Operation - Chapter 10
Chapter 10
“Well,” Princess Celestia said, her tone warm as she looked out over the assemblage of ponies spread across the Day Court. “Shall we begin?” Steel took his place midway down the hall, underneath one of the massive stained glass windows depicting the two Royal Sisters. Nova was already standing at attention straight across from him under a stained glass of his own, this one depicting the Elements of Harmony.
The various ponies occupying the court began to move towards their seats. Guard took their usual position by the doors and stationed around the room, clad in both the gold of the Royal Guard and the cobalt blue of the Night Guard. The various noble and dignitaries that had shown up for the occasion, Primetail among them, settled into the public seating. Overhead, newspony pegasi were already taking pictures and writing down notes as the two ruling sisters and the rest of the ERS board took their seats at the long table set in the center of the hall.
“We call this board meeting of the Equestrian Railway Service to order,” one of the board members said. Steel toned the stallion’s words out as he made eye contact with Nova.
“Trouble?” Nova mouthed, his eyes narrowing.
“Griffon,” Steel mouthed back, giving his head a slight tilt towards where Mint and Radiant sat at the table. Nova’s eyes widened, and they darted around the room for a moment. Then, he gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.
Ponyfeathers, Steel thought, his eyes darting to the clock as the board member began to read the notes of the prior meeting. Where did that bodyguard get to?
* * *
“Blade Sunchaser,” Hunter said as he stared at the red-feathered griffin in front of him. “I’ve got to say this is a bit of a surprise.”
Blade let out a short laugh. “Really?” she asked, shaking her head from side to side, her eyes never leaving him. “You know, they told me you were close, but I thought you would have seen this coming.”
“Not that,” Hunter said, taking a slow step forward. Blade’s body tensed, muscles coiling, and he stopped. Her talon sheaths were gone, the long, vicious claws exposed to the air. Claws that would carve right through flesh. “You working with them. I’d never pegged you for the type to stoop this low.”
Blade shrugged, an apologetic look on her face. “Sorry, Hunter. I wish it didn’t have to be this way, I really do. But life’s tough, they’re a paying job, and I signed my contract.” She tapped her talons against the carpet and took her own step forward. “They pay me, I do the job, plain and simple.”
“But hurting innocents?” Hunter asked, unable to keep the sense of betrayal from his voice. “Stealing? Plotting a financial takeover? What kind of job is that?”
“A paying one,” Blade said, her voice calm. “Honestly, compared to some of the work I’ve done, this is pretty clean.”
“So that’s it then,” Hunter said, his voice growing harsh in his throat. “You’re nothing more than a hired killer then? Have you gone and cracked a fruity?”
“Hey! I am not a hired killer!” Blade said, stepping forward and pointing a razor-sharp talon at his chest. “I’m not just some thug for hire, alright? I wouldn’t be doing this job if it were. All I’m doing is guarding Radiant and Mint’s secrets for a while. I’m not the one robbing trains, or trying to take over some company, or whatever it is those two are up to. I’m just the one hired to make sure that nopony else gets in the way for the time being, you got it?”
“What you are,” Hunter said, moving forward until Blade’s outstretched talon poked him in the chest just lightly enough that its tip didn’t draw blood. “Is starkers. You think what you’re doing is excusable?” he asked, one hoof outraised and pointing out the window. “Ponies have been hurt by this. This whole thing is wrong.”
“You think I like it?” Blade asked, her voice just under a yell. “You think I like all this skulking around?” She sat back on her haunches, both paws in the air. “No, I actually prefer action, I like the rush of adrenaline I get when something is going right.” Her eyes met his with a pointed glare. “I don’t care much for this job either. But they’re paying me for it, so I do it.”
“And you’re just fine with a job covering for thieves?” Hunter asked.
“Hey, no one’s perfect,” Blade said, giving another shrug. “If not me, it’d just be someone else doing the same job.”
“Well then I guess I’m a bit disappointed in you,” Hunter said, stepping back and shaking his own head. “You’re not the friend I knew.” Blade flinched as the words left his mouth, her expression growing grim.
“Well, I’d at least still call myself your friend,” she said. “Friend enough to give you a chance to stand down. Radiant needs me to keep you quiet for a few hours longer. Honestly, I think she wanted me to kill you,” she said, tapping the tips of her talons on one paw together with an ominous click and giving him a regretful look. “But I’d really rather not.”
