1571 replies and 216 files omitted.
>>172049Silver can see that the Changelings on the second level have been downed. Silver can hear there is a "pony down" above them. A medic comes to Silver, the grey one. That is the only pony who comes down. From the sounds of gun fire above them a new wave must have come in, but all 10 of the changelings in the room since Silver came in have been downed. From outside, it seems that reinforcements will be arriving soon
>>172050Silver shakes off any attempts to try to heal him, and instead looks up to the second floor and through ragged breaths chokes out, "Help me get up to second floor."
>>172051"Come on. Get up" The grey stallion says, offering a hoof
"You need help"
>>172052"Need to help others...more coming."
Silver manages to use his magic to change magazines on his Jenny before it cuts out, the empty clattering to the ground next to him.
>>172052Silver does take the medic's hoof, though he continues to weakly shrug off attempts at treatment and insists that he needs to help the others.
>>172053It falls, and is replaced with another
Silver goes upstairs to see a minor firefight going on with drones on the opposite side, and the cream medic next to his downed and wounded son.
>>172055Seeing his son injured gives Silver enough energy and rage to push through the fog caused by his injuries, even if they are still very much real and still very much there. Some droplets of mixed blood and saliva fly from his mouth as he almost
screams out, "
FUCK YOU!"
He takes aim at a changeling and lets out a burst of fire from his freshly reloaded Jenny.
clangaclangaclangaclangaclanga[1d20+5 = (11+5) = 16][1d20+5 = (8+5) = 13][1d20+5 = (9+5) = 14][1d20+5 = (1+5) = 6][1d20+5 = (7+5) = 12] >>172056This time, it's the changelings who have good cover, and Silver lands no hits. Everypony on the pony side is low to the walkway, trying to stay in cover
[1d3 = 2] >>172056>>172057The medic forces Silver down towards the ground
"You're losing too much blood!"
>>172058"
RRRRRAAAGGHH! ОТПУСТИТЬ!"
Silver very much resists being forcefully handled by the medic, especially with his son downed and the enemy in his sights.
>>172059IF Silver wishes, he probably could charge the enemy
The medic, however, wants to apply coagulant, blood, stitches, and other treatments
>>172060Can Silver fire his Jenny from this position, or is a charge the only option?
>>172061He can shoot from this position, but must expose himself to do so
>>172062Silver forces the medic off of him to stand up and once again target a changeling with his Jenny.
clangaclangaclangaclangaclanga[1d20+5 = (19+5) = 24][1d20+5 = (20+5) = 25][1d20+5 = (8+5) = 13][1d20+5 = (18+5) = 23][1d20+5 = (16+5) = 21] >>172063>>172064Silver sees a changeling on the edge of a rail, lines up a shot, and shoots him several times in the torso and once in the head.
[10d8 = 41]But they shoot back, though not all at Silver
[1d20+4 = (12+4) = 16][1d20+4 = (19+4) = 23][1d20+4 = (12+4) = 16][1d20+4 = (17+4) = 21][1d4 = 3][1d20+4 = (15+4) = 19][1d20+4 = (16+4) = 20][1d20+4 = (15+4) = 19][1d20+4 = (10+4) = 14][1d4 = 2][1d20+4 = (20+4) = 24][1d20+4 = (13+4) = 17][1d20+4 = (11+4) = 15][1d20+4 = (17+4) = 21][1d4 = 1] >>172065>>172063Silver sees the white pegasus recoil in pain, and the orange pony collapse on the ground
[1d20+5 = (7+5) = 12][1d20+5 = (14+5) = 19][1d20+5 = (18+5) = 23][1d20+5 = (11+5) = 16][1d20+4 = (11+4) = 15][1d20+4 = (2+4) = 6][1d20+4 = (3+4) = 7][1d20+4 = (20+4) = 24]Actually that should be a
[4d7 = 11] >>172067Which would cause injury but not collapse
[1d20+3 = (19+3) = 22][1d20+3 = (14+3) = 17][1d20+3 = (20+3) = 23][1d20+3 = (10+3) = 13][1d20+3 = (8+3) = 11][4d8 = 26][2d8 = 14] >>172068>>172064Two wounded Changeling drones remain
>>172070"
GET OUT OF MY CITY!"
