Shout [38]
Stories in Stone
Lost Empire
By TDR
Shout
[ White Tail Woods. 1700 hours ]
This was a very bad situation.
To say the mare before him was pissed would be the understatement of the millennium. The stump of his left arm was proof of that, and he had very, very narrowly been avoiding the same treatment to his other arm and legs.
Any clone that got close to the mare was dead the moment it stepped into her range, any spell sent her way was knocked aside or completely ignored as it struck her and didn't do a damn thing. Transformation spells, attack spells, illusions, evocation, NOTHING was working. It was the classic reason why magic users didn't rule the world it took time to cast big spells and a skilled enough Earth pony or pegasus could have them killed four times before the spell even went off, Pegasi could dodge a number fast cast spells and earth ponies could shrug off some as well, Luna was well past that.
The Changelings swarming his clones didn't help matters While the clones were holding their own against them, they were not allowed to gather together enough to cast anything big enough to hurt the rampaging alicorn.
The mare was sporting the power of the sun, the moon, both pony gods, the memories and powers of a Changeling Queen, the massive battery of energy that was the Crystal Heart and was wielding two of the most dangerous artifact weapons known to Equss. Then add to the fact she had a army of reinvigorated Changelings, Half Dragons, Griffons, Elk, Timber Wolves, and a Griffon warship backing her up.
Tirek had perhaps a hundred smarter clones left, who were practically useless at this point. The Trolls were done, after that musical number there were maybe ten of the buckers left that hadn't run for the hills and that was only because they were currently getting ripped apart by Timber Wolves and couldn't run.
The other airship had not even finished raining parts down from the sky yet and he was on his last legs..... or would be if this damned mare had her way.
He had his shields, which she still had difficulty cutting through and a few more tricks up his sleeves.
Well sleeve any way he doubtless was ever going to wear a shirt that needed both arms again.....
He shoved the annoying jokers memory out of his mind, he had no idea why he thought a stand up comedian had been a good idea to devour.
Still. What worried him the most was not the mad Goddess of the sky before him, but the feeling that he needed to be in the crater, because what was happening there was worse than what was happening here.
He had no idea how that was possible.
He winced as several clones were cut down after teleporting in above the mare and trying to drop a several ton rock atop of her.
The rock was now sand and the clones didn't even have time to turn into liquid before they became mist. He couldn't even see the blades she was wielding and had to rely on the instincts he stole to toss up shields and dodge before losing something else.
All he needed was a moment though. He had spells and powers to deal with this.
He just needed a moment....
A scream of tortured metal and wood signaled that he wouldn't be getting that moment.
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The woods behind Princess Luna exploded in a roar of fire and carnage as a massive shape shoved itself along the ground through the trees with the scream of steam engines. The massive steel and wood beast rips out of the tree line and onto the field, flames roaring from behind it, battle scars covering its sides.
The Storm Cloud was not sunk yet.
A white mare stood on the end of a broken bowsprit, the severed head of a black dragon still attached to the underside of it like a macabre figure head. She was splattered with dirt and soot and blood, though her face had a look on it like she was a hundred and fifty percent done with this shit.
Sparking boxes and speakers surrounded her as a brown earth pony behind her fought with controls. A group of changelings huddled behind him holding onto anything as the crash landed ship plowed up earth and trees making a roaring beeline towards Tirek.
“Button, crank it to Eleven.” Sweetiebelle states her horn glowing brightly.
“Eleven?” Button grins pushing up the pair of shades that had slid down his muzzle.” Mare please, this goes to Thirteen!”
The earth pony slams a hoof down on a glass covered red button, shattering the bubble and mashing the button. The device shudders and more speakers pop out of the speakers that were already popping out of the speakers, the whole front of the ship looking like a wall of sound with a battered steel prow flinging dirt , trees and whatever else was in front of it away. A single dial on the device spins on it's own, the meter showing a bright red thirteen on the dial that had not been present before. Runic lines on the speakers started to glow as the whole machine lights up in neon blues and black lights like it was ready for a rave.
Luna took a glance back at the thing and promptly vanished in a sudden pop of teleportation along with all the rest of her forces in the fight with Tirek. Tirek took note that all her Changelings had suddenly morphed away their own ears.
“This is for my sister....” Sweetiebelle snarls, her horn glowing even brighter that the sound system as the speakers begin to whine from the feed back.
”....RARITY!”
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Everything stopped, the wave of noise coming from the front of the speakers could be seen leaving the front of the ship in rippling waves that expanded outwards seeming to take up all of the sky and the earth at that call.
It was then that one would notice something seemed off. Nothing was moving any where and it had been not moving than far longer than it should.
Luna was behind the ship with a number of Changelings who had teleported with her, Tirek was still frozen with several shields up. His remaining hand pushed forward to release a massive spell towards the front of the ship. One that had just left his palm and was frozen in place in the air. Arrows were stuck in the air, blood and water splatters had ceased raining down, and everything was simply like a odd game, paused.
It was then one might hear the trickle of water, or some liquid and if one looked one could easily see the source.
The sun and moon were melting, running down from the sky at an odd angle as if some one was attempting art with melted crayons. The sky itself darkened in a deep blue followed suit as soon did the trees, the bushes and the creatures across Equss. All of them pooling and trickling and melting together in a jumble of sludge that in itself started to melt and fall into nothing.
There was no color, no blackness it was a void of anything was all that remained, but for a moment one could make out this odd whooshing sound, like a key being scraped over a piano wire.
==========================================================
The woods behind Princess Luna exploded in a roar of fire and carnage as a massive shape shoved itself along the ground through the trees with the scream of steam engines. The massive steel and wood beast rips out of the tree line and onto the field, flames roaring from behind it, battle scars covering its sides.
The Storm Cloud was not sunk yet.
A white mare stood on the end of a broken bowsprit, the severed head of a black dragon still attached to the underside of it like a macabre figure head. She was splattered with dirt and soot and blood, though her face had a look on it like she was a hundred and fifty percent done with this shit.
Sparking boxes and speakers surrounded her as a brown earth pony behind her fought with controls. A group of changelings huddled behind him holding onto anything as the crash landed ship plowed up earth and trees making a roaring beeline towards Tirek.
“Button, crank it to Eleven.” Sweetiebelle states her horn glowing brightly.
“Eleven?” Button grins pushing up the pair of shades that had slid down his muzzle.” Mare please, this goes to Thirteen!”
“Twelve!!”
A sudden buzzing to his left stopped him from hitting the button as he looks over to see a brown earth pony with a hourglass cutiemark holding some weird green glowing rave stick to the side of the sound system. The system sparked in a few places but otherwise seemed undamaged.
