Chapter 2: Incitement
Shining Armor watched as the line of unicorn soldiers stood before their partners, their horns aglow as they channeled their magic. They stood at attention, ready and waiting for their next command. Their officer paced slowly behind them, mentally counting down until he reached zero.
“Stun,” he called out. “Release!”
A bolt of electricity arced through the air from one line of ponies into the next. The ponies struck by the spells instantly tensed up as the electric surge shocked their muscles. Some fought while most toppled to the ground, giving short spasms and groans. In mere seconds, they were incapacitated.
“Good! Very good work.” Shining Armor stepped in between the two lines of soldiers. “It’s important to remember that incapacitation spells are an especially effective way of taking enemies down unharmed for later interrogation, and the best offensive magic we have.”
He stepped out of the crossfire and off to the sidelines again. “All right, now we’ll practice our defensive magic. Ready?”
The stallions took their positions again, some still shaking the aftershocks of the incapacitation spell. Shining nodded.
“All right, team two, you’re on offense—team one, defense. Begin!”
The one line of unicorns ignited their horns, and another volley of lightning bolts shot across the gap towards their opponents. The other line in turn raised purple shields of magical energy in front of themselves. The electricity made contact and dissipated immediately on contact, leaving the ponies unscathed.
“Well done! Keep in mind though, these shields work both ways. The enemy cannot hurt you, but your allies and their attacks cannot pass through it either,” Shining said with pride, noting the strain on his soldiers’ faces and the sweat dripping from their brows. “Remember, these spells are mentally taxing. As our new regiment of combat mages, you’ll need to be sure to conserve your energy and focus for when your spells will be most effective. We’ll keep training so you can build your stamina to—”
The sound of shattering glass caught the attention of the Captain of the Guard and the soldiers. Shining Armor’s head snapped upward to where the sound came from. Glass sprayed down around the ponies from above. They covered their heads as Shining watched a crimson form hit the ground and roll to a stop before the soldiers.
Shining Armor recognized the culprit immediately. “Fleet! What the hell are you doing?”
“Oh, just getting some exercise and training the newbies,” Fleethoof said coolly, picking himself up and dusting himself off.
“Exerc— You broke one of the castle windows!”
“We actually broke about five, maybe more. All for a good cause.”
“What cause is that?” Shining bellowed.
No sooner had the captain finished speaking, a volley of shots struck the ground near Fleethoof and Shining. Fleethoof rolled out of the way while Shining looked up at the broken window. Midnight Dasher and Echo stood in the frame, popping shots down at them with paintball guns.
“Mages, shields!” Fleethoof called out, and in an instant, a vivid shield of magic covered the ponies from the incoming fire. “It looks like your training is paying off, Shiny.”
“You’ll be paying for that window, Fleet.”
Fleethoof laughed. “When did you become such an opponent of hooves-on training?”
“When it started damaging castle property.”
“Hey! No fair!” Midnight shouted out from her lofty perch. “That’s cheating!”
A grin spread across Fleethoof’s lips. “Yeah? So is this. Mages, take her down!”
Two battle mages at the end of the shield dropped their defenses and released bolts of electricity arcing through the air, both bolts striking Midnight in the torso. The mare yelped and twitched as she collapsed to the floor. Fleethoof laughed while Echo ducked behind cover.
“Excellent work! Keep it up!” said Fleethoof as he took off across the courtyard, rushing back into the castle.
“Don’t break anything else, or the princesses will have my head!” Shining shouted after his friend, knowing it was a lost cause. That stallion was incorrigible. He heaved a sigh, then turned back to his waiting soldiers. “Okay, let’s pick it up from the top, colts!”
Fleethoof dashed down the winding corridors of the castle, hugging the walls and checking every corner he rounded. If Midnight and Echo were hot on his tail, there was no telling where the others were. Poking his head around the corner to check for enemies, he worked his way through the labyrinth of corridors and doorways while gripping tight to his rifle for protection.
