Pony POV Series
My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic
Shining Armor 14 Part 3 of 3
semiT malC-Calm Times
By LZ and Kendell2
Editted by Alexwarlorn and Louis
So, long story short, we finally got back to the embassy and reported to Bond that the Hooviets had been involved, and had given helicopters to mercenaries, which admittedly was unsettling. Helicopters weren't easy to come by, let alone enough to hand over to mercenaries who could simply steal them and sell them on the black market if they were untrustworthy. If the Hooviets were willing to do that, it was definitely a bad sign.
And of course, Gag got to celebrate his rank-up. Since it was a Royal Order it was effective immediately, though in theory the MoD could decline it (They didn't). Cadence also gave Commendations to Baldrick, Ranger, and Apple for their conduct, even if the plan by Baldrick and Apple hadn't been used thanks to Gag. The Doctor was swift to decline any civilian variants of awards...
(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): So they all got medals?)
...Er, no, the way we give out awards in the Guard, Medals are RARE. I can show you the guidelines later, but it's a bit fiddly. Long story short, the awards were mostly permanent record awards - In the future, anypony looking at Gag's service record would note Cadence had ordered his promotion personally, and so on. I think. They get to wear a coat of arms on their uniforms too.
While the Doctor did seem to get along with everypony (and even managed to shut off that blasted music player thing), he had to go eventually. Admittedly, as weird as he was, he did have a certain charisma to him. Not that fake charisma of Makarov's that made me wonder how anyone could TOLERATE him, let alone like him. I could actually understand why people liked the Doctor, he had that energy about him and was fun to talk to, even if you couldn't understand him sometimes. So I was actually kind of sad to see him go...kind of, I was also relieved we wouldn't have TWO ponies on crew that attract weird stuff like Twiley attracts A's.
"Well, everypony, this has been fantastic. I don't think I've had an adventure go this smoothly since...well, ever. Wasn't even a single laser shot at me!" the Doctor said as I and Cadence stood with him at the Gate, the Guard keeping an eye on things, but letting us bid him farewell. The finds were now in his saddle bags, he was taking them to show Celestia after all. He'd declined offers of an escort back to his ship, saying it was barely just around the corner (Odd, since the airship-yards were on the other side of town...)
"Yeah, kind of refreshing we got through an encounter with the Hooviets without gunshots," I admitted. "It was kind of fun actually."
He gave a nod. "Exactly! Reminds me of why I like to travel with a companion. If I thought the universe could survive the two of us traveling together, you'd make a good one, Shiney."
I blinked. "Did you just call me Shiney?"
"Aunt Celestia said nicknames means he likes you," Cadence informed me.
"Well, I'd best be off. Mustn't keep the Princess waiting," the Doctor said, then gave it thought. "Oh, and one more thing!"
I blinked. "What?"
He then looked rather serious. "While it's all a bit foggy even for me, I know one thing. The Shadow can only take a shape of what can cast it. For everything else, it has to guess...Hehe, alright, see you later! Good luck!"
Then a couple seconds later, I realized what he might have been referring to. I tried to chase after him to find out more, but he was gone with a weird whooshing noise. I tried to get a letting to Princess Celestia to contact Doctor Livingstone, but Celestia said the Doctor had a way of vanishing into thin air when he didn't want to be found. I even sent a letter to the Ponyville directory, but the letter I got said there WAS NO 'Doctor Livingstone' in Ponyville or had ever been. What the buck? If it weren't for the fact everypony remembered his visit, I'd have been afraid the wolf had gotten him...like it was trying to do to me.
As for us, we thankfully went back to things being calm after the unwelcome excitement... For most of us.
(Interviewer's Notes (Pegasus): I wonder what happened with those things The Doctor had?)
(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): Maybe we should ask him later.)
Soon enough, we were heading for Zebrinia. The last stop that was officially opposed to Hooviets. After this, neutrals who had no stance either way, or outright allies of the Hooviets. Either way, the last place the calm could be reasonably expected to stay: everypony else would soon be feeling a bit paranoid themselves.
Or so I'd thought. As it turned out, the Zebrinians were on second-highest alert, and our civilians soon found themselves frustrated by the restrictions. Even I agreed they were being a bit heavy-hooved, but Cadence knew we couldn't complain much. A local also advised us visits outside major cities were risky as the local big cats were agitated for unknown reasons.
