Changes, part 3 [28]
Stories in Stone
Lost Empire
By TDR
Changes
Part 3
[Two weeks after the birth of Greenwich]
Starswirl stared at the copper and brass tubes before him, the apparatus he had built was a marvel of engineering. Likely nothing so complex had ever been constructed outside of Marbleville the Earth Pony capitol. That place was a wonder of steam powered transports, prototype flying machines and the beginnings of an industrial revolution that would put the Earth ponies far enough ahead of the other two tribes that the war might very well end simply due to fear of what the 'lesser' ponies might manage to do.
At least that was the way it had seemed until two days ago.
Now the entire city of Marbleville, carved and built out of quarried stone and metal, forged out of a mountain that was at the heart of the city, was gone. Even the mountain had been leveled and there was barely even scrap left of the marvels of science the city once held. Mobius had brought the scant survivors of the settlement to the north to hide them here. And by scant, Starswirl meant eight, all foals of various ages, none with a cutiemark of their own yet.
Eight survivors from the largest city Pony kind had ever even seen. A city of nearly twenty thousand souls.
Now there were eight.
The monsters had been busy, countless races had been attacked and their lives taken from them. By Starswirl's calculations in almost a month since the creatures had arrived, the sentient population of Equss was down a third. Perhaps even half by now. There were only two monsters, but the longer they lived the stronger they seemed to get. The dragons were doing the best at holding the creatures at bay but even they suffered heavy losses after the last time the monsters attacked. Three more griffon aeries as well as a large collection of Harpy ones had been destroyed. Contact was finally made with the Diamond Dogs only to find the creatures were burrowing down as deep as they could go all of their surface cities and several of their underground ones had been destroyed. The Zebra lands were no better. The few reports back told of countless tribes having been wiped out as well as a entire race of creatures that the contacts had called, 'Shadow walkers'.
The way things were going it seemed that Scorpan and Tirek were simple created to destroy all life they had started slow, but as their power grew the attacks became more frequent, only the most isolated settlements avoided destruction and who knew how long that would last. Scarcely a day went by without word of three or four more settlements being destroyed, or a contact going silent. All the advancement in medicine, magic and technology, lost. Even if some of the survivors were the ones who created them, with the chief settlements losses most ponies would be doing little more than trying to survive for some time, science would be on the back burner for centuries after this.
Starswirl lifts his head again looking at the canisters watching the bubbling green liquid float up past the tiny windows in the doors. He had made contact with the Windigo. He had needed to, as some of the healing powder they could produce was required. He warned them of the situation, though they already knew some how, claiming the winds had told them. The talk had not been long and as usual he felt worse for it and the Windigo showed no emotion either way.
Now here he was with three mares stuck in tubes full of liquid extracted from sacrificed eggs. Three injured mares who were some how supposed to fix the issues with the world on their own, all because some old dragon fly said they would. Three mares who believed he was right and volunteered despite knowing what the risks were, what would be expected , and that they would be changed forever.
There was no logic to this, no science or fact that would show this as the best course of action.
Just hope and prophecy.
And Starswirl hated believing in either of those alone.
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“Hammer what the buck are you doing?” Slate shouts over the rapid smashing of metal.
“Hammer hear about what going on. Hammer's brother send letter, Hammer's home village gone, parents killed, friends killed. Brother and Sister in law only escape because they were visiting another tribe “ Hammer growls lifting the glowing ax into the air to look at it, the weapon was larger than Slate Quake and yet the angry Minotaur was lifting it with one hand as he looked the double bladed weapon over before setting it back down to hammer on it more.
“Then what are you planning to do?” Slate asks knowing the answer.
“Hammer is going to find out who did it. The Hammer is going to bury Hammer's ax through their skulls and into their chest cavity.” the minotaur snorts.”Until Hammer is certain they are not going to move any more. Then Hammer is going to chop them into small bits with which to feed small woodland creatures or set them on fire, Hammer has not worked out the details of the last part yet.”
Slate sighs as the minotaur continues to shape the ax. He looks over the rest of the room noting that Cloud Dust the Harpy was curled in a corner of the room asleep, her bright feathers dulled by the ash from the forge.
“And I suppose it doesn't hurt that they attacked Dust's aerie either.” Slate responds noting the minotaurs wince. “Particularly given how often you claimed to hate most of your village and your brother for how they treated you because of your fur color.”
“Hammer has many reasons. Even with a bad calf hood Hammer did not wish his village harm.” Hammer states turning to stare down at the half dragon who simply raises an eyebrow at the glare.
“You know I can't let you leave, you'll get killed on your own if this thing finds you.” Slate points out.
“Slate is good friend to Hammer. So Hammer not say this lightly. If Slate try and stop Hammer, Hammer will be forced to hurt Slate. Hammer does not want that.” Hammer leans down closer staring the unflinching half dragon in the eyes. “Hammer is going to fight this creature and Hammer will destroy it.”
“My father predicts it will come here very soon. That is what the Dragon Flies were talking about when they meant a great danger.” Slate states causing Hammer to blink and glance over to the sleeping Harpy. “We need you to stay here and keep this forge going. I want weapons and armor for every solider I have. Also for the alicorn's and my sister....”
“Ghost going to kick Slate's flank if he not let her fight hmm?” Hammer grins as the half dragon looks away. “ Fine Hammer will stay if only to see that.”
“ I have a plan for her, but I expect she will find a way around it. How long do you think it will take to upgrade our gear?” Slate asks noting Hammer had lifted the ax again looking the glowing weapon over as if considering something.
“Weapon still brittle when cooled.... Hammer see too many cracks and flaws...... Need hotter fire......” The minotaur blinks looking down at the half dragon curiously. “ Dragon fire... hotter than forge.....”
“What?”
“You want Hammer to stay Slate? Then Slate stay with Hammer, get Ghost and mother as well. Hammer need dragon fire to forge metal that eats.” Hammer grins looking over at Cloud Dust, before tossing the ax in a quenching barrel and ignoring it.
“Metal that eats, what are you talking about?” Slate asks darting after the minotaur as the towering beast storms across room pushing open a door to reveal a massive boulder that if hollowed out could probably be a three bedroom house for some pony. Slate looks over the rock curiously noting that it was mostly some sort of metal vein, iron maybe. Some of the rock looked like it had melted from high heat and there were a number of piles of smaller rocks that looked broken from the first. In all it appeared that the minotaur had hauled numerous tons of ore filled rock into the forge at some point. “What is this Hammer,some kind of ore? How did you even get this thing in here?”
The Minotaur turns looking down at Slate with a grin that frankly made the half dragon nervous..
“Rocks from the sky. It fell from the darkness beyond the sun and moon. All metal on Equss has some magic in it. This does not.“ The lavender minotaur snorts picking up a chunk of rock and crushing it in his hand, the dirt and stone falling away to show a tangled vein of unrefined iron with a rather eerie luster to it even in it's unrefined state. “Hammer will forge new weapons and armor with dragon flame and Star Metal.”
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“ I've managed to get up with a few of the contacts I have left and gleaned some information.”Mobius states pointing a wing to a spot on the large map on the table before him. “After the fall of the Earth Pony and Pegasi capitols most of those tribes have scattered the pegasi flying higher altitudes in the north or hiding out in clouds. The Earth ponies are hunkering down in the wilds in small groups. One of my contacts has found some Seaponies, their cities near the surface have been hit and a couple of the deeper colonies, but not as bad as the rest of us. They are willing to take in refugees for a time.”
“Well that is good news at least.” Storm Front mutters.“Many Griffons are simply heading further north past Harpy territory. Has word come from the Windigo? Or do we need to prepare to deal with them as well?”
The alicorn sighs looking over the map, the single torch illuminating the x's covering it and the tired expressions of both the griffon god and Mobius.
