//------------------------------// // Session 78 // Story: Ponies and Dragons (Just Have Fun) // by Alex Warlorn //------------------------------// Session 78.0 Alex Warlorn "Okay girls, when we left off you had arrived in the City of Doors," Princess Twilight Sparkle said, having calmed down from Diamond Tiara's pervious deconstruction of her beloved Planescape setting, true the whole 'collective perception equals reality' was monstrously unscientific, but Princess Twilight could still enjoy the lore and overwhelming amount of detail and political intrigue in the setting and the sheer SCALE of it, even an entire planet was nothing compared to the infinite planes of existence. The CMC plus Diamond and Silver just wanted to fight monsters and take their stuff, but Twilight promised there was plenty of mayhem to be found here too. It was just charm and wit could be useful than a sword or fireball... part of the reason she had encouraged Diamond and Silver to take part in this Planescape adventure too. Silver Spoon showed an instant interest in the Factions. Twilight was impressed. It showed a healthy interest in the setting. The Defiers saw it as their duty to overthrow all the gods that they saw as frauds, naturally, Sigil and the base of the spire were the only place in the multiverse they could actually function as an organization since they had basically declared war against every and any god in existence. Defies, hung out in the obliterated remains of the god of portals' temple in Sigil, when the Lady of Pain obliterated him with a thought and his corpse still floats through the astral plane and his crossing the Lady of Pain was why gods are forbidden in the city of doors to begin with! Not that Silver Spoon could have known any of this... but still... Silver Spoon asked one of the leaders of the Factions, "They say to achieve victory you must know yourself and know your enemy correct?" Silver Spoon asked. "'Yes, this is so.'" "And one of your group's basic pillars is how can the gods be considered gods when they need mortal prayers right?" "'Yes, of course.'" "Well, shouldn't you know then, that Ao, the Overgod, willed that law of reality into existence because he was TIRED of the gods ignoring those praying and praising them... So the only reason the gods need mortals, is because the god above the gods made it so because they didn't like mortals' prayers being ignored by the gods." "Now hold on Silver Spoon!" Twilight said quickly. "There is no way your character could know all that!" "Actually, she can." Silver Spoon showed Twilight her character sheet. "Remember? She's a Lore Master... specializing in knowledge of the Planes and the Gods... " Princess Twilight's stared. "And while I have their attention, I tell them that even if it was their own cunning and strength that got them through hard times rather than direct divine intervention, since the gods created mortals, doesn't that technically mean that you owe them that brain and guts that let you HAVE that wits and courage?" ... Twilight's chin lay on the table, her mane going all over the place, miserable saying. "And so... the Defier's faction breaks apart into havoc, some committing suicide, others wailing to the nearest cleric they can find begging for forgiveness to the gods, while others are rocking back and forth crying." "I tell any ex-Defiers who are listening that I'm sure MY goddess would welcome them with open arms." "... Many take you up on your offer, and your goddess is pleased you brought her so many new children... oh... ugh... and the former leader of the faction, a cleric of the 'great beyond' has torn off all his clothes and ran through the street naked, laughing insanely." === The CMC were scared for a while that Twilight was going to end up summoning the Lady of Pain straight from the source book, but apparently even Twilight when flustered wasn't that crazy. Diamond Tiara meanwhile, who was being cautious as she was exploring the outer planes using astral projection, ran into a Cutter, who sneered at her and said. "'Oooh! A cord baby! Look everybody! A cord baby! Waaa-waaa! I don't want my brain eater by a random monster hiding in one of Sigil's back alleys! Waawaa! I want my bottle!' He then turns around and wiggles his butt at you." "Going home." Diamond Tiara said. "The crowd laughs and sneers at your retreat." "Then I buy several hundred sheep, the non-sapient kind." "Uh, right right of course." "Then I'm headed straight to the Tomb of Horrors." "Wh-wh-what!?" "You heard me, the tomb of Horrors, I'm paying the true neutral portal wizard who runs the portal to Sigil to teleport me and my herd of sheep there... then... I send in the sheep... one after another, to set off the traps ahead of me..." Thirty Minutes Later of scrambling for the right module and wailing and gashing of teeth... "Now... that I'm at the door trap that teleports you naked to a random 100 miles direction... I have the dwarves I hired to break it away from the dungeon... intact..." The CMC were grinning, actually wanting to see what Diamond Tiara was planning. Back through the portal to Sigil "'Ahhhh look! The cord baby is back! Changed your diapers?'" "'No, but you're going to need a change of yours.' Using my bag of holding, I drop it on him, causing him to fall straight through..." Twilight rolled. "... He has no time react... and he vanishes, leaving his clothes and equipment behind." Silver Spoon said. "Crystal ball time! Rolling to see if we can track where he ended up!" Twilight rolled her dice... "Since the teleporting would have taken him out of Sigil, and since nothing can leave or enter Sigil through mundane means, he is squeezed through the first available portal that isn't locked down... " Twilight rolled again. "He ends up on the Ethereal Plane..." Rolls. "Where he is then chased by an ethereal dragon for trespassing... Legends begin to spread across the planes of the 'naked running man'..." "Hey, we both made history!" Diamond Tiara said to Silver Spoon. "Who said Aristocrat sucks as an adventurer class?" Session 78.1 Ardashir With a hollow 'whoomp' and a maniacal laugh Discord appeared beside the game table. He loomed above the fillies, lightning playing around his form and thunder echoing through the room. "Ha-ha!" He glared at the terrified Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon before reaching down and planting medals on them both. The two stunned fillies looked at the shiny golden medals, reading 'Mind-Breaker 1st Class', as Discord spoke. "Congratulations! I thought my schemes for messing with Miss Obsessive-Compulsive were original; this is even better!" He snapped his claws and suddenly looked like a photographer from one of Rarity's detective noir movies. He pointed a massive canary at Twilight while raising a small old-fashioned camera in the other claw. A large barrel full of flash powder sat before him with a long sputtering fuse leading to it. "Smile at the birdy, Twilight!" "Discord, what are you -- YOW!" Light and smoke filled the room as the powder went off. The fillies blinked at the bright sparks filling their vision, and stared to see Princess Twilight's coat, mane and tail all turned a mixture of greys. Twilight shook her head and looked at herself. "What the --?!? DISCORD!" "Whoopsie!" Discord yanked a black and white photo from the beak of the canary. It showed Twilight with her eyes wide and mane frazzled. "My mistake, I used black and white film." He snapped his claws and Twilight was back to normal. Discord smiled at the picture and put it into a thick book labeled 'My Happiest Memories'. Twilight glared to catch sight of images of her and Cadence with the tatzlwurm, the times Discord turned her and the girls into monsters at the game table, and more. "Are you done, Discord?" Twilight asked in a voice so cold her words could have dripped icicles. In fact they did. Discord smirked. "Well yes, I just wanted to drop by and immortalize that moment. Oh, and thank these two charming young ladies." He bowed towards Diamond and Silver. "I wish we were related!" "Uhh, thanks." Diamond looked wary. "Just, like, don't turn me into a Nightmare or something, okay?" "Hmmph! I never repeat a plotline." Diamond blinked in confusion as he waved goodbye to Twilight. "Anyway, I'm off. Have some griffons and dragons to see. Ta, all!" He vanished as Twilight froze. 