This chapter in particular. Easily my favorite of Volume One, and possibly my personal favorite of the serial.
It makes a strong standalone. Most of what needs to be known to follow the story is explained upfront, and the somewhat cartoony somewhat explicit tone is setup almost immediately in the first few paragraphs.
Loads of memorable moments. Fun, drama, sadness, confusion, and surprises sprinkled here and there.

When I think of Project Horizons, this is the chapter that sets most of the mental images that immediately spring to my mind. Stone simply fits right in my quirky set of tastes more than anything else I have ever read, and I adore it for that.

Well damn... I don't think I like Lancer, the bastard Dx Killed his Zebra breathren? How dare he! D:
But awesome chapter well done, and lol to Blackjack, wanting to press a button 8'D
Cheerilee a hardcore teacher with guns... I love that mental image 8D

Nicely done!
ONE MORE TA GO!

“The war is never over, Security,”

What the hell are the "winning" criteria then? Seems like there is only losing criteria.

Achievement unlocked:abolition

Acievement Unlocked!

The War Is Never Over

Kill Gorgon

Shite, once again Blackjack should've listened to the Crusaders, I guess...

Poor Gorgon, P-21's joke had been right, he did just want to be loved. I read up to around chapter 50 when this was on Google docs

That was THE best chapter ending. :D

I'm impressed you didn't go for the classic mythology victory over Gorgon. Considerably more impressive is your restraint in deciding which fights to show.

The war is never over. The war never changes.

6408111 It's stated at some point the Reminant believe that even if only one zebra was left alive, they would win if every pony was dead. Dumbest philosopy I've ever heard.

The following is the only thing I can imagine Blackjack was thinking when she looked at the red button.

45.media.tumblr.com/c90f0711a77d6f268d4133ab2f063a59/tumblr_n8rzr3fntC1tvrvyso1_250.gif

Why must you be so tempting to press, red button?

6676497 what is gorgon?

7062704
You just read a chapter about him, right? <.<

7062704
Well, if you mean what the mythology was, they were three creatures from Greek mythology, only one of which (Medusa) was mortal, who were such that anyone who saw their face would turn to stone.

If you mean the character, the best way to learn that is to read a few more chapters.

What? I wasn’t…” I huffed and made a big show of checking my shotgun. When we were ready to move on I glanced at the button again. Someday… Alarm? Self-destruct device? Buzzer? Decoration? Arrrrgh!

Muffin button

7065715 to be exact, the two older sisters are immortal but their gaze is not petrifying. Only medusa is mortal and can turn people to stone.

The 'gorgon' in this chapter looks like a chimera with medusa's power

7356490 I thought that Gorgon was a Dragon or Manticore that had merged wit a cockatrice or something.

. That just bumped him above Deus on the what-the-fuckometer

Will them lols never end

Why so much description about the red button. hahaha. Fucking nice chapter. Why won't Zebras be nice :(

Ahhhhh the inconspicuous big red button, must press. Must. Find. Out. What. Do

Umm...so does this mean Blackjack is a certified Reaper now?
Or...what?

6906436 it mirrors either a movie or a real life general. I think it went " if there was tow Americans and only one Russian left, we would win"

“Anyway… I just wanted to warn you. He’s in the mine. So dynamite and internal grenades if we can swing it?” I looked at P-21. He nodded. “Zappy zappy disintegration fun from above?” Glory, still embarrassed, gave a nod. “Shoot him in the eye?” I asked Lancer. He looked thoughtful and then nodded stiffly, seeming quite put out by taking a suggestion from me. “If all that doesn’t work… I’ll try something stupid.” Both Glory and P-21 winced.

It’s like I’m watching a RPG group planning session...I love this.

That ending though...

“Of all the shit going on my life,

“Of all the shit going on in my life,

He cried out, wetting himself as the he curled up in a fetal position.

Extra 'the'

Multiple reasons to name this chapter as just Stone. It just works. The beginning part of the chapter is just fun. The Roosevelt Academy ponified and good bits of humor. That exposition on the Proditor zebras up to the twist ending really shows why red striped zebras have a rough occupation. If the ending's ones were red striped, at all. Good reason not to fully trust a mysterious sniper. As I remembered why. The foreshadowing helps explain it with closer attention to detail.
Don't press that shiny red button, it's.. something bad.