“They are willing to let the Griffons and any others pass through their territory unhindered so long as they do not interfere with any other refugees, or linger long in the mountains. They claim this is not a threat, but a statement of how cold the upper range can get. They themselves have started moving some of the northern earth pony tribes that they deal with themselves to a location they can protect or at least hide them. To be honest I was certain they were isolationists, I didn't think they had any contacts up there.” Mobius sighs.
“The dragons are holding their ground. They only have the one gathering point where they are trying to build a city and they will not leave it.” rumbles a voice.
Mobius and the griffon look up from the table at the towering form taking up the rest of the cave they were in. The Griffon shifts nervously as the great, lightish red dragoness leans her head down into the light for a closer look at the map. The alicorn grins reaching up a wing to run the feathers along the rough scaled under side of the great wyrm's chin.
“Sooner or later they will attack the dragons. From what you have said some of the solitary ones are already missing.” Mobius comments.”I doubt this.. Cindervale of theirs will hold up if these monsters decide to take it out.”
“A few have gone missing, though we are unsure how many are still out there and are simply sleeping or are actually dead. Some dragons do enjoy a long nap or three. What makes me wonder about this however, is that if there are only the two of them, how do they get around so quickly?” The dragon comments with a slight shift of her head to lower it closer to Mobius's affectionate touch, the giant lizards scales seeming more pink in the light.
“The winged one carries the other one in some cases. It seems that it can fly fast enough to split the very air around him. The few who have been witness to Scorpan's flight have said they can hear the scream of the air as he tears through it, though by the time you hear him he is either past or already upon you.” Mobius sighs. “If the rumors are even half true it explains how they can be in the zebra lands and the griffon empire on the same day. There is also signs that Tirek can teleport himself rather large distances, though the one report on that stated he seemed to be tired out by the effort.”
“Impossible nothing can fly that fast.” Storm Front snorts.
“Nothing can defeat flights of dragons with ease, nothing could wipe out whole cities in a few hours, nothing could steal souls to empower themselves, nothing could turn itself into a book to gain more power.” the dragon lists.
“Finnah you have made your point love.” Mobius smiles. “We are dealing with a lot of impossible things. Although we also have the hard facts. This Scorpan has shown to be the more powerful of the two, yet he seems subservient to the other.”
“Not subservient, respectful, evidently he thinks of Tirek as his older brother. There have been a few remarks to that idea that have been over heard by survivors.” Storm Front points to a stack of papers. “Evidently he is not very bright either. Tirek seems to be the brains of the pair with Scorpan being mostly the brute.”
“It seems then we have a primary target then. If we can destroy Scorpan we can slow down the devastation. We can then take a little more time to figure out how to destroy Tirek.” Finna murmurs.” Not that I expect it to be easy, any word on Swirlies angels?”
Storm front blinks confused as Mobius chuckles .
“He said a few days, though we have no idea what they might be fully capable of. We are putting a lot of trust in Dublin's words.” Mobius frowns at that , though his smirk quickly returns. “More trust than I like in fact. If what he said is true there are going to be a number of changes and hardship to come.”
“Starswirl said nothing of that.” Storm Front comments.
“Swirly was not the only one the Dragonfly talked to. I got the other half of the prophecy, and I have to say I don't like it. Any way, when we finally move against one of them I plan to bring a small force myself. Slate says Hammer has something that might help but he'll need dragon fire to forge it.”
“Should I check in with him?” Finnah asks.
“Might be wise, Slate and Ghost are helping, but their breath isn't as hot as yours.” Mobius chuckles.
“Flirt.” Finnah mutters leaning down to nuzzle her massive head against the alicorns side.
“Should I go.. leave you two alone....?” Storm Front questions as the pair start making kissy noises. Something rather unsettling to hear from a massive dragoness.
“Well you could join us.” Mobius grins.
“Yes,right, leaving then, well I will get to work on a plan and check back later, much later take the time you need, bye.” Storm Front flusters, his feathers ruffling as he grabs some papers and dashes out of the cave in a rush.
“No one ever want's to join us.” Mobius pouts.
“More of me for you then....” Finna grins.
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“Alright load up those carts, Patsy do you know where you're going this time?” Slate bellows, pointing a hoof at a sway back mule.
“Yeah, yeah, I know, it's not like there's not an entire damn caravan following me who won't yell at me if I make a wrong turn.” the mule grumbles glaring back at the others from the settlement, most of whom ignored the cranky old mule.
“Alright every one, this should be the last of the supplies. Once you get everything set up in the shelter we can start moving the ponies from the hospital to it as well. Move out.” Slate yells ignoring the mules grumbling like everyone else. The half dragon looks over the caravan, frowning at the small amount of his deputies he could send with it. There were a number of crystal mines to the north east that most of the villagers would be hiding in until everything was over, one way or another. More than he had expected however had opted to stay behind to help defend the town. Slate didn't like it, but the extra bodies would be useful if he could get them trained in the short time they supposedly had.
“So what's the defense plan brother?” comments a rather flighty voice from above him followed by the heavy thud of hooves in the dirt.
“The plan is that you go join the caravan to keep watch on the foals. That was the plan and is STILL the plan Ghost.” Slate snaps.
“Oh please. You know need me here even if mom is doing all the work for Hammer now.” Ghost Dancer grins baring her fangs. “ I told you if you tried to stop me I’d kick your flank across the mountains. Still sneaky trick trying to use the foals....”
“So why didn't that work? They all were quite convincing with the puppy eye demonstration.”
“Please brother I’ve been teaching them and others for a while now, that doesn't work on me any more. Besides the foals are much calmer knowing that their auntie Ghosty is out here kicking ass to protect them.”
“You are not trained in combat.” Slate begins.
“And yet I am consistently able to knock you on your flank. I'd say your training is flawed, or you're too soft.”Ghost Dancer grins as her brother snorts in annoyance, a bit of greyish flame flickering from his nose. “I wasn't gonna say anything before cause it was always cute to watch two or three of your little deputies try and take down a drunk pony, but you know as well as I do there's a big difference between proper combat and policing action.”
“ Don't be rude, I am aware of the situation.” Slate growls glancing to his sister as she offers a book with a wing. “What's this?”
“A while back I started collecting information on how each tribe trains their soldiers. Mostly word of mouth from the ponies who came here from one of the waring tribes. I put most of it together in the book.” Ghost Dancer smirks. “ It started off as a little side project for Starswirl, though it turned out to be rather interesting to see some of the tactics and strategies that were used. There's bits of Griffon, Dragon and Yak in there too. It might be a bit jumbled and dusty from sitting on Uncle Swirlies bookshelf for a few years, but the information should be good.”
Slate looks at the cover. “ Art of War?”
“Look, you try to think of a name for book that is nothing but strategies and training regiments.” Ghost huffs.
Slate ignores her complaining as he flips though the book with some interest.” Most of this is sound advice. Still there's not much in here I can use, this would all take longer than we likely have. Several weeks of grinding future soldiers into the dirt to hone their physical abilities, followed by the proper training in following orders and then advanced training in combat. We don't have time for that.”
“Actually we do if you get a little creative. Uncle Starry can pull all of them into one shared dream for the advanced stuff at night. If we work on the physical while they are awake and the mental at night we can get the training done in far less time.” Ghost smiles.
Slate looks up at her curiously then shakes his head with a small smirk.”It's things like this that make me wonder how Dad and Starswirl can think you could bear the Element of Compassion.”
“While I don't want to see a war at all. it's compassion that drives me to make sure everyone has what they need to survive as much as possible.” Ghost sticks her tongue out at her brother. “ So are you still going to insist I go to the mines?”
“Not like you would listen to me if the foals couldn't convince you. Come on let's run this by Starswirl.” Slate admits. “ I am going to have to rewrite this however. Your penmanship is atrocious.”
“Well excuse me for not being a scribe.”
“You're a school teacher, one would think to teach writing you needed to be able to write....”
