony with a thing for antiques. Except, of course, that they've got a living legend working with them, and she is gonna tell them I'm bigger than the war. And if they're smart, which a few of them are, they'll listen."
"Living legend?"
"Rainbow Dash, your ‘hot stuff’."
Charisma frowned in thought. "I've heard that name somewhere."
"Your parents ever tell you Celestia stories? Maybe a few about Twilight Sparkle?"
"No." Her family was never something she talked about. Especially not with Max Cash. It was safer that way.
He shrugged. "Too bad. Well, it's no surprise you had such a hard time with her, let's just say that. I don't know how or why, but she's here, and that's all that matters. We'll have the whole Secret Service hounding us if we take too long. Which means we have to move quick. Which means you have to find us a town."
"I have to find us a town," she deadpanned. "And what will you be doing?"
"Something a lot more important," he said, pulling out a mud-stained book from his saddlebag. She'd seen the book before, of course, he was practically never without it. It was written in a language she couldn't read, so she didn't know what was so important about it, but he treated it more carefully than he did anything else. "Reading!"
"Reading," she snorted. "You don't pay me enough for this crap."
"You don't work for me because I pay you," he replied, fixing her with a non-supernatural stare. She held his gaze for a long moment before dropping her eyes. He was right. "Good girl. Now eat up and get those wings flapping."
He is distracted. Kill him now. She shrugged off the insistent voice of her Talent and ducked her head to the grass as Cash's horn lit up and he began to carefully, methodically clean his book. The taste of the grass was, as usual, unpalatable, but she choked it down. She let her thoughts wander as she grazed, thinking back to the night before, and to the best fight she'd had in a long time.
"Rainbow Dash," she said, testing the name out. It still sounded vaguely familiar, but she didn't bother trying to figure out from where. All that mattered was that she was tough, strong, fast, and absolutely one hundred percent a hero. They would meet again, they would duel again, and this time Charisma wasn't going to let anything stand in the way of them finishing it. To the death.
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I love that we're seeing Charisma and Cash's perspective on this.
Oh Applejack, what a ride you're in for; really glad to see that you came from a little earlier than Dash did, too.
Huh. Is Cash picking up abilities related to the opposite of the Elements he awakens? Dash is Loyalty, so he gets Betrayal, Applejack is Honesty, so he gets Deceit? That makes him even more dangerous. And scary.
Oh wow, great chapter! It's scary that Charisma didn't have any memory of the cookie being poisoned... Also, Applejack's hat.
2309184
Well, yeah. He's using the physical elements to add to his power.
Interesting. I wonder how the professor is going to talk her way out of her little fainting session.
I haven't read a story with this well thought out and foreshadowed of a plot since Fallout Equestria! Every time I think I know what's going to happen next you throw me for another loop
Oh well this time I think I have a good idea where you'll go next (Like I haven't told myself that before...) I just need to know how you're going to do the opposite of The Element of Magic. (Maybe since Twilight uses such organized and focused magic, would the opposite be chaos I.E. Max Cash becoming some new embodiment of Discord?) 
This is probably the only story in this site that makes me feel like a 10000 word chapter is short.
It's good to see that AJ knows the value of a good hat.
New Questions:
* Given that the Elements are not composed of matter, at least as we understand it, are they extra-universal in nature?
* Applejack was "displaced" in time "earlier" than Rainbow Dash. Why?
* According to Umbra, a cosmic shift (likely Applejack's awakening) occurred, and due to an external force. What is this external force?
* Why does Max Cash need Star Fall, Rainbow Dash, and Astrid?
* Is Charisma's Glyph "talking" to her a fundamental aspect of her Glyph, or part of her psychosis?
Character Bios:
Name: Roan
Species: Griffon
Sex: Male
Coat: Red
Other Attributes: Tall
Name: Unknown; unidentified griffon guard
Species: Griffon
Sex: Male
Coat: Gray
Name: Unknown, "Queen"
Species: Presumably Pegasus Unicorn, possibly Pegasus
Sex: Female
Awesome quality, concepts that are easy to keep track of despite their depths and multitude, and as usual you got an amazing and consistent pace going. I have to say, this is one of the best things I've read on this website. It really is captivating and always leaves me wanting more.
Godspeed, for I cannot wait for the next installment.
...Sigh...when you think that Cash was bad enough as he was, he just got a new power. Gee, that swell; oh, that is so swell indeed. I can only imagined what he will be like with all the elements. Sweet mercy, things are not looking up, not at all.
