//------------------------------// // 7-New Gear // Story: A Changeling Queen Under the Griffon's Crown // by DungeonMiner //------------------------------// Chapter 7 Julius ran down the hallway of the Onyx Keep, panting as he was chased by monsters. The insectoid equines scurried down the hall behind him, running across the walls, floor, and ceiling as though they were ants. “Where are you, my little Nephew?” The voice of Markus Ironclaw echoed behind him. Julius ducked into a corridor. The hissing of the changelings behind him got louder as they closed the gap. Julius’s eyes darted across the stone, and for the hundredth time he cursed the labyrinth design of his home. There was supposed to be one here! There had to be one! The creatures gave a staccato Skree-kee-kee! calling to their brothers and sisters as they chased down the griffon. Come on! Come on! Another sharp turn, another empty hallway. “Where are you running, my dear Nephew?” Julius suddenly came up on an intersection. His eyes frantically looked for something. Anything that could help him. Skreeee! the changelings were getting closer. There! A dead end! The monsters just saw his tail disappear down a hallway. “Get him!” one of them hissed. The creatures followed, hot on his heels. They turned the corner. And met air. The dead end was empty, and the Changelings instantly spread out, searching for some sort of camouflage. “Find him! Bring him to the Queen!” one of the changelings hissed. Four griffons suddenly came up behind the changelings. “Where is he?” the leader asked. The lead changeling hissed. “This One does not know.” The griffon growled, and checked the green, glowing gem in his bracer. “He’s nearby! Come on! We’ll find him and finally win this.” “We’re going to win.” <<<|Ω|>>> Silence reigned in Celestia’s throne room. Julius Ironblood had flown to Equestria on his own two wings, and looked as good as he felt. His feathers were ruffled, his fur was matted, and he had deep bags under his eyes. His eyes were red and bloodshot, and shone with a sad light. “I was able to catch a few boats,” Julius said, “but other than a few boat-hops, I had to fly here for most of the way.” Alan said nothing, his face impassive as he listened to his adoptive brother’s story. Lydia Snowlily sat behind her fiance, a claw resting gently on his back. Her face was twisted into a worried frown, and Alan had caught her opening her mouth to say something more than once, only to shut it again. Alan nodded before looking at the other ponies gathered. The Mane Six and Stallion Seven all stared back at him, each one with their own expression, ranging anywhere from nervous despair to fierce determination. Alan looked to the Princesses. Luna frowned, her brow creased, and her lips twisted into a pensive pout. Celestia, Death’s flaming feather pinning her mane back, gave the griffon her best sympathetic glance. The Iron Crown had made it’s move. Celestia frowned, “This is troubling news.” Luna nodded. “Indeed, we must begin to mobilize the armies—” “No!” Julius yelled, suddenly, his talon slamming on the table. All eyes went to him. His bloodshot eyes looked up at the Princesses pleading as he stood, his claws digging into the wood. “Please, no…” he said, slowly sitting. “Th-the war with the Sultanate has been going on since before the Lunar One had been banished. No-no even cares about that thrice cursed plot of land anymore…it’s...it’s all about what this family did to that family, what he did to him. It’s sons fighting for their fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, all the way to the tenth generation. “In my grandfather’s time, there was a lull in the fighting,” Julius continued. “And for one hundred years, all we have done little more stare angrily at each other over the blood-drenched land, only skirmishes breaking out in the nights. But...but once we had the alliance, and the ceasefire was called, we’ve had...well, not peace, but something very close to it. “I-I don’t want to lose that,” he said with finality. “As it is I have done everything in my power to keep news of the coup from reaching the Sultanate’s ears. As of right now, they do not know, and there will still be this...this fake peace. I can’t risk that. Please, Great Ones, please, do not show your hand and bring war on my people.” Luna and Celestia blinked, before giving him sad, sorrowful smiles. “I don’t think we have much else choice, Young One.” “How else can we repel the force of the changelings and the rebel griffons?” Luna countered. “Even if we defeated the changelings as we had before, the griffons would still be there to fight us. Many of our weapons have not the strength to pierce a changeling’s hide, and the griffons will not surrender the Onyx Keep to us a second time.” “I