//------------------------------// // 140. Compound Fracture. // Story: Baa-Ram-Ewe! // by Darkonshadows //------------------------------// -Equus, Ponyville field, Sandbar- It now occurs to me that one of the biggest things I miss about Ocellus is how upbeat she always is, that and she was our only magic using member of our friend based buck ball team. Smolder was always honest and one of the best defense players I know next to Gallus as far as our pick-up games went. Since Gallus was busy helping Mrs. Berrytwist with a lambkin problem, our core group was worryingly reduced to three friends, Silver Stream, Yona and myself. This is what eventually led to us having to expanding our horizons a bit, to that end we needed a flyer and two unicorns to get a game of buck ball going. Yona versus me on offense, Silver Stream was on my defense. As for Yona’s defense we got Sunshower from the weather team who wanted exercise. Then there was Dinky for my catcher and Sweetie for Yona’s team to round things out as far as unicorns go. Both Dinky and Sweetie needed to practice their magic and this was a good way to do it. Sunshower would get a decent work out and we'd all have some fun. We missed both Smolder and Ocellus, we hoped they made it home soon. We just couldn’t keep worrying about them so hard all the time. We had our own lives to keep going through, even though we all knew in the back of our heads that we’d still be thinking of them. As for the day they do come back though, Pinkie Pie would be ready and was already waiting with the supplies for that party. -Earth, Camden Town, Doug- I wondered what my little spotty dotties were up to this time. I came in and cleaned off the soot from work, I’ve been taking more time to be a good father that was actually present for the pups more than just in the evening. Still, I’m glad that I can save lives, but hiding my immunity to fire was a little sketchy concerning the bipeds I worked with in the fire station. I was alternating spending more time with the family with Delilah given Dolly’s departure put a slight hole in our hearts. The house was a bit quiet and I had my worries, but seeing Spot made me feel relieved. The mystical chicken was family as far as Delilah or I were concerned, plus she took a lot of the pressure off of Dylan to watch all the pups. I entered the living room to see all of the puppies watching a video showing Dolly launching upwards and spiraling into several missiles, my eyes widened as she went through them and somehow landed only slightly scorched. “What are you watching?” I asked tentatively as I just saw my daughter do something incredible again. I’m a bit surprised, if proud, that my daughter was capable of such an amazing sight. “Oh, hey Dad! Dolly got into some trouble with more mercenaries, a super villain and a large robot recently… last we heard she’s alive and well after another huge mess her and Pom got dragged into. We’re just replaying Dolly tanking several missiles and figuring out how she managed to do it without getting burned too badly when the same kind of missiles can wreck tanks and helicopters.” Dylan answered, he was looking stronger now that he had more time for astronaut dog training. He was reaching for his dream now that he a bit more freedom from pup care. “From what we’ve figured out, she used the first impact to create a powerful rotation that caused a pocket of air while her skateboard took the brunt of the energy from each impact. That she even managed to land upright after that is mind boggling. She also may have some of your fire immunity dad, which would also help the situation.” “She’s becoming a real super hero huh?” I’m kind of proud my little hellion was actually doing what she wanted, she’s being a hero. “That’s our Dolly, following her dreams with enthusiasm.” Sure the super bark Dolly did in a previous incident was impressive despite how injured she got, which made me entirely nervous about her being out there, then barely a week later she is taking missiles down personally. It was an eye opener as to how tough my oldest daughter was getting, but the more impressive thing she did in my eyes was that she was finally following and even managing to live her dream. I just wish that dream was a little safer. I was less worried about Dolly’s safety now and more about Pom’s, she didn’t look to healthy and looked like she was being run ragged with how worn down she appeared. -Kunlun Mountains, Panda King’s guard barracks, Shanty- “Murray and Dodo are going to move out soon. Sly is passing the gate and Carmelita is hot on his tail, but she’s actually stopping to make note of the illicit activities going on around here. Can you take care of the stone towers now that you’ve alerted the guards to your presence?” That is not being too hard Mopsy, I just be needing a good angle for it. “Do what you can to cause a large enough distraction and get them away from the fireworks facility while Dodo and Murray get to work setting up the temple of boom.” “On it.” I be gripping the edge of the roof and swinging down into position to hang from it. Once I be looking behind me to judge the direction, I nodded to myself and be preparing for what is my favorite technique aside from climbing. “Goat Fly!” Kicking off the barracks I launched towards one of