Greenback was not a happy pony as anyone could tell as he sipped on his soup, the aroma of tomato doing nothing for his mood. One of those things was pulling on his tail causing a knee jerk reaction from the light green earth pony. Bucked the creature sending the trash bag with legs sprawling the Saddle Arabian carpet.
One of the house maids quickly used her magic to collect the creature, visibly flinching as she saw that it had stained the carpet. “Sir the carpet,”
He had to try not to grit his teeth, a task made all the more monumental considering the day he had been having. “Replace it!” It was hard not to hear the growl in the normally calm earth pony. “I want the mansion gutted! Everything they’ve touched replaced!” As he approached the finely crafted oak doors that would lead him to his carriage he turned back. “I want it done by the time a return or else!”
The maid winced as he slammed the door behind him before looking down at the creature. “It’s not your fault, he not always so angry.” Angel Dust sighed as she heard the creature say one word.
“Trub?”
The unicorn mare shook head once again feeling like she was making excuses. “Your probably right.” Giving up hope of understanding the creature she used her magic to lift a whistle to her limps. Taking a deep breathe she blew on it summoning the staff of twenty ponies sixteen of which where maids with the remaining four being butlers only one missing where the carriage drivers not that it matter if they where there or not. “Alright everyone we need to clear out,” She looked at the creature now free of her magic trying to find the right word. “The creatures and transport them somewhere out of the way. Lostlorn you and Seedy will be pulling the sky carriage transporting the creatures.” The two bat ponies whinnied something the master of the house wouldn't have if he was there, key words being if he was there. “The master also wants all the damaged goods replaced by tonight.”
Greenback walked down the steps of his estate and once again was disgusted by the sight of purple rat creatures running across his cobblestone path. “horrible creatures.” Thankfully he didn’t have to wait long as to rather rushed stallions pulled a carriage to halt in front of him nearly trampling the purple rodents causing them to hiss.
“Sorry Mister Back,” tumbling from the top of the sealed carriage the lanky stallion stumbling over his own hooves. “Miss Moro Orange and her uh assistant are.”
“Move aside boy!” While it was anger in his voice as he shoved the young stallion aside he couldn't help but, feel a deep sense of dread as he opened the door stepping into the carriage. Even before he could get comfortable the door slammed and locked behind him almost hitting him right on the rear. “Madam Orange, Miss Slit it is always pleasure.”
“yah don’t have ta be so formal with me sugarcube,” Moro Orange tilted her head sideways to get a better view or the stallion while her body rested comfortably in the lap of one Ruby Slit. “Taint like I’m gonna hurt yah.”
A rather cold chill ran down his spine it wasn't from the weather. No, while most of the manehatten upper crust would fall for the country drawl he knew better. Even as he watched Ruby use her magic to brush the so called country mares blonde mane some would even confuse her for her half cousin in ponyville if it weren't for the eyes. The dreadful red eyes much the same color as the orange fruit she took her name from, the eyes that looked at you like you where nothing. “Uh, morning.” He nearly jumped out of his seat when felt the carriage jolt foreword at a leisurely pace. Then he saw it a creature like the others that had invaded his home.
Moro smirked as she saw his reaction knowing full well his dislike of things that weren’t normal, a stallion that would happily live his life in a box if it was perfectly clean. “Taint she a pretty one?” She brushed her hoof against the oversized, for the Skitty not, white Stetson and object she normally wore on her own head. “I know she’s girl, cause aye checked.”
Had anyone in the carriage understood pokemon they would have heard the feline pokemon happily chanting she had a hat bobbing her head occasionally causing it to fall foreword removing her vision. When that happened Moro would fix it again smirking at Greenback.
Ruby for her part sat cradling her mistresses head in her lap her red magic running a brush through Moro’s locks. If anyone saw her face that would have thought it was impassive but, underneath where only mistress saw was a deep wellspring of affection for the mare that had taken a back alley rat in. “Upon observation they appear to be somewhat confused.”