I wonder how the Shadowed Alicorn is going to play into this madness.
2309184>>2310400>>2310759 Seconded, all of you.
The fur is about to strike the rotary cooling device, for possibly the third, fourth, or fifth time since this story began...! 
More Applejack is always a good thing.
Ah, poop. Cash is gaining the opposite sides of the Elements for every one he brings to his world. Time. Thing. And Applejack is from a different period than Rainbow Dash? Odd. I'm not sure what that could be leading towards, but its probably something meaningful that I won't get until its made super obvious, knowing me. I really liked how chill Applejack was about the whole situation, considering she went to sleep on her farm and woke up in a shallow grave a thousand years in the future - just don't mess with her hat and she's good to go
And poor Astrid. Knowing that healing magic comes with future consequences, I'm wondering if any of that will affect her? I'm guessing not, seeing as Star only used the minimum amount to keep her alive, but still. Oh, and I'm hoping Gamma picks up on Twinkle's odd behavior. Its hard knowing that an evil (or at least a morally ambiguous) character with a demonic hitchhiker is privy to all the important info being passed around. Also, Dash now has two homicidal maniacs specifically seeking her out. And AJ now too, I'm guessing. So yeah - just when I thought this thing couldn't get any more interesting, bam! As always, great chapter, and I eagerly await the next, whenever its ready
2309721 Twilight has already confirmed that inverted Magic is still Magic.
Anyway, another excellent chapter. AJ coming from earlier and seeing Max and Charisma were nice touches as said. As was Charisma's Talent.
And yeah, Max onfirmed for having Deceit now.
Hmm ... The King will be really happy to have Applejack. I wonder if he's going to try arranging for the Bearers to marry into the royal family as well? Givin his motivation for wanting Star Fall to marry his son, itseems like something he'd consider.
2311326 Exactly! But remember how Magic was the "Spark" that unifies the rest of the elements together? Well if the rest of the elements are now their natural opposites, then when they receive the "spark" wouldn't they become something similar to The Elements of Disharmony? I.E. Chaos? And Umbra mentioned some form of an external force driving all this to happen that wasn't Celesta or Luna, so might it be Discord?
Now I can't wait for the next chapter I really should stop speculating like this after every update 
Geese, I feel terrible for Charisma now. Her own Talent is the cause of her trying to kill/hurt people... ouch.
Okay, this is really good. Like, really really good. Cash is possibly the best villain I've read in any pony fanfic ever. Although the premise isn't entirely original, mane 6 member x in distant future, it's handled extremely well and done with such flare and enthusiasm that it feels like something new and different.
That said, Cash and Blaze feel a bit like you've double dipped. They both have the same sort of crazy off the wall charm, even if in Cash's case it feels more terrifying than amusing. I'll admit I'm interested to see Cash and Blaze in the same room, but even with that cool sounding scene hanging over the horizon, the two of them diminish each other's impact somewhat. That said, Cash is seriously awesome. His anecdote about his childhood changeling friend was seriously awesome. It was a really great way to introduce him to the audience.
Anyway, really cool story. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.
Oh great now I have to wait for the next update
I think that the Elements are sent to the future on the night before the greatest expression of their element.
Rainbow Dash: Loyalty to Fluttershy (Hurricane Fluttershy)
Applejack: Honest about not being able to make all the cider herself (The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000)
Was this said before?
Wow. Just... Just wow. Once more, Shar, you have me riveted. I hate that I'm fully caught up, as I have to wai for updates. The fact that you said were barely a quarter of the way through makes this even worse.
Damn you, good sir. Damn you to hell.
Cash seems to love messing with very dangerous individuals. Glad to see hat AJ is back in business.
Well, once again, things have certainly gotten more interesting. AJ's back, and from a slightly earlier time period, no less. The Umbra's having a meltdown. And Cash seems too be exhibiting traits that are the opposites of the Elements. (*shudder* That guy gives me the willies like something else, I tell you what...)
Yep, interesting indeed. I can't wait for more.
ahhhhhhhhhhhh, this story is so good! Cant wait for next update.
2311246
I get the feeling that Star's spell papers are more controlled than what Cash is doing. Maybe not as good as something from a unicorn with healing Talent, but without too much long-term side effects.
so, I'm just going out on a limb here, but...