Silver targets another changeling, and fires another burst.
clangaclangaclangaclangaclanga[1d20+5 = (16+5) = 21][1d20+5 = (15+5) = 20][1d20+5 = (16+5) = 21][1d20+5 = (1+5) = 6][1d20+5 = (14+5) = 19] >>172071That's at least 3 hits on a wounded changeling
[3d8 = 15] >>172072>>172071A third changeling is downed, leaving one, lone gunman remaining. But it doesn't fight, instead crawling towards a doorway.
>>172073If the changeling isn't going to fight, then Silver yells to the medics to take care of the wounded as he rushes for the changeling machinegun. There's reinforcements that need to be taken care of.
>>172074The machine gun is lying by an open window. The drone who was operating it had been prone, then tried to turn around, then was shot down. They've clearly gone through multiple boxes of ammunition. Probably 80 rounds remain on this 250 round belt.
>>172075Hopefully it will be enough. So long as this burst of adrenaline keeps him going through his grievous injuries, he'll keep the changelings away from the bomb. He moves the body away from the gun's position, gets on it, and aims for where it seemed like the reinforcements were coming from.
>>172076Looking outside is a big, rounded armor, green colored tank with a UPR flag on it (with the bird wing, bat wing, horse shoe, and horn), two half track APCs, and a number of ponies in green uniforms.
>>172077...is he hallucinating, or are those actually ponies? He's not sure as he's basically running on pure adrenaline at this point, and he really,
really doesn't want to make the wrong guess at this point. He shouts out to the supposed ponies, hoping they can hear him.
"CHANGELINGS OR PONIES?"
>>172078They look like ponies, to be sure. They are cautiously approaching the ministry
From behind them and above, Silver sees a flying tin can coming in low, with its glistening aluminum and yellow stripe. Then
DAT DAT DAT DAT it strafes the center hall, shooting bullets through the window and the ceiling, and sending glass crashing down.
>>172079Silver is
fairly certain the changelings don't have air support in the area, but the shock of sudden machine gun fire from a flying machine combined with the panic of them shooting so near an active nuclear bomb definitely doesn't help. He just barely manages to avoid shooting the machine gun.
>>172080Either way, Silver doesn't have enough remaining HP to fight off a fighter and a tank.
>>172081True, but it's not as if it would stop him.
"ВЫ ИДИОТЫ! THERE IS NUCLEAR BOMB HERE!"
>>172082"Fuck you, bugger!" One alleged pony yells, as they try to use the vehicles for cover, advancing slowly
>>172082>>172083From behind Silver, there is the sound of gunshots
>>172083>>172084"СЕЛЕСТИЯ, ЧЁРТ!"
Silver wheels about, abandoning the machine gun in favor of his Jenny as he looks to see what the cause of the gunshots is.
>>172085The white pegasus corporal has leaned over the side of the railing, and shot at a drone that has gone straight for the bomb. It appears to have been stopped, though it came uncomfortably close to through its... hoof? on the switch
>>172086Silver sighs in relief. If it were up to him, he would he'd promote that corporal on the spot. He has to remember to write him a letter of commendation. In fact, all of the ponies who fought with him deserve one. He looks down to the ponies who he now believes are in fact ponies, and shouts at them as he starts to feel the adrenaline fading.
"GET IN HERE AND SECURE THIS BOMB, FOR CELESTIA'S SAKE!"
>>172087This actually gets them to move more quickly, one jumping up in front of the tank, followed by another, then another.
>>172088With that hopefully taken care of, Silver next attends to the matter of his squad, seeing what casualties there are and how bad things got.
>>172089Spectral Streak, though by no means okay, reaches out a hoof. The white corporal has himself been wounded, as has the orange pony. These are the fresh injuries, and Azelea bloom, and one of the medics have previously been wounded. Only the cream medic seems thus far unscathed.
>>172090Silver holds his son's hoof, and urges him to stay strong and hold on. He tells the medics to take care of the other wounded before he limps his way down towards the pony reinforcements.
