66. To Plan an Expedition
“Do you remember where exactly in the Everfree this structure is?” Celestia asks as she leads me through the hallways. We're on the way to a meeting room, where she plans to get a preliminary planning session done. Not long after we left the sitting room, Celestia had spoken to a few guards and ordered them to fetch some ponies whose names I didn't recognize.
She's certainly not wasting any time with this. Maybe I'm assuming to much, considering she's way older than I am, but I think she's excited. Come to think of it, I don't really know anything about her apart from the fact that she's smart, trusting, and can read your mind no matter how hard you try to hide from it.
“I told you I can lead you right to it, given enough time. If you're asking for fucking coordinates, I can't give them to you,” I respond, following her with my hands in my pockets. Seriously, it was dark at the time. It will take me a little time to find it, because it was dark at the time, and the only landmark I have is Zecora's hut. Speaking of Zecora, I haven't seen her since my old welcome party, and we really didn't discuss much.
“Nothing so specific. I trust that you know where it is. It's just that I want to know how deep in the forest it is, for one,” Celestia assures me. “It's the difference between striking into the forest from Ponyville, or airlifting in equipment and staff directly from airships.”
“Whoa whoa whoa, whoa,” I interrupt, looking at Celestia in total disbelief. She didn't say what I think she just did, did she? Celestia turns her head, looking me in confusion. “You have airships!?”
“Yes, in fact. They're a relatively recent addition to modern transportation,” Celestia answers, finding my surprise amusing. “They're run by a combination of magic and simple thermodynamics. They're very useful for transporting large amounts of cargo that a train just can't handle.”
“Holy shit. How come I've never seen one?” I demand, finding the idea of airships totally unreal. I mean, humans technically had some, but they were either planes or blimp-type things. I'm interested to see what a pony airship looks like.
“I'll admit they're a little uncommon. You usually only see them during projects such as this one, or when returning from long range trading excursions,” Celestia explains. Wow, I'm really hyped to see one of these now.
“I see. Well, to answer your previous question, I'm not sure how deep in it is, but is in the same general area as Zecora's hut, if you know who that is,” I say, returning back to the topic at hand.
“Zecora? Yes, I do know her. She's one of the only zebras living in Equestria,” Celestia says with surprise. “It was me that gave her permission to live here, after all.”
“Right, what was I thinking? You know everything, after all,” I remark, which gets Celestia to giggle. “So what do you have in mind?”
“I think I have a few ideas. I'll explain them to you once we reach the meeting room,” Celestia replies. And I'm being kept waiting. “It'll be much easier to explain it to you along with the others.”
“Right, I remember you asking for other ponies,” I remark, not particularly liking the idea of having to discuss ideas with ponies that aren't Celestia. “Who else is coming?”
Of course, by the time I ask that question, we've already reached our destination. I know that because Celestia opens a door and ushers me inside. This is probably the meeting room.
There's a oval table in the center surrounded by eight chairs, one of which is no doubt for Celestia, seeing as it's a lot larger and fancier than the others. Sure enough, Celestia sits down in that chair and indicates that I take the seat next to her.
“I'll make introductions once everypony arrives,” Celestia finally says once she makes herself comfortable. “It'll be easier to put names to faces that way.”
“Ugh, stop making so much sense,” I grumble. It's really annoying how it's impossible to refute almost anything Celestia says.
After that, we sit in silence for a while, as the other ponies she summoned take their fucking time to get here. Thankfully, I'm not kept waiting for very long before the first pony enters the room. Surprisingly, he's familiar to me. It's that pony that talked to me about that one archway that could detect changelings.
His cerulean eyes spark with recognition when he sees me as well. He looks a little different now that he's dressed for official business. Might as well describe him this time. He's a unicorn with a light grey coat that looks recently combed. He has a slightly messy white mane that's cut short so that no stray hairs will fall in front of his face. In addition, his mane is pushed up by a set of goggles resting on the top of his head.
Before he addresses me, he bows his head briefly in respect to Celestia. “Greetings, Princess,” he says to her politely. Celestia nods and smiles, before gesturing for him to join us. As he does so, he looks at me. “Good to see you again, sir. I'm afraid I didn't get the honor of your name the last time we spoke.”
“That's because I didn't give it to you. Though I don't know why you're asking. The whole country knows about me now, right?” I point out to him. Seriously, he should already know my name.
