25
“Luna mentioned something new armour before.”
“Yes, development started several days after the failed Changeling Invasion of Canterlot.”
“And that was...?”
“Three months ago.”
Thomas was following Shining Armor to the guards barracks within Canterlot Castle. Thomas was without his helmet, but the stallion was still in full armour.
“I don’t know why I’m telling you this,” Shining continued. “You’re just a mercenary, after all.”
“Yeah, a merc that toppled an empire and brought some measure of peace to a region,” the Courier retorted. “And again, civilian contractor,” he added angrily, not happy with the stallion’s attitude.
“The point is, this new armour should help turn things around. We’ve been using armour that’s unfit for a battlefield in large numbers, we needed a wake-up call. Just wish it hadn’t happened the day it did,” the stallion muttered unhappily.
Thomas didn’t say anything as he followed him into another area that lay beneath the actual barracks. “Still, three months is impressive. I think it took America several years to perfect power armour for field use.”
“Power armour?” Shining asked as a pair of armoured pegasi saluted him. “What’s that?”
“Armour so heavy it needs an internal power supply for the wearer to even move. It’ll stop pretty much anything, though.”
Shining Armor seemed to think about that for a moment. “Hopefully, what the smiths have been developing will be just as good, then.”
The door they stood at swung open, and they were greeted by a plume of thick, acrid smoke. The three ponies and lone human backed away and started coughing their lungs out. “Goddamnit! Should’ve kept my helmet on,” Courier said when he could breath normally. “Tastes worse than Radroach.”
“Dammit, Ironshod, what happened this time?” Shining asked before coughing again.
“One of your idiot unicorns enchanted one of the plates wrong, that’s what!” From the room emerged an earth pony, his coat a dull grey, his mane and tail a few shades lighter. His eyes were hidden behind a large pair of goggles. “I told them that they had to be precise, but nooooo, what would an earth pony know about the armour that keeps your troops alive?” he asked mockingly.
“I’ll have a word with them,” Shining Armor muttered. “Courier, this is Ironshod, the one in charge of the new armor project. Ironshod, this is - ”
“Oh, I know who this is,” the earth pony muttered as he stepped closer. “He’s the reason I spent seven hours hammering the plates from three sets of Night Guard armour back into shape,” he growled.
All he got in response was a blank look and a number of blinks. “I did not understand a single word of that,” Thomas replied. “You sound angry, though.”
“What was that, Griffic?” Ironshod asked, turning to the captain.
“No, Zebrican. And that’s not important.” Shining stepped into the room, Thomas on his heels.
“Right, right, the new armour.” Ironshod led them through the room, which was filled with a large number of metal plates on racks, along with spears and the occasional sword. In one corner was a large pit filled with burning coals, next to it a large bucket of water. On the opposite wall from the entrance was a small doorway that led to a storage area. “Smith! Get over here, bring the prototype!”
From the depths of the workshop came loud clanking and a sudden squawk. “One moment!”
Ironshod slapped a hoof to his face. “Dammit, Smith, what did I tell you about being careful!?” the earth pony yelled.
“It’d be a lot easier if things were laid out better for someone with wings!” the voice retorted. A griffon hovered into view from the storeroom, a large number of metal plates cradled in his talons. The tips of his facial feathers had a grey tint to them, and his green eyes were wide. “What is that!?” he asked when he caught sight of Thomas.
Thomas was having a similar reaction. “What the fuck is that?”
You know what a griffon is? You do? All right, makes this a lot easier. Let me tell you, it was fucking strange. Reminded me of a Nightstalker, in a way. Just, two completely different animals stuck together. But it seemed so flawless, so perfect. Actually creepier because of that.
Anyway, Smith - yes that was his name. Why is that so funny? Anyway, Smith the griffon. It’s a whole warrior culture they have. Why they were military allies with the ponies, I never actually asked. Anyway, he was there to learn about metal-working. At least, that’s what I was told.
After a brief explanation and introductions, Ironshod and Smith led Shining Armor into the storage area to fit him. When they asked why, the captain simply said something about theatrics.
Thomas was left alone in the main workshop, and he looked around. He had no idea how anything in the room worked, though he knew enough to guess how things worked.
With nothing better to do, he sat on the ground, pulled one of the Saturnite plates from his legs and inspected it. The paintwork was horrifically scratched, the dull grey clearly visible behind the olive green, but the metal/ceramic (he still wasn’t sure which it was) itself seemed perfectly fine. He was still amazed that something two centuries old was in such great condition.
The same couldn’t be said for his duster or his body armour. He didn’t know how many firefights he had gotten in, how many times he’d been shot at, whether it was bullets, lasers, plasma, explosives or even fire. “How is this thing still in one piece?” he muttered as he grabbed at his duster, riddled with bullet and laser holes. “How am I still in one piece?” he asked to the air, thinking briefly about all he had been through.
