Applejack 1: The Empire
Upheaval: Journeys
Applejack 1: The Empire
It was close to midnight by the time Applejack and Vanguard headed for her quarters in the Royal Palace. The halls had been quiet throughout the feasting save for a few patrols making sure that revelers didn't stumble in to cause trouble. The feast was still on albeit having winded down a bit. Applejack called it a night, however. Tomorrow, celebrations and relaxations were over. It was wonderful to spend some time with friends and family, but there was no forgetting that she was still in the Legion and that there was still a lot of work to do.
"Enjoy the night?" Vanguard asked. The booze was flowing constantly throughout the feasting. Rainbow and Scarlet led the charge in getting everypony soused. Vanguard had a mug with him at all times, but his bright red eyes were clear and his hoof-steps were steady. Applejack prided herself in that she didn't need him to help her stagger back to her quarters like a drunken lout.
"You betcha," Applejack replied. She had just a bit more spring in her step.
"You have a wonderful family," Vanguard said. "I hope we can get along better when time permits."
Applejack was beaming inside at first, but her spirit dampened a bit when he went on. She did get Vanguard to meet Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom. Vanguard was respectful and restrained, which was typical. Her family was mostly awed at first, then cordial, a little chilly on Big Mac's side though. Maybe Big Mac was still suspicious of the Legion.
"I'm sure ya'll do just fine," Applejack said. "Apple Bloom and Granny Smith have already taken a liking to you."
"But your brother," Vanguard said.
"Oh, Big Mac just needs some time."
That was clearly time they would't have for now. Applejack had already said her farewells to her family before turning in. They knew that she wouldn't be going back to the farm after this feast, that it would be back to work afterwards.
They stopped by the door to her room. Applejack opened the door and was glad to find that somepony had tended to the fire place. It was still a mite chilly after all. She walked in and noticed the books on her bedside table. Those weren't there earlier.
"Vine Mane works pretty quickly," Vanguard said after a quick scan of the room. "He's got the books I asked for ready for you."
"What books are those?" Applejack asked. She swallowed after giving them a better look. They looked pretty thick and she doubted that they were full of amusing stories.
"Bog Light's 'Southern Legionnaire's Guide to the Empire' and the latest edition of 'Southern Barrier Land and Ophidus: Borders and Territories'," Vanguard replied. "Both required reading for any southern legionnaire. Theory's no substitute for actual experience, but it's better to, at least, try to prepare."
"Have you been to the Southern Barrier Land?" Applejack asked.
"A couple of trips," Vanguard said. "I met Scarlet there after all. It's a dangerous place. Our brothers and sisters in the Southern Legion have a hard time of it. Wolven attack mostly to fight; the occupying and eating are just extras. Ophidites are out to enslave and dominate; fighting's just one method they'll use to achieve that."
"I'm not much for heavy reading," Applejack said. "That's Twilight's thing, but I'll get on it right away."
"Good. Tomorrow, I'll meet you by the Night Skimmer. You know where it's docked, right?"
"Yeah."
A moment of silence reigned in the room. They stared at each other for a while, unsure of the next step until Applejack finally decided to lean forward for a kiss. Vanguard met her muzzle halfway.
When they pulled back, Applejack still had her front hooves against his chest. She glanced back at the room. She could start reading in the morning and during the trip. The bed looked soft, warm, inviting...big enough for two. She stepped back, half-formed invitations choking in her chest. Vanguard simply stood there, a smile on his face. Wait...what phase was the moon on? She had all night to take a look, but she couldn't remember.
"Good night," Vanguard said. He closed the door behind him after leaving.
"Good night," Applejack said breathlessly. She berated herself for that moment. Too fast. How long since he told her he loved her? A week? Definitely too fast to be inviting him to cuddle under the sheets. She wasn't interested in some kind of fairy tale fantasy like Rarity, but she wanted to do this all proper. At least she got him to meet her family. That was a good step. She flopped onto her bed and let out a loud sigh. She just had to end a near perfect night with such an awkward moment.
It was a cool evening breeze that blew from behind Applejack, but not a winter breeze. From that alone, she already knew what was going on. No need to see what color her fur was or see if she could move her limbs. Instead, she concentrated on orienting herself. What was happening? And what happened? It looked like they were still at the farm, but how much time had passed since the last time she looked? Was Apple Core still alive? Had the other Apples already made their way to the Heartland?
