Boo
Everyone I could see before me was stunned. I don’t blame them. My disguise had just been wrenched away before their eyes. Those who knew what I was and the ones who didn’t just stared in shock. For some, it didn’t last long.
Shining Armor, Captain of the Guard, Prince Consort to Princess Cadance. The one often seen as oddly aloof considering his titles and positions was the first to react. I watched as if the world around me had slowed just so I could take in every reaction. His face twisted out of its shock to one of pure rage, his horn igniting in his signature cherry glow.
I started to curl up. There was nowhere to go and nothing I could do. Transformation held no safety to me now. I was too exposed.
The magic of Shining Armor’s horn burst forth in a beam of light aimed straight at me. The anger in his eyes gave me only a hint at the power he was bringing to bear.
I closed my eyes. This was it. Damn it, Boo. Three years. You managed to keep it hidden for three years! Now all of it was stripped away. You just had to stick by the ones you helped. Just because you saw yourself in them.
Expecting the searing sting of magic striking my body, I suddenly felt a hard shove. Then my side hit the floor. I could hear the crackling whoosh of magic as it passed close by. I heard it hit but felt nothing of what I expected.
Opening my eyes, I glimpsed the last of Shining Armor’s attack as it cut off. I frowned. It hadn’t hit me. Pushing myself up, I turned to look and found what had been struck instead. My eyes grew wide and I stared at the fallen, emerald green form.
The dragon? Why? Why had she done that?
I rose to my hooves and tried to dash for the dragon. She deserved some help. Maybe not mine. From what I had seen in battle, she was courageous. Even fearless. She didn’t hide behind a mask. My help would only bring another chance to have her blasted with magic, but she deserved help.
As I began to move, I was suddenly surrounded by a bright golden light. It didn’t restrain me, make me completely immobile. Instead, I pressed a chitinous hoof against the curved wall of light then looked around. I was inside a ball of glowing light.
I let my head drop in defeat. I was going nowhere. Neither to help another, nor flee the anger Shining Armor had directed at me.
I could still hear. Shouts and cries, many from voices I had so recently encountered. I could picture their faces twisted in shock, anger, alarm and distress. All focused on their friend who now lay before me, outside of my bubble, unable for me to help. Like and unlike so many others over the years.
A hoofstep caught my ears. How was it possible to sound so regal from just a single step? I could tell who it was even before I slowly turned my head, to gaze up at her stern face from between the curtains of my translucent blue hair.
Princess Celestia…
A figure I had known long before setting hoof in Equestria. One I had watched with great interest. Her struggles and silent pain from the time before the return of her sister. I didn’t pity her, I empathised with her. I knew what it was like to be forcibly severed from family. To know you could do nothing to make it right.
Now she stared down on me like the insect I was. A parasite on her people. A bug just waiting for the hoof to come crashing down and squash it into nothing.
And yet, she didn’t. All she did was stare. Looking at me as she did so many others, as if silently working through a puzzle in her head. I glimpsed Shining Armor as he stormed forward, nothing but rage in his eyes. His horn aglow and ready to strike. But Celestia…
She simply held out a hoof to block his path and stay his attack. I frowned at that before the voices from earlier drew my gaze back to the fallen dragon. The others were with her now. Deer, yak, bat pony and unicorn. Such an odd little group. Many with tears in their eyes and ache in their voices.
Even through the barrier I could feel their emotions. Their fear and pain. The odd taste of hope being ripped out of them. I could never turn it off. That extra sense was always with me. It was probably how I knew Celestia wasn’t going to instantly erase me from existence. I could taste it in her emotions, even as she held them so very tight. Little flavours still slipped through.
Confusion being the oddest one in this moment. She wanted to know something. Her mental puzzle was still incomplete.
I brushed it aside to focus on the dragon. Other unicorns were with her now. Like the one who had stripped me of my disguise. Their eyes examined while their magic probed. Only when the dragon gave a rasping cough, one which sent a shudder through her entire body, did I see and taste the relief of the medical unicorns.
The four misfit creatures soon joined in the moment of relief and I couldn’t help but join them, letting out a sigh as I watched them embrace their friend as she groggily returned to the world of the living.