“You know I can’t do that, Blade,” Hunter said, shifting some of his weight to his back legs. “It sounds like we’ve each got a job to do. You can either back down, or this is gonna be a rumble.”
“You’re going to fight me?” Blade asked, her eyes widening in surprise. “You do remember the part about me almost being a bıçakların ustası, don’t you? You might have been able to outwrestle me in flight camp, but that was a long time ago, Hunter. And I couldn’t use these then.” She gave her talons a quick flex, the sunlight gleaming off the carefully polished lengths.
“I don’t have to beat you,” Hunter said, extending his wings. “Just get past you.”
Blade shook her head. “And there you’re wrong again, Hunter,” she said, extending her own wings and stepping to one side, a series of heavy thumps resonating from the stairs behind her. Crouched, holding its massive bulk close together as it marched up the stairs, was a golem identical to the one that he’d faced with the team on the train. It stopped as it reached the top of the steps, as if waiting for orders. An echoing set of footsteps and a quick glance behind him showed a second golem also coming to halt at the top of the second set of stairs, its wood and metal bulk filling the short hallway.
“You’re going to have to get past much more than just me,” Blade said with a quick shrug, the apologetic look still on her face. “And unlike me, these things won’t pull any punches just because you’re my friend.” She turned her gaze to the golem standing near her by the top of the stairs. “I’ve gotta say though, cool toys make a dull job a lot more bearable. You know these things will respond to my voice? Not yours,” she warned, turning back to look at him. “So don’t try it.”
“But yeah,” she said, looking back to the motionless golem. “These things are great. Heavy lifting, hiding in plain sight ... I mean who would ever suspect a box, right?” She chuckled and then turned back, a neutral look on her face. “I mean, aside from you guys. Radiant was furious when you guys figured it out.”
“If they’re so useful, why doesn’t your boss just sell them?” Hunter asked. “We did the math. She’d be making a lot of bits if she’d just sold these things.”
Blade shrugged. “Beats me. I honestly don’t think that Radiant is, you know—” she tapped one side of her head with a long talon, “—all there. But hey, she made them, she can do what she wants with them. Anyway ...” she drug the word out, tilting her head to one side. “Are you going to surrender?”
Hunter looked at her for a moment, his mind racing. Blade is tough, and she’s fast. I’m pretty sure I can outfly her, but not in close quarters. His eyes darted toward the golem. One of these things at my back, another in front. I can’t get past either of them right now, but if they move ...
“Well, Hunter?” Blade asked, her eyes narrowing. “What’s it going to be?”
“I think ...” he said, shaking his head and taking on last moment to run his eyes around the room. “Fight!” He lashed out with his front hooves as he yelled. Wood cracked as one of the room's plush chairs went flying towards Blade. She shrieked as it crashed into her, knocking her back. Hunter leapt forward, pressing his advantage.
“Golems!” Blade screamed as Hunter brought his front hooves down on top of the chair, driving it into her. One paw lashed out, her talons biting into the chair and piercing through to the other side. His eyes widened as a second set pierced through, and then the two halves of the chair separated with a crack, ripped asunder by the griffon’s strength. “Attack!”
* * *
“This concludes the reading of the minutes from the meeting prior,” the spokespony for the board said. “Now, moving on to our first item today—”
“A moment, first, if I may.” Princess Celestia stood as she spoke, and Steel watched as the spokespony made a strangled expression, seemingly fighting between his desire to maintain control over the meeting and the desire to let one of the sovereign Princesses speak. He made a quick glance towards Radiant, who nodded. Steel narrowed his eyes as the spokespony turned back towards Princess Celestia. There was a message there, a subtle reminder to everypony present who was really in control of the meeting.
“You may,” the spokespony said.
“Members of the board,” Celestia began as a familiar figure sidled up alongside Steel. “It has always been my greatest honor to serve as your leader—”
“Expecting trouble?” Shining Armor asked in a low voice. “You look tense enough to split stone with your bare hooves.”
“I feel tense enough to do it,” Steel said, his eyes not leaving the board members. “You have it too?”
Shining gave a nervous chuckle. “You mean that growing pit of alarm in my stomach that tells me something’s completely wrong? Yeah. I do.” Steel nodded at the admission, his eyes still fixed on the two sisters.