Dash, AJ, and possibly the rest of the 6 = Tidus, the Elements = the Fayth, the Nightmare = Sin
if you've played Final Fantasy X, then you know what I'm talking about.
2310303
Well, take a look at one of your previous questions:
Looks to me like, given what we learned this chapter, the Elements are not of this world. They also appear to be very capable of bending reality to their will. Perhaps the Elements themselves are sending the bearers into the future.
2320738
That's a very good point. Are the Elements "acting" in their own defense? Umbra endeavored to wipe out all memory of them, maybe now they're retaliating.
This is good, really good. The pacing, the style, even characters all fit nicely. the excerpts are uniquely done, and have a rather apt, nature for what occurs.
I should bother to log in and check the alerts more often. To think I just now found this update!
I do like how AJ maintains her cool composure about things. As long as she has the Hat she is good to go.
Charisma seems kinda sad now that we know she has a voice telling her how to kill everything.
And the EoH become ever more eldritch in nature. One almost starts to wonder if the mane 6 have suffered this problem before, beyond time.
Man, I can't help but read Max Cash's in Moriarty's voice (from BBC's Sherlock).
Hmn, so the Elements have no mass and are solid in ways that solids aren't supposed to be solid. Sounds extra-dimensional to me.
That's an interesting way to answer that question. Two sentences in and I like this guy already.
So Cash is activating the Elements in their Inverted state. By murdering his closest friend, he activated Loyalty in an inverted state and got the Betrayal power. Does this only work when he is in possession of the Element, functioning as a "fuse"?
Then kills a pathological liar, activates Honesty in an inverted state and gains the Deceit power.
It doesn't seem like he intended to summon the old Bearers, but HB's investigation into the burial sites seems to imply that there is a connection there...
Man, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the Elements as a malevolent tool. Really wanna find out more about that!
2728000 Don't watch Sherlock yet, but the clip does make that seem apropos.
It's starting to annoy me that we've gotten this far in and we have yet to get a description of Max Cash. I keep imagining a magenta eyed Filthy Rich with a horn. I'm totally okay with him being a descendant of Diamond Tiara. She is such a b----.
If this story ever got animated, Applejack's face would adopt a typical anime angry expression for this part, with the white eyes and red vein on the forehead and everything.
2319208
mind = blown
Cash is a proxy to an inverted element huh? Most likely the opposite of honesty. Maybe a skill like fluttershy's The Stare in manipulation.
AJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ!!!!
Sorry.
*deep breath* I'd like to mention that for the most part, you nail the grammatical and sentence structure for Dash and AJ perfectly, to the point where I can actually hear their voices in my head as I talk.
Well, along with the other voices, of course. But those are always there. >.<
Again,MAKETHIS A FRIKIN BOOK!
4179988
He's the inverse of Loyalty: Just.One.Little.Betrayal
Well, since Cash isn't intending for the Bearers to come back to life, and Umbra sure as hell isn't doing it, I'm guessing it's the work of Celestia and Luna.
Shit. He has the elements of Betrayal and Deceit. Shitshitshitshitshitshitshit
Much like Discord, the only being who could have possibly made the Elements, but why would he?
No kidding.
Suprising, innit?
Nor do I.
Let's see, she part of the APPLE family, she's called APPLEjack, her cutie mark is 3 APPLES, she works on an APPLE farm, so, I'd say it's cheeseburgers.
Pity.
It only works with all the other EOH. So it's useless to you.
Please do.
You're insane.
You know, I can think of two implications of that, A, he thinks she won't live long enough to need to worry about cancer, B, he thinks she's healthy enough so she won't need to worry, both are bad, one for her, one for everyone else...
Shit, shitshitashitshitshitshitfuckasscrsapshit! Wait a tick, Rainbow arrives in the future, Max Cash gets his hands on the Element of Loyalty, and Inverts it so he can use the Element of Betreyal, then Applejack arrives and he gets his hands on the Element of Honesty which he uses in Inverse to wield the power of the Element of Deceit. Something's not right here.
Could he be referring to the Element of Anger perhaps?
First, this story predicts Tirek. Then, it predicts Twilicorn.
Now, it predicts Equestria Girls.
By Celestia, this author came back from the future.
You know it's done right if you end up actually liking the villain. A+
so max has the stare?
>The doctor's say she'll be back to normal
*doctors
2314756 hat AJ
badum-chsssh
typos.