"What's he doing now, Ebony?"
"Uhh... I think he's doing... uhm... some sort of scan with that floaty ball of his."
"You mean he's looking through the walls and stuff?"
"I guess so, Props."
"Hey. Ebony."
"What?"
"Do you think he could see through us?"
"I... uhm... I-I wouldn't know..."
"Would he know what I had for breakfast this morning?"
"Why would you second-guess what you had for breakfast this morning? For goodness' sake, I made it for you!"
"I know! That's why I want him to take a look at it!"
"Unngh... Props..."
"Heeheeheee..."
"Silence, you two. Can't you see he's trying to ascertain who's visiting the building?" A series of hoofsteps came closer then stopped right behind Pilate. "Though, I don't suppose you intend to leave us in the dark. Erm... that... what I mean was... oh dear..."
"Yeah, way to go, Clark."
"Shhh! He's concentrating!"
"You be quiet! You're the one next to him!"
Pilate's forehead tensed as he clenched his eyes tighter, as if allowing him to "see" through the fields of O.A.S.I.S. better. With the aid of Simon's energy beacon, he felt through the floors, the walls, and the connecting bridge between buildings. He then felt several waves of reverberation. The air around the buildings was echoing with noise and sound particles. Judging from the turbulence, manacraft had to have been levitating nearby.
Instead, Pilate ignored them, sensing along the fringes of the field being bent by Simon. At last, he felt a shuffle of hooves belonging to a tall, gaut figure. The equine shuffled about, and a metal hoof scraped against tile floor. One eye flickered left and right within its socket.
Bellesmith's voice screamed in his ear. He was falling and falling, the wind kicking at his helpless body.
"Nnnngh!" Pilate fell back on his haunches, surprised to make contact with a plain stretch of harmless floor. "Blessed Sp-Spark!" he stammered, his blind eyes flickering wide. "Not him!"
Clark's hooves lifted him gently up. "What is it, fellow? Who are you so frightened by?"
"What I said earlier about leaving to find a way out of here?" Pilate limply swiveled towards the group. "Forget it."
"Forget it?!" Ebon Mane's voice remarked.
Pilate's jaws tensed. "I need to get you out of here now. Everypony needs to leave this very room!"
"Er... I appreciate your enthusiasm, good sir," Clark remarked. "But leaving—and most especially being caught in the act of leaving—is a sure-fire way for us to get executed. I think we're safest in here, so long as we hide any trace of your having—"
"You don't understand!" Pilate hissed. "You are no longer in the hooves of Nightshade now! This party that's arrived—I have sensed the body of one of them before! I could recognize him anywhere!"
"And with the help of your... erm... augmented rodent companion—"
"Look, I know it is him, alright?!" Pilate frowned. "And when he finds us, and he finds out how much we all know about the runes, he will torture us until we are no longer of any use to him! Or else he'll outright kill us!"
"Just what's the big deal with these runes anyway?" Ebon Mane remarked. "Why couldn't we have been building a super secret salad recipe instead?!"
"If this kindly, intelligent, striped savior of ours believes we're in immediate danger, I'm inclined to agree with him."
"Thank you, Mr. Clark," Pilate said. "But now we need to get out of here, find my companion Floydien, and then—"
"Woah woah woah woah woah..." Ebon clopped closer, his face leering through the blindness at Pilate. "We gotta find who?!"
"I made a promise to him that I would help him find his beloved."
"Mr. Pilate, that is very noble of you, but certainly we have enough problems of our own—"
"He is the sole reason why I am here and giving you an opportunity to escape!" Pilate nearly shouted. "You don't owe me! You owe him!"
"How... exactly?"
Pilate's ears drooped as he droned, "He gave me the squirrel."
"Ah. I see." Pilate could practically hear the blinking of Jasper Clark's eyes. "Very well then. Props? You're on squirrel duty. How is the little chap?"
"Uhhhh..." The mare's voice wavered from where her body was squatting. "Is it a bad thing when he's lying on his back and his legs are in the air?"
"Simon!" Pilate gasped, galloping over towards the spot in the room. "How is he?! What happened?"
"Whoah there, stripey-wipey!" Props' hoof held him back. "Careful or you'll trample the poor guy! I think that last bit of telekinetiwhatsithooey put a strain on him! He's okay! He just pooped his nuts out is all!"
"Well, we need to wake him!" Ebon exclaimed. "And fast! 'Cuz something tells me he's our only lift out of here!"
"Unless I can utilize the O.A.S.I.S. sphere in getting us out of here faster..." Pilate remarked.