She was alive. Thank goodness.
I stepped down from pressing my hooves against the inner wall of the magic sphere and turned to face Celestia again, taking comfort in the knowledge that I wouldn’t have the dragon’s death on my conscience. So many others lingered there. Those I couldn’t help or save. Most with names I would never know. The few I recalled. Shadow Glimmer. Sunny Meadows. Iron Lock…
I shuddered. How I wished I could have removed his helmet. He may have been gruff with the prisoners in his care, but even he didn’t deserve to be forced into Sombra’s army.
“Little one.”
My gaze snapped to Celestia. She was still watching me, studying me. Her voice was calm and neutral.
“Your name is Boo, correct?”
I nodded. “Yes, your Highness.”
“And from which hive do you hail?” Celestia continued.
I shook my head. “I have none. Never been in one.”
“You walk alone?” Cadance asked. I looked to her as she approached. Shining Armor did his best to stand between me and his wife. Cadance appeared confused and somewhat curious. A far cry from what I expected of her. With her history, she should be just as furious as her husband. Maybe it was her calling which tempered any possible rage she could muster?
I nodded again, sat on the ground and held up my front legs; my solid front legs. Unlike the changelings of Chrysalis’ hive, I had no holes and I wasn’t so starved and gaunt. “Doubt I would fit in amongst them if I tried.”
I looked to the dragon. She was being helped to her feet again. Seeing her so groggy pained me. She didn’t need to do that. I would gladly have taken it. I know what I am is despised and I understand why. Not that I took part in what the hive did. It would be hard for some to see through it and not act in such ways as Shining Armor. I’ve seen it all before.
I’m just so tired of it.
“Weren’t you at the attack on our wedding in Canterlot?” Cadance asked. She still looked so confused. “I remember your name in the list of honours for those who fought to defend the city in its time of need.”
“I was,” I said, nodding yet again.
Shining Armor snarled his first question. “Why didn’t our combined shield spell eject you from Canterlot like the rest of the Changelings?”
I simply shrugged. “I dunno. My only guess is you wanted it to kick out anyone who wanted to harm the citizens. I was doing everything I could to save people from Chrysalis’ hive.”
I looked to him. His expression remained hard, yet a glint of confusion had entered his eyes. Turning to look at the five I had escorted from the battlefield, I pressed a hoof to my spherical prison and asked, my hissing voice somehow tinged with worry, “Is your friend okay?”
Before anyone else could answer, the dragon, still looking rather out of it, gave a broad wave of her arm before ending it with a big thumbs-up and a grin.
I let out another sigh of relief. “I’m glad and thank you. You didn’t need to do that.”
The dragon spread her hands and teetered back a little. The yak used his broad head to prop her up between his horns. “You helped my friends. Sorry I pushed you into this.”
The deer looked at me and nodded her agreement. “You freed us and Jacob when he was being controlled. You went into the camp and believed us about the teapot.”
She shot a darker look at Lieutenant Spears, who shrank a little under the deer’s gaze. “Unlike some here.”
“In his defence,” I said. “He probably hadn’t encountered it before.”
Spears appeared to brighten a little at that while some of the harshness in the deer’s expression eased.
“And yet, you clearly had.”
I faced Celestia again before dropping my hooves from the inner wall of my magical cage. “Yes. I was the first Sombra tested it on.”
Okay, that got their attention. Judging from the gasps around me.
Celestia’s expression softened slightly but she quickly brought it back to neutrality. “You were once a human?”
“I was.”
“But, you have been in the specialist infiltration division of the Royal Guard for several years?” It was Shining Armor. And, it looked like he was truly listening by how his voice carried such little anger now. “I’m privy to those reports and files. Yet Sombra has only come to our attention now. You would have been living in Equestria for several years.”
I nodded. “I’ve been here a little under four years now. Not that I was really aware of the time until I was brought into the guard.”
“Yet, you never told us about Sombra’s actions in all that time?”
Ah, there was his anger, simmering just below the surface.
I looked at him and was about to speak when Cadance interjected. “Her reasoning, considering the revelation only minutes ago, seems sound in my view.”
She turned her gaze to Shining Armor. “If she had done so and revealed her true self, would you have still treated her as the soldier she had become?”