He bounded up a nearby flight of stairs to the next level. If the bats were still here, he was walking right out of the frying pan of his own accord. Fleethoof sucked in a deep breath and leapt out into the hallway, all but throwing himself into a paint-splattered Sharp Shot.
“Sharp! What happened?”
Sharp Shot rolled his eyes with a scowl. “The newbies jumped me, that’s what. I’m out.”
“Where are they?”
“Last I saw, they were headed back towards the foyer.”
Fleethoof nodded. “Don’t worry, Sharp. I’ll avenge your death.”
“Whoop-de-fucking-do. Now I get to try to get this stuff out of my fur. If you need me, I’ll be back at HQ, booby trapping their desks to get even.”
Fleethoof watched Sharp Shot trudge off before setting off after his assassins with a smirk. He bolted down the lavish corridors, dodging and weaving past groups of tourists and castle guards.
The idea of running close-quarter combat practice against one another had been a stroke of genius from Midnight. It would pit everypony against targets that would actually shoot back, and provide a realistic environment to operate within. It had been Fleethoof’s twist of not informing the Royal Guard so as to keep their patrol patterns the same and to allow citizens in the area of operations. If anything, it would make the trigger happy Midnight Dasher rethink taking her shots too recklessly.
He sprinted down a vacant corridor stretching the width of the castle, and then took a sharp turn down another connecting passageway. One more turn and he emerged in the grand foyer, ponies from all over Canterlot traipsing around in the open. He could also make out the forms of two bat ponies dressed in matching black uniforms prowling around near the bottom of the staircase, just out of sight, staring right at an unwitting Valiant.
Fleethoof leaned over the balustrade at the landing of the grand staircase, drawing a bead just as the bats fired. The paintballs made soft pops as they made contact with Valiant’s back, the pony doubling over from the force of impact. Fleethoof squeezed off shots of his own, painting Echo’s torso red.
“Midnight! Eight o’clock, high!”
Echo’s cry caught Midnight’s attention just as Fleethoof turned his aim on her. She dove back out of sight as he fired, the paintballs splattering harmlessly against the floor. The startled ponies in the foyer immediately began scrambling to get out of the way, unaware of what was going on.
“It’s okay! It’s okay! It’s a training exercise!” Valiant called out to the panicked masses.
Well, this could’ve been handled with a little more finesse… Fleethoof thought, keeping his eyes trained on where Midnight had disappeared.
“No! Valiant was to be being my kill!”
Fleethoof looked up in surprise as Cupcake’s heavily accented voice boomed from one of the corridors on the lower level. He saw the large pony come into view, firing shots down the opposite hallway where Midnight had run. Sorry, pal, he thought as he turned his rifle on him, putting three shots on the stallion’s chest. Cupcake looked around in shock, spotting the captain on the upper level and giving a hearty guffaw.
“Captain Fleethoof is being clever pony, hiding way up there! Is good move, Captain!”
A smile crossed Fleethoof’s face at the good-humored nature the pony possessed. That smile faded in an instant when he heard the paintballs whiz past his head. Midnight had obviously figured out where he was from Cupcake’s clues. Gritting his teeth, he ducked down behind the balustrade, crawling to a better vantage point to take on his opponent.
Paintballs hit the balustrade on the opposite side of where the stallion crouched. He shot up, putting a couple paintballs of his own down the hall where he had just caught a glimpse of Midnight ducking back down. He grit his teeth, determined to get that mare somehow.
A door burst open a short distance down the hallway he had come from. Fleethoof looked up at Blue Shield as the unicorn came rushing into view. He turned, and caught four shots from the captain all in the chest. Blue Shield groaned and stomped at the floor.
“Sorry, doc,” Fleethoof apologized with a smirk.
“Fleethoof, what’s going on here?”
Fleethoof’s heart all but stopped when he heard Cadence’s voice behind him. He fell back on his flank, spinning rapidly and staring wide-eyed up at the princess, who was now eyeing him curiously.