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[ One Week Later]
Steam hissed and metal clanged as Storm Front, Mobius, and Starswirl stood before the three cylinders in a dark room in the tower. The small form of Greenwich buzzed around one of the tubes, deftly dodging the escaping steam and shifting machinery.
“So this is it then?” Storm Front asks.
“By my calculations, yes, this should have been more than enough time for the change to have occurred. Note the liquid has turned and even deeper shade of green, bordering on black?” Starswirl points to a glass tube that filtered a brackish looking water among the three chambers. “That is the consistency that yielded the best end results during my tests.”
The pair watch as Starswirl pulls a lever and a new noise sounds in the cylinders.
“Do step back a little, I’ve not had the chance to put in proper drains here and I can assure you getting the fluid out of your fur is quite the bother.“
Mobius glances to the griffon god before both of them take to the air hovering a half pony length off the floor as Starswirl puts on galoshes, and apron and a pair of goggles, looking decidedly like a mad stallion as he pulls a large white coat on over his wings, the goggles tugging his white mane and making it stand out at odd angles
“This is a decidedly different set up from when you created the Windigo.” Mobius states.
“The Windigo are ninety percent magic and only ten percent flesh and blood. Granted they can focus and alter that as they wish, but it's not good for fighting. The designs here were following the idea that the three involved would have to be good at fighting some how, though the mixture and mutations still are only a percentage chance of going the optimal way.” Starswirl chuckles not noticing that Mobius was glaring at him.
“You are going mad scientist on me again Swirly, I can see that gleam in your eyes through the goggles.” Mobius grumbles. “ This is not a healthy thing. Did you forget to sleep again?”
“Stuff it Mobius, you're the one who convinced me to go ahead with this. You and the bird can't bitch now.” Starswirl snaps.
“Do not snap at us.” Storm Front growls. “You being childish.”
“Of course I’m being childish. There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes.” Starswirl comments. “ And yes I have slept I needed to do so to make sure your son's training thingy went well.”
Mobius sighs rubbing his head with a hoof. “ That's not sleeping , that's working while not moving, you are going to get a proper nape after this if I have to beat you until you're unconscious. Just open the chambers already.”
Starswirl grumbles, yanking on a lever at the side of one of the tubes. The liquid in the glass pipe stops flowing and starts going in reverse as red lights start flashing every where along with a klaxon alarm which Starswirl mercifully cuts off before they go deaf in the small room.
“I have no idea why I thought that would be a good idea.” Starswirl admits rubbing his ears with his wings.
“Because you forgot to sleep again.” Mobius snaps. “ DUH!”
A flood of dark green fluid suddenly gushes from the bottom of the bottom of the cylinders rushing like a small tidal wave across the stone floor sweeping up chairs and a table or two pushing them against the far wall knocking over some of the candles and darkening the room. The flood rushes out the door and down the steps outside in a torrent of brackish green fluid. After a few moments the sound of screaming and cursing could be heard as the flood reaches some of the other occupied floors of the tower.
“Whoops. We are going to need a maid in here.” Starswirl chuckles hopping into the air himself to avoid the flood.
“We can't get any maids to even enter the building when you are working on something.” sighs Mobius. “ Just cantrip clean it later.”
The chambers creaked as a faint buzz sounded a loud clack following as the doors opened fully, locking into place. Mobius lights his horn as Starswirl's magic touches a few crystals causing them to glow.
“Oh bugger.” Starswirl curses as he moves some of the crystal light's closer. The sounds of coughing and clearing of liquid from lungs, fills the air. “Well that sounds unpleasant.”
“Remind me, cough, never to agree to do that, cough or anything like it again.” states a voice, clearly feminine, though angry and having a odd echo to it.”You never told us you would have to drown us for this Starswirl.”
“I'm sure I indeed did say several times that you would be completely submerged in liquid Sunray.” Starswirl admits looking up as the white form of the mare steps from the tube shaking herself and sending a spray of green gunk everywhere.
The pegasus was actually shorter now, though some what bulkier. Her fur was still white, though sections of her flesh had seemed to have hardened, covering her joints and sections of her torso and head in a thick white Carapace. Her cutie mark was gone, and her golden mane and tail had lengthened to the point that even had she not shrunk they would have drug along the ground. Her eyes were gone, replaced by bulky compound eyes not unlike the Crystal Dragonflies and a pair of long antenna that poked up from the top of her head out of her mane on either side of a short spiral horn, that seemed unraveled a bit like a cork screw rather than a proper unicorn horn. Two sets of incectile wings sprouted from her back on either side, fanning out as the icor ran down them, a mimicry of the Dragonflies wings, though much larger.
“Well now, that worked fairly well, no mark, wings restored . I can't account for the antenna or size reduction, though the carapace and muscle mass increase fit within parameters. “ Starswirl comments. “ Didn't expect the horn, though it was withing the realm of possibility.”
The heavy thud of hooves drew everyone’s attention to the next pod. The lights in the room seemed to practically dance as they struck the figure emerging from the pod. There was no carapace on the mare, though her rust colored fur was shiny and stiff looking. The mare's body was nearly transparent as her four hooves touched the sodden stone floor, every step a dull chiming echo of her new weight. out of the cylinder, four hooves clicking on the floor . Her red mane and tail were done up in the same manner they had been when she entered the pod, but like the rest of her form they were completely made of crystal. A tiny set of what seemed to be butterfly wings graced her back, though they likely wouldn't allow her to fly, and she had a small stub of a horn on her head.
“I feel heavy.” Ginger comments, her voice chiming like the crystal she was composed of.
“I told you to stop eating so much. “ Sunray mutters, though she was too busy staring at the crystal pony to say much else.
“Well this was unexpected. A very low percentage of having a mutation such as this, but it wasn't completely off my charts. Still within parameters, the wings are a bit of a miss however, the horn perhaps too given it's size. Though she has her cutie mark still so that's not as useful.” Starswirl comments. “Not exactly the success I was hoping for.”
“Soo sorry I don't live up to your expectations after a highly dangerous and experimental process Swirly... How bout a hug?” Ginger grins lightly kicking the side of the tube she had exited with one hoof, the metal buckling under the heavy hoofed tap.
“Maybe later... much later....” Starswirl mutters.
The violent upchuck of liquid and series of rapid coughs and curses silence any retort Ginger had as they look to the last pod. A loud bang a splash and a violent curse followed by a string of profanity that had even Mobius taken aback. Storm Front Darts over to the tube, looking inside to help her up before he blinks, slowly backing up with a few beats of his wings.
A figure rises and steps out of the cylinder, hooves clicking lightly as she moved into the room proper shaking free the mess from her form. The mare was taller than even Mobius, stringy sickly green hair fell nearly to the floor in a odd pattern that seemed to make holes in the strands at the end. Her back and midriff were covered with a thick green carapace though only those spots were armored. Her body was thin, her neck elongated further than a normal ponies, looking as if it didn't quite fit with the rest of her body. Her form was gaunt and thin, looking sickly and frail, an effect that was not helped by numerous holes that ran through the ends of her limbs. A pair of bug like, green gossamer wings fluttered on her back, filled with the same type of holes as her legs. The most prominent feature on the mare however was the massive gnarled and jagged horn that rose from her head to nearly half her height from her forehead. In all she looked like a gangly mess.
Crystal opens her eyes, green flame flickering around her irises before her eyes narrowed into dark cat like slits in the middle of beautiful jade green.
“I can see in depth again!” The mare grins, showing a pair of fangs more prominent than even a half dragon's. She lifts her hoof up to her face waving it before her eyes before noticing it was full of holes. “Starswirl? What is this?” Crystal mutters looking at the other two and blinking lightly at their changes..
“ No cutiemark, horn restored.. I think, wings, mini carapace.... though in all honesty I have no clue what is going on here. Nothing like this was in any of my simulations......” The bearded alicorn murmurers.
