I stood about two dozen feet away from Jonathan’s vehicle as he climbed in. His Luna was laying unconscious in the passenger seat and Jonathan was ready to go. “Alright Jonathan, I’ve managed to get you enough fuel to last you seven jumps. It should be more than enough to get you home.” Unless you manage to get totally lost, then it’s good luck to ya.
Jonathan just waved cheerily from the driver’s seat as the engine started again and a moment later, his machine had broken the dimensional barrier. In the wake of his presence, a transparent ripple could be seen for a moment before fading from existence. I took a moment to watch the ripples, and silently hopped that Jonathan, despite what he had wanted at first, would eventually find his way back home. Maybe he could even be able to reconcile with his version of Luna. She truly was a nice companion during our time as friends, even if it was limited to only minor encounters secretly at night and multiple attempted arrests that ended in me ‘escaping’.
She was one of the only two ponies who would listen to my side of things when I opened my mouth. Her sister Celestia wasn’t as fair to my side of things and was practically hellbent on ‘upholding the law’. I’m positive she was just angry that I walked in on her sister at first, then my constant evasion of the guard only pissed her off more. Of course, nowadays she has every right to be like that towards me and crave to shine sunlight and judgement down on my arse. I do deserve it. To bad for her it appears to be close to the fall seasons.
But speaking of shining light. “I never did check to see what those four troublemakers did to my flashlight. I should probably check on that sometime soon.” I started to walk back over to the ship and sighed. “But first, I need to do some collecting. Rocks don’t mine themselves after all. Ed! Where’s the Gaia Hammers?”
“They were put in the main hold Captain!” I heard him shout in reply. “The weapons area has a broken wall where they used to go!” A resounding clap sounded across the hills as my hand met my face in a sharp and sudden union.
Of course.... what else could have broke in there besides what I need at the moment. I let out a sigh as my hand slid off my face and I headed back inside the ship. “That will be all Ed! Get some rest and watch over Boris and Victoria for me.”
Not a moment later, the same two little robots came running in holding a book as if I’d said their names thrice. “Dad! Dad! Look at this!” The duo came to a halt and Victoria held up the history book I had brought back. “Dad we found something we think you should see and-”
Boris grabbed the book from her and opened the book to a picture of.... bug ponies? Huh. Never seen those before. “-there are these Changathingies that were attacking ponies that sound like they’re from one of your stories and-”
Victoria snatched the book back and glared at Boris. “Don’t interrupt me! I was going to tell him about the elves!” I sighed internally as they continued to bicker. I caught a glance of something from Victoria’s hands before I noticed they were...
Um.... what?
Boris growled slightly as his gloved hands clenched. “You interrupted me first! I was going to tell him about the Changabobs and you shoved the book in his face!”
Victoria started to wave her hands above her head as she shouted back. “They’re called Changelings you dolt, and I did not!” I looked up slowly as the book that was previously in her possession slowly rose towards the ceiling while being a shade brighter. “I thought we were going to tell him about all the stuff that Steel Mind guy stole!”
“Hey, I’m not a dolt!”
“Yes you are!”
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
Rolling my eyes at their fighting I clapped my hands loudly, causing them both to flinch. “Victoria. Boris. Stop fighting.” They both sighed and slumped a little with an ashamed ‘Yes dad.’ “There now, while I would love to hear what you’ve learned about the elves and changelings, there’s something else I need to ask first.” I crouched down to meet Victoria at eye level and smiled calmly. “Victoria, could you please explain how you are performing a levitation spell?”
Victoria and Boris both blinked in confusion. “Huh?” I pointed to Victoria’s hands and then to the book that was pressed against the ceiling. Both of which were coated in a white glow that was occasionally pulsing softly. Victoria yelped in surprise and the glow encasing her hands, and subsequently the book, ceased causing the historical tome to fall. I caught the book as I stood back up and flipped the pages some, taking note of where she folded one in rather far. Poor book, Dog ears belong on dogs, not paper. I’ll have to remind her on the proper use of bookmarks later. Though it seems that my children’s speed reading habits got them farther in the book than I had the chance to get last night.
