Collected Q&B Fixes

Her heart racing again, she slowly turned to face the owner.  A large, stocky, yellow earth stallion stood there, his expression a mix of a half-hearted smile and nervous eyes.  She knew his face.  She knew him: Verdant Wellspring, husband of Painted Wave.

"Hi, Crystal," he said.

"Verd, what are you—"  She couldn't finish the question.  Her heart had already jumped into her throat and then sunk to the pit of her stomach.  She knew the answer.  "Why did she—"

"Verd, I don't understand." Crystal said hesitantly. "I can accept Silent's reasons, but why did Painted feel compelled to volunteer?"

Shuffling his hooves awkwardly, Verdant Wellspring met Crystal's eyes.

Meanwhile in Manehattan at the Royal Guard Staging Area

The hustle and bustle of hundreds perhaps thousands of ponies filled the air with a relentless cacophony of sounds. Mostly the ponies working managed to tune out the ambient noise after a few minutes and go about their business. However, one fresh arrival looking for a bit of escape wandered off to the northernmost warehouse which was being used by the 501st Unicorn Corps. At first entering the large building was a relief. Nearly all of the sounds was blocked by what looked to be thick, reinforced walls. Actually now that he had a chance to look around, he noticed that he had passed through a warning stenciled on the ground directing ponies to keep clear of the area.

Shrugging, the stallion walked further into the vast building to find a spot to lay down. After all, the Equestrian Army controlled the area now, not whichever company had donated the space to the war effort. Gradually as he walked farther in his ears perked up. Some sound that he could hear at a nearly subconscious level was emanating from near the back of the building. Abandoning thoughts of a quick nap he went in search of the sound. Soon he could feel the hairs of his coat standing on end and his horn began to tingle.

Just ahead was another small, squat structure within the larger warehouse. It looked rough and hastily assembled, not matching the general look of the warehouse at all. Actually, taking a closer look, he could see that it wasn't even finished, lacking windows or even a door that he could see. Why would somepony put what amounted to a large stone box in the center of a warehouse in the Army's staging area?

Every foot closer to the box he came increased the intensity of the ghostly song thrumming through the air, plucking at his heartstrings. Licking his lips, he leaned forward carefully placing an ear against the unfinished wall. Whatever it was, was definitely coming from within. Leaning in closer he strained, trying to hear more clearly. That was a mistake. A bolt of lightning raced down his horn upon making contact with the wall scrambling his vision and dropping him to the floor.

Shaking his head, he slowly stepped away from the box. Before he could turn away, however, he saw something which made no sense. The previously gray wall had dots of color on it. Squinting he shook his head, unless he was mistaken, those dots were moving.

Suddenly the ethereal song reached a crescendo. Sympathetic sparks flew from his horn showering the area around him in blue light.

Shuffling backward on the bare floor caused a percussion section of crackles and pops of electricity to play on his coat. Even his tail and mane were no longer bound by gravity, seeming to drift about in an unseen breeze.

His eyes widened, the song's tempo had doubled then doubled again in the space of a single verse. Color bloomed in concentric circles across the no longer drab walls. The painted waves of colors raced towards each other with the fury of warring trumpets.

With a sound more heard than felt the walls of the box detonated blasting color and sound outwards in all directions. Unable to react in time the stallion could only look on as death reached out to embrace him. A moment before everything went dark, the stallion thought he saw a unicorn mare whose horn was connected by a tether of magic to a floating crystal that sparkled and glowed with all the colors of the rainbow.

Don't worry, he was only knocked out.