"And how, good fellow, do you intend to do that?"
Pilate sat back on his haunches, rubbing his chin in thought. Suddenly, he brightened, and he tossed his voice towards the waiting three. "Tell me, how often do the ponies who run this place wash the windows."
He received a collective "Huh?!" from all in attendance.
The O.A.S.I.S can levitate ponies? Who'd a thunk?
I really want to see what happens when two Prime Enforcers are in the same room.
Huh?!
This is gonna be epic! Everybody hold onto your butts!
I have to find a chair to sit on, so I can be on the edge of it.
30:60's, four each. Find some road and knock 'em out!
2680270
It's how the room was entered in the first place.
2680278
Setup for a classic window washing gag.
This chapter title just goes to prove that our authorious overlord is some kind of celestial writing entity that creates literature even while dreaming. You can stop pretending now, Scolon, we all know the truth.
I am thrilled to see if they will find Floydien before Shell finds them. With everyone's favourite nutjob by their side, they might actually put up a fight. Can you imagine that battle, Floyds versus Shell?
stream1.gifsoup.com/view6/3975805/jaw-drop-o.gif
The universe isn't ready for this level of awesome.
Ceterum censeo Searinem delendam esse. Just put it between the two of 'em.
Squirrels - the best reason for anything.
Shit is getting really close to that fan...
Heh. I still think Floydien is dead.
Oh no, simon!
2680505 a few chapters ago we got noted that Floydien is being held captive in a room some where.
That's one awesome squirrel. For a second, I thought Ebon knew the name Floydien from somewhere! I guess not.
2680755 Yeah. Zap just reminded me over Skype...
2680270 As do i, as do i.
Somehow expected that sort of reaction, but I doubt im the only one.
... What's a sound particle?
2655068 Just a reminder
This is decidedly not going to end in a simple escape. I am hearing the band cuing up for a Three Stooges sound gag.
Zebras - always interested in window cleanliness, but not for the reasons you might think
2680288
You don't need to tell me you know.
I'm always holding on to my balls just in case.
Oh boy. Here we go.
2680770
Every once in while you need to be reminded that you're still alive?
2682785
It's a very metaphysical state of mind. He has transcended reality itself. Gone into a dimension beyond our own in search of knowledge that cannot be known to us simple humans.
Either that, or he's stoned or an idiot. Or both, really.
Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy
Well, I think I can see where this is going.
judpratt.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/harold-lloyd-in-safety-last.jpg
That doesn't sound okay at all!
2680439
Celestial writing entity - eye-swydt.
I believe he's a perpetually dreaming brain-in-a-jar hooked up to a computer server.
2680000
more of a cross between my middleschool gym teacher and that shark driving instructor from spongebob.
Jeez, I just hate it when I poop my nuts out. Messy as all heck.
The old window washing gag, eh? Guess sometimes the best defense is a bloody stupid defense.
Well. Now we're cooking with gas.
2684213
If it's stupid, but it works, it's not stupid.
-Wildsage the Elder
2683154
Really? People aren't allowed to forget parts of a story? I don't have any problem with you, so there's really no need for that.
2680505
no one ever dies unless specifically stated with much bloodletting.
I think a bit of Props' personality is beginning to rub off on Pilate. That or Floydien's, or more frightening still, a combination of the two.
Mission Impossible 4 scene imminent, maybe? I wouldn't be surprised if Props kept a decent supply of hoof-plungers around - you know, in case of plunger emergency. Well, the imminent madness isn't going to read itself - onward!
He pooped his nuts out? Poor squirrel!
This is going to be good.
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
Huh. So I guess Imploding wrote this chapter late one night, judging from the title. I know that feel, bro. Anyways. I thought the Banter between Props and Ebony at the beginning that was just dialogue was pretty entertaining. And I am totally lost as to what that last remark from Pilate was...maybe he's going to steal their Windex or something? These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
ha!
Shell is going to find them. We've got to run!
-Spirit
What, are they going to use OASIS like 343 Guilty Spark from Halo?
Oh damn
OH DAMN
Now it's time for a Scooby-Doo-esque chase scene where these five try and escape from Shell
running into a hallway full of doors
coming out the wrong ones
the whole shebang
5780317 I'm personally kinda excited for shells runin with pilate and Bell now.
Also, I like how shell has just kind of accepted that Pilate is still somehow alive. Like he just expects these things now.
4774604 Let's hope not, since 343 Guilty Spark worked at cross purposes.
Man I love props.
Yes, crawl down the exterior of the building. That couldn't possibly be risky.
6167423
The new Pinkie.