Holiday Fever
The queen followed her charge at an easy pace, her drone following silently behind her along with the stallion's two other guards. Both seemed as lost as she was at his sudden mood swing, and that was with cultural context! What hope did she have of figuring this mess out?
"Oh, I want a hippopotamus for Christmas, only a hippopotamus will do! Don't want a doll, or dinky tinker toys, I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy! I want a hippopotamus for Christmas, I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you? He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue, Just bring him through the front door, that's the easy thing to do!"
Turning to the guards, the queen tapped one on the shoulder, drawing the attention of the griffon. "What the buzz is a hippopotamus?"
"Not sure, uh, ma'am. I've never heard of one," he answered, never taking his eyes off the stallion.
The queen cocked her head in confusion as the stallion practically pranced down the street, chuckling as he began yet another line of some strange song about receiving strange creatures as gifts.
"I want a hippopotamus for Christmas, only a hippopotamus will do! No crocodiles, or rhinoceroses, I only want, hippopotamuses! And hippopotamuses like me too!"
Zelus winced at the alicorn took off at a quick trot towards the lake, a strange glimmer in his eyes and a giggle on his lips.
"Stars, what's come over him?"
"Maybe the Hearths Warming reminded him of something? He was talking about being from another place, another world. Maybe they had a similar holiday."
At the queen's and griffon's questioning stare, the thestral guard continued, "I know some ponies get really attached to their holiday traditions, and if its similar, it may feel like a bit of home. With all the things he told us were similar, there are still a ton of things that are different between the worlds. I think I'd be happy to be in familiar territory again, even if it wasn't quite the same."
"I guess I can see that," the griffon said, taking a seat as the alicorn moved down to the water. Cimmerian's horn ignited, a few large globes of water being levitated out of the lake. He held them over the ground, setting them one on top of the other, and wove a second spell, freezing the globes of water on top of each other. Chuckling, he pulled a small scarf out of his bag, wrapping it around the connection between the top and middle stacked orbs while magically altering the color of several locations on the statue. Nodding in satisfaction, he began singing yet another strange tune, this one being one about a man of snow.
"You're a changeling. What's he thinking about?" the griffon asked her.
Zelus watched him silently for a moment, shunting a little of the emotions to her drone. "I can taste his emotions, not tell you his thoughts. That being said, he's happy, but at the same time there is sorrow. It is a strange combination, and I don't think I've ever tasted it before."
"Nostalgia, I think. That's about what I feel when I'm reminded of the past. When I'm reminded of good times that are gone," the thestral said softly.
Zelus turned back to the alicorn, having sensed yet another surge of power from him. She watched as he focused on a point near the lake yet again, but he did not pull globes of water. The water flowed over the cave floor to him, freezing in place as it reached the position he required. The ice began to flow upwards, thickening into a large post before suddenly expanding from the base it had been given, forming a crystalline tree made entirely of ice. Strange formation hung from it, orbs in random places, lines that seemed to wrap around the tree, and a star at the top. It was beautiful, and before long she noticed they were not alone. Cimmerian's spells had drawn a crowd, thestrals of all ages staring at the strange creations of ice and magic.
As the stallion's gaze moved over the crowd, lingering on the gathered pony nymphs especially, the queen felt it again. That burning happiness she'd felt from him every time he spent time with the hatchlings at the temple. He reclined on the ground, looking around with a calming smile and spoke loudly enough to be heard over the crowd.
"Who want's to be the first ponies in the world to hear a tale," he asked them, causing silence to cascade about the crowd. "The story of a creature whose heart didn't understand the holiday spirit, the tale of a miserable creature, the Grinch, who tried to steal the holiday?"
<-(0)->
"Are we ready?" the soldier asked his subordinate as they trotted onto the airship.
"Just about sir. We have most of the supplies, and the mark fours are already loaded into the ship. I've also debriefed the soldiers about the dangers of these models. Don't need a soldier thinking they're normal drones and stepping on one, or worse kicking one," the younger stallion responded, following after him.
The commander nodded in response, trotting up to the ships bridge.