“bah, they’re nothing but, invaders disgusting creatures.” The half lidded look Moro gave him was more than enough to send another chill down his spine.
“these varmints taint to bad,” Moro nuzzled the Skitty causing her to chatter happily. “Think’n bout introducing mah niece to one. If she aint met one yet.” Closing her eyes she allows Ruby to begin brushing her tail. “Now ’bout that bank loan.”
“oh yes, that.” Greenback looks back and forth silently wondering if he could take a flying leap out the window. “With the current market growths.”
“Yah stall’n.”
“Yes, um.” Did he just admit that? “well you see, all the paperwork is in my office…I was so worked up this morning that I didn’t get a chance to.”
Moro shushed him nuzzling her cheek against Ruby’s belly had anyone noticed they would have a ghost of a smile the mares face. “Hush sugarcube, aint like I’m in rush or any such matter. Just making sure mah assets are in order. Don’t won’t noth’n slip’n through yah hear? Don’t wanna end up like miss Bags right?”
“She was pretty one wasn’t she mistress?”
Greenback sucked in as much air as could in his lungs. “Yes, she was.” Everyone at the bank remembered Big Bags the former personal banker for Moro. After simple book keeping mistake she’d been fired and Moro had arranged discretely for the poor girl to be blacklisted. Then she disappeared about the same time as the invasion by changelings in Canterlot.
Moro half smiled at his answer finding his reaction to be priceless and shook her head knowing that the so called miss Bags was just fine. Carabid was safely tucked away hidden in her staff under a new identity, Big Bags, just a terrible name even for a changeling incognito. “Now on tah more important matters,” She smile almost became sad. “Any news on my more personal project?”
Greenback sighed hearing the mare drop her country accent in favor of what could be considered far more normal. “I’m afraid not, neither Buck, or Rook have deemed to contact me…” He paused trying words his next words carefully. “Moro, Blood….there’s a good chance we will never find her with things even more chaotic now she just might be.”
“Finish that sentence Green,” Moro glared at him a cold hard stare which would terrify most Greenback included. “I will break your jaw and show you what a pair of cement shoes feel like at the bottom of the sound!”
Ruby cooed softly stroking her mistress’s side and saw that pink cat thing was nuzzling Moro’s cheek. “Ease yourself mistress, Buck and Rook may be imbeciles there is no doubting that, but they can succeed even at the seemingly impossible.”
Moro orange allowed the agitation flow from her body pushing it down till she mentally whipped it away with her tail. “Quiet right.” She nuzzled the Skitty. “They aren’t the most punctual gryphons they do get the job done though.”
00oo00oo00
Saddle Arabia an old nation, a land deeply steeped in tradition and to top it off it’s hot and not in the good way a tropical island would be. That was a lesson that a pair of gryphons named Talon and Prongs where learning the hard way as they flew through the air. Trying very hard to stay aloft in the very dry air with little to no shade.
“Prongs,” Talon whined as he flapped his wings trying to stay aloft. “We make cloud cover?”
“Shut up” Prongs groaned out. “You want to attract there attention?”
“So hot…”
“Complaining about it won’t get us anywhere useful.” Prongs adjusted his ash gray wings straightening his flight path. “Besides I can see an oasis near by. As long as wee manage to keep our heads low while we search we should be fine.”
“I wanna get drunk then.”
“Horse apples Talon we not here on a tour of drinking establishments! We’re here to find a little filly.” He snapped his talon. “yes I how that sounded so don’t,” He glared at Prongs. “Just don’t.” He looked ahead his sharp eagles eyes scanning the landscape. “If we don’t find Tangerine Dream, Miss Orange gonna have our heads!”
“hehe, filly chaser.” Talon snickered
“That’s it! I’m tearing feathers!” Prong quickly adjusted his flight path colliding with Talon and began to use his claws to tear out feathers. Talon wasn’t idle either throwing insults at him and using the but of his sword to concuss his fellow gryphon. “Stupid stupid!” As the two gryphon’s continued to struggled neither noticed that they where quickly loosing altitude and nor did they notice the sands coming up to greet them.