>>172091By "other wounded" he means "everyone but me".
>>172091Silver is not in great condition by any means, and he moves down the stairs past the one, two, three, four, five changeling drone bodies - though that body of the drone with the Grim is
much closer to the locomotive than he remembers. Past these is the pair of doors to the outside, and presumably the remainder of the Homeguard
>>172093Silver has to stop in his tracks. He turns around slowly towards the body of the changeling with the Grim. Surely there's no way he's still alive...is there?
Silver goes to check for any vital signs from the drone.
>>172094It looks dead, dripping blood and contorted on its belly. Though it shouldn't be bleeding if it is dead, and it certainly shouldn't be leaving a trail. But... is that a pulse?
>>172095Silver calls over one of the newly arrived ponies, who will surely receive a fright when they see up close just how hurt Silver is.
"Help me move him away from bomb, my strength is failing me.
>>172096But this takes a few seconds, enough time that when a pony finally arrives at the door... It has time to move
>>172097If Silver can, he dives onto the changeling. Well, falls onto is probably the more accurate description, but the point is that Silver is attempting to use his body weight to keep the changeling from moving further.
>>172098The changeling's eyes seem to dart back towards Silver, and it jumps up towards the mechanism
>>172099I presume that means Silver is
not on top of the changeling?
>>172100Not... necessarily. The two lunge simultaneously, or at least near in time. The changeling drone with hooves stretched upward, and Silver to pull the drone down. Silver closes his eyes as moves towards its neck and body. He feels the chitin, then the thin wings of the creature...
The light shines through his eye lids, but the hard marble floor, chitin, and the steel cowcatcher of the locomotive are replaced with soft linen fabric, and down feathers
>>172101Silver jumps with a start, letting out a "NO!" as he launches towards what he thinks it a changeling about to doom everypony he knows, only to come up with nothing. Extremely confused and disoriented, he looks around to get his bearings.
>>172102Silver looks around to see he is in his bedroom. The sun has risen at least somewhat. There is a griffin female next to him, with admittedly rather nice curves on her belly and thighs, and at least partly under his forelegs
"Huh..." She moves, seemingly woken up by Silver's call
>>172103He continues to look around, lost, as if he sees both the room around him and something else entirely. He breathes heavily and rapidly, and he can hear his heart pounding in his ears. The phantom sensations of copper in his mouth and pain across his entire body linger on even after the dream he just experienced had ended. Eventually his eyes return to look at the griffon in his bed, it taking a few seconds for her name to return to his clouded mind. Jubilosa. The sight seems to bring Silver some comfort as if it's anchoring him back to reality, but if she were awake and were to look at Silver she could tell he is still panicked somewhat.
Awake or not, however, his first action upon coming back to reality is to hug his griffon tight as he fights to hold back tears.
>>172104"Gah!" The griffin is hugged tight
"What? What is it?"
She is at least reasonably soft and fluffy. A mix of a cat and a bird, after all
>>172104Silver can't quite get a good view of her eyes as she was facing the direction opposite him, but he can see her golden fur, her brown feathers, and see her white belly, the curve of her chest, or feel the great muscles on her large, brown-feathered wings
>>172105>>172106Compared to being shot by a dozen different changelings and slowly bleeding out as he tries to prevent nuclear destruction? This is paradise.
"Just...terrible dream. Nightmare. I am glad to be back here."
>>172107"Oh." She says, turning her eyes back towards him. She turns around in bed, facing her eyes, smiling beak, and chest towards him, and reaching out to put her claws over him. "I didn't think you left."
>>172108"I must say, I am relucant to ever leave you again after that."
He strokes a cheek on her smiling face with a hoof.
"I am sorry I woke you. I hope you slept better than I did."
>>172109She smiles, and silver can feel soft down feathers on her cheeks. Her golden eyes stare into his.
"Last thing I remember you were on top of me. Oh. You mean before that. Your date with Lua. Yeah, don't leave me for that." She moves closer and rubs her beak against Silver's muzzle. "I slept great." she says
>>172110Silver's bright blue eyes seem to mix with the golden pools of her own, and just as she rubs her beak against his muzzle, so too does he rub his muzzle against her beak. Being embraced by his Jubee, feeling her soft fur and feathers, helps to chase away the specters of the nightmare he just had.