“Pardon me. I just felt it would be more polite to exchange names personally upon our first meeting,” he explains. I notice he doesn't wince like he did the first time I snapped at him. He then gives me a polite bow of the head, but it's not as deep as the one he gave to Celestia. “My name is Dr. Flash Forward, and I'm the head of the Canterlot Science Department.”
“So you're the one who designed those archways then,” I reasoned. I guess it makes sense now why he was so willing to talk about how the archways worked to me. It's like an artist being asked to explain what inspired his work. More often than not, they're more than happy to do so.
After Flash acknowledges that assumption with a nod, Celestia politely clears her throat. “Thank you for coming, Flash. Care to join us?” she asks, though I doubt it's a request. She indicates the other seat next to her. Flash bows his head once more, and then he does what he's asked, so that now he's sitting across from me.
It isn't long before another pony enters the room. Unfortunately I don't have enough time to take in what he looks like before others follow him inside. It's like they all decided to come at once. Most of them, upon entering, greet only Celestia before sitting down at the table. A mare with reading glasses ends up sitting on my other side. Ugh, and she smells overly flowery too.
Finally, every seat at the table has been filled by official looking ponies. The last pony to enter the room shuts the door behind her, and once she takes her seat, the room is silent until Celestia decides that now's a good time to explain the reason why they're all here.
“Thank you all for coming at such short notice. I'm sure you must have been very busy,” Celestia begins, as every set of eyes in the room centers on her. Surprisingly I haven't gotten that many stares from the rest of them. Either they're not that surprised by me, or they're just hiding it well. “Let's start with introductions then, shall we?”
Celestia indicates me with a hoof. Wait, is she going to make me introduce myself? Can I not? I think all of them already know who I am. “This is Seth Rogers, Equestria's resident human,” Celestia announces, introducing me to the rest of them. Well, now I'm the center of attention, and I don't like it very much. In response to Celestia's introduction, the other ponies in the room incline their heads politely and murmur short statements of greeting. “He's already met Dr. Forward, but would the rest of you care to introduce yourselves?”
The unicorn mare next to me is the first one to respond to Celestia's request. She turns to look at me from over her glasses, her lips curving into a friendly smile. “Hello, Seth. Do you mind if I call you Seth?” she asks.
“I prefer it, actually,” I respond shortly, not sure how to react to this mare that I've just met. Though I suppose I've had worse introductions, especially if you count my initial one with Rainbow.
“Okay, Seth. I'm White Opal, the head of the Canterlot Archaeological Department,” the mare introduces herself. The funny thing is, even though her name is White Opal, there's nothing white about her. Her coat is a light sea-green, and her mane is a dark green, styled so that curling locks cascade down on side of her face, and around her neck on the other side. “It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
After a quick nod from me, the different ponies proceed to introduce themselves, though because most of them do so in a similar manner to Opal, I don't feel like describing them. However, I do feel the need to remember their names, as each one of these ponies seem like they're going to be important in this project.
So, going down the table from where Opal is sitting, we have a rugged-looking earth pony named Steel Rivet, who is both a blacksmith and the head of construction. In fact, I think that back when I was helping to repair Canterlot after the wedding, I've seen him around a few times.
Next, we've got another earth pony called Rough Hammer, who is apparently the branch representative of a major mining company situated in Manehattan (another fucking horse pun, go figure).
Then...well fuck, I didn't even see him there. It's Shining Armor, sitting at the other end of the table. When it's time for him to announce himself, he stares at me. “I believe we're already acquainted,” Shining Armor greets me tersely. Shit, how the hell did I not notice him in the first place? I guess he's hear to represent the First Regiment. I mean, it makes sense because we have all these department heads all over the place, but I'd rather it have been Blades or Spitfire. At least they don't harbor a grudge against me. I can tell by the way he's looking at me that he hasn't forgotten.
Moving on, the last pony is a strange pegasus with a light blue coat, who is wearing a black overcoat and a set of goggles on his head. His name is Gilded Skies, and according to his own proclamation, he's the one who designs and owns most of Equestria's airships. I'm guessing Celestia plans to use airships no matter what. I hope so, because I really want to see one.
“Excellent. Now, I suppose you're all curious as to the purpose of this impromptu meeting,” Celestia finally continues once the tedious introductions are out of the way. “Seth has kindly alerted us to the presence of a rather extensive human ruin located in the Everfree Forest.”
Her revelation generates mixed emotions from the other ponies. Flash and Opal look like they've just been told Christmas is coming early, while Gilded Skies raises an eyebrow and the two earth ponies emit grunts of surprise. Shining Armor looks as unmovable as ever.