Bronzbones lashed his whip at the latest crop so kindly provided by the Hyena dogs of zebrica. Most of them where runts an wouldn’t make it a month of hard labor, though the conscripts though they would make good in the pits nicely muscled. “Faster!”
Ole Gurk growled as the whip lashed at his back tearing out another strip of fur giving him incentive to pull harder. “stupid bull me crush latter…” The other dog beside him whimpered as taking another lash causing another low growl to imitate from the old dog. “just a pup…” He took a spear to the side forcing him to look foreword. “stupid big ponies…”
Bronzbones chuckled at his saddle Arabian escorts, “Thanks’ for assist boys gotta keep the big ones in line.”
One of the guards snorted and gave ole Gurk’s side another stab not enough to pierce just a friendly reminder. Looking foreword he spotted a number of young foals in chains riding in the back of a covered wagon, most where sobbing others, they understood and only looked at the floor. The guard soon looked down as well while he didn’t like it he wasn’t about to stop it either.
“no taste for slaves.” Gurk only let out horrible barking laugh even as the guard stabbed him again. “You ponies think so better.” He didn’t mind the lashes as bronz lashed at him again causing a grin. He knew full well that while publicly most if not all the lands of equis stopped the practice in private was another matter entirely, there was always some noble looking for another house servant, or some hard labor and those markets dryied up there always a favorite blood sport. His laughter continued as he thought on all these things even as he was lashed. “ponie think civilized still animals…”
Bronz sneered as delivered a series of lashes to back of the beast the was pulling his cart. “Silence! You won’t be laughing so hard once your in one of the pits!”
The guard turned his head toward Bronzbones. “there’s oasis not far from here we can resupply our water there.”
“Fine,” Bronzbones slumped on the bench resting his whip resting on his legs. “Your feeding the parasites.” He aimed his whips handle at the wagon holding the foals. “Can’t have the product dieing on us can we?”
The oasis a boon to any traveler in the desert especially in climates liken to Zebrica and Saddle Arabia sometimes they where small lasting barely a month while others could be size of small lake and last for months. In this case he was between those two a small grove surrounding a pool of water on three sides. This grove though was far from unoccupied. For resting in the shade of rock was creature that bore a strong resemblance of a panda. “Not the place I was before.” He was a Pangoro who was currently looking at his reflection in a pond. “Nor the face I remember.” he ran his fingers across his chin finding old scars still present under the thick fur.
There was snort coming from the waters edge as another being rested not in the shade alone. “Atleast you’re nearly the same height as you where before.”
“don’t be that way Eva where ever we are it distinct possibility that the others are near by.” the panda pokemon looked into the grove with his squinted eyes. “You can come out.”
A figure pushed it’s way out of the foliage to reveal itself as Marowack with distinctive crack through the center of the skull mask. “Is that you boss man?”
“boss man? Heh.” The panda pokemon smirked standing his full height to face the bone wielder. “I never thought you guys called me that.”
“It is! thank Arceus I was tired listening to the whimpering!” He pointed his bone club behind in the woods. “There terrified of him.” He pointed his club to the top of the rock at figure sitting crossed legged at it’s top. “They feel it, something they know isn’t right him.”
The panda pokemon looked up at the figure at the top of the rock and nodded. “Yeah I can sense it now too well it’s more of smell, slash feeling.”
Eva groaned snapping her head mouth at back of the panda pokemon’s back. “enough Gordon your scaring the locals.” The mawile then looked up at the figure on the rock. “Gouki get you hide down here.”
The unique Sawk snapped his eyes open. “You may have changed into a pokemon Evangeline do not presume to command me.” He stood revealing his full figure as he stood in a dark gray karate gai the sleeves torn off, a set of grape fruit sized beads around his neck. “trouble is coming for us.”