“But....”
“Nope, it does not go to thirteen it never went to thirteen and if you know whats good for everything every where, it will never go to thirteen, try twelve a much better number and one less likely to destroy reality, nice round number too easily divided. I rather like twelve, ten is better than that of course, but that's not the issue here. Come to think of it four was pretty fun too.” The pony looks down at the stick talking a mile a minute before nodding slightly and tucking the buzzing thing away in his mane.
“Who are you?” Button stammers.
“I'm the doctor, but that's not important now, what is important is that you never go to thirteen again, twelve is plenty loud enough and even fourteen would be doable, but never thirteen, There's a reason it's skipped in most buildings, don't ask. Suffice to say I do not ever want to have to go through that nonsense again. It took forever to get all the goo off my hooves.”
“BUTTON?” Sweetiebelle yells.
“What right....” Button looks back across the crashing deck to see a gray furred and blond maned pegasus say a few things to the Changelings, whose ears all morph away before she and the brown pony both get into a odd blue box.
The earth pony slams a hoof down on a glass covered red button, shattering the bubble and mashing the button. The device shudders and more speakers pop out of the speakers that were already popping out of the speakers, the whole front of the ship looking like a wall of sound with a battered steel prow flinging dirt , trees and whatever else was in front of it away. A single dial on the device spins on it's own, the meter showing a bright red twelve on the dial that had not been present before. Runic lines on the speakers started to glow as the whole machine lights up in neon blues and black lights like it was ready for a rave.
Luna took a glance back at the thing and promptly vanished in a sudden pop of teleportation along with all the rest of her forces in the fight with Tirek. Tirek took note that all her Changelings had suddenly morphed away their own ears.
“This is for my sister....” Sweetiebelle snarls, her horn glowing even brighter that the sound system as the speakers begin to whine from the feed back.
”....RARITY!”
===============
[Another continent in the cold north east of Equss]
A thunderous roar shook the air. A number of Griffons and ponies looked up, fluffy wool hats on their heads and thick coats protecting them from the biting cold. Towering red brick structures vibrated lightly as a few windows cracked from the sound.
The citizens of Stallionigrad looked up in the air as the voice of the cry faded with a few echos around the city and scores of birds too to the air in panic. It sounded like a name, and it was heard very clearly by everyone.
[“What is a 'Rarity?'] a griffon asks a shrugging pony next to him.
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[ Far East of Equss ]
The glitzy lights flickered in the darkness and tall multi layered buildings swayed from the cry. Diamond dogs and ponies blinked with slightly slanted eyes as they looked up into the sky at the sudden cry that nearly drown out everything else even in a place like Trotkyo that was very active this time of night.
The local's gathered around looking up at the semi dark sky wondering exactly what or who Rarity was.
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[ The far, far north of Equss]
The biting cold of the north was barely felt by the massive Caribou perched atop of the snowy hill. The cry had started a number of avalanches and caused all work in his shop to come to a screeching halt. Sourpuss was nearby trying to explain to Rudy how he had no part in the noise, though Santa Hooves wasn't listening to the pair of them bicker, his eyes were turned towards the south and the Summer lands, worry etched on his face. It was not his time of year, so his powers were useless, but he knew what was happening and wished he could do something....... perhaps he could though it wouldn't be until Hearths Warming that any one would know. He turned back towards the arguing pair, planning to start a few things.
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[ The far far South of Equss ]
Kiongozi looked out from his balcony over the plains stretching for leagues. The current leader of the Zebra lands had been keeping an eye on the strange eclipse since it had first formed. There was much going on in the world that had him worried. A number of Zebra settlements had been attacked and many of his kind had been left as unconscious husks, their marks gone from them. There were a number of reports from other nations as well, at least there were before many of them went dark.
If not for the Eclipse he would think that Equestria itself was gone with the odd motions of the sun and moon, and that no one could get up with any of the Embassies in Equestria, nor with the Griffons, Minotaur, Harpies, or Diamond Dogs. For a time he though perhaps that the Zebra Lands were the last nation on Equss, save perhaps for some far off colonies on other continents.
Then the ponies had sent word from the Crystal Empire and all the information they had on a monster named Tirek that was attacking. He knew of destruction of Gallpagos, but beyond that, he had heard nothing, and had only been able to watch the strange movements of the sky for the last week. He had an army ready just in case and a number of the rare magic using Zebra's, ready to face what ever was causing the issues else where. The last contact he had was a short missive from the Crystal Empire that stated Canterlot had fallen, though nothing beyond that.
Until now.
“RARITY!!”
The cry echoed shaking the foundation of his palace like a roar of thunder, the name echoing across the plains sounding as if the one speaking the name had been right next to him and yelled it into his ear. He flattened his ears waiting for something else to happen, though the reverb of the cry was all that came.
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[ The Moon]
Avianna flinched her attention unfocused and chaotic. Trapped under leagues of glass on the surface of a rock in space she was currently being heated up again by the nearness of the sun. The bubbling glass around her was unbelievable agony though she was not able to die from it trapped in the form of this book.
Still one thing was different unless she had hallucinated it through the pain.
She had heard a voice call for Rarity, before there was nothing but the bubbling of the glass around her again.
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[Far far south west, North West, North east, South east and everywhere else in Equss]
Across Equss, all manner of races looked to the sky as the shout echoed though the sky.
In some primitive areas the sound and the name became worshiped as a deity.
Still in others it was considered a dire warning.
Though in most it was a simple curiosity.
While Tirek had ravenged several continents, Equss was a much bigger place than even he had known and many lands did not even know anything was going on until the cry was heard.
Of course none of that mattered to those in White Tail Woods.
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[White Tail Woods. ]
The air around the front of the ship shimmered and shook as the mare screamed out her sister's name. The effect was not unlike a stone being thrown into a calm pool of water, time itself seemed to warp around the front of the ship as the craft was stopped dead, the hull shuddering as the steel front prow warped and twisted with the sound.
The deck where the musicians stood remained unmoveing though the force of the cry was enough to rip the engines from the moorings as it stopped the ship dead in place. The back end of the craft peeled like a banana, the sides of the ship ripping free as the engines kept pushing forward, and pulled the frame of the ship apart before breaking free. The four steam engines sputtered and died as the back half of the ship erupted into steam and smoke, the brass turbines sailing through the air under their own power for a ways before impacting the ground sending up tons of steel, wood, and earth shrapnel that was carried along by the sound wave along with six or seven pony heights of topsoil and trees in a widening cone before the ship.