think we do have an option, though,” Alan said, speaking up. They turned to him. “From what I understand, Changelings are very dependent on the Queen. And, if they act as much like insects as I suspect them to, eliminating the queen would leave them devastated.” “Cutting the head off the snake?” Twilight asked. “Doesn’t that have a long record of working great in theory, but not in practice?” “Meh,” Alan admitted. “It’s a fifty/fifty chance, but if we can get a small strike force in there we can at least deal with half the threat without sending the army. Possibly more if the changelings are using their influence magic.” “I don’t think they are,” Julius said without looking up. “The griffons seemed to be working quite willingly with the beasts.” “An assassination attempt?” Celestia said, a disapproving tone in her voice. “They assassinated me,” Alan answered. “It’s only polite to return the favor.” Celestia raised an eyebrow. Twilight sighed and facehoofed. “It would not be an assassination attempt, per se,” Alan explained. “It would be a recon and sabotage mission. We would be sowing dissent between the two factions, crippling operations, and causing a massive amount of chaos in a short period of time to give Julius the opportunity to take the throne back. And if we had the opportunity to deal with the Queen, then so be it.” “Alan,” Celestia admonished, “We do not make assassinations.” “The only good tyrant is a dead tyrant,” Alan countered, “and the sooner the better.” Celestia said nothing. It...it was an option after all, and if it went well then the war with the Ligers would at least be put on hold until they could be addressed. “And who would go on this mission?” “Well,” Alan said, “I would, obviously...I suppose I’d need a few volunteers…” “Gentlecolts, the Invitation,” Spike said with a snort. The stallions chuckled. “Julius would need to come with us,” Alan said, “but other than that we can keep it open.” At the mention of the griffon all eyes turned to Julius and Lydia. “Wh-what about the King?” Lydia asked, finally. Julius gulped, staring down at his talons. “The King is dead. Long live the King,” he said simply, tears falling from his eyes. Alan’s face hardened. The old griffon King had done his best to be a second Father to Alan, admittedly one from a distance, but the thought of him dying dug at him. “Princess, do you remember the equipment I commissioned?” “Your gifts? Yes.” “We’re going to need it.” “I will have it brought up. Anything else?” Celestia asked. Alan shook his head. “No. I’ll take care of this.” <<<|Ω|>>> The Stallion Seven all watched in interest as Alan began laying down the equipment. They were in a small, dark room with two doors, one behind them, one in front. “Happy Birthday, guys,” Alan said, setting the equipment down on the table. “I was saving these, but I think you may want them now.” The ponies looked down at their new equipment. Big Macintosh received a set of bracers with a pair of apple green emeralds set into them. Thunderlane was appraising a set of bladed horseshoes, black as his coat, a blue spark shot between the blades. Silver looked down at a new warhammer, a large yellow topaz set into the head. Spike stared at a pair of goggles, a large gem shimmering green between the lenses, and Soarin had a phoenix-shaped necklace, with a ruby at the center. “Hey,” Shining, said. “What about me?” “You got your gift!” Alan said. “The sword I got you for your wedding day. Heck, that thing’s practically magic on its own.” “So what are these?” Soarin asked, looking down at the large necklace. “I’ll get to that,” Alan said. “Big Mac, starting with you, I figured you’d want something that could use out of combat. Those are strength-boosting bracers, and they should, if the enchanters are correct, triple your strength.” Big Mac nodded in appreciation, before he began to tie them on. “Thunderlane, your’s is also pretty straight forward. Standard issue Pegasus claws, enchanted with storm magic, making them more effective for taking apart clouds, and making them good for giving your targets a good shock.” Thunderlane smiled. “Very cool.” “Silver,” Alan said, “meet your new hammer.” “What was wrong with my old one?” he asked. “It didn’t vibrate at an extremely high frequency that allows you to crush most things into dust. Literally.” Silver blinked, before picking up the hammer. “Yes...I would imagine that that was a big oversight.” “So what is this, then?” Spike said aloud, looking down at the goggles. Alan smiled. “Well, what’s more dangerous than a large, flying, fire-breathing dragon?” Spike blinked. “A larger flying, fire-breathing dragon?” “How about a large, flying, fire-breathing dragon that you can’t see?” Spike blinked. “That’s a stealth gem, and it should be able to alter the