“I would like to think so,” Shining Armor replied. He shrank a little under Cadance’s gaze. “Though, yes, my view of changelings hasn’t been great since the attack on our wedding.”
Cadance moved to his side and nuzzled him. “I understand. I truly do.”
“If you are really a human, where are you from?” It was the surprisingly eager voice of the unicorn amongst the five which had blurted out such an unexpected question.
“Uh, Sacramento,” I replied. “My name is Wei Huo if you are asking.”
“And a fan of cartoons, I take it.”
I smiled faintly at the voice of the dragon. It already sounded a little stronger than moments ago. “I watched a lot of them when growing up, why?”
When I looked to her, she grinned and said, “Omelette du fromage.”
I smiled back, adding, “That’s all you can say.”
I gave a hissing laugh and said, “I loved that show. Shame it ended how it did.”
“If that’s so,” the deer said, chiming in. “How did you get here?”
I looked at the native ponies watching me and sheepishly rubbed at one of my front legs. “I was in college at the time. It was late in the third season and I wanted to help out at a convention. The movie wasn’t yet out but, you know, information leaks in any fanbase.
“So, I was helping to set up a prop of the statue shown in some of the promotional material. I’m not exactly sure what happened, but I ended up rolling out of a mirror into the lair of the actual, real life Sombra. Who knew?”
The deer visibly cringed at that. Her eyes quickly darted to her friends and back. “Yeah, who knew…”
“So, you never got to actually see the first movie?” The yak sounded oddly feminine with that exclamation.
“Uh, first?” I wondered, starting to get confused.
“Apologies, but we need to focus,” Celestia interjected. “You said that you encountered Sombra as soon as you arrived here?”
I nodded. “Back then, he was still only able to manifest his form for short periods. He needed others to do his bidding. Those were a few loyal followers, though why they followed him, I have no idea.
“We humans who fell through the mirror were good for mind controlling, but our bodies didn’t react well to the latent magics of this world.” I looked across to the deer and the dragon. “That’s where the teapot came in.”
“And why you knew what you were looking for back in the camp,” said the deer.
I nodded slowly. “As I said, I wasn’t just one of the first humans through the mirror. I was the first he used the teapot on. He hadn’t made his helmets then so, with suddenly having insect wings, instincts to use them and a desire to escape, I did so.”
I physically drooped at the memory and let out another sigh.
“I couldn’t go back through the mirror, not like this.” I held up my forelegs and spread them to show as much of my body as possible. “Seeing I crossed as a human one way, if I went back as this monster, I’d be killed or caught, studied and dissected.”
What passed for my ears drooped. “Not something I really wanted. My home was back there, but I couldn’t show my face.”
“Pardon my curiosity,” Celestia said. “But, how did you manage to survive? Especially with not being part of a hive.”
“I travelled a lot,” I replied. “Wandering from place to place. Mostly through forests, hoping to hide myself from others. Being alone, it made me hungry. And not in the normal sense. The more I walked by myself, the more I felt like a hole was opening inside of me. I thought it was just me missing my home and my parents. It wasn’t until I came close to a pony village that I discovered how wrong I was.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and cringed as the memories came roaring back. The hunger. The strange sense, the one above smell, one I had never encountered before. It drew me to a pony house where I peered in the small window. He was happily reading a book when another unicorn, a mare entered. Not unlike the display from Cadance earlier, the mare nuzzled her stallion. I could still feel the love they gave off.
“It was the first time I fed on another’s emotions,” I said. My head ached at the memory. “The first time I embraced a part of the monster I had become. It was also the first time I fled in fear from a pony village.”
The thought of the screams the ponies I had been watching sent a shiver through my body. That and the feeling of being pursued like some monster in the older movies I had so adored as a child.
“It took months for the transformation instinct to kick in,” I explained. “And it took a lot of focus for me to do it at first. It’s a lot easier now, but then… the first time I changed wasn’t on purpose. I was slinking around a campsite in the last darkness before dawn. Just trying to find a few scraps to eat when one of the early risers, a young earth filly stepped out of her tent, startling me.”
