Good to see this update again. I couldn't finish it yet, because it's 3 and I need to be awake in 7 hours, but good job as far as I did read.

And I was here, thinking that I was having too many good nights of sleep, and then I decided to check for updates...

Looks like the whole Pretty privates thing has gone horribly right...

6427007 So you want a job?

6427007 So you want a job?

As a lover of opera, what got me most about this chapter was the real-world subtext of dictatorships twisting the arts for their own benefit. There's a certain insidiousness to this kind of detail which I find far more persuasive of how badly Imperial Equestria has fallen than if they were literally engaging in Two-Minutes Hate, à la 1984.

A good dystopia is one which forces readers to ask whether, in some way, they may be part of the problem. And in this day and age where, by the click of a button, we can rework previously-established material as we see fit, burying the original under a rubbish heap of old edits... who's to say we mightn't come full circle with the times before writing was widespread, and stories, by oral tradition, were told and retold without clear notions of origin or authorship?

Meanwhile, the Pretty Privates, though a little over-powered, continue to be creepy. Nepenthe truly is a fascinatingly horrific invention, and my only regret is we didn't get to see more of the trials poor Rio's soul must still be enduring on the inside, as we did back in one of the previous, Bioshock Infinite-inspired chapters. You do like Lincoln, don't you? I remember you adding a mention of him inheriting the Patriarch's name, when we worked on Joy to the Worlds.

~Vox

...FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNCCCCCCCHHHHHH!!!!!!!

No one told me you posted this yesterday! Also, damn! The opera got twisted to suit Celly, that ain't right! Also also, double damn! I was hoping to use the TCB!Flim Flam Brothers for my own ends in my own story.

Also also also, aw hell! That line of ponies becoming newfoals ain't got nothing to what happened to Diamond here! I am freaked the french out man!

Finally, it seems that there might be some of Rio still lurking within Nepenthe... lord knows where that's gonna go.

This ridiculous, comment reaction is brought to you by nothing.

Good to see you back TB3, good to see this chapter up, and happy that things have worked out for you mostly.

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Now, now the wolfdogs were even worse.

Now they were half-pony!

She wasn’t sure what kind of black alchemy had been employed to do it, but somehow or other, Nepenthe’s unit of witches had clearly fused the six remaining dogs with Newfoals. They now had the build of ponies, but with clawed paws instead of hooves. Pelt had fused with mane to create a shaggy, colorful mass that was neither canine or equine, while the clear light of sentience blazed in their gleaming, pony-sized eyes.

Neither bitch nor mare, and both at the same time. As Jewelup stared and quivered, one of them drew back its lips in what was clearly both a smirk and a snarl, revealing a maw of needle-sharp incisors. It growled softly as it did, a muted purr that contained all the threat and promise of a morning in the wilderness, of thunder before the rain and the roar that heralded an avalanche.

I'm guessing that the half-pony dogs looks something like this:

Flanking her were the twins publically known as the Flim-Flam brothers, who Cheese knew as two of the better ‘demolitions’ specialists within the Resistance Directorates.

I now can see the Flim-Flam brothers as ‘demolitions’ specialists being similar this:

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I’m sorry about this slow response to your job offer. But, during this past week I’ve been sick and I was busy with other projects to read your message.

A job offer sounds good. But, before I agree to your job offer, I would like to know what type of contribution you want me to make for your story. I want to know what you expect from me before I make a commitment. I have gotten writing job offers before that didn’t work out.

A thought has occurred to me. I would be a bit surprised if this is where the story is headed, but consider the following:
—Nepenthe is evidently capable of altering the results of the ponification transformation process.
—There is evidence suggesting that Nepenthe is less than completely happy about the result of the ponification transformation process that not only turned Diamond Mint Jewelup into a Pretty Private but also turned her into Sabrage.
—Suppose that Nepenthe is able to alter the extent to which ponies' personalities get overwritten when subjected to the transformation process, and does so. (Other readers should note that this is different from altering what the overwriting material is, which she has already been doing in making newfoals that are more than cannon fodder.)
—Now suppose that this information somehow happens to fall into human or humanity-allied hands.

Dear TB3:

To write entertaining Conversion Bureau stories, you should be familiar with both “Friendship is Magic” and the real world settings your characters inhabit. For example, from Google maps, I see that the most direct route between Moncton to Montreal is through the state of Maine.

My creative writing teacher told me to use the settings of my stories as additional characters. What in the state of Maine can be used to give the land and the residents some memorable character traits?

In Maine, the tastiest cider is available from Thanksgiving to Christmas. This story is happening in November.

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/09/13/living/maines-cup-runneth-over-with-seasonal-cider/

Ponies do love apple cider.

http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/The_Super_Speedy_Cider_Squeezy_6000

Also, I would love to read about one branch of the Apple family who own and operate a Maine apple orchard. In October, they harvested their apples, turned these into cider, and then traveled west on their homemade freight airship, taking most of their cider with them. Don’t forget that Earth ponies are amazing builders.

But, the Apple family gave twenty cases of apple cider, each case having four one gallon plastic jugs, to a PHL supply officer. The Apple family’s instructions are that this cider is to be given to anyone to drink or use as barter for those who are evacuating westward.

You now have the story ingredients. I want to see you make an entertaining narrative encounter with our protagonists and twenty cases of fresh apple cider.

Your friend,

Dances with Unicorns

The Crystal Ponies made Princess Cadance’s crystal train featured in the episode “Three's A Crowd”. Thus, why not have a crystal pony use their crystal making skills to reinforce our protagonists’ train, to safeguard their important cargo, while they make their way from Moncton to Montreal to Boston?