"Prepare to take off. The Queen wants this problem dealt with as soon as possible. We do this fast enough, we'll be back just in time for Hearths Warming. I'm sure everyone will appreciate that."
Looking over the map the commander sighed in exasperation. The area was supposedly dead except for an old trading post way out there, Zorro if he remembered correctly. Not exactly the place to test the mark fours, but at least the chances of them harming Equestrian citizens was minimal, should something go wrong.
For the first of many times, the commanders shifted uncomfortable as the ship began to move, the idea of being on the same ship as those drones not being the most pleasant idea. Faust help them if some idiot went over and punched one of the drones. The Royal Navy would likely not find anything left of the airship.
<-(0)->
She watched the Nightmare as it spoke, but she wasn't listening to its words. She watched its actions, watched as it nuzzled foals, watched as it laughed and joked, watched as it created objects of beauty with ice and magic. This was not her god, this was not the dark deity her family had pledged itself to. It was a mockery, a disgusting twisted form of Her majesty.
"You're certain he said it was her?" she asked the thestral beside her.
"He was quite certain. Said that it is not the same creature, but the same species. I plan on leaving in a few days. I wish to learn more of this fraud first. If you are true to her, you will be at the docks in four days. Gather the loyal. We can't hurt him, not with what I've read on alicorns, but we can strike against him with her aid."
The mare nodded, watching as the alicorn continued his story, a large image of a strange green furred monster stealing Hearths Warming items from the odd bipeds. The councilor may have been certain about joining the Nightmare, but she had heard what the sham before her had said about that creature as well. She didn't like the alicorn, but he was right. The Nightmare had specifically targeted their race and called for their annihilation. The mare and those that followed her would not be at the docks. But neither would they join the alicorn before her.
'He may not be the being mother always spoke of, but should the Nightmare move to end the world as he predicts, we may need to work with him. I don't know about that fool, but I'm quite fond of living.'
Even as the hidden meeting was ending, another was taking place, this one also giving its attendees a front row seat to the spectacle by the falls.
"I don't know, Silver. You said he has Luna's blessing? We've been waiting for this for centuries," the armored stallion beside her whispered.
"I'm certain. I even spoke to her last night. Nightmare Moon, she never bothered with dreams even with a name like that, never attacked through dreams. It was always shock and awe. This one at time he carries himself strangely, almost like a mare. It fits with Her words of his past, of his origin. Princess Luna has named him as her son in all but blood, and even his magic bears her mark. You know this as well as I, Crimson. You've seen the dreams, heard the foals talking about them. He even spoke to a few of them, calming their night terrors."
"Night terrors he could have caused," the stallion interjected.
Silver rolled her eyes, knowing the stallion was mostly being paranoid for the sake of argument.
"Yet I don't see it. He lacks the control Luna had, his tells are fairly easy to read. His tail shifts freely, as he is still unused to controlling it. His ears twitch freely, his wings shift when he is uncomfortable, he may not even realize he has these tells."
Waving a hoof towards the gathering she pushed on, "Yet he draws ponies to him. He doesn't even try, he just does. He sees ponies decorating, and he wants to join. He created a beautiful tree, and it brought the crowds. He tells them a story, making them trust his words, making him feel more approachable. Princess Luna even told me his ponies back in The Temple call him Father Cimmerian, sometimes just Father. He's that approachable, that concerned with the wellbeing of those that look to him for aid that they give him that title."
The stallion sighed, the sound producing an odd echo from behind the faceplate of his armor.
"I would have agreed to lead my soldiers under his banner just with Princess Luna's blessing, you know. Why would you be so willing to put more out there for me?"
"Because as much as I wish to believe the Night Watcher would do what's best for us, I don't know if she would," Silver explained in a tired voice. "Celestia and Luna are loyal to their country first, even when it betrays them. This one though, he doesn't care what you are. That's a changeling queen following him, Crimson, and she does so willingly! They never even show up in public, yet here is one, acting as his bodyguard. If even a changeling queen, as flighty as they are, is willing to follow his lead and guard him with her life, how can we who have sworn to aid the Lunar Diarch do anything less?"