“We have worked to guide Equestria for centuries—” Princess Celestia was saying.
“Any thoughts?” Shining asked.
Steel tore his eyes from the board members for a moment, darting to the tall, ornate hourglass at one end of the hall. “Tell your Guard to be ready, my lieutenant is off checking for proof of something.”
“And if he gets it? “ Shining asked.
“Then we’ll need to move fast.” Steel said, his eyes darting to the clock again. Come on Hunter, where are you?
* * *
“Eeyah!” Hunter shot backward as the remains of the chair attached to Blade’s claws crashed down on the floor, the wood splintering and cracking as what was left of the ornate luxury item came apart. Blade shrieked again as she dove forward, a shrill sound that ripped into Hunter’s ears. Her talons spread wide, razor-edged tips gleaming. He snapped his wings once more, launching himself to his right, her claws barely missing his flank as she shot past.
The first golem was lumbering forward now, one of its arms drawing back. A quick look behind him showed that the second golem was also moving into the room, picking up speed as it shook the room with its footsteps. I can’t take both of these things in this close a space, I need to distract them and move for an exit! He dove forward, wings giving him extra thrust as he made for the golem. If I can dive between its legs—
The golem’s fist came down and Hunter threw his body to the side, feeling something brush against the feathers of his wing as he rolled away. The moment his hooves were under him he leapt—completely on instinct—and Blade’s talons swept through the space where he’d just been. He lashed out with a hind leg, a shock resonating up his leg as it connected with something. Blade let out a shriek of pain.
The golem next to him took a step back. raising its arms. Whether it was intentionally covering the exit or just some sort of stupid luck, he wasn’t sure, but it was still between him and the stairway. He tried a quick roll, snapping his wings out and then in as the golem made a series of clumsy swipes for him, its open hands missing him each time—but just barely. He felt his back hooves come to rest on the wall and he snapped his head around, taking a quick survey of the room before pushing off. Blade was on her feet, looking a little dazed but both eyes fixed on him. The back golem seemed to be hanging back somewhat, almost like it was waiting for something.
“You can run all you want, Hunter!” Blade yelled at him as he pushed away, hearing the dull thump of the golem as it impacted the wall behind him. “But you’re not getting out of here!”
He shifted his wings, putting himself into another roll, this time aiming straight for Blade. Her paws came up, talons extended, and at the last second he threw himself into another roll, lashing out with both his front hooves. They slipped past Blade’s defenses even as his right wing clipped the floor with a sharp spike of pain. Both hooves struck home, and Blade rocked back even as two of her own talons dug into his side, drawing light bloody tracks across his side and flank.
Hunter let out a yelp of pain as he rolled across the small table in the center of the room, crashing to the floor but coming up on all four hooves. A quick look as his side showed two lines of blood, both open and bleeding, but not too deep. He twitched his wings, wincing as one popped. They hurt, but they were functional.
Hunter could hear the lumbering hoofsteps of the golem behind him and he spun, kicking out with one leg and launching one of the books that had been sitting on the table flying at the approaching creature. He darted backwards as one of its hands snapped out, swatting the slow flying book aside with a blow so powerful that the wall shook when the book hit it.
“So you’re really going to fight this, huh Hunter?” Blade asked as she rushed in, her claws swinging at him in calculated motions. Hunter dove back again, narrowly avoiding a second strike from the golem as he did. “I was going to sit back and let you figure this out, but you’re kinda annoying me by this point.” He fell back, shielding his muzzle as Blade continued to step forward, her wings outspread as both her forelimbs lashed out in calculated movements. He could see the golems approaching from both sides now, hemming him into a corner, although they seemed hesitant to strike at him with Blade so close.
Tartarus! If I just had my armor—yeow! Pain blossomed along his foreleg as his latest dodge fell short, one of Blade’s curved talons digging into his flesh. He stumbled back as blood began to pump out of his foreleg, staining the white carpet a dull red.
“Give up yet, Hunter?” Blade asked, her expression grim. “I don’t enjoy this.” The golems were closing in, and Hunter felt his tail touch the back wall. “If you surrender now, I won’t let the golems beat you into unconsciousness. There’s no way out.”