Apple Slice seemed to be taking a stroll through the family orchard. The lights from the main house were already distant and the moonlight barely illuminated anything ahead of them. Apple Slice carried no torch or lantern, but he trotted through the darkened grounds with practiced ease. He may not be involved with the harvests or planting, but he moved as if he knew where every rock in the orchard was. He was moving towards a solitary light, likely a shed. But why would anypony be there at this time of night?
Another light suddenly emerged from the side, this one came from a lantern attached to a galloping, light green pony. "Hey, Slice!" that pony called out. "Strange time to be wandering the orchard, huh?"
"Leaf," Apple Slice said. "Could say the same for you. Harvest's over. What are you doing here, and where's Peel? I've been looking for him everywhere."
"Peel's in the middle of some sales business," Apple Leaf said. "Lots of last minute negotiations to do with the big move and all. Do you really need to see him right now?"
"Yes," Apple Slice replied. There was a hint of growing irritation in his voice. "I got a missive a few hours ago. Urgent Legion work. I might have to leave early, and I want to discuss a few more things with him about the move."
"Maybe I could tell him?" Apple Leaf suggested. "You really wouldn't want to be there, Slice. It's the business end of the harvest. All boring work and--!"
Apple Slice's forelegs shot out, and grabbed a hold of the tuft of fur by Apple Leaf's chest. With barely an effort, he pulled Apple Leaf up close. "Don't treat me like some bothersome foal asking about grown up stuff, Leaf," Apple Slice growled. "I'm still clan leader until the family reaches the Heartland. Now, take me to Peel or I will tan your hide so badly you'll stay standing until the next harvest. And I'll do it in front of your kids too!"
Applejack would have shook her head in disapproval upon seeing Apple Leaf's terror if she could move anything at all. That was pushing things too far. Apple Slice may mean well, but he clearly had a temper. Apple Leaf stumbled back, and tripped after Apple Slice let him go.
"Okay, Slice, I'll take you," Apple Leaf whimpered. "Just...just don't go crazy in there. Please."
"Why would I go crazy there?" Apple Slice growled."What's Peel up to?"
Apple Leaf's eyes darted from side to side. "I...just, please, remember that Peel's just thinking of the family. Like you."
Apple Slice didn't say anymore. With a light shove, he put Apple Leaf in front of him and followed. When they reached the door, it was a very nervous Apple Leaf who knocked loudly against the door. "Peel?" he called out.
The sound of chairs hurriedly sliding against the floors was unmistakable. "Leaf?" Apple Peel called back. "What is it? We're in the middle of--"
"Slice wants to see you," Apple Leaf said far too loudly. "He's--"
Apple Slice pushed Apple Leaf out of the way, and turned around. The first buck splintered the middle of the door horizontally and cracked the frame. The second one split it apart. The surprised yelps that followed made it clear that there were several ponies in there. "What's going on, Peel?" Apple Slice asked. He pushed aside the debris for a closer look. The ruddy orange glow of the room's couple of lanterns revealed a pair of wide-eyed ponies; a mare and a stallion, as well as Apple Peel, whose face couldn't seem to settle on whether it was outraged or terrified.
There was something...odd about the two. Applejack couldn't place it quite well. They had a shiftiness in their eyes she wasn't used to seeing in ponies. The way they were crouched down looked like they were ready to launch an ambush.
"We've got a very nice living room in the main house for meetings, Peel," Apple Slice said. "Brightly lit, warm, you can get some snacks for the guests too."
"Hey, Slice..." Apple Peel glanced at the two ponies. Applejack didn't pride herself for reading others, but that was a very obvious "Let me do the talking" sign. Behind them, Apple Leaf showed himself out. "They're special, can't stand being around too many ponies. We were just settling deals given that the Apples are ending any business outside the Heartland. You understand right?"
Apple Slice looked at the strangers, his brother's words seemingly bouncing off him. "Where are you two from?" he asked. "What business are you running?"
Apple Peel extended a hoof towards Apple Slice. "Slice, they're--"
"Shut up, Peel."
"Highstable, sir," the mare replied. Despite the initial surprise, she answered smoothly and confidently. "We run a simple grocery and the Apple Family's products sell very well."
"Really?" Apple Slice remarked. His eyes focused on a single long leaf, not unlike a thin sword blade in shape, caught within the mare's curly tail. The edges were jagged and the veins were red. "That's a Bloodsaw leaf stuck to your tail. Those things don't grow anywhere near Highstable. You need to go farther south." His eyes narrowed. "Closer to Ervan Reis."