color of your scales to turn you more or less invisible.” “So I’m going to be part chameleon,” Spike said, before sliding the goggles on. “Ooh, life detection, very nice,” he said as his scales shimmered and changed to a blotty mixture of blacks, greys, and navy blues until he seemed to be only a shimmer in the air. “So what’s mine?” Soarin asked, looking down at the necklace. “Well Soarin, I’ve had to think pretty hard about what to get you. I mean, you’re a great fighter in large open spaces, but you have issues in close quarters. So, I got you a little something to help that. Here, pass it.” Soarin handed the necklace over, and Alan quickly put it on before saying loudly. “Flight of the Phoenix!” Suddenly, Alan burst into flame, his coat turning orange as his mane transformed into fire. The ponies that were gathered around him gasped, and backed up. Alan laughed. “Cool right? Got some inspiration from Twilight when she did this, once. It’s a phoenix spell, which takes a massive amount of magical energy, so, this thing is going to be useless for another half an hour or so, but still.” The flames died, transforming Alan back into a pony of flesh and blood. The ruby dulled to grey, and began to flash red. “Once this thing goes solid red you can use it again,” Alan said, handing the necklace back. “Just say ‘Flight of the Phoenix,’ to activate it, and you’re ready to smoke ‘em.” “Very nice,” Soarin said, clasping the amulet around his own neck. “And now,” Alan said, walking to the door behind him, “as members of the strike team, it’s time for you guys to pick your equipment!” he said, opening the door to reveal the city’s armory. The stallions blinked at the sight of hundreds of belts, knives, swords, wing blades, hoof claws, and hundreds of other weapons. Spike whistled. “Blacksmiths have been busy.” <<<|Ω|>>> Julius opened the black case. He was the King now, ruler of the Empire. It was time to dress the part. He...he had hoped his father would be here for this… The case had two compartments with velvet-lined drawers. The one on the left was a series of silver plates that would drape over his shoulders and back. The Prince’s Armor. The one on the right… Julius slowly took out the gold and crimson armbands, and replaced the silver ones he had always worn. Pauldrons, blood red with gold accents slipped over his shoulders. Next, the flank guards with the same design. Julius paused. Then, with all the respect he could muster, even as tears began to fill his eyes, he slowly picked up the golden laurels. He...he couldn’t… A soft talon clutched his own. He looked up to see the love of his life stare back at him. Carefully, she took the ancient headpiece from him, and then reverently set in on his brow. “Will I see you again, my King?” she asked, straightening his armor. Julius didn’t have an answer for that. “My King?” Julius grabbed her, pulling her into a hug. “I love you, Lydia. I love you so much.” <<<|Ω|>>> The Stallion Seven and Julius walked forward. They were dressed in gold and black armor, their new weapons and tools ready. Spike, the least armored of the eight, wore only his goggles, his scales and claws were enough. Soarin had grabbed a pair of wing blades and hoof claws, as well as some light armor for himself. Big Mac was dressed like a tank. There was hardly any of his red fur poking through the small gaps of the armor, only his head and joints were unprotected. Julius wore the armor of his father. The Laurels of Victory sitting on his head, and even as his looked out on the horizon with a thousand-mile stare, he still walked with pride. Thunderlane was slightly more armored than his pegasus friend, and he carried a spear along with his new hoof claws. Silver had decided to forgo his standard issue guard armor, instead choosing some new pieces. He let his silver mane hang loose, and his bronze fur looked good surrounded by the black chest piece he had picked, the long-hafted hammer strapped to his back. Shining was wearing his purple captain’s armor, his pattern-welded blade sheathed on his back. Alan led them all, dressed in, of all things, a duster. The black coat had a silver dragon embroidered on the back. Two pauldrons were sewn to the shoulders, providing protection while also hiding the enchanting gems that made the cloth as hard as steel. Alan’s baldric with the sun-shaped buckle held Judgement in place, and he wore his wide-brimmed cowboy hat low over his eyes. