BEDLAM II: Heart of Glass

by Gormless Wheaton

Chapter 6

---

Rain Shine grimaced at the half-melted drone lying before her at the center of the village. "How many does this make?"

"Fifteen," Autumn at her side replied, causing all the kirin around them to murmur. She frowned and looked at the kirin who dragged the ruined machine back. "And let me guess. You saw it at the stream, right?" The kirin's ears flopped back and he anxiously nodded.

Rain hummed and looked off in the distance where the magic stream flowed. "What sort of vile game is he playing?"

"Rain Shine," she turned to look at the villager who stepped forward from the crowd. "Maybe we had best seek refuge elsewhere, where he can't find us?"

Rain frowned and shook her head. "I don't believe any such place now exists. Our last message to Equestria was over a month ago, and they never replied," she declared with a sigh. The kirin all anxiously whispered among themselves. Rain nodded solemnly. "Our neighbors in the Dragon Lands have sworn to our defense, however. And he would not dare attempt anything grand while that pact remains in effect." A small smile appeared on her face. Her words had a soothing effect on all the kirin, save Autumn, who leered nervously at the ruined machine before her.

And none of them ever noticed the second drone observing them from a distance for a moment before quietly hovering away with a vial full of water in its claw.

---

Memories of the Kirin Grove flashed through my mind as we marched in unison down the main road of Canterlot. It couldn't be helped, as not only was Tempest a constant reminder of my colossal and irreversible mistake, but among the crowds of varied creatures who parted in our presence, I spied several somber-eyed and silent kirin leering blankly at me.

The sight soothed my guilt and drew a spiteful smile to my face. Of course, the platoon of pony guards dutifully escorting us to the castle helped, too. As I took in the sight of the city, the mixed species standing in awe or in some cases terror, the machines tramping along behind me, and the brilliant pair of mares at my sides, I couldn't help but feel giddy.

It was all a literal dream come true. With one exception.

I leered up at the high towers of the castle, and the hovering screens rotating around them and broadcasting prerecorded alerts and news from inside the castle to the rest of the city, and eventually the rest of the territory. Suddenly, a mechanical carriage came flying in and rushed towards the old train station where it would unload its passengers before racing off to its next stop at the base of the mountain.

To my left, I spied a diamond dog and a local pony having a hushed conversation near a food vendor. The latter specimen had a prosthetic wing based on one of my designs, while the former had a fully functioning gemstone eye.

So many things, big and small, which would never have happened without me. Without us.

And she couldn't help but throw it all away just to get back at me. I smirked at the thought. "What a waste."

"Jury," I said aloud, causing her to look up at me. "I want you and Tempest to go ahead to the console. Call me as soon as you've scanned it."

They shared a look before she responded. "Okay, will do. Where'll you be?"

I smiled wide. "Meeting our host, of course."

---

Once I made it to the door of the dining room where I'd requested we meet, I checked all my kit. My gloves, talismans, boots, and blasting pistol were all fully charged. My shield was primed and ready. And my secret set of needles were still hidden in my pockets. There was no doubt this was going to end in a skirmish, and I was ready.

Smiling and drawing a breath through my teeth, I turned and shoved the door open before entering alone. On the other side, at one end of a long table, waiting patiently alone and quietly reading one of her books, was my Equestrian Administrator.

She looked up at me as I entered, her gem-decorated collar rattling quietly as she did so. She regarded me with an even, serene look. She was a full head taller than when we'd first met, and her mane and tail were growing out with the faintest hints of magical sparks shimmering through them.

"Hello, Supreme Administrator," she greeted evenly.

"Hello, Twilight," I replied in a low tone with a smile. I pushed the door shut with my foot before approaching. "How are things?"

She closed her book and set it aside with a hum. "Well enough. We're definitely seeing the benefits of your automation in labor fields, and your prosthetic designs are literally life-changing for a lot of ponies," she frowned and sighed. "Which I guess is a good thing, since a lot of ponies were pretty badly hurt during our war with you."

I turned and leaned back on the table with a smirk. "Could've been avoided if you surrendered sooner."

She rolled her eyes. "That aside, I think you already have a copy of my report from last month on some of the social challenges we've been facing," she actually smiled. "Or I should say we were facing. I finally managed to convince everypony that all the creatures coming to live in Equestria are just as friendly as everypony else. So, for the most part, we're seeing a sharp decrease in species-motivated crimes."

I hummed a laugh. "Very excellent to hear. Panthera could learn a thing or two from you." My smile widened. "How're the girls?"

She scowled. "Alive."