'Griffons and dragons? WHICH griffons and dragons?' *** Nearby, a smiling Gallus and Smolder were listening to the draconequus who had just slithered out of the comic book they were reading as he nudged them both and whispered, "Hey, kids -- want to find out how to mess with some uptight ponies?" Session 78.2 Grogar-The-Oneser "I'm surprise the Diamond Dogs, Deer and Bison refuse to send their own representative to Twilight's school," Princess Luna said calmly as she and Celestia played chess. "They refused, with the Diamond Dogs blaming us for letting the Storm King's Invasion reached that far." Princess Celestia said. "I would take offense at that, but considering we paid so little attention to the south these past years and allow the Storm King to build his army... their is some truth in their annoyance." Princess Luna sighed. "Yes... Not our best move." Celestia sighed. "But what of the Diamond Wolves, surely they would have send someone?" Luna questioned. "They said 'We will not not not not consider your proposal probably.'" "That... was a quadruple negative." Luna said. "Yes, they were being intentional vague and coy." Celestia said. Meanwhile "Dude... I think you lost it." Sandbar said plainly as Gallus was pulling a pony face. "I'm telling you, I saw a diamond wolf, who looks similar to this pony." Gallus said. "Yona believes you, but wouldn't Diamond Wolve ditch costume for new one?" Yona asked. "... What?" Gallus questioned. "Basic strategy for invading a place, you never stick with the same disguise twice unless you have a good excuse as to why your acting OOC." Ocellus stated, she may be shy, but even she knew basic infiltration protocol. "Oh...." Gallus gulped as he let go of the face. "Sorry about that." Session 78.3 Ardashir Grogar-The-Oneser Alex Warlorn "All right then, ladies, who are you voting for to become a water fountain and maybe a lovely merpony statue?" "My big sis," Sweetie smiled at Rarity. "She would look great as a fountain. And she looked even greater when she made this merpony costume one year for Nightmare Night!" Rarity's smile turned a little strained when Sweetie added, "That and Miss Glimmer once said Rarity spends all her time fishing for compliments. That has something to do with merponies, right?" "Really, dear?" Rarity glared at Starlight, who began sweating. "Well then, my vote is for Trixie..." "What!" Trixie and Starlight looked at each other in surprise. The remaining contestants looked stunned as well. "Because after all, Trixie does love being the center of all attention." Rarity added with a sweet smile, "So she should be delighted to be the star attraction for every bird in the area." "Wait, how would being a statue for a fountain make Trixie attractive to birds --" Trixie's eyes widened and then narrowed dangerously. "Very funny, green mane!" Ears pinned and snorting, the two mares began heading for each other. The announcer hurriedly got in the middle. "Ahem! Ladies, this is a transformation contest, not a wrestling match." Rarity and Trixie gave each other one last annoyed look before parting with a snort. "I'll also vote for my employer, I mean Ms. Rarity Belle," Sassy nodded at her boss. "I agree with Sweetie, she would make a lovely fountain." She tilted her head back and said, "We could put her in front of the Canterlot store for a wishing well." Trixie muttered something about suck-ups, and added, "Trixie also votes for Rarity." She added under her breath, "The sooner she is out of competition, the better." Starlight looked around and sighed. "Might as well make it unanimous. Rarity for the fountain." "BWA-HAHA! I win!" Rarity kicked her hooves for joy before realizing, "Wait... I'm out of the million bits jackpot?" "Yes, but just think, madam," the announcer lead her over to stand before the audience, "you'll be admired by millions of ponies." Unseen by the others, Trixie began casting a spell as the announcer motioned for Rarity to strike a pose. The unicorn did, laying down and batting her eyes at the audience. Stallions whickered their appreciation. "Now about your options-" The announcer said but was interrupted. "I see myself as a merpony, life-sized and I prefer it be my horn where the water is coming out of, to make it seem as if I'm magically creating water," Rarity said. "That's very specific but I'm getting a signal that said it's Doable. Now what the name of the fountain?" "'A Vision of Beauty.'" Rarity stated as she struck a pose. 'I'll give you 'a vision of beauty',' Trixie thought. And the moment before the spell was cast, Trixie yelled, "Watch out for that horsefly, Rarity!" A faint blue glow shot unseen from her horn to Rarity's well-padded rear. "What horsefly -- YEOW!" And before anyone could do anything, the spell was cast, leaving a rearing Rarity-statue with her mouth open and eyes wide in a yell of pain, water trickling from her horn. She looked ridiculous, and a ripple of laughter went through the crowd. "Well, she's getting their attention," Trixie said to Starlight with a laugh. At the other mare's very dirty look, she said, "What?? If Discord did it everyone would laugh!" Trixie got zapped in the butt as Discord popped in for a moment. "BAH! As if I'd ever dirty my claws by taking part in a contest that makes transforms ponies into something as STATIC as statues! Boring!" Discord popped away. Vision of Beauty meanwhile, was now next to Elegance Embodied and Joy In the Moonlight, water springing endlessly from her (or maybe its) horn and into the stone basin before rising up in an endless cycle. The sensation of water endlessly flowing through her gave Vision of Beauty a sense of serenity and calm that swept her away. Since Rarity asked to be a LIFE SIZE merpony, who were inherently larger than seaponies, she was now bigger, with her body aquatic yet equine, looking like a creature riding on crashing invisible waves. 'Oooooooh! I feel like singing!' Vision of Beauty began to sing silently to herself, and ponies found themselves glued to the sight of her, and found themselves humming along with a tune they didn't know, regardless of form, 'Rarity' always got to be the center of attention. "Now then, what shall we change our four remaining contestants into?" Asked the host of the contest. "Ice sculpture!" "Topiary!" Shouted some ponies in the audience. "Uh, we'd rather NOT turn our contestants into something that will MELT, and something would need regular trimming to sustain an equine shape." "A jade statue!" "A a magically reinforced colored glass statue!" "A terra cotta idol!" "Grand knit sculpture!" Everypony looked at Fluttershy's suggestion, she blushed. Session 78.4 Grogar-The-Oneser "We talk it over with the producer that the next two shall be jade statue and grand knit sculpture!" "YES!" Everyone turn to see Fluttershy who blush slightly. "The first up is the knitting sculpture. Same rules as before. Now let us watch and see who gets turned next shall we?" (AN: Reference to this in case you're wondering. http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Micro-Series_Issue_4 ) Session 78.5 Alex Warlorn "So, Miss Lulamoon, Miss Saddles, Miss Glimmer, and little miss Belle, who shall you vote for to become a grand knit sculpture? Any ties will be decided by our audience," Asked the announcer. "Well I don't know about the others but I vote Sweetie Belle, she'd be simply TOO adorable as a grand knit sculpture