Urohringr

by Imploding Colon

The Second Fall of Stratopolis

"Don't stop climbing through!" Aatxe shouted, heaving another pony over his shoulders while Props and two more equines helped. "We gotta get outside!"

"They're almost here!" a mare shrieked.

Her voice was swallowed up by the sound of several muck-covered bodies bounding their way. The Lounge's energy blasts knocked the undead pegasi to the floor, inadvertently collecting a puddle of deathly slime just a few spare inches in front of the group.

While his two companions reloaded, Razzar stepped back and shouted into a communicator on his wrist. "Vaughan, brother! We need you! Bring the ship around to our mana signatures and prepare to take us off the platform!"

There was no reply. The air grew louder and louder with a deathly drumbeat as the ravaging pegasi drew closer and closer.

"Vaughan!" Razzar hissed. "We have the mana crystals! But there's a grave problem here! We need an evacuation!"

Further silence.

His voice dripped loosely out of his mask. "Why doesn't he answer...?"

"Brother, look out!"

Razzar looked up. His body quivered under the shadow of a leaping pegasus. He jumped back, swinging his rifle at the ready. The naga was too slow, and the zombified creature bucked the weapon out of his hands and prepared to pounce at his torso. Th-Thunk! The sharp end of a wrench flew into the creature's neck. Gurgling up purple goo, the pegasus fell over in a meaty slump.

Razzar glanced breathlessly to his side.

Props' body was frozen in a heavy toss. She leaned back, breathing deeply. "We've got most everypony through! Time to go!"

"It's now or never!" Aatxe sputtered as he helped the mare over.

---

Outside, Pilate sensed Props' body being slid out the tiny frame in the door. He sensed Aatxe, the three naga, and the wall of frenzied equines charging them from the other side. As a matter of fact, Pilate sensed almost everything with a thirty-foot radius. It just so happened that he was currently preoccupied with slamming his staff against several changeling skulls.

"Hnnnngh!" The zebra hissed into his toothy grip of the bludgeon. "Mmmmfhh-ghhh!" Every violent impact was rewarded with a wild splash of bright red streaks across a black slate. He even sensed the inner juices of the changeling anatomy swirling and becoming inflamed with each major hit to their bodies. His helm fluctuated a series of cross-hatches over their exoskeletons, betraying the fact that they were struggling to maintain their fake exteriors.

"Dashie! Is that...? Oh blessed soot stains! Is that really—?"

"Don't hug the zebra right now, girl!" Rainbow Dash retorted. "He's kicking flank!"

"I thought you trotted in here with that fellow being blind!" Seclorum's voice breathlessly growled.

"I did!"

"Then what's the deal?!"

"Uhhhh—"

"Rainbow?!" Pilate spun, sweat pouring down from beneath his helm. "Rainbow!" He focused on a winged figure that was currently fending off and uppercutting a trio of similar shapes. "I'm glad I found you! This is a case of dire circumstances! You must help me with—"

"You're telling me! This is about as dire as—wait a second..." With a grunt, the wing-flapping figure kicked off a doppleganger and pivoted towards him. A solid red pony planted her hooves against her dangling hips. "How do you know that I'm the real me?"

Pilate staggered in place, pausing to pant. "I... I-I'm not sure. You're... uhm... d-denser?"

"Excuse me?"

"This helm! It shows you in a different light than the rest of the—"

"And just where in the heck did you get that?!"

"Roarke gave it to me! She also provided me this piece of skystone which I must somehow—"

Whooosh! The one crimson shape suddenly flew up to Pilate, gripping his shoulders. "Roarke gave this stuff to you?!" Rainbow's voice cracked in his face. A beat. She shook his shoulders. "Roarke is here?!"

"Yes! Rainbow, there's no time! We gotta bring this skystone to—"

"We're out!" Aatxe's voice stammered as his body slipped out of the door. "Everypony's accounted for!"

Razzar's joined in. "That includes us. You may wish to know that the menace is right behind."

"Dashie! You gotta close it!" Props squeaked.

"On it!" Rainbow zoomed back towards the door.

Right at that moment, Pilate sensed a pair of changelings diving down at his flank. Within a second, he judged that they'd be smashing his legs out from under him.

Snarling, he spun and aimed the sparkling end of his staff. However, to his surprise, there was nothing there. The changelings were gone.

He gulped. "Is... is it m-malfunctioning?"

He heard a few lingering blasts of manafire, followed by Seclorum's shouting voice. "They're leaving! The shape-shifters are bugging out!"

"I'll give you one guess as to why," Josho grumbled.

"Everypony, away from the door!" Aatxe shouted.

"Keep your distance, brothers!"

Props' voice rang, "Do you need help—"

"No!" Rainbow grunted. Pilate sensed her petite frame propped up against the door and its circular granite impressions. The barricade was slowly... icily grinding its way up the stone frame while every pony and naga trained their weapons on the thin space above. "Just stay back! I got this! Only I can close this!"

"It would benefit us all greatly if you made haste..."

"I'm... nnngh... tr-trying!"

"Quicker, Dashie! Quicker! It's almost shut!"

