//------------------------------// // Sheut [Part 3] // Story: Stargate: Shangri-La // by Grey Ghost //------------------------------// Dr. Jackson, the group of soldiers, and the hive of changelings watched the strange Jumper for any signs of life. Their breath caught in their throats as the ship's door opened. A flurry of smoke poured out of the back, splitting into three clouds. They hovered at the cave mouth before condensing into a trio of jet-black ponies. One seemed like a silhouette of a unicorn, the next a pegasus and the final one was an earth pony. Each one had a set of glowing eyes that shined bright in the dark cave. "Ponies made of shadow, now I've seen everything," Jackson muttered under his breath. "We know you're in there, insects," the unicorn spoke, her tone reminding Daniel of the Goa'uld. "Present yourselves or we'll bring this cave down on your heads." "You heard them, let's present ourselves," Dr. Jackson said, raising his pistol. "Does anyone have a flashbang?" The queen passed Razor to one of her drones, walking into sight, her head bowed. "Greetings, shadowed ones, what brings you to my hive?" "There has been activity with the Astria Porta, we are in the midst of questioning the village. Did you activate the portal?" the pegasus interrogated. "Of course not," the queen assured her, "we know better than to break your rules." "Someone must have activated it, and the device that operates the portal is closer to your hive than it is to the village," the earth pony argued. "Are you calling me a liar?" "We will call you whatever we wish," the unicorn said, her horn lighting up. "You are a queen only among changelings." The queen hissed, but kept herself under control. "Now, do you know anything about the activation of the portal?" "Not in the slightest," the queen insisted. "We will have to question your entire hive," the pegasus said, taking a step towards the queen. "Why? We speak with one mind." The queen frowned, holding her ground. "But their will is easier to break if you are lying," the Earth pony replied with a laugh. "You will not hurt my children!" the queen snarled, flaring her wings out. "No harm will come to them if we believe what they tell us," the pegasus assured the queen as she stepped to the mouth of the cave. "And we will be thorough," the earth pony added. "Should I throw that flashbang now?" Higgs asked, unclipping the grenade from his belt as he looked at Daniel. "Think it'll work?" Daniel asked, watching the scene carefully. "They are made of shadow," Higgs said, "a bright flash of light might do more than bullets." "I have given you an answer," the queen spat, "if you do not find it satisfying then that's not my problem." "It will be your problem," the pegasus growled, stepping closer towards the rest of the hive. She growled back, her horn glowing. "You can use the flashbang now," Daniel said, motioning at Higgs. Higgs nodded, tossing it out at their hooves. "What in the name of Gro...?" The unicorn was cut off as the flashbang went off and the three shadow ponies along with the queen hissed in pain. The bodies of the shadow ponies twisted and distorted, almost threatening to burst into shadows once more. A couple of drones rushed out, grabbing their disoriented queen while the shadow ponies were paralyzed. They quickly returned her into the cave, letting her feed on some love energy to help her recover. "If anyone else has flashbangs, use them now!" Daniel ordered. The other soldiers compiled, tossing out several more. The shadow unicorn regained her senses, summoning up a wall of red crystal to deflect the flashbangs. The flashbangs went off harmlessly, though Daniel couldn't say that about his ringing ears. "Well, this just makes things more difficult," he grumbled. "Higgs, you're in charge now. I'm not a tactician." "Is there another way out of here?" Higgs asked, turning to the queen. "Yes, I can lead you to one," the queen said with a nod. "You know they're going to retaliate against you for this," Daniel frowned. "Why didn't you turn us over?" "You returned my son to me safely," the queen stated simply. "We do not betray those who would do something like that for our hive. Now come." She turned and started to trot quickly into the cave. Daniel followed after her, internally debating their options. The shadow ponies would definitely seek revenge and he doubted the changelings would survive. "How long would it take you to evacuate your people?" "It would be a matter of minutes," the queen replied. "It would be even faster had I not laid a clutch of eggs recently." "Okay," Daniel nodded, looking at the soldiers. "I need one of you to run back to the gate and dial the city." "I can do that sir," one soldier said, running off. "I was going to tell him to tell Carter to expect at least a hundred guests..." Daniel muttered, shaking his head. "How far is it to the village?" He turned to the queen. "Not far, a ten minute flight for us," the queen replied. "And on hoof it would be a little under an hour." "Okay, okay." Higgs looked over his shoulder, back toward the shadow ponies. "We need to get the changelings out of here and try and save the village." He looked amongst the group. "Does anyone besides Private Kirk have the Ancient gene?" "I do, sir," one soldier chimed in. "The tech isn't as responsive with me as it is with Kirk, but I can get a Jumper in the air." "Alright then, Nomura, you're with me," Higgs smirked. "Let's steal us a Jumper." "I've still got flashbangs sir," another soldier chimed in, handing them to Higgs. "You'll need them more than we will." Higgs nodded, clipping them to his vest. "Kirk, you're with Doctor Jackson, get eyes on that village asap." "You got it," Kirk replied. "Come on, everyone, double time!" The group split apart, the changelings fleeing their home. The queen personally retrieved her eggs, cradling them close to her chest. Higgs and Nomura found cover mere feet from the shadow ponies. "Make a run for the Jumper," Higgs said. "I'll provide covering fire." Corporal Nomura bolted for the shadow ponies' Jumper. The shadow ponies turned toward Nomura and Higgs lobbed a flash bang directly in the middle of