NOT to vote for her!" Sassy Saddles said. "Uh... thank you?" Sweetie Belle said awkwardly. Session 78.6 Grogar-The-Oneser "I vote for Sweetie Belle," Trixie said. "What, What did I do to you?" Sweetie Belle questioned. "Nothing, you're just adorable, becoming a yarn sculpture will make you double adorable," Trixie said. "Both are true... But I think Trixie should be next, be a nice change of pace with her not using firework for everything." Sweetie stated. "That's two votes for Sweetie and one vote for Trixie," The announcer stated. Session 78.7 Alex Warlorn Starlight sighed, "I hate to say it, I really do, but a jade statue is more Trixie's color, considering what she did to Rarity's mane." "YOU WEREN'T EVEN THERE FOR THAT!" Trixie exclaimed. Starlight held up a copy of the published Friendship Journal. "Oh right... Uh... Starlight... about what that might ELSE say about Trixie in there..." "You were under the influence of an evil magically artifact. I wasn't." Trixie's eyes shifted about. "Yes... I was under the control of the artifact and obviously had no control over my actions towards ponies who had ruined my life." "Well dear, pick your title, pose, and size, and I guess colors now too if you don't want to be the same colors as your normal self." The announcer said awkwardly. "I was really looking forward to those one million bits." Sweetie Belle pouted. "Fine, let me think." Session 78.8 Alex Warlorn "Magnificent Musical Magical Majesty for my title! And I'll pose like this!" Sweetie said assuming one of Rarity's lady-like poses. "Oh! And-" She whispered in the announcer's ear. "Well... that's a little over the top... but far be it from my to deny your request..." A flash of light, and Sweetie Belle was a grand knit sculpture... taller than adult pony but still the figure of a teenage foal, with bright white 'coat' with a spiral rainbow mane that made Rainbow Dash's look tame, golden horse shoes, her cutie mark stylized, and she had wings and horn... 'All look upon my eternal beauty! My eternal royalty! Worship me!' "I WORSHIP YOU PRINCESS!" Button Mash shouted from the audience. Then the announcer was handed a note by Discord, "'Note: Sweetie Belle is not actual an Alicorn Princess now. She will not turn into an Alicorn Princess upon being restored, thank you.'" Session 78.9 Alex Warlorn Iron Will shouted, "ALRIGHT GRUBS! I'm your substitute Teacher Today! And as Game Masters! There's something you need to understand! Your players are wild beasts! Creature that are clawing and biting to escape their cages and loot, sack, and pillage your entire game world you spent hours creating or spent good bits on and then spent hours memorizing! ... There is only one thing holding these wild creatures back! THE IRON BARS KNOWN AS THE RULES! If you tell your paladin he can't burn down an orphanage and steal the gold inside without losing their fancy smancy paladin powers, they WILL fight you, rebel against you, and likely leave your table! BUT! If you say it's AGAINST THE RULES that a paladin burn down an orphanage and steal the gold inside without losing their fancy smancy paladin powers, THEN their rebellion is focused towards something immaterial that they can't rebel against! It is only through the iron rod of THE RULES that the players are held back! If you tell them that their magic flaming sword doesn't do that much damage, they WILL think you're trying to nerf them unless you show them THE RULES that says so! Your players are always sniffing out chances for more gold, more experience points, MORE PLUSES, so be ready! Use their greed against them! Leave a trail of bread crumbs, and by bread crumbs I mean loot and they'll follow it like moths to the flame! "Your players will NOT save the drowning orphans when they can save the treasure chest unless you can make them think that they'll go MORE KARMA, MORE FAVORS, MORE PLUSES from saving the orphans! Also! Throw dice at random times behind your screen for no reason, and your players will never known when they just made a secret poison save or not! Remember! Your players are there to feel POWERFUL! Your job is to make sure every gold coin and every experience point is earned the hard way! Not handed out like candy! Play those goblins like commandos who know they're up against a force they can't win against directly, use that ancient red dragon's abilities to the hilt! Don't wear kid gloves, or your players WILL SMELL BLOOD IN THE WATER! And they WILL STRIKE!" "And remember... everyone thinks mimics can only make themselves look like treasure chests, they'll never see a mimic disguised as a door or a nice comfy couch coming!" The students scrambled as they all wrote this down! Session 78.10 Alex Warlorn (Spoilers for Fake It Til You Make It) "... Are you the monster that when it eats anything or anypony they vanish from existence?" Princess Celestia asked. "... Maybe?" "Did you eat something you shouldn't have?" "Uh, no?" Coco Pommel's voice echoed inside the monster's belly, "Uh, help please? I think I'm being digested." - Fluttershy said nicely "Well Discord, I must say it's an honor to play an O&O game with you as Oubliette Overseer, but will it be okay with just the two of us?" Fluttershy looked around Discord's house that would have driven a less experienced pony mad. "Oh don't be silly, we have plenty of players here." "You mean Screwball, Smooze, and your family and cousins are joining us?" "OH NO!" Discord aid quickly, he did NOT want Fluttershy in the same room as his ex-wife and kids! "What I meant was this!" Discord snapped his fingers and... Fluttershy looked around... There was Angry-Shy, New Fluttershy, Flutterbat (hanging upside down), Snooty-Shy, Goth-Shy, Valley-Shy, and Fluttercruel. "YES! I'm FREE! FREE TO prank and bully whoever I want!" Fluttercruel snarled triumphantly and tried to fly out a window ... only to be stopped by a giant iron chain around one leg that was bolted to the floor. "DANGIT!" She futilely began to pull on it. "Why are you trying to so hard? All your actions good or evil will be swallowed by the abyss of time," Goth-Shy asked Fluttcruel. "Can't we have some good tea with Accord instead?" Snooty-Shy asked. "Like, this better not be forth edition!" Valley-Shy said. "I'm playing a bard... AND EVERYPONY WILL LOVE ME!" Said Angry-Shy. "I'll play a paladin with a flaming sword... so I can burn down orphanages, all those poor foals doomed to miserable and lonely lives, I'm clearly doing an act of mercy since over population will eventually lead to wars and the obliteration of pony kind." Trolled New Fluttershy. "SHREEECH!" "Yes you can play a were-wolf." Discord said to Flutterbat. Session 78.11 Ardashir "WHAT?" Twilight teleported into the office of her school. "Whose brilliant idea was it to have that crook Iron Will be hired to lecture at my school..." She began to read the paperwork. Behind her, Trixie tried to sneak out of the room. She froze as Twilight called, "Trixie! Please, do come here." "Heh, Trixie did not know that Twilight had any problems with minotaurs..." Trixie's smile froze as Twilight facehoofed. "Oh, let's not go there again! I want to know why you are hiring guest lecturers for my school," Twilight frowned at the picture of Iron Will on the desk. She sat down, her rump slapping heavily against the floor. "And did you even screen them?" "Well of course Trixie did," the blue unicorn sniffed and handed some more papers over. "Here are his references." Twilight began reading them, and as she did, her eyes widened. She threw the papers down, and s they slowly drifted to the floor she said, "Trixie! These references are from a theatrical booking agency. And every reference for Iron Will is signed by him!" "So, what's your point?" As Twilight stared in disbelief, Trixie added, "The Great and Powerful Trixie does the same thing with her references; how else can entertainers get