“ Well … at least you got your horn back.” Sunray points out.
“And then some.” Ginger adds.
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[One Week Later]
“Here. He's here.” Mobius states tapping a spot on a map.”The pair separated over the southern wilds and Scorpan was seen here by himself.”
“Are you sure? “ Storm Front asks glancing up at the dragon looming over the table.
“Sure as I am Starswirl has a sexy beard.” Mobius snarks.
“So not sure at all.” Starswirl rolls his eyes.
“Just because you don't see it Swirly.” Mobius huffs.”But yes, he's in this range of mountains here. I've been able to peek into his day dreams without being noticed. The monster is bored.”
“That location was claimed by an old fire drake, Tragu. If Scorpan is there then the dragon professing himself 'the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities', is likely no more. That position is also closer to us than I like. It means we can't move the rest of the comatose ponies to the caves without attracting his attention. Pity as we just finished setting up a place for them in the caves.” Finnah grumbles. “How are the girls Swirly?”
“Sunray has heightened strength speed and growing command over magic, she's almost on par with the few pegicorn's I’ve met in the past. Her flying speed is far faster than it was when she was a pegasus and her maneuverability is, to be honest, insane. Flying at top speed she can reverse direction without a loss of momentum with no ill effects. To be honest I don't think she's touched the ground since she woke up.” Starswirl explains. “She is exactly what I was going for with this experiment save for a few issues. She doesn't feed on emotions as I hoped and her body can't seem to handle the same foods she ate before. All she seems to be able to eat are certain flowers and some sweeter foods. Thankfully she doesn't seem to need as much as a normal pony of her size.”
“And the others?” Mobius asks.
“Ginger is impressive as well, despite being predominately made of crystal now her durability, stamina, and strength are far beyond anything I’ve ever seen in a earth pony. In fact I think she might be more durable than we are.” Starswirl comments nodding to Mobius. “Unfortunately she has at best rudimentary magical abilities, and she cannot do more than hover for a few seconds with her wings. While she was a surprising development,she's not one that can be sent out to deal with these monsters as her cutiemark is still clearly visible and thus a liability. The change that the monsters might be able to gain what abilities she does have mean she's staying here. As an odd side note, she can be used as a foci for magic, her very body amplifies whatever spell is passed through her. The exchange is nearly double, though we don't know the upper height of what she can channel this way. Nearly burnt my room to a crisp with a simple light spell. Of course on the mental side of things she's also taken to calling herself the first Crystal Pony of the Crystal Empire, but to be honest I think she was doing that before.”
“I notice you are not talking about Crystal. “ Storm front asks.” Is something wrong with her?”
“Aside from having little idea what happened with her? No. I can't explain the fangs, the holes, the horn anything. She has some spell casting ability and limited flight, as well as a bit more durability and stamina than a normal pony, but her physical attributes are far less than the other two. She also claims her magic is weaker than it was before she lost her horn. She has claimed the power she can tap seemed oddly fluctuating, though I have yet to discover why. She hasn't been hungry since she awoke,so I can assume her comments about odd feelings around her and the fact she hasn't starved to death yet mean that she can feed on emotion like the Windigo. I am not entirely certain what emotion however. Still Crystal has been helping a good deal with the other two, aiding them in learning magic and she already was a soldier so I I expect she could be of some help in the attack
“What of Slate's soldiers?” Finnah asks.
“While it's been boring I have provided a shared dream for them to train in. Most are still raw recruits however. A hoof full came here from the conflict so know a bit more, but not enough to make much a difference. At best we have two score of able bodies.”Starswirl mutters.
“Two score barely trained soldiers in magic resistant armor along with a pair of unknown construct ponies, a god, a minotaur, a couple of half dragons and a proper big angry dragon, because she won't listen to me when I tell her to stay here. We will have surprise on our side. We know where Scorpan is, but he doesn't know we are coming for him.” Mobius states.” We can't lose.”
“That sort of over confidence could be an issue.” Storm Front cautions.
The Dark green alicorn shakes his head sadly.
“I am aware of that, but I am also aware that there is no point in second guessing, the dragon flies already told me that I was going to fight Scorpan. We might not get another chance to take them out while they are separated. We have a plan, we have a small force, we need to end this now.” Mobius grumbles.” Whether the girls are ready or not.”
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“So did you hear what they are calling us?” Ginger giggles. “Swirlies Angels. How awesome is that?”
“Dammit mare, focus.” Crystal grumbles “ You can barely levitate a scrap of parchment. Also only Mobius calls us that.”
“Hey sorry I wasn't BORN a pin head.” Ginger snaps.
“Neither was Sunray and she's already training with Starswirl on attack spells. You how ever Cast spells like you're still a mud hoof.” Crystal growls.
“Bitch please I’m fabulous.” Ginger rants tilting her head to catch the rooms light enough to make her sparkle.
“Horay for you, not only do you look like a rock, you have the mind of one too.” Sunray mutters from above them. The former pegasus had been in the air for two days straight with no signs of tiring. Crystal had taught the white mare the basics of magic and she in turn had been taught the basics of flight. While it was unlikely she would ever be as good as a natural born pegasus she could now fly without running into anything. Which was more than could be said of Ginger.
“Oh you're just jealous I’m still pretty and you look like a bug and Crystal looks like a hunk of cheese after mice get to it.” Ginger grins.
Crystal narrows her eyes at Ginger only for her attention to be drawn away by a faint buzzing. Looking up she had to stifle a small giggle as a tiny green dragonfly landed on her nose tickling it. The hatchling Greenwich had no issue with her appearance now and actually seemed to enjoy the fact that she could go flying with him.
“You might be shiny, but I'm still fleshy enough for a roll in the hay with some stallion without worrying about getting my mare bits chipped or breaking something important on the guy. And Crystal can say the same and she still has Greenwich.” Sunray smirks sticking her tongue out at Ginger..
“See now you're just being mean.” Ginger snorts.
“Still bickering?” a voice questions from the door.
All three of them look a bit sheepish as the dark gray griffon steps into the door, though Sunray actually looks a bit embarrassed that Storm Front caught her teasing Ginger.
“If you haven’t noticed yet, It's kinda what we do.” Ginger admits.
Storm Front shakes his head lightly. “Have you had any luck with your spell training Ginger? I've heard that despite a good teacher you are having trouble.”
Crystal rolls her eyes ignoring the griffon and focusing on the little green dragon fly crawling up her horn and humming softly. Storm front had been blatantly flirting with her since she stepped out of the chamber. While it was nice that some one still found her attractive, the fact that Slate didn't seem bothered by her appearance and she wasn't even the slightest bit interested in the griffon, killed his chances with her. Crystal also didn't want to interfere with Sunray, who clearly had the hots for the bird lion.
Storm Front was not obnoxious with his flirting, but he was insistent with it as if he wasn't used to being denied. Being a god that was likely the case.
“Not really.” Ginger admits.” I can make my spells bigger by casting them though myself , but I can't hold any of them very long. Just minor stuff like a minor healing spell and a stun spell.”
“If she could focus on something for longer than three seconds she might just be able to make even her minor spells rival a highly trained unicorns power.” Crystal comments crossing her eyes and cooing at the little dragon fly on her nose. She could feel something from the little creature and the longer he was around the 'fuller', for lack of a better term, she felt. “ But she's got the attention span of a stoat that got into the sugar crop.”
“Electrical based stun spell?” Storm Front asks cutting off Ginger's retort.
“Primarily yes. She couldn't get the hang of the arcane one, and the wind one comes out the wrong end.” Sunray comments.
“HEY that was once!”Ginger growls up at the former pegasus.
“Hmm show me the electrical one. “ Storm front asks.
Crystal sighs moving away from the pair, with Greenwich buzzing around her. One miscast spell that stood her hair on end was enough. She sits down near a thick wooden table in the remodeled room where the cylinders had been. It had taken Starswirl some time to clean it and the place still smelled like the fluid they had been submerged in. After wards he set it up for their training, though it was not like their existence was kept a secret.