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but think, Dude, we are so badass… The approached the Victory, which was guarded by a few unicorns. “All the supplies on board?” Alan asked. “Sir, yes, sir!” the guard answered. “And the personnel?” “Sir, yes, sir!” “At ease,” Shining said, walking up the deck. Once Alan walked onto the deck, he was met with the sight of three ponies. One dressed in golden armor, another in dark blue, and a third in a star-covered cape. “Sir, the Great and Powerful Captain Trixie reporting, sir!” “Sir!” the golden-clad pegasus stallion said, saluting. “Sunny Sentinel of the Dawn Guard reporting, sir!” “Sir!” said the remaining mare, her bat-like wings twitching. “Twinkle Drop of the Dusk Watch reporting, sir!” “At ease, all of you,” Alan said. “Good to have you three aboard.” “Yes, sir,” Twinkle said, “and if I may, sir. This boat is very classy.” Alan chuckled, even as Sunny sent her a glare. “Yes, you may, Twinkle, and yes, it is.” She smiled, and gave her head a good shake, ruffling her mane. “Alright, then!” Alan said, “I think we’re—” “We’re ready!” a voice called from the dock. Alan turned to see the Mane Six behind him. They were dressed in their armor, each with their element look-alike, and walked up to the sky yacht. “We’re just about—” Twilight said, before she slammed into a silver wall of magic. “Ow, what—?” She blinked, stepping back from a shield that covered the gangplank. “Sorry girls, but you’re not coming with us.” “What!?” the collectively yelled. Alan pulled the gangplank up. “Nothing against you, girls. But we’re going alone.” “Excuse you?” Twilight asked. “We’ll be back, I promise!” Alan said. “Excuse you?!” Alan quickly ran up to the helm and kicked the engines on to full. “Bye, girls! See you soon!” “Excuse you!?” Twilight shrieked. “Love you, Twi!” Alan called, “You’re in charge of the army until I get back!” “Excuse bucking you!” “We won’t be long!” Alan said as the ship pulled away. Shining walked up to the unicorn as he waved at the gathered mares. He looked over at the Pendragon, who had a very strained smile on his face. “She is so going to kill you.” “I know she is.” <<<|Ω|>>> “Tell me, Alan,” Julius said, holding a hand of cards, “why did we leave the girls behind?” Trixie was at the helm, and while she piloted Alan brought the guys below deck. Alan figured the poor griffon needed something to take his mind off of all the death and destruction he had gone through. And that led the stallions down into the observation deck for a game of cards. “Well, I figured it was just the best course of action. We need a small strike force, and while the girls are a great help, the more ponies that come increases the number of ponies that can potentially die.” Shining nodded. The others simply sat in silence. Alan’s ear twitched. “Did you guys hear something?” The others paused. “No…” Spike slipped on his goggles and looked around. “We have stowaways.” Alan stood, his horn glowing to form a small knife. “Where?” “Down the hall, armory, storage closet on the left,” Spike said. Alan nodded. “Shining, get a shield ready.” “Ready,” he said, his horn shimmering. Alan, Shining, and Spike slowly approached the small armory, Spike slithering along the walls of the hallway. Alan came up to the door, hugging the wall as a eldritch hand gripped the doorknob. “Still in the closet?” Alan asked. Spike nodded, his goggles glowing a faint green color. Alan slowly pushed the door to the armory opened, and the three quickly slinked into the room. Alan paused for a second, listening intently as the two unicorns and dragon took their position. Muffled shuffles and voices came from the small storage closet, and Alan’s ears picked up something. Oh no...they didn’t… The knife dissipated, and Alan stood in front of the door, even now hearing the faint jabs of “get your hoof out of my face.” Alan opened the door and six mares tumbled to the floor. Alan looked down at the six generals and asked only one thing. “What are you doing?” The Mane Six looked up at him, with varying degrees of shame. “Surprise…” Pinkie said half-heartedly, throwing up a hoofful of confetti. <<<|Ω|>>> Alan burst onto the top deck. “Trixie, turn us around!” The pale blue mare blinked, and was about to respond when Twilight followed her husband. “Ignore that, stay on course!” Alan turned to her, glaring. “Excuse you?” “Excuse you for leaving us behind!” The remaining passengers looked on from the doorway under the quarterdeck. “Trixie, fly us back to Canterlot!” Alan yelled. “Keep flying straight!” Twilight answered. “I am the commanding officer, turn back!” “And I am your wife!” Twilight yelled. “And I say you will not turn this ship around!” “You are not even supposed to be here!” “And why not?!” “Because it’s too dangerous!” “Too dangerous?! Excuse me, but we fought in the War! We defeated Nightmare Moon, and Discord! How is this too dangerous!?” “We are going to be behind enemy lines, and relying on stealth. Now excuse me, but I’m more than fairly certain that your little rainbow cannon isn’t exactly low-key!” Twilight rammed her head into