The stallion was silent for a moment, tapping a hoof on the ground as he thought.
"He's staying at your place right? I'll stop by tonight with the heads of the Night Wings. If he'll accept us, we'll be leaving at his word. Be careful, Silver. If someone as loyal as myself can question his legitimacy, you know there will be those who will move against him. Take care of yourself."
Silver nodded, turning from the display and nodding to her companion.
"I will, Crimson. I will see you tonight. If you ask, I'm certain he will have a place for your flock as well. He seems to have a soft spot for families."
<-(0)->
It was nearly two hours later that the alicorn finally managed to break away from the crowds. Some seemed to know what was going on out there, that not all was well in the world, and they were scared. Seeing an alicorn that treated them kindly, that brought them back what the Equestrian Queen had stolen from them, it reassured them. Others were just fascinated by his appearance. He was the next step, he was to them what Celestia and Luna were to the other pony tribes. His very presence seemed to draw the thestrals to him, even with the large changeling hovering behind him.
That had actually surprised him. Zelus had started hovering the moments the crowds started to grow but never stepped between him and the citizens. Certainly she could probably figure their intentions based on their emotions, but it was still a strange change from her usual all or nothing style of guarding him.
"Yes, sir! Mister Wood sells seeds, you could probly get one for your tree from him!" a young colt shouted to him as several bounced around him, not willing to allow the neatest thing they'd seen in years out of their sight just yet. Fortunately for the stallion, it wasn't him the foals were fascinated by.
"I heard bug ponies had holes in their legs, where are yours?"
"Do you eat ponies, or drink blood, or suck out souls?"
"Momma said changelings were just really big bugs, that they didn't actually think. What makes you different?"
"Can you turn into Mister Cim'rian?"
To his amusement the queen bore all their questions with a silent glare, acting the part of a real guard the one time he was hoping she'd act naturally. It would have been an excellent opportunity if she'd use it; learning to deal with kids was great practice. Most wouldn't hold mistakes against you, just laugh at your mistakes. It was embarrassing, but that same embarrassment helped to reinforce the lessons learned.
Shaking his head with a rueful chuckle at the mare's expense, he once more entered Runic's Ruminations, the stallion bolting to the counter the second he'd heard the jingle from the door's bell.
"Hello again, Sir! I finished the runes about an hour ago, all that's left is choosing what to emblaze them on. After that, a quick charge and they'll be ready to go. I can do it myself, or I can show you how to charge them, seeing as you're both capable of magic."
Pushing a few of the remaining foals away from the queen, he pulled her along with him to the back of the shop, shooting the foals an apologetic smile.
"I'll let you guys have her after we get her fitted, okay?"
A few cheers erupted from the foals, and Zelus glared at him.
"Cheer up, Zel. They're hatchlings, right? Treat them kindly, and they'll return your kindness with affection."
"Ok, now I have a few items to choose from, but if nothing here-"
"This will work." Zelus said, levitating a set of bracers to herself. They were simple things, even if they were made of silver. The stallion nodded, quickly grabbing a measuring tape from a nearby shelf and getting a measurement of the queen's forelegs. She shifted uncomfortably at the contact, but Cimmerian's hoof on her shoulder seemed to calm her down. The Inscriber then ran over to the bracers, quickly transcribing the runes directly onto the surface of the bracers. After about five minutes of etching, he sighed, lowering them to the table.
At his instructions, Zelus slipped them onto her forelegs, the bracers easily being adjusted to accommodate her larger than normal size. The instant she applied magic to the array, she clopped her forelegs together, feeling the magic shielding her from even the slightly cool air of the shop.
"They work?" Cimmerian asked, earning a blurring nod from the changeling. He smiled at her enthusiasm before turning back to the unicorn.
"How much do we owe you for the bracers?"
"1,400 bits sir. Or you would, a stallion came by and paid for them, said it was an early gift for when he sees you later tonight."