The mare opened her mouth, but no reply came out. Apple Slice's chain flew out. Applejack couldn't even tell when he had grabbed it. One moment, he was just standing there, the next moment, the chain was already flying. The links looped around the mare's left hind leg, forming knots as if they had a life of their own. Apple Slice gave a gentle tug, and that was enough to lift the mare's hind leg.
The mare let out a loud, outraged yelp and tried to pull away. Apple Slice's eyes focused briefly around the exposed belly, towards what looked like the faint line of a scar. "Long incision close to the womb," Apple Slice said. "Overlords do that to mares they don't want breeding." The links un-knotted themselves, and returned to Apple Slice's hoof.
The other strange stallion put a hoof to his coat, his eyes hard. Apple Slice's chain proved faster. Whatever the stallion was trying to pull out stayed in his coat. A loop of chain wrapped tightly around him, pinning his front hoof to his chest. The mare let out an outraged cry and charged. Apple Slice replied with a simple flick of his front fetlocks. The chain's middle looped around the mare's neck, halting her in her tracks.
"Don't struggle, filly," Apple Slice said. "Compared to an ursan's, a pony's neck is about as fragile as a dried twig."
"Curse you," the mare growled. "You should not even be here!"
Apple Slice tugged at the chain slightly, but the force was enough to bring both ponies to their knees. He flicked his front fetlocks a few more times, looping the chain further "Peel," he whispered harshly. "What have you done? These are imperial agents!"
"Slice, stop!" Apple Peel put a hoof on Apple Slice's shoulder. "Just stop and listen!"
"Why should I?" Apple Slice asked. "It's the Legion's business to deal with the enemies of Equestria. That includes the Empire and its indoctrinated slaves!"
"The Legion will interrogate them," Apple Peel said. "They'll find out that the Apple Family's been dealing with Ophidus. We'll be ruined! There's no way the Princess will accept us into the Heartland if this gets out. There's no way anypony would do business us!"
At that, it was as if a great cloud of choking silence fell upon that shed. Apple Slice slowly turned to face Apple Peel. Applejack could practically feel his eyes bulging out of his head. "That's a confession," he said. "Explain to me, Peel, what you've been doing. Tell me why you're talking to imperial agents. Explain why you would turn on Equestria."
For a while, Apple Peel couldn't even look at his older brother. Eventually, he swallowed and steeled himself enough to look at Apple Slice in the eye. "I made a deal with the overlord in charge of the Winding Trail. I pay them off, they let our caravans through. Using it gives us a much faster route to the southerly settlements without dealing with Legion tolls." His eyes narrowed. "Don't treat me like I swore allegiance to the Empire, Slice, I didn't give them any secret military information, and I didn't give them slaves. I paid in Equestrian bits. Apparently, our money has value in the Empire."
"Of course it does," Apple Slice snarled. "They give it to their indoctrinated slaves. These ponies trade with idiots like you for supplies. Or they use it to bribe corrupt officials and legionnaires." He pushed a hoof down on Apple Peel's chest. Hard. "You thought it's just business, didn't you? You thought that it's fine because the Apple Family's raking in a profit for using a cheaper and faster trade route. What's a few bits sent the Empire's way, right?"
"Don't make me out like I'm some kind of traitor, Slice," Apple Peel said softly. "Everything I've ever done has been to put our family at the top of our real business."
"Whatever you think you've been doing, Peel, is over," Apple Slice said.
"Are you planning on ruining us, Slice?" Apple Peel asked.
"The Apples will go to the Heartland," Apple Slice growled. "Better that I shove the lot of you inside Princess Celestia's sanctuary. In there, you will never have any contact with the Empire. You'll be less likely to lead the family into another stupid venture."
"What...what about these two?" Apple Peel asked as he looked at the two captives.
"I can't throw them to the Legion," Apple Slice said. "I'm not letting them go back to their master either." His hooves tightened around the chain. "You know where this will go, Peel."
The last thing Applejack heard distinctly was the sound of chain links tightening. The vision faded, and she found herself staring at the ceiling of her room back in the Royal Palace. Dealing with Ophidites? What was Apple Peel thinking?
Beams of sunlight were already streaming through her window. "Darn..." she muttered. Was it late morning already? Legionnaire or farmer, she should have been up at the crack of dawn. She had only spent a few days in a palace and she was already getting soft! She jumped out of bed, all the more glad that she had paced herself last night. Well, that was about to end. A quick breakfast and time for work. Whatever work entailed.