Most of us were glad to be out of the place honestly. Even Triana, actually at war, had a less besieged mentality and atmosphere. What few times our ponies were able to go outside and see things up close (like when Garnet, Gag, Ranger and Sunset went out on a double date), they reported most conversations between civilians sounded like they thought a war was a matter of time. Which was kind of annoying, considering how close I'd been to actually enjoying myself.
(Interviewer's Notes (Unicorn): How selfless of you.)
A Private Security Guard we spoke to when visiting a rock farm had a different stance.
"Zebrinia is a nation that's always looking over their shoulders. Dangerous wild animals historically, and recently, the Hooviets influences back to the levels it was before the Dragon War. Major powers are ready for a war starting in Triana, but it is here any Zebrafrican theatre will be fought, ja?" The Germane mare said.
"But surely no one expects a war?" Twinkle Shine asked.
"Zebrinia always expects the worst. The animals being restless worries them too. They're an Animist nation historically, and to them, it seems that nature herself lives in fear that there is an oncoming storm."
I noticed that caused Minuette to shiver as well. In fact she'd seemed rather distant since we'd met The Doctor. I decided to try and speak with her about it - I was fine with Cadence thinking I was too paranoid, but I didn't want Minuette on edge to add to everypony's concerns.
I only found a chance the night we were heading for Nambutu. She was on the deck of the airship, watching the scenery below, and examining a gold fob watch...
"Have you been feeling okay, Minuette?" I asked. She jumped a little when I spoke. It honestly felt different than when she was freaked out about Captive having to kill that Dog. This felt...more frightening, like something was wrong.
"Y-yes, Captain. You startled me..."
"Sorry. But you're sure everything is okay?"
"Just a little tired out I guess, nothing to really worry about. I don't think I'm quite over whatever I came down with in Mazuri."
She'd not said what it was, but I wasn't going to start prying into ponies personal lives just because they didn't want to own up. I'm not that paranoid.
"Well, just remember, you can take time to rest if you need it. Cadence wouldn't want you burning out..."
"Heh, I could say the same thing for you, Captain... You rarely give yourself much... time..."
She looked oddly distant.
"Captain... Do you ever look at the skies and wonder what's out there?"
I looked up. Nothing but clouds and black triangles. Okay, okay, there were no black triangles..
"Well, sometimes I wonder if there's other worlds out there with sapient beings on them. After you hang around Gag and Thunderchild, you really do hope there's intelligent life out there because you start to think there's none down here..."
"Surely visiting your sister would help?"
"No, they're good ponies really. Good friends do annoy you sometimes, it's when you can live with it you know they're good friends."
"Yeah, true. Twinkle Shine and Sunset can sometimes drive me up the wall, even the Princess can be a little annoying at times, but... I wouldn't know what to do sometimes without them. They're pretty much the closest thing I have to family besides my foster parents... I guess everypony on this trip is, really."
"Foster parents?"
"Yeah...I was left on their doorstep when I was six months old..."
I'd known she was an orphan, but I admit I was a little surprised she was a literal doorstep baby.
"About all I really have from my biological parents is this fob watch. Broken, doesn't open, but... it's just reassuring. Strange a little bit of metal can calm you..."
"Not really. I... I have my uncle's medal. I leave it in with my belongings but... it's reassuring to know it's there."
"Why'd he give it to you, can I ask?"
"It's a Lunar Horseshoe. He earned it posthumously."
"Oh... I'm sorry..."
"He died protecting somepony dear to him. My mother took comfort in that. I had to take comfort in the medal..."
"Have you ever... been scared of the medal? Knowing all the history behind it? Tried to get somepony else to take it away?"
"...I used to be. But Mom was adamant I looked after it."
"Sometimes I try to get this watch to go away. I keep thinking it's just a waste of time, something I'm attached to for no reason... but it always seems to stay no matter what. I... I was thinking of throwing it off the edge there, actually. I usually think of getting rid of it when I'm having bad dreams..."
"Like what? If you want to talk about them, that is."
"Just, odd dreams. I keep dreaming about a strange place. Trees with silver leaves and red grass and an orange sky... Sometimes there's ponies, and I'm a pony too. Sometimes, there are ponies... but I'm not one. Other times, I'm a pony, but they're all bipedal. Or we're all bipedal... And there seems to always be a sound. I think it's like two heartbeats..."