“Really? Human ruins in the Everfree? And we're the first to know about it?” Opal exclaims happily. She doesn't let any of us respond so quickly though, as she shoots question after question at us. “How large are these ruins? What can we expect to find within?”
“Exciting. Truly exciting!” Flash agrees, rubbing his two front hooves together. Sheesh, these two are like children with a new toy.
“Seth, do you recall the size of the ruins? You would know more about them than I do,” Celestia asks, and once again attention is on me. Opal is looking at me with a face filled with childlike excitement and curiosity, it makes me want to groan.
“Almost four hundred acres in its entirety,” I reveal to them. Of course, I'm not entirely sure if that's the correct number, but that's why I generalized it. Even so, that's massive, and the other ponies know it. The moment that figure leaves my mouth, the shock is evident, even in Celestia's face.
Opal proceeds to squee loudly and clop her front hooves together before I can continue, bouncing in her seat. Her antics earn an irritated glance from Steel Rivet next to her. “Four hundred acres!? That's larger than any site we've ever uncovered!”she exults.
“Which leads me to question if this information is accurate,” Hammer interjects, looking at me sternly. “Opal, you should know that a site of this size existing that we don't know about is highly unlikely.”
“Not to mention the place would've fallen apart by now,” Steel Rivet adds. Their words cause the others to look at me for clarification.
“You could jump to conclusions, or you could let me finish,” I snap, irritated by their doubts. “That's how large the place was when it was pristine. I never said that it's going to be in perfect condition, nor that all of it is going to be accessible. All I know is that the building I saw was intact.”
“So you expect us to put time and effort into this based on conjecture?” Hammer questions with a raised eyebrow. Okay, now this guy is starting to piss me off.
“You heard what he said, Hammer. One building is intact, and that's more than enough for me,” Flash points out. The scientist glances to me. “Could you clarify what we can expect to find in this building?”
“I can. Most of the infrastructure is intact. You'll also find old computers, electrical devices, and likely human remains,” I explain. Most of that I mentioned to Celestia, except for the fact that there were human remains there. Celestia is giving me a questioning look, but I ignore it for now.
“Human remains? Is this a tomb that you've brought to our attention?” Opal asks curiously. I look at her, wondering if I should tell her why there would be human remains there. Eh, I'll gloss over it, but they need to know.
“Not exactly. It's a school building, but it got buried underground after a battle. I don't know the specifics,” I explain. Opal and Flash exchange glances with one another, and then they look back at me.
“I see why I was called here now,” Hammer rejoins, understanding dawning in his face. “If the whole place is underground, you want my company to help excavate it.”
“Now then, I assume you all have an understanding of why I've asked you here?”” Celestia draws attention back to herself just with that simple sentence. Come to think of it, it's odd that she just let us talk amongst ourselves rather than just tell them what to do. She receives nods from the other ponies. “Good. I feel that the presence of these ruins is too valuable a find to pass up. Therefore I'm authorizing a full archaeological expedition.”
“Oh good, I've been waiting for another human ruin! This will be so exciting!” Opal is the first to respond. Celestia smiles at her reaction.
“I'm glad you're so enthusiastic, Miss Opal, because I'd like to offer you the position of project leader,” Celestia declares. Opal's eyes widen, and then she almost falls backwards out of her chair from sheer excitement. Steel Rivet facehoofs next to her, to my amusement.
“I accept this position with honor! Oh, I can just see it now!” Opal squeals. I give her a skeptical look. This is the pony that Celestia is assigning the project? She seems more like a kid than anything else.
“Hold on, she's project leader? I thought you would be, because you're coming with us, right?” I demand. Nothing would make me feel safer down there than if Celestia was with us, especially if there's more of those...things...down there. I should probably mention that at some point as well.
“Unfortunately, I cannot. My position requires my presence in Canterlot almost constantly,” Celestia admits, much to my annoyance. I guess I'll have to rely on my own power, as well as that of whatever guards come with us. “However, I will occasionally visit, as I'm sure this project will last a while.”
I sit back, my question answered. Celestia then turns back to Opal. “Miss Opal, your job will be to organize the expedition as a whole,” she explains. That's quite a task she just got given. If Opal is daunted by the prospect, she doesn't show it. Her eyes are just glimmering with happiness. “Seth will be your advisor, and will be present when you enter the ruins themselves. I want you to work closely with him to ensure task efficiency.”