Tirek's spell impacted this wall of force and was blown back at him by the force generated, the shields he raised disintegrated before him, and his clones turned to mist before the wave even touched them.
Tirek was not so lucky.
The monster took the full force of the sonic blast and was flung back along with multiple tons of debris. Tirek was blown back as he was launched out into the air, sailing above the crater.
A large portion of the crater's edge collapses as the body of Tirek soars away from the wrecked ship as a bloodied and angry white mare watched him be flung away. A small smirk crossed her features as her magic dies out. She lifts the mic up before her eyes before letting it drop before her as the speakers to either side of her spark and explode as the system finally collapses in on itself in a sparking haze of fire and electricity.
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[Crystal Empire]
“What the buck was that!?!” Shining Armor shouts looking out at the cracks forming along the side of the Crystal Palace. A number of the buildings out side had collapsed as the sonic blast cracked them too much and forced them to collapse on themselves. On the plus side the city was all but empty at this point.
“Luna answer me dammit!” Shining yells at one of the Changelings who was just now recovering from Spitfire's nearly choking him for information about her daughter. The mare in question was off to the side being held back by Soarin from doing it again.
Starfall, Rainbow Dash, Shining Armor, Peach Blossom, Hospice Moskau, Brier Rose and a host of Guards stood around looking at the Changeling.
“Our Queen has indicated that the CMC should be elevated from a rank three Potential Disaster to a rank one Potential Disaster.” the Changeling stammered.
“That was the Cutie Mark Crusaders!?!?” Shining Armor stammers.
“And yet some how, I am not surprised by this revelation at all. “ Rainbow Dash nods sagely.
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[ Outskirts of White Tail Woods ]
Troph clung onto the back of Bleu as the dragoness spun in the air, nearly being knocked out of it by the sonic burst. A number of the Linorm were knocked out of the air however, though they all recovered or were caught before they hit the ground.
>” Well I suppose we found them.”< Troph states.
“What?” Glacier yells.
“Nah we caught them before they hit the ground then.” Bleu calls back.
“What?” Glacier asks again.
>” I am not doing this' I can't hear you properly' bit with you whelp....”< Troph states grumbling.
“Spoil sport “ Bleu laughs. “ Seems my top student is still alive at least.”
“What?” Glacier asks again trying to rub the hearing back into his ears.
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[White Tail Woods Yggdrasil crater 1645 hours]
Applebloom looked up with a wince as she watched the pillar of earth envelop Scootaloo. She wasn't sure what was happening until she saw a dot launch out of the side of the massive plume of earth and fall towards the waterfall.
She hoped it was Scootaloo, but she had her own issues to worry about now.
Like what the buck was she supposed to do?
The old stump was massive and covered with lines of age and multitude of cracks and fissures along the surface that spiraled out from the center like a overgrown and maddening maze. It hadn't taken her long to find the center of the maze, the core of the tree. The sun and rain weathered stump was a daunting thing given she had no clue how to make it live . She took off a few of her bandages rubbing the dried blood over the stump, though the only effect was there was now a red smear of her blood on the old wood.
Well that wasn't it. Wait the seed!
She took the necklace off and tried to open the glass bead without crushing what was in it. The little glass bead slipped from her grip a number of times and she was forced to chase it across the surface of the wood as it bounced away.
After fumbling with it for a while she tried lightly striking it against the wood, crushing it between her hooves and the seed just rattled away safe under the glass.
After taking a moment to to look for a rock that wasn't there the earth pony mare started bashing the glass bead against the wood while screaming at it and flailing to no effect at all. Well not true, she managed to get the necklace part free though right now the bead was simply sitting in a small crack in the wood, smugly unscuffed by her efforts.
She had once again been looking for a rock, or a boulder to hit the stupid bead with when a scream of 'Rarity' nearly deafened her and caused the little bead to shatter into dust leaving the tiny seed free of it's prison.
Looking up the mare dove over the seed to protect it as a massive wall of dirt and rock showered down over her leaving a sheet of soil and uprooted plants scattered over the top of the stump.
A massive crash coupled with a great deal of swearing could be heard even as her ears continue to ring with the name of one of her best friends sister.
She exhaled softly in relief, as she looked the seed over and saw it was still in one piece. What the buck was all that?
The brief question and sigh of relief didn't last long as she saw the flashes of teleportation in the distance along with a airship and a group of Dragons and Changelings headed her way. She briefly thought they beat Tirek until a curse made her look behind her as a massive form pushed its was free of the now powdered remains of the giant tree trunk.
Black icor dripped from the figures ears and eyes, one of the orbs evidently having popped in his head and was dribbling out of his eye socket as another formed behind it. He was missing a hand and both his horns were shattered. Despite the wounds the red and black monster still shoved itself up from the rubble of the tree striding towards the middle and towards Applebloom.
“You....” Tirek growled as he looked down at her.
Applebloom screamed out, darting away clutching the seed with one hoof before smacking into a green panel of a shield and crashing back to the ground.
The mare whimpers rubbing her nose before looking around frantically for the seed she had dropped only to see Tirek standing over it looking down at the tiny thing as it rested on a clear patch of the tree stump between his hooves.
“This is it?” Tirek grumbles looking down at the seed and then to the mare. “This is the great endgame? A dried up old seed and a farm filly? What was that damn zebra's power going on about that I had to be here and worried about this crap. Why is it still going on that I need to be here?”
Tirek lifts a massive hoof with a snort of disgust. “What a waste of time.” He mutters bringing his hoof down rapidly on the seed.
“NO!!” Applebloom shouts leaping forward throwing her foreleg out, and knocking the seed away as Tirek's hoof came down.
The pale yellow and red maned mare screams as the monsters hoof crushes her out stretched left fore leg, turning the limb to paste and dust between the massive black hoof and the unyielding tree stump under him.
Tirek looked down in surprise at the screaming mare, the blank flank curled up on herself, the remains of her leg pulling free of her shoulder with a sickening rip as he lifts his hoof. Blood from the wound gushed out, running into and along the cracks of the tree. He sets his hoof down noting the remains of her leg still stuck to the bottom of it.
“Disappointing.”
“Applebloom!” Luna shouts.
Tirek whips his head back as Luna appears on the edge of the stump looking at the massive monster and the injured filly under him.
“This was it? Your great plan to capture me again? Honestly this is pathetic. You've shown you can easily kill me, but you hesitate. You know killing me would kill all your little friends and your lover. So go on Princess. Do it. Strike me down, I will still win and you will suffer forever for your action. No matter what happens here you have lost. You have no hope of seeing any one you care for ever again!” Tirek growls, his hand glowing a little as he charged a spell while the alicorn was distracted.