She shivered.
"Sometimes those dreams aren't that good at all. There's somepony else there usually. They feel like a friend, but... they feel dangerous too. Like they're the only ones that know me, know me better than I know myself... the only one who could ever really hurt me... and they don't even really want to do it. And sometimes when I hear drums, I keep thinking that somepony... they'll find me. And I don't know if it's good or bad if they do..."
I could sympathise, but wasn't really about to explain why truthfully...
"Having a recurring bad dream is no fun. I sometimes have a bad dream myself." I stated, giving her as sympathetic a look I could.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I wake up, get ready, and nopony is around. No Guards, no one wandering the castle. I'm confused, but keep going to go get breakfast. Still nopony around, I reach the mess hall, and..."
"...And?"
"They're out of tea."
She sighed.
"Should have expected something like that. At least your shaggy dog stories aren't as long as Running's or Ellis'... Anyway, thanks, Captain, I think you helped here. I'm just going back down below decks. Goodnight..."
"Goodnight."
I pondered raising the matching cutie marks thing, but I decided the last thing she needed was more worry. The Doctor having that mark might just have been coincidence... And it wasn't really my place to pry anyway.
"Alright, so what is this thing we're protecting this village from?" asked Corporal Thunderchild, looking around the Kundu village we were presently in. Kundu? When were we there?
"What's this thing called, anyway?" Ellis reported.
"It's called a Mngwa," I replied, looking over the mission report.
"Well aren't we supposed to be here on a mission to rebuild the country and stuff?" Thunderchild gave another look around. "So why are we helping protect the villagers from it? The other nations aren't busy dealing with some wild dog!"
"First off, Corporal, it's a cat, not a dog. And second, because it's only in the area because the old regime released it to quell the rebellion...and then found out how hard it is to recapture something like this. It's safe for it to be relocated back home. Besides, this is our sector, dragging others into it would take them away from where they're needed."
Suddenly, a roar cut through the air.
"And I think that would be our Mngwa, we've got our area to patrol. Our priority is to keep it out of the village, capture it if it's SAFE. If we find it, we report to Captain Sharpe or Staff Sergeant Harper via radio ASAP."
Mgnwa? I don't even know what that is...
We headed out, keeping eyes in all directions. We were primarily armed with gas grenades and stinkbombs, my shield spell was our main means of capturing it and my stun spell of subduing it. We had nets, but that wasn't the most practical of options.
Moving slowly through the perimeter of our sector, keeping our eyes out for the our target in the tall grass surrounding us. I put a hoof up, the signal to stop. "I saw movement on the right."
With us keeping in a tight formation to keep an eye out on all directions, we approached the source of the movement, with my stun spell charged and ready.
And found a trembling little Zebra foal sitting with a slash mark on his shoulder. I did what I was supposed to do, and approached him slowly.
"Kid, don't worry, I'm a Guard, I'm here to help." Seemed too scared to move.
"Control, this is Lieutenant Sparkle, I've found a wounded civilian, foal. The wound is a series of slashes to his shoulder. I don't think it's fatal, but he's bleeding pretty bad."
"Understood, can he be moved?"
"No, he's too scared to move."
"...Hang tight, a medic is on their way."
"Uh, sir..." Ellis said, suddenly looking a bit nervous. "Ah'm a farmer, and if there's one thing Ah know about predators is if they've wounded prey, especially a youngin', they might hold back and let it bleed out a bit..."
Horseapples!
I snapped around to see the grass moving in a fast line right for me. I put up a forcefield just in time for a massive grey and black feline to slam into it. Roaring in rage, it slashed at the barrier, yellow eyes glaring down at me.
Thunderchild threw a canister underneath the Mngwa. A few seconds later streams of horrid smelling white smoke spread out of if that made me glad my shield was airtight. The cat was writhing on the ground, coughing and gagging before it ran back off into the bush.
"Nice throw, Thunderchild..." I said, after lowering my shield once the stinkbomb dissipated. I was hoping that the Mngwa would abandon its prey at that point...Only for me to see a line of moving grass start coming back. I prepared my stun spell...when suddenly I felt a cold chill.