his, their horns crossing. “So it’s too dangerous for us, but fine for you?! When did you become a one pony army, hm? Last I checked, it only took one of those magic-roided griffons to kill you!” Alan pushed back. “Well excuse me, for wanting to be the protector of the household, you know, my job as a husband!” “Oh I see! You have to go be a big stallion about this, huh!? This is just another ‘Me Strong’ contest!” “Turning this into the battle of the sexes, how original!” Alan snarked. “You know perfectly well that this is not the case!” “Well maybe you should have told us you were leaving without us!” “And give you a chance to sneak on board, like you already have!?” “Well pardon us if we want to help!” “Trixie!” Alan yelled. “Turn this ship around!” “If you do, I will teleport us back on board! And I will do it again, and again until you either cave or until the Empire falls apart!” Alan growled. “You stubborn, insufferable mare!” “You inconsiderate, impossible imbecile!” Alan roared, his horn glowing with magic as two mana-hands balled into fist came crashing down on the deck. With a final shove, he pushed Twilight away and stormed back towards the quarter deck. The remaining ponies and griffon leapt out of the door, just as Alan stomped his way in. The door slammed shut behind him. There was total silence on the deck of the Victory. “Well,” Twinkle Drop noted. “Off to a fine start.” <<<|Ω|>>> The remaining ponies watched, still tense as Twilight Sparkle paced the length of the deck, grumbling. Everypony gave her a three tail-lengths space, and no one dared speak to her. The only thing they thought was more awkward was to follow Alan inside, so they stayed on the edge of the ship, looking out as landscape slowly gave way to shorelines. “Well,” Spike said, “this certainly could have gone better.” “It could have,” Rarity agreed, standing beside him as they shared the scenery. “Alan just wanted to keep you guys safe.” “I know, Spike.” “I mean, if it came down to it, if half of us are going to die, we’d much rather prefer that it was the male half.” “I know Spike.” “I know that you girls would rather be with us, but...but we can think better with you guys back home, safe…” “I know Spike,” Rarity said, laying a hoof on one of his claws. The dragon looked down at the white unicorn and gave her a slight smile. “I am happy you guys are here, though.” Rarity smiled. “I know, Spike. I know.” <<<|Ω|>>> Dinner was a silent affair. Also an incredibly awkward one. Nopony spoke as fourteen ponies, a griffon, and a dragon all stared at the two unicorns who glared at each other over the table. Alan said nothing, although it was obvious he was fuming. Twilight, meanwhile, had adopted an air of cold indifference. She sat high, straight back, as her fork made long trips between her plate and mouth, while Alan sat crouched over his plate, chewing angrily. Spike finished his last bit of salad, before suddenly standing. “I’m done, so I’m going to take a quick flight around the ship, make sure it’s all up to snuff.” “I’ll go with you!” Soarin, Thunderlane, and Rainbow Dash all said in unison. “I’ll go prepare the rooms!” Rarity said, standing, leaving her empty dish. “I’ll help, um...if you’d like…” Fluttershy said following her out. “I’ll take a nap, get ready for the night shift,” the batpony said, standing. “I’ll watch the helm, sir.” Sunny said. “I’m going to check the sky, make sure we have plenty of good airspace,” Shining said. “Ah’ll take care of the plates," AJ called. "Silver, Big Mac want to help me?” “Eyup!” the both answered. The others simply stood up and left, either not having the excuses to justify it, or simply just because they thought no one would notice, leaving the two unicorns alone in the room. Alan kept glaring. Twilight ate quietly. <<<|Ω|>>> Night fell. As the ponies began to move inside to their cots, Twinkle Drop took the helm. It was her job to make sure the ship kept moving at night, as to minimize the time it took to get there. Luckily, it was looking like it would be quiet, and she was more than happy for it. The other ponies were all extremely happy to go to bed. They were even happier that the Captain’s quarters were separate from the rest of the rooms. Alan lay on his side of the bed, forelegs crossed, and starting to the side. Twilight, meanwhile, was sitting on her side of the bed, reading of book. “Of course she brought a book,” he fumed. Alan grumbled. She was waiting. And he knew she was waiting. It really annoyed him that he would answer. “Well?” she said, finally, turning the page. “Are you going to talk, or are you just going to stay up all night?” It was his own, stupid rule. “Don’t go to sleep angry with each other. Talk it out.” It was such a good idea… Was... Alan sighed. As much as he