There was a mix of something in the air. She could could feel whatever it was as clearly as she could see the ponies around her. Though maybe that wasn't right, she didn't so much sense or see the feeling as she tasted it.
There was a strong red almost spiciness coming from both Storm Front and Sunray. It came and went though it was strongest when the griffon was focusing on her, or when Sunray was focused on the griffon.
Starswirl had a muted taste to him, oddly she likened it to strawberries, though that wasn't quite right. The taste from him never spiked and remained rather dull no matter what was going on. Hammer was a little stronger, but had the same flavor and generally didn't spike unless Cloud Dust was around.
Ginger was the same, though her flavor was more akin to her name sake, almost too sweet when it spiked for her to handle. It oddly spiked around Mobius, Greenwich, and food. Ghost Dancer and Cloud Dust were the same way, including the food.
Greenwich was a odd flavor as well. The taste was constant however as was the amount and with him around she felt better. Slate was the same around her for the most part, though he was as muted as Starswirl when she wasn't directly talking to him.
Mobius..... by the stars that stallion was a veritable twenty course meal of various flavors. Spicy, salty sour, sweet, anything that was good to eat. Lately however there was a undercurrent of something sour with him, a lingering taste that while easily masked by the other variety of tastes he had, left a bitter after taste.
“Alright go ahead and hit me with it.” Storm Front states snapping Ginger out of her thoughts briefly.
“You sure?” Ginger asks hesitantly. “It hurts quite a bit.”
“I'm the Griffon God of Storms, I can wrap a lighting bolt around my neck and wear it like a scarf, a simple stun spell will do nothing.”
Crystal wasn't sure if that was ego or not. Mobius had introduced Storm Front as the griffon god of storms, so perhaps it was simply fact.
Ginger evidently agreed and started concentrating. Crystal felt Sunray flutter over to her and hover near by. The former unicorn gave it no mind, simply glad for a rest from training Ginger. She could feel something that was like happy thoughts from Ginger from the praise that she was being given as Storm Front coached her. There was a bitter pang in the air that she knew was from Sunray in regards to the griffon's praise of Ginger.
The pleasant taste in the air from Greenwich lingered on with a faint current of spice from the mare and the griffon. She considered the griffon briefly finding it odd that he would have any interest in her, particularly with how she looked now. Maybe it was a griffon or a god thing, since Mobius seemed inclined to sleep with anything that had a pulse, or at the very least was consenting to it. Her mind wandered a bit wondering why Storm Front was interested in her and not a griffoness. Maybe that's how he saw her? She smirked slightly as Greenwich landed on her nose again chuckling to herself as she imagined how she would look as a griffon, would she still have her coloration? Griffons didn't seem to have green feathers.
She felt a odd taste in the air that took over the bitter pang that was from Sunray, she wasn't sure what it was, though if she had to guess she would think it was surprise. She glances back at Ginger and Storm Front still chuckling to her self about the griffon.
“Crystal was correct, that is not much power, though it is enough that it can help you. I know you have a minor healing spell and medical training. That jolt is approximately the right amount of power to jump start an average sized ponies heart should it stop.” Storm Front explains trailing off.
“Ah like that defibrillator spell that I’ve seen unicorns use. I was hoping for something like that. I was a doctor after all, what?” Ginger blinks as she and the griffon stare at Crystal and Sunray, a flash of green reflecting in their eyes.
Crystal looks up noticing they all stopped talking and the feeling of confusion increased along with a massive rush of the spiciness from Storm Front.
Greenwich fluttered off the black furred griffons beak, flitting up to land on the crest of dark green feathers atop her head. Crystal glanced up at the dragon fly feeling the faint weight of the bug on her head before noticing the others were still staring at her. Her long feline tail whips around her back legs as she sits up again claws digging into the floor.
“What? What is it?” the emerald and black griffon that was Crystal asks.
====================================================
“She changed her form?” Starswirl questions looking over the dreamscape he had crafted. Two score of soldiers, including the three mares, Mobius, his children, and Hammer were going through the final briefing before they headed out the following morning. It would take them less than a day to get to where Scorpan was located. Currently Mobius was replaying images of Tirek and Scorpan. Between the daydreams and the contacts Mobius had between them they had several conversations between the pair, and a number of abilities to show case now. “ Wish I had time to run some tests.”
“Indeed she did.” Storm Front admits. “It wasn't any sort of illusion either she looked sounded, felt, and even smelled like a real griffoness.”
“Well that is impressive. Working claws and wings?” Starswirl comments. “ Perhaps that explains the holes. If she changes fully there would need to be less mass than a normal hoof to account for joints and mobility of claws.”
“Yes, she kept the form up for some time to before she dispelled it to see if she could figure out a few others. She managed to copy Sunray and myself, but Ginger was beyond her, well Ginger as she is now, she did manage to copy how Ginger looked before she was crystallized.”
“This is very interesting. I know the Dragonflies can change colors and sizes at a whim, but I’ve never heard of them changing their very shapes. This is something new, and green flame.... I’ve only heard of that second or third hoof, dragons with green flame supposedly can send messages over great distances. But given how rare a skill it is. I don't think any of this generation of dragons posses it.” Starswirl ponders.”Not sure if it has to do with this however.”
“There are some down sides it seems however.”Storm Front added. “The changing evidently required a great deal of energy to do, though not as much to maintain. After a few changes she couldn't hold her forms for very long or even produce the flame. She didn't seem tired though, she seemed starving. Though she claimed to not be hungry.”
“Yes, well as I said before that is likely the effects of something I tried to add. She feeds on emotion though I have not narrowed down which emotion. Sunray and Ginger don't have the ability as far as I can tell. Crystal does have it, but it seems to be more of a power thing for her on top of feeding. When she's full she can cast her spells better than if she's hungry. Crystal seems to require emotions for both subsistence and power. It would be an interesting study if I had more time.”
“She can't wear any of the armor Hammer made either. Touching it causes her pain if she's changed, and it completely disrupts her Changeling abilities and magic.”
“Changeling?” Starswirl asks.
Storm Front sighs. “It's what Ginger has started calling her, just like she's started calling her self a Crystal pony, and Sunray a Breezy. That mare is making up names left and right for everyone.”
“Well at least it's clear Ginger is the same, mentally at least. Crystal has become a bit more withdrawn and Sunray a bit more skittish. Still, that metal of Hammer's worries me. It disrupts magic and the effects linger even after the metal is taken away from the subject. I speculate it may very well be able to kill gods.”
“I find that hard to believe, with a bit of focus I can even cast as normal around it with little effect.”Storm front comments glancing down as Starswirl holds up a hoof, showing a red line across his foreleg.”What's that?”
“Nicked myself with one of the spear tips a day ago. It hasn't healed yet. Granted it is healing at a normal rate as if I was a normal pony, but that is a dangerous thing for a creature who can shrug off mortal blows like they were nothing usually. Powerful magic, other gods, and now this strange metal. I think it best if this is kept between us however Storm Front. Otherwise your worry about the other Griffon gods finding a way to put your head on the chopping block might be possible.”
“Was that a threat pony?” Storm Front narrows his eyes.
“No. I don't see a reason for threats and I am not for violence either. You are aiding us in this venture even when no others of your kind will. I am telling you so you might know what to look out for. Or I expect defend yourself when the time comes. I cannot see the others taking too kindly to the information you gave us. I do plan to ensure that Hammer destroys all the metal he collected as soon as Tirek and Scorpan are dealt with. But meteorites fall to Equss all the time.“
“Ahh. You needn't worry, there are only two griffon gods left now beyond me, Blight Feather, and Raptor. Tirek and Scorpan have claimed the others. Given that they are hiding under a rock and I am doing something to save everyone, I will be hailed a hero in the eyes of the Griffons. Even if they wished they would not be able to touch me if we succeed.”