"!therE iS nowherE yoU caN hidE !returN thE lighT"
I awoke with a gasp, and was startled to find myself standing on the deck. The stern of the ship was right ahead, the upper bombardment deck's island to my side, and the edge of the ship on the other. To my front, the dead end that this part of the deck finished on, access to the other side blocked by the armored superstructure that protected the gun deck. Had I been sleepwalking? Ok...on the scale of 'disorientating ways to wake up', this broke it.
Clouds obscured the moon, and there were few lights on this part of the ship at night. I wondered for a moment if maybe I should just turn around and go back to bed...I wondered for a moment if maybe I should just have turned around and went back to bed... Hoped no one saw me wandering...
Then the clouds opened, and the moonlight shone... onto shadows standing at the end of the deck.
=I Stand Alone (Instrumental)- Godsmack=
"...No... No, that's impossible, she's close by... She's right downstairs, you can't..."
I bolted, practically falling through the door leading to the cabins. I knew my running would awaken somepony probably but I was beyond worrying about that. It was here, right behind me... in the ship. I had little space to run. Nine decks, a hundred and fifteen meters long... barely any room to outrun the wolf snapping at my heels...
"!stanD anD bE removeD, infectioN"
It gave a growl to shake me from my thoughts, and began to pace forward... Unhindered by any protection Cadence's power offered.
".nO interferencE .heR lighT musT bE restoreD"
"...Horseapples!" Was all I could say.
I bolted, practically falling through the door leading to the cabins. I knew my running would awaken somepony probably but I was beyond worrying about that. It was here, right behind me... in the ship. I had little space to run. Nine decks, a hundred and fifteen meters long... barely any room to outrun the wolf snapping at my heels...
Part of me screamed to get back to my room! That if I was where she expected me to be, I'd be safe!...But another part of me kept putting an image in my mind of my room being empty, devoid of anything related to me!
I had to hope Cadence was really protecting me. That getting closer to her scared it off. I looked over my shoulder, the pale night-light of the corridors helping the wolf to be visible, oddly. The sheer blackness of his form stood out among soft shadows...I wish it hadn't, it wasn't a shadow so much as just a...distortion shaped like a wolf, one with eyes and teeth...
...There was nopony around. Not even patrolling, I realized. No Air Navy crew, no cavalry. Did they stay out of the cabin area at night? Why had no doors opened as I thundered past?
...Was anypony even left on the ship at all...
"This has to be a nightmare..." I told myself.
In spite of the pain in my chest from the sudden exertion. In spite of how loud my hooves and heart were. In spite of the sensation it was behind me, the claws scratching... had to be a nightmare. I'd turn a corner, Makarov would be there, I'd wake up screaming like a filly, everything would be fine and I'd just have been dreaming and...
...A corner. No Makarov to say I'm dreaming. For the first time ever I was dismayed to not see Makarov. I guess the guy grows on you. Bit like a fungal infection or cancer...
".thiS iS nO dreaM, abberatioN .reaL .yoU enD herE tonighT"
Oh buck, did it just...
I finally seemed to reach the command cabin portion of the deck, and tried opening the door leading there from far off. It didn't budge. So I blew it off the hinges with a shield ball.... I looked back, Wolfy had repaired it. And probably undid any noise I'd made... if anypony was even here...
"!!!twisT realitY nO furtheR"
I turned a corner as sharply as I possibly could, the wolf didn't slow down and it didn't crashed into the wall, it LANDED on the wall on all fours and spring boarded after me, closing the gap, I began to feel distant, like I wasn't part of the universe.
"".youR presencE ... iS aN infectioN !realitY shalL noT becomE ilL"
"Cadence's room, Cadence's room..." if she was even still there...
I was close, I was just one turn of a corner away. And then I looked back, and tripped... head over hooves, slamming into the right door after all, but... it was there, rushing right at me... I felt the sensation of nothing as it charged, and I cried out...
"Princess!"
I fell back as the door yanked open and blinked.
"Shining?! What's wrong, what happened?!"
I stared at the roof of her room. I looked back at where it had been and... it was gone. Doors were opening. I could hear noises I hadn't heard. The engines running. Hoofsteps of approaching ponies...
"I, uh... I..."
...This was going to take some explaining.
