Eljunbyro

by Imploding Colon

Sticking It

The depths of Blue Shelf shook. From deep within the mountain, something resonated. Dense rock split into gravel and layers of concrete crumbled as a great impenetrable object churned its way towards the surface of the world. One by one, the layers of the facility shattered upon the approach of a gigantic, metallic spike. The obelisk roared its way up through the multiple levels. Department Blue imploded instantaneously. Laboratories and storage compartments collapsed on top of one another. Garnet's former office, the sequencing chamber, interrogation rooms and locker closets: everything fell prey to the machine world's climbing obelisk.

Outside and above the facility, the hilltops shook and the trees swayed. Patrolling Enforcers had to brace themselves as a veritable earthquake roared across the land. They shared pained expressions, then shouted as the ground split up beneath them. Slowly, with the grace of an oozing volcano, a great golden spike emerged from the crust.

Soil and rock exploded, flying high into the sky. Pine trees collapsed in a grand ring about the impact site while dozens of boulders rattled downhill. The obelisk was at forty feet of exposure, and still it did not cease penetrating the sky. The tremors of Blue Shelf increased ten fold, and soon log cabins and concrete forts were collapsing. Soldiers and guard ponies ran for cover, their shouts and cries silenced by the cacophony of the pierced world.

Then there was a hideous groan. Stallions looked up and gasped to see the immense concrete zeppelin towers of Blue Shelf careening and bowing. Above the elevator entrance to the facility, one such tower undulated so far that it split down the middle. In horrifically slow motion, the entire cylinder of concrete crumbled to ashes, spilling dust and debris across the Ledomaritan summit. As it fell, two zeppelins barely managed to untether themselves. One dirigible, however, wasn't so lucky, and it was dragged down through the sky, its bulbous body colliding with the two trying to escape. The one airship imploded and fell in a shower of metal shards and shrapnel while the other two deflated and gradually careened towards the craggy landscape below.

In the middle of all this madness and destruction, the obelisk kept rising. Finally, just as the earthquake was at its strongest, the spire finally slid to a stop. Platinum lines of glowing energy swam up its body, then pulse all along the height. A loud, bass humming noise rose in volume, then culminated in a symphonic blast of noise that sent rivulets of arcane energy soaring across the landscape.

The soldiers gawking at the sight winced when the energy waves overcame them. One by one, their tasers went dead and whatever manacarts they had teetering around lost their vibrancy and died. The Ledomaritans could only watch in shock as every source of pony-manufactured sorcery shorted out from machine's emanations. Then, with a sound akin to crackling paper, the mana fences surrounding the ruined camp flickered and failed. Every glowing barrier went dim.

For a brief moment of hilarious silence, the guard ponies stared at each other and their inneffectual tasers.

"Awwwwwww crap," one uttered in the midst of the stillness.

As if on cue, the forests exploded with roaring noise, and a living layer of manticores charged out of the foliage. They bounded effortlessly through the dead fences and smashed their way onto the scene, tossing shrieking stallions left and right. The soldiers shouted and fought back, flinging rocks and blunt weapons with their telekinesis, but as the manticores tore into the haphazard scene, it turned out to be a losing battle for the Ledomaritans. Their screams blanketed the landscape.

Far, far down below, in the slave pits just outside the machine world's door, the tasers of the patrolling guards also shorted out. They stood in numb circles, struggling to bring juice back to their weapons. As the seconds ticked on, they sweated nervously.

The enslaved equines on the other hoof...

"Get them!" Professor Garnet shouted, his emaciated body invigorated as he stood up tall and pointed at the wide-eyed Enforcers. "Now's our chance at freedom!"

Every pony, ram, anteloupe, and bison in that room yelled victoriously, charging the shrieking guards and paying them back for months upon months of misery. Chains were broken, shackles were unclasped. Atop a hill of gravel, Felicity and Placid exchanged glances. The two unicorns smiled, dropped whatever load of rocks they were carrying, and happily joined the fray.

Quite effortlessly, the surging herd of laborers galloped their way under torchlight towards the northern elevator shafts, and towards felicitous liberty.

Comments

[Arkenai]

FREEEEEEEEEEDOM!!!

[zaponator]

Christmas at Blue Shelf: Even crazier than last year's party.

-Minty

[SearoDess]

And just like that, a mana preventing obvolisk arised from the ground that day

[RoboRed]

JUSTICE!

[Pilate]

Frued would have a field day with these obelisks, and their penetrative properties. How like Rainbow Dash, to come smashing through the dead center of establishment and effect great change in doing so, often with unintended consequences.

Also, the prose here, especially that last line, is like butter; it's delicious.

[Misplaced Modifier]

Subject: Chapter 98
Alternate Title Obtained: "Jailbreak!"

[The Danish Adonis]

if the obelisk made all the levels collapse unto each other, wouldn't the hundreds of enslaved ponies/bisons/whatever be crushed as well?

[Ezn]

A more graphic rape scene than that really long one with Lyra and the hoodie.