them. "Cursed monkey!" the unicorn hissed, barely managing to raise a crystal wall. "We're humans, not monkeys," Higgs said with a smirk, tossing a flashbang over the wall. "I figured you'd wanna know what to yell while we're kicking your inky asses!" They shrieked in pain, the wall crumbling away. The earth pony snarled, barreling towards Higgs. Higgs pulled out his stunner and fired it right between the earth pony's glowing eyes. The earth pony exploded into shadow, blowing right past Higgs. "Nomura, stunners are a viable option!" Higgs shouted, firing the stunner at the few wriggling wisps of shadow that had been the Earth pony. The unicorn threw up another wall, protecting her ailing comrade. "What rock did you hide under all these years?" she demanded, her eyes starting to produce purple smoke. "Ah, ah, ah," Higgs said, lobbing another flashbang over the crystal wall, "you didn't say the magic word." "Your words do not amuse me." It came careening back at him, going off at his feet. "Shit," Higgs said, staggering as there were spots in his eyes and a ringing in his ear. "Nomura better be close to that Jumper," he muttered as he started blindly firing his stunner in the direction of the shadow ponies as his vision slowly returned. A strong gust of wind sent him stumbling, nearly knocking his stunner out of his hands. Higgs gritted his teeth and stood his ground, digging his feet in the dirt as he kept firing. "Sir! Jumper is ready!" Nomura's voice called out. Higgs started running towards the sound of Nomura's voice. Just as he was entering the Jumper, a crystal shard launched by the shadow unicorn embedded itself in his leg. Higgs cried out in pain as the Jumper started to rise. "Get on the horn with Doctor Jackson and meet up with them," Higgs ordered as he clutched his wound. While Higgs and Nomura were fighting the shadow ponies, Daniel, the rest of the soldiers, and the changelings were running through the network of caves. Before joining the Stargate program, this kind of activity would have had Daniel huffing and puffing, but years of running for his life had conditioned his body. "I really didn't miss the running..." Daniel muttered to himself checking his sidearm for what had to be the eighth time. Granted, he had no idea if it would actually harm things made out of shadow, but it was reassuring nonetheless. "Shield your eyes!" the queen instructed. "We are almost out of the caves!" Daniel took her advice, cringing as a few rays of light hit his eyes. They all slowed down slightly as they went down a gentle slope leading out of the cave and into a field. "If we keep this pace, we will be at the village before an hour passes!" the queen assured. "That's probably going to be too late if those shadow ponies are already in the village," Daniel replied, blinking his eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight. "Our other option would be for us to teleport all of you," the queen replied. "Though it will cause some nausea and disorientation due to the number of you and the distance." "Can't be any worse than gate travel," Daniel replied, giving her a nod. "As you wish." The queen nodded in return, a sickly purple ring of flame appearing around them. Before Daniel could ask what was going on, they sank into the ground, only to be expelled at the village outskirts. "Okay, that was worse than gate travel," Daniel muttered, clutching his head. "I warned you," the queen responded, checking on her eggs. Satisfied they were safe, she turned her head towards the village. "I shall accompany you." She passed the eggs to several drones, who flew off toward the gate. Most of the drones left for the gate, the rest staying behind to protect their queen. "Alright, everyone, weapons ready," Daniel said, moving towards the village. "There might still be shadow ponies here. Our best bet is to stick to the walls and see if we can catch them off guard." "I thought you weren't a tactician?" Kirk joked, doing his best to lighten the mood. "I've taken part in enough drills with General O'Neill to have picked up a few tricks," Daniel replied with a small smile as the crept into the village. The village was like every early European style village Daniel had seen, haphazardly planned and made up of ramshackle homes with thatched roofs. It was based around a sturdier and larger building next to a well in the center. Daniel guessed it was either used for religious purposes, or to house their leader. The villagers were gathered in the square directly in front of the largest building, at least six shadow ponies standing around the square. "Do not make me repeat myself!" A shadow unicorn shouted, his voice deep and hateful. "Which one of you activated the portal?!" None of the villagers spoke up, cowering in fear from the shadow unicorn screaming at them. "Pathetic wretches!" The unicorn lit his horn, sending a wave of red crystals towards one of the more elderly ponies. Said pony cried out in pain, crystal spikes impaling his body. "Okay, everyone, train your stunners on that unicorn," Daniel said. "Let's see how they handle them." The soldiers nodded and took aim. They all fired, catching the unicorn unaware as the stunners found their mark. The unicorn screeched in pain, his body exploding into smoke. "Looks like stunners do quite a bit." Daniel said with a smile. "Alright, everybody, spread out and look for more of these shadow ponies. Hit and run tactics are the key here." "What insolence is this?" One of the other shadow ponies, a large pegasus in silver armor, flapped his wings, filling the area with a thick smog. The soldiers didn't answer, sticking to alleys and the shadows as they fanned out through the town. Kirk then poked out from behind cover to fire a shot at the armored pegasus's uncovered face. The pegasus dissolved into shadow, darting out of the way. He reformed in the sky, flapping his wings and sending down a rain of razor-sharp feathers. Kirk dove behind cover, while the feathers embedded themselves in a rain barrel and part of the nearby home. Then, another soldier took aim and fired on the pegasus's back. A shadow earth pony heaved a cart into the air, blocking the shot. He reared