Cimmerian's ears flattened in irritation at that, "Did you get a name at least? I'm not a fan of accepting gifts from strangers when there's a war going on, and if you did something to the bracers-"
"I swear on my horn I didn't sabotage them, geeze. You're as paranoid as a cow at a griffon festival," the stallion said with a roll of his eyes. "I think it was one of the Night Wings. They're an old order, predating even Canterlot's founding. They're pretty rigid ponies, but would follow their leader into Tartarus itself if he asked them to. Crimson, their leader, is old money but he's also big on history. I don't think he's going to cause you any trouble, especially if you've got foals hanging on you like you do."
The alicorn bowed respectfully to the stallion.
"Thanks, Runic. I don't know if it's been put out but I came here to offer the thestrals a place if they need it. I'm sure Weaver would love some help with the defensive wards he's designing on the temple."
"Weaver...Shadow Weaver? That fool managed to survive his suici-" the stallions jaw dropped open and he stared at the larger stallion for a moment, his horn blazing as he scanned over Cimmerian. Zelus tensed, but seeing it was a scanning spell relaxed slightly. She still kept her aura focused on a chakram, though.
"I can see it, yea that's his magic in there. Amazing, he laid down the foundations, and a living body, this was the result. The magic involved must have been, I can't even imagine just how he managed to pull it off. There's been no complications, no issues? You don't move like a soul in a golem, so the only answer I can think of is the body is now completely settled, leaving you with an actual flesh and blood container."
"I eat and sleep if that's what your talking about." Cimmerian answered, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"And rut, from what Din showed me," Zelus called out from across the room, inspecting the runes and testing the temperature adjustment controls. She stuck her tongue out at his glare, giggling as she turned her attention back to the bracers.
"Wait, like you can even, oh wow now that's thorough," Runic said with a chuckle.
"I think it has much to do with the fact that I had a lot of magic bound to me as well," Cimmerian said, still scowling at the queen. "I took a hit from the Elements of Harmony, and they left me in the armor. That armor sat in the Everfree for almost half a century, and was saturated in the wild magic there. Between being extracted from an alicorn, being blasted with a powerful source of Order magic, and basting in wild magic for that long, I probably provided a good portion of the used magic myself." Cimmerian told the stallion, watching the gears turn as Runic processed the information.
"Amazing, oh I wish I'd been able to, wait! Do you still have the armor?!?" Runic shouted, his smile turning manic. "The armor was said to have been crafted from pure magic, able to focus the power of its wearer to an incredible degree! It's to inscriptionists and enchanters what the Queen's Chalice is to worshippers of the First Herd."
The alicorn smiled at that, remembering a similar cup from his own past. "I'm sure I can let you take a look at it, if you like. Of course, such a favor would need a form of payment, possibly-"
"Done! I'll have my stuff packed by the day after tomorrow! Just give me a destination, or something I can use to find it. Oh, this is going to be so cool!" the stallion practically shouted, dancing about on his hooves. "See Weaver again, get to tease him about his bad enchantments in college, study the armor, see the world, oh, do you think I could take a look at the arrays on the pony?"
"Maybe at a later time, we do have a rune you can study though. For now, we arrived on the boat from Zarris. If you take a ship there, ask the port master about the Temple. Tell him the dream pimp sent you, that should prove to him you actually spoke to me," Cimmerian said with a grin. Poor Silver may get upset that he'd be stealing away her enchanter.
Walking out into the city with his guards, he moved closer to the changeling, speaking softly.
"You didn't taste anything out of place during the offer, did you? Anything that I should worry about?
"Nothing but childlike wonder and excitement, no," Zelus said with a shake of her head. "He wasn't lying at any point, nor was he planning harm to anyone as far as I could tell."