I snorted a laugh thinking back to it all. “I swear I jumped so high at that. But I didn’t run. Instead I felt a tingling sensation all over my body. What surprised me most was when I landed. The filly looked at me and smiled sleepily. She didn’t scream or run away. She just greeted me like I have seen many a young pony do since then.
“I didn’t realise I had changed my form. It wasn’t until I caught my reflection in a nearby stream that I understood why I hadn’t scared her. It was the most puzzling thing. Instead of the black hard shell and the terrible eyes and the fangs…”
I heaved a sigh knowing that was how I currently looked. “I was an earth pony. Nothing remarkable in appearance to anyone else, but to me it was such a stunning thing to discover. Even touching my hide, everything felt squishy. It had been so long since I felt so pliable, I swear I spent several minutes beside that stream just smooshing my face over and over again.”
I hung my head and said, “But, it wasn’t meant to be. At least not for long. I changed back after about twenty minutes, then sat staring at my hideous face once more.
“What I didn’t realise at the time was how I had to work at the transformations. It wasn’t enough to just want to look like a pony, I had to do everything else while thinking as a pony. The first time I tried out my physical change on purpose in another village, I had to suddenly pretend to have a coughing fit.”
I cleared my throat and, instead of the hissing voice of a changeling, out came the softly spoken words of my pegasus alter ego. “I didn’t realise I sounded so strange and threatening. Changing my voice to match my form took some practice, but I eventually learned the skill.
“Well, I say learned, but I really mean I didn’t sound like a snake. It took a lot of thought to keep sounding like a normal pony so I sometimes missed words. When I finally learned how to talk normally, I was already known for my poor speech pattern so I just kept playing the part.”
I eyed Spears and Shining Armor in particular. “Especially after being snapped up by the guard to help defend the town I was wandering through from a bunch of rampaging bugbears.”
I shrugged. “Something I did must have caught the eye of the guard in charge of the town because he recommended that I be recruited to enter military service. He also refused to take no for an answer. Especially after I took down one of the bugbears alone.”
That earned a bunch of surprised looks from everyone in front of me. I simply rubbed at a foreleg, sheepishly. “You tend to learn to fight other creatures if you live in the wilder lands for any length of time.
“After that, it was training with the guards. Can’t say I was ever hungry from then on. Despite what some might say, soldiers are very passionate ponies. Most of them have very strong love for their country, protecting their families…”
I looked to Celestia and said, “And for you, your Highness. You might be surprised by the emotions just mentioning your name brings forth in your guards.”
I noticed a blush in Celestia’s cheeks at that and did my best to suppress a laugh before wrapping up my tale.
“So yeah, that’s me,” I said. “That’s the story of Boo. I’m probably considered a missing person back home by now.”
Looking at each of those in the tent who had listened to me talk for the last several minutes, I found them oddly attentive. Some of them, like Shining Armor, even looked pained. Clearly speaking as truthfully as I could had at least broken through some barriers. Not that they had any reason to believe me and what I said.
Of them all, the yak was the biggest surprise. Even with his stringy fringe in the way, I could see the almost cartoonish tears streaming down his cheeks.
“Depends,” said the dragon, stepping up to the barrier of light surrounding me. She still looked a little shaky but at least she was walking without assistance.
“On what?” I asked, eyeing her sceptically.
“Whether or not Equestria runs on Narnia time,” the dragon grinned.
I blinked as the thought circled through my mind. “Huh. I hadn’t considered that.”
While the dragon’s friends all rolled their eyes at her joke, the other ponies just appeared confused.
“It’s a human thing,” the dragon stated. I hoped that kept some of the inevitable questions at bay. It was going to be so hard to explain a lot of what we were talking about without giving out any information we clearly had of this world from watching the television show.
Explaining that alone would be an absolute nightmare.
Celestia was the first to speak after the short silence following the dragon’s joke. “This has raised many questions.”
I clenched my jaw at that hoping not to have to explain things of the human world which had no counterpart in this one.
“Foremost being the goal of Sombra.”
I let out a small breath as relief swept through my body. It was a short-lived relief as all eyes fell on me once more. I quickly looked back and forth beneath the questioning eyes and said, “I don’t know. He never said it when I was there.”