Applejack had just touched the door knob when she remembered something that work did entail. She looked back to the books she had left by her bedside table. Standard reading for legionnaires from the south, Vanguard had said. Applejack closed her eyes and thought back to the vision. The Empire. Even before she could read a single page of these books, she already had a taste of what to expect down south. These ophidites used ponies. Who knows what they would have done to Rainbow if they had succeeded? The ones in the vision weren't chained, but they were working for Ophidus. She tried to imagine herself being captured by these things, dragged into some horrible building and worked on until she was happily serving the Empire. She shut her eyes tightly, and shook her head. That settled it. She put on a pair of saddlebags and placed the books in. No way she was going to let those varmints capture her.
"Applejack!"
Applejack was barely out of her room when she already heard Pinkie's high-pitched greeting. She turned and found not just Pinkie, but several other ponies. Rarity walked by Pinkie's side, dressed in fancy silks, jewelry, and...is that metal plate? As the group moved closer, Applejack got a better look. Yes, that was metal plate weaved seamlessly into the fabric for extra protection. Rarity's mage blades were strapped to a slim, leather belt studded with diamonds. At the sight of Applejack's staring, Rarity smiled and tilted her chin upward, revealing a silvery collar, both beautiful and likely strong against dangerous blows to the neck.
There were others with them as well. Lion Court stood by Rarity's left, in more subdued gray suit albeit with dark red trimmings. He was a far cry from the disheveled, bloody mess who fought alongside them in the abyss with his brushed up mane and the ruby-studded gold band around his right fetlock. When he caught Applejack looking, he smiled and dipped his head briefly. Beside him was Octavia, who was far more modest in her appearance. She had only a white collar on. A pink bow tie adorned the center. The more striking piece, however, was a small pin next to it; a five-petaled rose made of onyx.
Pinkie apparently had her own escorts, ones that looked more dressed to work than for going to the next party. Captain Nightcanter grinned at the sight of Applejack while the other one, Sablesteel, was looking somewhere else. There was a stallion at the back of the group who looked ready to fade into the background at the company he was keeping. Applejack guessed that this was Copper Mane.
"My, my, Applejack," Rarity said. "The hard-working farmer and legionnaire the last to get up? Perhaps Canterlot's luxuries were a little too much for you?"
"Speak for yourself," Applejack said. "I ain't the one that has to doll up and get escorted for breakfast."
"I'm afraid we won't be having breakfast," Rarity said softly. "We're taking the next airship to the Great Delve." Her face brightened a bit. "I've been assured that they serve an excellent brunch on deck, however."
"It's gonna be super exciting!" Pinkie said. "Ooh, what kind of souvenirs would you like, Applejack? Maybe we can write each other." She paused and frowned. "If we can figure out how to send them. Maybe there's some kind of channeling thingy I can figure out..."
"Leaving already?" Applejack asked.
"Yes," Rarity replied with a sigh. "I wish we could spend more time together, but we're not even sure how much time we have. This last rebellion the royalty's talking about could be a decade away or a year. We had a lovely evening with everypony together, but now we have to use every day."
Applejack nodded. "Well, I was planning on leaving soon anyway." She suddenly put a hoof on Rarity and Pinkie Pie's shoulders, then drew them close. "You two take care now," she said. They quickly returned the hug.
"I'm gonna miss you so much, Applejack!" Pinkie said.
When they pulled back, Rarity had a playful smirk. "Enjoy your honeymoon, Applejack," she said. "But try to accomplish other things as well."
"We ain't married," Applejack growled. She was smiling afterwards though. As the group moved away, she could only give one last wave. "I'll see ya..."
Breakfast wasn't going to be a banquet with everypony then. A quick stop by the kitchen netted her a few apples and a loaf of bread. Leaving the kitchen, however, proved less simple. Rainbow Dash was just flying past, a bag of buns tucked under a foreleg, and her cheeks bulging with food. "Mmmf!" was all Rainbow could say when she noticed Applejack.
Applejack had a few choice words to say, though, when she noticed Rainbow's companions. Scarlet flew behind Rainbow, his mouth as stuffed as hers with a trickle of jam down one corner of his lips. Behind both of them was the far too ominous sight of Longstride.