up onto his hind legs, bringing his front hooves down with as much force as he could muster. Crystals shot out from where his hooves hit the ground, careening towards the soldier's cover. The soldier cursed under her breath, diving out of the way in the nick of time as the crystals stabbed into the building she had been hiding behind. "That's right, scurry like roaches," the earth pony taunted, rearing up for another strike. He didn't get to finish as Kirk poked out from where he had been hiding and shot the shadow pony in the back in the head. The shadow pony hissed, his form distorting, black smoke pouring off his wound. Kirk and the female soldier didn't let up, both of them firing on the pony while it hissed in pain. "Enough!" The remaining shadow unicorn snarled, tossing Kirk into a building with a bolt of magic. Kirk groaned in pain, his head swimming as he tried to pick himself up. "I hate magic already," the man grumbled, standing on shaky feet. He barely had time to dive to the ground, a cluster of feathers raining down on him. The female soldier fired on the pegasus in the air, managing to hit it between the eyes. He exploded into wisps, his armor falling to the ground. Kirk and the female soldier sighed in relief while the shadow unicorn and earth pony roared in frustration. Then, the other soldier popped out again and fired on the unicorn while they were distracted. The unicorn melted into shadows, worming away from her sights. Then he reappeared and shot out a wave of magic towards the soldier. Unlike the magic he used on Kirk, this seemed to crystallize upon contact, encasing her chest and arms in crystal. Kirk fired upon the unicorn while the other female soldier went over to help their comrade. The unicorn began to melt again, only for a nearby box to reveal itself as the changeling queen. She jerked her head, spitting goo in the unicorn's face. The unicorn grunted, trying to melt into shadow again, only to find they were unable to. "You putrid bug!" the unicorn snarled. Daniel leaned out from behind a house, training his pistol on the unicorn's horn. He squeezed the trigger three times, letting out a trio of bullets. The unicorn screamed in pain as the tip of their horn broke off. "That sounded like it hurt," Kirk commented, taking another shot at the unicorn. The unicorn let out one last scream as he dissolved into wisps of shadow. The earth pony growled, slamming his hind legs into the ground again and sending crystals out towards Kirk. The queen dashed out of hiding, ramming into Kirk and knocking them both out of the way. "Thanks for that," Kirk said, pulling the two of them off the ground. "I really don't want a new job being a pincushion." "What's a pincushion?" she asked, tilting her head. "I'll tell ya later," Kirk said, patting her back. "Right now we've got shadow pony ass to kick." The queen nodded and they ran over to find more cover. "What are you idiots doing?!" one of the remaining shadow ponies demanded. She was a rather large earth pony, wearing stylized black armor, a red cape draped over her back. None of the remaining shadow ponies responded, too busy scrambling around in search of the soldiers. She snorted in anger, slamming a hoof onto the ground. The ground buckled under her, the entire village trembling. Daniel grabbed a side of a building to steady himself as he rode out the tremors. He pressed the button on his walkie and whispered, "Team, we may want to focus fire on that earth pony. Any more tremors like that and this village might collapse on us." "Regroup, now!" the earth pony commanded, glaring at her comrades. "Okay, fire now," Daniel said in his walkie. "If we can take out their leader it should cause some confusion. He trained his pistol on the earth pony and fired. She whipped her head toward him, the bullets ringing off her armor. "Your toys don't amuse me." She burst into shadow, rushing at him. She solidified as soon as she made contact with him, her hooves slamming into his chest. Daniel's breath was taken away and he was sent flying into a wall. "Tell me, what festering hole have you been hiding in? The Overlord's sickness should have killed you all." "Hate to burst your bubble, but I'm not what you think I am," Daniel wheezed, seeing Kirk take aim at the earth pony from the corner of his eye. She stared down at him, before a grin bloomed across her face. "You're one of them aren't you?" She leaned down, snorting in his face. "We were wondering when the rest of your pathetic race would find their way here." "Do you just not listen, or did I get hit so hard that I spoke a different language without thinking?" Daniel asked. "I already told you I'm not an Ancient." "Call yourself whatever you want, Lantean." She sneered, exposing a set of very sharp fangs. "I'm going to enjoy dragging your city's address out of you." "Riddle me this then," Daniel started with a roll of his eye. "If I was a Lantean, why would I use such a primitive projectile weapon?" He pointed at his pistol that was on the ground next to him. "It doesn't matter." She leaned in close, her eyes emitting sickly purple smoke. "All that matters is you have what I want." "Is it a cure for that eye smoke?" Daniel asked. "Because they have gum to help you kick that habit." She didn't get to respond, as Kirk fired at her head. She hissed in agony, the back of her neck sizzling and smoking. Daniel took that as his opportunity to reclaim his gun and fired it directly into her face. She staggered back, face sporting several new holes, only none of them bleeding. Kirk fired again, hitting the back of her neck. She stomped one of her back hooves, shaking the ground again and bringing down a few buildings. The queen righted herself once the tremors stopped and spat goo onto the shadow pony's hooves, hoping to lock her in place. "Release me!" she demanded, doing her best to try and free her hooves. "I've got an idea how to release you," Kirk said with a grin, showing her his stunner. He then pointed it between her eyes and fired. She let out a scream of agony, exploding into smoke. "Good job, Kirk," Daniel said, picking himself off the ground. "Now let's take care of the last two