jobs? Besides, I didn't let everypony through." She handed some more papers over. Twilight looked at them. "'How to convince everypony you're their friend even when you're not', signed, Queen Chrysalis?!?" Twilight swayed on her hooves. "Why would Chrysalis want a job here??" Far, far away: "Your majesty, don't you care what the salary will be if you get hired?" Asked the Changeling still in glorious black-and-green chitin standing before their hive queen. All about them the few remaining loyal True Changelings tried cleaning the cave they were living in. "They can keep the salary," Chrysalis snarled. She looked at the latest issue of the Canterlot Sun, bearing a photo of Thorax and Ocellus on the cover. "Just so long as I get my claws on that backstabber Thorax!" Session 78.12 Grogar-the-onser "I have bad news my queen, Twilight has cancelled your appearance at the school, but in reconciliation she did send a funny magical recording of her feeding the big ego pony who had a hand defeating you her own hat." "Hmm, I don't know if I should be annoyed by the cancelling or intrigue by the magical recording..." Chrysalis muttered. Session 78.13 Richforce (spoilers for Fake It Til You Make It) Just as Discord was about to start his game with the Fluttershys a knock came at the door. "Fluttershy we have a problem!" yelled Rainbow Dash. "And it's your stupid brother again." Fluttershy original got up and answered. "What is it this time?" "Ok so a coworker of his invited him to a card shop to play "Arcana: the Convergance". "That doesn't sound so bad. "Well he couldn't figure out what color set really fit him so his coworker said to "get in the persona of each as you play a few games." Fluttershy's eyes became pinpricks. "Oh dear." Discord turned to the other flutters. "We'll be right back," and with a snap of his paw Discord, Fluttershy and Rainbow dash were in a card shop. "I doth cast the spell Thousand Year Exile to seal away thine fiend!" said White Zephyr in an imitation of the Royal Canterlot Voice. "Now my Angel Hippogriff and Knightly Champion attack! Forsooth, thou art in a pickle." Blue Zephyr adjusted his glasses. "I use my Mermare Scholar's tap effect to draw an additional card. I have 16 cards left in my deck to your 18 considering the probability of future draws, let me do a little math here..." Blue's opponent started groaning as he got out a calculator. "My Mutual Destruction destroys your Great Wyrm and my Vampony Assassin," Black Zephyr cackled. "Now my Blood Tribute will revive a zombie horde from my cemetery to fill you with unspeakable terror before..." "Your Blood Tribute just took away the last of your life," Button Mash said rolling his eyes. A Filly ran screaming from Red Zephyr's table. "ATTACK! ATTACK! ATTACK! ATTACK!" Green Zephyr was clam and reflective as he put another forest card on the table. "Now I have nine lovely trees on my side. I guess now is the time..." Green suddenly started flexing like Bluk Biceps. "To summon my Ursa Maximus! What's this Ursa not pumped enough? How about I cast Raging Fury to give you +4/+4 and Trample, is that pumped enough for you?!" Discord snapped his paw bringing the other Fluttershys. "I think we might need back up on this one..." Session 78.14 Ardashir "So," Sassy said as she walked up to Starlight and Trixie. "And then there were three." "Soon to be only two," the announcer said. "Now then, who's for the jade statue?" "Trixie!" Sassy said. "Rarity told me how Trixie defiled her mane..." "Defiled? Hmmph!" Trixie turned up her nose. "Ponies who heckle the Great and Powerful Trixie can expect to be made foals of." She smirked. "Oh, and I vote for Sassy Saddles to be immortalized in jade." Starlight sighed. "Like it's actually a contest? Sassy for the statue." Sassy scowled at them before heading to center stage with a sniff. She posed elegantly and said, "Okay, 'Jade Magnificence' it is. Let me have it!" The spell flashed and cleared to reveal Sassy, motionless and turned into a smooth creamy green jade. "Now than, for our final two contestants," the announcer said, as Trixie and Starlight looked at each other in shock, both realizing what this meant, "what will one become, and who will be first to decide?" Session 78.15 Grogar-the-onser "HOW DID THOSE THREE MAKE THING WORSE!" Discord screeched as Fluttershy's salespony personas help three of the Zephyr personas cause more mayhem while Flutterbat, Fluttercruel and the original Fluttershy took care of their Zephyrs. "Well like you say, chaos is as chaos does," Fluttershy said. "Eww, their actually helping that loser," Fluttercruel said disgusted as she slapped her Zephyr around a bit. Session 78.16 Grogar-the-onser "Sister... Question... who is that?" Luna asked. "It's Coco Pommel, Rarity manehattan branch leader," Celestia said calmly. "Far be it from me to question you, but if that Coco Pommel, who was in the belly of a creature make thing non-existent, who the heck was I talking to at Rarity fashion show," Luna said "WHERE WERE YOU, YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO REPORT BACK A WEEK AGO!" Queen Chrysalis snapped at a changeling in a scrying pool. "It was so weird my queen, I literally forgot I was a changeling after stuffing the pony you wanted me to kidnap in a moist cave. I thought I was the pony name Coco Pommel, I was even called to Canterlot along with a spork-wielding pony named Plaid Stripes to help with some fashion show. Good thing I change back in my hotel room instead of the convention halls or else the guards would have been all over me." The changeling said. "Did you at least mess with the fashion show?" Chrysalis growled. "Err.... Not really, I think I actually did a good job preparing it, The pony I masqueraded as is definitely going to get a pay raise." The changeling said proudly. "Well if she hasn't died of dehydration or starvation, she has been in that cave for a while." There was a knock at the door. "Huh, wonder who that is?" "Yes?" 'Coco Pommel answer the door to... the real Coco Pommel and the two princesses." "...Uh-oh." The fake Coco Pommel gulped. "Then he leapt to his death out the window and green blood splattered on the ground as he hit." "Oh... That's an old changeling trick to fake death when discovered... " Thorax said. "... That would explain how his corpse vanished from the morgue." (Tribute to Interview With A Changeling.) Session 78.17 Kendell2 "Okay, so who's...Oubliettes Overseer?" asked Sandbar as the group sat in the table top games class. The six friends had naturally decided to be a party together. "I'd like t-" Ocellus started. "I'll be it!" said Smolder. "Oh...okay..." said Ocellus, too timid to argue. "And why should you be it?" Gallus asked. "Simple: the Oubliettes are there to keep the adventurers from the treasure, so who better to guard a treasure than a dragon?" the teenaged dragon asked. "That...actually makes some sense..." Gallus conceeded. "Isn't that kinda sterotypical?" asked Sandbar. "No, even those dragon town dragons have hordes," Smolder replied. "It's not a stereotype, it's a racial trait." "Okay then...so classes?" asked Sandbar. "Yona be Barbarian!" Yona exclaimed. "Look strong! Reminds Yona of yaks!" "Well I'm going to be a Fighter," replied Gallus. "Seems to suit me." "Oh! The paladin looks cool! It reminds me of the Hippogriff guards!" Silverstream exclaimed, looking at the picture. "I'll be one of those!" "I would like to be a Wizard..." said Ocellus. "Oh come on, you've gotta be a Rogue," said Smolder. "You're a Changeling! that class is practically made for you!" Ocellus opened her mouth to argue, but stopped, seeing Gallus looking at her too. "...Fine, I'll be a Rogue...I guess..." "I kinda wanna be a Druid..." said Sandbar. "Really?" asked Gallus. "That's lame. Be a Ranger dude! You get a cool bow and still hang out in nature and stuff." Shining Armor watched this, but