"Is that all? Just alive?"

She snorted and shook her head. "So, I understand you had some maintenance to perform on the console?" She looked into my eyes with annoyance. Very telling.

"That's certainly the story we've been giving everyone," I said with a chortle. "Not entirely accurate, though."

She blinked and tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

I chuckled darkly and folded my arms. "Well, as of a little over a month ago, we've noticed that someone has been accessing the Crystal Mind, unauthorized, and has been digging through my files," I explained. She didn't react but gave me her full attention. "And since every administrator has access to a device that literally links to the Crystal Mind, we've been investigating to see if any of them-"

"You think I'm digging into your files?" She groused with a frown. I pursed my lips and looked away. "C'mon, Bedlam."

I smiled and shrugged. "Well, of all my administrators, you're not only the only one genuinely smart enough to pull it all off but definitely the only one who hates me enough to do it."

"Wha..!" She choked. "You-"

"Just admit it," I spat and whirled around to lean forward on the table, a vicious grin spreading over my face. She recoiled and opened her mouth to speak, but I was faster. "Admit that after all this time, after that ridiculous fealty ceremony two years ago, after pulling your friends aside and telling them to just play along," I crawled atop the table and began inching towards her. "After letting Starlight go when she refused to surrender, after this entire, insufferable solemn compliance ACT that you finally saw an opportunity."

I was now looming over her and my smile was as wide as it could be. My breathing was heavy and my glasses slipped off. "An opportunity you've been waiting for," I hissed at her. "A genuine CHANCE to get back at me."

I leaned in and jabbed her in the chest with a finger. "And you JUMPED on it." I panted and huffed. "Admit it."

"You-"

"Admit it." She recoiled again and scowled at me. "Admit it. Admit it. ADMIT IT. AD. MIT. IT." A harsh silence, pierced only by heavy breathing, held the room. After a minute, she leaned forward.

"If I was going to finally take a stand and risk everything I saved by surrendering to you, I would have done so immediately after what you did to the kirin," she spat, slapping my hand away with her hoof. "Which, by the way, was the main reason Starlight lost it with me and left. But that's old news. Let's talk now."

She beat her wings and rose to my eye level, standing on the table in front of me. "Luna mentioned something about this before she and Celestia went into hiding, Bedlam. Something you're actually afraid of."

She jabbed me in the chest with a hoof. "You're terrified that you finally broke me. Terrified that you destroyed me. Terrified that the pony you knew and cared about is gone." My grin fell to a subdued smile and I raised an eyebrow.

She looked me up and down. "So I get it, I think. You need to hear that I'm still fighting." She shook her head. "But I'm not. None of us are. You're not worth the damage you'd cause otherwise."

My eyes narrowed, but my smile never wavered. "Let me put your mind at ease," she continued and jabbed me again. "The mare I was when you stabbed me in the back is still here. She's still fighting for Equestria by kneeling before a sociopath and his delusions and is bracing for the day he finally dies and she has to pick up the pieces of the flimsy empire he leaves behind, which has only lasted as long as it has because everypony's too afraid of him to step out of line."

She took a step to the side and glared at me. "And most importantly, she's heartbroken that the human she called her friend isn't here anymore."

Again, the room was held by silence as we stared at each other. But after a moment, I laughed. "Nearly had me there," I declared. She flinched and I laughed again. "If I wasn't so prepared, you might've got me. But I know better."

"Wh-" she groaned and stamped her hoof. "You-" My glove shimmered.

"Hold that thought," I spat as I clicked a few gems and held my palm up between us. A projection of Jury-rig popped up. She flinched when she saw Twilight and then turned to me.

"Hello, Jury," I chirped. Twilight scowled at the projection and then at me.

"Hey, uhm," Jury replied.

"Tell us what you found," I pressed. My eyes drifted to Twilight, who met my smirk with an annoyed glare. When Jury didn't reply, I chortled. "Tell the princess and me what you-"

"Nothing." My smile vanished. Twilight blinked and raised an eyebrow at the projection, and I followed suit.

"What?" Jury averted her eyes from me and shuffled her hoof.

"There's nothing. Everything checks out. She's not the hacker." I stared at the projection for a few moments before Jury looked up at me. "Ed?"

"I'll see you back at the ship," I replied before cutting the call. Slowly, I rolled and sat up on the table, staring at the door with my jaw hanging. I heard a humph, followed by a set of hooves hitting the tiled floor.

"Oh, before you go, I know it's a couple of weeks late, but we've both been pretty busy," Twilight said as she slowly trotted away. "Happy Birthday, Your Majesty." I heard a door slam behind her, leaving me alone in the room. After a few minutes, I slowly fell back and sprawled on the table.