and evacuate this village." "I think they're retreating sir," Kirk replied, kicking at the fallen shadow pony’s helmet. "Let them," Daniel said. "We've got more important things to worry about." "Right," Kirk nodded, though he kept his stunner ready on the off-chance their enemies decided to try something else. The soldiers and the changeling regrouped in the center of the village where all the villagers had been. "It's alright, everyone," Daniel called out, trying to sound soothing. "No one's going to harm you." "Who — or what — are you?" an elderly pony asked, regarding Daniel and the soldiers with apprehension. "We're called humans," Daniel explained, "We don't mean anyone any harm. I know you're scared but we can take you to safety." "If that's true then why are you with those bugs?!" a villager called out. "We've never harmed any of you," one of the drones replied. "We know at least one of you terrorizes our children!" A mare cried out. "Or do you expect us to believe that there really is a Mantis?!" The queen sighed, giving the pony an annoyed look. "The Mantis has always been something to keep you away from our hive. My youngest child, Razor, takes pleasure in scaring other young ones. You can't tell me your children never play pranks on one another, can you?" "Look, we can't focus on these things right now," Daniel interjected. "Those shadow ponies will be back and they'll do more damage than this." He indicated the destroyed buildings. "I need everyone to start moving toward the portal." The villagers looked at each other for a few moments before they all looked at Daniel. "And why should we go through the portal?" the elder asked. "Merely looking at that thing the wrong way has caused our village harm." "Because we can keep you safe," Daniel assured. "We have the power to fight those shadow ponies. If you stay here, you know they'll want revenge." The villagers shared an unsure look amongst themselves before turning to their elder. The elder sighed and started to walk out of the village. The others followed, more than a few sobbing. "Doctor Jackson, are you there? Over." Nomura's voice crackled over the radio. "Yes, I'm here," Daniel replied. "We've begun the evacuation of the village." "We managed to steal one of the Jumpers. Lieutenant Higgs took a hit. Over." "How bad is it?" Daniel asked. "He has a shard of crystal in his leg. Over." "Alright, we'll need to get him through the gate as fast as possible to get his leg treated," Daniel replied. "And we could use our Jumper to make the evacuation effort go faster." "I'll swing back and pick you up. Over." "We'd appreciate it." Daniel then relayed their location to Nomura. It didn't take more than a few minutes for Nomura to reach their position, landing the Jumper just outside the village. Daniel and the soldiers piled into the ship, one of the female soldiers rushing over to Higgs. She pulled out a first aid kit and treated it as best as she could. The queen ducked her head, walking into the Jumper. She laid on her belly, not bothered by the confined space. She then looked over at Higgs' leg. "I could help you with that, though it may be a bit unpleasant." "Unpleasant?" He asked, raising his eyebrow. "You try having a chunk of crystal jammed into your leg." "Alright, but I'd bite down on something, this is going to hurt." The queen spread her magic to the crystal in his leg and pulled it out in a smooth motion that caused Higgs to cry out. She then spat goo onto the wound before blood could flow out. "That hurt like a bitch." Higgs leaned back in his seat, looking down at his leg. "I told you that it would be unpleasant," the queen said. "But that resin should help speed the healing process and prevent infection." "That's good, at least. How'd the evacuation go?" "The village is still evacuating and once we get our Jumper back it'll be a simple thing to finish," Jackson explained. "The other shadow beings didn't like our stunners." "Jackson, this is General Carter. Do you copy? Over." Carter's voice came over the radio. "Oh hey Sam," Daniel replied, gesturing for them to be quiet. "You remember how we were taking Razor back?" "I do. Over," Carter replied, already seeing where he was going. "Yeah... we're bringing his whole family back. And a village." General Carter took a deep breath over the radio. "I take it there were some complications with the mission? Over." "Oh yeah. Try a bunch of shadow ponies in Puddle Jumpers. Apparently, they raze whole villages for just touching the gate." "They can use Ancient technology? If we run into them again this will warrant study," Carter said. "And we'll start making room for our guests." "We uh, stole one of their jumpers," Daniel informed her. "We're about to circle around to retrieve the one we came in." "Seems like we're going to have a new threat to worry about. Over," Carter said. "It's like a cycle," Daniel joked. "The changelings should be at the gate by now." "Copy on multiple travelers incoming," Carter confirmed. "We'll keep the door open for them. Over." "If any of those shadow ponies get through, the Wraith stunners seem to work well." "I'll have a squad armed with stunners standing by in the gateroom. Thanks for the intel. Carter out." "See ya in a bit." Daniel released the button on the radio and the rest of the trip was spent in silence. They reached the abandoned Jumper with no difficulties. "Think they gave up?" Kirk asked, walking over to the cloaked jumper. "I don't know, but it's best to stay alert," Daniel said, walking alongside the private. Kirk nodded, keeping his stunner at the ready. Kirk undid the cloak and opened the hatch, stepping into the Jumper. Daniel slipped in behind him, keeping his pistol trained on the opening. Luckily, the Jumper was clear and Kirk took a seat in the pilot's chair. "Alright, Doc, I'm taking us up." "Take it nice and easy," Daniel said, sitting beside him in the copilot's seat. Kirk nodded, closing the hatch and taking it up into the air. They followed the other Jumper and caught up with the evacuating villagers. It took a few trips, but the two ships quickly finished evacuating the planet. The gateroom was packed with panicking