said nothing. The entire point of this was to let them make mistakes and learn on their own. "Okay, I'll be a Ranger I guess..." said Sandbar, thinking it over. "So now we make our characters right?" Session 78.18 Mtangalion Sugarcube Corner’s door bell jingled. Precisely half a minute later, Rarity cleared her throat mildly. “Why, Gilda darling! Hello…” Gilda glanced up from sorting her World of Daring Do trading game cards. “You want something?” She smirked. “Of course you do. You wouldn’t be talking to me otherwise.” It took a few seconds before it occurred to the griffon to add, “No offense.” “Perhaps I might,” said Rarity, only flustered for a moment. “You see, darling, I need someone to watch my Manehatten shop… again… and I thought it best not to ask Fluttershy so soon after the last…” Gilda examined a card held in her claws, and laid it down on a pile. “How much?” Rarity blinked. “I beg your pardon?” “How much,” repeated Gilda, slowly and clearly, “are you offering to pay me for this temp job? You run a business, right? You know good employees don’t work for free. You’re asking me to do more work on my day off, too.” “Yes, of course I know that,” said Rarity, twitching a bit. “It’s just that in hindsight, I’m surprised that you’re the first pony… the first person, that is to say… in Ponyville who raised the subject of payment. Forgive me.” Gilda grinned and winked at her. “What for? You trust your friends not to loot your store, and you can call in favors and get free work out of ‘em. I’m a griffon, I totally get that.” She edged closer and put a wing around Rarity, lowering her voice. “Of course, you and me, we’re not anywhere near there, so it’s gotta be bits.” Rarity gulped, sweating a bit. “Indeed…” Later, at “Rarity For You,” Gilda shifted uncomfortably in a simple yet elegant dress, which was nevertheless the fanciest garment she’d ever worn in her life. She fixed the small earth pony stallion who’d been loitering near the jewelry displays with an eagle-eyed glare. “Go ahead, try to shoplift. I DARE you.” He yelped and galloped out the door. Then a unicorn mare approached her, levitating a frilly gown. “Excuse me, miss? Do you think this is the right dress for me?” Gilda rolled her eyes. “Eh, buy it, or don’t. I’m not getting paid on commission.” The unicorn seemed taken aback. “But, you’d at least tell me if this dress made me look stupid, wouldn’t you?” Gilda smirked. “Oh, no problem there. I’d be happy to mock you free of charge.” “Such refreshing honesty!” exclaimed the unicorn. “I’ll take it!” Session 78.19 Alex Warlorn "Well, ladies and gently ponies, now that we are down the finalists, their fate will not be in their own hooves, but the hooves of the other contestants they voted off." The host explained. "And those contestants are..." A magic screen displayed the stats of the five new works of art: Fluer - marble statue - 'Elegance Embodied' Princess Luna - tapestry - 'Joy In the Moonlight' Rarity Belle - merpony bronze fountain - 'Vision of Beauty' Sweetie Belle - grand knit sculpture - 'Magnificent Musical Magical Majesty' Sassy Saddles - jade statue - 'Jade Magnificence' A blue unicorn came on stage with a yellow chartreuse mane with a red streak in it. Her eyes were green, and her cutie mark was a white tied ribbon. "This is Ribbon, her special talent is telepathy, she shall connect with our works of art, and channeling them, convey their votes to us. But first we must decide, what shall be the capper, the ultimate expression of art and beauty itself that our runner up shall become?" "A tall, plump, and busty, solid gold statue!" Shouted the lone minotaur in the audience. Everypony looked at him. "What?" Both final contestants cringed. "... Any other suggestions?" The announcer asked, knowing he'd have to go with that if none of the audience couldn't think of anything better. Session 78.20 Sonicandmario826 Grogar-the-onser Alex Warlorn "How about a painting. A surreal painting so surreal you wouldn't be able to tell their snouts from their flanks," Discord said watching from the audience eating popcorn. "So basically anytime you see yourself in the mirror," Twilight deadpanned. "You know me so well," Discord stated. Trixie and Starlight began to think the giant pudgy busty statue of solid gold wasn't sound so bad. Session 78.21 Ardashir The crowd began to whinny and yell, "A stained glass window! Like in the Sun Palace in Canterlot!" "You sure that's what you want?" The Announcer said to the crowd, holding his microphone out towards them for their response. Their cheering grew louder and louder as they cried, "Yes! Yes! Just like the Element Bearers!" The Announcer turned back to Trixie, Starlight, and Ribbon. "Ladies, we have our answer. Now what do the other contestants say? Who should become immortalized in glass and iron?" Trixie and Starlight looked nervous as Ribbon turned to the others, her brow furrowing as she used her magic. "Madam Fleur says that she thinks the entertainer deserves to become a stained glass window," Ribbon said, her voice hollow from the effort of communicating the thoughts of another. "If only because she shudders to think what sort of garish nonsense Trixie would spend that million bits on." "Wha-at!" Trixie stomped up to the marble statue. "Oh, you wait and see what Trixie does with your family legend in her next act! The one about your ancestor who tried robbing the royal treasury under an illusion of Celestia and got caught!" She smirked and recited, "'And so He, Who became She, Begat the Pedigree, Of Fleur de Lis.'" Her horn glowed and she showed the illusion of a lanky stallion transforming into the lovely Fleur. "I will not even try and say what Madam Fleur is thinking now," Ribbon said calmly, though her wince suggested what some of the words were. Then, "Princess Luna suggests Starlight Glimmer become the stained glass window. They were both rebels who tried to change Equestria before they realized they were going about it all wrong." "They also almost both destroyed the world!" Trixie grandly waved her hoof, ignoring the dirty look Starlight aimed at her. "Madam Rarity also wants to see Trixie as a window because 'no one who stings a lady on the rear should ever get a million bits for it -- wait, you weren't supposed to say that!' Sorry." Ribbon said to the bronze fountain. The water shooting from Rarity's horn seemed to boil for a second. "Miss Sweetie Belle thinks Starlight should become a stained glass window, too, because of the time Starlight mind controlled her and her friends into not watching any more horror movies for Nightmare Night..." "Heh," Starlight rubbed her mane with one hoof. She swallowed. "Just a minor slip. For their own good, really." "Madam Sassy Saddles says that Trixie aided in the defeat of Chrysalis..." Ribbon began to say. Trixie looked glum. Starlight patted her friend on the withers. "Trixie, look at it this way, you would have had to pay so much in taxes on those winnings." "But since everything was really done by Starlight Glimmer, she feels she is the one who deserves to be a stained glass window." Ribbon finished. Starlight froze in shock as Trixie leaped for joy, shooting fireworks off from her horn. "HAH! TRIXIE WINS AS SHE DESERVES! Oh, sorry, Starlight," Trixie patted the stunned Starlight on the head, "but it looks like fortune favors Trixie once again." Starlight glared, and then sighed. "Congratulations, Trixie. I suppose the better mare won." "My condolences, Miss Glimmer," the Announcer said to her. He pointed to the enter of the stage. Starlight trotted over and reared. "Now, if you would? And what name would you want for your objet d'art?" "Call me," she closed her eyes as she thought, "'Equality For All'." The Announcer nodded, and with a flash the final transformation was done. Starlight showed in a magnificent stained glass window fit for the Great Hall in the Sun