“Oh, you know me,” Hunter said, giving her a grin as he flipped his saddlebags open. “I’m never one to just quit that easy.” Blade’s eyes widened in confusion as he pulled the battery crystal from his saddlebags, balancing it on one hoof. “Catch,” he said, giving it a lazy toss towards the nearest golem.
“No!” Blade screamed, her eyes widening as she recognized the spinning crystal. Hunter ducked back, tucking his head and legs as close to his body as he could and covering his ears. There was a massive crack as one of the golem's outstretched hands met with the crystal, sending it rocketing towards the far wall even as it lit up, growing brighter and brighter as it flew. Hunter shut his eyes.
There was a massive roar that shook the room mixed with a bright light that almost burned through his tightly clenched eyelids. Hunter felt his body lift, slamming into the wall with great force. Stars burst behind his eyelids, he felt the wall flex under the impact of his body, a searing heat sweeping over him, sharp pinpricks of pain digging into his skin—
Then it was over, and he fell to the floor, his ears ringing from the force of the blast. He sat up, shaking his head and blinking his eyes. Gotta get out of here before she shakes that off!
His vision cleared, allowing him to see the damage, or at least what part of it he could make out through the smoke. The carriage was a wreck. He could see sunlight shining through a gaping hole in the far wall where several of the window frames had simply been disintegrated by the force of the blast, nearby wooden trim burning with small flames that moved through a rainbow of colors. The carpet was scorched and melted.
Blade was lying a few feet in front of him on the floor, clearly disoriented but breathing. She shifted, her beak opening, a faint groan making its way through the ringing in his ears. His eyes darted to the golems. Both of them had fallen to the floor, but he could see one of them twitching. Whatever the raw outburst of magical energy had done to them, they seemed to be recovering from it. One of them began to move, its fingers opening and closing.
Hunter gave his head another shake and began trotting towards the hole. His head was ringing, the world shaking back and forth, although it seemed to be steadying itself. He put a hoof to his forehead and it came away damp with blood. Maybe it was just a cut. At least my hat’s still there, he thought as he felt the familiar shape of his Stetson. Swift was right to get that enchantment on it.
He stumbled as he approached the hole, his balance going screwy for a moment. I could wait, he thought, looking down at the pinpricks of blood on his coat where fragments of the crystal had bit into his flesh. Some Guard would be along and then I could just tell them to—
There was another groan behind him, followed by a muttered string of Griffish words. Or not, Hunter thought as he turned to see Blade push herself to her feet, shaking her head. She hadn’t looked his way yet, and he stumbled forward, pushing his wings down as he almost fell out of the opening.
He felt the air rush past his face, and for a brief second he panicked, his eyes going wide, but then the ground pulled away as he flew up with strong, steady wingbeats. His wings hurt, but thankfully, neither of them seemed to have suffered any from the blast. All right, he thought as he fixed his eyes on the distant palace. I just need to get to that meeting and—
“Hunter!” He turned as Blade called his name, craning his head behind him to see her taking wing, following him into the air. “Get back here!”
“Give it up!” he called back, a spike of pain driving into his head for each word. “You can’t even fly straight!” It was true, she was wobbling, twisting in the air. One wing seemed to be wounded, its flaps weaker. “Just sit back and wait for the Guard to arrive!” He could see railway workers below now, rushing towards the burning carriage.
Blade let out a shriek of rage as Hunter turned away, putting even more power into each push of his wings and lifting into the clear blue sky.
* * *
“And so, it is with great humility that I ask you, the assembled members of the board, to reconsider,” Princess Luna said, giving the table a small bow. The Princess of the Night sat and Steel watched as the various audience members began to murmur. “I call for a vote,” Luna said. “To determine if we should indeed go through with this.
“Princess Luna motions to once again put to a vote the question of the forcible sale of stock by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” the spokespony said.
“Seconded,” came a surprising voice, Golden Spike raising his hoof. “I second the motion.”
Clever, Steel thought as the surprised spokespony announced the vote. Golden seemed to be focusing his attention at several other members of the board, no doubt ponies he expected to side with him in exchange for later favors.
“All in favor?” the spokespony called out. Celestia and Luna’s hooves rose almost in unison, the two exchanging a glance that lasted just long enough that Steel wondered if they were speaking to one another silently. Golden’s hoof also rose, the dark brown stallion fixing his gaze on the other ponies of the board. One by one, each of the ponies turned towards Radiant, who gave her head a soft shake.
