Discord server, PS5, and Monthly Update, Oh My! · 3:40am Jul 1st, 2022
Lots to cover today, so let's get to it!
First, after Midnight Arrow asked if I had a discord server or not, I thought on it a bit and decided 'Hey, why not? It might be fun!' and so created a new server! The link below this paragraph will lead to the server, so if any of my readers want to pay it a visit or hang out and chat, just pop on over and say hi. Note, I have NEVER done this before, so if there are any problems please just let me know. When you join, you should be able to see the 'meet and greet' channel as well as the rules and announcements channel, but not the rest of the channels. This is because most of the channels need a role to see them, so just send me a quick message in discord or leave one in the meet and greet channel and I will do my best to assign you a role as quickly as I can (this process is just a minor security feature to prevent raid and other nonsense to the main channels of the server, so thank you for your patience). I hope you all check it out if you have a chance.
Second, after a long month of searching, my brother and I managed to nab two PS5s at our nearby gamestop for pro-day! I can finally play Demon's Souls and other games that I have been waiting for! For everyone still looking, don't give up!
And finally, story updates. My new job is an overnight job that actually lets me have a lot of free time, so I've had more luck working on stories both new and old. The next chapters of How to Meet the Parents and Freedom Shall Ring are next on the docket, though I also have some of the next two chapters of Spero also in the works along side my new G5 story that I hinted at last time. To celebrate my Discord server and PS5, I figured I'd treat you to some hints from each of these stories! Enjoy.
How to Meet the Parents:
“What incident?” Twilight asked innocently, prompting a chuckle from Aaron.
“Despite Swifty being more practiced as scaring ponies due to her role as a guard instructor, I tend to get more, let’s say extreme reactions. One year for Nightmare Night, Flash had dressed up as a Royal Guard-“
“And he was so cuuuuuuute!” Swifty squealed. “I even managed to convince a friend of mine to temporarily shrink my armor so Flashie could wear it as his costume!”
“Minus the sword,” Aaron said in a tone indicating that there was definitely a story there but that they would not be bringing it up again. “Anyway, because he was wearing Swifty’s armor, he wanted me to tell him the scariest story I could think of, saying that Royal Guard’s weren’t scared of anything. I didn’t, but I did tell him one that I thought was a little bit scarier than he was used to. To set the mood, the only light on was a flashlight I held below my chin.
“Flash was very, very into the story. He did his best to remain calm, even as the armor clanked at every little shiver he made. He did very well for a nine-year-old colt. However, when I got to the end of the story, rather than finishing it, I instead turned off my flashlight right at the final moment, leapt into the air, and landed behind him with a solid THUD! Flash screamed, and when I turned the light back on, he was gone. Any guesses as to where he ended up?”
“Behind the couch?” Twilight guessed, earning a headshake from Aaron.
Spero:
“Anypony who makes you look bad is fine by my book!” Sarge happily exclaimed. “Now come on, the exit is right there. We just need to open that door—”
BANG!!!
Without warning, the metal door in front of them was bucked clean off its hinges, forcing the three solders to dodge the heavy metal projectile as it was sent cartwheeling down the hallway.
“Door’s open, Sarge,” Grind Stone groaned sarcastically as he slowly got back to his hooves.
“What in tarnation!?” Sarge exclaimed, leaping back to his hooves and pointing his weapon at the open door. The pony standing in the ruined frame immediately sent a shiver down Grind Stone’s spine.
It was the maniac that had punted him across the training fired the day before: Tempest Shadow. She was wearing a full set of purely black armor, including a helmet that was strangely bearing the symbol of the Storm King on it. And she was looking at them with a grin that could only be described as predatory.
“Why did you do that!?” Simmer cried in shock. Tempest just chuckled.
“Because, my dear little ponies,” she said, her voice sounding just like that of an evil super villain. “Since you failed to reach the end in under fifteen minutes, this stealth exercise has now been upgraded to a combat exercise. Against me!”