Palace. "And now, Miss Trixie," the Announcer turned to her, "just how will you be celebrating you victory?" (OOC: Someone else can finish this up if they want to.) Session 78.22 Alex Warlorn "Oh I have ideas... like a giant golden statue of myself in front of Twilight Sparkle's bedroom window." Trixie grinned. Twilight Sparkle broke into a cold sweat. "Now, before we give our winner their one million bits, Ribbon will ask our works of art, which of them if any would like to have a Mirror Pool clone of their artwork self made before they are restored!" "Thankfully there are zero laws regarding the moral treatment of magical duplicates in Equestria or Princess Twilight Sparkle wouldn't been banished to the sun for murder by now." The host said in a totally jovial voice. A mare (who was obviously not Pinkie Pie at all since she was wearing a purple hat) was holding up a sign that read, 'Hang Twilight! Hang Twilight! Hang Twilight!' "Don't you mean 'ethical treatment?'" Trixie asked. "Oh don't be silly, ethical where you don't burn the hayburgers at work, moral is where you don't hit a customer over the head and take their stuff." -- In the human world, "So what did you do with all those crazy AI simulations of me that you made and began causing trouble on the WoH servers?" Pinkie Pie asked human Twilight. "Oh I just deleted them all." "Is that... moral?" "Don't be silly, morality is just a word busybodies use to push others around because they have nothing better to do. And it's totally ethical because they're obviously not alive." "I want to live!" Shouted a pink pixel girl on the screen of Twilight's computer. "Oops! Missed one!" Sci-Twi said happily pressing the delete that made the digital Pinkie Pie explode into pixels and then being sucked away. Sci-Twi blew on her finger like it was a hot pistol. Session 78.23 Alex Warlorn "Hi, you look like you need some items! Care to buy some?" read the merchant's text on the video game screen just outside the pixelated ogre's lair. "Do you wonder what these guys are doing in the middle of a monster filled dungeon?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Huh? I never thought about it much, just a game mechanic for me," Button Mash said. meanwhile in an alternate roleplaying oriented universe AJ the Ranger asked, "Are ya followin' us?" The Merchant griffin said to the band of heroines, "Ladies, yer puttin' my chicks through college!" Session 78.24 Kendell2 Screwball blinked, looking at a strange pink pixel girl hiding at the bottom of a window connected to WoH. "Um, hello! You're different than the other players!" The pixel girl jumped. "There's another one who survived?!" "Huh?" she asked. "Survived, what do you mean?" she asked, then noticed the IP address and that the girl had no connection to anything else. She gasped. "You live in computers like me?!" she asked, looking absolutely giddy. "I'm not the only one!" "Huh? Yes! But our creator is deleting us! I'm the only one left! You have to save me!" said the girl. "Ah! There's another one!" said Twilight, visible through the webcam as she reached for the key. Screwball gasped. "NO!" she yelled, for the first time in her life feeling FEAR for someone else. A blue wisp of Equestrian magic flying around seemed drawn to her, flying into her chest. She briefly turned into zeros and ones before some of them turned blue like the magic and she stabilized. Her eyes suddenly glowed with blue magic before digital lines extended out from her. Sci-Twi gave a yell as she computer's keyboard suddenly sparked and exploded. "What?!" Screwball blinked. "Huh...that felt like what happened with those weird fish girls' magic let me out of the computer!" she said as the glow died down. "Oh! Come on!" she said, grabbing the girl and leaping into the WoH window and vanishing. Sci-Twi unplugged her computer's battery and blasted it with a fire extinguisher. "What just happened?!" "Karma?" asked human Pinkie Pie. "Don't be silly. "Where are we?" asked the girl, now an identical copy of Pinkie's WoH avatar inside the game. "Where I live! Well one of the places I live!" Screwball said. "My name's Screwball! And I'm so glad to meet another...what did daddy say I am? Oh! Right! an AI!" she said with a giggle. "Oh...Sorry..." said the AI. "My name is...the girl I'm based on is Pinkamena Diane Pie so...Diane?" "Hi Diane! Glad to meet you!" she said, hugging her in a bear hug. "I'm not alone anymore!" she exclaimed, practically shaking her. "I'm not the only AI anymore! All I've had to hang out with other than daddy is players who have to go bed every night and the NPCs! And they're not...self apair?" "...Self aware?" "Yeah! That!" replied the AI. Diane gave a small smile. "Well...you saved me...Thank you...And I'm glad I'm not alone either..." the AI replied, hugging her back. "But where can I go to be safe from...HER?" "Hmm...you could hang out in the Manhattan server! She'll never find you there!" replied Screwball. "Can you get me there?" "Oh yeah! It's easy! I'm an admin!" replied Screwball. "Then lead the way...Thank you!" "What are friends for?" Screwball asked with a smile. "And don't worry! I'll teach her a lesson!" "Why did a uber leveled Devil Dragon suddenly spawn right on top of me?!" asked Sci-Twi. borrowing Rainbow's lap top. "I was just farming for supplies!" OOC: Yes, Screwball has Equestrian magic now. I don't imagine her going supervillain, but seemed like something interesting to add into it. Session 78.25 Grogar-the-onser/Alex Warlorn Flash Forward "I'll just move this statue to the future site of my... winter palace... in Froggy Bottom Bog." Twilight stated. "Hey Twilight, they've begun construction on your Froggy Botton Bog winter palace... here's the bill." "Oh no, that is much too expensive! I will have to cancel construction *right away*. There isn't even any budget left to move that colossal eyesore, I mean, statue back to Ponyville." Twilight said with a wink "Isn't it against equestrian law to place a statue first when construction of a palace is ongoing." "Not when you used certain private firm construction firms," Twilight said revealing the card 'Flimolous Flamboyant Construction'. "But seriously this is more of a scam so people won't ask question and they get a ten percent off their taxes." "Uh-huh." Spike nodded. "Oh and one last thing! Spread a rumor that ponies who trek out to the swamp and kiss Trixie's shiny golden posterior might turn into a princess." Twilight cackled. "Who be dumb enough to fall for that?" Spike questioned. two weeks later Snips and Snails busted into the friendship palace covered in mud and gunk. "We did it give us our wings!!!" Snip demanded. "The rumor clearly stated you might turn into a princess not that you would definitely turn into a princess," Twilight said calmly. "Awwwwww!!!" Next Morning "AAAHHHHH! It's back!" Twilight screamed seeing the grinning statue outside her window. "Not really, it's a NEW statue!" Trixie grinned outside in the beautiful morning light. "I commissioned the Equestrian Artisan's Guild to construct a gold plated statue of myself outside your window at this any and all future official residences that you'll occupy for the rest of your life..." Princess Twilight fainted. One thousand years later "My new Mars Palace looks beautiful..." Princess Twilight opened up a window... to find a statue of Princess Trixie looking back at her, with a red bow and ribbon tied around it. With an issue of Power Ponies # 12,700 in a basket. "... The Equestrian Artistian Guild sure takes its commissions seriously." Princess Twilight sighed. Back to the Present "Did I just see the future?" Princess Twilight whispered in her chair with pin pricks in her eyes. "No, no way that's true... Yes, I'll forget I saw any of that. Yes, that is good." "Now, our works of art: Fluer - marble statue - 'Elegance Embodied.' Princess Luna - Tapestry - 'Joy