Along the shores of Baltimare Harbor, in the halls of old 33 Hoebuck, our heroes have discovered a dark secret. What started as a mundane mission to stop illegal immigrant smuggling has uncovered something far more horrific - a cult from Griffonia. The party has successfully challenged and defeated many of the cultists and hired criminals, but in the process, has nearly died themselves. Now, low on health, they must both recover and put an end to the evils in 33 Hoebuck once and for all - before it puts an end to them first.
Way up north, in the Iron Range of Whinnysota, the ponies their inquire into exact who or what is damaging so many machines. Investigating and following leads, they may unveil the faults and problems of the Haysabi Iron Mine, and gain favor with Changeling authorities.
Damn it, I missed 123,000
1760 replies and 24 files omitted.
She walks off, and bends down on the floor.
But Khoi is standing there, and so is Jubilosa. White Sands is a little further off, and Blue Skies has taken up a sort of rearguard, staring into the blackness. Johann does not seem to be in the hallway
>>123797Silver looks around for Meadows, realizing something he can do to help her.
>>123798Meadows is on the hall on the right side, kind of facing Silver, but her head is hanging down. She's almost "listing" as she stands, with her left shoulder touching the wall, and her right hoof up and rubbing against the wall. She's strangely tall and large, and looks like she'd only barely fit through doors. She doesn't acknowledge Silver.
Blue Skies is actually behind her, in the center of the hall and facing the other way
>>123799Silver trots up to her, bringing out the flask of changeling honey he got from Zwolf's prison room. He looks to her, speaking softly.
"Meadows? Can you work with me for moment? I am going to give you something that should help."
>>123800She looks up at him
"Huh?"
She looks tired
"Oh? That would be great"
She sounds tired, too
>>123801"Oh boy...uh, here..."
He holds Meadow's mouth open. Using his magic as a kind of spoon, he scoops the honey out of the flask and onto her tongue. He then closes her mouth.
"Okay, now swallow."
>>123802She has a fairly long muzzle, and a tongue both long and wide, at least as long as Zwolf's. She licks it up like honey, and licks more, as if she likes the flavor. Her throat moves visibly as she swallows, repeatedly
For a moment, nothing happens. Then she moves her head side to side, scratches the ground with her hoof, and whips her tail. She snorts
"I feel... So much better"
She looks first at Silver, then right into his eyes. Her eyes become a deepr grey, then add blue, and yellow, and brown color to them. Her coat becomes a darker, with more brown and yellow. Her mane becomes a darker brown. All this over the course of some seconds, perhaps half a minute.
"Your eyes... I can see them. A blue."
She smiles, and looks over to Khoi
"And Gold"
To Undertoe
"And Red!"
She seems excited, and jumps up on her hind legs. She doesn't quite rear - the ceiling isn't high enough to guarantee that could be done without hitting her head - but she jumps up, and stomps back down on her hooves. Skies looks back
"It's so much better! I feel like I could run. I could run if I weren't in this small hallway. I could run from the orchard to the town again, and maybe back!"
>>123803Silver smiles at the sight as he puts the flask away.
"Heh...heheh, it worked!"
>>123804She tries to run - or really, trot - down the hallway. She goes around Undertoe on the left and Khoi on the right, unsettling both of them, as she goes on by. She goes down the hallway someways before turning around (though she has some difficulty turning her body in the hallway) and trots back past a somewhat irritated Undertoe and Khoi. Undertoe is wearing her black socks again, and the necklace is run around the trigger guard and her shoulder
>>123805Silver shakes his head in amusement at the further sight of her enjoying her newly rediscovered vigor. Still, he trots up to her to reign her in and keep her furth irritating any more of the party members.
"It is good to see you up and well, Meadows."
>>123806Reaching up, he can place a hoof - or more likely, magic - around the base of her neck, and reign her in
"Oh... Sorry. But I really thought I would
never run again. I was surprised to see in black and white. But to see, and to remember, in color... It is a blessing of Mazda"
>>123807He nods, understanding that feeling at least in part.
"It is good to hear, Meadows. What is it you remember, now?"
>>123808"The orchard. My old home. The mountains beyond the valley"
>>123809He smiles, softly.
"That sounds very nice. Can you tell me about them?"
>>123810"The trees waving in the wind in the light of the afternoon. The mountains shining in the same, and the gap between them filled with mountains more distant. And the old family home... Beautiful white walls with arches, and intricate painted patterns on the top of every level. The courtyard with arches on every side. And Running down green hills... All these things I remember"
She has a tear in her eyes
>>123811The old pony smiles more at hearing Meadows recount the tale of her home.
