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>>122525"Well, there is a pony being falsely accused for sabatoge which I'm trying to free. I might need some back up if the old sweet talk doesn't quite pan out."
>>122526"Sounds fun. So, where do we go?"
>>122525The foals return to a situation much like that before Onyx looked into the cart
Ruby sits down on the left side of Onyx, holding onto (lightly) his left foreleg. Beneath the much taller Onyx it's like hiding behind a table leg. In front of Onyx, and to the right, Wesley sits down with a drooping head. Kerr stands up over his brother, with his right hoof on him. The scowl on his face slowly fades to a frown
>>122527"Right now I'm waiting on the lieutenant to return with word about my request to bring the prisoner over to reveal who has been doing it. Perhaps I can get him to point to the forest and you can pop out and scare them into thinking there is a supernatural force out there messing with them."
>>122529"Maybe. Say, can you take care of those two-"
he points to the changling foals
"I don't understand them"
>>122530"Sure."
>>122528He looks to the changelings.
>>122530>>122531The purple colt is the first to look up at Onyx and then Spark, with almost blank expression, ears that go down for a moment, and wide open, green eyes. The grey pegasus joins in a moment, lifting up a heavy head and looking at onyx with wet blue eyes that glisten
>>122532Spark goes over and hugs the little ponies.
>>122533The purple bat pony pulls back and inch, and starts to hiss. He is cut off by the hug. As he is much smaller than Spark, he is easily dominated. The grey pegasus is less mobile, but closer to the ground and places more weight into the hg, making him a slightly more difficult target. He is hugged nevertheless. Both have been out in the cold and Spark can feel it
>>122534Awwwwww. Poor cold ponies.
Spark comforts the little ponies.
"We will be out of here soon. Don't worry."
>>122536"Well, do what he says until we can get outta here. Hopefully sooner than later."
>>122537"Where you gonna take me when we get out?"
Now, the bright red pony looks up at Onyx with a smile, his tail starting to move slightly back and forth
>>122538"Well, there's lots of places we could go. Where would you like to go?"
>>122539"Well, I hadn't been to the state fair in... three years now? Ever since daddy reenlisted there watn't really any time for it it seemed. I'd always wanted to see the Crystal City. Or.... I know! Canterlot! If we could just get....... Them"
He turns his eyes, but not all of his head, over to a guard that stands some 50 yards away, the same guard that Onyx so bravely made go away a few minutes before
"-to let us travel around rather than stay in our sector"
>>122540"We'll get there, don't worry"
He pets the colt to reassure him
>>122540Spark goes to check on the lieutenant.
>>122541The colt closes his eyes, and slightly lowers his head, but presses up his big, bushy mane for the pets
"Awwwwwww If anypony can put some fear into them giant bedbugs, it's you. Make 'em let us go"
>>122542The lieutenant walks out causally with an haughty expression. Behind him walks a white coated changeling who carries on a leash the prisoner spark met with earlier. The prisoner's head is lowered, but faces forward, with a firm if somewhat frowning expression. His eyes have bags and black around them, and his ribs show those portions not covered by a brown coat
>>122543"we'll go soon enough, don't worry. But apparently we have some busiess first"
>>122543Spark greets them.
"So prisoner, ready to point out who is responsible?"
>>122545He looks up, then over to Spark. For a moment, he is completely expressionless. But then, he narrows his eyes at Spark.
The lieutenant looks to the prisoner. His lips are pulled up midway along his muzzle, almost like a snarl. But the fangs don't help, forcing the lips up at the front. Then, swiveling his head and its massive, dragon-fly eyes towards Spark, he says
"How can you succeed on this? We've been working him down for two weeks now and he has yet to name accomplices!"