I like how Glory cursed in a mutter, and Blackjack said that's her line. Good thing the pertification process ends once the Gorgon is slain. I completely forgot Glory, P-21, and Lancer all got turned to stone for a moment. Can't say the same for the broken statues, they're permanent. Also, props to this chapter for showing the just-living and humanizing (equinizing?) side of a gang from multiple walks of life of former raiders/slavers, etc of the Pecos gang. Which I found interesting, Pecos was a Native American term, for the Pecos Pueblo and more. So to have the gang dress up as cowponies, is quite funny. Good timing for Blackjack's crew to find the Pecos gang on the crappy end of a deal. Blackjack fit right in with them at the bar, besides the whole interrogation attempt. I quite enjoyed the Pecos' introduction part of the chapter, Blackjack didn't have to fight them at all, so I guess her crew just stayed back until the mine plan was ready. Guess loyalty can be easily bought when you treat your protectors like brahmin shit. I don't pity that arrogant mine operation, they just got a new brand of ownership.

And we were doomed because I was going to have to come up with a plan. Me. The not a smart pony.

"and you let HER come up with plans? on purpose?!" (someone said that about Littlepip in FE)

8372195
Curiosity almost killed the blackjack

That ending... damn.

That sick fucker!!

little did they know that blackjack and granted gorgons wish of finally killing him. The only reason the petrified people are still alive is because he unfroze them as he was dying. Just because it was the right to do.

. P-21 taught himself to pick locks and hack terminals when he wasn’t even supposed to be allowed to read.

Make you wonder why the even allowed the stallions to go to school? I doubt any of the mares cared that much about their breeder being a good conversation partner.

Was I wrong to let them live?

Of course, just think of all the lot and XP you missed out.

Serious answer: When they tried to claim the bounty on your head, they became fair game. They also knew that the bounty was placed by Deus (aka Mr. Murderrape) and Usury (becaue Blackjack killed slavers). So they can’t claim that they thought Blackjack was a bad pony and that the bounty was justified.

Also would they have hesitated if the same amount of caps has been offered for somepony else? Somepony less able to fight back than the worst Security Pony of Stable 99 who kills dragons for breakfast? Probably not! They decided to throw away their morals for quick cash.

However, one also needs to take in account how much “evil” things they’ve done before trying to capture Blackjack and how much evil they’re likely going to cause in the near future because Blackjack left them alive. Based on the limited knowledge we have, this was probably a one-time occurrence. The chance of another 10,000 caps bounty passing through their town are incredible slime and the beating they received may be a humbling experience for them. Probably also get a lot of shit from the other ponies in town for being so stupid.

So in my very personal opinion,no, it wasn’t wrong to show them mercy.

Didn’t she realize I wasn’t a good pony? I wasn’t a hero. I was just trying to do better because everywhere I looked I saw things getting worse and worse and the only thing that made any sense was trying to make it better.

Isn’t that exactly what a hero is supposed to do? Trying to make things better in a crappy world? Even when the odds are against you?

“I was just looking for some alone time with my buckfriend…”

Buckfriend sounds really weird. Why not just use clotfriend?

“Very well. Please carry your hall passes with you at all times or risk vaporization.”

“Halt! Present hall pass!”

vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/familyguy/images/e/ef/Ed209.jpg/revision/latest?cb=200907161938550716193855[/url]

Whoever thought that robots acting as Hall Monitors inside a school needed deadly weapons, deserves to be punched in the face repentantly.

She looked over at P-21. “You were probably a much more diligent student,” she said to him. I winced. Please don’t bite her head off, I silently begged.

Oh right, she doesn’t know Stable 99. Can’t wait to see her reaction when she learns what kind of place it is.

‘The Proditor, or ‘traitors’ in the zebra tongue, were those few zebras willing and allowed to fight for Equestria against their own kind. Using talismans to permanently alter their stripe color, they fought with distinction until being phased out due to security concerns

I thought they used potions to turn their stripes red, not talismans?

This left me alone in the second floor of the library and looking out at Brimstone's Fall. And we were doomed because I was going to have to come up with a plan. Me. The not a smart pony.

You have two smart ponies around you. Just tell them your plan and ask for feedback. Nopony said Blackjack is the only one allowed to make plans.

And if the plan is still stupid and result in deaths and misery, its everypony’s fault and Blackjack doesn’t have to only blame herself.

Slavers gots ta have a license outta Paradise to be slavers. Otherwise they’d just make slaves of each other. The licenses are, like, super expensive.

So ponies are willing to pay Usury for the right to sell slaves to her and its working. Now wonder she’s making a lot more caps than Bottlecap.

I wanted the slavers out of operation, but niggling questions kept popping up. What’d stop another band from returning to the mines? I could blow the mines, assuming P-21 had the skills and the mine had the dynamite. What about the slaves that had nowhere to go? Sending them to Stockyard was hardly a sure bet, and sending them anywhere else would be making them bait for raiders or more slavers.

For a supposedly not so clever pony you put a lot of thoughts into this.

“Okay, Lancer. Like I said. I don’t think you want to kill me. I’d rather not kill you.”
“Liar,” he said quietly. “All ponies do. It is what you live for.”
“Of all the shit going on my life, you’re telling me I’m going to get killed over a war that was over two centuries ago?”
“The war is not over. The Remnant persists,” he answered.