“Very well,” the spokespony said. “All opposed.” Almost as one, each of the remaining board members raised their hooves, the spokespony included.
“Motion failed,” the spokespony said, amid mutterings of the watching ponies. “And now, unless there are any further interruptions—”
“I wish to say something,” Golden Spike said, standing. The crowd gave a surprised murmur, several cameras flashing.
“And I wish to take care of business,” Radiant said, her voice cutting through the room like ice as she spoke for the first time. There was something about it that made the hairs of Steel’s coat stand on end, a cold tone that made his stomach clench further. He could see Nova’s eyes narrow as Radiant spoke. “We’ve been here far too long already, let us get this over and done with.” There was a sharp edge to each word as she pronounced it. “If necessary, I say we vote to take care of the first item on the agenda now.”
“Are you in such a hurry, Radiant?” Luna asked, leaning forward. “Should we not listen to Golden as well?”
“To what end?” Radiant asked, leaning forward and staring at Luna. “He merely delays the inevitable. I say we conduct our business now, and if Golden wishes to speak, he could do so afterwards. After all,” she said, giving Golden a smile that was almost as cold as her tone. “He was the one who organized this vote in the first place. What more could he add to that?”
Golden Spike fixed her with his own hot glare, his jaw visibly tightened. “Somehow I don’t think I was really the one who organized any of this,” he said, sinking back in his chair. Steel could hear hushed whispers from the audience of ponies now, and the newsponies were snapping even more photographs. “But it appears I can’t stop it. Proceed.” Radiant leaned back, a wry smile on her face as the spokespony began to announcement that Celestia and Luna would be signing away their control and ownership in the company.
Come on Hunter! Steel thought, his eyes darting to the clock again. Where are you?
* * *
Hunter’s head was pounding by the time he approached the front gates of the castle. Several Guard pointed up at him as he approached the wall, some of them letting out cries of alarm at the sight of his bloodied coat. A pair took wing, flying up to meet him.
One of them opened his mouth. “Sir, are you alri—”
“I’m First Lieutenant Hunter of the Dusk Guard,” Hunter said, cutting the pegasus off, his vision blurring as he spoke. He winced and gritted his teeth as the two hastily saluted. “I need to get to the Day Court immediately.”
“But sir—” one of them began.
“I said immediately!” Hunter said, pushing himself forward. “Escort me there or get out of the way, but I need to get to that court now!”
* * *
“Princess Celestia,” the spokespony said, pushing a piece of parchment across the table. “If you would sign on the dotted line please.” Princess Celestia let out a sad sigh, regret written on her face as she lifted the offered quill in her magic. The quill lowered towards the parchment, and for a moment the everypony in the hall, Steel included, held their breath.
“With this,” Celestia said, the quill pausing before it reached the paper, “all of my shares will be considered sold?”
“Yes, your highness,” the spokespony said. “Once you’ve signed that paper, your shares will no longer be your own.”
“And you’re certain there is nothing I can do to change your minds?” Celestia asked, her eyes filled with sadness. The spokespony shook his head, and Celestia closed her eyes, giving her head a soft shake. The quill lowered, touching the parchment, and then began to write.
There was a muffled shout, and then the doors to the Day Court crashed open, Night and Day Guard leaping back in surprise. “Stop!” Hunter yelled, flying into the room and making a rough landing, one of his legs almost crumbling beneath him. The startled Guard leapt into action, unsheathing weapons and moving to surround the battered pegasus. Celestia looked up, the quill holding motionless on the parchment.
“Stand down!” Steel called towards the Guard, his calle echoed a second later by Shining Armor. “That’s Lieutenant Hunter!” He could hear the crowd gasping in shock as the Guards pulled back, revealing the battered pegasus for all to see. His coat was covered in blood, some of it still leaking from a series of long slashes on his side, and his mane and hat were singed, as if something had tried to set fire to him.
“Princesses,” Hunter said, pushing himself to his hooves with obvious effort, his muscles tight with pain and one wing now hanging limp at his side. “Don’t. Sign. That. Paper.” He paused, taking a heaving breath. “This entire thing has been a set-up from the start,” he said, pulling his saddlebags from his back and dropping them on the floor in front of him. “And I’ve got proof.” He ducked his head inside the saddlebags and came out clutching a small book in his teeth.