“so it is you gouki,” A shiny Zorua jumped up the Marowack’s back then onto his head. “Still the same bad attitude and only interest in growing stronger.”
Gouki tightened his tattered black belt before flipping off the rock. “Be wary Blu we are all the same now.”
Seeing that the Sawk wasn’t going to lash out immediately they came out of hiding in droves a group of pokemon ranging from the smallest rattata to a Kingler who sunk itself into the cool water.
Gordon watched as a number of pokemon came to water most getting a drink while others sank themselves into the water. “Bones you have any idea where we are.”
Bones shook his head helping Blu back onto the ground. “I’d say we’re in Orre again but, I don’t see any of the familiar land marks. None of the others are here either, though I did see caravan on it’s way here…”
“friendly?”
“Decidedly not I saw…something, no other way to describe it, with a whip and it was using it.”
Gordon growled baring his teeth his eyes partially opening a his fist clenched. “Blu stay here for a bit Eva can you watch him?”
The mawile nodded. “Don’t do anything stupid Gordon,” She looked over at Blu who had decided to try climbing ontop of a graveler. “Blu get your shiny but over here.”
The shiny illusion fox sighed bound up to Eva’s side. “Hey where they going?”
“To do what the Honor Guard does best.”
“Make things blow up?”
Eva snorted holding back a laugh, it was true the Honor guard did have a habit of making thing explode most the time without warning. “Okay the second thing we do best.”
Blu cocked his head sideways before climbing Eva‘s second mouth. “Beat people senseless?”
“Yes,”
Prongs and Talon popped there heads out of the sand that they had crashed into. “This your fault.” Talon whined as the axel of a cart rolled over head.
Prongs rolled his eyes and began digging himself out of the sand staying low the whole time. “Just shut up and follow me.” the gryphons quickly crawled out from under the wagon narrowly avoiding getting spotted.
Bronzbones watched out of the corner of his eye as something tumbled into the dunes. “you go find out what that was.”
“I am not yours command minotaur! You are guest in our country nothing more.”
He gave a snort and dark laugh as the guard gave such of curt response. “Oh, what ever will I do,” A twisted smile spread across Bronz’s face. “What ever will I do when I tell my patron when I tell them I lost product because someone didn’t go check.” The guard snorted angrily but, knew well enough of noose that might be around his neck he didn’t go look. “That’s a good boy.” Once again he rest his back against the thin cushion of his seat before getting angry sneer at the front most cart came to sudden halt. “What’s the hold up!”
Gordon popped his neck as he walked up to the bleating form of a goat that somewhat reminded him of a Gogoat. “Hello there.” Reaching out he grabbed the neck of the creature it’s bleating growing desprate. “I have one question simple one is this a slave caravan.” He brought the goat nose to nose him the goat gave a soft whimper. “No good answer?”
“These creatures may not understand us…though some of them look like Ponyta and Rapidash…” The pony at the front of the cart whimpered under the sawk’s gaze especially sesne it was Gouki who had cold cocked one of the guards into lalaland.
“Hey might be right boss man.” Bones hopped up onto the brass the held the ponies into the place examining them. “Your Pokemon now not like humans understood our speech.”
“There was always Master N.” Gordon delivered his rebutle tossing the goat like a sack of potatoes into wagon with the slaves. “He’s seemed to understand you well enough.”
Bones slammed his club down smashing threw the brace holding the ponies to wagon. “In a word boss,” He snapped the chain holding them to the wagon though they where still tethered to each other. “Creepy, I always found him Creepy…”
“Shut your mouth.” Gordon half chuckled as he used his claws to cut away the tarp and for his efforts got a whip to his shoulder. “I think I found the ring leader…”
“You blasted beasts! You think you can attack my caravan and take my product.” With each word Bronzbones swung his whip at the panda who seemingly just stood and took it. He didn’t notice as Gordon’s eyes opened there orange staring at the minotaur.