"This is second time in succession I have had such nightmares. I can only imagine how bad it is for everypony else, now that Luna has been captured. Our dreams run amuck at night."
>>172112She rubs the edge of her beak just against his muzzle. It's actually kind of a nice feel, the hard, smooth beak, which feels a bit cooler than her feathers and certainly cooler than her warm chest fur, or her claws. Silver may have other reasons to like or dislike having a griffin in his bed, or being in the claws of one, but it's like having a space heater in the bed.
"Really? I didn't dream at all." She looks at him with soft eyes, but after some seconds they wander upwards. "No, that's not true. I remember flying over rolling hills... rolling, green hills...."
>>172113"That sounds nice." He smiles at the brief description of what must have been a pleasant dream for her. "If I ever suddenly sprout wings, would you teach me to fly so we could soar over those hills together?"
>>172100Alternative:
The creature jumps up through the air. But Silver jumps onto it, knocking it on its back, and squeezing out whatever air remained in its lungs. Its wings twitch, but Silver has it pinned. A new pony comes over, and presses it down. "Get the bug!' he says. A couple more ponies come in.
"We did it" One of them says, smiling. "We did it!" Just behind them comes a pony with a radio.
"Listen to this!" he turns it up.
"This is Friend of the Ponies reporting again: A ceasefire has just been negotiated between the Master of Ponies Long March of the United Pony Republics, Queen Ocellus of the Changeling Hegemony, and Grover VI of the Griffonian Empire. Tentative peace negotiations have the Hegemony ceding Western Equestria to the UPR in exchange for a 'love tribute' and cession of claims in Nova Griffonia, and Griffinstone being made into an independent State with the fate of Puimont left to future negotiations, and all details to be resolved in a peace settlement later in the month. Though fighting continues in against rebels in Asterion, the war is over."
>>172114"Heh" She smiles wider
"Sure, I'll teach you."
A moment, and she shakes her head
"No, I can't imagine you flying."
>>172116Seeing her smile really brightens up Silver's day, no matter how early it is.
"And why is that?"
>>171996Helder would have known how to get past the guard. If only Amber had those same skills! Oh well, it's worth a shot. Amber approaches the gate.
>>172118Amber walks up to the gate, and sees a red griffin guard who looks up at her with the warmth and friendliness Amber has come to expect out of Hellquillians
And frankly all Herzlanders"You can't come this way. This is restricted."
>>172117"Well you're... heh. You're... big... and... fluffy. And
grounded. You'd fly like a cart."
>>172119"Well, I suppose I am big, and fluffy. I happen to find those to be my best qualities." He smiles at his Jubilosa. "But who knows, maybe I would surprise you. I could be best flying cart world has ever seen."
>>172120"Heh heh, you, the flying cart."
She reaches up a claw and.... claws don't go there!
boop on the edge of Silver's nose, just in between her beak and his muzzle.
"Imagine a yak flying. Or a buffalo. Or an elephant. It would be about the same." She says
"Well, if you had a very fluffy elephant, it would."
>>172121She gets a first talon view of the cute scroonchy face ponies make when they're booped.
"That sounds majestic. Flying, fluffy elephants."
>>172122She giggles at the face, but then pauses for a moment, almost recoiling back.
"Those don't exist, do they?"
>>172124Silver also has to pause, as his previously scroonchy face becomes puzzles, confused, and almost stumped.
"I...do not think so? There are all sorts of strange creature that exists, and no place in world has more of them than Zebrica. If it were to exist, if would be there."
>>172125She extends her claw, and pets his mane. “Heh heh, you look cute like that.”
“And here I thought Equestria was the land of magic and wonders. Not exotic enough, is it?”
She continues petting
“Well no matter. I can’t say I know much about animals or monsters or fairytales anyways.”
>>172126It's difficult to describe the noises Silver is making at the moment, other than calling them 'happy Silver noises'.