the towers leading up to the Panda King’s buildings and, since my aim was correct, I clobbered a staff wielding monkey with a flying hoof to the face. This be knocking him across the room into the stone wall while stopping my momentum entirely to land softly. I looked about and noticed a large amount of large fireworks and started to rub my hooves together with a grin. Well… I did be needing to make a distraction. “You know, you scare me every time you go launching off like that.” Of course Mopsy, but I not be having a fear of heights even if I can’t actually fly… though I still be trying to figure out how to making climbing on air a possibility given what Pom be telling me about her friend Velvet’s ability. “You okay, have you found a way to make a large distraction to let Murray and Dodo through?” If I can be skipping around on top water, then I can climbing on air once I be figuring out how to do so. It might not be the same as flying, but being able to do a goat fly anywhere would be amazing… plus it would stop me from falling to my death if there wasn’t any water around to land in. “I be having a plan.” I was already enacting it too, after I be throwing the guard into the snow at the bottom of the tower. Grabbing and moving one of the larger fireworks, I be aiming it at the guard in the other tower. “Why did I feel an intense sense of dread when you said that?” It was moments like these that be making Mopsy sound like Pom. “In any case I’m ordering Murray and Dodo to move out for the explosives factory.” “Hey, I be having this!” I smacked my hooves together around the fuse, doing the campfire lighting technique Pom be showing Smolder, Ocellus and me, the fuse immediately lit up and a second later the firework blasted across to the other tower. It hit the guard in the other tower in the outer portion of his right leg knocking him off balance, then it be flying past him and exploding to make his face slam into the floor. He be knocked out from what I can see, I pull up my binoculars to confirm it. I looked at the higher up point where Panda King is said to be and grab myself another large firework. -Panda King- There was a turmoil in my spirit that hasn’t quieted down once in all these years, there was also a disturbance in my surroundings. I wanted peace to meditate, but it seems I would not be getting that right now. I could feel it, someone was attacking my employees. The newest cooper gang was here for me and they were… my eyes snapped opened and I slashed my right paw outwards blasting an arc of flames from it. This knocked the firework that might have either hit me or exploded near me to fly off course and explode harmlessly to my right. I stood up and started preparing a single large firework as I looked into the distance. I do not take direct attacks on my person lightly, before I did anything hasty I sensed out where the guard for the tower was now. He was out of the way and would be safe. Now I will show them what it means to anger the Panda King, I put my energy into the firework and then sent it on its way with a flicker of flame from my paw. I might not be able to see them, but my rocket would fly true. -Shanty- Fireworks are like one shot cannons, my aim was decent at best as I wasn’t going to be hitting Panda King directly from what I saw and it wasn’t going to explode near him either give I be seeing it be knocked away. It be kind of cool that he could just create fire from his paws from what little I can see at this distance, too bad he is being a big jerk. A rocket flared and flew out from the Panda King’s meditation pagoda at a speed that normal fireworks were not known for, then again the fireworks factory from what Bentley told us in the briefing doubled as an explosives manufacturing plant. Looking like a temple was just an artsy choice. Quickly grabbing a large rocket in one hoof I slung myself onto the wall outside of the tower and then used goat fly to get across to the other nearby tower with the knocked out guard. The massive, deafening, explosion I heard afterwards made me look back and I paled at the missing room where I just was. Panda King is being a bit more dangerous than I currently be thinking. My ears by ringing as I stared at the blasted remnants of the top of the tower, I be feeling a bit dazed as I climbed up into the other tower. “…. Sha…. shant… res… Ple… respond… can… you hear me Shanty!” Hearing Mopsy made me shake my head violently. “Are, you, okay?” “I… be okay, but I be thinking fireworks should not be ‘THAT’ powerful.” At least I be getting Panda King’s attention and that of his guards. “The guards be certainly distracted by that.” “Already asked Murray and Dodo to move into position to start setting up the fireworks factory for Bentley’s plan, while procuring some fireworks for Sly to use to get up to Panda King. You got guards coming your way.” They weren’t coming from the barracks the snow was still in the way, they were coming from other areas from what Mopsy was telling me. “Just try not to get hit directly any fireworks like that, especially if it can do that to a stone tower!” That is being very good advice at the moment, I took up my large firework and aimed it downward at the large thugs rushing towards this tower. They be knowing I’m here already and there were already