During the feast, Longstride was awkward and scruffy, so uncomfortable that he appeared almost non-threatening. It also helped that his bow was nowhere near him. Now, in the daylight, with all his gear in place, he was downright menacing. His weird eyes were doing a slow, clock-wise spin, as if they were lazily looking for targets. The enormous bow slung across his back promised to bury a shaft in anything he set his eyes on.
For now, Applejack focused on her friend. Rainbow had hurriedly chewed her food to free her mouth for talking. "Hey, Applejack!" she said. "I was hoping we'd run into you."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you're not hung over after all that guzzling last night."
"Hey, I wasn't that bad," Rainbow said. She scratched her mane and chuckled nervously. "Well, okay, so I had to take a pill and drink a lot of water, but I recovered quickly." The chuckle turned into a snicker. "I mean, as least I came out of that feast a lot better than Twilight. Have you seen her? The doctor said that she must have guzzled an entire barrel with they way she ended up!"
Applejack's eyes narrowed. She didn't even see Twilight drinking when they were together. When did Twilight find the time to sneak somewhere and guzzle a barrel of booze? And why?
"I wouldn't be too worried," Rainbow added. "She's got the princess to take care of her." She patted Applejack on the shoulder with a wry smile. "Look, I gotta go catch up with Rarity and Pinkie. We'll be leaving pretty soon."
"You going to the Great Delve too?" Applejack asked.
Rainbow shrugged. "Stopping there only," she said. "I'll be going farther west after we get there. You take care, Applejack."
Applejack smiled and nodded. "You too," she said. "Don't make me run from the Southern Barrier Land to the Western one to save you now. You know I would."
Rainbow's smile faded a little into a more sincere line. "Don't worry," she said quietly. "You'll never have to rescue me again. I promise."
"I'll hold you to that, RD," Applejack said. With one more wave, Rainbow's group started to depart as well.
Before Longstride could go, however, Applejack grabbed a hold of his tail with a hoof and tugged. He quickly stopped and looked back. Though he said nothing, the creepy stare was quick to demand a reason for the hold up.
"I know Scarlet's trouble," Applejack said. There was no warm smile on her face this time. "You are too. You shot Rainbow and I ain't forgetting that any time soon." She pressed her lips tightly for a while. "But I know Black Rose relied on you to follow her to the abyss if you had to and she was planning on helping us get stronger. So...so you watch out for her, you hear? If anything happens to her, I'll be wringing your neck." She glanced a the chain she had on her.
"I will," was all Longstride said. With a nod, he departed as well.
Applejack had to be satisfied with that. She didn't like that nearly all her friends had a Thorn going with them on their trip, especially with Rarity having two of them at once. For Rainbow's case, a dour sniper in the background might just be better than just her and Scarlet.
That left two of her friends unaccounted for. She had a good idea where they might be, however. She made her way towards the palace's infirmary, expecting to find both there. She was still trotting down the hallway when she already spotted what she was looking for. Twilight was huffing and staggering down the hall with Fluttershy maintaining a slow hover near her.
"Um...Twilight, you should really just lie down and let the princess's restoration spell work on you," Fluttershy said.
"I'll be fine, Fluttershy," Twilight replied, her voice still husky. "I've already delayed the transport ritual as it is. Can you imagine what will happen if we ended up late and I had to explain that it was because I had a hangover? I'd shame Princess Celestia beyond repair!"
"You might vomit as soon as you get there," Fluttershy mumbled. "They might not like that either."
Before Twilight could reply, both of them spotted Applejack.
"Hey, Twi," Applejack said. She tilted her head slightly in concern. "You okay? What's this about you guzzling down a barrel of booze during the feast?"
Twilight shook her head. "Didn't drink a drop," she said. She let out a sigh. "Because I was trying to avoid this."
"What happened then?" Applejack asked.
Twilight shrugged her shoulders. "Surprise breath attack from Princess Luna. I don't know what she was drinking. I haven't asked either." She shuddered. "Don't want to know."
"What about you, Fluttershy?" Applejack asked. "I heard that you were going somewhere with Starswirl the Bearded and Blue Moon."
"We're supposed to be leaving soon," Fluttershy said. "I just want to take care of some stuff before we go." She glanced around. "I guess I should be finding him. She gasped when Twilight started to veer to the side. By the time Twilight realized that she was about to fall down, it was too late to recover.
"Well," Applejack put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder to steady her, "you take care of yourself, Twi."
Still off-balance, Twilight smiled wryly. "You too, Applejack," she said. "You and Vanguard."