“I see. I thought as much. Now that, that is said, I wish you to stay here when Mobius moves out after Scorpan.”
“What ? Why?” Storm Front bristles. “This is a battle I should be part of.”
“Because if you die you will be martyred. And the two remaining Griffon Gods will use your name to stir up a war to try and claim all the land held by ponies..... again. I know both of those gods personally and on more than one occasion they have ordered some savage attacks on those that tried to settle too near the borders. I know for a fact that the old bird Raptor claims that anything that touches the air is property of the Griffons.”
“We keep trying to get him to tell that to the dragons directly.” Storm Front snorts. “No luck so far, but at least it shuts him up for a while.”
“Even so...” Starswirl states.
“Fine. I should be going with them, fixing a problem my race created. But nooooooooooo, far be it for me to go against the suggestion of the great, wise, and powerful Starswirl the Bearded.” Storm Front grumbles.
“Don't sass me you young chick, it isn't cute, it simply makes you look half your age.” Starswirl snaps back. “ Besides I'm neither wise, great, or powerful. I'm just a clever pony sometimes is all.”
=====================================================
[Two days later]
“This is not going as I planned.” Mobius snarls, a great blast of green arcane energy bursting from his horn, shredding the ground between him and Scorpan. The towering creature snarled batting the attack away, searing the back of his hand and sending the blast spinning off into the air away from him. The bolt of energy eventually struck the side of a mountain, blasting a hole straight through the middle of it and causing it to crumble down in a great avalanche of dirt and rock far from the battle field.
Things had started off well. Hammer had made a number of weapons focusing primarily on spear heads to save time, though he made himself an ax and both Slate and Ghost Dancer swords, the three also had thicker suits of armor due to their strength. All the earth ponies had thick suits of armor and the pegasi had lighter suits that still allowed them to fly. Only the unicorns, Mobius, Sunray, and Crystal wore standard armor as the new metal interfered with their magic too much. Hammer had started to forge armor for Finnah but had run out of time and metal before managing more than a pair of bracers.
They had managed to make it through the small pass to the secluded valley where Scorpan was located without being spotted. The group had then come upon Scorpan while he was evidently asleep and attacked hoping to end everything quickly.
Things started to fall apart after that.
The beast had been aware of them and 'woke' the moment they came into range. Standing up on his hind legs. The creature was a head taller than Hammer, it had a long reptilian muzzle like a crocodile filled with rows of teeth that were more akin to a sharks. A course brown mane like a lions ran around its neck and was filled with hard spines like a hedgehogs mixed in with the hair. A pair of long bat like ears rose from the sides of its head along the widows peak the mane left giving a impression of a balding over it's scaled hairless face. Massive bat wings spread out from it's back just under the trailing edge of the mane, the tips pointed with talons. The brutish creature had massive arms and wide shoulders, it's long arms hanging almost as long as it's body, like a gorilla's and ending in in three fingered hands, each digit ending in wicked black claws. It's lower torso was not as muscular and was very similar to a minotaur's right down to the thick fur and hooves. It's tail was twice as long as it's body, scaled like a snake and just as flexible, the red length ending in a jagged point like a scorpion’s stinger though the stinger was the size of a sword.
Even with surprise lost, things had looked promising. It's physical attacks, though very powerful, were easy to spot coming and gave plenty of warning for even the slowest soldier to evade. Scorpan's magic was not as strong as Mobius had predicted and the star metal armor easily dispersed the weak spells.
Finnah remained in the air, staying low and taking swipes or using her breath weapon any time Scorpan tried to take off, the few unicorn soldiers, himself and Crystal providing ranged support to keep him down.
Even on the ground Scorpan was quick, most of the soldiers could barely get a shot in without having to dodge an attack or have Scorpan get clear of their blows. The exceptions to this were Hammer, Sunray, and Slate. The three had managed to wound the great beast several times. Something that drove the monster crazy as the wounds oozed black blood, and failed to close properly. Ghost Dancer managed a few jabs herself though she was more intent on calling out the monsters attacks and helping others dodge them.
While they were not doing much damage, all it would take would be one good hit, or clear shot with a powerful spell, or a star metal weapon and they could end this.
It was just when there was a hope that the plan might work, that things went south fast.
One of the soldiers miss stepped or over extended his attack, in any event some small mistake was enough for Scorpan to get his clawed hand on the earth pony. It only took him a moment to rip the armor off of the pony like he was peeling a banana. The monster then quickly drained the power from the pony, an act that seemed to bolster the monster's energy, and close up the wounds he had received.
Scorpan then proceeded to use the now comatose stallion as a impromptu weapon against the others. While the flailing horse meat was not an effective weapon physically, seeing their former comrade slowly flayed and torn apart as he was whipped about and smashed into the ground trying to hit them was highly demoralizing to the already frightened ponies. The sight of the stallion's blood splattering around as the gold stallions skin and flesh tore with each impact made it much worse. None of them were steeled for such a thing, and no fault could be had when some broke and ran.
The monster was clearly more used to this reaction from ponies and few of the runners got far before he was atop of them crushing them in their own armor or simply injuring them enough so that he could play with them later. With less ponies attacking him he managed to finally get airborne and away from Finnah's grasp. While Scorpan brutish and cumbersome on the ground, once his hooves were off it, he could have given the most skilled pegasi lessons.
There was barely time for a gasp from Mobius before Scorpan was atop of Finna hooves slamming down between her wings as the creature clawed and tore at the thick scales on her back, shredding the lightish red armor plates like a foal ripping into a birthday present. The the large dragons credit she managed to stay airborne longer than she should have with her spine exposed. Though with a resounding crack that filled the valley followed by a crash nearly as loud Scorpan had torn free two chunks of the dragoness's spine and sent her smashing into the ground ending her life.
The second she was down he was chasing the runners again.
Hammer met the beast the moment Scorpan was low enough, he even managed to wound the creature a few more times before he was snatched up and flung through the air. The lavender minotaur slams into the side of a rock face crashing to the ground with a shower of rocks falling atop of him.
Crystal was knocked aside as if she were noting more than a gnat. The mare crashing to the ground and tumbling across the dirt to lay still.
Despite her maneuverability and speed, Sunray couldn't keep up with Scorpan, the winds his movements kicked up sending her tumbling through the air, completely out of control. Eventually she managed to land a decent strike on Scorpan's back only for his tail to stab at her , tearing a wing and leaving a bleeding gash along her side. She fluttered madly in the air before she couldn't stay airborne and smashed into a tree.
Ghost Dancer was struck by a soldier flung from across the battle field as she tried to catch the wounded pony and misjudged the weight of the armor. She and the pony both tumbled away to the ground the wind knocked out of her.
Slate managed to wound the beast the worst, severing the monster's tail as he sought to drain another soldier. Scorpan then turned all his attention to the half dragon howling in pain as he all but ripped the armor from Slate beating the poor pony senseless before snatching him up. Scorpan frowned at the half dragon's lack of a cutie mark before belting him across the muzzle with enough force to knock free a fang before flinging him away to advance on the alicorn and unicorns still peppering him with attack spells.
Mobius screamed out in rage, dark green blasts of arcane energy ripping apart the ground and the forest between him and the advancing monster. He should have fled like the unicorns around him, he should have teleported away, though seeing his wife killed and his children beaten had angered him past the point of reason.
What magical attacks Scorpan didn't simply knock aside, he dodged. When he was in reach, Mobius finally thinking to protect himself, rapidly raised a shield, only for the arcane protection to be shattered by a chunk of star metal breast plate wielded like a gauntlet by the towering monster. Before the alicorn could recover, a second brutish blow slammed the alicorn to the ground smashing him into the magic blasted rock with repeated hammering of blows until Mobius lay still.