“C-Cadence!”
“Why are ponies running screaming down the halls that there’s a gunfight in the castle? Is that why half the castle is torn up?” she asked completely calmly, completely unaware of the battlefield she was standing in the middle of.
Blue Shield snickered behind him. Fleethoof’s face went hot. “Cadence, I can explain everything, but I really can’t talk about it right now.”
“You can’t talk about it? Fleet, there are broken windows and tipped over tables all over the castle! There’s paint splattered everywhere! What’s going on?”
Fleethoof opened his mouth to repeat his previous statement when he caught a glimpse of black out of his peripheral vision. Down below, he could see Midnight peeking out from behind her cover. He caught a quick look at the wicked grin she had on her face.
“Shooting civilians is an automatic loss, Midnight!” Fleethoof shouted out.
Down below, Midnight groaned and swore audibly. Fleethoof took the opportunity to position himself between the columns of the balustrade, pushing his rifle through the spaces and coating Midnight’s chest in red paint. The bat pony let loose a slew of profanity while Fleethoof collected himself and stood up again.
“What is going on? My aunts are going to have a fit when they see the castle!”
Fleethoof slung his rifle over his chest and turned to Cadence. “Training exercise, Cadence. Nothing to worry about. Nopony was harmed.”
“That is indeed a positive, Captain,” came the voice of Luna as the monarch joined the party at the top of the stairs. “However, seven windows have been shattered, the table in the garden sunroom is missing two legs, not to mention your intriguing manner of repainting the castle halls.”
Fleethoof could feel his face burn as his ears flattened against his head. A sheepish smile spread across his face. “My apologies, your highness. My team and I were running some scenario drills and needed to utilize the castle grounds.”
“And you could not have alerted the Guard to clear a segment of the castle for you?” asked Luna skeptically.
“It would have defeated the purpose of the training. We needed obstacles and non-combatants to make it as real as possible.”
“And the windows and other damages?”
“Collateral damage…?” Fleethoof said, sounding much less confident in his response than he would have liked.
Luna rolled her eyes and approached the captain. “While I would much rather have had you notify me on your escapades, I am grateful that nothing of value was harmed. That said, I ask that you please do not repeat this exercise in the future.”
“Yes, your majesty,” Fleethoof said with an apologetic bow of his head.
“Do not worry about the damages. There is much that can be repaired with magic. Such a useful tool, would you not agree?” She smirked knowingly at him.
“But of course, Princess.”
Luna glanced down at the two bat ponies on the lower level of the foyer, a smile forming on her face. “How are my Nightwatch soldiers faring under your guidance, my captain?”
Fleethoof followed her gaze down to the recruits. His eyes met Midnight’s for a moment, seeing the pride and enthusiasm burning in her honey-toned irises.
“Between you and me?” Luna nodded, and he smiled softly. “They are two of the most dedicated soldiers I have ever seen.”
“Have they completed their training?” she asked, looking to the captain. “Are they officially members of Skyfall Team?”
“Almost. They’re almost done.”
“Got any threes?”
“Go fish…” Dawn muttered, not even bothering to look at her hand. She had her eyes fixated on the front of the manor, watching the silhouettes of ponies walking around inside.
Keen Eye rolled his head with a groan. “You didn’t even look at your cards yet.”
“Maybe that’s because I’m actually trying to do my work,” remarked Dawn Glimmer sharply. “One of us has to be responsible.”
“The word you’re looking for is ‘paranoid’.”
“How about ‘fired’?”
“I thought we were playing Go Fish, not Scrabble.” Keen idly shuffled the deck of cards with his magic. “C’mon, Dawn, we’ve been out here every day for Celestia knows how long now. We’ve got nothing solid. If there was any sort of shady dealing going on out here, I think we would’ve noticed it by now.”
Dawn sighed and dropped the binoculars from her eyes. “Look, we’re out here until we get orders otherwise. Might as well make good use of the time we have.”