Applebloom whimpers her head lifting a little watching her blood flow and run down the maze of fissures and cracks in the tree, the red trail reaching a bit of dirt and soaking into it. The liquid making the soil shift and fall into the pooling blood, bringing a small seed down into the puddle with it.
“No.” Applebloom states loud enough for Tirek and Luna to both notice and look down at her.
“There's always hope.” Applebloom states as a small green shoot grows up from the puddle of blood. Several more follow the small plants popping up along the entire path the blood had followed and start climbing up and wrapping around Tirek's limb that was covered with the splatter of Applebloom's blood.
“What is... No! NO, NOT AGAIN!!” Tirek bellows unleashing the spell down at his hooves, the blast blowing off his own leg as he staggers back, the limbs and rapidly growing plants following, darting up his own blood and other legs, growing rapidly and getting wider. Bark and branches budding and growing out of his fur and then tearing through his skin. The monster roars yanking free the branches with his good hand tearing away parts of his own flesh as he tries to remove the growth clinging to him and taking root in his body with greater and greater speed.
Applebloom lays her head down against the stump, her body pale as she panted softly feeling lightheaded from the loss of blood. She could feel the plants growing over her, but as she listened to the monster's screams she was okay with it, it felt nice actually.
Tirek screamed and thrashed stumbling back until his legs became rooted to the ground, brown and green bark forming on his flesh, twining vines springing up around him, binding his limbs and climbing up his body turning the thick creature into a massive tree trunk.
Roots burst from the bottom of the thick wood as the trunk swells, the writhing wood anchors clinging and grabbing to the surface of the stump forcing Luna to take to the air. The alicorn froze quickly searching for Applebloom though the swarm of plant life and the rapid growth of the tree forced her back without spotting the young mare. The vines and plants all joined together getting swallowed by the rapidly growing tree as the trunk climbed high into the air.
As the whipping and writhing plants finally became still , the left behind them a massive tree. While it was only half the size of the original Yggdrasil it's upper branches still scraped the clouds and it's roots covered and grew over the massive stump of the first tree.
The creak of the branches and the dull roar of the Demon of Dullahan MKII's engines in the distance hovering over the wreckage of the Storm Cloud were the only sounds Luna could hear for some time.
A loud thud was heard behind her along with a number of smaller ones. Luna looked back as a large blue dragon and a series of smaller creatures land behind her a half dragon leaping off the large blue dragons back and running up to her.
>” What's going on? What is this?”< Troph demands looking up at the tree.
“This is Tirek...... and Applebloom......” Luna mutters hearing more noise as the engines of the Griffon war ship die down as it lands. Luna's ears perk up a bit as she looks back at the water fall and then frowned. “What do you mean he's covered in first degree burns? He wasn't hit by any fire...... Scootaloo is awake what does that have to do...... oh...... ooh. I will need to have words with him and especially her now, bring them up.”
“Scootaloo... and Pip? OOH what happened there?” Bleu asks leaning in closer to Luna.
“It is a long story that I will tell you as soon as I figure out what is going on here with this.” Luna grumbles, gesturing to the tree.” There is nothing in any memories of the last time this happened that would explain the delay of why nothing is happening and why Applebloom is gone. Troph do you feel anything?”
>” In regards to what? I am ecstatic knowing Grace is still alive, and not so much knowing that she isn't.”<
“What.....? Never mind, I mean about Jer'rahd. The Changelings back at the empire are telling me there is no change in those who are in comas..... He's trapped again shouldn't they be waking up?” Luna mutters pacing before the roots of the great tree.
The sound of movement behind her signals the arrival of a number of her Changelings as well as a collection of Elk and Timber Wolves, the forces eyeing each other warily, though all of them were watching the dragon and the Linorm with caution. Something that Glacier seemed quite amused by.
“Did we win? Where's Applebloom?” A rather horse sounding voice asks. An annoyed looking griffon dropped the white unicorn mare to the ground jarring her a little in the landing though she doesn't take much notice of it as she rushes forward. A moment or two later the question is repeated by a slightly singed earth pony and a orange pegasus, neither of them were looking any one in the eye as the Changelings dropped them off.
“I believe this is her.” Luna points a wing up at the tree, but something is wrong I'm discussing this with the Sparkles and those left in the Crystal Empire now, but we are unsure what is going on.” Luna states.
“Applebloom turned into a tree?” Scootaloo gasps.
“How the heck did that even happen?” Pip grumbles. “ The rose bush didn't try to eat her it just wouldn't let her go cause she was tangled in it....”
“Figure's she would turn into an apple tree.” Sweetiebelle coughs.
“An apple tree?” Bleu asks looking up her eyes widening.
Luna and the others follow suit looking up again and watching as the branches in the air suddenly start growing countless apples of varying sizes and colors. One massive rainbow colored one swells to the size of a wagon before a faint pop frees it and it falls from the tree bouncing along the roots to land in the middle of them rocking slightly before it fell still.
“A zap apple?” Pip questions looking around at the others, noticing that the Timber Wolves had sunk down and dipped their heads. “ Are they … bowing?”
A loud wet snap stopped that question from being answered as the sharp tang of apple juice filled the air, the massive zap apple split open and a figure pushed it's way out of the core of the apple .
A long green limb that seemed to be made of vines and branches and studded with leaves and flowers and ending in cloven hooves stretched out touching on the root of the tree as another limb ending in a hoof and colored pale yellow pushes out the other side splitting the apple fully in half.
A tall pale yellow pony like creature steps out of the mess, long red mane and tail studded with flowers and dripping with apple juice rises from the crumbling remains of the apple. The tall and thin creature was almost as tall as Luna and looked like it was a odd cross between a Pony and an Elk. It lifts it's green limb up pushing the strands of wet red hair from over it's brilliant green eyes, looking out at the gathered crowd. A number of the Elk also drop into a bow like the Timber Wolves though most seem as shocked by the emergence as the others gathered.
The female whips her head, sending juice and seeds flying, the spots the liquid strikes blossoming into patches of green and small flowers where they hit the old stump. She regards the gathered group curiously glancing back behind her as if wondering what they were looking at.
“What tha hay are you all looking at?” Applebloom asks.
“Your leg.” Pip answers.
“That you are freaking even taller than me now.” Scootaloo adds.
“The tree that was made.” Luna explains.
>”I don't even know any more, this nature shit is Grace's expertise not mine.”< Troph growls.