"I guess it is just because ones here I am familiar with. Hydras, ursas, manticores and such are what I am used to, and I imagine there all sorts of magical beasts in Griffonia you are used to."
>>172127"Oh. Well yeah, I suppose. Well, we do have Urcos and Golden Clips, but those are not dangerous so long as you stay away from the water. Then Ireltxo can be a nuisance at times, but just don't engage in conversation when they try to sell you flowers or whatever. And the Oricuerno, well, you've basically got one rooming in the second bedroom, so...And the Sirenuca, same as with the Urcos. Just avoid the ocean and you'll be fine. Oh, and the forests, that's where the Tibicenas live. Honestly no, we don't really have monsters over in Sicameon. But that's the charm, really. It was peaceful. Calm. Safe. Pleasant. Where it was flying over the sprawling jungles through the valleys and between the mountains, or watching the waves crash upon the shore from a safe distance... It was beautiful..." She says.
hums merrily while brushing Gloomy
P: "You are just so precious. I could just eat you up..." kisses his neck
G: childish giggling with the slightest hint of nervousness
P: "...~But, that would be a waste, now wouldn't it. Even if you're just the sweetest thing ever...
Have you still been drawing?"
G: "Yes, momma!"
Gloomy excited shambles across the room as fast as his little legs can carry him, and returns with several sheets of paper with crayola drawings. The drawings depict strange runes sigils and rune circles, drawn haphazard in a crude, childish fashion; these sigils are drawn repeatedly in the margins of every drawing, sometimes scribbled out in frustration. The drawings also appear to depict various animals.. or, amalgams of animals? Strange creatures? It's hard to tell.
Gloomy seems to be particularly proud of a drawing smeared in black and red crayon that appears to depict a large black dog... Or is it a sheep? Next to the creature appears to be a pony, presumably Gloomy, reaching out to boop the creature on the nose. There is quite a bit of red in the background: could it be fire, or could it be blood? Like all of the other drawings, it has sigils a sigil drawn repeatedly in the margins, gloomy seeming having tried many times to get it right.
G: excited gigglesnort "See? See? Momma, look!"
Posey levitates the paper with her aura, and squints at it, keeping her warm, matronly, encouraging expression, trying her best to look impressed as she tries to make out the drawing.
P: "Very good, sweetie! ... What is it, dear?"
Gloomy looks somewhat offended by this question, as if it should be obvious to the smartest mare in the world
G: "It's Amon, duh!"
Posey seems to be caught off guard somewhat, she looks confused.
She takes out a tiny booklet with various colorful stickers on it with "Childcare" sprawled across the cover. Her expression turns to slight worry as she flips through the book.
P: "Amon.. I don't remember teaching you that one...
Was this during one of your 'special' dreams, sweetie?"
G: "Yes, momma."
Posey points to the sigils in the corner of the page
P: "Amon visited you, and showed you this circle?"
G: "Yes, momma?"
P: "You weren't too scared to look at its face?"
Gloomy puffs out his chest fluff
G: "No, momma. I was bwave!"
P: "And... In you dream, you touched it?"
Gloomy reaches out and boops his mother on the nose. Posey scrunches
Posey pauses for a moment
P: "This... This is good!"
She levitates Gloomy and whirls him in the air
P: "What an excellent channeler you're turning out to be, sweetie."
Posey nuzzles Gloomy in the neck. Gloomy flinches at first, but then giggles childishly.
>>172129D'awww
I very much like the idea of Gloomy being contacted by forces outside of Posey's control.
>>172130That's very much the point.
>>172128Silver continues to make happy Silver noises, which sound a bit like a mix of continued sighs, a long quiet whinney, and interspersed nickers.
"Those sound quite exotic to me."
Getting the feeling that remembering her homeland is making her a little sad, Silver lays his head against her breast.
"I know New Mareland took your homeland over, but...if I ever grew wings, or even gained ability to turn into griffon, one of first things I would want to do is to be able to fly over those jungles, valleys, mountains, and waves with you."
Once I get to lvl 5, I'll be able to give Gloomy his own cohort statblock as an apprentice...
I'll post more of Gloomy's backstory later.