really wanted to be angry with her, it would be a bad idea to make a habit of breaking the rules. “It’s not fair, you know,” he said, still staring at the far wall. “What?” she asked, setting her book aside. “Are you talking about the teleporting? Because I—” “I know why you’re here, Twilight,” Alan said, interrupting. “You want to be there in case we die, you want to try to help. But what about Cadence? Did she want to be here in case your brother kicked the bucket?” Twilight opened her mouth, and closed it. It...it really hadn’t crossed her mind to ask her… “Or what about Lydia? Don’t you think she would have wanted to be here to comfort her fiance?” “I…” “It’s not fair to them, Twi, and that’s just the start.” “I…” “Then there is everypony here. Do you know how much more they could focus if they knew that the ones they like and love are safe? As it is they would be worried enough about each other.” Alan sat up and looked at her. “Now we have to worry, and no matter how well you and the girls can take care of yourselves, we will still worry. “Twilight, you fought of hundreds of griffons, I’ve heard stories about how you opened up a portal to the void and had it consume those that got too close to you as you stood over me. I know what you are capable of doing. But, if one lucky shot, one poisoned blade, one dangerous trip were to take you from me, I know I would blame myself forever. “I would have failed as a husband and a man if you were to die.” Twilight said nothing. Alan sighed. “We worry because you girls mean something to us.” He gave a slight smile. “Of course, some of them may not realize it yet…” Twilight rested her hoof on his shoulder. “I know you care for us Alan. But we care for you too, and as much as you want to protect us, we want to be there for you.” Alan nodded, nothing he didn’t already know. “Well, it’s not like I have a choice now. We’re a day’s flight from Canterlot, and I’m not letting you risk that kind of long-range teleportation.” Twilight gave a slight smile. Alan sighed dejectedly. “So, congratulations Twilight, you managed to win.” “Oh, don’t be like that, Alan,” Twilight said, nuzzling him. “At least we have a week or so before things get too serious…” Alan smirked, wrapping his foreleg around her. “Yeah, yeah I guess so.” The two shared a hug, before Alan glanced over at the semi-discarded book. “What are you reading, anyway?” he asked. Twilight smiled, and showed him the cover. “I figured I may need to give you a little more convincing to let us stay aboard…” Alan blinked at the title. “Well…” he said, “you always were one to make a strong argument.” Twilight giggled. “Yes, but you know the thing about arguments,” she said in a sultry tone. “They need to be tested with hard evidence.” And with that, the lights went out, and there was the sound of blankets shuffling as the Ponyville Library’s one and only copy of How to Drive your Stallion Wild hit the floor, ignored, but definitely not forgotten. <<<|Ω|>>> Morning dawned, and as the passengers of the Victory stirred to wake, Sunny Sentinel was already up and taking over Twinkle’s shift. Breakfast was served, a much more congenial affair than dinner last night, and after that, the ponies all looked for ways to pass the time. It wasn’t until much later in the morning that Alan came out of the Captain’s quarters and onto the deck. Shining was waiting for him. “So, did Mommy and Daddy kiss and make up last night?” Alan looked at the Captain of the Guard from underneath a mop of bedhead. “Yes, yes we did,” was his simple reply. “Good,” Shining said. “Just be sure to keep it quieter next time.” Alan smiled but said nothing. Instead, he simply turned to the gathered ponies. “Alright girls!” he said, “Gather around. If you’re coming with us, you’ve got to pull weight, so I want all hooves on deck, understand?” They saluted. “Sir, yes, sir!” -------------------------------- "EDIT ALL THE WORDS!" Good! If I keep up this kind of a streak, I’ll start breaking 6k words for a chapter. "Edit all the words?" “But DM, doesn’t the Author’s Note have words als—” Yup! Nothing but unadulterated story content. “...Okie...Dokie...Lokie…” Anyway, got some good news/bad news for you guys. Good news is, updates are going to be a little bit faster. Bad news, that’s because Squiddy, my primary editor has to take a break from editing because he’s going through some drama right now. “Aw...how sad! Can you tell him to smile for me?” I’m pretty sure he’s reading this, Pinkie... “Oh! Well smile, Squiddy! Next time, the group is on the road. Or sky. Skyroad.” Sure, let’s go with that. “Hee hee hee. That’s so fun to say. Skyroad. Skyroad skyroad.” Skyroad skyroad, indeed, Pinkie. “Be sure to comment, and thumbs up if you haven’t!” And we’ll see you next time. Bye!