In the meantime however, Boris was staring at Victoria with his jaw about to fall off until a large grin spread across his face that would have put most clowns to shame on size alone. “How did you do that!?”
Now that I think of it, that pink pony from the town possibly could still best this grin I’m seeing. She was rather happy despite supposedly being in on the manhunt the six mares were putting out for me. Now that I think about it, the others of that group all seem familiar. Wonder why... On second thought, scratch that. The last two times I’ve heard names of theirs only brought excruciating pain.
Victoria was busy looking at her hands when I snapped back to reality. “How... how did...?” I could see that she was completely flabbergasted at what had just happened, so I did what good dads are supposed to do to the best of my ability.
I stood back up and put a hand on her shoulder and smiled down towards the confused young girl. “Victoria,” she looked up at me and my smile grew a little, “when I get back, I’ll help you figure out what happened just now. But for now I have to head out again, and this time I expect both you and Boris to stay on the ship. Alright?” They both gave me a quick nod. “Alright then. Just stay on the ship, and I’ll be back for dinner.” I saw Victoria raise her hand and I chuckled. “And yes, I’ll be sure to read about what you two told me. Don’t think I didn’t notice you folding the pages again young lady.”
After rummaging around and finding the gaia hammers, a moment was spared on quick farewells and in Boris’s case some good luck for me as well. I was headed for the caves I had found the gems in yesterday because if my hunch was right, there should be various ores further down in the cave that are ripe for the picking.
Hopefully I won’t find any Mythril while down there when I do find some ore. That was hard enough to smelt before I lost all of my equipment, and it was always in the middle of the ores I needed.
(Celestia: Canterlot)
As she sat in her throne, Celestia politely smiled down at the partitioner who had just finished speaking. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Any news on a possible changeling sighting is greatly appreciated. You may go, and I wish you a safe travel back to Manehatten.”
The pegasus messenger bowed before leaving the throne room. When he was gone from sight, Celestia looked over to her aide, a burgundy unicorn that was seated just out of sight near the throne. “That was the last one?”
Her aide flipped through a few papers she had in a stack next to her before nodding. “Yes your majesty. The next partition is not until after lunch, which I might add, was delayed just for Private Stalwart Heart.” She began to write down the last of Celestia’s response to Stalwart Heart, frowning slightly the entire time.
Celestia looked over at the throne room’s various windows, each one depicting a different moment in the past. As she let herself get lost in thought, she calmly spoke. “Sapphire, send word to the head of Manehatten’s guards that there may be a changeling hive located nearby and to increase the guard patrols. Preferably in a way that won’t cause too much notice or an uproar. The last thing we’d need is a panic if there are truly changelings in the city while an investigation is being executed.”
Sapphire started to write down the orders as she normally would, but stopped as she drew towards the end. “Your majesty, if I may?” Celestia looked over at the burgundy mare and gave her a curious look. “It may not be my place to say, but you seem... off. Is there something troubling you?”
Celestia shook her head gently and smiled. “It is nothing to concern yourself with Sapphire Script. The increase in activity as of late has just worn me out slightly.” Sapphire raised an eyebrow, but decided not to press further. This course of action was one that, in her mind, would be crossing a boundary she shouldn’t.
When Celestia reminisced, it normally would bring a smile to the diarch. Seeing the same actions bring a lost gaze and frown to the princess’s face only made Sapphire more nervous.
(Jenny: Golden Oaks Library)
Twilight and Jenny were both upstairs in the unicorn’s study. The lavender mare was going over the letter for Celestia for what could be considered the seventieth time, before she smiled. “Alright, it’s ready to send! Now I just have to give this to Spike an-” Twilight paused with her mouth hanging open until it slid into a deadpan. “Aaaaand I sent him off to play with the Crusaders...”
Jenny smirked a little as she looked away. “And here I thought she was the smart one...”
Twilight’s ear twitched slightly before she looked towards her guest with a raised eyebrow. “What was that?”
“Oh, nothing.” Jenny and Twilight both sat silently for a while as the situation became a beacon to the socially awkward. “So uh... what do we do now?” Jenny asked, hoping to break the stagnant mood the room had fallen into.