Dear TB3:

I must ask myself if Colonel Hex, PHL and UN soldiers, and civilians unable to escape north due to the advancing Barrier, are in fact unable to escape “the rump of Nova Scotia”. I would love to read about a side story describing the defense and evacuation of Southwest Nova Scotia that is similar to the Battle of Dunkirk. Many fishing boats, the smallest one was the Tamzine that is 14.7 feet in length, and much bigger yachts assisted in the Dunkirk evacuation. Some of these boats and ships came from as far away as the Isle of Man and Glasgow.

What about evacuating people and ponies by sea using the Nova Scotia fishing fleet, the Maine to Nova Scotia Ferry service, or the UN navies? Also, Southwest Nova Scotia has many marinas, docks, and most important of all hundreds of boats. Moreover, the State of Maine has thirteen ferry routes whose ferries could be used in the evacuation of Southwest Nova Scotia.

Map of United States Domestic Ferries

http://www.howderfamily.com/travel/united_states_ferry_map.html

What about evacuating people and ponies by air using the Stanley Airport, the Waterville/Kings County Municipal Airport, the Langille Lake Waterdome, the Digby-Annapolis Regional Airport, the Hoopers Lake Waterdome, and the Yarmouth Airport? What about using PHL airships that were built by TCB world ponies that don’t want to build warships for the Solar Tyrant and then escaped to Earth?

What about using the ponies’ ability to be amazing builders? During the “Pinkie Pride” episode Cheese Sandwich with the assistance of Ponyville ponies within one day built a party stage, a parade float, and a party tank. If these ponies were able to build all that in one day for Rainbow Dash's "birth-iversary," think of what they could build in one week to save their lives and the lives of their human allies?

Your friend,

Dances with Unicorns

Dear TB3:

Today, I am issuing a challenge to all those fans of this story who are also skilled model railroaders. Please consider making a model train based on our protagonists’ train. You get bonus points for modeling the antagonists’ train. Create these two trains in traditional plastic and metal or in a digital format.

Your friend,

Dances with Unicorns

List of modern Canadian Army equipment

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_modern_Canadian_Army_equipment

With the story set in Canada, it makes sense that the protagonist characters would encounter Canadian military equipment. These protagonist characters would encounter Canadian military equipment being used by front line combat troops, military police, and support soldiers.

In the next chapter, I hope that our protagonists will get food, apple cider, and medical supplies, as well as better body armor and weapons from the PHL and UN forces, defending the city of Moncton Railway Station.
I can also see some minor characters talking about how the best PHL and UN military units have been send south to defend Greater Boston; leaving Canada's three Maritime provinces open to attack by the newfoals armies attacking from the barrier, while Ponification for Earth's Rebirth and The Human Liberation Front terrorist groups attack from within the provinces.

"There was a name for it, Combined Warfare. For the first time ever, Newfoals, not just ponies but Newfoals (!) were practicing combined warfare… and scavenging human materials… and performing battlefield medicine on one of their own."

Thank you for giving Newfoals much more effective tactics than the Zergling Rush. The coming battles should become much more interesting, as both sides learn and adapt to new fighting tactics that other side uses.

I would love to see what type of defenses that have been built around the city of Moncton, such as a bulldozed flat field of fire, in front of deep trenches, interlocking machine gun nests, and artillery observation posts. With more than three years to prepare, these defenses could become a tough nut to crack for the Newfoals; this would be true as the bulk of the Newfoal divisions would be set to fight in and around Greater Boston.

http://www.bits.de/NRANEU/others/amd-us-archive/fm5-103(85).pdf

I hope that our protagonists stop at the Moncton railway station for needed supplies, as well as a dozen gallons of fresh apple cider made a few weeks beforehand at New Brunswick apple orchards. From PHL and UN commanders they get needed information about their route between Moncton and Montreal, as well as a military encrypted radio.

Update maybe?

7245141 It's just as bad when you're the dood working with him on this stuff. I miss him.

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You and me both, mate. Featuring the theatrical flourishes such as first got me interested in a weird fanfiction series, this here is still vintage Spectrum.

A good escape gateway for when dark clouds converge on reality.

7428204 I wouldn't have made Light without this. Or at least, I wouldn't have made the chapter of Calm that got me thinking "I should write his backstory" after I read Contact.

It's kind of funny and ironic that I'm reading a train based story in a train-based chapter about bad guys hijacking a train and attacking the good guys when I just finished beating the boss on the train level on Paper Mario: Color Splash a few days ago. Anyway, I'm kind of surprised and find it hard to tell if Jewelup actually got brainwashed in. I mean she is, but it seems more like a much more subtle version where she has most her own personality still. It reminds me Shredder's brain slugs in the new TMNT series where the victims are pretty much evil versions of themselves rather than people who are forced to act this way and that makes it even more creepy.

Though I also have to wonder how the newfoals are able to be more creative now that Nepthane is here commanding them and how she changed them. It's a good thing they won't show up in the final fight, right?

Last Train From Oblivion, by TB3 reminds me of the Japanese animated series “Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress” from Wit Studio.

7726832 That was a good show.

I would love to see our protagonists train be escorted by an Army transport train that are both heading to Boston.

Army Transport through La Grange

I first read Last Train in late 2015, weeks after this chapter came out. I've ended up re-reading this fic probably six or seven times since. There are so many little moments that just stick out - Lightning Dust's arrival on Earth and Nepenthe's conversion are things that have especially stayed with me over the years. The whole fic has an air of apocalyptic desperation that I really adore, and while it makes me sad that it seems it'll never be updated again, it's still beautiful (and a bit haunting) as a fragment.

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if youre gonna make fun of her, make fun of her politics and beliefs. Don't go for the low blow and make fun of her for being trans.