“This book,” he said, tossing it to the floor. “Is the journal of either Radiant or Mint, I don’t really know which. I took it from their personal carriage a few minutes ago, where I was attacked by their bodyguard and a couple of animated constructs that Radiant apparently built. The very same constructs,” Hunter said, as everypony in the room turned to stare at the two sisters, “that have been robbing trains for the last few months, leading everypony right to this meeting.”
“Is this true?” Celestia said, the quill falling from her grip as Radiant stood, Mint at her side, and began to back away. “Did you create the golems?”
“I guess there’s no point in denying it,” Radiant said. The assemblage gasped, photographers snapping rapid shots as an unsettling grin began to grow across Radiant’s face. The pale green mare let out a chuckle. “After all, that is my notebook.” She turned, throwing her eyes across Hunter, her grin stretching wider. “You should be ashamed of yourself, Lieutenant Hunter, breaking into a private business carriage like that.”
“It is fortunate that I did not finish signing this farce of a document,” Celestia said, standing. Gone was the sad expression she had worn only a minute prior, replaced by a stern visage. “Guards, place Miss Radiant and her sister under arrest.”
“Arrest?” Radiant asked, her voice mocking. Then her eyes narrowed, her lips drawing back in a snarl. “I’ve got a better idea.” Her horn lit up, pale green light rippling across her dress. Steel bolted forward, Shining Armor alongside him as one of the crystals on Radiant’s dress floated up into the air in front of her.
“The gem!” Nova yelled. “It’s—” There was a crack as the gem snapped in two, followed by a bright flash as the two sisters were enveloped in a sphere of pale green light. Steel skidded to a halt as the sphere flashed once, then twice.
“It’s a teleport,” Steel heard Luna say in awe. “Right through our wards!” The sphere crackled, flashing again as it began to grow in size, pulsing and throbbing as it took on a sickening glow.
“Everypony get back!” Celestia called out as the globe continued to grow, pulsing with inner light. Ponies began to scream, the crowd scattering as the globe grew to twice the height of a pony. Then, with a final sound that reminded Steel of a pony pulling their hoof from thick mud, the sphere broke apart, sections of the sphere pulling away and fading as if somepony was peeling an orange, revealing the form that had been within.
Steel’s jaw dropped as the teleport spell faded. The two sisters had vanished, replaced instead by something massive and angular. “Everypony get back!” he yelled, finding his voice as his hooves scraped against the floor, sliding on the smooth, white marble. “Get out! Now!”
There was a faint rumble as the massive shape stood, stretching itself to its full height, easily half-again the height of the Princesses themselves. Ponies began to scream as two massive limbs flexed, then extended, the light of the hall glistening against the green crystal surface. Two large hands opened and closed, forming fists, and a single red gem set in the construct's chest began to glow like an unearthly eye. The crystal golem let out a single, keening wail that shook the hall, the stained glass windows vibrating.
“By the stars above!” Steel heard Celestia exclaim as the golem turned towards the Princess, letting out another wail.
Then it charged.
And now you know why Radiant wore a dress covered in gemstones. 
I hope you enjoyed the quick little fight between Hunter and Blade. Don't think this is even close to over though ... we've got quite a ways to go yet and much to resolve. For now though, make sure your entries to the giveaway are taken care of and get ready and set for Friday!
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Now I'm finally caught up, for now I wait for each update
Are you planning a sequel? Please tell me you are planning a sequel
3077098
Glad you're enjoying it! If you haven't already, don't forget that little thumb in the corner. That helps other people find the fic and give it its chance!
3077379
Glad to hear it! And if you think its intense now ...
3077502
"Beyond the Borders" is in its preliminary planning stages right now. It'll be a while before you see it, but until then I'm working on a few one-shot side stories revolving around the Dusk Guard's ordinary days to tide everyone over. Still, if you want a few more hints as to what "Beyond the Borders" will include, I believe my Q&A blog post dropped a few hints. Other than that, I'm not telling aside from the fact that I'm really excited to start working on it (but I need to finish up my current book and another novella to publish first, a guys gotta eat)!
3078234 Don't worry, already gave it an up vote
3078266
Thank you!