Twilight hummed a little as she tapped her chin. “Well... I guess we could go and introduce you to my friends. You’ve already met Rarity, if only a little bit, so that still leaves the rest...” Twilight started to brighten up at the idea of Jenny and her friends meeting. Maybe she could be a new friend in the small circle she’d made since coming to Ponyville. “I think it would be a great idea.”
Jenny chuckled a little as she stood up. “I hope so. Oh and um...” Twilight paused from her musing to listen. “Could we uh... go somewhere I could get some new clothes when we do head out? I uh... only have what’s on me.”
Twilight giggled some as she started to trot out of the room with Jenny in tow. “You don’t have to worry about that. Remember Rarity? She’s the town’s local dressmaker, so I’m sure that it won’t be too difficult.” As they entered the main room of the library, Twilight stopped for a moment and looked back towards the knightess. “Do overly excited ponies and rapid speaking bother you any?”
Jenny just blinked a few times before her face scrunched in confusion and worry. “Um.... no?”
Twilight grew a small smile as she started to look back at the open doorway, specifically the pony who had just come in. “Well-”
“HI!” Jenny, in her surprise, jumped the last few steps and spun around to find an extraordinarily pink pony grinning at her from the railing she was perched upon. With a squeal of joy, the pony slid down the railing and came to a stop next to Jenny, hoof outstretched. “I’m Pinkie Pie and it’s nice to meet you!”
Jenny hesitantly took the hoof and returned the greeting. “I’m Jenny... it’s nice to meet you too?”
Pinkie hopped off the railing and smiled as she sat down. “Okie Dokie Loki!”
For a few moments, no one moved in the silence that had filled the room. Eventually, Twilight remembered how to blink before looking at Pinkie. “Wait... that’s it?”
The party planner glanced over at Twilight and pulled out a pair of swirly glasses so she could look over the top of them. “Were you expecting something long and incomprehensible?”
After a bout of sputtering and trying to form words to articulate the amount of confusion that was going through her brain, Twilight just sighed and trotted to the door. “Let’s just get going...”
Both Pinkie and Jenny nodded, though some more enthusiastically than others due to a massive fit of giggles, before they followed the headache suffering librarian. Jenny walked just behind Twilight and to the right of Pinkie. She couldn’t help but feel sudden worry crawl up her spine as she noticed the mischievous grin on Pinkie that was barely hidden behind her cheeriness.
5030540 People might think that what 'Murica did was barbaric, it was. They killed civilians, they committed war crimes. But it was that or suffer a land war against a nation of fanatics. I agree completely. It was a nuke or a meat grinder.
5063516
Well I agree with the use of the first nuke, after all it did send a clear message to the Japanese, and the alternative was rather horrible for the Americans, but the second nuke's use was barbaric and sickening. It was done primarily as a test to get better readings on the explosive force of the nukes in a more contained environment, while the official reason was to force a more favourable surrender which didn't even happen. It was supposed to be to get the Japanese to accept having their emperor put on trial for the war, but in the end that didn't even happen! The treaty for Japan's surrender was exactly the same as the suggestion from before the use of the second nuke.
5063627 No, the reason was this, they were still on the fence about surrendering, the Amerifats needed a close to the war. We already did our part with the Russian help. If they didn't use the second nuke and the Japanese didn't surrender, they were never going to until the land war won out. The war would have been bloody and brutal. Assaulting an island full of fanatics with amazing stealth skills? Death. They were still rooting out people in Jima four years after the end of the war.
memeguy.com/photos/images/seeing-all-these-pictures-of-the-potoo-bird-on-here-i-decided-to-google-it-i-laughed-a-little-m-have-42852.jpg
Who's this and why do they have my last name!? I remember no daughters, or wives, or siblings! Zman, what are you doing?!?!
(I know it's probably a coincidence, but I just had to.)
5063844 it is.... YOUR LONG LOST COUSIN ON YOUR MOTHERS SIDE FIVE TIMES REMOVED!
Lol, it was a coincidence.
5063653
5063627 I see the military accuracy debate over how incorrect a gamer girl was when she thought that the situation was a dream is still going on. Especially after she stated herself that she was talking out of her ass. This amuses me.
please, keep going.