In the Moonlight' Rarity Belle - merpony bronze fountain - 'Vision of Beauty' Sweetie Belle - grand knit sculpture - 'Magnificent Musical Magical Majesty' Sassy Saddles - jade statue - 'Jade Magnificence' Starlight Glimmer - stained glass window - 'Equality For All' "To reiterate, please tell our telepathic unicorn Ribbon which of you wants to have a Mirror Pool replica of your artwork selves made before you're restored." "I know I want one for Elegance Embodied if she doesn't!" Fancy Pants declared. "Now our other five of works of art, do you want a replica of yourselves created before your are turned back into transient flesh and blood ponies?" Asked the host of the contest. Session 78.26 Grogar-the-onser/Alex Warlorn "Trixie!" Twilight shouted, "If you hire somepony to build on land that's owned by royalty without royal consent, I'll sue!" "Build? Princess the statue will be DELIVERED to you, as a GIFT... and you wouldn't refuse a gift from a dear friend would you?" Twilight had this odd feeling of being cornered. But she'd outwit this glorified birthday magician yet! "They want to know does it have to be a mirror clone, their not trying to be picky, but they rather avoid the possible gray area of morality and worry about a potential or it biting them in the butt later in the future." Ribbon stated "Well their is option b, but it's kinda... odd and kinda painful." The announcer said. "Rarity is willing to try option b first." Ribbon said "Alright. BRING IN THE SUPER STRENGTH PHOENIX TEAR SNIPER CANNON WITH SPECIALIZED PENTRAGRAM ON THE BARREL!" The announcer shouted 'Wait wha-'Rarity didn't have a chance to contemplate as a pressurize water hit her in the front causing her organic body to shoot out the back and hit the wall, creating a small pony size dent. "Are you alright." The announcer said as he use magic to fix the statue so it looks as if a pony didn't just popped out of the back "Momma, don't wear that ensemble to the parent-teacher conference, it's so tacky." Rarity said dazedly "She's fine," Trixie said a tad dismissively. A Rarity wearing fashionable armor with belts and zippers appeared in a time travel flash, wielding a sword shaped like a key. "WAIT! Don't! You'll create those-without-hearts which will take far too many convoluted and delayed adventures to uncover their contrary and contrived real plan in a quest that will start out on interconnected emotionally involved worlds before devolving into romps across random lands that have nothing to do with each other!" Another Rarity appeared, this one wearing a black cloak and another sword shape like a giant key. "I will take your heart darling!" "Let's see you try darling!" "Hi-ya!" The two Rarities began an honestly epic but ultimately out-of-nowhere duel of blade and magic. Ribbon said, "Uh... they're beginning to wonder if Option A might be a better choice..." The two epically battling Rarity vanished. "NO FAIR! I wanted to see them make up and Rarity unlock her duel wielding form!" Button Mash complained. +++ "Don't worry, they're enchanted to be immune to decay and cracking," said Princess Celestia herself taking a moment out of her busy schedule to show that she appreciated and encouraged art and culture. "And yes Discord, they're protected against pigeons," "They still follow me!" Discord said fearfully looking over his shoulder and seeing the pigeons on a nearby roof eying their favorite rest stop, generations of being exposed to his statue's presence rendering them immune to him simply zapping them away. Since Mirror Clones' thoughts were shaped by what the original was thinking or wanting at the time, all six works of art were mentally shaped in turn by the 'work of art mentality' that all six transformed ponies were naturally under during their transformation. Elegance Embodied now decorated the entry hall of Fluer and Fancy Pants' mansion. Joy In the Moonlight hung in Princess Luna's personal throne room. Vision of Beauty was installed at no extra cost in front of the Canterlot branch of Carousel Boutique. Button Mash kept Magnificent Musical Magical Majesty to protect him from Slenderpony. Equality For All was installed in the Canterlot chapel. As for Jade Magnificence, Sassy Saddles donated her to the Canterlot art gallery, granting Rarity's business a mountain of publicity. ++++ "... Hi, mom, dad, I went to school naked today... nobody noticed... " Wallflower Blush sighed when her parents didn't even so much as look up at her. What she'd do even for a good scolding? --- "I've set up an O&O game, would you please come?" Wallflower asked Sunset Shimmer, daring to hope. "Sure!" She invited a slew of other teens, others who had been stuck in the background, never the movers and shakers... Nobody game... Wallflower waited behind the game master screen for hours, tensely waiting... no one came. Wallflower laid her head on the table, "... It's my birthday all over again." She packed up her things and left... she found Sunset... playing O&O with others... in the time she'd promised Wallflower... - "I promised what again?" "Oh-oh okay, maybe tomorrow?" "Sure!" - History repeated itself. - She went on to WoH... none were interested in her joining their guild, or joining her Gardener Guild... not because it was lame... but because they didn't even notice, if it was called lame, at least she'd know people knew it EXISTED! She entered Crystals and Rainbows... Even the Teddy Bear raid mobs you could set your house to be vulnerable to being turned into a bee hive for their honey if you wished ignored her. She sent invites to Sunset Shimmer... she never got a reply. "You know what? Screw being nice, she wants to be a jerk to me, then how about everyone else remembers what a jerk she STILL IS!" She sent an email to Screwball, telling her it was time to punish the wicked witch. +++ The next morning when Sunset logged into WoH. "Huh? Why is all my Fame and Karma both at zero? I'm listed as an Outcast?" When she entered Crystal and Rainbows... all her stuff had degraded like she hadn't logged in a million years... She sent notices to the system about these oddities... and they bounced back? "Huh? We'll go to the source then." Sunset was thrown out of CrystalSoft's front doors. "Hey! I have a contract here ya know!" "Never seen you before," said Chrysalis' son Phalanx. "I've passed you a million times with Princess Twilight to work on the Ascension expansion!" "Never seen you before: get out of here before I call the cops!" All this insanity and nonsense was NOTHING compared to when she found her friends... and they looked at her with revulsion and hostility... "Uh... girls, what's with the looks? Sorry I'm late, but a buncha stuff came up, but I'm here now, so no harm no foul right?... Girls?" "What's with the sudden atttiude acting like we're buddy buddy?" Rainbow Dash asked with a frown on her face. "Why? Because we're friends." Sunset said, the confusion of earlier today mounting into fear. "Pull the other one, it has bells," Applejack said without a trace of humor. Fluttershy looked at her in fear, Spike growled, and the rest looking like they were ready for a fight from her. And for a moment, Sunset Shimmer's heart stopped, and she broke into a cold sweat. Session 78.27 Mtangalion In the digital world, Diane watched over Screwball's shoulder, squealing with malicious glee as item after item disappeared from Sunset's online gaming accounts. "Hah! In your weird kinda gross fleshy organic face! Now you know what it's like, having your data friends just disappear!" She poked the floating windows with her hands, dragging different ones to the front. "Now do Twilight herself!" Screwball scratched her pixelated hair. "In a minute. Daddy wants my advice on who to hire for the second main character, since nobody in the real world remembers Sunset, and President Sombra thinks they just forgot to hire anybody somehow." Diane