Each lash to his body sparked something inside the former human, something he long buried, something primal till he could take no more. Reaching out he grabbed the beasts whip hand and twisted until there was a snap then drawing from deep in his gut he opened his mouth and roared. Drawing back his fist his smashed it into the gut of the minotaur not realizing his fist had been glowing. “Honor Guard!” He roared back at Gouki and Bones. “Break Stuff!” Then all hell broke loose.
Talon and Prongs lopped across the sands as the saddle Arabian guard gave chase wielding his spear ordering them to stop. Talon stopped giving a grin that only grypons and other birds of prey could pull off without any trouble. “Shall we Prongs.”
Prongs smirked grabbing the pommel of his sword. “Lets.” The two Grypons gave a battle cry and attacked.
00oo00oo00
Deep in the everfree and far from the hall of legends there was a tangled growth a trees a perfect place to hide as the roots of the trees formed a natural nook. A small group rested in this bastion of this nook a small fire into a dug pit glowing. “She’s hurt…”
“Not likely that one strikes me as a what’s the word?” A female voice spoke leaning foreword tapping a few ashes from her long pipe. “A mare yes, that can take care of herself and was even before we got here.”
A blue glow surrounded the pipe snagging it away from Goodra before snapping it and throwing it into the fire. “I am…aware…” Gallade sat back against the roots hding his face in the shadows best he could. “Lex could you…”
The Goodra nonplussed by the lose of her pipe leaned back looking at the Escaviler who shook one of his lances. “I’m sorry Lord N but, I feel it’s best wait here with Madam Sophie.”
He didn’t like it he was wondering soul at heart but, he understood. “we’re strangers in a strange land so we should rely on them.” It was strange to N though as he remembered what had recently happened the last thing being with one of legends then the next he was waking up in the body of pokemon. After the initial shock had worn off he feared he had taken over the body of some poor Gallade and would have given it back.
Then he met her and found himself strangely drawn to her and dare he say it attracted to her and her bitter soul. Once a line of communication had been established he made his concerns known and much to his relieve and bewilderment she confirmed it was his body. That and she had used something called magic to asserter this. Magic, now there was something he didn’t understand, something he thought was only in the stories Laurence told him and to find the real thing. He was drawn from his thoughts as he heard the sound of hoof beats.
She panted as she came to grove of trees that she had made her temporary home. “We have to leave now!”
N and his companions crawled out of the nook and once again he was struck with how much she reminded him of rapidash with how her mane moved. “Are you sure Tristia.”
Her ebony horn glowed pulling up her hood which had fallen in her gallop. “Of course I am, I saw some strange creature how do I put this?” She looked back and forth. “Purify a portion of the Everfree! Not even my sister and I where able to do that to such a scale without the forest itself fighting us! And as to you boy it’s Tristia somnia” Reaching out with her magic she choked the fire in the nook before covering it in dirt. “Now quickly we must go.”
Madam Sophie watched as everyone got ready to leave with the one exception of one. “N, my dear boy?”
N didn't know why but, he felt something pulling him, something familiar and strong. “Sorry I think…I’ll come back here.”
Tristia saw this drew up the creature in her magic. “we leave now! If what I think is about to happen happens then there will be a backlash and I do not want to be here when it happens. And avoid the damnable blue flowers!”
00oo00oo00
Orion hovered at the window having been left behind by his erstwhile roommate while she went off to work. He couldn’t blame her he doubted ponies would react well to floating sword let alone one as large as he. He watched as small flock of pidgey fluttered by seemingly undeterred by there new surroundings. “Off we are on new adventure the honor guard scattered to the winds. Some of us beasts, others courtesans, all strong we will gather again, Gordon, Elle, Sophie, Evangeline, Dexter and myself how will we adjust to being in our new forms. The gladiator, the spy, the courtesans, the hex artist, the psychic, and the swords man. We are the beginning of a bad joke.”