Keen Eye made whiny, gibberish noises, making fun of Dawn as he continued to mix up the cards. A swift kick to his shoulder courtesy of his partner shut him up. He chuckled, and then groaned as a second kick caught him between the ribs.
“Ow! Hey! What the hell was that for?”
“We’ve got movement up at the manor,” said Dawn excitedly, shifting the binoculars’ focus.
Keen shook his head. “Uh, yeah? Maybe because ponies still live there?”
“Not just ponies—griffons.”
“What?”
“Ponies, griffons, I think I see a zebra and a couple Re'emians too,” she said.
Keen Eye crawled up to the crest of the hill they were lying prone across. He snatched the binoculars away from Dawn, bringing them up to his eyes and seeking out the front door. She was telling the truth. A motley crew of races from around the globe had gathered at the door, all being greeted by an earthly-brown Earth pony.
“Well I’ll be damned, it’s like a world summit up there,” he noted with a touch of humor. “Wonder what they’re all doing here…”
“Whatever it is, it can’t be good,” said Dawn Glimmer, taking her binoculars back and spying on the creatures as they entered the manor. “That zebra is Githinji, the right-hoof stallion of the Zavros warlord Unathi. He’s been waging genocide over in the zebra lands for the past generation. And those Re'emians don’t look like the kind we like to associate with.”
Keen gave a soft chuckle. “So I guess it’s safe to say the griffons down there are no fans of ours either?”
Dawn didn’t respond right away. She adjusted her binoculars again, keeping them held steady on the Earth pony as he embraced Githinji, and then ushered him inside with a warm smile. The pony lifted his head and looked straight at her, as if he could see the ponies from across the distance all the way past Thatchholm.
“Shit! I think he’s looking right at us!” Dawn hissed under her breath.
“What?” Keen was extremely confused. “Who?”
“The pony, Dandridge. He’s looking right at where we are!”
“That’s impossible. We’ve gotta be at least a mile away.”
“I know!” Dawn remarked, still not convinced. “But he is, I swear.”
She thought she saw a grin cross Dandridge’s face before he disappeared inside, the large doors shutting behind him. Dawn waited a minute longer, scanning the outside of the manor for anything else of interest.
“Did you get down the newcomers?” she asked.
Keen nodded, lifting up his notepad with his magic. “Yep. We should get this to RIS immediately. There’s gonna wanna know—”
The ground shook with a pair of heavy thuds as something fell from the sky, landing just behind the startled ponies. Dawn saw two dark shadows loom over them, and tried to turn around, only to have her face shoved into the moist dirt with incredible force. Beside her, she could hear Keen Eye cry out as sounds of a struggle started.
When the pressure was removed from the back of her head, she looked up, coughing out a mouthful of earth and turning in time to see a griffon bring a club down across Keen’s head, knocking the pony unconscious in one hit. She ignited her magic, pulling her pistol out of her blazer to fight back. That was when she felt something strike the side of her head, and Dawn saw stars.
Dawn’s vision went black, then returned to a foggy haze of colors a split second later. She was lying on the grass, her gun lying just within reach. The griffon was picking up Keen Eye’s limp body, tearing their notes to shreds with his free talon. She gave a soft grunt as she reached for her weapon, managing to wrap her hoof around the grip and turn halfway to see the griffon looming over her, bringing his club back around for a second swing. If she could just get a shot off…
Dawn Glimmer felt the club make contact with her temple. A single gunshot went off, and then it was lights out.
It was the throbbing pain pounding like a drum inside her skull that brought Dawn Glimmer back to consciousness again. Her entire body felt limp and heavy, like it was made of lead. She couldn’t move a single muscle. Check that, she couldn’t move at all.
Dawn scrunched her forehead, trying her hardest to make her limbs respond, but they wouldn’t budge. Her vision was still too fuzzy to make out any details, and her ears were ringing, and it sounded like she was hearing everything through water.
