Go with the earthponies to the city 74%
Fluttershy and Twilight were trotting among the caravan of ponies. Twilight had gotten a hat along with some cloth strips that hid her horn remarkably well, the unicorn having figured out that her active spells were the thing that allowed the detection devices that the earthponies had to find her. The road had become a little busier as they got closer to the city, farmers pulling their produce to go sell at the market joined them to have small talks about things like the weather and what the local news was.
Fluttershy had been sending data up to the Vindica the moment they had gotten back their connection to the vessel, Luna had decided to bring it in closer to get better scanning ability of the so-called 'blight' areas. The princess had also sent a message expressing a desire for a private video link at some point in the near future, she hadn't given a reason why though so Fluttershy would have to find somewhere private to do so.
“I've been told there are services going on in the cathedral all week, we can visit one after setting up our caravan at the market,” Anatoliy stated with excitement after he'd spent some time talking to one of the farmers. “We can blend you into the crowd that way."
"That would certainly be interesting," Fluttershy smiled as she adjusted her cloak a little, the fact that pegasi and unicorns were religious icons was... concerning at best. Something terrible had happened that completely wiped the two pony subspecies off this world and left only earthponies.
"I am honoured, I assure you you will be impressed with the effort put into them by the priests!" Anatoliy said, his excitement only heightening. The group of ponies soon arrived at the city's main gate and were bought passage into the bustling streets of the large settlement. The city was a long way off from the idyllic cities that dotted Equestria, badly paved roads seemed to be the norm for the majority of the place and the density with which the ponies lived could not be very healthy. They also saw a very large, well constructed, building deeper into the city which she assumed was the cathedral. The caravan stopped after reaching the massive marketplace and finding a spot to set up their stores.
Fluttershy and Twilight watched from within the formation of carts as the group they'd travelled with efficiently worked together. Anatoliy and Petrov approached them as things seemed to be about in place. "We are about done and my input isn't needed here any longer. If you could follow me then we shall try to catch a service at the Cathedral."
"Of course, please do lead the way," Fluttershy smiled as she had been studying what she was sure was the cathedral from a distance. she was proven right as they got closer to the building. The crowds were getting thicker too, ponies clearly going to whatever religious ceremony that was being planned.
“I wish I could take notes,” Twilight pouted as her magic would set off all the sensors these earthponies had and her omni-tool would probably has a similar effect. “Does either of them have any tools for mouth writing with them?”
“I'll ask,” Fluttershy said, but shaking her head as she got her reply from Anatoliy who didn't have any such thing on him. “I'll set our omni-tool to capture mode, that way it'll record anything we look at. You'll be able to go over it later.”
Twilight sighed as they go to the square in front of the cathedral, a large crowd already present there, and nodded. “We should hurry, otherwise there won't be any space. Stay close!” Anatoliy warned as he pushed into the crowd, Fluttershy making sure she and Twilight remained close behind their guide. They got some protests from ponies they pushed past but Anatoliy was able to talk down the ponies that got too angry with them... Right up to the moment they got stopped by a ceremonially dressed guard.
“If you are to enter this place then either tell your companion to dress appropriately or leave,” the guard stated to Anatoliy while looking at Twilight's hat. “This is a holy place, not some circus show where you dress up.”
“M-My lord, I-I apologize, b-but-”
The guard's eyes narrowed as he held up a hoof to stop Anatoliy. “Will you not follow my holy command?”
“I...” Anatoliy swallowed as he looked back at Twilight and Fluttershy. “No. I cannot.”
Another guard had joined the first as he had noticed his colleague holding up the group.
Damnit, he's taking our willingness to go as a sign that he has to take us now.
Hoping she could avoid a serious escalation, Fluttershy stepped between the guard and Anatoliy. “We are mere travelers who were invited here, will you deny us this service?” she asked, making the guard rear back as the foreign words somehow made sense in his mind. He looked conflicted as he did not understand what was happening.
Just a small extra push required.