"Is everything all right, Captain? You seemed to rush out of your room in a hurry..." An Air Naval trooper said as she ran up.
"...Out of my room? I was..."
"Did you have a nightmare?"
"I... think so. I'm sorry, I... I don't even remember what it was..."
"You seemed to be concerned for the Princess certainly," The trooper noted.
"Sorry about all this, everypony, I just don't have any idea what... Sorry, I think we should all just go back to sleep..."
"You're sure you're alright, Shining?"
"Yes, Princess, I'm fine..." I found myself saying suddenly.
"Maybe you should try get some rest... Maybe you need some tea or something. I'm not sure I'm getting back to sleep right away myself..."
At that point I didn't care the Hoofmaidens would likely write a whole musical, the idea of tea with a friend seemed like it was almost vital to my sanity and survival...
Judging by the look on the night duty mess officer's face, the incident was contained to ponies in the immediate area. Still, he made the tea without question.
"So do you remember anything about the dream, Shining? It must have been pretty bad to get that reaction..."
"Cadence, I only really remember a few things. Nopony was around, and I was... I thought everypony was gone. The squad, the crew, you..."
"...What novels have you been reading lately? You got some books out recently again, didn't you?"
"...Er, that novella collection by Gryphon King..."
"And what's in it, that one with the airship and the time rift?"
"...Yes. And The Running Pony isn't in it before you ask..."
"Of course not, he used his Bachmane pseudonym to write that," She grinned.
"So am I ordered to read less horror stories then?" I didn't tell her I'd skipped over it, but hey.
"I'm surprised you read them... Explains a lot. You don't eat cheese before bed either, do you?"
"Not since the goat cheese in Zamunda."
We want their attention. It is hard to get with subtlety. And therefore we must take a risk. For months they have traveled Zebrafrica and for months our efforts to get their attention have failed. Considerable interference is being run against us. Considerable obstacles to meeting have been in the way.
But now we must take risk. Greater obstacles are ahead, and this is our last chance.
Except it would seem there is very little risk after all, in taking this step. Border checks in Equestria are laughable. All it takes are a few nice suits for me and my troops, and traveling separately on the ship.
This takes me away from operations in Zebrafrica for a worryingly long time, but this, I want to do myself. I want Shining Armor to know I oversaw this personally. And we need his anger to get his attention.
We have much to discuss, after all. The last time he and my forces met, it was interrupted.
Transport within the nation is... Well, the trains appear rather inefficient. It seems they keep running out of coal.
Honestly, the world's greatest rock farming sites and they still run out of coal...
Ponyville itself isn't too bad, except that it reminds me of the pony settlements in Krakhozia. A little larger, perhaps, and with the signs in Equestrian. But the lamps are all glowbugs, not electric like Mosroe or all-gas like Columbia. They give poor light, but poor light is good. We have the right kind of equipment to overcome night, but if the streets were well lit we would be highly visible.
The town, despite being on the edge of a dangerous forest that makes the southern jungles seem like a park, has no Guards. Utter insanity, but useful insanity. It means we are almost unseen as we slip to the edge of said forest. Nopony pays any mind to the unponylike structure me and my troops have. Our hats help too. We've switched to different gear. Fake cutie marks on our flanks. That we're all brown and built like Deer doesn't bother most ponies, none of them even seem to notice. A pink one looks at us curiously, and for a moment we are worried when she gasps and runs, until another pony warns us she will be back, and might have a welcome wagon.
We heed his advice and make ourselves scarce, reaching the forest swiftly.
Night falls, and we keep watch. The light stays on in the library for some time, but we are fortunate. It goes out. Half an hour later we are there. Some of my troops are apprehensive about the dragon familiar. However, I know him to be mostly harmless. He is unlikely to respond with violence.
This does not mean he is weak. This means he is simply not worth overt concern.
No one inside stirs as we discover the door isn't even locked. Ponies...
The moonlight is enough for us and our camera. We take photos, to let him know we got in so easily. No flash, lest we wake the targets up. My troopers take photos of everything. A newspaper helps us confirm the date we were here.
The stairs do not creak, I move cautiously up them. No traps, no alarms. So stupid and vulnerable for somepony supposedly so smart and significant. The door to her room is left wide open and there she snoozes.
Twilight Sparkle. The proverbial weak spot in the Shining Armor...
