Several stallions murmured as they strolled through the underbrush of the forest's edge. Before them, glistening in the dying glow of the sunset, was a bulbous cigar of a metal manaship, its rear thrusters still glowing from the full day of flight that had brought the bounty hunter's vehicle there. Many of the Aurum residents shook in their horseshoes, giving each other nervous glances.
Crimson, however—with Tweak's shoulder to lean on—strolled forward through the high grass and bushes. Once they were both ten paces from the craft, he raised a hoof. Tweak let go and Crimson limped a few lonely steps until he stood a safe ten feet from the foreboding, slender vehicle.
"Spark alive," he grumbled. "From the way they build their flying machines, I can tell just how much they secretly miss stallions."
"Huh?" Tweak did a double-take.
"Never mind," Crimson muttered, then sighed. "Sometimes, I really do miss Zenith."
"Who?" The farm stallion stood beside him. "You've still lost me, friend."
"That's quite alright," Crimson said. "We are all lost in the shadow of Ledo, until we make our own light." He turned about. "That said, some are more gifted than others." He broke a slight smile. "Tell me, in all the times that Aeterna assaulted your humble village, did she ever attempt tackling an entire group of you?"
Tweak blinked. He looked back at the dozen fellow farmhooves and they all shrugged in crystalline complexity. "Actually, no," Tweak said, clearing his throat as he glanced back at Crimson. "We all held back for safety's sake. Besides, that metal mare was always pulling us out one at a time. Her visits rarely lasted more than a few minutes."
Crimson nodded slowly. "And that's how the likes of stallions such as Lucky Strike were taken..."
Tweak's answer was to hang his head in somber fashion.
Crimson gulped and glanced again at the ship. "Well, I think there's a more complicated reason for that."
"Oh?"
"Seems like most souls foreign to Aurum have an issue with crystal ponies in general. I don't know exactly what type of power you equines possess, but it doesn't exactly seem friendly to diamond dogs, Searonese, and even unicorns such as myself."
"It's an unpredictable world that we live in, Mr. Crimson," Tweak said. "Unicorns aren't the only creatures capable of harboring magic."
"Oh, I quite well know that," Crimson said. "The Council of Ledo has been... mmm..." He shifted uncomfortably in the grass. "...fond of tapping into the metaphysical abilities of buffalo, rams, deer, anteloupes... you name it."
"That's all rather interesting," Tweak droned, glancing behind him shiftily. "Now will you kindly tell us what we're doing out here?"
"What if the magic of crystal ponies can overwhelm more than just the bodies of metal mares?" Crimson narrowed his gaze. "What if it can affect their technology as well?"
"Huh...?"
"Mr. Tweak, I think we both know that there's more to the abduction of Aurum stallions than just big game and breeding," Crimson said in a serious tone.
The ponies behind Tweak murmured amongst themselves in contemplation of that. Tweak took a deep breath and said, "So what are you suggesting we do?"
"This morning at the breakfast table," Crimson said. "You and your family were glowing like the sun. Just what brings that about?"
"Quite frankly, Mr. Crimson, it's our natural state," Tweak said. "Crystal ponies are accustomed to stifling it. After all, Aurum gets plenty of merchants travelling through here. Not everypony who visits our town are attempting to abduct or enslave the populace."
"Could you revert back to that state right now?" Crimson asked, then motioned with his skull towards the manacraft. "Meanwhile, getting close to the metal mare's ship? Within reason, of course..."
Tweak blinked at the aircraft, then squinted at Tweak. "To what end?"
"I think we'll all find out."
Tweak glanced back at the other stallions. They muttered calmly and nodded in approval. He looked again at Crimson. "And what of you?"
Crimson gulped and found a tall tree to lean against. "I'll take my chances." He raised his right stub of a forelimb. "I-I think we both know that I've been through worse."
Tweak inhaled slowly, his crystal nostrils flaring. "Well, alright." He motioned towards the other stallions. The herd trotted forward in one accord, and soon the gathered farmhooves of Aurum were standing in a half-circle before the slender Searonese vessel. They planted their limbs firmly against the ground and took on meditative expressions. Then—like a beam of light was bouncing through them—they concentrated.
A flickering glow wafted across the forested clearing as—one by one—the crystal ponies lit up like the bulbs of a Hearth's Warming Tree. Crimson shuddered instantly, gripping to the tree for support. He watched in a dizzied haze as the phalanx of stallions pulsed in succession, their manes glittering like copper filaments heated to the burning point.
Soon, the luminescent aura was rivaling the sunset. The blades of grass swayed under sudden vibrance, as if errant sprites were shooting up from the ground. A spark of something bright—like lightning—darted across the nearby row of trees.
Crimson gasped. He flung a glance towards the manaship. In his blurry vision, he saw another spark—this time running across the body of the ship. Finally, after several more bright flashes, a whirring noise emanated from deep within. The glowing stallions stumbled back, watching in shock as a door to the side of the vessel slid open, its motorized servos making ugly noises—like a metal cat hacking up a furball.
"Alright! That's enough!" Tweak exclaimed, waving a hoof up high. "We did it! For our friend's sake, let's simmer down!"