"Good. Now, let's go get that tree. I also want to pick up a few bells and ornaments to mail to the Temple. The Trading Company should be able to get them to us pretty easily, since they have an office in Zarris. We'll send it all there and pick it up on the way home," he said, turning to her with a easy smile. "Try this if you get surrounded by kids again. If they make a simple request, fill it. If one asks you to turn into me, go ahead and do it. Talk to them Zel, learn how to interact with others. I know it wasn't big before, but even as a guard it can help. Learning how others normally react is useful, as you can spot odd behavior much more easily. Aggression isn't the only thing you need to be able to spot, it's also those who feel too, blank. I remember reading about this a long time ago, but some assassins would learn to cut off their emotions, not providing any killing intent for those sensitive to it to detect."
The queen stared ahead for a few paces, processing the idea. She nodded softly, looking to him for a moment.
"I'll give it a try. It's still, strange to me."
<-(0)->
It was yet another boring day for the Queen of the Temple of the Shadows. Her king was off beyond her reach for the first time since she'd been captured by him, but she could still just make out the presence of her sister. She was calm; irritated but calm, so Din didn't worry for his safety too much. Sure an army might be able to defeat them, but a simple patrol? Cimmerian was smarter than that. He'd not stick around in any area long enough for their enemy to mobilize a large enough force. She trusted him with that.
Walking about the Temple, she sighed in relief at completing the needed forms and requests with Gleam. Even Cadance had stopped by, nabbing a few to help them with what little she was capable of. Soon though, the memories started becoming too much, forcing the pink alicorn to retreat once more. Pandinus was still grateful though, mentally pressing against her charge through the link with a gentle reassurance, making sure the mare didn't freak out too much or spiral anymore.
Speaking of her charge, she was currently headed to check up on the pink mare. She knew Amare was once more with her, but what they were up to, she had to see for herself.
Walking out into the fading sunlight, she smiled brightly at the sight, Cadance and Amare standing at opposite sides of a training field. In the center, four drones rolled around, wrestling for position. It wasn't just a fight between drones though. The drones were her own, true drones that under normal circumstances were all but useless in combat. What drew her smile was that Amare was teaching the alicorn to use the link.
It was a basic game, one Queen Pandinus' own mother had taught her years ago. Two queens, or in most cases a queen and a proto queen, would command several drones, giving them each orders on how to attack, react, and counter their opponent in real time, learning to multitask in a way many creatures couldn't comprehend. Her mother had started her with four drones, and of course had gone easy on her. Her mother could easily command eighty drones fluidly without breaking a sweat, the point was for her daughter to learn. Once Din had improved enough, her mother would add a drone, further dividing her attention, and starting again at an easier level.
The queen had started Amare with two, seeing as how she had no real experience with true drones, and if she pushed herself the proto queen could now utilize six drones before her mind started missing details. That wasn't what caught her eye though. It was the Cadance, the array on the mare's cheek burning brightly as she focused on the drones, giving orders and attempting to get some type of advantage over her adopted daughter's drones.
The drones rolled around, bumping into one another, and eventually devolving into a blob of chitin and fury. Cadance's ears perked in confusion for a moment, before Amare's drones both pinned the other two. It brought a smile to Pandinus' face, knowing exactly what had happened. The alicorn had lost track of them and sent her orders to the wrong drones, drones that were actively being controlled by another queen. The orders would fall on deaf ears, and her own drones would go without, stalling in their movements. Amare had capitalized on the mistake, and won the game, leaving the proto queen to hop around giggling at her victory while Cadance sulked, realizing her mistake.
"Well done for a beginner, much less a pony," Pandinus said cheerfully, drawing both sets of eyes. She looked over to Amare, her grin turning impish. "I see you enjoy winning against someone who is not so adept at our game. Enjoy it while it lasts, little one, we will practice again tonight. Seven drones this time."
As the proto queen's ears splayed in irritation at the perceived punishment, Din turned to Cadance.
"I didn't expect you to try this for a while yet, if you ever did. It's an interesting game, is it not?"
"It's, it's strange. Fun once you get used to it, but it's just so confusing sometimes, especially when you can't tell them apart, or they start sending information back. I think that messed me up a bit too," the pink mare said softly, turning back to the drones. The two that had been pinned moved towards her, standing at attention on either side. It was the ready position for the game, and Din smirked, snatching the other two with her own mind. She trotted over to Amare's position, the drones taking their places on either side of her, and she smiled warmly at the pink alicorn.