“That's right, because I know where all of the buildings will be buried, as well as their layouts,” I add.
“Seems like you'll be workin' with all of us, Seth,” Hammer rejoins, leaning over the table to see past the other ponies. “Excavating isn't cheap. If you know the most direct paths to other sites, you can save us a lot of time and effort.”
“Which leads me to my question,” Steel Rivet adds before I can respond to Hammer. “How many of these ruins can be reached from the surface?”
“Just the one I came out of. It was the highest point on campus, so the rest is even further down,” I answer. “You can get inside through the roof access, which even now can be reached from the surface.”
“That's unfortunate. I'd hoped we could begin outside the Everfree,” Steel Rivet sighs in resignation. “That forest isn't a place I relish entering.”
“You won't have to worry about anything,” Shining Armor speaks up, having been silent this whole time. Nothing really warranted any input from him, so he'd just been listening. Upon hearing him, the other ponies glance at him. “I see why my presence is necessary. You want me to send some of my troops to safeguard the civilians.”
“That's right. The Everfree Forest is a dangerous place, and requires a small contingent of guards to protect your base camp,” Celestia expresses seriously. “I don't want to hear about any ponies getting hurt over the course of this project.”
“You'll need more than that,” I interrupt before Shining Armor can respond. Celestia looks at me, raising an eyebrow. Yeah, I should probably tell them something about this now, rather than later. “The last time I was there, I ran into a monster in the ruins. Assuming there's any more, we might need some guards to come with us into the ruins as well.”
“Monster? Specifically, what kind of monster?” Flash inquires, looking interested. “There are quite a lot of predatory creatures in the forest, after all.”
“I don't think it's your commonplace predator. It's difficult to explain,” I say, giving Celestia a meaningful look. She tilts her head to one side, trying to read my nonverbal expression no doubt. “It was like a pony, except with claws. It didn't seem to feel pain, either. Like I said, I'm not sure if there's any more of them, but it's worth mentioning.”
“Thank you for warning us. Shining Armor, I'll leave it up to you on how many guards to send,” Celestia affirms. Shining Armor nods and goes back to listening, having spoken his part. “I'd also like to bring it to your attention that we will be needing a way to transport supplies and equipment from here to the site.”
“Which is why you brought me here, I assume,” Gilded Skies says, speaking for the first time since this gathering began. “Just let me remind you that my airships are the best in Equestria. They don't come cheap.”
“I remember. After all, this is hardly the first time we've done business,” Celestia replies. Then, the princess stands up, sweeping her gaze across the table, looking at each one of us. “Now, I believe I've explained to you all what I expect of you. Miss Opal, the rest is up to you.”
“Wait, you're leaving? There's still so much to figure out!” I demand, looking at Celestia incredulously.
“I'm not in charge of the project, Seth. I'm here to assign a budget and choose the ponies most suited to the job,” Celestia reminds me, smiling. “Trust Miss Opal. She knows what she's doing.”
Next to me, Opal proceeds to clap her hooves to her cheeks and squee again, pleased at the praise Celestia just gave her. You know, looking at this mare with whom I'll be working, it doesn't seem like she's the kind of pony that can organize such a high cost project. And according to Steel Rivet's expression, he doesn't think so either.
Celestia moves towards the door, opening it with her magic. “I have a few preparations to make before I withdraw the funds needed for this expedition. Miss Opal, I'll provide you with a budget as soon as I can. Plan for the usual amount in the meantime,” she orders. Then, she looks at me. “I'll be visiting Ponyville before this evening to finalize payment on your house and furnishings. I'll send somepony to fetch you when I do.”
“Sure, I guess,” I remark, though I'm glad I'll be able to go back to Ponyville before tonight. What makes things better is that when I do, I'm getting a house. I bet Vinyl will be happy to see me move out of her spare room at last.
With that, Celestia leaves the room and I'm left with these six other ponies that I'm completely unfamiliar with. Except Shining Armor, but having him around is worse than being alone with ponies I don't know.
Almost immediately, Opal gets serious, levitating a notepad and quill to her with her magic. “All right then, you heard the princess. I'm the project leader, so I'm going to make sure that our efforts benefit both our culture and our treasury,” she declares, scribbling something down on the notepad.
“That's a sentiment I can agree with,” Flash remarks, and then he too retrieves a notepad from his lab coat. I guess they all plan to take notes on this. “I think my job is pretty clear cut in this case. I'm to bring some of my fellow scientists and equipment to analyze what human technology we can uncover, right?”