Hopefully you'll update more frequently, otherwise I'll have to replace all the bananas in your house with banana shaped apples!
5063879 That wouldn't be very hard, considering I don't have any bananas.
yet.
5063884 Then I will send you a gift basket with banana shaped apples mixed with normal bananas, as well as apple shaped pears and pear shaped apples! Also a cabbage.
5063871 We moved on from someone in a dreamland hallucination to a little debate. If he decides to continue I will until he either proves me wrong, I prove him wrong, or it goes on ad nauseum.
5063931 Very well.
HOLYSHITYOU'RENOTDEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HE LIVVVVEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!!!
5064050
5064769 Sorry for the delay my fellows, I have recently been spending my time job hunting. And as that has been settled as of recent events, I can start writing on a more regular basis again.
5063653
Read your history, and the real history not the simplified version in most textbooks, Japan was willing to surrender after the first bomb, they just wouldn't compromise on the status of the Emperor. And after the second bomb, that didn't change, and America accepted that small demand.
this means 3 things in my head
1) Shes got an amazing prank planned.
2) Party
3) Shes a changeling
Also YOUR ALIVE!!!!!! (had to say it.)
5065345 Huh... now I picture Alex singing this... i'm not exactly sure what to think of it.
So is this a story where the MC purposely acts evil?
5066686
why did this mastrubation get so many upvotes?
5066196 Ah, well, thanks for correcting me. I concede.
5067185
That would be so original and new
5068204
Please answer my question.
5068207
This seems like a generic villainous human OC story, yes. As an added bonus, there's edgily jaded dialogue and reductionist characterization. But I haven't read the entire thing yet, only the first few chapters.
5068214
I do hate when there are stories like this? How hard is it NOT to abuse power?
Go read the summoner
Like seriously, why? And thanks.
5068221
Like I said, I haven't read the whole thing. The author might have a surprise to give yet. That said, the core idea has been done over ten thousand times on this site alone (literally) so I can't really expect much to look forward to in terms of surprises.
5068238 Well then I hope that what IS planned will make a few heads flip. I'd tell you what it is but...3.bp.blogspot.com/-4HW2gooL15U/U3JkI4BjHXI/AAAAAAAAF68/OgP9HyfXbk4/s1600/tumblr_lrc1bcp7y81qj0j1y.gif
5068246
Yeah so I just saw that. M'kay. Yeah.
ih2.redbubble.net/image.13425744.6979/sticker,375x360.u2.png
I suppose it could have been worse. It could have been Air Superiority or something.
5068251 Okay, first off, judging the entirety of the story based on what originally inspired the idea is a bad habit.
Secondly, ideas have a tendency to change overtime as we work with them. Compared to the other LoHaV stuff I've seen thrown around, the story's going to be much more logical and planned out over all by the time I'm finished. How it's going to do that, is currently for me to know as I type down the chapters, and for you to find out as I post them.
5068271
The sheer volume of HAV fics on this site dictates that most of them are going to be worthless dreck, by way of Sturgeon's Law ("ninety percent of everything is shit"). Having read and reviewed a massive number of them personally, and having been an admin in the HAV group at one point, I'm also aware that the bar has been set extraordinarily low. Your story is better than, say, Air Superiority (the quintessential HAV shitfic) in that it at least fulfills the basic requirements of the site and its own niche. It's gotten relatively popular, but that isn't much of an indicator of anything given that Jimmy the Grape's HAV group was little more than a gigantic upvote farm at the time that the first few chapters of this were posted. It's also not bad, technically; it's probably among the less rage-inducing stories of HAV, really. But it does not do as well as many stories with this number of upvotes because it's very generic, which is ultimately the main issue most people have with HAV in general: neither this story nor its subgenre are particularly prone to experimenting or trying new things. In addition, they universally feature an OC protagonist who is usually snarky and jaded, which is a huge turn-off for a lot of readers these days. This, and other things, means that HAV can be fun for the first few stories, but after a while, the lack of significant variation starts to sink in, along with a realization of the high volume and general low quality that pervades the subgenre, and people eventually get to the point where they consider any HAV story to be unoriginal because the premise has been done so many times that nothing new can really be extracted from it. It's the same way with any fad.