“That apple you came out of and is it eatable?” Bleu grumbles.” I'm freaking starving here.”
“Your cutiemark!!” Sweetiebelle states hoarsely excitedly hopping up and down.
Applebloom blinks turning her head back and fighting with her much longer mane to look at her flank, her more lithe form making that easy though she still spins around in circles looking at the mark before turning to look at the mark on the other side with another few excited spins.
There on her flank was a tree. It's roots and branches twining within one another in a circular shape that seemed like a maze to her as she couldn't follow where the roots and branches of her own cutiemark went. She stared at it her grin widening.
“And yet another successful cutiemark gained by the CMC!” Sweetiebelle squeaks.
“You better rest your voice there kid. You still have a show to do and you sound a little horse.” Bleu comments snickering to her self at the pun though no one else seemed to get it.
“I don't understand, while I am glad you are alive. What of every one else? There' has been no change in any one who Tirek claimed.” Luna asks her ears flattening to her head. “ Did... was this all for nothing?”
Applebloom's smile fades as she looks down at Luna shaking her head before a even bigger grin crosses her face and she looks up at the apple's filling the gargantuan tree. She steps away from the apple she came out of, the fruit already starting to dry up and crumble, though it left behind a number of seeds.
Every step the mare took across the dead stump echoed softly, every time her green limb touched down a new spot of growth appeared. Moss grass small flowers all sprang up from her hoof print as she moved to a spot between two large roots reaching up to touch a spot on the tree's trunk.
“Nah, it just took me a few moments tah listen to everything and git mai head on straight. There's a lot going on right now... tha whole land round here is just waiting, it told me what needs tah be done and how everything's gonna work from now on. Ah got a lot to do.” Applebloom states.
“What are you talking about Bloom?” Scootaloo asks.
“Tha whole reason ah'm here, tha nightmares, the thing with mai blood, tha Timber Wolves. Ah was supposed to come out here and do this. Mai tapping in tah tha earth opened up tha door for tha Spirits tah try tah talk to me, but it was just a lil crack. Nothing could really get through and what did wasn't what they were trying tah say.”
“Not sure I follow.” Luna grumbles.”
“.... Ehh heck with it, it's complicated and stupid fer tha most part.” Applebloom admits. “ Ah'll explain it later when ya'll arn't ready tah freak out over Tirek's victims.”
Applebloom sighs turning her back to the tree and looking up at the Apples hanging from it again.
“Let's fix that last part at least.” Applebloom smiles rearing back and smashing one of her back hooves into the trunk of the tree.
The massive tree groans from the impact of the buck, the top most branches shaking wildly from the force of the blow. Before the shaking had even stopped, apples began to fall around them like rain.
The small fruits strike the ground and splatter, though instead of leaving juice and seeds they pop like a balloon filled with confetti, sending glowing motes of light fluttering into the air. Most of them burst open and small orbs of light, like shooting stars, rise from them circling the tree before zipping off into the air, creating a massive trail of light that fills the darkened sky. Some of them simply fell to the ground and burst open, with nothing but foul pulp emerging. Applebloom winces at these , though another kick drops thousands more apples from the tree with the same effects.
Soon the darkened sky is awash with streaks of light flying out in all directions soaring into the air like glowing rainbows.
The gathered crowd watches in awe, Luna's ears twitch as she blinked a wide smile crossing her face.
“They are waking up. The comatose ponies are waking up.” Luna announced, getting messages from the Empire from the Changelings left there.
There were a number of shouts of joy in response to this information and quite a number of cheers from the half dragons and Griffons, gathered.
Luna turns her head back to Jer'rahd, who still simply stood there, six eyes glowing as he started up at the tree.
“Troph?”
>”Hmm?”< the first dragon asks looking to Luna.
“Applebloom.......” Luna pleads .
“Don't worry, he's here.... but he was one of tha first so he's got a bit of time before we get to him....” She points up at an apple on the tree, the massive thing a brighter red than any of the other apples though with a third kick this one too fall to the ground shattering open on a root and letting a mote of light into the air.
Unlike the others this bit of light didn't circle the tree or even hover long before it launched itself at Troph, striking the mutated ponies chest and sinking into it.
>”Well, that felt weird.”< Troph mutters.
The first dragon looks down at the spot where the light struck a moment before snapping his head up, all six of his eyes wide and a look of fear plastered on his features.
>”EVERYONE GET BACK!”< the first dragon bellows as smoke and shadows whip around him like a tornado, hiding him from view though the glow of his six red eyes got even brighter as shadows and darkness whirl around the form, gathering it's mass rapidly. Six fairly dim points of red light could be seen in the whirling mass before they all wink out. A moment later five blindingly red points of light form and one bright green one.
The thing that had come out of the smoke should not have been able to hide inside the shadow. It was easily twenty stories tall and it's head was lifted up to easily past the half way point of the gargantuan apple tree. At first it seemed like a massive dragon, but as the shadows and smoke cleared the idea that it was a dragon was quickly dispelled. It was longer than the largest Tank any one had seen from the tip of its wide muzzle to the barbs on the end of its massive spined tail. Like a Tank, a large leathery carapace covered its back, though not like a shell, just much thicker skin, with jagged spikes protruding from it at random intervals. Its legs were very much like those of a dragons though thicker, more muscular, and tipped with wicked claws that were as long as the Linorm that had scattered from around it. The massive claws sunk into the old tree's trunk like it was soft mud, damaging it in a way that even Tirek had not even been able to do. More spiked barbs ran along its joints, throat and underside. A large pair horns rose from the top of its head, curving sharply forward and resting just over the creatures eyes. It dipped it's head low after the first stretch upward and seemed to hunker down, it's nose almost touching the ground, the reptilian nostrils flared and kicked up dust with every breath that blew over the dirt covered stump. The creatures skin seemed to writhe and twist like it was composed of shadows that barely stayed together to hold a solid form. The colors of it shifted between a midnight blue, dark gray, a deep shade of purple and black. It all seemed to blend together and slowly shift along the creatures skin so that no part of it seemed to stay the same coloration long.
The creature lifted its head to roar. The sound echoing across the crater. The cry sounded like a siren mixed in with whistle of a train and the death wails of a score of accident victims merged with the howling of a timber wolf accompanied by baying hounds on a trail.
“The Beast.” Luna mutters a shudder of fear running through her as scores of her Changelings fled at the sight of the creature. The CMC and Pip rushed out of the way as even the Linorm took off in fear leaving only Luna, Bleu, Pip, and Applebloom out in the open.