ponies, though the changeling queen seemed to have her subjects under control. The two Jumpers landed in the bay, Higgs being helped along due to his injured leg. "Looks like the city just got a lot busier," Nomura commented. "Damn, Higgs, you look like shit," Faroe said, cringing at his leg. "Get into a fight with a xenomorph or something?" "More like a crystal throwing shadow pony," Higgs grumbled. "And I still look better than you." "You keeping telling yourself that." She took over shouldering him. "Let's get you to the infirmary." "I'm just glad I kicked the crap out of those shadow ponies," Higgs said, hobbling beside her. "Otherwise I'd be pissy all day." "Says the guy who can't handle a little fuzzy ball with wings." "Watch it, Faroe, I've still got a stunner on me," he warned with a wicked grin. "Do it, I dare you. Thorne will have your ass handcuffed to your hospital bed." "Fine, not in the mood to get reprimanded today," Higgs relented. Faroe snickered, dragging him down to medical. He was sat on a cot and Thorne walked over to him. "That's a rather nasty wound," Thorne commented. "Hurts like a bitch," Higgs assured. "The goo isn't any better." "Well the docs'll do what they can," Thorne assured him. "You'll be up and running in no time." "I hope so, I'd hate to ruin my marathon career." "Keep being a smartass and I'll tell the doc to amputate," Thorne said with a chuckle. "Ha ha ha," Higgs replied, lying back in his cot. A few moments later, the doctor came and began treating Higgs. This involved a lot of poking and prodding of his injured leg. "And she said this would fight infection?" Dr. Juan asked, placing some of the goo into a container. "Yeah, that's what she said," Higgs confirmed with a nod. "I'll have to test that." Dr. Juan passed Higgs a few painkillers and a cup of water. "Luckily, she stopped you from bleeding to death. That crystal was sharp, it scraped your tibia and cut one of your arteries." "I'd better thank her," Higgs said. "The last thing I want is to die light years from home." "You can do that when you're better." Dr. Juan gestured for him to lay back. "I'm keeping you overnight just to make sure you're alright." Higgs lay down and groaned. "Ugh, I hate not being able to do shit. Makes me feel like a lout." "It's for your health." Dr. Juan laughed, walking out of the room. "Get better soon," Faroe said with a pat on his shoulder. "I'll drop in every once in a while to make sure you don't go stir crazy." She got up, adjusting her vest. "Anyway, I gotta go secure more of the city. We got a lot of guests." "I know, I kinda had a part in bringing them here," Higgs joked with a smirk. "You're footing the bill," she joked back, walking out of the room. "Think happy thoughts, Faroe!" Higgs called out. "The changelings will like that!" He laid back on his cot, letting out a long sigh. What the hell was he supposed to do to pass the time? "You know, I never thought I'd be playing D&D with a pretty pony princess." "Actually the abbreviation is O&O," Cadance corrected as she rolled for an event. "Your party is being robbed by goblins in the dead of night." "Back on Earth we have a game called Dungeons and Dragons. Just like this," Floyd explained. "Anyway, I cast fear on them." "You'll need to roll a thirteen or higher for the spell to work," Cadance said. Floyd grabbed his dice, giving them a roll. "Yes, 14!" he cheered as the die displayed the number. "So, I cast fear." "The goblins are gripped by fear and are unable to move as their worst nightmares are laid bare in their minds," Cadance relayed. "I take advantage of their terror and move to hack them to pieces." Shining Armor played the paladin to Floyd's spellsword, being the tank of the duo. "You'll need to roll a ten or higher," Cadance said. "Lucky for you, Floyd has taken care of the hard part, as usual." "Beginner's luck." Shining took the die in his magic, giving it a good toss. "Yes, 16!" "The would-be robbers are defeated by the valiant heroes!" Cadance cheered, throwing up her hooves. "And now I'll roll for your loot." The boys shared a grin, watching her roll. "You're in luck again. You got twenty gold to split amongst the two of you." "Ten apiece," Floyd stated, glancing at Shining. "Sounds good to me," Shining agreed, nodding. "I mean, we did split up the work evenly, makes sense that's how we'd divide the loot." "Then we have a deal." Floyd grinned, scribbling on his character sheet. "Glad to see you two working together," Cadance said as Shining wrote on his own sheet. "If you weren't I'd have upped the ante to force you two to get on the same page." "You guys are just lucky I'm not DM," Floyd commented, leaning back in his chair. "I play hard." "I normally play it so that the group has fun," Cadance said with a shrug. "But I wouldn't mind you DMing the next session. I play a mean bard." "I dunno, Cadance," Floyd gave her an appraising look. "You haven't faced a Gorvil before." "I can handle anything you throw at me!" Cadance beamed, fluffing her wings. "I'm a veteran of this game. I was there in the confusing times when third edition was dropped." "Oh yeah?" Floyd grinned. "I won't pull any punches now." "That'll have to wait 'til later," Shining cut in. "Don't you think you should go and get some footage?" "I guess I should." Floyd got up, cracking his neck, "I have a cooking lesson today anyway." "Do you want me to send a guard to escort you there?" Cadance asked. "Or will you wave that off again?" "Worried about me, huh?" Floyd chuckled, packing up his things. "I have to do my duties as your host," she said, smiling at him. "Otherwise my aunt will chew me out over it." "Eh, if you insist then I can have one of your guards escort me there," Floyd shrugged. "Thank you," Cadance smiled. "Flash Sentry, could you please come in?" she called, gazing at the door. A moment later an orange pegasus came in and saluted at Cadance. "You called, Princess?" the pegasus asked. "From this moment on, you will be accompanying Floyd for the duration of his stay." "You can count on me, Princess." Flash saluted and trotted over to Floyd. "Nice to meet you." Floyd gave him a smile, holding his hand out. Flash returned