He hadn’t exactly been lying when he had told Defib that he had ten pounds of shrapnel in him. He was sure that the amount that had been pulled out of his body during his (mis)adventures across the Mojave was closer to twenty five. He’d had more concussions than he could remember, countless sprains, hairline fractures and complete breaks of so many of his bones. And to think it had all started with a pair of 9mm bullets to the brain followed by being buried alive. From there, things only managed to get worse. It was a small miracle he wasn’t a clinically insane cripple after all he’d been through. “Maybe I have gone insane,” he mused. “Why this, though?” he asked himself. “Some repressed childhood memories, maybe?” he wondered out loud. “No, that doesn’t make any sense.”
He was roused from his thoughts when he heard... something he hadn’t heard before. He looked up and saw the griffon coming out of the storage area. Again, he found himself marvelling at how expressive the face was. It was probably stranger than the Changeling as the beak seemed to be able to bend in ways that shouldn’t be possible, and the feathers just seemed much smoother than they should be.
“Captain say you mer... merce... mercenary,” Smith asked as he got closer.
He nearly gave his normal response/correction of ‘civilian contractor’, but didn’t after thinking about it for a moment. The broken English and the way the griffon had tripped over the word ‘mercenary’ made it clear that he knew little of the language. Thomas sighed and nodded as he resolved to keep the talk at ‘tribal’.
“Captain also say you monster. That true?”
Thomas couldn’t help but laugh. That’s what Shining Armor thought of him? He’d feel insulted if it weren’t so funny. He made to disagree, but the words caught in his throat. In a way, he was. Raiders ran and hid from sight when they saw him. Legionnaires would only attack him if he was outnumbered ten to one. Even the Marked Men of the Divide feared him like an angry god. Was he a monster, though? He had done so much good that he refused to see himself as one. After a minute of thinking, he surprised the griffon with his answer. “Not a monster, no. Monstrous, yes.” Smith rose what passed for an eyebrow in confusion. “Like a monster, but not,” Thomas added, hoping it would clarify things.
“Do you have scars?” the griffon asked after a brief silence.
Thomas raised an eyebrow before standing. “Oh, I have scars all right,” he said as he pulled off his duster, removing the plate from his right arm. “So many scars,” he added as he unclipped the kevlar body armour from the straps, along with the bandoliers and pouches. “Too many scars,” he said as he pulled up the shirt, showing the mess that was his bare chest. He smiled grimly when the griffon’s beak fell open in shock. As he put all his armour back on, he couldn’t help but notice the griffon’s beak opening and closing repeatedly in a failed attempt to find words. And to think, the deepest scars never show, Thomas thought as he tightened the strap for the right arm armour plate.
“What are you gawking at?” Ironshod asked Smith as the earth pony walked into the workshop, still wearing his goggles.
“So... many... scars...” Smith muttered, still in awe at what he had seen.
“Scars?” the pony asked, tilting his head in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
The stallion’s question went unanswered as all three turned to the source of metallic clanking. From the storage room emerged a pony-shaped being, encased from tip to tail in gleaming silver metal plates. The only thing that gave away that there was a pony in there was Shining Armor’s tail poking out the rear end, and his uncovered horn. The metal of the armour shimmered from the number of enchantments weaved into it, making the whole thing ripple as though submerged. On the head was a giant cobalt plume, much like the one found on standard helmets, and on the barrel was an indigo star, signifying rank. On the flanks was the wearer’s cutie mark, allowing easy identification of the occupant at a glance. A pair of slits in the helmet, barely noticeable unless you knew what to look for, allowed the wearer to see. All in all, it was incredibly imposing.
“You might want to do something about the chafing,” Shining said, the helmet muffling his voice.
Author’s Notes:
Oh hey, Fallout: Equestria reference!
Just so you know, Saturnite is a ceramic-like metal, according to the official Fallout Wikia.
Also, there was a Team Fortress 2 reference ages back that everyone seemed to miss. Man am I disappointed and frustrated by that.
And don’t worry too much about the colour of the new armour, remember that it’s a prototype!
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Chafing.... the number ONE issue with ALL armour sets...
Some wool padding can fix that up though
Curious to see the rating of the new armour though...
Edit:
Man... First time in a while since I've gotten first comment
Poor Courier
bet his chest looks like a satellite map of Baghdad with the number of scars he's got
1050014
In his words, "it's like someone tried to sharpen a knife on my chest."
TF2 REFERENCE!? HOW DID I MISS IT!? TELL ME WHERE IT IS, NOW!
Also, is the armor itself the reference to Fallout: Equestria, or is it something Shining Armor said? Because the armor, in my mind, doesn't look too much like the other story's armor.
Sorry for being so whiny, but please, TELL ME WHERE THE TF2 REFERENCE IS NAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't read Fallout: Equestria or play TF2 so don't be mad please.
"And to think, the deepest scars never show." Not sure if that is the reference you were talking about or something about Thomas' past.
"There's blade-proof; there's bullet-proof; then there's everything-proof; and then there's absurdity. Overkill much Shining Armor?"
That'd be the main problem with power armor. Something rides up the wrong way and you won't be able to get it out for hours on end.