>>172133Does that means Posey will take Gloomy out on adventures to train his skills and give him experience?
>>172132"Heheh, you won't grow wings" She laughs
>>172134That, or I sacrifice him to make a Slaymate. Time will tell.
>>172135He laughs as well. "You never know, weirder things have happened."
>>172136That would be sad. Posey and Gloomy need to take over the world together.
>>172138There was that time the chaos God made it rain chocolate.
>>172139That
is a fair point.
>>172138"Well, just in last decade or so, we have had thousand-year old alicorn princess come back from being banished to moon, ancient chaos god break from from stone prison and nearly conquer Equestria, changelings nearly take over Canterlot by infiltrating wedding, entire country and race of ponies come back after being banished by dark lord's curse for thousand years, previously mentioned chaos god get reformed, and all of magic in all of Equestria nearly get stolen by centaur that had escaped from Tartarus, among many other happenings."
mysterious rustling from a crate of bananas at the Baltimare Docks
>>172141The São Vicente, an older, Nimbusian originating and registered freighter with a Macawain Crew, arrived in Baltimare Harbor just before the break of dawn, originating in Rio de Jandaia with ports of call in Midoria and Manebourne. Union Dues, a strong, rust brown earth pony, walks along the pier to where cranes are already unloading crates of the freighter's cargo, a haul of tropical fruits - bananas and coconuts - as well as Jute and palm oil. The large set of crates of bananas must be placed on a cart, and ultimately taken to a warehouse before being placed on a train to take it to Fillydelphia, Canterlot, and Beyond. Union Dues moves a crate of bananas, places it on his back, and when he turns back...
>>172142...he sees the head, upper torso, and forelegs of a golden furred, red manned pony mare, in a crate full of the yellow and green fruits. She has a squarish muzzle with large nostrils, big fluffy with small tufts of fur at the points, and slit pupil eyes with red iris that look at Union Dues with the classic 'deer in headlights stare'. She shrinks a little in her crate, and gives a sheepish wave to the pony who has uncovered her, letting out a little awkward, "H-hello..."
>>172143SighHe knows what this is. One of those damned bat-winged ponies. They are not content with stealing our jobs, they want to steal our fruit, too
"What are you doing in the bananas?!"
>>172144"Heh heh...I um...uhhh..." The mare taps her forehooves together, feeling extremely awkward about being found out. "...um...there wasn't any room on the ship?"
It's at this point that the deep unmistakable
gggrrrooowwwlll of an empty stomach rings out muffled through the crate of bananas.
>>172145He steps back slightly
"What? What were you doing on the ship in the first place?!"
Union Dues looks back towards Team Steer, a fellow pony helping him pull the cart. The former looks back to the latter, and says
"Hey! Team Steer! We got a stowaway over here"
The orange earth pony stallion walks up.
"Are you sure? She looks like she just snuck on""She says she's a stowaway"
"From Where? Manebourne? Did they even stop there? I was told they didn't land because of quarintine""Well she got on there somehow. And from the sound of it it sounds like she'll eat the cargo if we don't get her out of here"
>>172146The mare politely raises her hoof, and quietly asks the two ponies, "E-excuse me, this
is Equestria, right?"
>>172147Team Steer looks at her with narrowed eyes and a mouth hanging open. Union Dues answers,
"Yes?"
>>172148The mystery mare sighs in relief at the answer.
"Thank Ouroboros...I made it..."
>>172149Union Dues and Team Steer both sigh as well
"Oh great, she really is a stowaway""I should get customs"
"Why? They'll just let her stay and be a scab""Who is 'Ouroboros'?"
"Must be their god.""I thought they worshiped Nightmare Moon?"
"They worship all kind of weird demons. That Could be another name for Nightmare Moon though."Think she could be from Chiropterra?"
"Maybe."Now, Team Steer moves a couple steps closer to the interloper, and asks
"Where did you come from?" >>172150"Oh, I'm from the city of Dhamaji! Have you heard of it before?"
She smiles to the two ponies, showing off a pair of small fangs that bat ponies would be known for. Internally, she wonders to herself:
Chiropterra?