“That's correct, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. First things first, we need to specify a location for the base camp on the surface,” Opal asserts, looking at Steel Rivet. “Steel, we will likely be needing your services in this regard.”
“I figured you would. This place is in the middle of the Everfree Forest. Unless you feel like camping in the ruins, some of those trees need to come down,” Steel Rivet agrees. He seems to be putting aside his distaste for Opal now that she seems to be all about business. “But that causes a problem in and of itself. Some of those trees can defend themselves.”
“Hold on, what? How can a tree defend itself? It's a tree,” I ask, raising an eyebrow. Steel Rivet looks at me in surprise, as if he legitimately thinks I should know what he's talking about.
“The Everfree Forest is possibly one of the most dangerous places in Equestria. Even the princesses don't know everything about what foul creatures lurk in there,” Shining Armor answers me. Huh, he's actually talking to me. Good to know he can talk business without bringing his own personal feelings into it. “Some of the trees have magical properties and should be approached with care.”
“Good thing I'm here, then. I happen to know a variety of magical countermeasures,” Flash responds, writing more notes. “I'll bring my partner; he's very good at countering natural defense enchantments.”
“Do so, then,” Opal orders. She then turns back to Steel Rivet. “Yes, we will need to clear an area around the entry point that Seth mentioned. Likely the opening will have to be enlarged, as well.”
“It will. There's no way you're getting heavy equipment down there without doing as much,” I tell her, remembering the tiny ass roof access that I'd had to escape through. “The problem is doing that without wrecking the roof's integrity. Because if the roof caves in, there goes the camp.”
“That's what I'm here for. I have ponies in my jurisdiction that understand human architecture, and I'm good at setting up supports for unstable structures. You didn't think Hammer here would be able to tunnel without support, did you?” Steel Rivet reminds me. Hammer grunts in agreement. I guess they have a point. Tunnels are known to collapse under their own weight at times, so support is necessary. Guess I forgot about that much.
“Which brings me to my initial point,” Opal re-enters, peering at the two earth ponies. “Steel, we're going to need equipment. That means wood, tools, canvas, and ponies to provide physical labor. It's possible that we can use the trees you fell to form a defensive wall, to make defending the camp easier.”
“That's a good idea, especially if you sharpen the protruding branches. A barricade will make it much easier on my guards,” Shining Armor agrees. “But we also need to think about how to bring this equipment to the site.”
“That's a good point. Seth, how deep in the Everfree is the entry point?” Opal questions me. And then there's me, sitting here and answering questions, pretending that I'm as smart as the rest of them. Seriously, I just want to go back to the school. I didn't think it would be this complicated to figure out. “Would it be feasible to ferry supplies to Ponyville by train, and then enter the forest from there?”
“Probably not. The entry point isn't on the path, and it's pretty far in if I remember right,” I answer, straining my mind to remember the events of that night. Though I couldn't really take it in much because I was running like an idiot from a pack of timberwolves, Scooby Doo style.
“I see. In that case, Gilded Skies, we're going to be relying on you,” Opal decides, glancing at the mostly quiet pegasus.
“If you want my airships, I expect four hundred bits a day. And that's just for one,” Gilded Skies replies, meeting Opal's gaze with his own. I whistle quietly to myself at that figure. That's quite a number. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Just renting a boat can cost hundreds of dollars in my time. If you tried to rent a blimp, I bet that would number in the thousands.
“That much? Can't you lower it a little, because this is royal business?” Opal cajoles, doing her best to look adorable. Gilded Skies raises an eyebrow, and then he scoffs.
“So? Money is money, and airships aren't cheap to maintain. Princess Celestia understands that, and pays my usual rate,” Gilded Skies asserts irritably. “I repeat. Four hundred bits per day, per airship. Or you're going to have to find another way of getting your equipment there safely.”
“Just do it, Opal. There's no point in arguing when he has all the cards,” I snap at her. Opal looks at me, but she soon sighs, realizing I'm right.
“At least one of us has a basic understanding of the situation,” Gilded Skies comments, giving an approving nod to me, while his lip curls up slightly in contempt. I wasn't looking for compliments. I'm just telling it like it is. “It's a good thing you have him working with you, Opal.”