============================================================
[ Crystal Empire, medical section, Slate's Armory]
Twilight Sparkle woke up screaming and thrashing in the bed. She had barely managed to finish the first cry when a large white earth pony was at her side cradling her and humming calming tones trying to get her to stop her struggles.
Twilight's scream died as she started sobbing into Celestia's chest, a large gathering of ponies and Changelings rushed about at the scream, including her parents, Cadence, Pinkie Pie, and Discord.
“What's going on why did she scream? Why is everyone like this?” Cadence asks looking around at the others who woke up, some were simply lying there, others weeping openly, only a scant few seemed to be simply confused at what was going on, the rest seemed traumatized.
“Because we all saw everything that Tirek did. All his emotions and feelings we all recall that too. We were used and we couldn't do anything but watch.” Celestia adds cradling the still weeping Twilight. “ I was there when he destroyed Cloudsdale and countless others lives..... Twilight had to watch as one of her best friends was killed using her own powers.”
“Uh oh....” Pinkie winces.
“Yeah. Uh oh.... Kaisur was in there too.....” Discord mutters.
=================================================
[ Whitetail Woods.]
“Luna would you mind doing something? Talk him down cause he's.... he's actually scaring me.....” Bleu stammers.
“I..... I can't..... the rage.... there's so much all at the tree... Tirek...?........ oh by the stars..... he saw it all.” Luna gasps at the new information from the Empire. The creature roars again rearing up and slamming it's foreleg into the side of the apple tree, claws sinking in all the way to the Beast's knuckle. A flood of black blood gushed from the tree like a burst of sap and ran down the creatures arm and the tree trunk.
A loud scream drew Luna's attention to Applebloom as the mare doubled over, a deep claw mark appearing on her side as the monster struck the tree. Pip rushed over to her yanking free the medical kit in his saddlebag in a flash, though that wasn't going to help much if the Beast continued.
Luna's eyes widen as she looks to the tree then Applebloom. “ Buck, they are connected.” Luna shouts before popping out of existence and landing hard on the beasts muzzle staring it in the eyes, her form shifted quickly to that of Nightmare moon as she glares at The Beast her mane whipping wildly.
“YOU! WILL! STOP!” Luna bellows in the things face. The creature simply glared at her a moment before ignoring her, it's claws dragging down the tree flooding the side of it with more black goo as the tree itself groaned.
Applebloom screams again and the beast pauses, it's green eye turning to look down at the mare and it's son then up to it's claw and the mare on it's muzzle. It let out another roar, though this one was quieter more pained. The multitude of eyes took in the CMC clustered around Apple bloom as Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle rushed over as well. It then turned it's attention back to the mare on it's nose.
“Please Jer'rahd.....” Luna pleads. “ Calm down...”
After what felt like an eternity the creature shakes it's head, shaking loose Luna as it pushed off the tree and turned galloping away in a strange half lopping stride that covered ground far quicker than it should.
The whole landscape seems to shake as the creature thunders off crouching down before leaping upwards the massive thing soaring through the air to land at the top of the crater in the trees before another pain filled bellow sounds out as the rumbling fades the more distant the Beast gets.
“Shit.....” Luna curses.
“Language ma!” Pip calls getting a glare from her.
“Bleu take charge here, let my Changelings know if you need my help with something, they'll relay it to me. I need to go after him.” Luna shouts launching herself forward in the air following after the retreating monster.
==============================================================
[White Tail Woods 1900 hours]
Pip sighs leaning over the railing of the railing of the Demon of Dullahan MKII, none of this seemed real.
Da turning into a monster and running off some where, with Ma in hot pursuit. His cousin transforming into an Elk, getting her cutie mark finally, all those ponies he knew dying. This trip had been madness.
A thud next to him drew his attention to the blue scaled dragonling who had plopped down beside him. Bleu didn't say anything at first, that was odd for her, but he let it go, she likely had a lot on her plate too.
The Linorm had stayed in Whitetail Woods, Applebloom had offered to find a place for them, though their leader. Glacier was returning with the airship to the Crystal Empire to retrieve the ones that had been left behind, and to follow up on his duty to learn from Spike. Bleu had to remind him of this after the Linorm had wanted to follow the rampaging Beast and learn from it instead. Da had another hero worshiper it seemed.
The airship was going to be going as fast as it could, though it was bogged down with the injured. Given that most were Changelings they needed to head back to the Empire as the news of the Changelings being on the side of Equestria likely hadn't reached any where outside of it yet. Even though Las Pegasus was closer, it wouldn't be welcoming to a ship full of Changelings.
The Storm Cloud was little more than a pile of scrap now, as was Button's sound system. The earth pony was really freaked out over that, thinking Vinyl was going to kill him. Pip was a little confused by his panic, Button Mash had just survived taking Tirek head on, twice, and he was worried about the DJ who taught him? Either Vinyl was something else or Button was over reacting. Given how he had shut up the moment Sweetiebelle had fallen asleep against him it was probably the latter. Those two were perfect for each other.
“You okay kid?” Bleu finally asks.
“I've been better. I don't think everything that has happened has fully hit me yet is all.” Pip adds.
“Yeah happens that way sometimes. Lot of things haven't sunk in for me yet either. Specially with plump flank and Velky. S'why what happened with your Da didn't really surprise me. They say everyone Tirek took saw what was happening. Tirek killed two of his best friends and one of the few good friends he made in this time. I'm amazed he didn't rip himself out of Tirek on his own with that much anger. I kinda want to be there for him like he was with me, but Luna is the better choice when he gets like that. I'll have to wait until he gets back.”
“How are you holding up?” Pip asks as Bleu sighs.
“Shitty. I make friends easier than Boss does, but I'm down two of my best ones and a whole bunch of others that I made to boot. On the plus side one of the annoying buckers that's been giving me and Spike grief is gone and every things finally over.” Bleu mutters. “Still gonna need some time to get over everything though. Just hope I can get a little bit of time to myself to do that. It's gonna be busy for us, Troph called out all the Dragons and named Spike and sorta me as almost proper Dragons, so we're gonna have to deal with the ramifications of that. Some are probably going to try and beat or kill Spike thinking that that will make them better, so I'm geared up for a lot more fighting to come, though I might let Glacier do it.”
“I still got a year of school left.” Pip sighs. “ This was a really weird senior class trip for everyone. I'm not a senior, Applebloom already graduated. It's just Sweetiebelle, Scootaloo, and Button Mash now I guess.”
“Yeah about that.” Bleu smirks a little poking the bandage on his arm that had a burn on it.” I warned you about getting protection didn't I?”