3078279
You used the wrong "it's/its" here.
Anyway, it's nice to see an appreciation for the classic robot boss fight. It even came with a big glowing
targetgem in the center of the chest to aim for, and I'll bet that the crystal elsewhere works like their armor, making it invulnerable everywhere else.(Of course, they're not restricted to the traditional ways of fighting it, like a video game hero is. They can do stuff like use an intermediary to affect it with TK (hold on to something like a chain with TK, and grab it indirectly, for example), or deny it traction. The floor is smooth marble, so it shouldn't be too hard to ice it over, and make it too slippery for the super-golem. Heck, the thing is bipedal, it shouldn't be too difficult to knock it off balance. Of course, this is assuming that they don't try anything fancy, like trying to hit the crystal's resonance frequency, or having Celestia or Nova superheat portions of the golem's crystal armor to make it start to melt and loose its crystalline structure (Or rather, superheat the air next to the crystal, but same difference, really). This also is avoiding methods that would cause large amounts of collateral damage, of course, like the traditional One at Sufficient Velocity.)
3078234 Yeah I just want to learn more about Nova and see their highly anticipated armored selves in action.
3080355
I'll admit, you really had me scratching my head at that one (although celebrating a few misdirections). As is, all I will say is that there are a few secrets to this story that have not been plumbed yet, one of which hasn't even been noticed (although you've come close) and is solveable. But if you don't happen to find it/figure it out, that's ok. It'll be built to exposure in the coming stories.
Still, I've got to give it to you, you're definitely digging for stuff!
3080699
Sounds like Friday can't come soon enough.
3080836
3080997
A secret that no one has noticed, but which already has enough evidence to be solvable? I'll have to think about that.
Assorted musings:
Why would anyone buy one or two of three keys? Assuming Nova wasn't lying about how he got that key, why didn't the previous buyer(s?) take all the keys? Do they not need all of them? Maybe the keys have different roles, and one of them was uninteresting or worse than useless to them. Or perhaps they can use their key(s) to affect the ones they don't have? (Or perhaps they (both?) don't know what they've bought, but it seems unlikely.) I've been wondering for a while if any of the stolen gems are getting enchanted before they're fenced, but a closely-related hypothesis is that the thieves are enchanting gems they don't sell that have some sort of link to the ones they do sell. Neither hypothesis is something I'd actually put forth as a prediction - too much complexity, too little evidence - but I'm keeping them in mind.
When Luna introduced the keys, she said, “If I remember correctly, there was a third piece as well, but we never found it.” Third piece? Is she thinking of the two that go together as one piece? Or was it a typo? Or was something messing with her head?
What's up with Baltimare? Why is the train robbery operation centered in Baltimare? Is it important, or is it just a convenient city?
Why would anyone build such incredible combat capabilities into a golem that was never supposed to fight anything? Is it just so the story could have robo-asskicking scenes? It has to cut into stealth, production difficulty, and other important factors. Was combat an intended function? The golems could be useful for ambushes, I suppose. (I'm suddenly reminded of the cardboard box from Metal Gear.)
What was up with Blue Coat Purple Mane in Training - Chapter 7? A quick search for "purple" in the full story text shows two other characters with purple manes: Ranger Violet Petal in Assembly - Chapter 8, with the wrong coat color, and the lunch lady from Operation - Chapter 9, who I didn't see a coat color for. The lunch lady doesn't seem important enough to be it. The way BCPM disappeared at the same time the waiter appeared kind of makes me think she's a changeling. I don't know why a changeling would be focusing on Hunter like that, though. Maybe they want to replace him? Or maybe the changeling knows him personally? (Maybe it's Thistle.) It could just be a character we haven't been introduced to, or a character in a mundane disguise, or an illusion or something.
Hmm. It's 1:08 AM. I should probably get to bed. The longer I stay up, the greater the probability that I'll start forgetting stupid things, and the lower the probability that this will make sense in the morning.
THIS CONTAINS SPIOLERS
Hunter, how in Tartarus are you ge-
...
no way, is he go-
.
One liner for the win!
Awesome chapter, Friday cannot come soon enough.
((I have no interest in the contest))
3081754
I take this as heavy evidence that you are enjoying the story thoroughly, especially with how much thought you've been putting into some of the more tantalizing hints and secrets.