I watched as Celestia, Spears and Shining Armor all deflated a little in disappointment.
Celestia looked to Shining Armor and said, “Then we will have to continue with our initial assumption.”
Shining Armor nodded. “Yes, your Highness. The scouts will be sent immediately.”
And yet, oddly, no order was given. Nor did any of the military ponies make a move to leave the tent. Instead, Shining Armor directed a question at me.
“What would you like to do from here, Specialist?”
I blinked at that several times as I struggled to word an answer. What did he mean? Was it a trick question? I was under arrest and being interrogated… wasn’t I? “Um, I just want to try to live, sir.”
I quickly added, “I have no interest in other changelings, unless they are former humans, like myself.”
With that, I did my best to smile, hoping it supported my statements in some positive way.
Shining Armor simply nodded then exchanged a knowing look with Celestia. A moment later, he drew himself up to formerly address me. I automatically did the same.
“Considering your assistance with the rescue of many under Sombra’s command and the training you have undertaken in the guard since before the attack on our wedding, during which your actions were only in favour of our forces, you will be allowed your freedom,” Shining Armor stated. “You will, however, not be brought back into normal service.”
My entire body visibly deflated.
“Instead,” Celestia said, taking over from her Guard Captain. “You will be assigned to help these five former humans with their attempts to fit into Equestrian society.”
She ended her magic and gave me a slightly cunning, mischievous smile. “After all, you’re used to trying to fit in when faced with the daunting position of being a complete outsider.”
“Th-Thank you, your Highness,” I stammered. I quickly turned and saluted Shining Armor. “Thank you, sir.”
“Although, for now, it would be best if you kept using your pegasus disguise when in public,” Shining Armor added. His gaze drifted over the other former humans. “You, along with your charges, may also be called on to assist if any further information is required with regard to former humans and how Sombra converted them.”
Freed from the magical sphere, I was suddenly wrapped in a hug from behind by two strong scaly emerald arms which lifted me off the ground. Truth be told she squeezed me a little too tight.
“Meh, Pegasus or changeling,” said the dragon. “Either way, you’re fine with us!”
Even in the odd moment of exuberance from the dragon, Shining Armor fixed me with a hard stare. “You will also be required to give a full report regarding the events of your most recent mission. In particular, the whereabouts of one Corporal Iron Lock.”
I slipped free of the dragon’s grasp and said, “Captured by Sombra and forced to wear one of the mind-controlling helmets, sir. I tried to help him but I couldn’t get a sneak attack to remove his helmet. Unicorns are hard to attack in frontal assaults.”
Shining Armor nodded sadly while a slight bitterness entered his eyes. “He will be assumed swept up in Sombra’s retreat until further information arises.”
Focusing on me again, he saluted and said, “You are dismissed.”
I returned the salute. “Thank you, sir.”
While I let the implications and all the sudden changes to my life begin to sink in, I caught the next order barked from Shining Armor. “Lieutenant Spears.”
And that’s all I heard as I was suddenly swept up into another strong embrace from the emerald dragon, followed by the many hooves of her friends.
“Hurk!” I gasped.
Of the group, it was the deer who first properly introduced herself. It was an introduction which left me with so many more questions than answers.
“Hello, I’m John and these are…”
Whew! Glad I caught this before heading off to bed!
Sooo.. what can I say... Boo's story is heart-wrenching. At least others were transformed into more "normal" creatures, not pariahs like changelings at this point in time.
Some worrying implications if Sombra's been at this for 4+ years.
Cremator has a point. If I'm drawing the correct conclusions, it would explain why no-one has noticed so many disappearances on Earth side yet. I mean, if Sombra had enough transformed humans he felt he could move out on the offensive I don't think it would be unreasonable to guess they were at the very least in the four digits.
Also I see I indeed nailed the reference at the end of last chapter, heh.
Also, one thing I love about this kind of stories, is humans throwing references around the ponies don't get, heh
From how the story goes, I almost that you are going to give Boo the whole 'reformed changeling' transformation thing.
9970083
Nah, more based on the alt universe comic storyline design. Blame the wiki for it as I haven't read much of the comics. As the story I'm making is in itself an alternate universe, I can get away with it a little easier.