"Nagu'n..."

"It's too late! They're pouring through!"

Comments

[AppleTank]

Nobody can stop the Smooooze.

[Vendable Sheik]

Wondering just where is Roarke anyway? I thought she was with Pilate earlier.

[Axan Zenith]

Close the pod bay sky temple doors, Dash.

[AppleTank]

4370355
They split up for whatever reason.

[Lightning Bearer]

Looks like Mother didn't raise no fools.

[not_a_rainbow]

the changelings could have at least helped to close it, just to save themselves, but now everyone is screwed

[durandana]

Sooooo.........

.....

.....Pilate can detect changelings now?

[Jake The Army Guy]

Propsy and Clank.

[SilentBird93]

4370742 Well it seems to be more accurate than the blood thing... unless changelings can change their density....

[xXshaydXx]

Pilate is OP now! He can see who's really who. That will be fun for the next few chapters.

[Jonathon Smythe]

Purple goop, coming through! Have we tried burning it yet? Pilate can sense... the density of beings?

"How do you know that I'm the real me?"

Pilate staggered in place, pausing to pant. "I... I-I'm not sure. You're... uhm... d-denser?"

Either that, or he's an insult comic.

4370818 Smash glass, acquire wrench.

[Nevlamas]

And let's not forget that the Lounge are still evil! Boy would that have been a bummer if they had gotten away after all.

4370742 So can Rainbow.

4370818 You mean Propsy and Clarke.

4370919 Everbody is OP!

[aduck]

4370350
We need the return of The Me'gan.

[ThatPoemGuy]

On a positive note, if Dash closes it fully, not much of the Smooze is out, so...

This is Australia...

[Cynderfall]

Zebra power!

[IceKitsune]

Well now we have a way to tell whos a changeling or not. That's good, just hope that Dash gets that door closed soon.

[iloveportalz0r]

4370350 Smooooooooooze

[Starlit Skies]

Sometimes, I truly wonder what the inside of Imploding Colon's brain looks like. No, not his physical brain. All the weird thoughts he thinks.

[VNilla]

Hah! A way to actually detect changelings!

Also WHY ARE THE CHANGELINGS HELPING THE SMOOZE?

[Hap]

4372558 Changelings can manipulate their shape, based on beings they've come into contact with. Just like this stuff. I believe they are may be somehow related.

[Swan Song]

Th-Thunk! The sharp end of a wrench flew into the creature's neck. Gurgling up purple goo, the pegasus fell over in a meaty slump.

Razzar glanced breathlessly to his side.

Props' body was frozen in a heavy toss.

Woo! Cutie patootie mechanic chick gets her moment of badassery, fucking finally.

[Booster Spice]

Oh dear, its a narrow, and closing opening, just like in Matrix. Aim everything at teh hole at a spacing half that of a head and itll be Henry V all over again?

Could do with some drive thrust in that hole as well, see if the Smooze can eat mana exhaust at point blank range, Vortex Blaster style.

[Keebroo]

Pilate's new 5th sense will lead to some interesting drama. It'll help flush out the rest of the problem, but it'll still create a dilemma when they reunite with Ebon. Poor guy, even he won't know if he got replaced somewhere in the skirmish. That is, if he's a changeling. Which he is. But isn't.

[CasualMarshmallow]

Open the door! Quick! Yes! Now close, close it! Faster! Noo...
*pink*

[Super Trampoline]

4370350 you smooze you lose.

[AppleTank]

4374996
oooo. That's not good.

[dafiltafish]

The suspense is killing me!

[silvadel]

Pouring through is very apt.

[whizzball1]

Close them close them close them!

-Spirit

[Future Regret]

Bow, bow, bow, bow...

[tailspin]

Haha called it, pilate's vision thing

[Zecoro]

4376092 aint that the god damn truth

[JustAnotherTimeLord]

So close. So very close . . .

[Hazard]

We have containment breach! Repeat, containment breach!

[Regidar]

Guess even the changelings know that it's better to retreat than to face down the Smooze.

[arancaytar]

She shook his shoulders. "Roarke is here?!"

Focus on surviving, Rainbow. You can make out with her later.

[Tim the Planes-pony]

They should have chucked every bomb and grenade they had into the gap as they were closing the door, but then you can't really train for things like this.

06/03/2017 21:15 UTC

[Lexiebommel10]

Whooosh! The one crimson shape suddenly flew up to Pilate, gripping his shoulders. " Roarke gave this stuff to you?!" Rainbow's voice cracked in his face. A beat. She shook his shoulders. "Roarke is here ?!"

Yea roarke is here and if you don't ducking apologise the first chance you get dashie
i swear

[hypervelocity]

「Pilate」gained new Perk Bug Vision!
Using the「Occular Array」,「Pilate」is able to see through Changeling disguise magic.

Well that's handy! Also I'm starting to feel a little bad that we're in full 'bug squishing mode'. Just...dang guys.

[SnowOriole]

Pilate staggered in place, pausing to pant. "I... I-I'm not sure. You're... uhm... d-denser?"

That's one way of putting it.