I WANT MORE LUNA! Also, great chap, keep up the good work!
Courier probably has more mental scars than someone visted by Molestia.
If thats how they react to the courier then I would love to see their faces if they saw a ghoul.
1050081
Beaches would be your very worst nightmare.
Let's test it...*grabs the repulsor glove*
1050255
Omg that would make the Texas chainsaw massacre look like a Disney film
MWT Magical Power Armor is a go!
1050666
Where did I say it was Power Armour? I don't remember ever saying that.
epic magic armour
good chapter is awesome
As they would say in Fallout:Equestria, the courier is a shining example of corrupted kindness. However, corrupted kindness has alway's been my favorite type. anyway, This is an amazing story. keep up the good work. I salute you sir. oh, and here's a plan for fallout.[img]223814_441239582560538_759887080_n.jpg[/img]
Ah, Fallout: Equestria and Team Fortress 2. Two materials I love. And I'm pretty sure I saw the TF2 reference. I don't blurt out references often.
And if I did see the reference, I forgot it now.
And back to the FO:E and TF2. I love those materials. I even renamed my Genuine Pip-Boy to "Pip-Buck 3000". It goes well in my Fallout-themed Engineer setup.
Mention of FO:E.
Happened to be looking at line; “What are you gawking at?” Ironshod asked Smith as the earth pony walked into the workshop, still wearing his goggles.
What are you gawking at?
Gawking.
Gawd.
ERMAGAWD!
just like power armor the earlier models like 40
yeah but the prototype is usually the best one because its almost always unstable!
Sounds good, good sir.
Bam, The Courier's Power Fist turn it into a pile of scrap metal. Or so I would hope. I still think that the guards here are too... good for a peacetime army.
Lets hope the Magik'ed armor is strong enough to withstand punishment from The Courier. Well, we can only hope. Onward!
1050818
I don't think that's the reference. I think it's Ironshod. As in, Ironshod Firearms.
I guess Shining Armor really has a set of...
*puts on sunglasses*
Shining Armor.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Aw... 'kay then. Anyway, on to the rest of the chapter- I wonder how long it'll take the Courier to start punching people when they call him a mercenary... and Fallout: Equestria reference? Must have missed it.... Perhaps the part with Smith's name, since the griffons in Fallout: Equestria seemed to have more human names than the ponies?
I don't play fallout but..... This seems like the first stage to make Space Marine Power Armour
1050018
It's like someone tried to sharpen a knife on his chest, then stabbed him a few times with it for good measure.
Was Smith Impressed or scared by the scars
being a warrior culture i could see him taking all the scars as this thing is a force to be reckoned with
1051310
Oh god, the courier should tell him about the time he got shot in the head. Twice.
Smith would worship him as a god of asskicking.
God damn it I missed the TF2 reference. I missed the Fallout: Equestria reference too but I haven't read that yet.
1051288
You know, just to make sure it was properly sharpened.
The Fallout Equestria reference I think is the armor itself. The visual I got from the description reminded me of what Kkat said all of the Steel Rangers'/Applejack's Rangers' armor sets looked like.
Also. TF2 reference?
1050031 It's not the armor itself that's the reference. It's the blacksmith Ironshod.
well, i dont really read FO:E, so i dont know that refrence, and as for TF2, my best guess is maybe when someone stole his transportalponder, he went heavy weapons guy, and was pissed of about someone touching his stuff
idk, some chapters are more fuzz ythen other
Great chapter! Nice to have a reminder every now and again of how badass Thomas is.
And i've never played Team Fortress 2 so it's impossible for me to get the reference... sorry.
Still like the green text as well.
Looking forward to more.
1051213
1052191
Congratulations, the reference is indeed the earth pony named Ironshod, a reference to, as you said, Ironshod Firearms.
hmm ironshod lol they make brainbots in equestria yet?
1051310 Oh god, I am watching you so hard right now.
1053529...wat? please explain what you mean by
watching me so hard
1050684
I know. I can dream though.
fallout-equestria.com/media/stories/103.png
This is what I picture Shining Armor's new gear looking like, except with a blue plume, and exposed horn and tail.
Hehehe, "tribal" level good one. Great chapter keep it up.
1050948
I'm going with the logic that they trade tactics and equipment with the other races they're friendly with. Real life works that way.
Probably wishful thinking on my part, but I kind of foresee/want a battle with Courier Vs. Shining Armor. With a pretext of: "Field test".
1056836 I second the motion!
Also I think we all know who would win.zoklet.net/bbs/picture.php?albumid=125&pictureid=2755
1051213 I know, but that's just where my thoughts immediately fluttered...
And thanks for pointing it out. I haven't read FO:E in a while. If I'm not mistaken, it should be where Lil' Mac was found.
1050057
There's no kill like overkill.
Yay for update! And a fight between the Courier and Shining Armor would probably end in a draw...or the Courier barely edging him out.
Of course. Hormones. Still, come see me later. May need analgesic. Chafing.