"Sir..." Captain Filta levitated a pair of binoculars down from his face and turned from the starboard side to look at Shell. "Signalers are saying that they've lost sight of the target."
"Not for long, they haven't," Shell muttered, pacing around the siny, silver sarcophagus in the center of the Steel Wing's deck. "All the reason for us to make swiftly with sending our captives away." He turned towards the platform where Belle was being loaded—bound and speechless—to one of several mana-powered transports. "Make for the facility without delay. We'll be delivering the target shortly thereafter." He paused, his gaze lingering on Phoenix. He added with a wave, "Take him as well."
"Aye, sir," an enforcer nodded and started dragging Phoenix towards the platform.
"Wait... w-wait!" Phoenix stammered. "Wh-what do you mean take m-me as well?! We had an agreement!" He gulped dryly and struggled with the stallions hoisting him up onto the launchpad. "I was to be g-given free passage to Franzington—"
"Soldier, you are a deserter, a traitor, and an accomplice of the Confederacy's most dangerous fugitive," Shell droned, turning to stare menacingly at him. "Do not test my patience beyond the limits to which it has already been stretched."
"But... m-my family—"
"Are lucky that I haven't already sent a squadron of zeppelins to incinerate their Spark-forsaken farms to volcanic glass!" Shell's brow furrowed. "Do calmly take your seat on board a transport. In case you haven't noticed, I'm in the habit of tossing idiotic ponies to their deaths today."
Phoenix bit his lip and shivered. As he trudged up the steps to where a transport waited for him, he cast a forlorn glance towards Belle.
The mare's eyes were shut as she hung her tear-stained face to the hull of the vessel where she was seated. Her every breath was a shuddering thing.
Phoenix hung his head and limped towards his fate.
As their transports took off and soared north on thundering thrusters, Shell turned around and inhaled the smokey atmosphere of battle. "Now, then..." His eye narrowed. "Where in blazes is that monster...?"
I think the one asking is the monster... >:(
the chapters never end, seriously. The writing is amazing but I can't get over how cool this is. I know it might seem like a little thing, but I love the effort you are putting in.
I can't put into words how much I love this, and how much you rock. Mainly because I don't really understand why I think the way you are releasing these chapters is so awesome.
At any rate, nicely done
You don't need to look very far for the monster, Shell.
Well Shell, all you need is a mirror.
It's funny, they always refer to Rainbow Dash as a criminal and a fugitive, but the only crime she ever committed was existing.
At least Shell is pony enough to have to rationalize his insanity.
2234270 Well supposedly the discord version of her destroyed an entire village after Axan dropped her off. Maybe he counts that.
Saw the title of this chapter
Gah, that last line... No need to rub it in, Shell.
olystudio.com/Images/product_shots/accessories/mirrors/lily_mirror.jpg
Happy birthday,Shell.
IIIIIt's Dashie's Tenth Marathon Evaluation Time!
So the main thing in this chapter is Belle, I think. Phoenix is just done - the Foxtaur mercenaries, ad much as it pains me to say it, are out of this story. I can sense it. But Belle - Belle is just broken. One of the most powerful lines in this story is where Imploding describes Belle's breath as a "shuddering, gasping thing." This is really, really good writing - it's not a gasp. It's not a sob. It's a thing. It implies that she's making a totally inhumane, totally abnormal sound that is beyond anything words can say. Imploding...I know I've said it a million times before, but once more - you're an amazing writer. I honestly believe that, if this series were given human character replacements and published as a series, it would become very famous. I'm dead serious. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
P.S. Okay, only three to go. Hang in there, buddy...
Look in the mirror, Shell.
Aaand, like three people beat me to it. Oh well, its so true that it can stand to be restated.
And chin up, Belle. Pilate is alive. Probably. Hopefully. Maybe. Please?
2242426 I have to agree with you as well, imploding is just such an amazing writer that has you on the edge of of your seat one moment and on the edge of tears the next.
The only word I can discibe this writing is EPIC
Hoo boy. I don't care what eventually happens to Shell, there is no way its horrific enough after all this.
With him as empty inside as he is, how are you supposed to properly hurt him anyway.
>the siny, silver sarcophagus
Is it like a sine wave?
3690055 I swear I should get you to proofread my stuff.
-SPirit
3690055
It's the graph sin(cos(tan(x^20 + cos(x))
Dash, please, please bring down Steel Wing.
4759745 Why are you still on this story? You shud be at the last one by now!
But Shell, you are the demons
and then Shell was a
zombiemonsterBe careful what you wish for Shell, you may just get one
Translation:
Find a mirror and once word gets out how much you value your agreements, it is going to come back to bite you in the flank.
I have altered the deal. Pray I do not alter it further.
It's almost like you can't remotely depend on Shell to keep his word. People really need to stop negotiating with him.
Man, I had forgotten how many badass evil psychopath villain lines Shell had. hes the sort of character you love to hate and hate to love.
We passed "kill him" half a book ago, and we're now at "find a way to keep him alive forever" levels of what Shell deserves.
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Agreed, I was thinking this exact same thing both now, and *counts on fingers* a bunch of chapters ago when Shell was having dialogue with RD, she's no monster because she can empathize, she can feel, she can regret her actions, Shell on the other hoof has none of these, he sees everyone around him as expendable tools, he has one overriding emotion/mindset and that is hate, and finally any regrets he might have had back when he had a heart worth mentioning have long since been rationalized "for the good of the Confederacy." I wonder if he is actually loyal to the Confederacy or if even Queen Ledo is just a means to an end for him (i.e. play the loyal army general, and when the time is right, take control of the Confederacy, neigh the world *insert sinister chuckling*)
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I'd buy it, provided someone went through the series with a fine-tooth comb and cleaned up some of the more wince-worthy typos some can be shrugged off as dialogue things or can even be funny.
Quick note for Pheonix: when something seems too good to be true, it likely is.
Now, please tell me why in the hell Rainbow is a monster.
Rainbow Dash is going on an impossible voyage to find her friends, she’s dying, she’s helped others in various ways, even when she didn’t know them. She’s saved a person out for her blood, helped mercenaries, and truly thinks that she’s not doing enough.
On the other hand, Shell has ruined forests in search of a singular pegasus, killed Zenith (though that was his own fault), deceived Phoenix (hopefully he can recover, it’s in the mythology), and is enslaving a unicorn for his benefit, and getting her by killing those she loves.
The monster is the one that does nothing for others and only does things that benefit him, he’ll lie, cheat, and steal, and do anything that will get him an upper hand. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash is showing her virtues, someone stated in an earlier chapter that Rainbow Dash isn’t just an Element of Harmony, she is Harmony.
Now Shell, who’s the monster, and I’ll give you a hint: it’s you. If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change. Don’t start this wild goose chase for the monster that doesn’t exist!
Thank you and goodnight!
P.S. and there goes my plans for reading another couple chapters tonight.
I am imagining one of my OCs helping RD beat the ever loving crude out of shell.
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Not to play devil's advocate but she has killed a LOT of ponies. Remember how the Ledomaritans found her after she killed an entire town?