Seventh Starfall: Beyond the Pale [Visual, postdated for after the Closing Ceremonies]

[stormbroken]

[It's about two hours after the appearance of the Pale Pony, and everything that came with it. You might think that things would calm down again, but no.

This time, Flare Star fires up a scroll that she basically pulled straight away from Dust and starts talking, about as seriously as many ponies have ever heard out of her - the exceptions being Queen Chrysalis (who got to hear the tone when she was attacking the pegasus) and Zecora (whom she helped during Nightmare Night).]

The cards've been played. I don't know what kind of feeling that was that I felt back there, but I know it is evil. No more playing around, no more wasting time trying to understand.

I'm not saying that we don't still need to research this nag, far from it. In fact, we need to centralize our research, so that everypony has the same access to it. It's only right in times of war to allow your soldiers to know of the enemy they fight.

She pulls us all in at random, focusing on those with powers, and then every month, she culls. A few more get drawn into her, possibly for keeps. By standing before us today, by proving that she exists, she has declared war. Not on Equestria, but on every last one of our worlds.

Buck compassion, and buck caring for a pony so far gone that she'll steal souls for her own gain.

She needs to die.

Who's with me?

Comments

[like_a_dragon]

[It is at this point that she's going to echo the words a friend said what seemed like a lifetime ago.]

Yeah and then what? You don't know just how hard that fight is going to be! Do you even know what she's capable of?

Maybe you're right. Maybe we are going to get picked off one-by-one. But if you go after her right now you will die.

Think about it. What will happen then? Are the people that's left going to have to figure out how to beat her without you? What if when we do find out what we need to beat her we lose because you weren't around?

This is not just a one-pony show. We're going to need everybody here. I don't care how pissed off or angry you get at her.

[stormbroken]

I'm not arguing with you.

I never said I was going in alone, and in fact, if I wanted to, I wouldn't be stupid enough to declare it over the scrolls.

This was a rallying cry. We need everything. People to figure out just what we're up against. People to find out how to stop it. People to save all the souls she's already sucked up, if that's possible.

But the last thing we need is to just sit on our flanks and wait for the end.

[like_a_dragon]

Actually, that sounded more like the frustrated rant of somepony that wants to do something but knows that they can't.

[stormbroken]

[Flare visibly winces.

Clever filly.]

It can't be both?

[like_a_dragon]

[Wait.]

...did I actually stumble on something? Uh... I was totally thinking out loud, there.

I was totally expecting you to just yell and scream at me more.

[stormbroken]

I've been stuck here sixteen months. Trying to figure out a way to get everypony home, trying to figure out a way to stop the Pale Pony from doing this.

She finally shows up and everything seems to erupt into chaos and... [And pain, Flare hesitates to say - the sensation of that stare through the scroll actually hurt her.] ...I know she can't be redeemed, now. The others might be able to be saved, but we can't keep dancing around this forever.

[like_a_dragon]

[Sixteen months. Geez. Even Chie has to blanch at that.]

I-I'm sorry. I didn't know.

[Feeling very small now. She's been struggling with this for two weeks, how could she hope to compare herself to somebody who has been trying to figure things over such a long time?]

[stormbroken]

Don't apologize. You're a sharp kid; sometimes somepony doesn't even realize they're throwin' a fit until someone points it out.

[She's been stressed lately, too, between worrying about the future between her and Harvey and watching Dust slowly fray at the edges.]

[like_a_dragon]

[Some hair goes over her eyes and she blows it out with a bit of frustrated indignation.]

Not really. I'm just in the dark about all of this as everybody else here. The only thing I'm good for is looking around to see if people know anything that makes sense.

They're never any of my ideas. I'm actually pretty dumb.

[She really means it, too.]

[stormbroken]

Y'obviously know how people work, if you caught that so well. I've been like this for hours and nobody called me out on why I was so worked up.

I've learned something lately. There's different kinds of smartness. Don't always need to make amazing plans or know a bunch of book facts t'be smart. Sometimes just bein' the first one to spot someone actin' funny is its own way of bein' there.

[like_a_dragon]

Th-that's not true...

[Because in her mind "Chie" and "smart" are two words that are never in a million years things that ever go together... djfdklajd]

[stormbroken]

Callin' me a liar?

[She's teasing now. Just being able to talk to someone is surprisingly stress-relieving. It's what she'd usually have Harvey for, if Harvey wasn't currently suffering from PTSD.]

[like_a_dragon]

Uh-uh...

[kdjfdlkjalkjea]

A-Anyways... I'm sure that's true for some people, but...

[Rrrgh... SUBJECT CHANGE]

Yeah, I've got nothing. I've only been here two weeks and this is all confusing the heck out of me.

[stormbroken]

Hopefully you're...

[There's a hesitance. The usual blessing of "hopefully you're not here long enough to make sense of it" rings... bitter, knowing the likely fate of those who disappear after showing up here.

It wasn't definite, but... no, this needed to be solved sooner, as opposed to later.]

Hopefully it clears up a bit with time.

[like_a_dragon]

[She nods slooowly... the red still leaving her cheeks.]

Yeah. I'm starting the only way I know how: hearing what everypony else has to say about this.

[stormbroken]

Best way to do it - ear to the ground, hooves steady.

[She admits, she wasn't very steady there a little while ago.]


.......what's your name, kid?

[like_a_dragon]

I think you're giving me too much credit there.

[Ah, she asked for her name.]

My name's Chie. Chie Satonaka.

[stormbroken]

Flare Star. Bouncer at Ponyville's local waterin' hole when I'm not tryin' to get us all home.

[Well, if nothing else, Flare's definitely got someone else she's got a positive view of.]

[like_a_dragon]

Oh... uh... I just got here! And only a kid, so...

Yeah, there's not that much great about me.

[At least one of them does.]

Anyways... maybe you should... we should work on that.