“So, I suppose the only question left to ask is,” Tempest said, cracking her neck as Grind Stone felt all the blood drain from his face and pure adrenaline began to flood his every cell. “Who’s first?”
Freedom Shall Ring:
“I do,” Flash said finally. “And, I…I haven’t really talked to anyone outside my family about him too much but I…think I would like to tell you about him.” The words felt like they were addressed to himself as much as they were to Twilight, but it helped, a little. “He was a good pony, and I always feel that he’s still with me.” He unfurled a wing, showing the device attached it. He could still feel the lightning softly dancing along the retracted blades with his own magic, a gentle hum that was always there. Almost as though his dad was still there, gently guiding his wings through the appropriate motions.
“If I remember him, then he’s never really gone,” he whispered to himself.
“What was his name?” Twilight asked gently, pulling his focus away from his wing blades. “What did he look like? And what did he do in Cloudsdale? You mentioned that he was important?”
“Aaron Cosmos,” Flash said, smiling as the image of his father quickly came to his mind. “He was the tallest pegasus I have ever seen, to the point where I would always try and climb on his head when we went out into the city, just so I could get a better view.” He chuckled – he also used to grab his dad’s ears to try and steer him towards the ice cream shop. “His mane was a dark blue that always reminded me of these flowers he would bring Mom. His eyes were a vibrant purple, almost like yours, and his cutie mark was of a giant pink flower with six huge petals, one he said was given to others as a sign of gratitude for all they had done for you. As for his job, well…he was a gardener.”
G5 Story:
Just a normal unicorn with a pair of saddlebags, one who’s only daughter just so happened to be an earth pony. An earth pony that, if Star was lucky, would get to meet her mother this very day. If only she could get her legs to move in the direction of Maretime bay.
“Hi new friend!”
“EEEEEEEKKKK!!!” Star squealed as she instinctively jumped sideways away from the loud noice! This was followed immediately by a loud pop, and suddenly her hooves were on solid ground again.
On the opposite side of the pond…
Oops! Not again! Why does my horn keep doing that?! I couldn’t even make a spark before, so why am I casting spells that require years of study to supposedly pull off? Did all those books I read on magic actually have some sort of effect on me even when I couldn’t cast?
“Ooooooo, you can teleport?” The pony now standing on the other side of the pond asked excitedly. “I’m still working on spells like that. So far I can only make things levitate and glow.” She said, pouting slightly before brightening, “Though it has made my art projects soooo much easier to finish.”
“Y-Yes, I can teleport, but I don’t actually know…how,” Star said, taking a second to get her heart rate back down to a reasonable number. “I’ve had, surges since I got my magic back, and a lot of the time magic just…happens.” With the pounding in her chest dying down, Start took a moment to observe her guest.
The unicorn across from her was a brilliant violet with a wavy blue mane that was somehow both chaotic and organized at the same time. Her dark purple hooves made almost no noise as she happily hopped around the pond back towards Star, her purple eyes glowing with a light of happy curiosity that reminded her so much of Argyle.
She also had a rather beautiful bracelet made of gems around her left forehoof that glowed softly in the sunlight. It reminded Star of the crystals back home and how they had all started glowing again once magic had returned. It had made her return to Bridlewood amazing compared to the gloomy trot she was used to.
im an xbox man myself
5669290
I was for a while too, but I have a gaming laptop and most Xbox games I can just play on the computer.
I own a PS5, but it was almost dead within a year of purchase. Fortunately, I got a replacement from Sony because it was still under warranty! Keep track of these things so you don't have to buy another...
5669495
Will do. Any particular reason it was almost dead?
5669553
The Wi-Fi Card in my game system was dead. But I don't know how that happened...
5669728
Still good to know. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for problems. Thanks for the warning
From the text of Freedom Shall Ring, I’m getting the impression that Aaron’s life came to an end. If I’m right, I hope it doesn’t happen by some horrible tragic incident.
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This will be cleared up in the coming arc of the story, and as much as I want to say more, I won't spoil it.