the smile and extended his hoof to meet Floyd's hand. "I'll be sure to give you plenty of space," Flash assured. "You'll barely even know I'm here." "Don't worry about it," Floyd said, grabbing his bags. "You'll even get some free food while you're at it." "I can never say no to that!" Flash beamed, motioning for Floyd to lead the way. Floyd nodded and adjusted his bags as he walked out of the castle. "Been a guard long?" Floyd asked, trying to remember the way to Alexandrite's home. "Not really," Flash said. "I got out of training and Princess Celestia assigned me to the new guard unit here. It's been pretty interesting. I got here right after the Sombra incident so I had to monitor some reconstruction." "Must have been weird. You stick out like a sore thumb here." "Yeah, I am the odd pony out," Flash agreed. "But I'm working hard and even the princess and the former captain are taking notice. I'm hoping I go from being a private to an officer pretty soon." "I hope you do." Floyd smiled, patting his head. "I'm not cut out for that sort of thing." "Can you not pat my head in public, please?" Flash asked, flinching. "It's kinda unprofessional." "Sorry," Floyd smiled sheepishly. "You guys are adorable, it's kinda hard to not hug you." "Yeah well, limbs to yourself while I'm in the armor," Flash said with a chuckle, tapping his breastplate. "You'll have to find some other pony to hug." "Tough luck I guess." He came to a stop at the shop, knocking on the door. "Hey guys, I'm back!" The sound of hooves quickly approaching could be heard before Citrine flung the door open. "Floyd, it's great to see you again!" The yellow crystal pony beamed. "Come right in, Alexandrite is waiting in the kitchen for our lesson." "Good to see you too, Citrine." Floyd smiled. "This is my escort, Flash Sentry. Flash, Citrine." "It's nice to meet you too, dear," Citrine told the guard with a smile. "Now come along, you two. Alexandrite might run off and lock herself in her workshop if we keep her waiting too long." She turned and trotted further into the home. "Best not to keep the girls waiting." Floyd followed after her, hunching down through the doorway leading into the kitchen. Alexandrite was already there, an apron tied around her barrel. "Hi Floyd, I was starting to get bored waiting for you," the young mare said, flashing him a cheeky smile. "I am the life of the party," Floyd said, playing along. "Unfortunately, I left the moonshine and weed back on Earth." "Looks like you'll have to settle for crystal wine and crystal mushrooms," Alexandrite shot back with a giggle. "Alright, alright," Citrine cut in, "That's enough of that talk, we have food to cook." "Somepony better have a bucket of water on standby," Alexandrite commented as Floyd washed his hands. "Flash, dear." Citrine turned to the stallion, looking him over. "Do you know how to cook?" "Nah, I never learned," Flash replied. "I'm military, so meals are taken care of for the most part." "Nonsense," Citrine spoke, her voice firm. "Take all that armor off and wash your hooves." Flash blinked a bit. "Um, I'm on duty. I can't take my armor off." Alexandrite just shook her head, watching as her mother gave Flash a death glare. "Ya know what, it'll be fine as long as the princess doesn't find out." The pegasus chuckled weakly and pulled his helmet off. The rest of his armor soon followed suit. "Good." Citrine smiled, appeased for now. "Wash up and join us at the table." "Remind me to not get on your mom's bad side," Floyd whispered to Alexandrite as Flash washed his hooves. "I think all moms have a bad side," Alexandrite replied. "You make a good point," Floyd said. "I think a switch goes off in the female brain that enables that look the instant after childbirth." Alexandrite snorted, socking him in the leg. "Ow, watch it with those hooves!" He rubbed the spot where she hit him. "I'd retaliate but I think I'd break my hand on your crystal body." "I didn't hit you hard, stop being such a foal." "Unlike some people here, I'm not made of magical living crystal," he pointed out. "So excuse me for my fleshy meat body." "Settle down children," Citrine spoke, getting their attention. "Hey, I'm a man-child, there's a distinct difference," Floyd joked. "Oh yeah? What is it?" Alexandrite asked, raising her eyebrow. "I can drink legally, for one thing," he replied with a grin. "And a child has yet to mature, a man-child has chosen not to." "We'll just have to change that," Citrine said, clearing her throat. "Now, we're going to start simple and make some crystal soup." "Sounds good," Floyd said as he set up his camera and started recording. "I think I can handle something like that." Citrine smiled, beginning to instruct them. Flash and Alexandrite struggled with the lesson at first, and a small fire was even started. But in the end, each one made a bowl of steaming soup. "Now for the taste test~" Citrine grinned, passing them some spoons. "Mmm, I think I got mine right," Floyd said, happily eating his soup. He licked his lips, grinning like an idiot. "I got the touch~" Flash gulped, hesitantly taking a spoonful of his soup. "Well... I think I got it right." The pegasus let out a sigh of relief. "Guess it's just me," Alexandrite smiled weakly, taking a sip of her bowl. "It's edible," she relayed with a weak smile, "which is better than the last time I tried cooking." "Looks like I win," Floyd proclaimed with a cocky grin. "And do you know what your prize is?" Citrine asked with a sweet smile. "No, no I do not." He shook his head. "You get to clean the dishes while I prepare the next part of the lesson," Citrine replied, her smile growing. "That's a crappy prize..." He grabbed their dishes, taking them to the sink. "Nopony likes a braggart, Floyd," Citrine said. "Plus, these two could use the extra attention while I get everything ready." Floyd just grumbled, busying himself with the dishes. Citrine turned back and grabbed more ingredients. She started giving pointers to Flash and her daughter. Flash did his best, rather enjoying the lesson. Once Floyd was done with the dishes, Citrine started the next part of the lesson. Lucky for everyone, no other fires were