I have my own tools ready. I let them take a picture of me waiting by her door, my antler magic holding aloft what I am about to use....
My little nightmare hadn't helped reassure Cadence much, even with our midnight tea party. Fortunately, I convinced her not to let Ace take over - One bad dream didn't mean I was unfit, and she did seem a little touched how concerned I was for her, nightmare or not. I wasn't even lying when I said I felt confident about Nambutu being secure. They might have been under political pressure to pick sides from both the Allied bloc and the Hooviets, but that also meant that the Hooviets had extra risk trying anything here. In the capital, at least.
I tried my best to ignore reports they pretty much had abandoned the mountainous north to bandits and roaming gangs, or letting the Zebrafrican Buffalo population pretty much have de facto independence and completely ignore the Zebra government's laws if they wanted. Ignored the stories only Oum Hadjir was remotely secure and safe, that the government barely just held the big towns. We pretty much had to, to be diplomatic.
I could at least hope that Makarov was busy dealing with the headache resulting from his group of mercs getting completely fooled by someone he may not even know who it was.
On the third day, we returned to the Embassy after another mundane excursion, this time into a village north of the capital where it was painfully obvious they'd put extra effort into pretending everything was fine. We didn't comment.
I caught Minuette clutching the fob watch tightly.
"I think I liked it in Zebrinia more, at least they were honest they were scared instead of hiding it..." Twinkle Shine moaned as we walked back in.
"Well, they're rather isolationist, and they're stuck between two rival groups. Even us trying to be friends frightens them into thinking the others will be upset. And their Buffalo population is troublesome, to say the least..." Cadence sighed.
It wasn't the only isolationists we'd be visiting. Maasiland was coming up as well, and to be honest, I was more worried about that one. So was Nambutu. And a lot of places.
"Aren't there Buffalo south of Equestria, in the desert?" Newcastle wondered.
"Eeyup," Ellis said. "But they're only a bit tense right now, not like they are here."
"Though they're technically Bison, being different tribes more like unicorn-pegasus-earth pony than pony-zebra differences. It's not enough for them to really be a separate species," Audience added.
"Causes some problems though, 'specially in places like Appleloosa... And they call 'emselves Buffalo too when they speak Equestrian, so Ah guess they're all Buffalo in some way."
"Just as long as it's not offensive," Sunset noted.
"We even going to the Buffalo lands on this trip?" Garnet wondered, but I didn't hear any reply thanks to a messenger approaching.
"Captain, letter for you. Arrived this afternoon."
I looked at it, and was pleasantly surprised to see it had a Ponyville postmark. And also a little guilty, as it occurred to me I'd actually neglected to write to Twilight at all... Largely letting my correspondence back home go to younger troopers writing their parents or older ones checking in with spouses and children...
(Interviewer's Notes (Earth Pony): That was nice of you.)
It's harder on the younger troopers who aren't used to it. This isn't my first time I've been away from my family for awhile, for a lot of them, it was.
I thanked the messenger and decided to read it in my room as I was getting ready for dinner. Cadence would probably want to read it as well, come to think of it...
I opened the letter, and was a little surprised to find it seemed to be a few photographs.
"What the..."
Pictures of Ponyville, but taken at night. Very odd. One of the treehouse-library, one inside, a picture of a table with a newspaper from a few days ago from the look of the date... focusing on the date very closely, actually... and... odd shadows in this shot... a coat rack or...
"...Buck no..."
A Deer. A motherbucking Deer, in Ponyville Library, at night, standing right at a door, pointing a camera in...
...Twilight asleep. Unaware of the intruders...
'Doesn't she look peaceful?', said a taunting little note on the back.
The last scrap was a note.
"'Captain.
We wish to talk again. You met our group in Columbia and we wish to continue the conversation. Come to Songo Valley, five miles south of the village of Seifis…'"
I read on, it gave a date and time. Tomorrow evening. It said to tell Cadence, bring all I wanted to bring... and that Cadence was invited also. It ended saying Twilight was safe. The 'for now' was unwritten but obviously there.
It was an obvious trap. They wanted me. But they'd take Twilight if I wasn't willing to comply...
Makarov is one fucked up son of a bitch.
I'm looking forward to him getting ground into paste.
Down with that deer.