She blinked her eyes a few times, trying to refocus them. Bit by bit, her world came into view. She was staring down at a hardwood floor, definitely no longer outside anymore. Her orientation was off, like she was standing on her hind legs. But that couldn’t be right—why did she feel so weightless then?
Again, Dawn tried to move her limbs, and felt something keeping them frozen. She looked up at her hooves, gasping when she saw the iron shackles pinning her to the wall. Grunting and groaning, the mare struggled futilely against her bonds, and her magic fizzled out when she tried to use it.
“Well, well… look who decided to join the party!”
The voice laden with a Braytish accent caught Dawn’s attention. She looked up, glaring daggers at the brown pony known as Dandridge. He just grinned at her, a wild look in his smoky amethyst eyes while he trotted leisurely back and forth in front of her. He tossed something across a nearby table, the object clattering loudly as it came to a stop. Dawn recognized her RIS badge, along with a second matching one from her partner and their crystal communicators. In his hooves, he held her ID.
“Special Agent Dawn Glimmer, Royal Investigative Service, Division Six, top secret clearance… Tell me, what is it that makes you RIS types feel so entitled to fuck with the way I make my living?” he asked, his voice suave and alluring, despite the cutting edge it held. “Do you know who I am, Miss Glimmer?”
Dawn said nothing. She gnashed her teeth together, straining against the shackles while simultaneously trying to grasp anything with her magic to defend herself. Dandridge just laughed darkly.
“Oh, don’t tire yourself out, my dear. Those shackles are made of arcanate. Wicked stuff, I must say. Renders magic utterly useless! Ha! Brilliant!”
“What do you want?” snapped Dawn angrily, still struggling with all her might. “Where’s Keen Eye? What did you do with him?”
“Oh, you mean your darling partner?” Dandridge smiled, stepping over to the far side of the room. Keen Eye sat strapped to a chair, blood dripping from multiple wounds and lacerations across his face and torso. “He’s right here. No need to worry. We’ve been taking quite good care of him in your absence.”
Keen Eye lifted his head weakly, looking up at Dawn. “Dawn… This pony’s insane… Don’t say a word…”
“What do you want from us?!” Dawn demanded to know.
“Who, me?” Dandridge pointed at himself, a look of coy innocence painting his face. “Why, nothing, my lovely guest. I just want to continue my work in peace. My associates, however…”—he waved behind him at the group of known criminals watching with glee—“…they want you to bleed…”
“You’ll never get away with this!” threatened Dawn, hoping her courage wasn’t betrayed by the cracking of her voice. “The RIS will know we’ve gone missing. They’ll come looking for us.”
Dandridge nodded his head slowly, as if grieved by the validity of her threat. “Yes, you’re probably right, my dear. But I know you RIS and Royal Guards have a strict set of rules and protocols you cannot break, especially when it comes to delicate matters such as this. I estimate it’ll take your precious RIS days, if not weeks, to get a warrant to search my house, and by then, I dare say your bodies and my friends will be long gone.”
“So you see, my dear,” he whispered, his grin widening as he leaned closer to the imprisoned mare. “You’re never going to be saved.”
A low, menacing chuckle rumbled in the stallion’s throat. Dawn felt a shiver run down her spine while her heart raced. Her mind was still working in overdrive, trying to desperately find a way out of this situation.
“You think… you can… intimidate us…?” Keen Eye muttered with a scoff and a smirk. “You’re nothing but a small time arms dealer… making a quick bit selling his allegiance to the highest bidder… The RIS will shut you down in a matter of days…”
Dawn saw something shift in Dandridge’s eyes. The stallion turned sharply on his hooves, glaring at the bound pony in the chair and advanced on him slowly, like a predator stalking its prey.
“Oh no, lad, I consider myself much more than that…” said their captor, his overtly calm demeanor scaring Dawn more than anything else. “I consider myself a businesspony and a major benefactor to my associates. You see, this is how things work in the real world… They come to me when they want something, and I deliver it. Quite simple, no?