---

"Rain Shine! Come quick!" Someone cried. Rain came racing out her door to see all the kirin in the village staring skyward. Turning, she saw a line of small drones flying over the treetops, like those they'd found near the stream. As they passed, they left behind a faint cloud of mist that slowly drifted down onto the village.

"What is that?" Rain looked down at Autumn, who now stood beside her and looked up at the sky fearfully. Then her ear twitched as a gentle, moist chill brushed against her fur. Scanning the village, Rain saw a few kirin shake their whole body, seemingly in response to a similar sensation, which granted her clarity. Those machines had been spraying that mist overhead for a few minutes now.

Panic gripped her and she moved to order everyone back into their homes. But no words came out, and after a moment, the panic vanished altogether. Blinking, she looked at Autumn, who met her eyes with an even, somber expression, like the one they'd all worn when they-

Rain's eyes widened slightly and she scanned the village. The faces of every kirin confirmed her fears, or as close to fear as she could feel: The mist they'd been bathed in came from the water from the stream of silence. As that terrible realization seemed to wash over the village, an even more terrible noise pierced the air.

Turning, she saw a familiar figure descending upon the village, in a scene nearly mirroring Bedlam's first visit. Only now, as his craft landed and he disembarked, he was clothed head to toe in a strange, white, completely sealed suit with a thick glass visor. Then the golems came stomping in, bearing long-barreled weapons with flames on the end.

"Hello again!" Bedlam chirped, waving a hand at the crowd. "Thought you'd seen the last of me, didn't you?" He laughed.

They gave no response and he pointed at the sky. "You like it? Should be pretty nostalgic, I reckon. It's a similar concoction to that magic stream you all used to use, only modified by me," he stomped up to Rain and took a breath before roaring at her. "THIS STUFF is RESISTANT to that silly little flower I heard you all used to break the curse last time."

His shoulders heaved as he breathed hard and leaned in. "Meaning this time it's permanent." Rain's ears snapped back, and after a moment, she looked back at her village. All the kirin shared a look. There was no fear, no horror. Only an even, emotionless acceptance.

Bedlam snapped his gloved fingers in her ear, drawing her attention back to him. "And don't count on Ember coming to save you this time. In case you didn't hear, Equestria just gave up," he laughed grimly. "Meaning the dragons and you are practically the only species this side of the planet not in my loving embrace."

He took a breath and held his hands out to his sides. "So, the dragons have to regroup and brace for whatever the hell they believe I'm about to throw at them now that they're alone," he pointed at Rain. "And you get to see firsthand what living outside the love of Bedlam really feels like. So once again, Jury was right! Having a little patience goes a long way." He snapped his fingers, and the fire-wielding golems began to stomp towards the village.

As the kirin watched on, they realized his intention and ran to hold them back to no avail. Many were picked up and hurled away as the machines came closer and closer to their homes. Bedlam turned and moved to climb into his hovercraft, stopping and looking back when he felt Autumn grab the back of his suit with her teeth and pull.

He glared at her through his visor, and she shook her head. "What?" He tilted his head. She shook her head harder. "I'm sorry, is there a problem?"

She stamped her hoof and looked back as the first golem began spraying fire. "Hey," he forcibly drew her face back to him. "If you want me to stop them, speak up." He turned his head, leaned close, and cupped a hand to the side of his head. Autumn's eyes widened and her ear twitched.

"No? Don'tcha care?" He pressed, causing her to stumble back and then sit. Bedlam hummed and shrugged. "Hey, no skin off my nose." With a low laugh, he climbed into his seat and began to rise into the sky.

Once he was a few feet in the air, he stood up and swept his arm at his machines. "Let them run, but burn the whole forest. Don't stop until you run out of fuel."

---

Comments

[SleeplessChatter]

Oh Rain Shine, that was not a smart move. Anything besides staying would have been better.

I was betting 50/50 that it wasn't Twilight that was the hacker. I'm still not sold that there isn't some wordplay in action. There's only really 1 or 2 others I would make a guess of. Besides them, there is certainly a wide hemisphere of potential actors, but the shown behavior of the hacker in the prologue leaves me thinking it has to be one of the core cast.

I was wondering if you were going to poke at the fact that for the princesses, this is really just a time game. Baring some move on his part, he won't last as long as them by a quite a bit. And besides (sort of) Flurry, I'm not really seeing a heir of any sort that would carry the flag forward with the sort of iron fist he's used to hold it together.