3050040
"It shall be Shining Armor who shall be ground into paste! Tooth paste that'll brush the whites of the jaws that small snatch victory, and bite into the flesh of Equestria, as our soldiers floss out those who'd opposed us and we gurgle away those stand in the way of the Greater Good!" - So Says the Oversized Ego With Antlers
3050090
Here here.
3051696
Long and hard journey wasn't it?
3052982 To much boomer spit yes yes? Floydien thinks so too. the glimmer is marred by all the spit.
....Innavedr..not even once.
3053104
I think I missed the reference.
3053354
Another story,the Austraeoh series,has an elk named Floydien...talks a bit weird.
Calls ponies Boomers,magic Glimmer and attacks spit.
3038204
I feel that with the exception of being a little needlessly rude (though I don't really have room to talk on that subject) you are correct in almost every significant point you make. I've protested his overpowering of aspects. I've protested his serial escalation. Protested his lack of respect for the other materials he crosses with - and even the lack of respect he has for his OWN material in some of his choices.
My protests often take a long time just to be heard - but are very often not actually taken on board. As an example a recent problem emerged with a scene in a part that's been posted on dA. Basically, it exposed just how overpowered and unrelatable these concepts are: Amicita tried to give a happy ending to Warhammer 40,000. Specifically, restoring the health of the emperor.
If you know 40k I don't need to start explaining why that's a bad idea. But if you don't, let's just say xenophobic human supremacist, and she just healed him. Best case, he leads his empire anew.
Hundreds of billions of innocent aliens that have in no way offended the pantheon die. Hundreds of billions of human soldiers are sent to their deaths and it's her fault. Now, Warhammer's not a nice place, and that sort of thing would happen anyway. But now it happens because of her.
That's assuming it works out and he doesn't just go mad and create a new eye of terror letting the warp take over the whole galaxy. In which case tens of quadrillions get spiky things inserted into orifices for the rest of existence and get their souls painfully munched on when they do eventually die...
Incidentally, he only did it because an earlier scene had fridge horror from Discord giving him one day of health. And he only did that scene as what can ultimately only be called a take that to someone talking about 40k and how it'd kick Discord's ass. He proceeded to show a complete failure to even research the 40k universe and then decry all "grimdark" stories with yet more attempts to give happy endings.
Every single one of them feels like a take that in my eyes. And hypocrisy given how very grimdark his own pantheon truly is. We have petty jerkass gods who even the nice ones are blind to consequences, and the other petty ones are well aware of consequences. He's got Entropy who is such a petty bitch as to be a game breaker. His pantheon has no set limits and is apparently in charge of everything. Supreme arrogance and hypocrisy, supreme ignorance of the feelings of others.
That scene was ultimately removed though. As was another that turned out to completely contradict the other source material. Some are disappointed, but I feel it was the right choice in both cases because these were both very simple plot tumours doing significantly more harm than good. There are more complex ones out there sadly, and the pantheon is one of them IMO. I'm trying to see if I can get something done but I think I'm on a hiding to nothing with it. Nothing's happened on a very significant issue that occurred recently, for example. Maybe reminders are needed.
He's basically not very good at the big picture. And when anyone tries to explain the problems in his actions, he's not one for really debating. So I'm afraid you'll not get many answers from him about problems.
In his defence, though, he's really just trying to have a little fun. That's not a huge excuse given the sensitive nature of the things he manages to be the most inadvertently offensive with. But it's not a deliberate effort on his part at least. That much I can vouch for. I honestly would like to say something more positive but I'm afraid that honestly about all I can give as anything near a valid defence of these mistakes on his part are that he's not trying to offend. It's just when he realises he has, he panics a little.
I should clarify though at this point I'm not a proofreader on Dark World. I'm 'just another reader' as far as Alex was concerned for this story, despite the fact that he would and did often listen to a single reader who was positive and would dismiss out of hand a negative reader because 'most others liked it'. Can we say argumentum ad populum, everyone?
This however, has a glaring flaw as well. Four thumbs up and one down. At this moment in time, by that kind of logic... You're the guy that's right. Most others like what you say. Except you should know that's not even on the radar for justifying your statements when they should be able to stand by themselves, and indeed do - the thumbs up or down have no bearing on the message, they're an unreliable measure of success, as are all arguments to popularity in the end. I certainly pay little attention to thumbs up and down when no one explains why - hence why I've explained my thumbs up for you, and ultimately?