“So when they want something smuggled in or out of Equestria, I get it done for them. When they want a particular weapon, I find it for them. When they need money or a safe house, I provide it for them.” Dandridge stopped circling Keen Eye, leaning on his side as he waved a hoof to the group watching his display. “And when they want somepony to die, I expunge them. Do you want him to die, lads?”
“Just do it so we can get back to business, Clydesdale,” one of the griffons from the other side of the room piped up impatiently.
“Ah, you’re no fun at all,” Dandridge muttered, then drew the pistol on his hip and pressed it to Keen Eye’s head. “But you are right. This is a matter of business—and business comes before pleasure.”
“No, wait—!”
A single gunshot went off, cutting off Keen’s plea before he had uttered it. Dawn Glimmer cried out as she watched her partner slump over in the chair, his body hanging limp against his bonds.
“No! Keen! You bastard! The RIS will have your head for this!”
Dandridge stowed his weapon again and gave Dawn a pleasant smile. “Oh will they? Tell me, Miss Glimmer, who will they send? Another agent? On what grounds? There is no evidence for a warrant, no motive, no inkling of a trace to lead back to me, and if you honestly believe a judge is going to blindly allow your friends to invade one of the most prominent families in Equestria—well, I’d honestly be a little offended by such a blatant level of stupidity, my dear.”
The stallion gave Dawn a look that sent shivers down her spine. “I’ll be back to deal with you soon enough, lovely—after I finish entertaining my friends. In the meantime, why don’t you just… hang around for a spell?”
The last thing Dawn heard was Dandridge’s manic laughter, and then the doors slammed shut, sealing her in the silence with the gripping fear and her deceased partner.
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Oh, this is going to be fun.
Alright, here we go!
Silver out!
Strap in, ladies, this one's gonna be a helluva ride!
So looking forward to reading this!
Bentgrass and Fleethoof in one fic?
I haven't even started reading it and I know its gonna be good!
Well well well...tighten your belts it's gonna be a bumpy ride!
Nothing makes me want to drop everything and get to my writing quiet like your work does. You've an awesome world and whenever you do some world building I get excited.
(Joke) Alt. Title: Underture: A Requiem For The Post-War-FanFiction Dream (featuring Jake The Army Guy)
3461290
I aim to please.
3461621
My fan fiction is considered a Class II drug by the DEA. Loss of productivity may be experienced.
3461721
That sounds classy and intelligent. Why didn't I think of that?
3462081
Because I know The Who... And, also, just putting "Underture" would've been stupid, so I added the subtitle of The Final Cut onto the end.
An unannounced, spontaneous Red Cell exercise in the middle of the palace? That will certainly liven up an otherwise dull day of interminable realpolitik...
3462771
You got it!
Skyfall Saga Cliff's Notes
Skyfall Team: A black ops team created to counter rising threats to Equestria's safety, both foreign and domestic.
Fleethoof: Captain of Skyfall Team, former special forces. Fought in the Griffon War alongside Shining Armor. Directly serves under Princess Luna for the diarchy after proving his worth during the war. Rescued Cadence during a mission; has formed a bond with her ever since.
Valiant: Omni pony of Skyfall. Served with Fleethoof in the Griffon War. Serves as a second-in-command when Fleethoof is otherwise unavailable.
Sharp Shot: Sharpshooter/sniper of Skyfall. Provided cover for Fleethoof's team during various conflicts in the war.
Cupcake: Demolitionist/heavy weapons of Skyfall. Inducted into the team for skills with explosives. A large, bulky, often volatile individual. Speaks with a Russian accent.
Blue Shield: Medic of Skyfall. Inducted into the team for exceptional skills with field medicine. Usually a pacifist, he prefers to let the others do the fighting. See his chapter in Antecedents, my other story, for more info on his background.
