Once the group was back out of the secret lab, Alister led the way forward, Qwark at his side. Twilight and Nefarious brought up the rear, already eagerly debating the possible specs of the mech suits they'd seen silhouetted, and possible improvements they could make once the actual suits were acquired. Once he realized that was the nature of the discussion, Alister ignored it. Qwark found this...confusing to say the least. "Are you sure we shouldn't be paying attention to what they're talking about?" he asked as he activated a Power Plunger.
"Can you honestly tell me you understand a word they're saying?" Alister responded as a spinning ring with equally spaced swingshot targets on it descended in response. The four latched on with their swingshots, the centrifugal force launching them to the next floating stone island.
Qwark listened for a bit as Vac-U'd a few critters. "...I think Twilight just said something about explosions..."
"Precisely," Alister confirmed. "All I need to know is that they will understand how the suits work and will make improvements. Knowing that, I don't need to concern myself with the technical details."
"And...if Nefarious tries to sabotage ours?" Qwark suggested, carefully making his way over unsteady terrain, managing to cross without causing it to collapse.
"It would be a violation of his agreement to work with us until we get rescued, and Twilight would see it as grounds not to go out with him," Alister explained. "Dating her is a higher priority to him right now than killing you, so we're safe from sabotage. If he's going to kill you here, he'll do it by shooting you in the face or back, not sabotaging a project he works on with Twilight."
Qwark paused, having to be pushed off the collapsing terrain by Twilight's magic. "...wow. That makes a lot of sense. How do you know so much about what makes people tick?"
"I was a General during the war against the Cragmites," Alister responded morosely. "Half of that job is knowing how to phrase unpleasant orders that send a good portion of your troops to inevitable deaths for the greater good in a way that they're enthusiastic about it. You learn a lot of psychology that way." Turning, he blasted a mine launcher before its floating mines could hurt an unsuspecting critter. "Can we change the subject?"
"Wonderful weather we're having here!" Qwark responded enthusiastically. "This planet would make a good vacation spot! You know, once mad scientists aren't tearing it apart and Twilight's finished putting it back together." Noticing Alister's surprised expression, Qwark grinned. "Yeah, she does that. Her first adventure - back when we were on opposite sides - she repaired a good half dozen planets and invented an anti-pollution mech that's still the Think Green standard of environmental protection."
"Oh yeah!" Nefarious called out. "I've actually got a few Sparklers built into my few still functioning planetary bases! Reconstituting the toxic byproducts of my experiments into usable resources has saved me billions of bolts!"
"Wait, built into the bases?" Twilight asked, her voice confused but her eyes alight with curiosity. "But they're designed to be free moving..."
"And now we have no idea what they're talking about again!" Qwark proclaimed happily, launching Alister across a wide gap so everyone could lock onto him with their swingshots.
"Unfortunately, I do," Alister groaned. "Any chance we could change the subject to something more pleasant? What's the 'Sparkler' Nefarious mentioned, anyway?"
"A free-roving environmental cleaner," Qwark explained as he pulled out a datapad. "I don't understand all the technical details, but..." He scanned through the data for a bit, shaping words with his mouth without speaking while absently shifting to climb up a metal wall using the Omniboots Twilight had made for him. "It uses a sample of clean, pristine water or atmosphere - whether physical or in data form - to clean the seas or skies, depending on if its an aquatic or aerial model, into the pristine, pollutant free state of the samples. It also...collects the pollutants to be...uh, what Nefarious said."
"Reconstituted into usable resources?" Alister clarified.
"Exactly!" Qwark agreed.
Alister thought about that as they blasted another attacking robot to bits. "No wonder she's so rich. She could name her price for something like that. Even Lombax worlds had pollution problems, and we'd have paid through the nose for it-"
"Actually, the initial model is sold at cost, and maintenance is at a reasonable annual subscription rate," Qwark explained. "And several developing worlds operating on a deficit have even had those costs waved. She insisted."
Alister stared at Qwark for a time. "New question. Why isn't she President of the Universe?"
"Presidential candidates have to be at least 25," Qwark responded. "She's only 18. Old enough to be a running mate, but not run on her own."
"And now I know how you won," Alister grumbled as he sucked up a few critters.
At that moment, another strange robot floated by, and gravity in the area suddenly shifted dramatically.
"This is new," Twilight mumbled as she tried to fly, her wings no longer providing appropriate lift due to the change in gravity. "And not entirely pleasant..." she grumbled as she landed on her back.
Nefarious quickly righted her. "Don't flap your wings," he advised. "Glide instead. In low gravity, it'll work better."
"Thanks for the advice," Twilight replied as the group leapt along.
Alister shook his head in frustration, not sure how he felt about what was going on with that pair.
Evil genius + good, if slightly mad, genius = Either the best possible thing or the worst possible thing.
I love this.
Silly Alister, she already rules the universe! Well, all the bits she's been to, at least.
"You mean you've got a hero and a villian trading places running the universe? And you aren't the least bit concerned about this?"