"I don't know how much Amare has taught you, so let's see how much you've learned," the queen stated, her drones taking the field. "I won't have you learning something incorrectly, you know. It would reflect poorly on my own image. Do well enough, and I'll have Slop make you something nice for dinner tomorrow. Your choice."
Cadance smiled for a moment before it faded into a look of concentration, the runes on her cheek blazing with energy once more. Her drones moved ahead slowly, taking their positions and readying themselves. At the queen's signal, the battle was joined. Cadance grinned despite the mental load. At least Amare was cheering for her.
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Looks like we got some Thestral Zealots.
Ted might need to give them some nightmares to fix that attitude like Shadow Weaver depending on how this plays out.
So another Cultnundrum is on the way, it appears.
I'm anticipating an assassination attempt, and an attack on the port town. It's just a matter of seeing which happens first.
Do Valantines Day! Wasn't saint Valantine brutally murdered?
neat world building.
Oh dear, Summer picks up a crazed Rune Master, but he wont be activated after the boss battle.
Summer brings null scanning to the table. With Twilight regaining independance, this is going to drive Nightmare nuts as better arrays can track her stuff by looking at everything else and removing it, leaving the stuff never detectably scanned for in plain sight.
Wonder how he is going to find out about the zealots. Then again, even Runes knew about Shadow Weaver? This crew wouldve been of slightly less crazy tryers? I have a pretty good idea tha when he does find out, and finds them, theyre going to Get the Nightmares they so demand. [evil]its going to be a hot time in the cattle trucks tonight. [/evil]
Heh, seeing the remote controlled drone fight like that makes me think of Cimm finding out about it later and having a song come to mind...
Now Cadance needs a Kanto League hat.
Those "special" drones are bombs, aren't they? Hopefully, between Cimm's shadow coverage, Weaver's fortification, and Pan's true hive, they should be okay, right?
Cimm going full on Blood Rage at Twi's Nightmare would be epic, but he would still probably lose at this point.
I gigglesnorted. Much shame was had.
I see where this is goin... The temple will be attacked and Ted will ask the Thestrals for help. And then they repeat that scene of LOTR! Fanfiction of the fanfiction!
I have to say that was a good chapter. I can see that things are moving along nicely in this story. Keep up the good work.
Dragonfox
Welp, Queen Huggle Buzz needs to call for her sister and Cimmerian. Because there are only so many defenses available for them, and they need all they can get. Plus, alicorn blood rage versus twisted pony/drone hybrids that might actually be only slightly more stable than the majority of starved drones that were sent against the griffons.
This chapter was great. I liked the strategy game that Cadence played with the queens and I liked Cimmerian's Christmas spirit and interaction with Rune. Hope to see the next chapter soon to find out what some of the threstal zealots are planning.
6693978 Oh yeah those Zealots step out of line and its going to be scream central. Zalgo, Pinhead, Freddy Kruger,The Thing...
Hellrasier
Even Horizon
Humans dream big which means big nightmares...
Someone forgot the Ultralisk that the temple has? That behemoth-class changeling guy...
Zealots, runes and bug games, oh my! Good stuff.
Please tell me there's going to be some discussion of how runes work sometime soon, it's intriguing.
6694228
I think even Reykan forgot!
6693987 Actually, he'll probably win. The Nightmare can't feed anymore, and is losing strength over time. Twilight is also fighting her mentally for control, so the weaker she gets the less control she has over herself. The Dream Pimp (Heh), however, is gaining strength every day as more and more people become aware that he exists and is doing good and not evil. Right now, he might even be stronger than the Nightmare in terms of Magic. Also, tho he cut it off mostly, he CAN regain all of Luna's experiences and spells as a Warrior Princess Defender. The Nightmare, however, has been cutoff from Twilight's memories, which she relied on to cast all her spells so she never learned the actual spell herself.