At the moment, I have yet to think of most of their story directions after arc 2 and the whole reformed changeling stuff is well after that. I am toying with something post arc 2 with Jacob but that is still up in the air.
Happy to hear you still like the art so much. Interesting to see that Sombra's operation goes back started back in season 4, and that Boo arrived before season one, I wonder how many year, without being noticed, not that it would surprise me seeing how vast and sparsely populated Equestria is. What I wonder is how he managed to keep all his slaves feed all this time in the icy Northern Lands, he couldn't risk just stealing food without being noticed at some point especially for this many years? could it be some form a dark magic sustaining them alive in some way? I wonder what are the effects of wearing those helmets for this long on the former humans mind do they still have their old sense of self or is the programming completely subsumed them at this point? I wonder if those who are ponies have gotten cutie marks because of that magic and what it could do to them? More importantly how may humans has he under his thrall at this point after this amount of time? I wonder how many humans he could capture at a time and how frequently? Did they all had to be Bronies? Would be interesting to see the interactions between bronies what saw the series between different years, and see their reactions at how the series turned out. I had honestly thought that the series ended at season 3 at one point.
It is nice to see a more credible reaction of Shining Armor on seeing a changeling again, but still manage to keep some self restraint, and sort of given boo a promotion or at least something that would allow her to gradually show herself to her fellow guards without risking their scorn for lying to them all this time, I don't thing many of them would be happy about it.
Though I wonder why Boo never gotten those shiny wings like thorax did with living with ponies for so long, my old pet theory was
I wonder what determines what MLP race a Human changes into.
This caught my attention on a second read-through. So Boo looks more like a "royal" changeling than a drone?
Couple of typos I noticed.
Arc 1 is over which I enjoyed a lot. I will be ready for whatever's next.
poor Boo but I'm glad they basically have a happy life now.
9970537
Thanks for those, I missed them in the clean up.
And yes to Boo looking like that although she is similar in size to the other ponies in the misfits at this time. Can blame another fic I was reading at the time for leaning that way. I forget which one, unfortunately. It was while I was sick. One where Cadance adopted the daughter of Chrysalis and Shining wasn't happy about it.
9970597
Still a bit to go before Boo is actually comfortable and actually feels part of the group. But she will get there.
9970369
It is often a personality trait of the human which determines it. Just no one has really sat down and studied it, probably because they don't have the teapot or test subjects. Though, they could probably do it by interviewing all of the free former humans. Maybe a project for Twilight or a former human interested in such things.
9970294
So many questions. Glad it prompted so much thought but I may not actually have answers to all of them. Some of these will be thoughts I had while writing and/or designing Boo and thus never actually make it into a story. Just a background element.
On the Thorax one, it is simply I haven't watched that section of the series to study it closely enough and make a decision. Partly why I went with the alternate universe version as Boo isn't really a born changeling.
Boo managed to get around for at least six months on her own. If she hadn't started to encounter other ponies and unintentionally feed off them, she would have gained the holes like other changelings.
The helmets suppress individuality and promote loyalty. They also contain a small piece of smokey Sombra which is how he 'whispers' to them. Waking up from prolonged wearing will really mess with the wearer's sense of time and location. He isn't exactly altering their minds, not like another method he does use but I can't talk about yet. There are secrets in the Crystal City yet to be revealed once it returns.
Shining Armor was actually one of the hardest to get to work how I wanted in this chapter. He is helped through it by both Cadance and Celestia, but also Boo is incredibly sincere in all she says which helps a lot. The back and forth between Boo and the misfits helps as well but is rather confusing to the Equestrians. Considering how recent the wedding attack was before this, I don't blame him for his anger and initial reaction here. Although, he is better than that and that's what I wanted to show. His test pieces in this chapter worried me for a while, he came across very differently. Glad when Boo kicked into gear in my head for writing this chapter, her genuine nature bled through to help fix the problems I was having with him.
Sustainment has always been an issue with this for the frozen north. Sombra's lair is actually a bit more to the west. It is somewhat barren but a few things grow. It is something he set up for a back up to possibly losing the Crystal City. However, he got caught up in its banishment because, after all, he is still somewhat crazy and irrational.