Midnight Dasher: Rear security for Skyfall in training. A bat pony from the Lunar Guard, she was inducted into the team after serving with Fleethoof during a mission in the Everfree Forest and subsequently saving his life. She has a crush on Fleethoof.
Echo: Spotter for Sharp Shot in training. A blind bat pony who served with Midnight Dasher in her old unit. She was blinded during a mission, but her exceptional ability to use echolocation and enhanced senses of sound and smell earned her a place on the team.
Other than that, every other character is either canon or a new introduction to the story. More about each character can either be found in Antecedents or in other past stories. They all run chronologically together.
3462081 Your work very much is just that.
Also, I'm not sure if you're aware since there has been no check mark or update on your page, so I feel that it's my duty to inform you:
Congratulations are in order Mr. Dusk Quill. After a year of hard work and toil, I have the pleasure of informing you that I am currently looking at Overture on FIMFiction.net's banner of featured stories.
3463086
It probably hasn't updated for me yet, since I don't see it there, but I believe you, and if it's true, I might cry.
3463086
Oh my... You're right! If I turn Mature stories off... there it is! I... I don't... Guh, buh... Wah...
Is... Is this real life...?
3463458 Yes...yes DQ.
This is real life, and you earned that spot.
...though I hadn't realized that my "view mature" button had been deselected. I think though I'll wait a little while before turning it back on. I want to enjoy this.
3464034
Wait, wait, wait! You mean you... you don't want to read a story about foalcon twincest over this stupid story of deep characters, gripping action, tense conflict, and superb writing?!
What kind of freak are you?!
Yes! Fleethoof and his pose of bad assery are back this rocks. Thank you again, for helping me to combat boredom, you rock.
3464380
Is funny joke I like it.
3464380
...the insane kind.
I know I know...I like characters and dialogue over the horizontal naked dance.
I'm CRAZY!
Aww yes~
I've been waiting quite awhile for this, and Dusk Quill, you have impressed again.
3465788
3466913
Then I am successfully doing what I love, and I'm thrilled you are both enjoying the ride.
If I remember you correctly, this a prelude to your endgame .... We're in for one hell of a ride good sir, but I wonder if we will see Diamond Dogs this time around or will they be saved for the finaile
3469459
Endgame? No no no, the Skyfall saga has three more big parts to go, ending with that third one. This is the prelude to the next big installment, which will also be a bit of a hiatus from the series as I try to sort out EqD and two other stories as well. You are still in for a ride, but the ride is far from over!
3469832
Ahhh, so three to go .....
As a certain rainbow maned mare would say:
"THIS IS AWESOME!!!!"
But you still didn't answer my other question: When will we see the Diamond Dogs?
3470141
When the time is right.
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You evil ... evil .... brilliant man
Crap I'm late again.
Anyway great start, you have me hooked once again.
For the past several hours I've been weighing the reward of reading another chapter in this series versus the cost of losing sleep. It is now 5:12 AM and I'm still reading your story. I feel like you can draw the correct conclusions.
That said, I have an installment in the adventures of Studley McBeefcake III and Nancy inspired by Sharp Shot's brief inclusion in this chapter.
"Incorrigible" is definitely one of DQ's most favoritest words ever
Once again, the amazing DQ predicted a future Friendship is Magic episode, this one “To Where and Back Again Pt. 2.”
Thorax: “I've been trying to tell you! Nothing other than changeling magic works here. Chrysalis' throne is carved from an ancient dark stone that soaks up outside magic the same way changelings soak up love. It's how she keeps the hive safe.”
What if the criminals could have been using disguise magic to appear as landed gentry? The criminals use those body disguise magic spells, fake identification, and fictional back stories to appear as honest citizens. But, imagine that Dawn’s binoculars could see through the illusions to see the criminals’ real features. This would show the reader that Dandridge is a deceitful and smart criminal, who didn’t want his partners to be identified by an attentive Thatchholm police officer, newspaper reporter, or knowledgeable citizen.