And that was it. Applejack walked away, glancing back one last time to see her two friends staring fondly at her. She supposed it was better of this way. A simple goodbye. No over-dramatic farewells like they were never going to meet again. She smiled. Yeah, it was better this way. She was going to be with them after a while. When she finally left the Royal Palace, her head was held up high.
The morning sun's rays felt especially good aboard the Night Skimmer. Applejack inhaled deeply and sighed. Well, this was it. The engines were running, the crew was on the move. She had her barding on now and a pack containing a few things she might find useful, including the books.
"Ready?" Vanguard said as he walked up to stand next to her.
Applejack nodded and moved to stand just a little closer. "I'm ready."
"We'll land in Highstable to meet our guide," Vanguard said. "From there, we'll travel on foot to Serpent Watch Outpost."
Highstable. A name that was suddenly familiar even though she had never been there for real. Applejack frowned briefly. What had happened after Apple Slice found out about the ophidites? Was that why Apple Peel made up stories about him? She could really use another vision. Something else must have happened, something to put it all together. Something that would make that tomb significant.
"You alright?" Vanguard asked. "You look worried already."
"It's nothing," Applejack replied. "Just a little jittery."
With barely a nudge to its passengers, the Night Skimmer was up in the air. The prow pointed south, and they were off.
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Thus the Journeys begin! Eagerly awaiting more!
T
Wait, Twilight is going now?! She could certainly use one of those pills and water they gave to Rainbow Dash.
I like this chapter, yes I'm most looking forward to what happens with Twilight's journey, but doesn't make the other girl's missions less interesting. At the mention of Rarity's outfit I had to think "well of course her idea of armor would be equal parts function and fabulous", I just imagine something you might see in a anime but with more realistic coverage. AJ receiving visions from Apple Slice's past still, definitely will effect her character, honesty is her element and one of her core traits and it keeps getting challenged. With Apple Slice know as the family traitor but the title more rightfully belonging to Apple Peel will make ehr question what she "knows" about her family. Something also tells me the family legend that Slice didn't like apples is full horse manure, won't be surprised if he liked apples more than necessary.
Glad to see this updated! I just finished a reread of Breaking Point so it was awesome to get to jump right from that into their current missions.
Sheesh, Equestria just can't catch a break, can she? Always being invaded by something....
Whatever happened to the good old days, where your worst fear was standing in line for twenty minutes to buy groceries?
6130152 To be fair, the Old Kingdom and the Abyssal Throne were basically Oceanus. His faction anyway.
That still leaves the Black Rose, Gravitas, Wolfen, Ophidian, Bear-People-whatever they're called, spider people who live with the bear people, and two different factions of dragons.
This chapter has a painful amount of grammar errors in it.
6130339 I took notice of a few errors myself.
Ehh, embarrassment is good for you, Applejack, it builds character.
Indoctrinated slaves? Sounds like a prelude of what's to come once AJ gets to the Southern Barrier Land.
Apple Peal, you idiot.
That had to make a mess.
Awesome, I've been waiting for so long for Rarity to start making extremely fashionable armor.
Hah!
It's a little disturbing that the most responsible member of Rainbow's party is the former Thorn.
Poor Twilight, hungover without even having experienced the fun of getting there. Not that it was much fun for Luna either, heh.
Either AJ or Vanguard is gonna get caught...Either that or AJ will be forced, and have trouble, to kill ophidite pony slaves.
I am so excited for the Pinkie parts of this story. It might be just me but I am still hoping she can make herself as epic as the story is.
I am looking forward to Twilight's journey the most
even though she is my least favorite.
Ophidites are definitely the creepiest of Equestria's enemies. Indoctrination, slavery, drugs, surgery, selective breeding. Plus you know the whole gaint snake monsters thing. *shudders*
Still there is a lot of potential when dealing with subject matter like that. I'm actually very curious to see how it plays out. Hopefully Vanguard and Applejack can complete their mission safely.
On a side note, I hope Vanguard doesn't have to trudge through the Southern Barrier Lands in his heavy night steel barding. Even if it makes him look like a boss XD
6132392
One thing that interests me about Ophidites is that they are a very self-aware species
they have internal political feuds and are intelligent enough to use magic and to make very potent toxins.
So it could be safe to assume that there are Ophidites out there who made the conscious decision to fight "the Empire" (basically willing traitors).
I really hope AJ & VC run into such person. That would give great insight on Ophidite culture n stuff.