>>122544He looks up again to Onyx
"Oh... Alright"
>>122546"Don't worry, it probably won't take more than a day"
>>122547He looks up to Onyx, and his sad expression changes to a smile. His right ear folds in half for a moment, and flops back up, then his tail quickly moves back and forth
"I can wait for ya. I know you'll get it done"
>>122548Onyx chuckles and continues petting the colt
>>122549He stretches out his neck
"I know 'ya can. You scarred off that big, mean old changeling earlier like it was nothin'. I thought for sure we were goners! You see the teeth on that thing? Like ice-cycles. The big ones that form on the siding. But you scared him away"
The guard in question is still 50 yards away, sitting down and looking back at Onyx. He has lazy air about him, with indifferent eyes and relaxed lips, like a lion resting under the Savannah sun at midday. His spliced, tubular right ear twitches.
The mine never ceases to produce obnoxious sounds of diesel engines, rocks tossed into the back of trucks, power shovels digging through clay, and above all else, the pounding of the grinding mill
>>122546"Well, sometimes it takes a pony to get a pony to talk."
>>122551His snarl drops to a colder, straighter impression, and part of what seems to be an eyelid closes in. He nods
"Very well. We shall see what you can do. But I will have my eyes on you"
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>>122552Spark nods and motions for them to bring him along.
>>122553The lieutenant himself extends a hoof pointing forward, and the guard walks forward, pulling the chain tight, and with a "cling" the prisoner starts to move forward over towards Spark
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>>122554Spark heads to the other workers to find the traitors.
>>122564Intercontinental Ballistic Boops!
>>122584Gah!
Hi little pony! What is Silver up to?
>>122585Currently looking at his compatriots, look around the small armory. He speaks up. "Finish up in here. I am going to scout ahead on this floor. Join me when you are done."
>>122587White Sands nods. Blue Skies:
"Just.... Be careful"
And yet, from somewhere comes another voice, whispered
"Do you think me so easily repulsed?" >>122588Silver pays little head to the whispered voice. He smiles at Blue Skies. "I will."
The old pony thus leaves the armory to explore this floor of the building.
>>122589Silver opens the door of the room, back into the hallway, and sees something rather different than he may recall
Light enters the hall. Natural sunlight, shining in from a glass roof that vaults upwards divided into one meter squares, covering the area over the rectangular atrium at the center of the building. Two beams cross under the raised glass roof, with flood lights attached. The sun shines through the roof, slightly angled towards the opposite side of the building, and leaving Silver's position slightly in shadow.
The walls on the left side of the hallway that blocked off the atrium are gone. Replaced with a part wrought iron, part wood railing kind of like that found on the lower two levels. Yet Silver can see that he is, in fact, on the fourth floor - albeit one that looks different than when he went in.
The walls hold a fresh set of white wash, tempered slightly by the presence of at least one sun symbol on each wall. The doors and door frames are fresh wood, if somewhat austere. Silver is not alone, as some ponies walk around here and elsewhere
>>122590Silver blinks once, then again, then looks side to side at the new surroundings and the ponies that shouldn't be in there. He reaches out to the nearest one to get their attention.
>>122591Silver doesn't have to look far. Over to the left, Silver sees a mare walking at leisurely pace in his direction. A nun. She wears a simple black habit that raises where in covers her ears, and has no coloring other than a white garment around her neck
>>122592Silver reaches out to touch her shoulder. "Sister?"
>>122593Silver feels something, without feeling the full detailed tactile sensations he would normally associate with touching a garment. It's something there, but it isn't soft or rough or smooth or wrinkled.
She pulls back at the touch. And narrows her eyes
"Are you looking for somepony?" She says to him looking at him
>>122594The feeling makes the fur on the back of his neck stand on end. It's just wrong to him. He pauses for a moment before a question comes to him.
"Excuse me, Sister, what is the date today?"
>>122595She blinks, and her mouth is partly open
"It's the twelfth, I think, of April. Nine forty four. Tuesday."
She looks at him for another moment in silence, maybe a second and a half
"Do you have a daughter or somepony close to you that you expect to be released today?"
>>122598The old pony's eyes widen.
April nine forty...I think I am having stroke...Nervously, he smiles. "I...do believe so, but I think I will be fine, Sister...?"
>>122599She turns her head ever so slightly to the right. Still looking at Silver. Her mouth closes. Then she says
"North o' the' Dam. This floor is for the sisters and patients with higher needs. Who are you looking for?"
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