started. "You boys aren't too bad," Citrine complemented, helping Floyd put the last of the dishes away. "I'm a guard, so if there's one thing I'm good at it's following directions," Flash joked, putting his armor back on. "Well that was fun." Floyd stretched out, rubbing his neck. "I'm gonna go get some interviews. You wanna come, Alex?" "Sure," the young mare replied with a smile. "I'm ahead of schedule on my decorations for the festival, and a walk around the city sounds great right about now." "Excellent." Floyd grabbed his camera, smiling at Citrine. "When do you want her back by?" "Oh, whenever is fine by me," Citrine waved off. "Alexandrite is a grown mare. You three just have fun." They waved, walking out of the house. Alexandrite walked at Floyd's side while Flash stayed a few steps behind. They walked and chatted until they came upon the market square. "Well, this place should give me some good footage," Floyd said. "I could loan you some bits if you see anything interesting," Alexandrite offered. "Cadance already has me covered." Floyd reached into his pocket, pulling out a small sack that jingled as he walked. "Said this should cover anything I might want." "Well aren't you special?" Alexandrite teased. "I don't plan on spending it all," he assured her. "I want to be a good guest." "You're doing fine," she assured him, leading the boys through the market. Floyd pulled out his camcorder, capturing anything that looked interesting. He stopped a few ponies along the way, getting quick interviews. He talked with Alexandrite and Flash as they went around the square. "Oh, hey." Flash got their attention, pointing to a makeshift stage. "Looks like one of the troupes is performing." "Sure, I bet the Doc would love it if I told him what a pony play is like," Floyd said. "Let's check it out." "I think they're playing 'I Want To Be Your Canary'," Alexandrite guessed, glancing at the stage. "Sounds great," Flash said. "I've heard that's a good one." "What's it about?" Floyd asked, finding himself getting the best view of the stage due to his height. "It's about a pegasus that gets stranded in the Griffon Kingdom and is taken in by a griffon. The two then slowly come to understand each other," Alexandrite explained. "I'm guessing a romance?" Floyd passed his camcorder to Flash, with instructions not to drop it, getting out his main camera. "Yeah, a pretty classic one too," Flash said. "You know, if you guys want, I could bring my laptop next time I'm in town," Floyd offered. "I got a bunch of movies saved onto it." "I'd love to see that!" Alexandrite beamed. "But... what's a laptop?" She tilted her head at him. Floyd opened his mouth to speak before he realized the normal explanation would go over her head. "It's a machine that stores data like movies and songs. I use it to edit my footage." "That sounds pretty cool," Flash said. "I'd be up for seeing what a human movie looks like." "I'll start you guys off with something great I promise." Floyd turned his attention to the stage, staring a bit in awe as an actual griffon walked onto the stage. "I knew they were a thing here but that's still amazing." "Wait until you see a minotaur," Flash chuckled. "Most of them are taller than even Princess Celestia." "That'll be fun." They stuck around through the rest of the play, which in Floyd's opinion was actually rather good. Spotting the actors lingering around, Floyd led his group over. "Hello," he called out, giving them a wave. The actors returned the wave, the griffon looking over Floyd. "Are you some kind of shaved Diamond Dog?" the griffon asked, somehow managing to grin with a beak. "Nah, I'm a hairless ape," Floyd shot back, holding his hand out. "Heh, got a sense of humor, that's good." The griffon's grin grew as he shook Floyd's hand, "Did you enjoy the show?" "I certainly did," Floyd nodded. "I'm Floyd, nice to meet you." "I'm Bruno," the griffon introduced himself. "It's a pleasure to hear that someone enjoyed the show. So what brings a shaved monkey to the frozen armpit of Equestria?" "I'm here to get footage for back home." Floyd gave his camera a pat, "And you, my friend, just met your first alien." "So you're a paid tourist?" Bruno asked with a laugh. "That's gotta be a great gig. And I gotta say, you're not as wild looking as sci-fi has led me to believe an alien would look." "Yeah and talking to a living myth is a lot less dangerous than I thought it would be," Floyd retorted. "What, did you think I'd try to eat you?" Bruno chuckled and clicked his beak. "Ya look a little too stringy for my tastes." "Good to know." Floyd gestured to his companions. "These are my friends, Flash Sentry and Alexandrite." "It's a pleasure to meet you two as well." Bruno bowed his head. "I hope you enjoyed the show as well." "It was pretty good," Flash nodded. "I just wish we could have caught the whole thing." "Well, we will have another show tomorrow," Bruno suggested. "You can catch what you missed then." "I don't have anything planned." Floyd smiled. "Are you busy, Bruno? I'd love to get an interview with you." "I don't see a problem with that," Bruno said. "But I might have to check with the missus." "Think she'd be up for an interview?" "I'll see." Bruno waved over the lead actress, "Honey, would you care to do an interview with me?" "An interview?" an aquamarine colored pony asked, walking over to them. "Yes, this young..." Bruno motioned for Floyd to help him out for a term. "Man," Floyd supplied. Bruno nodded. "This young man is doing an interview to get footage for his home. Would you like to help him out with that?" "Oh my, you want to interview us?" she asked, looking positively surprised. "I don't think that would be a problem." "Of course he wants to interview you," Bruno grinned at her and draped a wing over her back. "You're the greatest actress in Equestria." "Do you have anywhere less... noisy we can set up?" Floyd asked the group, looking between them. "We could lead you to our dressing room," the actress said, getting closer to her husband. "I'd like that, if it's not a problem." Floyd smiled, adjusting his hold on his equipment. The couple nodded and led them to the dressing room, and