others that be picking up the guard at the bottom of the other tower. I quickly lit the fuse and held the firework until it ignited and then I let go, the guards one the ground below were blasted away from the rocket blowing up in the middle of them in a rather colorful display. “Shanty how long can you hold out up there?” Asked Mopsy as she be watching from her position. “I be having five rockets to work with.” Also my hooves might be hurting afterwards doing the campfire lighting technique back to back like this. I be picking up the five rockets and putting them in my bag I got back on Elhorn. “Use your binocular communications device Shanty and give me a view of which directions the guards are coming from.” Doing as Mopsy asked, I spotted that the guards weren’t grouping up and each were coming at the tower well separated to avoid being caught in another blast. They be really smart guards. “Is there anywhere you can goat fly to from there aside from the barracks? They are already moving the mass of snow out of the way of the doors.” I turned my pirate themed binoculars towards the barracks and saw a group of them almost had the door clear. I quickly took one of the large fireworks out and lit it while aiming to the roof I came from. “I can be reaching the mountainside pathway from here easily, but I got to be making sure they can’t free up the barracks guards first or else The Murray and Dodo will be being in trouble!” Once the fuse went into the firework, I let it fly off and it be spiraling until exploding above the roof. I would be preferring a direct hit, but that was enough to make a mass of snow bury the guards digging the door to the barracks out. “Four rockets, tell me where you be needing them Mopsy when you can. Else I just be using them as I see fit.” “Guards are climbing the tower Shanty, get out of there!” Nodding at Mopsy’s urgency, I climbed off the edge of the tower and clung to the wall, I then be launching myself onto the pathway leading up to the main compound. I rolled with the impact of the snowy slope and stayed on the ground for a bit, my legs be feeling like jelly after colliding with the slope or it was just that cold. Where Murray and Dodo would be gathering explosives from around the factory to blow it wide open, I would be actively drawing attention to myself from all the guards. “Shanty… incoming!” Looking up at Mopsy’s words, I saw them all coming down at me. “I think Panda King is somehow directing them at you.” Running be a good idea now. -The Murray- I looked up at the fireworks causing large explosions. Gee, I hope Shanty was okay. I felt a something poke my side and looking at Dodo motioning with his head to the doors to the fireworks factory. Right, most of the guards went to deal with Shanty. Some were still left behind as a skeleton crew, the barracks were stuffed with so much snow it would take them a while to dig it all out of the way. “The Murray has the one on the right, you get the one on the left.” Dodo nodded and crouched down to jump at the one I pointed out, he was waiting for me to make my move like a good mechanical ostrich thing. I snuck up close to the guy, using a snow bank to make sure he didn’t see me approaching until I could rush him down. Running out and shoulder checking the guy on the right to the ground, I stomped my left foot with my full weight sending him up into the air where I caught him and slammed his head into the wall. I turned to see Dodo already dragging the other unconscious guy over to me, he warbled curiously and I motioned for him to drag them further away. Dodo tilted his head, nodded and then started dragging the guards away. “We’re in Mopsy, how is Shanty doing?” I asked as I cracked my knuckles and punched the door once, then threw a left hook and finally I slammed my shoulder into cracked the door to knock it open. Nobody was here…. well duh Murray, the factory is not in operation at the moment and all the guards and Panda King are busy attacking Shanty who’s distracting them. “She’s… doing okay for the most part, the Panda King is raining rockets down on her position and they are leaving craters.” Mopsy sounded scared for our mutual best little buddy. “She’s returning fire with the rockets she took with her, but she’s got two… make that one left.” I was scared too, mostly for Shanty, but my muscles are proving themselves ready for field work and I wasn’t going to let any of my friends down! Dodo warbled worriedly as he looked off into the distance, likely in the direction Shanty was in. “Let’s get this set up quickly, then we’ll wait to help Shanty get out of here when she sets things to blow up in pretty colors.” I received a happy mechanical tone and we both made our way inside. “Mopsy can I get some help here? Huh, Sly is almost done, that’s good news at least!” -Dodo- “Ooh an entire fireworks factory exploding, this is going to be so fun!” Pink Pie.exe loved fireworks, Dodo did have a clue as to what was so special about explosive devices. He did come from a world where things seemed to explode regularly. Shanty was his best friend and he was worried she was being attacked, even if this world was somewhat safer. -Shanty- An explosion knocked me away from the boulder, I moved back to it and carefully looked around the boulder and saw that