[Pilate]

1853087
I thought the same thing, but Belle pointed out right before they met Dalton that most of the facility was empty except for the slave-level. Same with the town, it was mostly just enforcers. The morals are similar to that of destroying the Death Star.

[Valrek777]

STAMPEEEDE!

[The Danish Adonis]

1853117
wait, i don't think the roofers explanation works here. it's not like the slaves chose to work there
also, judging by the ending of the chapter, the slaves *didn't* get crushed. how did they survive?

[Pilate]

1853208
Slaves were on the lowest level of the facility, the rest of the levels were barren. The village its self was occupied primarily by enforcers.

[lura]

1853208 The door to the machine was in the slave levels, so I think the obelisk went straight upwards and didn't touch that level.

[The Danish Adonis]

1853295
i'll go with that

[Ledomare]

We all know something big's gonna happen at Chapter 100. This is only the start.

DUN DUN DUUUUUN

[Khao]

1853055

Unsigned message?

Property of Khao now.

[ZettaLux]

I wonder what they're gonna do about them manticores.

[ShadowBro]

[Axan Zenith]

EMP!

[destinedjagold]

and.....................what awaits them up above are hoards of manticores.

[chasethebrony]

1853934
But the numbers of manticores will have been thinned by the bodies of the enforcers. That's worth something at least.

[Aqua Fortis]

1853050
No wonder Shell wanted to use her as a weapon - she destroys things as a part of day-to-day life. One lever upends the entire Blue Shelf establishment, and who knows how far that pulse travelled. What happened to Blue Shelf is an apt metaphor for what's about to happen to Ledomare.

[Cynderfall]

FRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!

[Psyco Josho]

Ledomare: So Xona, about that peace treaty...

[Hoof of Approval]

1853055 Knew you'd do that.

[Misplaced Modifier]

1854959
Oh no, I've become predictable! Time to change tactics!

[Swann]

Yeah you go, slaves! Don't let the man keep you down!

-Minty

[Relevant Heavy Metal]

Bastille Day - Rush

Because I've posted Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy enough already.

[MellowMabari]

Well Dash doesn't so anything by halves, that's for sure. Hopefully the Manticores fill up on enforcers, so the newly liberated slaves can either escape or take them out without too much difficulty. I'm glad things are finally going right for a change, though - even Garnet looks like he's gonna make it! Now its time for this Ledo chick to face the music. Onward!

[IfOnlyICouldDeactivate]

Not to be cynical or anything, but there is a crapload odd manticores coming. Now I don't think that'll be too good for your health, so you maaaaay want to keep an eye on em.

Just saying...

Onwards!

[AppleTank]

lol.
Ponies still panicking over RD's apparent death:
1) The two Princesses
2) CC (Wat's his name again?)
3) That entire city where RD "fought" Axan.

[Pilate]

1890176

2) CC (Wat's his name again?)

Cold Canter, aka CSquared

3) That entire city where RD "fought" Axan.

Silvadel.

[Danger Beans]

Is that an obelisk in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

[dashie76]

IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!

Hey there, amazing Imploding description.  I missed you.  Seriously, this chapter was just great.  The earthquake, obelisk, and freedom revolution were all described perfectly.  It's so good...These are my thoughts so far. 

-MASH

[CrimsonPhoenix]

[Riverwing]

They may not be all that happy to be free once the manticore s notice them.

[Tetrominon]

2085091
The manticores were ready and waiting for this moment, though. I don't think they're quite the dumb brutes they appear to be at first.

[Super Trampoline]

I had to look up felicitous.

[whizzball1]

Freedom! And another Obelisk?

[Enix]

Ummm aren't those manticores going to be a problem for the emancipated as well?

[JustAnotherTimeLord]

That was awesome.

[Regidar]

Holy shit, are they going to take out the entire god damn Ledo army?

[aRestlessCreativeGamer]

Now I wonder how many obelisks there are. The first one was onyx/obsidian/black (if I recall correctly) and this one is gold. the Darkstine one seemed to help power their world/magic while this Blue Shelf one just destroyed/short-circuited the magic

[Revan]

5850289 To quote the Wanted, "You'll find us chasing the Sun."

[Tim the Planes-pony]

And Dash saves them all.

The two unicorns smiled, dropped whatever load of rocks they were carrying, and happily joined the fray.

Hope the rocks were dropped on their tormentors.

[Hazard]

Rainbow Dash, world traveller and part-time destructive landscaper.

[djthomp]

Ahh, so it's another giant obelisk (of doooooooooom).

I can't quite imagine what the body count on this event might be, but it can hardly be insignificant.

Then, with a sound akin to crackling paper, the mana fences surrounding the ruined camp flickered and failed. Every glowing barrier went dim.

Now there's the prison break I was hoping for.

[Aiyonbeam]

The ponies have spoken! Viva la resistance!
Let's just hope Dash manages to push Shell into a giant fan, eh?

I'm still just waiting for the Queen Ledo fight. This is gonna be good!

[Nonchalant]

Living layer, eh?