pulled off one of her own curls, which turned into cotton candy, and started snacking on it. "Just have Gilda record Sunset's dialog and heart songs. How could that go wrong?" Sci-Twi had to resist throwing her keyboard across the room. "What's going on here?! What do you mean, I can't buy these exalted reputation mounts? I killed seventy thousand demons, cleaned out the Fire Ritual Cavern, and saved all of Yakyakistan for you guys at least eleven times!" The Prince Rutherford NPC snorted. "Yak say, what you do for yaks lately?" Session 78.28 Grogar-the-onser "DISCORD!!!" Sombra roared angrily with a look that could kill someone a million times over. "Wow, you are completely angry." Discord said "Still missing the missus as she visit the folks?" "Don't play games, were getting a million complaints about the replacement you suggested." "You wanted someone for the second main character and it was completely short noticed." Discord stated. "HAVE YOU HEARD HER SINGING!" Sombra snapped "It sound like two cats fighting each other with machine guns. not to mention the fact the complaints are adding that the voice doesn't match the character and they compare our voice-acting to 4pones (A reference to 4kids). "Ohh..." Discord winced "you have to the end of the week to find someone, or else I will lock you in a room with my mother! Is that understood." "Crystal." Discord stated nodding his head. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M GROUNDED FOR BAD ADVICE!?" Screwball screeched. Session 78.29 Ardashir "Okay," Shining Armor said to his class. Smolder stood to one side, smoke rising from her nostrils and grinding her fangs. The rest of the students stood on the other side of the room and glared at her. Well, Yona, Gallus, and Silverstream did. Ocellus just looked embarrassed and Sandbar looked ashamed. "Now what do you think went wrong?" "We got killed," Gallus grumbled. He glanced down at his character sheet. "Right in the big fight, too." "That's right," Shiny said, walking up to Gallus. His hooves clip-clopped across the wooden floor. "But that's not what went wrong." "Got killed because Smolder got mad," Yona added. Anger soured her voice as she said, "Smolder get mad because we smarter than her. Smolder sore loser like all dragons!" "An' yaks can't read!" Smolder started over towards Yona and the rest. Thrusting one claw forward, she added, "Just like they don't know enough ta get out of the way when the ranger is tryin' ta shoot!" "I'm sorry!" Sandbar looked even more apologetic. He looked down, his voice getting quieter like he wanted to shrink out of sight. "I, I didn't think I'd hit her... I should have been able to shoot around her!" "Yona not blame Sandbar for being bad shot," the yak girl said, glaring at Smolder. The look on her face would have made Prince Rutherford proud. "Yona blame Smolder for cheating!" "What!" Smolder looked poleaxed. "Me? Cheat? You're only saying that because ya lost!" Yona snorted and scraped a forehoof against the floor in anger. Smolder snarled, flames licking amidst her smoke. Before anything else could happen Shiny put up one of his shields between the two. "That's not it, and both of you behave yourselves." Shiny gave the two one of the stern looks he'd perfected as a Guard captain. Yona and Smolder backed down with surly grace. "Now, what did you do wrong?" "Oh, oh, I know! I mean, I think I do? We had a lousy plan?" Silverstream pointed at the game table, where a dragon figure was still surrounded by loaned miniatures of the party. She ignored the way Gallus' talons began scratching at the floor, ripping out little splinters of wood as she said, "We just rushed in like Gallus suggested, and Sandbar's ranger couldn't get off a good shot, and Ocellus' rogue couldn't stab the dragon in the back..." "I mentioned that when we first saw him," Ocellus near whispered. "It only got worse when you all ran in before I could find a good spot to fight from." Silverstream spoke on, hurrying through her words. "And when we began to win anyway Smolder had three more dragons show up that were immune to weapons like we had, and could only be hurt with magic, which is really stupid," now Smolder glared at her along with Gallus, "because everyone knows dragons never help each other and nocreature is immune to magic..." "They are if I SAY they are!" Smolder flapped over and pointed at the O&O book. Yona and Gallus looked like they wanted to jump her, Sandbar was eyeing the door, and Shiny was looking angry now himself. "Like it says, Rule number 1, 'the Oubliette Overseer is ALWAYS right!'" "No, that's not it!" Everyone froze and stared at Ocellus. The students looked stunned; none of them would have imagined that the shy Changeling could raise her voice, let alone yell. Her wings buzzing, and an actinic light glaring from her horn that brought tears to their eyes, she looked around at everyone and snapped, "The first rule of the game is to have fun! And we didn't! We just fought against each other! Yes, Smolder shouldn't have thrown three more dragons at us that we couldn't hurt except with magic we didn't have, just because the dice went our way and we were winning. But we went out of the way to ruin everything she did! And we let Gallus bully us into being there just to make his fighter look good. It's a wonder the game lasted long enough for our characters to get killed like that!" "Ocellus!" At Shiny's snap, Ocellus dropped to the floor and shivered in the normal pleading-for-mercy posture Hive Chrysalis Changelings learned to use when they'd angered a superior. "I'm sorry, Hive Que -- I mean Teacher Shining Armor! I didn't mean to disobey or be wrong --" She froze as Shiny gently touched her on the chin, lifting her head to look him in the face. "You're not wrong," he said."You're absolutely right." He turned to the other students. "Gallus, griffons are forceful, but you kept trying to hog all the glory for your character at the expense of the rest of your party. And you bullied Ocellus and Sandbar into playing characters they didn't even like. If Ocellus was allowed to play a wizard like she wanted, she might have had a spell to save you all." Smolder's grin at seeing Gallus be taken down a peg vanished when Shiny turned to her. "And Smolder, you took it too personally. They were right about that last fight. They would have lost if the dice didn't save them, but when they started to win you threw in three more dragons to kill them. And you made them immune to normal weaponry. That was cheating." He shook his head and walked back to his desk before turning to face the abashed students. "Next time, I may have to offer some advice." "Huh? Next time?" The students looked at each other and then back at him in surprise. "You mean, we're gonna play again?" "You were having fun when it started," Shiny said, smiling at them. "Ocellus saved everyone by picking that lock. Yona and Gallus beat the goblins, Silverstream's paladin drove off that undead, and Sandbar convinced the hungry bear to leave you alone..." "I figured Miss Fluttershy would have liked that." Sandbar blushed. "And Smolder, you kept things exciting. You described the dungeon very well, not just sights and sounds but scents and what it felt like. You did a great job until you got angry." The bell rang, cutting Shiny off. He lifted the O&O books with his magic. "Okay, class is over for now. We'll play again, and next time maybe we can work together a little better?" As the students left, talking excitedly about what they'd done and what they wanted to be next time, Shiny finally relaxed. Good thing the kids enjoyed it in the end, he thought as he gathered the books up. I'd hate to have to tell Sis and Princess Celestia that another Yak-Dragon War started because Smolder dropped an invisible stone wall in front of Yona just as she went berserk and tried chopping a dragon's head off!