The underlying insult to the project leader doesn't go unnoticed. The other ponies wince slightly and look to Opal to see how she will react. She stares back at Gilded Skies with a neutral expression. “Very well, I accept your price,” Opal says after a tense silence. “We'll be needing two airships then. We need one to carry the equipment and other cargo, and another to carry the expeditionary force.”
“Now, that's something I can understand,” Gilded Skies says with a grin. He gets to his hooves and steps away from the table. “Looks like my job here is done. Once you've got a date decided on, come find me, and I'll draft up a contract.”
“Leaving already?” Opal asks in surprise. “We've got so much more to discuss, though! Don't you want to be present for that?”
“Why would I be? Honestly if Princess Celestia hadn't asked for me directly, I wouldn't have come to this,” Gilded Skies shoots back. “As far as I can tell, all you need me for are the airships. I don't have any obligation to stick around.”
“I guess you don't. All right, I suppose I'll see you when it's time to make our arrangements?” Opal admits with a sigh. Not only was she insulted by this guy, but he also shut her down with logic and is clearly disrespecting her wishes by leaving in the middle of a discussion.
“Indeed you will. I'll probably be tagging along on your little expedition. After all, I'm interested to see what the fuss is all about with these hairless monkeys,” Gilded Skies remarks, and then with a mocking bow, he retreats from the room. A silence falls across the five remaining ponies and I, until I finally say the first thing that comes to my mind.
“That guy is a bit of an asshole,” I quip. Opal and Flash look at me in shock, both of them probably being well versed in human culture enough to know what that means. There's another silence, and then Opal loses her composure and chokes with laughter.
Flash slowly facehoofs at my remark, while Steel Rivet shoots Opal an annoyed glance as the mare giggles and snorts like a filly. “You called him a...oh dear Celestia!” she tries to get out, but dissolves back into helpless laughter. I grin a bit and shake my head. I certainly didn't intend my comment to bring her so much amusement, but that's fine if she likes that kind of humor.
“Right, now if we can compose ourselves,” Hammer interrupts, looking annoyed at Opal's undignified display. His words get Opal to force down her laughs and retain some measure of professionalism. “There's still a lot of details to be ironed out. If my ponies and I are going to be tunneling, we're going to need some equipment of our own. Lights, for one. Without them we'll be digging around in the dark.”
“You have a fair point. I'll have to direct some bits to your company so you can supply yourself,” Opal admits, writing something in her notepad. She's probably been taking notes in that thing so she doesn't forget any vital details. “The same goes for you, Steel. You will likely receive a significant portion of the budget, as you are the one who needs the most equipment. Your role is vital, after all.”
“What about ponies? How many scientists should I bring, for instance?” Flash rejoins after Steel Rivet acknowledges Opal with a nod.
“I'll leave that up to your discretion. You know the individual members of your departments better than I do,” Opal answers, which seems to satisfy Flash well enough, as he smiles and writes something down in his notepad.
“Speaking of which, Rogers.” Shining Armor enters the conversation once more, staring at me with a stern expression. “How strong was this monster you faced?”
“We're back to the monster again?” I ask, having thought that subject was done with. Shining Armor doesn't respond, as he's still waiting for an answer. “Well, it was really tough. It downright tore me to pieces. It didn't feel pain and wouldn't die from seemingly lethal blows. I had to bash its head in completely before it would fall,"
"I see; so you're saying it's incredibly resilient...or is it undead?" Shining Armor questioned. His bringing up undead causes a murmur of trepidation to pass over the group.
"Maybe? Hell if I know what an undead looks like...but it was down there for thousands of years, so may be right about that," I respond, shrugging.
"This just got a lot more complicated. Undead are troublesome beings. What types of weapons did it have?" Shining Armor continued.
"Claws and teeth, both of which I've seen go through hardwood and metal like nothing," I answer. the captain pauses, taking several moments to ponder the situation now that he had all the details.
“I'm not letting civilians go into the forest where there's even a small possibility of running into something like that,” Shining Armor states firmly, pressing a hoof on the table. “Not without being adequately protected. I'm sending Commander Iron with you.”
“Oh? I've heard of his power, and it's very reassuring to know he'll be protecting us,” Opal responds, smiling.
“Iron's coming with us? Isn't he the second in command for the First Regiment? Are you sure you can spare him for a simple archaeological dig?” I point out. I mean, I wouldn't object to Iron coming along, but that's not all we have to think about. “What if Chrysalis comes back? Don't you need him here?”