So in a 1v1 fight? The Nightmare would probably lose. The problem isn't her tho, it's the nation that she tricked and rules over, and the hidden Changelings she can release to kill everything and everyone if she loses or comes close to losing. The Nightmare would lose the battle, but the destruction and death toll would be so high at the end, she effectively cripples the whole world anyways. They would win, but at what cost?
So proto-queens practice control and coordination of their drones by essentially playing live chess with them as pieces, gradually increasing the number of drones involved?
Here's MY thoughts on the holidays.
… I'm now imagining that, once peace returns after Nightmare Books's defeat, there will be a National Changeling Chess Championship.
Despite everything that happened in the chapter (such as good ol' holiday warm 'n fuzzies), that's all I can think about now.
6694353
Less 'Live Chess' and more 'remote wrestling match' or 'Pokémon Battle'. Except instead of shouting commands for discrete attacks, it's assuming direct control of multiple Drones.
Which, is why I posted the Pokémon theme in a previous post. Only thing missing is Cimmerian recognizing the similarities and turning it into a sport.
Which is funny because Pokémon evolved from... [Pause and glance around for comedy] ...capturing and forcing bugs to fight.
6694228 Did they not place him in the mine/ outside the temple grounds (I don't really remember) because he was so huge
? And he is not actively being used because he is so cost inefficient (althought that is no longer a problem, maybe he works in the mine 
?), oh dear the Equestrian attackers is in for a suprise 
.
6694415 This is what I thought of when I read your comment:
6694415 Pokemon sits somewhere between animal cruelty and slavery, if you think about it.
~Crystalline Electrostatic~
11:21_12/3/2015
Awesome.
6694448 Yes, though lets be honest, if they didn't want to do at least a little, there isn't jack someone could do to make them. Unless you go superdark with your headcanon.
Drone 13, please return to the Drone Bay.
All hell is about to break loose from the looks of it.
Ah, Christmas. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work, and a Merry Christmas.
6694312 Jeez you do realize what the term ace up your sleeve is right because that is exactly what that thing is.
6694360
Jesus... That escalated quickly.
6694519 if what I recall from pokemon lore is correct it originally was a lot darker in the beginning of the pokemon world as the TV show and movies know it.
6693922 Oh, there's two different types of zealots, two different flavors if you will. He also only knows about one type, and it was from a secondary source. He'll meet the one type later that day, but the other is not going to confront him, not on purpose anyway.
6693946 I'll be honest, I keep wanting someone to do a HiE where the ponies accuse humans of being monsters, and the human tells them about greek myth for pegasi. I think I read something about pegasi kidnapping children and feeding them to their young, while unicorns stabbed those who lacked purity with their horns.
6693987 Nightmare Books is teching up, she's gone from zerglings to banelings
6694228 More along the lines of their Odin. They only have one, and I never played that thing too casually. I either used it when I was desperate or used it when I was sure I wouldn't lose it.
6694448 Pokémon black and blue version by PETA lol
Wait, "step on"? Those new drone mark 4s aren't...foals/nymphs, are they?
Please say I'm wrong.
Will his kids grow up being told Santa Paws brings them presents?
Poor Tuna, so far from home and his family possibly dead from age. Unless the Nightmare went on a killing spree, then things would be a would have been a little quicker.
Would this tale miss anything from the difference in cultures? It seems pretty self-contained but there are probably some things like trees and roast that ponies wouldn't get.
Are these drones safe from being controlled by a free changeling queen? This could be an oversight the Mad Queen doesn't expect cause the changeling are so close to extinction.
I sense somepony is part of a death cult. This is NOT a good thing.
SIlver, YOU MASSIVE CUNT! At least she isn't gonna sell Tuna out.
Ok, maybe it's not Silver. Sorry Silver.
Sorry Silver, you're not a cunt (but that other one is).
Hmmm, what is Crimson's story? Is he a griffon that didn't join the Talons for some reason?
Hatchlings and foals are like happy batteries.
OH-HO! Could wrap foals up as presents for the changeling queens! They are like happy pills!
You are having a lot of fun with the cute, perky changeling queen.
I like this analogy, it is very vivid.