"It truly sounds amazing, Meadows."
>>123812She breathes, in and out. Her eyes are fixed at some point on the ceiling 40 feet or so down the hall
"It was. It truly was."
>>123813Silver looks at her, wondering is she is sorrowful at remember her home.
"...would you like hug, by any chance?"
>>123814She moves her head on top of her long neck, and looks back at Silver. She is visibly smiling, wide
"Yes. I would"
>>123815He takes a step forward, and wraps his forelegs around her long neck in a hug. It's in this moment where he privately amazes to himself about how nice it is to hug somepony who is roughly the same height as him.
>>123816Bit by bit... >>123817Maybe not so much the "same height" thing. Her shoulders are somewhat higher. Her fur has some "give" to it, letting it move. Her fur isn't quite soft, if anything it's a bit courser than most ponies, and it's somewhat short as well. Underneath her fur is muscle and especially bone. She's skinny, and whatever fat she had - even healthy, natural fat - is gone. But she is hugged, and she tries to place her neck and head down to him, to give a hug of her own back. A long, scrawny leg wraps its way over Silver's back.
>>123816Kek
>>123818The Severyanan stallion gladly lets her hug him back. He wonders to himself if her lankiness is natural, or the result of the feeding they put her through.
>>123819Her ribs show, and she generally looks emaciated. Johann looks much the same.
>>123820They could really use some food...maybe I could cook for all of them if I managed to find suitable stove.He speaks up to Meadows, continuing to hug and hold her if she needs it. If she decides no, she can easily pull out of his grip.
"If I may ask...how did you end up here, Meadows?"
>>123821She continues to hug, though her rear hooves move a step back to reposition herself
"I got on a ship in Bitsra to take me to Equestria. And I ended up here..."
>>123822He grips more for just a second, hearing her tell what happened, if only briefly.
"It is sadly too common story for this place, those people that end up here...I am sorry to hear that these people tricked and trapped you, Meadows."
>>123823"They chained me to a table and made me stamp horse shoes. Or carry steel. This went on for a while. Before they sent me to the Rakshaka... This is terrible place"
>>123824Can ponies play tomorrow?
Silver's Herd grows by the minute.
>>123824"It is. But this nightmare is almost over."
He looks at the tall mare.
"What reason did you have for coming to Equestria, Meadows?"
>>123831“When the new government came in in Neighran it was not a good time to be a land owner. It was much worse to be a land owner who had sold food and nuts to the Storm King’s forces. After my husband died things have not... quite been right for me. But I still tended the trees, and lived off of the proceeds of the orchards and the land in the valley we rented. It had belonged to my father...
My eldest son had come to Equestria some years before to study in school. We had the money to send him abroad, so we did so. Equestria was... Well there was this image of a shining city on the mountain. A place of wonder and prosperity. Sending your child abroad was a sign of prestige anyways, so we did so.... Besides... the times after the Storm Empire fell have not been entirely stable... we wanted him to have a back up.
This was until the war broke out. He assured us in letters he was safe... But I wanted him back home. Leaving the country became harder to do, with the shipping intercepted. He never came back to lay his father in the Tower of Silence outside Prancena... I was worried.... for him, and for me...
Canterlot fell, at least it was to the Conservatives. I have gotten one telegram from him since then, so I know at least he was safe after that, though I do not know if he left since then. When I saw that the war was over, the reformists had lost and the land owners had won, I made up my mind to come to Equestria and live with him. And so I tried to.”
\r
>>123832Silver nods.
"It seems fall of Storm Empire has not been entirely peaceful...your son lives in Canterlot, or at least last you heard?"
>>123833“I believe so. That is where he was last. He may have studied at the ‘School of Friendship,’ I don’t think that is in Canterlot, after the war began and he had to prolong his studies. But the last telegram was sent out of an office in Canterlot, so that I where I was going to go. He may have left the country for all I know. Gone to the Yaks, or Hippogriffia”
>>123834"Hmm...I believe that was in Ponyville, if I remember correctly. Well, do not worry, Meadows. We will get you of here shortly, and you will be able to look for your son."
>>123835She looks at him, with a very warm smile
“Thank you. This may still be a land of Harmony after all”
>>123836"What was conflict in Neighran, if I may ask?"