they all took a seat. "So, what would you like to ask us?" Bruno inquired. "Just things in general." Floyd busied himself setting up his tripod. "I got a good dozen interviews already. Would you mind telling me about griffons, Bruno?" "Not at all," Bruno said. "I'll happily tell you anything you want to know about us." Floyd grinned in response, getting his camera rolling. They spent a good few hours talking, focusing mostly on griffons and their relationship with Equestria. Floyd called the interview when it was clear the sun was starting to set. "Thanks for your time." Floyd stood up, starting to pack up his things. "It was no trouble at all," Bruno assured. "We were happy to talk to you. If you want more footage, come by after the show if you want." "I'll hold you to that." Floyd joined Alexandrite and Flash at the door. "Have a good night, guys." The couple waved at them as they exited the dressing room and made their way back to Alexandrite's home. "Today was a lot of fun," Alexandrite chirped with a bright smile. "Yeah, it was," Floyd agreed, patting her head. She didn't seem to mind the gesture, letting him do it as her tail swished behind her. "What do you think of Equestria so far?" she asked. "It's pretty great. You ponies are pretty nice people," he complimented. "Know anywhere good for dinner?" "I could show you a place I like," Alexandrite said. "And it'll be my treat." "Anything is better than rations," Flash joked. "Then you'll love this place," Alexandrite said, leading them through the city. The three continued to talk until Alexandrite led them to a small restaurant. "Here we are!" She trotted inside, going up to the hostess and getting them a table. "This looks like a nice little diner," Floyd said, flipping through a menu. "Yeah, it's great." Alexandrite nodded. "It... took a while for places like this to reopen." "Well I'm glad they did," Floyd replied. "Places like these are always interesting." He tapped his fingers on the menu. "Does everything need to have hay in it?" "Well, this is a place that caters to primarily ponies," Alexandrite said with a giggle. "You could always ask if they have anything suit your palate." "Humans aren't very good with grass," Floyd explained. "Neither are griffons or diamond dogs," Flash said. "They might have options suited to other species here since the reconstruction." "Good call. Just no wine, stuff gave me a migraine this morning." "Really?" Alexandrite asked with a tilt of her head. "That single glass of wine shouldn't have done that. My head was fine." "Maybe it was something in it." Floyd shrugged. He still planned on drinking that bottle, wasting good alcohol was the unwritten eighth deadly sin. "You could let your people examine it and see if there's something in it that doesn't react well with humans," Flash suggested. "Could just be me." Floyd shrugged. After a short conversation with their waitress, Floyd ordered himself some chicken. Flash ordered a spaghetti dinner with hayballs, and Alexandrite picked a daisy sandwich with hay fries. The trio talked long into the night, and eventually Flash and Floyd escorted Alexandrite home. "Good night, you two," Alexandrite said as she opened the door. "Hope we can all get together again soon." "I'll be free whenever," Floyd promised, flashing her a smile. "And I'll probably be assigned to Floyd during the duration of his stay," Flash added, doing the same. "You already were," Floyd reminded, patting his head. "What did I tell you about doing that while I'm on duty?" Flash asked, moving away from his hand. "Then pay better attention. Anyway, 'night Alex." The young mare nodded and closed the door behind her as Floyd and Flash turned to make their way back to the castle. "Lieutenant," the nurse on duty called, peeking into the room. "You have visitors." "Oh really?" Higgs asked. "I won't say no to company. I'm already going stir-crazy." "Hi!" Razor chirped, rushing into the room, his mother trailing behind him. "Hey there, little buddy," Higgs said with a smile. "Are you and your family settling in okay?" "Uh huh!" Razor nodded, fluttering onto the bed. "Your leader gave us residence in another building," the queen explained. "She was worried there would be more bugs." She flashed her fangs. "We don't mind." "I'm glad to hear you guys are settling in. And I'm sorry we made you all have to leave your planet," Higgs said with a sigh. "A hive can always be rebuilt." She waved him off. "Besides, this place is much better than a cave." "I bet you're just saying that because you've got more food sources now." Higgs grinned and started to think of his family. Razor hummed in delight, his antenna twitching. "I won't lie, that is nice." The queen closed her eyes, drinking in the warm feelings. "It's also much easier to collect." "Ya know, I don't believe I caught your name," Higgs pointed out. "Or would you rather I just call you Queenie?" The queen frowned, snorting indignantly. "My proper name is Elmis." "I like it. It's a very nice name." Higgs smiled at her. She smiled back, stepping closer. "Razor, I think we've taken up enough of Higgs' time." "But Mom, we just got here!" Razor protested, giving his mother puppy dog eyes. "It's fine with me," Higgs assured, patting Razor's head. "Very well," Elmis relented with a sigh, sitting on her haunches. "We can stay as long as Higgs would like us to." "Yay!" Razor cheered, buzzing his wings. "Doesn't take much to excite you if hanging out with a bedridden guy like me gets you like this," Higgs teased, scratching behind his ear. Razor nuzzled his hand, much like an affectionate cat. "I think you're gonna give me diabetes, Razor," he joked, his smile growing at the display. "What's that?" "It's a disease where the body can't break down sugar properly," Higgs explained, keeping it simple as he scratched Razor's ear. "That doesn't sound good," Razor pouted. "I was joking, little guy," Higgs assured him. "I was just saying that you're very sweet." "Thanks," Razor smiled, fluttering his wings. "Don't mention it, little buddy." Higgs started petting the little changeling. Razor snuggled up with him, chattering away about all the new things he learned.