Heh, the ol' suicide plan switcheroo...
Thank you Zel for that interesting addition.
More religious stuff, much world building.
Wow.
It's the clay one!
There are teleporter runes somewhere, so maybe something could be made.
She is kinda like a mail order bride.
When the runes were first introduced, I thought they were on her scalp.
Here it is, Chapter 42:
"He moved to take the queens hooves away when the queen brushed a part of the alicorn's ragged mane back, revealing a strange scar burned into the mare's fur."
It is not stated as being on the scalp but it does feel implied.
Treating Cadance like a child here. Seems a little strange.
6694830
What?... In Greek Mythology (and therefore, originally), there never were "pegasI"; Pegasus is the name of a winged horse sired by Poseidon. The term "pegasi" as the concept for the "species" of mythical winged horses(/ponies) was later back-formed from this name.
Looks like somepony got bit by the Holiday Bug... and I don't mean Zel or Din in Santa Mare outfits... or do I?
Looks like Cadance is getting a little bit used to being part-Changeling now. I wonder if Trixie will end up the same once she breaks through her programming. They would probably provide a better link for pony-changeling relations in the future than even Tuna's and Din's marriage.
6694830 There's also the Wild Mares of Diomedes, who ate humans before Heracles tamed them or killed them depending on the source
So I guess all the queens would love real time strategy games.
Just as long as they got to use more than one mouse at once.
I hope Din is on her toes. A very happy pregnant Din might be at a disadvantage.
Heh, Din is turning Cadence's weakness into a strength. Queen Nightmare's karma is getting back at her good.
New game; high-speed chess with drones as the pieces. No one transform, you gotta remember their role.
New game; Changeling Ballet of death. Make a number of drones have a "social" dance/event thing going. Each wear a colored tag (4-5+ colors). If they lose their tag they "die". You gotta eliminate a specific color to win while defending another color to avoid losing... while keeping the dance up and preferably while doing it subtly enough not to give away wich color you protect/hunt. It also opens up the game for more than two controllers. A big game of Bluff, observation, coordination and strategy ect ect.
Those new Mk4 Evul Drones seem.. volatile. Either as suicide bombers or some sort of pseudo-berserkers with an hair-trigger. Their deployment sound very risky and unreliable if they are that sensitive. Hopefully they will mess something up or get detected early.
6694448 It would, if they hadn't worldbuilt to the point where pokemon are less RL animals with powers and more alien eldritch abominations that view humans as a safe way to have the fights they already love so much anyways; if a pokemon doesn't like fighting, well, they can migrate to one of the no-fighting-zones like the Tree of Beginning...
At least, that's how it is in the anime. The Games and Magna are overall darker.
Oh, those poor fools. If they only knew what their Dark Deity is really like I doubt they'd be so quick to proclaim their worship of her.
And now I wonder what devilry Twinight has cooked up. Those new changeling drones sound like bad news. I'm guessing they're either berserkers, living suicide bombs or both. Unpleasant opponents either way.
Keep up the good work :)
6694448 Actually, something that most people seem to not know, is that even if Pokemon Trainers didn't exist, Pokemon would still fight with each-other, a lot. Pokemon naturally want to fight, hell, how do you think wild Pokemon get to higher levels? Also, it isn't slavery. Pokemon and their Trainers don't have a relationship of subservience, it's a lot more akin to friendship and trust. The Pokemon help Trainers ward off threats and protect them, and in return, the Trainers heal their Pokemon when they get hurt and train them to be stronger so that they won't be hurt in the future.
Also, do you really think that a children's game would have animal abuse and slavery in it? Nintendo covers their freaking bases when it comes to these kind of subjects.
"Celestia and Luna are loyal to their country first, even when it betrays them. This one though, he doesn't care what you are. That's a changeling queen following him, Crimson, and she does so willingly! They never even show up in public, yet here is one, acting as his bodyguard. If even a changeling queen, as flighty as they are, is willing to follow his lead and guard him with her life,
Ironic sense human are the only species ( no matter what color they are) on are planet