>>123837“Karkadannistan is an old and noble culture, and has been for a thousand years. Saddle Arable tried to impose their rule, their culture, and their religion on the Karkardannis, but failed. The great grandfather of the Shah declared his independence as Saddle Arabia waned, and Karkadannistan prospered.
Then the Storm King attacked. The Storm King didn’t really tolerate resistance to his rule. He took what he wanted and was not afraid to burn and destroy what he could not have in full. So many of the land owners took reasonable steps to preserve what they owned. My husband was among them. He was not going to let his family, nor his father and laws’ estate suffer, and so our manor was never burned, nor were the nut trees my grandfather planted chopped down. But many of the horses were not so understanding. They held it against us, and many others.
The Shah fled to Saddle Arabia as soon as he caught sight of Airships over Nieghran, and that is probably all that saved him from being hung when he returned. But so much of the old government, and the temples had either been burnt, smashed, or painted in that black label ‘Collaborationist.’”
Now, even before the Storm King there had been.... ‘Reformists,’ who thought the temples had too much power, too much influence, and that the lands of the old estates should be ‘redistributed’ across the peasantry. This is how it is with all countries, and just as children must learn to respect their elders so too do youths sometimes take their time in learning to respect the wisdom of their ancestors. But after the war... there was no power, no authority left to teach them. To hold them in check. The Shah gave up his ancient birthright, and accepted a constitution that gave him limited power against a parliament - not that he could have done otherwise. Besides this, Saddle Arabian garrisons its soldiers in the eastern provinces. It was messy”
>>123838"Ah. Story of Communism. It is disease which sits and festers in wounds left by war and disaster, just as what it did in my own Motherland. Yes, it does sound messy."
>>123839Khoi visibly flinches as the black word leaves Silver’s lips, while Jubilosa listens in vague irritation. Blue Skies looks up from her vigil over towards the conversation. 33 Hoebuck, like so many old buildings, has that unsettling quality of not being completely silent when the lights are off and the rooms vacant, and so Blue Skies stood guard against whatever dangers may creep out from the dark hallway, with Silver’s words only now causing her to break her gaze.
Highland Meadows responds
“No. Not the Communists. The Reformists. The Democrats and the Socialists who promised reform. Everyone knew the Communists were undesirable, with how they smashed a Fire a Temple from the times of Marerius like they were Storm thugs. It was the ‘moderates’ who edged their way into power by taking concessions, little by little, until they had the country. Though they too may lose their gains to the Communists, if they are as trusting of them as the Shah was of Reformists.”
\r
>>123840"Hmm...this, too, I have heard of, though not as often. It is also not good thing to happen to nation, though thankfully not as utterly...destructive...as Communism."
He smiles at Meadows.
"I hope you find better fortunes in future, Meadows, and live happy life with your son."
>>123841“Thank you.” She says, and she makes a slight bow, spreading her forehooves
>>123842Silver crosses one of his forelegs over the other's knee, and responds to her bow with one of his own.
"There is one more thing I would like to ask you. We are just short bit away from facing against last group of these griffons that did all of this. There will be most definately be fight. There are also griffon prisoners that need to be watched over. If you were asked to choose between those two, which would you choose?"
>>123843“I don’t.... I don’t know... I have never faced combat before... The mares were not expected to.”
Blue Skies walls up toward Silver, still wearing her griffin hide, as it were.
>>123844Silver nods.
"Perhaps it would be good idea for you to stay with prisoners, then."
The unicorn looks to the approaching Blue griffon.
>>123845She’s dark brown, not blue reeee
She approaches, and speaks to Silver:
“What are you doing? Arming and dividing the.... creatures?”
Not intending to interject on an astral or existential level, Brie prepares himself to engage in the protracted plan he has prepared with Spark.
"It couldn't have been a simple insurgent scenario, oh no,..." he mutters to himself, rolling his eyes and patting down his suit to verify the situation of his daggers, his sword, and of course his fine suit and cloak. He then disembarks to ascertain the location of the Gendarmarie, specifically Zu Lang, and attempt to position himself nearby.
>>123847I know, but I still wanted to say that“Well, you can certainly do that. It depends on where their security team will be, maybe they will be guarding the cultists, or venturing out. If you could lock off the building and make sure all of the captures are tied right there is nothing to worry about. Though a determined and armed team could break through locked doors. Then again, they could break through a weak rear guard too.”
>>123848The lieutenant is still near Brie. Zu Lang and his two personal guards are walking up the ramp and away. A few more gendarme stand around in or on the edges of the pit, keeping watch with long rifles and carbines