Awesome chapter as always can't wait for more!
6130286 Wait...spider people? I don't remember them, could you point me towards the chapter where they're mentioned?
6132554 While I do have my doubts about an Ophidite betraying their own kind out of compassion for ponies, I definitely think there might be a few disgraced/exiled Ophidites working with Equestria out of hatred for their exile and/or they see Equestria winning as their only way to get back into the Empire.
6133528 It's from a side story, where Trixie and Blossomforth and a few others get sent to the Eastern(?) Borderlands to fight bears.
Found it:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/217662/legionnaires-of-equestria
And it's apparently not canon. So, maybe no spider people.
6133572 Yep, non-canon fan story. I haven't heard of it until now so I'll have to check it out. Is it any good?
6133600 Yeah, I like it.
6132554
I really hope the Ophidites avoid the Always Chaotic Evil trope. I hate that trope. It would be nice to see them as a people full of individuals with different views and opinions. Maybe they are like the Drow and live in a culture that makes them that way? Crossing my fingers we get an Ophidite like Drizzt Do'Urden who rebels against his peoples' way of life.
Here is a sentence that could use some revising. The underlined "that" should be "they", and "would't" should be "wouldn't".
Woo, more adventure!
From the type of story this series tells, and the good things I've heard about it from some other people, this is a series that I would've expected to have loved, but when it actually comes to reading it, I'm actually finding myself kind of disappointed with it. Not to say I haven't enjoyed the story at all, I've gotten this far into it, after all, and I intend to keep on reading, but I'd be lying if I said there hadn't been points where I'd considered dropping the story completely, and I also don't see myself stopping everything to read an update.
As for why I feel like I do about this story, I actually really like your characters and the world you've created, but it feels like their let down by other elements of the story. The main problem I've had is that there is no real sense of the characters ever actually being in danger leading to what should be scenes of high tension feeling lacklustre, with the end results often being forgone conclusions. This is due to the fact that (almost) none of the major characters ever die, and when they are seriously injured, they manage to recover in a couple of days. The only two cases where major characters have actually died, Pyre Valor and Black Rose, could both be seen coming far in advance, and as such do nothing to help create the sense of danger the story needs to make me actually worry about the characters without feeling like I already know their going to be okay. As for serious injury, I'm struggling to think of any instances of long term damage, at least that seriously, noticeably, hindered the pony in question. The closest things I can think of are Fluttershy's ruined eye and Celestia losing her magic, but neither of these seemed to have actually resulted in any major problems as far as I can recall. This also leads me into another point, in that I'm also struggling to think of any points where the hero's have really failed in a significant way. Even with the whole problem of Twilight not strengthening her connection to the element of magic, the problem ended up fixing itself when it actually reached a point where it would've been an issue.
So in conclusion, do I love this series? No, and I doubt that's ever going to change. Even if the problems I raised here were addressed from here on out, I feel like at this point were too deep into the story for that to make a big enough impact on my overall opinion.
Am I going to keep reading anyway? Yes, for now at least. partially because I do still enjoy the character interaction, and partially because I don't really like dropping stories, unless I'm actually just strait up not enjoying them.
Am I going to read the other stories in this world that aren't part of this main series? Maybe, but probably not. While I still want to see this story through to the end, I'm just not invested in it enough to particularly want to see more. While I'm enjoying it enough to keep on going with the main story, I'm just not interested in going into the other stories of the world.
do you plan on adding sunset shimmer and the sirens?
6171677
No.
6172067
It would be pretty hard to fit Sunset into this continuity I think.
6172801
Hard or easy, I don't care. I said that my cut off point for integrating canon is the end of season 2, and I'm sticking to my guns.
6172943 that's the thing about AU once you break you have your own canon and you gotta stick to it. You can squirrel things in, like I've seen a few that bring in alicorn twilight after a s2 break, but you gotta use your own rules and story setting for It, do it your way not theirs.
6223138
I gave it a read. While it's an enjoyable story, there's simply too many things that don't quite fit. So, no.
I haven't seen one yet, so I'll just say:
I support a Rainbow Stride ship. Just because.
What did she ask?
Rainbow, Scarlet and Longstride are going to kill Hassyth aren't they? Why are they heading west of the great delve?
Clearly fluttershy is not well versed in Aliconian culture, the violent emptying of ones stomach is to them a casual greeting much akin to the obligatory hoofshake on formal occasions within the mortal realms.
This was funnier in my head