"Nah, Twilight is the one actually running it, she just lets her big brother and her boyfriend argue over who gets to be the public face because they enjoy the fight. And because she sells tickets and/or videos, depending on the venue."
Let's take a look at what we've got here.
The most adorable and (arguable) most intelligent scientific mind in the universe, adopted by one of the universe's greatest warriors and mechanics as well as the heir to and guardian of the most advanced piece of technology in the universe. She is aided by the one being who's stupidity can defy all logic (unintentionally providing her with new ideas) and who's one area of expertise may be make him the best P.R. candidate in the universe, and will soon be dating and trading ideas with one of the only other beings capable of rivaling her intelligence and with mindset built around weapons of destruction, physics defying inventions, and impressively intimidating fortresses.
A NEW GOLDEN AGE IS COMING. BOW BEFORE YOUR NEW GODDESS.
WARNING: IMAGE MAY CAUSE HNNNNNNNNG!
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/1/7/205756.png
Nefarilight or Twilarious.....time will tell.......(I'm betting Twilarious will win out)
7206113 HNNNNNNNNNNG! "heart gives out" mumbles while dying....worth it
dear god the banter of those two is making me laugh so much im crying
7206125 Twilarious! It rhymes with hilarious!
Loving every minute of it.
As the old saying goes, "Tact is telling someone to go to hell in a way that will make them enjoy the trip."
These chapters are consistently small enough that I have some trouble finding something unique to say about them, yet consistently good enough to make me want to. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the great work. Deus tecum.
7206352 agreed which is why when i die, if hell exists, i am taking it over
This is adorable! Alister and Qwark are split by two kinds of humility. While one is goofy, the other has grit. What I adore is that they have a conversation while also trying to decipher Twilight and Nefarious' conversation.
7206113
camo.derpicdn.net/8e3d26c1137e26e017e50197507edb635d438c88?url=http%3A%2F%2Fs15.postimg.org%2F640glrebv%2F1336845717474.jpg
Another enjoyable chapter. Good job.
7206113 Hhhhhnnnnnggggg... so this is why warning labels exist... ...but must see AGAIN!
It's so funny reading that particular line
7206113 Hnnnnnnnng...
Also, I heard the Ratchet and Clank movie bombed. Anyone else see it?
7206856 I did not, however I heard from one reviewer that one of the reasons it didn't do well is because it's basically all the cutscenes in the game exactly the same with only some original content to fill the spot in between. And when I say "all the cutscenes" I mean "frame by frame" exactly.
Such a shame. Let's hope the Warcraft movie can put in some more faith for good video game movies. Its kinda the only option we've got to fall back on right now.
I am with Alister. I haven't decided how I feel about Twilight and Nefarious. But I can see her point of view about having someone on intellectual footing with her. I have to get use to this cause I know my two daughters are going to do the exact same things.
Derp.
That is all.
7206884 I heard that the RaC movie is just a complete remake of the first game, so it might not suck.
7206884 you are right that a lot of the cut scenes are the same between the game and movie but both have stuff the ither doesn't. Like the movie explains qwarks betrayal while the game doesn't. To be honest while i enjoyed the movie they should have just folded it into the game as its a blast.
7206856
...There is a Ratchet and Clank movie?
7207006 Yes. There is a Ratchet and Clank movie a.k.a. Updated RaC 1.
7206884 Hold on. Warcraft isn't the only one. What happened to the Sly Cooper movie? Did that bomb before it ran? I swear SONY is scraping the bottom of some barrel.
7207062 Though I never played the series, I'm reluctant about Sly Cooper being a movie...
What's next? Jak and Daxter?
7207110 There's a trailer and everything. Instead of looking updated like Ratchet and Clank, they look... just different.
...Heck, I would be surprised if there was a Spyro movie.
7206019
img.pandawhale.com/post-9247-both-is-good-gif-why-not-both-vABD.gif
7207062 I didn't know there was a Sly movie in the works. I just checked, and it seems it's still slated for this year. Let's hope that turns out well.
such wonderful banter between our heroes. I can't wait to see how things go from here, but I'm really eager to see Twilight and Nefarious get to work on those mech suits.
im excited for the eventintual bitch smack from nefarios that was the funniest moment in the game
I can just See Twilight building Nefarious a pony body for him to transfer to when she inevitably returns home or he turns to good for her.
Funny how Nefarious isn't being an ass to Quark any more. Eh, that's the power that the fairer gender has.
7208630 That wasn't funny. That was awesome.
Damn it Alister, it's no fair that your immune to the dreaded cutscene ineffectiveness
Random saying: Twilight is OP as f@ck.
Another enemy for universal domination:
"I have a galaxy sized army"
Qwark:
"We have Twilight Sparkle."
Guess who wins?
7975211 hands down (or in twilight's case hooves down) twilight would win
I like how Jeff finally decided to nerf Twilight, her Lock-n-Load was just too powerful these last 12 years.