Fluttershy pushed her wings from under her cloak, showing their tips from under the cloak. “Let us through and don't speak of us to anyone else.”
The guard took a step back, completely lost for words. His confusion lasted for a few seconds before his face twisted into a snarl and he lowered his spear.
“You dare this blasphemy?! I am a sentry of this sacred ground, you shall not deceive me!” the crowd pulled back from the scene as the second guard also brought down his weapon and others rapidly pushed through the crowd to the scene.
Buck.
The guard they'd been speaking with aimed his spear straight for Fluttershy's chest and thrust it forward. Fluttershy, who had no intention of being skewered, pushed off to the side, letting the tip of the spear graze the cloak before activating the omni-blade around her right wing and twisting around to cut the spear in half. The guard was clearly surprised as he hadn't expected anyone to be able to dodge at this close a range. Fluttershy rapidly followed her move up by flinging a biotic field at the second guard, sending him helplessly floating into the air, before returning her attention to the first guard and sending him flying back with a biotic shove.
In the swift action her cloak had come off completely, showing her armour and wings clearly for everyone to see. With the deception rendered useless, Twilight immediately pulled off the hat she had on and cast a thin, shimmering, bubble shield around them.
“What do we do now?” Twilight asked as she anxiously looked around at the crowd around them. Some were trying to flee in terror, others had just frozen, but a large part had lowered themselves to the ground and were shooting fearful glances towards the bubble shield. Anatoliy had frozen in place too, Petrov clinging to his fathers leg as they were in the middle of the entire situation and felt the sheer amount of power that now surrounded them.
This couldn't possibly have gone any worse...
“What we came here to do, just not in the way we were planning,” Fluttershy answered, facing the first guard that now lay shivering on the ground as he prostrated himself. “You. Approach.”
“I-I am not worthy, fair lady,” he nearly cried as he realised Fluttershy was talking to him, refusing to even look up at her.
Fluttershy sighed. “I wish to speak to your priests, could that be arranged?”
“Of course, fair lady!” he immediately said, standing up and sprinting into the cathedral, not once looking at either Fluttershy or Twilight. The second guard dropped to the ground as the biotic field ran its course, Fluttershy immediately turned her attention to him.
“You. You shall accompany us," she announced, as he stood dumfounded. Twilight lowered her shield, keeping the spell ready, and stepping up to Fluttershy's side.
“Are you sure about this?” Twilight asked.
Fluttershy nodded. “If we leave now we just wasted time.” She turned to Anatoliy and Petrov. “Thank you for your hospitality but I cannot ask you to follow us further.”
“To leave you now would be the greatest of insults,” Anatoliy stated, swallowing back his fear. “I promised to show you our cathedral and I will.”
Fluttershy nodded and sighed, looking over at the second guard.
“Lead us in.”
I'll just gladly take this chapter as a sign you're still with us and able to update. n_n
Writers block is a sign you havent been out enjoying yourself and filling your imagination tank enough?
Have a day down town, wander a park, get mouth off a squirrel for daring to sit under its tree, roll the dice of chaos and see if anything pops up.
If it doesnt, try again tomorrow.
Writers block, that really do be one of the big pooper of parties, but nevertheless I'm happy to see that you managed to do something while in its terrible grasp. Fret not if things aren't flowing the way you want them to, things come and go. Ideas, motivation, well everything really.
I take solace in the fact that we get to find so many things to strike our fancy in most cases every once in a while, I'm sure you will too if the funk lasts any longer. :)
Also I enjoyed reading another lovely chapter of yours, always pleasant to catch an update.
Looking forward to more. Great chapter!
Well, with the winged warrior angel and the horned warrior follower this situation will be very... Interessting.
Once Equestria has relocated some Teachers and Soldier to this world, all its ressources and technology will aid them. That said... They have very mutch to do on this world and Cadance might become a true ruler besides Celestia while Luna take over the leadership of this world after the war.
So mutch leadership needed, so few to fill out the positions.