more than half of it was missing. “Okay guys, Sly is almost done evading Carmelita, along with the thugs that got between them.” Bentley be joining us. “Shanty do you have any rockets left.” “Just being the one.” I be giving both Mopsy and Bentley a visual of the last of the large rocket I had acquired. “Okay, Mopsy hasten Murray and Dodo on the set up. Sly is on his way to position for the meet up point to face off against the Panda King and will be there in a few minutes, Carmelita will bring in the local authorities to deal with the barracks. Shanty are you ready to pop that fireworks factory wide open?” Yes Bentley, I really be wanting to do this! “Thanks to the visuals you gave me on the rocket you have, I have a plan to get you out of the area before Panda King launches another wave of rockets at you. I want you to aim that at the fireworks factory, slightly above it and not too high. Now when you light the firework I want you to hold onto it and then jump when it is about to fire. It should be powerful enough to get you over there, just don’t hold onto it for too long.” Nodding at this, I lit the fuse and then clamped my hooves to the firework as I held it above my head. Crouching down on my hind legs another explosion destroyed the remaining portion of the rock wall between me and the rockets Panda King be firing my way. The fuse entered the rocket and I leapt in the direction of the factory and found myself pulled through the air when the rocket ignited. Snow, buildings and the barracks passed beneath me in a blur. As the rocket slowed down, I was already at the factories roof as several explosions landed where I was on the mountainside. I be letting go of the rocket and it shoots into the air and exploded as I rolled across the temple like roof and looked up at the pretty colors. “That was being a rush!” Flying is being fun, especially when I not be exploding. “Also, yes, I’m fine Mopsy, I just be slightly burnt.” “I’ll have the burn ointment ready when you come in. Sly’s escaped Carmelita and is now running interference under Bentley’s guidance, he’s keeping the guard busy with long range rocket bombardments and is drawing Panda King’s attention as he makes his way forward. Help Murray and Dodo, then light that factory up. All of you will then get over there to help Sly with getting up to the Panda King. I’m sending you a waypoint to the quickest entrance from your position.” Nodding I raised my binoculars and looked at the waypoint set by Mopsy, it be showing a smiling lamb figure. Walking across the roof I climbed down to a window and got into the factory to see Dodo and Murray placing the already present explosives in places to ruin the building entirely. “Hey guys, it be being a bit loud tonight!” Dodo swept his eyes up at me and he warbled happily and Murray waved with his left hand as his right arm was occupied with a barrel of explosive materials. -Sly- I swiped my cane and another rocket wildly blasted off into a group of guards, the barracks were almost cleared up and the local authorities were about to show up. I didn’t have much time if I wanted to perform the takedown on Panda King. Shanty, Murray and Dodo all seem to be doing well, Carmelita is calling in backup for herself, Mopsy and Bentley have us well coordinated and the only problem I can see ahead of me… is fighting Panda King himself. Panda King was ridiculously accurate with those fireworks of his as I leapt and swung my family cane upwards to ride down a wire as the building I was on is blown apart by a powerful explosion. The line snapped and I rolled in the snow when I hit the ground to bleed off momentum. I charged towards where we would be setting up my entrance to the Panda King’s pagoda. On my left the fireworks factory suddenly erupted, fracturing into huge chunks of debris as it collapsed inwards and passing by it I came upon my team waiting for me. Shanty was grinning up a storm at watching as all the rockets from the factory whizzed about and destroyed other nearby structures in colorful displays. Panda King’s little empire was breaking apart at the seams, we’re getting quite good at these takedowns. Murray placed down a circular platform, Dodo started pulling fireworks out from the hollow in his back and passing them to Murray and Shanty as they tied them to the platform. Once it was set up with Bentley directing them, all I had to do is let it rip with a tug of my cane. I hopped onto the platform and hooked the pull cord. With a yank, the rockets around the platform spun up and fired powerfully to launch me and the platform high up in the air towards the Panda King. I leapt off before the flying platform crashed into the floor and stared up at the one who burned down my home, my grip tightening on my cane. A few seconds later during my stare down, Shanty climbed up behind me and took cover behind a pillar. She was our backup plan for this and she need some rest, she looked a bit tired from drawing so much attention to herself. I would rather not need Shanty's assistance, but I didn’t know how tough the Panda King was going to be. “Murray head on back with Dodo, I think Shanty and I have it from here.” We wouldn’t need Dodo for what was to come. Panda King stood up and crossed his arms to stare down at me from his raised platform.