Careful Blackjack, I think he has s second rifle stuck inside his butt.

Help me out here Lancer, what are you long term goals? There’s no longer any kind of Zebra government that’s giving you orders and support. Neither is there one big Pony government. So who exactly is the opponent you’re fighting against? Ponies in general? That basically makes you a saner Raider with a delusions of working for a greater cause.

“He’s a bad zebra. The Remnants… they do terrible things, Blackjack,” the filly said as she shivered. “We can’t stay here. Soon as we can, we’re gonna run. Robots won’t chase us far if they catch us at all.”

Okay that really screams Raiders with a delusions of working for a greater cause. Also remember what happened last time you decided not to listen the Crusader filly.

“You’re supposed to be protecting them, but they’ll snatch you if you’re alone?”
“Yup. We’re not ‘licensed’ with Paradise, so better not be near the mine on your lonesome. They’ll invite you in and then never let you leave.”

So the slavers just decided to be morons for now reason and antagonize the group of armed Ponies that are supposed to help protecting their slave mine from danger. Giving Blackjack just the opportunity she needs to turn them against the slavers. What a lucky coincidence.

Feels a bit too convenient for my taste. It would’ve been better if the Pecos had no alliance with the slavers. It wouldn’t really change much but helped making the slavers look less stupid.

And apparently banditry and slaving was hard work: one mistake or misjudged target and you were dead.

Which countless slavers and raiders who ran into Blackjack can confirm – if they weren’t death.

“Who the fuck are you really?” I just looked at her, pulling off the glasses to look straight into her eyes. She shook her head slowly. “No… fuck… no… no you’re not… no fucking way…”

She didn’t instantly wet herself when she realized who Marigold really was. I’m impressed!

If you really don’t care about slaves then yell for the others. I wouldn’t blame you. And I won’t kill you. But if you do want to do something about those slaves, then help me.

She’s really putting a lot of trust into this mare, she only met a few hours ago.

“Well, they do much more damage than energy beams. There’s a chance it can start a chain reaction that… well… disintegrates things.”

Glory is awfully excited about having found a weapon than can turn ponies to dust. Guess Blackjack is rubbing off on her.

“Anyway… I just wanted to warn you. He’s in the mine. So dynamite and internal grenades if we can swing it?” I looked at P-21. He nodded. “Zappy zappy disintegration fun from above?” Glory, still embarrassed, gave a nod. “Shoot him in the eye?” I asked Lancer. He looked thoughtful and then nodded stiffly, seeming quite put out by taking a suggestion from me.

Sounds almost like solid plan. Far better better than just rushing at him and shooting wildly aka the usual Blackjack plan.

I stared at the red button on the wall, chewing my hoof. What did it do?

Uh oh! Don’t like at the button, Blackjack! It’s a trap! You will be compelled to push it.

Gorgon rose to his hooves, stretching languidly, first his bleached white wings and then his powerful legs. “Scatter!” I yelled, barely audible over the din of the machinery in the booming cavity.

Time to play the Boss theme!

“See this! Sanguine wants this!” I yelled right into Gorgon’s face, and for the first time since the battle started, he balked. “You turn it to stone and the data is fucked!”

Clever girl!

The teeth slammed down with a dry explosion of ribs, his mouth opening wide as bloody organs spewed over my legs. The jaws withdrew and Gorgon’s glowing eyes stared up at me for one final moment before the jaws slammed shut.

A horrible way to go! Even for somepony like him.

“For your treason against the fallen Caesar...” The stream of ‘pffft’s filled my ears as I watched him butcher every buck, mare, and foal with stripes. When the shots ended, not a pony raised a rifle to stop him. Everypony seemed paralyzed... even me. “The war is never over, Security,”

Well, fuck you Lancer! You just managed to reach the top spot on the list of characters I want to see die slowly and painful.

Still, he’s able to kill twelve Zebras and nopony has any time to react? And none of the Zebras tries to run away or doing anything? They just wait patiently until they’re all death? Maybe if he was using an automatic rifle, but that doesn’t seem the case.

Blackjack’s On-screen Body Count: 81

I blinked at her and then grinned. “Let me guess: your first time?”

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“I’m gonna go lay down, Dusty,” Tumbleweed said, the brown mare giving me a grateful smile. “Thanks for the medicine, ma’am.” There was something in her vacuous eyes that bothered me. She kept… twitching. And swallowing.

Oh.
She was already infected when Jackie met her. Fun.
Assuming Weeds was the infected one...

I can't believe he killed them all 😢

My reaction to the end of this chapter.
Jontron what? WTF!!! - YouTube

And I thought Lancer would be the Xenith of the group. What a strange turn of events