Does that help?
5068300 It does actually. It's comments like this that I like seeing on my stories, not just this one, as they help make the story in question better overall when used properly.
Thank you for this, and be sure to have a nice day.
Also, I agree about Air Superiority. That was a complete shitfic.
5069059
I find myself amused that myself was able to amuse you.
P.S. Did you become skeleton?
5072708 I couldn't agree more! This story was a good premise at the start but now?
It's just a little bit crap, ain't it?
5072708
I'm sorry, but when did you gain the ability to read minds or even have a clue as to what I based my story around? Yes, there is Steampunk as a mojor factor, but it's not the ONLY factor. I've only gotten so far into the story and have a SHIT TON more to write before I get to the ending that I have planned for this. Please stop saying crap like this, as it genuinely pisses me off to high hell.
On a much calmer note, I would like to say that I enjoy your music, and that I had no idea that I'd draw your attention with this story, or even at all. Seriously, Not a clue in the world.
5067616 I don't know, why are you trying to be a massive troll?
Sadly, despite promising beginning, this story steadily turning to a complete incoherent bullshit with questionable humor. Too late to call it a crackfic though. Now I regret ever starting reading it.
5073733
5068300
Only adive I can give you author, Don't feed the trolls, they are always ungratefully demanding too much for their own brains to consume!
Always complaining, "do this and write that", but don't have any clue how to actually write a story, nor do they attempt it.
It's funny how people automatically want to rank a genre, story or general story idea based on what they know or are used to from other stories, or by the fact that they read tons of other stories.
I have read many lohav stories as well, but I don't get tired so easily like some others readers, especially since I try to enjoy the story itself without directly comparing them to the fulfillment and standards of other stories.
I pity everyone who does, because they have burned out their souls, and unbiased minds, with too many stories and reading meterial.
Sure, someone who read many other stories of a similar idea may get tired of it someday, because they expect too much of the writer. What is unoriginal? Everyone copies their ideas or associations in some degrees from other stories, its typical for our time, you can't claim that an idea is original because you wrote it first, someone may have had the same or similar idea but never brought it up in a story.
If the author says he attempts to make a lohav story, a group featuring stories of the same kind, the readers should expect a limited amount of differences, because they follow a general idea and a scheme.
If readers want exceptional originality, they can try read 'food for thought stories', also a group featured on this site.
I try to stay as neutral as possible to a story, when I read it. I frown a bit about what I dislike, only write about what I exceptionally dislike, and pick up on what I like.
The balance between those aspects finally decides if I give a 'like' or not, and keep following the story.
People that always complain because something is not to their liking, additionally giving dislikes prematurely just because they get angry and deem it necessary to attack, insult or overly criticize the author are the worst of readers.
Al
5075489 As to arguments like Invention is 'OP'. The human was around for some time in the past, and by the item he brought with him, or that rather brought him there, he gained knowledge over time, influenced by it he took the role of Invention, since he lost his memory for the newly added knowledge, lost memories such as his name. His personality changed accordingly as well, after some time.
Now, he was free for quite some time in the past, which means he had given his additional knowledge, time enough to evolve his all around combat skills. He is still using mainly guns and traps in fights.
He is not invincible, and has to consider a lot of strategies before entering a fight, I fail to see how he is OP.
That he was able to take out so many guards on his ship, may have been because he had the field advantage? Invention is very tamed in regards of powers. He already lost against pyramid head in his dreams.
How is he any kind of OP?
He already has enemies to pursue and is momentarily stuck because he can't just magic up his repairs, that's definitely something he can't do, he needs the tools and resources, thus explaining his fatal situation right now.
And considering he has two children with him, disregarding the fact that they are machines, he is very vulnerable as well.
The only thing I can really agree on what could be improved is the length of chapters, few words make enjoyable progress hard and sluggish.
Again I don't see anything indicating him as OP. His battle skills are decent, his inventions are what's helping him the most.
5092569
I'm not sure why you quoted me.
Pinkie y u kill everylin- I mean everypony's brain by braking expectations
She gets confused because she didn’t get confused