Unfortunately, I can't comment on any of them (past going
), wrong or right, because I don't want to risk giving away anything. All I will say is you're going to enjoy some of what's coming later. Glad you're enjoying "Rise" now though!
EDIT: I can answer one question though: Why Baltimare? Eastern Headquarters of the ERS, as mentioned in conjunction with Mint and Radiant before (I believe in chapter 7 of Training).
3083162
More crowning moment's of awesome incoming. Maybe "Rise" will finally end up with a TV Tropes page (hint hint).
3083652
Are you sure you remembered to put that in? I searched for all occurrences of "Baltimare", "Eastern", and "Headquarters" in the story, and I didn't find anything about that. Neither "Headquarters" nor "HQ" is even in the story at all.
3086151
Well Tartarus. While Radiant and Mint both mention that they're involved with the Eastern side of the ERS offices, the line that did say that was based in Baltimare seems to have been accidentally edited out when I rewrote a scene a long time ago. Grrr... what an oversight!
Rectified.
Still embarrassing.
3086334
I'm not seeing the change. Are you sure you saved the new version and made it visible?
3086392
Check chapter 11 of Training.
3086416
Still not seeing it. The modification date hasn't changed, either. If the problem isn't on your end, it could be some sort of server processing lag.
3086428
Dang it. Assembly, not Training
Please excuse me being a tired idiot at the moment.
3086439
Now I'm seeing it. I hope you remembered to put in the hints about that unnoticed mystery; it'd suck if you revealed it, and you expected the pieces to click into place, only for everyone to be left scratching their heads, wondering where that came from.
3087296
Well, I can't say for certain that it hasn't been noticed, and the clues are there (I've made certain). The oversight of Princess Luna mentioning the two regional headquarters of the ERS was an editing error. Originally, it was in that chapter, but when I rewrote that whole section on the re-run, it looks like it was left out in error.
Still, there were a decent amount of hints pointing that way.
Definitely thrilling chapter. Wanted to see how damaged Hunter would get before he made it. Didn't think that the sisters would go all Team Rocket with a giant robot.
Tia, go teleport the civvies out of the area, then nuke the robot please. You probably won't but one can hope.
Blade is disappointing, but seems to be following the similar loyalty to the contract evident in FOE griffin mercs.
Seem to be missing out on the key discussion between you and PPS. Disappointed at myself, but will keep track of the topic.
I feel there is more to blade than meets the eye considering she not once but twice- in writing no less, mentioned the list of cities that lead to hunter investigating the train car
Just saying...
Elements of Harmony--proper nouns
spacing
their
Not a very good way of describing Radiant and Mint, since the Princesses are there as well.
I wonder what they would even do with the ERS anyways.
Once you said she was wearing gemstones, I knew they were going to be used for something nefarious. Just as a grenade, not summoner.
I would like to point out that any normal society would have enough leeway for the Dusk Guard to have postponed or outright prevented any sales of shares of the ERS.
They were in an investigation into events that could be considered industrial espionage against the ERS, several board members were suspects (in fact, every known suspect was a member of the board), and there was evidence that they would be able to resolve the situation within 24 hours (either this or 48 hours is a standard for quickly issues police powers).
As far as I know there are laws for situations like this in pretty much every country with a country-wide justice system. Usually they are used to freeze bank accounts, but I would suspect that they apply to every asset an entity (person/company/etc) has.
To be frank, this disconnect removes what suspension of disbelieve I have that this situation is plausible. While this makes me unable to enjoy any plot connected to this, this doesn't stop me from appreciating the rest and all the action, 'science', tech and other ideas/parts of this story.
TL/DR: Good story, main plot wouldn't happen in any competent jurisdiction.
5048911 do remember that this is not earth.
room's
its
its
golem's
Gryffish, Gryphonic? (Languages and nationalities are capitalized)
sisters
the construct's chest
I don't bother pointing out small typos, but this one is significant enough to actually confuse the reader. That should say Steel. This is right after the cut between the two scenes, and Hunter is currently a mile away, flying back from his fight with Blade.
Enjoying the book so far, though - thanks for the recommendation over on /r/mylittlepony!
If the remaining three members of the Dusk Guard don't rush in wearing full armor I am going to be so disappointed with Captain Song.