Pip turns bright red at that looking away from his aunt.” I have no idea what you are talking about”
“Uhhh huh...... Bleu grins looking back to the orange pegasus that had curled up against Pip's other side. “ Sure...you don't. So should we start planning a wedding now? Maybe a a joint thing with Luna and Boss. Sunbutt still doesn't recognize their marriage so there's still time.”
“Oh for the love of ….. we've gone on one date, the rest of the time we've been fighting for our lives or dealing with crusader nonsense.”
“OOOH, so you went on a date !!?” Bleu grins her eyelashes fluttering.
“By the stars... don't even start.”
“Too late.”
==================================================
[ White Tail Woods Crater ]
Applebloom watched the airship glide out over the treeline on it's way back to the Crystal Empire. Her friends were on the ship, and she desperately wanted to be there with them, at the very least to get a moment to herself.
That likely wouldn't happen for a while.
A number of the Elk had run back to get the Elder, others had stayed around to keep an eye on her. One of them had started to talk shit already and Applebloom had laid him out in one punch, it was only after the fact she decked him that she recognized him as the leader of those who used the blue arrows.
Applebloom expected she would be dealing with Dances with Flame quite often now, but with the Timber Wolves following her around like lost puppies and the Linorm were keeping two of their number within eyesight of her at all times, not to mention the two Changelings that had been posted with her, no one was going to try anything. Right now her little entorogue was moving with her as she walked across the crater, a small collection of Elk followed offering their protection as well in case there was an issue with other Elk.
She didn't think there would be any other issues even if she didn't have a ridiculous amount of protection. All the Elk seemed more confused by what was going on than hostile, and they seemed willing to wait for an explanation.
Applebloom knew what was going to happen. The spirits of the forest had told her already. The Elk had lacked any real spiritual guidance for a long time and there were a number of smaller tribes that were out in the world that had either been lost or had fled and never looked back. She would need to reunite these tribes. The winds told her that there were far more Elk out there than most knew, there was even a sizable race of them that lived underground and had black fur and red eyes with white manes. While interesting she wasn't sure she liked what they did to survive in the depths, still she would try to bring them back. It was kinda her purpose now, it seemed.
She had always wanted her cutiemark, always wanted to know what her special talent was, now that she had it, she needed to figure out what it meant. Still, 'bringer of hope' was a rather neat title, even if it was only the spirits that called her that.
She paused looking down over the crater from a vantage point she had never been too, but was very familiar with. A trail of green in the blackened earth marked her path from the new Yggdrasil another reminder that something was a bit off with her. She looked down at her green limb, she was nearly as tall as he was now, if not bigger even. She had the same wound, though where his was black, her fore limb had become green and brought life.
It was also cloven like an Elk's and that felt really weird when the rest of her legs still ended in pony hooves.
She hated to think that her uncle had brought so much death, but she knew why now and realized she might have done the same as him.
Family was very important to both the Apples and the Pelts.
She pauses again looking at the Changelings and Griffons working on the crashed ship. A single pegasus pony stood up on the top of the rubble shouting orders. She wasn't sure if the thing would ever fly again, but Captain Breezy seemed sure it would, at the very least it would fly enough to get out of the woods. He refused to let his ship rot here.
Applebloom wasn't so sure, to her it looked like little more than a big pile of wood and wreckage, granted she would have loved to do something as pointless as try to rebuild the ship. It almost seemed like fun. She did always like building things, perhaps that was related to her talent, she did just build a massive tree prison to house an evil demon.... well she grew it any way.
Ehh, same thing.
Continuing her walk, she sighed. She wanted to see Apple Jack and Big Mac right now, she wanted them and Granny Smith here so much it hurt. One of the Griffons had agreed to fly into Las Pegasus and try to find Granny and Bleu had told her that she would have AJ and Big Mac here if she had to fly them back herself.
That would still take time, but at least she knew they were all still alive. The spirits said there was something odd about Fluttershy, but she was alive. Applebloom didn't bother to ask for specifics. The spirits wouldn't answer any way, beyond that the mare was host to something they revered. That the spirits revered something was an oddity, but she still had a great deal to learn yet.
The hissing of the Linorm and growl of the Timber Wolves drew her up short. The Elk had stopped behind her as well and only the Changelings seemed confused at the pause, though the pair of them had adopted defensive postures just in case.
Applebloom smiled softly shaking her head.
“Sokay. Ah know it feels weird but it ain't gonna hurt you, jus wait here a moment, ah'm only going to that tree over there.”
[“This place is cursed.”] one of the elk states. Looking back at him she recognized him as Flowing Stream, the one who had been guarding the cage. She wasn't sure how she recognized him in his gillie suit, but she did.
[“Yeah, ah know it is. It's why ah'm here. Jus hang back okay, ah'll be fine.”] Applebloom placates though none of them seemed to calm down much. Still none of them followed her into the circle of black soil.
She strode up to the tree, the trail of green she left behind her a striking contrast to the blackened earth she walked over.
The young earth pony approached her destination letting out a small sigh as she looked up at the gnarled and blackened tree, rust ran down the trunk from several points where metal had been embedded into it, the crumbled ash of what might have once been bones lay in a heap at the trees base, half burred in the black soil.
Her gaze swept the area towards the nearest green spot. Numerous figures stood there, visible to her eyes, spirits of the fallen, souls that had not been reborn, or had stayed around long after they were supposed to have departed. These were some of the ones that had been guiding her and shaping her journey. She saw the mirror of herself standing next to a tall pretty Elk doe.
She turned looking back at the tree.
Hanging from it was a skeletal buck, his horns broken, wounds and burns covered his form though he was pinned to the tree by his limbs and he was thrashing against them crying out in anger and hate and pain.
[“Dogwood shut the buck up.”] Applebloom ordered, the manic spirit whipping it's hollow gaze around to glare at her surprised she spoke with him, though seeing her nature the specter sneered.
He shouted a few things though Applebloom ignored them.
[“My uncle did this to you. You know that right. And you know why he did this to you.”] She gestured to the gathered spirits of the dead nearby. [“And I know why … you did what you did.”]
Dogwood had been cursing her though he went silent at this.