Scorpan lifts his head, his cat like gaze shifting over the battle field. Dust and dirt filled the air from the blasts of magic vaporizing things. The monster too note of where some ponies were still moving and crying out in anguish. He smirks slightly rather enjoying that sound. He tosses the star metal chunk aside reaching down, pulling the raggedly breathing alicorn from the crater that he had been beaten into.
The sound of heavy hoof steps caused him to whirl, his hand closing tighter around the alicorn's torso. A low growl filled the air as he narrowed his eyes looking through the dust at a towering figure approaching.
“Do not growl at me, Scorpan.” snaps the red and black form of the centaur creature as he strode through the rubble. “ What has occurred here?”
“Brother!” Scorpan grins watching as Tirek shifted his gaze around the battle field looking at some of the squirming forms an eyebrow raising at the wails of terror coming from them.
“I was attacked, hah can you imagine that, they even brought a dragon brother, and strange metal that actually hurts.” Scorpan explains as Tirek picks up a few of the wooden spears from one of the bodies looking over the strange metal blade tips on the end. Scorpan blinks looking over Tirek still holding the alicorn. “Are you alright brother? You sound a little funny?”
“And whose fault is that? Who was it who managed to fill the air with dust?” Tirek growls, waving a hand at Mobius. “And what is that thing?”
“Oh, sorry brother, I think this is a pony god. I didn't think they had any but here I’ve caught one, isn't that g........”Scorpan comments excitedly looking down at Mobius before his voice trails off with a cough and the sound of tearing flesh. Looking down as a trickle of black blood oozes from his lips Scorpan blinks as he sees one of the star metal spear tips sticking out of his chest leaving a gushing wound behind it.
“Wha.. What is this brother....?” Scorpan drops the limp form of Mobius turning to look back over his shoulder as a second then a third spear erupts from his chest, driven through his body by Tirek.
Tirek snarls, his eyes flashing green and catlike as a green flame flickers around his horns slowly burning away revealing as snarling fanged pony maw with a towering jagged horn. The rest of his brothers form rapidly burns away in green fire leaving a chitinous black pony behind him.
“Starswirl sends his regards.” snarls Crystal.
Scorpan staggers back, dropping Mobius and ripping the spears from his chest, his black blood gushing from the wounds gushing out in time with his heartbeat. The monster flaps his wings once trying to take off though managing only a few pony lengths into the air before a massive lavender hand grabs his hoof yanking him down to the ground with a bellow. A hoof slams into Scorpan's chest as a wounded and unburied, Hammer glares down at the Scorpan.
“HAMMER TAKES VENGENCE FOR NETHOSAK AND GRAY GEM ARIE!!” Hammer screams raising his ax high and bringing it down with enough force to shatter the metal against the stone under the monster, cleaving Scorpan's head from his shoulders.
Crystal sighs sitting down hard next to Mobius, as Hammer pants shaking himself free of dust and kicking Scorpan's head away from the body with his hoof. They both look up as Ghost Dancer yells out and hobbles towards them and her fallen father, Slate limping along behind her.
A sudden glow snapped both Hammer and Crystal's attention to the form of Mobius. The dark green alicorn had lifted his head up from the ground, his eyes focused on Crystal as his cracked horn glowed brighter.
“Damn bug said this was gonna happen, so much for fighting fate.“ Mobius gasps, blood oozing from his mouth and nose. “Sorry about this Crystal as well as everything that's going to come because of it. Do me a favor and tell Starswirl my last words were he has to keep that sexy beard of his......”
Before either Crystal or Hammer could respond the alicorns horn flashes with a swirl of green light the aura of light growing brighter and brighter until it envelopes the area around Mobius. Ghost Dancer and Slate skid to a stop as Hammer staggers back, pushed by the glowing sphere growing from Mobius's horn. After a moment the sphere of light starts to shrink again, though it condenses where Crystal was sitting rather than back on Mobius.
The two half dragons rush forward, jerking to a stop as they look down at the dark green unicorn laying in a pool of his own blood, his eyes open and lidless. The pale white shape of the strange sideways 8 on his flank seeming duller.
The two looked over as the ball of light winks out of existence on the tip of a long straight horn rising from a near translucent wavy green mane. The mare had not shrunk in size and was in fact larger it seemed now. Her mane seemed even longer and was flowing like a slow stream around her head and flank like it was alive. Her limbs still had holes in them, though they were less noticeable against the glossy sheen of her coat. The simple red six pointed gemstone that was her cutiemark had returned, though it seemed to flicker and shift just over her flank as if it was little more than a image floating over her fur. Her incectile wings had become larger and feathered, though the same small holes in her legs were also in the feathered appendages.
The trio didn't have time to say anything to her before the newly created alicorn collapsed in a heap.
“What just happened?!” Slate shouts.
Another bright glow flashed into being, this time from the corpse of Scorpan. The minotaur leaps back snatching up a spear from the ground as the massive monster starts to dissolve. The air around the beast filling with what sounded like millions of tortured screams, a wailing cry that only grew louder as the light got brighter and Scorpan seemed to collapse in on himself shriveling up. The sound and light both wink out at the same time, leaving a withered husk of Scorpan's body behind.
“And what the buck was that!?” Slate shouts again.
============================================================
[Near the end of the battle, back in the settlement.]
Ginger pouts looking over the hospital beds of the comatose ponies. In truth she was more nervous and worried than anything, though one of the doctor's had thought she was pouting cause she couldn't go fight, so she simply let everyone believe that. Otherwise she would never hear the end of it from Sunray when she got back.
Storm Front milled around the ponies looking for any sign of change. Starswirl was off in his lab working on something involving harmonics and crystals, or what ever boring things the alicorn did to keep himself occupied.
Aside from the click of Storm Front's claws as he moved around and the soft breathing of the unconscious ponies, the massive coma ward was quiet. Too damn quiet, she almost wanted to scream just to make some noise.
Thus when almost half of the ten score of ponies in the ward suddenly sat up and began screaming at the top of their lungs, with enough volume that the cry echoed across the valley alerting the entire town Ginger briefly wondered if she was a wish granting pony now.
“What's going on?” Starswirl shouts appearing in a flash of light in the middle of the room.
Ginger looks around in as a number of the ponies suddenly drop back to their beds bodies going limp as their cutie marks returned, though their lives left them in the same instant. “Their cutie marks are back!?”
“I don't know, there is some sort of weird electrical feed back running through them.”Storm Front calls back to Starswirl. The griffon rushes over to one of the silent ones pressing a wing to the stallions chest flinching. “ His heart's stopped. Get clear!”
The griffon slaps both hands to the pony's chest a bolt of energy flashing though his spread claws into the stallions chest. The ponies body tenses up, another bolt following the first as Storm front slowly counts to himself. The pony suddenly gasps twitching and trembling on the bed as his heart is restarted, though a dozen more fell silent during the time it took to try and revive the first.
“Ginger start working on that side like I showed you.”Storm Front shouts over the screams. “ We can revive some of them if we are quick enough! Starswirl head to the other side of the room do the same, a low stun charge should do it.”
“There's over a hundred of them screaming like this! We can get maybe a dozen.....” Starswirl protests his mind whirling.
“That's better than the none you are saving by standing there looking stupid!” Storm Front snarls. “GINGER! GET TO IT!”
The crystal pony looked over the ward. There were stallions and mares, Unicorns, Earth Ponies and Pegasi, old and young filling the beds. Many of them now with their formerly still features contorted in rictus screams of anguish. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. They were supposed to get their cutie marks back and wake up to live happily ever after in peace in the Crystal Empire. The war forgotten, suffering and monsters left to the wayside. Just happy ponies living in a land filled with love and the magic of friendship.
Ginger's gaze shifted to the host of fillies and colts that were barely old enough to even have gotten their cutiemarks, many of them had already gone silent after awakening screaming, their younger hearts not able to hold out as long as the adults.