My mention of Chrysalis causes Shining Armor's expression to look a little strained, as if he were trying to hold back anger. That probably wasn't a good idea on my part. “If she returns, then Princess Celestia and I will be more than capable of handling the situation ourselves,” Shining Armor tells me, an edge in his voice. “Rest assured that Canterlot will be in good hooves, even with Commander Iron's absence.”
“Not that I'm complaining. That guy's probably stronger than I am, what with those weapons of his,” I remark, sitting back and crossing my arms. Shining Armor is still angry at me for Chrysalis, but I'm not going to let him intimidate me. Bitch, I fought someone far stronger than you. You'll have to do better than that if you want to be scarier than Chrysalis.
“Hm...how about we wrap things up here? We all have much work to do, now that you understand what we're dealing with,” Opal interrupts, closing her notepad. Oh thank god, is this meeting finally ending? I'm so done with this. I was done with this after giving Celestia the location. Hopefully now I can go home, because there's not much I can do now until the expedition starts.
“Sounds good to me. I have to gather my equipment and pick out my best scientists,” Flash agreed, standing up from the table. The other ponies do the same as well, though Shining Armor quickly leaves the room after a quick farewell to Opal, not even giving me a glance on his way out.
“I'll contact you as soon as I can give you an estimate on costs,” Steel Rivet says, standing up alongside Rough Hammer, who echoes his sentiments. “Let us know when you have a budget for us.”
With that, Opal and I are soon the only ones in the room. Honestly I have nothing to do until Celestia sends for me, so I'm in no rush to leave.
“Well then. There's so much to be done. I must say, thank you so much for letting us know about these ruins,” Opal says to me once we're alone. “The chance to visit ruins that stretch for miles is the opportunity of a lifetime!”
“I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it so I can go back. I have things I need to do,” I snap back at her. Opal flinches at the edge in my voice.
“I see. Well, nevertheless, I am grateful to be able to study this place. And if I can help you in the process, all the better, I say,” Opal responds with a smile. I raise an eyebrow at that. She doesn't even know me, so what does she care if she helps me or not?
I don't get very much time to dwell on it before Opal suddenly squeals happily and tugs on my arm. “Let's go! I want to show you something!” she exclaims, and then I'm forced to follow her out of the room.
Ugh, what have I gotten myself into this time?
God, this chapter was so difficult to get out. So much writer's block. Sorry about the wait, but here it is.
So as you can see, the focus of this chapter was to hash out the details of the expedition. In other words, you can see how complicated this was to think out. I have to thank my editor, Castwing, for this, as he would hit me over the head with a metaphorical stick every time I'd write something without thinking it through.
Also, these chapters will probably be once a week now unless inspiration strikes me. I think I've spoiled you all far too much at this point with all these bidaily updates 
Also, leave your comments for me pleez! I especially want to know what you think of my new plethora of OCs.
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I like it, though I'm kind of curious if she'll explode when he tells her their going to a college. Archeologists finding a site of advanced learning? I'm surprised she isn't in cardiac arrest from shock!
Hells yeah, new chapter.
Also, they get to find information on why humans were deaded. So yay for them. I bet there will be some very important relevant discovery that is linked to the Crystal Empire.
Also, I can picture this like a Tomb Raider mission where the A.I. (people who aren't main characters) stands about being useless and the player (Seth) opens all the doors and does everything.
My prediction is something will fall down and they get split up and then the oppressed ambush them. Finally, the oppressed are back(ish), I've been waiting for ages.
5199096 And they get info on why humans died (I think)
Good, a few spelling mistakes at the beginning, and not enough Lyra for a HUMAN RUIN.
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Eh, I'm a musician, and mos of these scenes were inspired by music, so I link in songs for the reader to listen to while they read. It helps set the mood.
Not a lot happened narratively speaking, but overall I quite liked this chapter. As not much really happens, I'll focus more on the new characters rather then plot development.
Starting off we have Flash Forward (I don't know what it is but his name just makes me chuckle for some reason). After his brief discussion with Seth about the changling arches, I honestly hadn't expected to see him again, but it's nice to see more characters returning, like Swift Lance last chapter. He doesn't seem as obsessed as Twilight does about learning, but he comes across like a kid in a candy store with his exuberance. I can see Seth growing a little irritated with him (probably not full on angry, but more like how he feels after extended exposure to Pinkie Pie or Twilight), but Twilight will definitely get along great with him. Rainbow will probably be a little indifferent, but overall shouldn't have any reason to dislike him besides him going a little to egghead-y for her tastes.