My recommendations for writers blocks are anime or movies to watch, reading books or Fimfiction or playing games fitting the theme roughly. 'Civilisation V' or X-Com games seem to be very fitting here!
Writer's block sucks but glad you are back.
I wonder how they react later to Alicorns...
Fluttershy is part Changeling so the Changelings might react positiv to her especially if a Hive might join the Angel of Hope and Kindness ♡
A recording tool from once eyes... That is prime combat footage♤
Will there be another A.I. playing a guiding voice roll in the Cathedral that is the main quantum box of a Equine A.I? Maybe a V.I. that keeps a old religion in place?
Maybe we see a Iron Mare suit controlled by a a.i. or v.i.
Maybe we get into a antic communication device factory, that serves as a Cathedral. The fabrication A.I. trying to keep Ponys connected and guided with its limited ressources...
Welp, griffin is out of the bag. Time to go bold.
Writers block does that, no sweat. Great chapter!
Mass Effect: Kindness is Magic.
When kindness fails, bullets follow
Stab in the dark, the 3 planets all have only one of the 3 pony races each and at one point were all connected, and the story of the strife between them and the appearance of the wendigos pertains to the reapers and creation of Planet Equestria, and centuries of social devolution has muddled the story on Equestria so that while they remember the basic fundamentals of their past they (previously thought though probably now realize or will realize) forgot from their history being mostly told from memory more so than written records.
If I'm right, pretty neat way to go about it Author.
The comment section is barrels of fun
Just got caught up. Interesting update. Thanks for your hard work.
Well, Fluttershy has been through the wildest ride I have ever seen anypony go through in a fanfic and I've seen Dragonshy in one fic! Well done so far!
And when the world needed her most, *she vanished.*
We need a hero. One that is yellow and kind enough to put down the enemy if kindness isn't working 👍
I already can see the Changelings coming for them! It would probably happen like this.
*5 Changelings flying towards the Team
Changelings forces commander:
"Target in sight, prepare for attack!"
Scout team: "Incoming unknown forces, no armor or weapons what shall we do?"
Captain Luna: "Don't fire unless attacked first!"
*Changelings reach the team*
*One tackels a teammate*
Downed Squad mate: "I'm down!"
Two of team members come to aid him/her. It was to late to save him/her...
One if the remaining team members: "Here scout team, i have a urgent report for the Captain!"
Captain Luna: "What is your status?!"
One if the remaining team members: "Captain Luna, the unknown forces have made contact! You would not belive what is going down here! We are ackk-"
Captain Luna:
"What is going on report! Are we under attack?!"
Last renaining team member: "Fluttershy here, in a sense Princess Captain Luna, the unknown forces are actualy Changelings. They tackeld my teammates and they... Snuggeld into them. Now they nuzzling into there chest... By Harmony! It's absolutely adorable!
I think... I think I am about to faint from adorable overload!"
Captain Luna: "... What...?"
*Captain Luna plus reinforcements arrive, they can only look on in awe as all three of their soldiers get snuggeld into submission*
Captain Luna: "Sooo... Peaceful relationships established by Snuggly Bug-Equines? As in the Changelings that are inhabitants of this world?"
Second in Command: "They have overrun our forces eatch alone or with a cuddlebuddy, i think resistance is futile... I recommend surrender and join the snuggels Captain Princess Luna..."
Captain Luna: "Yeah... That first contact will go down in the history books for sure..." -
Changelings also described as Cuddlebug by alien forces leader: "Mission successful, forces keep harvesting emotional positiv overflow, acquire new potencial allies and harvesting grounds and... If they keep petting us and giving us ear scratches, i will recommend to the queen adopting the aliens as new pets!"
HOW IS THIS NOT FINISHED
11519558
cdn.discordapp.com/emojis/822548673073643541.webp?size=160&quality=lossless
Really hoping for a group of V.I.'s or at least one A.I.
since they really need some for the Vindica or the Griffon base.
Do the Dragons have a base by any chance?
The Dragon Blood Scepter might be a key or control device after all.