Crystal closes her eyes, this shouldn't happen.
This couldn't happen.
This was NOT going to happen.
Starswirl and Storm Front both yelp as they crash into one another and are lifted by a reddish brown aura of magic and were shoved out the door along with one of the doctors who had made it into the room. The giant wooden doors to the ward slam shut behind them as they tumble to the tile floor. Several empty beds slam into the door barricading it from the inside. The pair leap back to their hooves and paws rushing the door slamming into it as they look in through the small windows in the doors.
The inside of the room looked like one of Starswirl's electric spheres. Blue and red lightning flickered and danced around the room, tearing rents in stone walls and floor. The arcing energy danced over some of the ward's residents and avoided others completely. The moment a screaming pony went silent the dancing energy struck them illuminating their body in a bright glow that was difficult to look at even for the gods.
In the middle of the room was a brightly glowing ball of light that neither of the gods could look at directly at all. Though it was clear this central glow was Ginger.
“What the shard is that mare doing!?” demands Storm Front.
“She.... that's healing magic,and electrical you spoke of... she's channeling them both through her self over and over again..... By the stars... ” Starswirl stammers. “ She's over charging the magic by using herself as a foci. This shouldn't be possible......”
“Well it looks pretty possible to me!” Storm Front growls shoving against the door with little effect.
The crackling energy suddenly glows bright enough that it illuminates the hall through the windows blinding both the gods and the gathered doctors and nurses.
Storm Front growls in anger, slamming his claws into the wooden door and yanking them, ripping the door off it's hinges and throwing the beds aside as he rushes into the room as the light fades.
The screaming had stopped, though in it's place were panicked yells, crying, and questioning chatter.
Starswirl rushed in beside Storm Front who had stopped in his tracks and stared slack jawed at the scene in the room.
The room itself was in shambles and a over half the ponies were still comatose on the beds untouched by the flares of magic that occurred.
Another smaller number had their cutie marks, but were clearly dead, having not survived what ever had just occurred.
What made both the gods jaws drop however was the nearly four score of ponies that had their cutie marks,were alive, were awake, and were seemingly made of crystal. Seeing the two of them some moved up to demand answers from the two who seemed to know what was going on.
“Crystal ponies.............” mutters a voice. Despite it's softness every pony in the room and one griffon immediately turned to the source of the voice, going silent themselves like scolded foals. All of the Crystal ponies had heard the voice moments before they woke calling them back.
A dull figure of muted browns and red sat in the center of the room. Her crystalline form almost a dull gray like stone. The figure wasn't moving, her limbs fused together in one mass from the expenditure of power, rock seeming to have grown around her nearly sealing her in a dull crystalline lump.
Starswirl and Storm front rushed over to her, though the half petrified mare only seemed to be able to move her mouth and one eye and she seemed to be struggling to do that.
“Ginger... what did you do?” Starswirl mutters.
“I don't know, but I couldn't let them die........” she glanced over at a small cluster of fillies and colts on one side of the room. Unlike the adults they hadn't separated themselves into tribes and were simply huddled around each other staring at her. “ Did I save them all?”
“Not all, but far more than we would have managed.” Storm Front adds, frowning at the faint trickle of electrical energy still running through the stone mare.
A soft buzzing filled the air as a dozen or so tiny crystal dragon flies, including Greenwich fly in from behind the gods. Several of the new crystal ponies ducked or yelled about the creatures, though the tiny bugs all fluttered about without incident, landing on the frozen mare, wings fluttering lightly as most of them rest against her and slowly turn to stone as well starting their first growth cycle.
Ginger's eye turns up as Greenwich lands on her muzzle buzzing faintly.
“Going to stay with me while I rest huh? Alright, but you better wake up, some one needs to watch over Crystal and Sunray for me.”
Greenwich buzzes lightly nodding his head some, starting to solidify himself.
Gingers eye turns to the newly created crystal ponies all of them staring at her in shock and awe as light from the hall behind her shines through the dragonflies covering her sending a dancing rainbow of light through the room that only seemed magnified by the crystal forms of the ponies gathered around her..
“You're all ponies. Horns, wings, or nothing, none of that matters, you're just ponies.” Ginger's eyes closes, the stone forming over it. “Be good.”
The last words were barely a whisper before the pony that had saved them turned fully to stone. The rough rock still holding a pony shape, covered in frozen crystalline dragonflies.
=========================================================
Deep in the heart of what would eventually be called Equestria, a monster paused in his actions.
The herd of buffalo he had been ripping apart took the brief pause in his pursuit and eradication of their tribe as a chance to flee.
The monster barely paid attention to the stampeding herd running off to where ever they were going, something greater was happening. A great wave of energy was coming from the north.
The realization hit him a moment later. The red and black furred monster ground his teeth together with a snarl, his hands clenching, pulping the limb of a buffalo corpse he had been playing with.
He flung the corpse aside lifting his hands into the air with a great bellow of anguish and rage. His brother, Scorpan, was dead. He needed no visual proof of this, he could feel it. He knew who had done it as well. He had told Scorpan to meet him there when he was done playing with the pegasi. There were rumors and memories of the ponies he had claimed that hinted of pony gods in that area. Ponies that represented all three tribes in one body. These gods surely were the ones who killed Scorpan, nothing else could have touched his brother.
Of course he had eventually planned to kill Scorpan himself, family or not and take what power Scorpan had gained into himself, but now that was denied him. Revenge would be his, though the trek north was long. Thankfully there were a number of pony settlements that he could feast on along the way.
“You should have simply given up ponies.” Tirek sneers. “Now I will make you suffer for this.”
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Well buck.
Very interesting, very interesting. I had been holding off on reading this because for some time each chapter had been tearing my heart to shreds as great characters met horrigying if glorious deaths. I had to take quite some time to build up the courage to take it again. Now I am glad I did because it let me knock out so much wonderful story telling at once. I look forward to seeing where we go from here.
Wai..whu...?
Two days later, and Starswirl's STILL ALIVE!?!
What the bucking bronc happened to that curse?
It used to be infallible!
We were hoping that somepony could trick Tirek into saying that he was clever!!
oh, we're so screwed!
6422008 do keep in mind usually some one calls her that and bad things happen. A good bit of bad happened this time too.
6421723
6423269 I was. I'm working with someone on my stories involving his characters, and so I'm familiar with the concept of "luck magnets" for both bad and good luck. It was Kaisur where you started that meme to whom bad things happened whenever he said it of himself or someone said about him. But it's Starswirl now saying it of himself.
Or is it just something that only happens to "specifically unlucky individuals"? If that's so, then our plan to trick Tirek to say of himself of being such a clever pony just falls apart
ohwellbacktothedrawingboard
6424560 It's more like Star Wars 'I have a bad feeling about this' or a pony specific ' what could possibly go wrong' Kaisur and his friends however noticed that it happend and react accordingly.
6417843
They were already fucked. Besides, he wasn't being sarcastic or insulting, which is how the statement is usually used. Starswirl was merely making a statement of fact.
The single biggest thing was that he called himself 'a clever pony sometimes.' The only one to ever suffer because they thought themselves clever was Terl, but that was because he was a clever idiot rather than a clever wizard.
Is Star Metal an alloy, or is it space-borne iron? The reason I ask is because the metals found on earth- and I assume Equus, as it has gold like we do -can also be found in meteorites.
If it is an alloy, that helps to explain why it's brittle unless dragon flame is used. Certain alloys that have a magical base to them need a super-hot magical flame for tempering, both to bind the metal and to burn away impurities.
Then again, you could have it as a separate metal that only exists in this 'verse; that works too. Things like orichalcum, mithril, and adamantium are that way, only existing in sci-fi/fantasy universes.
8763366
More like its a metal that hasnt been saturated by magic like all other metals on equs so its a blank slate that you need ridiculous amounts of chalk to mark once. Its little more than metioric iron otherwise.