Next we have Opal, and she I really liked. She's like a combination of Twilight and Fluttershy with her joy for learning, but being a little shy and easily startled. While Seth doesn't seem to care much for her, with her current position as team leader, he'll likely have to work with her a fair bit, so this may change (or just get him angrier...it's 50/50 really
). She definitely seems to know a bit about human tech, but with Seth hanging around, she'll probably end up getting corrected a lot.
Opal: Wow look some sort of electrically powered death ray!
Seth: That's a hair dryer genius
Opal:... I knew that... you're mean
Hammer hasn't really shown much personality here so I can't say what he'll be like, but he seems gruff, so Seth will likely try to ignore him for the most part. I can see Hammer getting irritated by the scientist's enthusiasm. Maybe he'll make friends with Rainbow, bonding over how non egghead-y they are
.
I really liked Gilded Skies. Seth could immediately see the type of guy he was and saw how he thought. I can forsee them either getting along really great (to everyone, bar maybe Rainbow's, annoyance) or hating each other. It's hard to tell this early, but future interactions should be interesting.
Next up we see Shining Armour again. While he isn't straight yelling at Seth, Shining has far from forgotten Canterlot. His grudge is likely going to be an issue for Seth this arc, though Shining might get an earful from Twilight when she finds out (while Rainbow just watches unsure whether to back Seth up or laugh as Captain Shining gets berated by his little sister
). Interesting to hear that Iron will be coming along. This should please Rainbow and Seth as they got along swimmingly with him during their previous meetings. I don't think he's had any interaction with Twilight though. I wonder what she'll make of him? either way it will be good to him again.
As I said, overall not much actually happened, so there's not really much more to comment on. Be cool to see what Seth thinks of Equestrian airships (actually be interesting to see what Rainbow and Twilight think too, since the only mane 6 member to see an airship in canon is Rarity). I look forward to Opal's surprise next chapter and seeing Rainbow's reaction to how complex getting to the school has become. Good work
and now i am all caught up to the story. i like how you are having all the characters show...well character in the first instances they are revealed. and i cant wait to see the ruined school again. though i am surprised that seth didn't mention something along the lines of "if anyone finds a bag or a satchel of some kind let me know immediately. that is mine!"
Either road, cant wait for the next chapter,...now i need to find something to do with my days
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Chapter 12 of oh let's see, 66? It's a slow process but sometimes a character takes time to get through. Trust me, I'm at 34 and he's just starting to come around. If you haven't noticed the time hasn't been going too fast in those chapters you been doing. Sure Seth is a total jerk, but it's what makes him a bit interesting to handle. From the way things seem to go you are supposed to hate him. But it will only make the possible turn around all that better when you start noticing you don't hate him as much anymore. He's not going to let go of just everything in such a short time.
5226936
I'm not saying it doesn't get better. And I'm not opposed to a slow start. I can even deal with asshole protagonists: I just need a reason to. Charming narration, something to laugh or smile at, even some goddam self-awareness. But Seth gave me twelve chapters of whiny jackassery and then topped it off by trying to top himself.
He could change for the better. In fact, given how low he fell when I dropped off, I'm sure I was just at the turning point. But I just don't want to spend another 50+ chapters with a character I find repugnant.
But if you can, then good on you. You're made of sterner stuff than I.
EDIT: actually, upon rereading your cocomment I realized you said he only just started getting better at ch34. I wish someone could have told me that earlier.
5229785 I think he gets better before that. It's just towards certain people.
Aww, Seth! You should have taken that chair!
Dammit, Seth! So, 50.000 bits was hardly enough for it! You should have told Celestia that sooner!
Finally! I just waited for him to bring that point across!
You know i have to wonder; A common reference to the human race is 'man', would that make 'Manhattan' a sort of pun as well if viewed in the right way?
I almost thought Blueblood would show up and Seth would tear him a new one
6727469 Same thing with Manchester or humansville.
So no mention of how those ruins might cause the zombie apocalypse all over again? No? OK, cool, I guess.
In the newer version of the chapter, the gun doesn't work anymore, so this is a lie.
The titular Oppressed really freak me out, just the way you introduced them way back in the rewritten chapter. In a dark 3000 year old ruin (which has creepy secrets probably, if the elevator crash scene is anything to go by. Not to mention it's where humanity made its last stand, and King Sombra was there too) out for blood.Technically it was just one, but it left an impression. Creepy as hell.
I love reading comments way in the future,little do these people know~