On the number of humans. We are only working on Boo/Huo's recollection of events here. Things happened one thousand years ago as well. Going to let that one stew with everyone for a while.
He actually didn't intend to capture humans at first, they just kept falling through. Almost like a constant trickle that could become an infestation. The teapot gave him options to deal with them and make them useful to him. He actually installed the mirror in the ceiling of the cell in an attempt to keep the humans controlled before he could use the teapot on them. Before then, they truly did just wander out, sometimes one at a time, others in slightly larger groups like the original five.
Regarding the cutie marks. Short term, like Jacob, they haven't got them. Others gained cutie marks upon transformation because they know themselves more, like Schmidt. I simply haven't shown Schmidt's mark yet, in part because William looked away during Schmidt's transformation. It then hasn't been convenient plotwise to stop the narrative and show it properly. You will see it in at least one of the shorts. Long term victims, some may indeed gain them, possibly leading them to have marks like those gained in Fallout Equestria. However, it is more likely the helmets suppress their minds enough that they don't realise their talents until they are free again.
Actual numbers of former humans is a bit of malleable number for me to pin down. It is also now hard to say as they have forced captured actual ponies among their ranks, Iron Lock being a fresh example. The reasons the initial attacks were so effective is that no one saw them coming and Sombra had them blitz attack. Though not the kind of numbers you want for a sustained war in the beginning, they were such a mix of abilities they made great shock troops. Those picked up along the way were more a way of bolstering, particularly when actual guard members were snatched up.
I hope that helps. Probably leaves people wondering about arc 2 sooner than I intended though.
9970642
Cool, I would love to see that happening.
9970687
hum, from the sound of things you just explain, Sombra is still in a very precarious position in terms of forces if he doesn't have the means to peek on a prorated war if he is constantly denied reinforcements and none of his troops can take any form making any real higher forms of decisions or making any initiative of their own, their for very predictable, they could be easily out maneuvered and lured out in small chunks and captured if a almost even force can match them and highly mobile. The important part would be to keep his forces divided and attention long enough for multiple small skirmishes taking at the same time that he doesn't know what's happening where, he can't micro manage his forces forever. And from a logistic stand point I take it at least the near totality of his forces are soldiers and his they could cut off his food supply they could start weaken then enough to easily for capture, but this might be a problem sense most of them can just graze off grass. Strategy point, keep on evacuating burn or destroy anything they could use and keep on harassing from every angle so that they are slowed down and forcing them to make making patrols to keep them dividing their attention. Sombra doesn't have the infrastructure or supply line to afford any major loses and can be contained, yes his forces are loyal but are dumb as bricks so next to useless in small numbers. If any things he probably has a few freemind lieutenants, I would wonder how they are?
9970781
He has a few loyals with certain levels of autonomy. You will see examples of them and how they are controlled in Arc 2. They don't wear helmets. They don't need them. It takes a lot more power from Sombra than the helmets do to make them. Most are also 'asleep'.
This was a bit of a testing the waters event for Sombra. His main goal has and always will be his greatest desire, Crystal City. It just isn't back yet. Nor is his full strength.
Yes, his position isn't great. Hence why, when he was losing too many of his forces, he suddenly withdrew all he still had to wait for a better time. In a way, he has messed up because the Equestrian military now knows he is about and are watching for signs, ie the start of season 3 in the show.
So Boo is a human after all? I was thinking she was just an independent changeling, but if she's human as well then it fits in better with the group. Also I assume "Boo" a reference to the shorts from Animaniacs?
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Yep, she is a former human. Just couldn't let it fully out until the actual reveal. Even if some did pick up the allusions to her being so. Just had to let it play out.
Actually not an intended reference. But that is pretty funny and adds many layers. Didn't think of it.
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You're welcome. Still trying to figure out how to show off her secret side. Possibly a post arc 2 short but those are really vague right now.
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Thanks! It's been a really nice and original idea to introduce a number of us into the story - I feel privileged to be part of it!
Excellent story. Thank you for the post.
When I saw the character named boo I immediately thought of changelings. Animaniacs, for pony guise but you're not a pony you're a changeling boo. Chicken boo never did as well.