One by one, the bodies of the crystal ponies went dull. The glow faded away, and shadows returned to the forest clearing on the fringe of the dying day. Every stallion muttered in amazement at the sight of the opened aircraft.
Crimson was struggling to walk upright, still wrought with dizziness.
"Are you okay?" Tweak asked, helping him stand up straight.
"Yes. I do believe so," Crimson murmured, stumbling for a brief moment. "Whew... the technology really doesn't stand a chance against you, does it? No wonder these 'Killas' don't want to get close to Aurum."
"I feel so utterly foolish," Tweak muttered, shaking his head. "If I had known that gathering in our purest state would have stopped Aeterna from the get-go..."
"She never gave you the chance to know," Crimson remarked, patting Tweak's shoulder. "That's the thing about oppressors. Their power is not in their weaponry or in their technology, but in their ability to intimidate. She preyed upon you in small numbers because that's all that she could afford to do. The rest was an illusion that she projected... and also depended on."
Tweak gritted his teeth while punching a nearby tree. "Nnnngh... Lucky Strike!" He sighed and hung his head. "It's all my fault." At the sound of hooves trotting against metal, he glanced aside. His eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?"
"Investigating," Crimson said, having entered the interior of the vessel. He snooped around, slowly gazing through the darklit cockpit and bounty hold. A whistle escaped his lips. "This is intricate stuff. I've seen hovercraft manufactured by the Council of Ledo with less refinement than this. The Searonese have a talent—that much can't be denied."
"Earth ponies are known for their ambition," Tweak said as he and a few other stallions gathered at the entrance to the dormant vessel. They peered nervously inside as he said, "Especially when they're bloodthirsty, violent, radical matriarchs—"
"They're all punks," Crimson muttered, leaning over the controls of the cockpit. "Even the crafty ones—like the mare that took my friend south." He thought aloud, glancing at a blinking diode located in the center of the controls. "Hmmm... The thing still has power. I'm willing to bet that there's a backup mana battery."
"And?" Tweak remarked, suddenly standing behind Crimson. "What does that mean?"
Crimson gave him a double-take. "Uhm... Simply that it'll recover from the energy you and your friends put out soon enough." He cleared his throat. "What... are you doing in here?"
"I could ask the same of you," Tweak said.
"I'm figuring out the controls of this thing so that I might activate the security override," Crimson said. "I have every intention of flying this thing south."
"I figured as much," the farm stallion said. "And what then?"
"Huh?"
"Do you plan on storming into the headquarters of the metal mares on three limbs and a prayer?" Tweak's crystal brow furrowed. "You've done far too many heroic things to end it in a single charge, no matter how glorious."
Crimson sighed. "I was fortunate to have landed in your good hospitality, but this has been my personal quest from the start."
"It's been your personal quest for a while now, but then you made the silly mistake of showing us how to stand up to the likes of Aeterna."
Crimson blinked. "What... are you getting at?"
"Would you truly wish to know?" Tweak sat back on his haunches and folded his forelimbs with a smirk. "Very well. Let me fill you in, soldier..."
Ok. GG.
Best update today.
....0_o
I knew we'd get a fitting conclusion to this crapfic eventually.
...The fuck?
Finally!!!! That ending was amazing! The way all of those flash backs came together to reveal the hidden agenda that had been playing out under our noses the whole time was simply incredible.
And I've got to give props to the animation department. The unique style and fluidity has been remarkable. The quality never showed any signs of dropping.
This is absolutely the greatest opera I have ever seen.
EDIT: I still can't get used to it, every time I see that gold box around my name I feel like a tool.
I hate 1st April.
Good at least, that you can't see what happened with Polish version of EQD...
Quick! Somebody find some cheesy anime ending music!
Best I've got offhand:
That writing seems awfully familiar...
I think this guy is just trying to emulate the vastly more popular and talented Shortskirtsandexplosions.
Unfavourited and unfollowed.
Get your own writing style, jerk.
#YOLO
.................wut? That was unexpected. I LIKE IT!!! How are you doing Pinkie Pie? It has been a while.
EDIT: the old chapter is gone, I miss it, but this one was still good. Go Crimson and Tweak.
So....
How's the rest of the crew doing?
2357962 they obviously got pulled into the wormhole Pinkie just opened up. now RD uses this to teleport to the midnight armory and becomes a god.
Damn it Crimson, WAKE UP! YOU'RE HAVING A NIGHTMARE!
I can't even sum this up with a bad advertisement. What have you done, man?!
Still, can't argue with a conclusive ending like that. Guess I won't have to worry about constantly checking the site to read your update anymore.
Wait. Damnit, that ending didn't say that at all! It said "onward to daily updates," like a true wanker!
Screw it, I am leaving. Find someone else to give you a commercial breaks, product placement and rant about wankers.
Nasty Mister Monket has been brought to you by Mobil industrial lubricants.
Good day.
Best ending ever.
LOLWUT!?!?
The sheer effort put into this chapter was astounding. The writing style is simply unreal, and among the best I've seen on this site. Also, thanks for not putting in any references to video games or other fics in there; it made my day. I also like how every character in this chapter was a pony: HiE is never a good thing to introduce halfway through a story. Nice job!