My thumbs down on this story. I may only be one of thirteen... but I wrote part of it. I'm not thumbing down my own work but I'm not thumbing it up either. Even if it was separate, I'd make no comment. How can I in all honesty pass comment that isn't discussing the points of others or expressing my own concerns? I wrote it. Therefore all I can pass actual comment on is the Dark World story and I cannot find much positive at all any more.
It's a meandering mess with very little to care about any more in my view. I used to think it was an interesting concept but it ultimately all went too far, and I apologise to everyone for my failures in that regard to be critical early enough, to try and express my concerns. I saw it a while ago, and I think I tried, but I think my criticisms were not taken on board because I was too angry at the time, too offended by the damage it was causing the part I worked on. Someone even thought it was because I was upset Nightmare Grandfaloon was made a laughing stock. Nope - it's because the entire concept of nightmares and gods was starting to look utterly foolish.
The Pantheon IMO render the mortals meaningless, render even other universes meaningless while they're so apparently unrestricted. The one grimdark thing he should fix? He should write a ragnarok. Time for a twilight of the gods. They're a plot tumor, a cancer that poisons the rest of the otherwise decent story. It is time they were purged. It's time free will meant something. Time mortals controlled their own destiny. Time the gods ceased to interfere, to be such uncaring jerks that help render meaningless almost every message this fic ultimately tries to tell. We can't undo the whole story. But we can undo the baleful influence of the most grimdark aspect of the series.
But that's unlikely.
Maybe that makes sense, maybe not. Maybe Alex will read this and if he does, well, sorry, but it's nothing I haven't really said before, is it? And I stand by it. I think it all remains valid. And it would be a disservice for me to not honestly express what I think is the truth of the matter. I know when to say yes and I know when to say no, and this time, sorry, but I've got to say a no to some of these problems.
All that aside for now... Maybe you can tell me what I've been buggering up with the Shining Armor arc, assuming you even bother to read it. (Plenty don't). I know some of my failings, and where possible I'm trying to work them out in future events. But I'd like to be able to see if I can find others, so I can learn in future to avoid such pitfalls, or maybe even defend my choices if I can.
I'd like to finish though by thanking you, FamilyWing, because one of my biggest problems has been the concern I was the only one thinking these problems were there. Maybe it was just me. But now I can see I'm not quite alone in some respects. I only wish there was an easier way to resolve them to the benefit of everyone.
3052982 images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111206160132/mlp/images/1/18/Fluttershy_and_The_Stare_S01E17.png
BAD DEER! BAD, BAD, BAD DEER! SIT!
Seriously, his ego is WAY too massive! I wonder if he'd be knocked down a few pegs by having his antlers cut off and ground into a fine powder?
3060181 In Alex's defense, he also feels like the Pantheon has become a plot tumor.
And something tells me when he takes a good look at Season 3, episodes 10 and 13 might make him angry enough with how it clashes with his continuity that he'll create that Ragnarok. Maybe.
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I could not have put it any better! For some reason I keep imagining that the wolf's idea of taking out Shining Armor is actually inviting him to tea, I can imagine him sitting in a room with the wolf, Marakov and all the MLP FIM villains, including the ones here and having a pleasant conversation. When someone asks Shining why he isn't freaked out he shrugs and says something like he's seen so much wierd stuff recently this is relatively normal.
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You have a wierd way of putting things Mary. (Mary being marakov)
Suddenly I remember what the wolf's name is, or, at least our version of it. The Dahaka.
Jeez, the wolf chase was so fcking intense. My adrenaline was on high at that moment. Phew.
Between the paranoia, dickarov, and the wolf, I'd say he's earned a little harmless selfishness.
Oh dear, have you seen a psychiatrist about these suicidal tendencies?
Whelp, if you wanted to turn a big brother into a slayer of demons and gods alike, this is the way to do it.
Pft, call their bluff. Twilight's a magically gifted genius. I'd pity her kidnappers if they weren't too dumb to live.
The Wolf/Corrector is getting ballsy.
And so are the deer i guess.
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It cannot be bullied, bribed, or bargained with and absolutely will NOT stop until...