[“Ah feel him too you know. Probably more than you did. Tha screaming cursing and whispers of pain and death. He ain't shut up yet an ah doubt he will. That further ah get from him the more muffled tha voice is, but you. You lived on top of him practically. Yah could hear the spirits when yah was a fawn and no one else could. Caused yah all manner of grief to be different, though in the end it made you a great leader.”] Applebloom continued. [“ But that didn't last when his voice started getting louder. Some voice told you tah move everyone intah the crater itself and another told yah tah make a city there, and yah listened cause tha spirits had never told yah wrong before. Only that weren't no spirit, that was a dead griffon trapped in a book, if that makes any sense. And when yah got closer to that tree, yah got closer tah Tirek.”]
Applebloom looked back, tapping the ground with her hoof making a nice patch of mossy green behind her which she sat down on.
[“That thing drove you mad with his ranting, his corrupt and tainted words. All you knew was this was tha great Yggdrasil telling you these things, no one remembered that there was something trapped inside of it. And little by little it drove you mad. Elk have long memories tah go with their long lives and all tha old ones remembered yer time as a great leader and what you'd done in tha past. That hind sight blinded them to what yah were doing, and only the younger generations were seeing yah as tha monster yah had become.”] Applebloom shook her head at the spirit of Dogwood, who simply watched her. [ “ Then yah took things too far, angered tha wrong pony and wound up here. Over a thousand years of watching tha rot grow, Tirek getting free, and being stuck in an area of the forest that's dead to everything. Fer some one who was part of tha wild, who could hear it's words and it's music. Ah imagine the thousand years of silence would be more deafening than anyone simply yelling at yah.”]
Applebloom glanced back at the edge of the cliff, now much closer to this location after the battle.
[“Ah coulda waited on this. Ah coulda ignored yah and left you out here forever. But like ah said, ah know what happened tah make you what ya became. And ah don't need two voices screaming at me.”]
Applebloom rose back to her hooves moving up to the tree, she reached back to her saddlebag pulling out a hammer she borrowed from the ones working on the airship, she grips it in her mouth hooking one of the metal spurs and pulling. The grip pulls free of the tree with a groan, the weapon was buried all the way to the hilt and everything had rusted solid that was exposed. When she pulled free the blade of the weapon it was as shiny and new as the day it was embedded in the tree.
The mare repeated this with the other four blades letting them fall to the ground with soft thuds. Better to let the star metal rust here, it was giving her a headache.
[“Prolly ain't gonna sit well with yah that yer being forgiven by a crossbreed, let alone tha niece of tha one who pinned you there. But ah really don't care how well it sits for yah, it needed tah be done. Yah been rotting here fer too long because of yer mistakes. Yah were driven to them.”] Applebloom sighs. [“Sides ah plan on making a lot of changes around here and ah don't need yer old ghost talking shit tah me. Now git, a'hm pretty sure yah ain't done with yer punishment's yet and neither are tha other spirits, but hanging here means yah never get reborn.”]
Applebloom turned tucking her hammer way and walking away from the tree. She spared a glance back and saw Dogwood was gone as were most of the other spirits save the copy of herself and her mother. Behind the pair were another pair of figures. A stallion and a mare that she didn't recognize but she felt that she really should. The pair nodded towards her smiling, then they were all gone.
Applebloom smiled herself, heading back towards the entourage so she could go back and meet the elder again. Time to start a new life out here.
Behind her a mocking bird lands on the dead branches of the tree, chirping madly.
Finally we have reached the end of the main story... or actually this is more like the Tirek arc. There's still plenty to wrap up before i start the next book. Easily at least 3 more chapters.
Also i am fairly disappointed at the font sizes available. the shout of Rarity was supposed to take up an entire page and yet this was the biggest font i could get on the site.
Title is Shout by Tears for Fears
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Then work on it. Go, Go! GO! We got so many questions to answer and things to see through.
Also Applebloom is best pony.
6918431 I was waiting for this to be finished before I started reading. Do Jerrad and company play a role in this story?
6925237 There's at least 3 more chapters.
6925561 They do, though in the end not as big a part as the other stories.
6925561 yes but it's also time for our current generation of ponies to shine. Many destinies are fought for and found.
Next Book of Stories in Stone: Jer raises his children and tries to be a NORMAL dad! THE HORROR!
6927210 actually..............
6927937 T, if you tell me i called that, after everything you made our hearts go through, i'm going to throw you.
6928184 Well he does have a baby daughter, he would be rather neglectful if he didn't at least TRY.
Good thing for every one that Dawn is not normal.
So you're going to do something with the drow right? Or was that just there to torture anyone who noticed the reference.
Was a little upset with what happened to Rarity but otherwise a very good atory
Really? Needlessly stomping Applebloom's leg off to get her blood to coat the seed was better than taping the seed and a vial of her blood to Celestia's sword and sending it up his butt....? .......... And folks call ME sadistic
Just kidding
Fantastic ending!
There's so many lives to clean up. Not only will this generation still be dealing with the stuff of Jared's legacy, but now they have to deal with whatever else the books had done, plus all the shit that happened in THIS generation's idiots. And then there's the mess that Tirek had just left...
Next chapter:
6934179 Did not plan on it i'm afraid. More the latter. There's more on them in my blog Q&A however.
6934515 If you think this is bad, you should have seen what the original Last Dance script did to her, she got to be badass in SiS, not so much in the first LD. Though she did live longer and had 4 kids.
6949312 I wouldn't call it needless, it was more symbolic. A black legged Pelt destroyed the tree, and a green legged one restored it.
Yeah what was only going to be 3 more chapters of prologue has turned into 5.
Yeah they are gonna need something a little more expansive than those guys.
I simply love how you used earth ponies- Apple Bloom especially -in this fic.
I have a major reason why; this is because, as far as i'm concerned, earth ponies are the rock that the other tribes are founded on.
Can pegasi and unicorns learn how to grow plants and commune with nature? Sure; we only have to look at both Twilight and Fluttershy- the former with growing spells, the latter with her ability to talk to animals -to see that. Both of those are exceptions to the rules however. Without the earth ponies, the other tribes would be hard pressed to survive. In fact, they would be forced to forage, and it would be far worse for the pegasi.
I've always felt that the earth ponies have gotten the short end of the stick as far as fan fiction goes. It used to be somewhat the same with canon, but that has changed over the years for the better. No, I prefer to see them as the linchpin of the pony race; in fact, in my own fics, I've given them powerful magic that is in its own way far more powerful than what any other race can do.
This is why, whenever bronies say- or she says it -that Applejack is a worthless pony, I get pissed off. As far as I'm concerned, AJ is the glue that keeps the others together. She and Pinkie are both real important to the group inasmuch as they provide two things that are often overlooked; a solid, honest foundation, and plenty of laughter.
8249108
AJ is best mane 6
Got an alternate title for ya, Primo Victoria.