...
...
Goddammit, Scolon.
This is by far one of the most deep and complex pieces of literature I have ever come across. The tension snapped by the arrival of the UFO—a clear metaphor for alienation of culture vis a vis propaganda—leads into a deliciously poignant moment of pinpoint subtext that evokes the reader's empathy in such a way that they are able to truly achieve nirvana and enlightenment via the political and spiritual statements therein. Chun-Li obviously comes to represent humanity's ancient, primal urges juxtaposed with Rainbow Dash's symbolism as humanity's evolution of culture into a post-modern mindset that revels in irony and meta-humor, simultaneously approaching subjects with faux sardonic skepticism such that they both enjoy and distance themselves from topics. Applejack provides the folly to James' quest, and represents a truly regressive mentality that starkly contrasts both Rainbow and Crimson's own.
Obviously we can gather from this excerpt that the Midnight Armory has actually been inside Rainbow Dash the whole time, and all she needed was to reach down deep inside to discover her true self and find her true love to live happily ever after.
Well, now I feel stupid about buying a FimFiction Gold Account. This was my favorite story, and he's just decided to end it at the very beginning of the third installment. Now we just have to wait for Michael Bay to make a movie adaptation and it will be 100% ruined.
wat
Dafuq?
I knew it. It was the aliens.
It's always the aliens.
Seems legit.
I would love to write a fancy review now, but all the good ones are taken. Well, I don't care, I'm still a gold member. I'll get myself some lackey to do the writing for me. Expect a twenty-page review written by George R. R. Martin in the next few days.
Side note: ceterum censeo Searinem delendam esse. Furthermore, I consider that Searo must be destroyed.
2358317
There's going to be a Michael Bay adaptation? That's gotta be 40% Cooler...
Mind = Blown
It all fits together! Omg I can't believe that I missed so many obvious undertones in this fic. I just wish it wasn't ending so soon.
derpicdn.net/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTIvMTAvMzEvMTVfNDRfNDRfNzk0XzEzNzc5MF9fVU5PUFRfXyJdXQ/137790__safe_applejack_image-macro_reaction-image_oh-you.png.png
Okay, ):(, I want you to have a big cheeseburger for dinner tonight, then wash it down with a large soda and a slice of Pecan Pie a la Mode. Then, go to bed early.
2358389
For the HiE thing. Everything else, I could care less. From what I heard, last year's April Fools was better done.
UFO Ending is always the best ending.
Damn aliens. They're always about conquering and destroying.
This makes absolutely no sense, because I'm reading it a day late.
2358417
I hate to break it to you, but I don't see you as a gold member. But then again, I see myself as a gold member, when I have absolutely no right to be one, so maybe my internet is doing a fail.
This is Australia...
235770725.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzghuhReaL1qd61tco1_1280.jpg
Well, that generated enough Wat.s to power the internet for the next three years. Well done, you just solved the power crisis.
Man. That was an unexpected ending to the series.
I guess it's time to pack up and leave. Darn.
Haha bamn!!!!!
And why is my nsme gold?!
Oh my god....you killed off the entirety of Cyprus Hill!!! Why in Rainbow's Metal Mare Filled Vagina would you do that?
The whole reason Pinkie lived was because of their Hispanic awesomeness!!!
Words cannot express how much I laughed at this.
I just realized the title is about Skirts' relationship with Austraeoh.
Ah, poop, I missed the joke end. All I got was that there were UFO's involved to some extent Well, the real chapter was lovely, in any case. Looks like Crimson is possibly gaining a party member. Well, until tomorrow!
2361304
Eeyup. I'm suddenly ungoldified. Which is a good thing.
This is Australia...
Alright, normal mode now.
Looks like Crim and Tweak might be teaming up...
I demand to know where this chapter has went! >:[
i45.tinypic.com/27wvtzd.jpg
:P
*finished reading the real chapter*
but but...
the previous one was epicly good and probably better than best!
meh, whatever.
Onward to daily updates~! :D
Wait a second....this isn't the chapter that was here a moment ago!
What is going on?! I thought we were finished!
2361671 It was an April's Fools.
The Real Deal:
If there's one thing to really say about these protagonists, it's that they're certainly driven. Guess it's time to find out just how long a unicorn can survive while getting baked alive by crystal mana.
Could you see if they entered darkstine?
Troubled inquiry : Why has crystal outtrotter who would destroy what industry holds dear come to darkstine?
"Tweak blinked at the aircraft, then squinted at Tweak."
OH. MY. GOD. THE CHRYSTAL PONIES ARE ASEXUAL. RUUUUN!!!!
Oh come on.
Well, well, well. It begins! About to send a giant Crystal Pony EMP into the heart of Searo, are we? Guess what will be going down there any minute now?
Oh yes. Oh yes! I can smell it coming! Oh, it will be glorious! All my dreams are about to be fulfilled and then I will be able to die in peace! C'mon, bust 'em, Scolon. I know you want to.
Furthermore, I consider that Searo must be destroyed.