28: A Reflection in Motion
I stand beside Blaze, his wing over me, holding me close as I listen to Big Mac and my son announce that the gate is confirmed. My son. In some ways I just want to run over and hug him tightly, but I know he doesn’t know me, he wouldn’t recognize me.
I only have a few fleeting memories of him, ghosts from past dreams, but I still feel so proud of him. For all he’s done, I really did wish he could recognize me. With what is coming though, to take back Equestria, I don’t think he needs the burden.
Ah-Pee trots up beside me, “I heard you finally admitted it.”
Blaze and I blush very hard, it probably could have been more public. He could have done that on national TV. As it was there were likely about 60 or 70 ponies who heard us declare our feelings.
Cipher giggled bouncing up on the other side of us, “Somewhere Bronies are screaming about their waifu.”
“Wait, what?” I looking at Cipher in confusion.
“Never mind, internet stuff.” She says with an innocent smile.
Calling out direction to the gate, Big Mac asks that anyone with extra room in vehicles help transport ponies. And there are a lot of them here. Even with the parking lot of cars I wasn’t sure if everyone would fit.
“LT can we pack a few into the JLTV’s?” I say, looking over at him.
“Yep, we can probably take an extra six or so with us. Though I wonder why the pegasi aren’t just going to fly there.” The LT says, looking down at Fleetfoot.
“Radar signature of that many pegasi heading there, we’d have the military all over there in no time. I think we want to get as many ponies through the gate before any conflict happens.”
“Point, I keep forgetting the vast majority of the military and civilians don’t know about you guys.”
“And more than a few out there still want to do us harm.” Ah-Pee sighs.
Eric chuckles softly, “Hey not all humans are bad. I personally know a few that are nice.”
“Prove it,” Cipher says with a giggle.
“Ok, easy, I won’t make you walk back to the JLTV’s.” Turning, he grabs Henry by the arm, “Come on, let’s go get them and bring them up to the parking lot.”
*** Early 1830 ***
The Colonel looked down across the scrub land from his horse, members of B Company of the Mounted Ranger Battalion have been pushing southwest after hostiles. There had been reports of raids against several settler wagons in the area, and Colonel Richardson is going to put a stop to it.
“Sir, village down there, mostly farmers, Hopi I think. We’re way too far south for the Lokota. They don’t travel into this area.”
“We had word that they were raiding from this area, now we find a village right here.” The Colonel said.
Spurring his horse he turned, riding down towards the village “Fan out, search the huts, if they resist kill them. If you find any weapons confiscate them by act of the US Congress.”
Quickly the force moved around the small village. The natives here looked on in fear, unsure of what was going on, one of the Ranger scouts called out in Hopi, “We are looking for warriors that have been attacking settlers north of here.”
An old man walked forward bowing his head, responding, in Hopi. “Please, we are a farming community, we honor the spirits of the land, we do not fight or raid.”
Several of the rangers began searching huts, causing many of the women and children to start crying. Using their rifle butts, several of the rangers grouped the men together to ensure control of the situation.
“Sir, nothing but a few hand axes’, and farming tools,” the sergeant called from one of the huts.
“Runner!” One of the rangers called out, and 3 quickly turned to follow the person as they ran up a ravine.
Grabbing his rifle, the Colonel turned and took aim. Firing a single shot the sound echoed up the ravine. As the native fell he smiled, “Check him and see where he was going.”
One little girl, probably no older than six, broke free and ran to the body crying and hugging it.
Dismounting, the Colonel walked over to the body as one of the younger rangers searched it. “No weapons sir, just this.” He said holding up an ancient wooden water flask. The metal bands around it had tarnished but still showed a bit of the spiral engravings on them.
Taking the flask the Colonel examined it, and then dropping it to the ground he crushed it under foot, “Tell them this is what happens to those that defy the Congress. If they don’t like it, move further south."
“Sir, you might want to see this,” the sergeant called down from the hill side in up higher in the ravine.
Moving up the Colonel whistled, there were several smaller marble blocks as well as one large one probably weighing several tons scattered around. Several small wooden dolls of different creatures and deer lay around the area or sat on the rocks.
One of the horses was whickering and tossing its head nuzzling the largest of the marble blocks, which had one sided polished to a mirror like shine.
“Well now, place has some resources, we should let the fort know, some of the settlers might want to start mining this area. In the meantime, have the natives load this stuff up into the wagons. There doing some construction back east, have it shipped back there.”
Saluting the men went to work. “Yes sir!”
*** Velvet ***
We arrive in Dubuque and pull up to a parking area near the school grounds. There were already buses and trucks pulling up as well, unloading ponies by the hundreds. It is amazing to see, there must be thousands of us here.
We settle down to listen to the orders being called out, apparently we are now on a countdown to go through the gate. I can see my son and daughter coordinating actions and planning. “I so want to go talk to her. To give her a hug, to tell her I believe in her.”
“Why don’t you?” Ah-Pee says ash she sits beside me.
Looking at her, I shake my head, “We are solders, it’s a countdown to an invasion, they need to stay focused on task. If they go through thinking about us, worrying about us, they won’t be able to focus on what needs to be done.”
The LT puts his hand on Ah-Pee’s head, “Mission first. You need your head in the game or you’re a risk to everyone around you. It’s normally why dating or married couples are separated in many cases. If you’re worried about your wife you’re not watching the person beside you.”
“That’s a little harsh.” Ah-Pee says as she shifts in place.
Fleetfoot shakes her head, “He’s right, think of it this way, if you saw your boyfriend lying on the ground bleeding; Would you want to be with him, or would you listen to orders and stay back, covering others while he lays there bleeding?”
“I’d level the battlefield.” I say, nuzzling Blaze.
The girls giggle, and the LT shakes his head, smiling, “I wouldn’t doubt it.”
“Well we know who wears the pants in that relationship.” Cipher giggles.
Looking back at myself then at Blaze, “We both do, and they are combat pants.”
“Aww and here I thought you’d walk around naked.” Ah-Pee says with a giggle.
Looking over, I see Feather Shine and Feather Pinch, standing with Berry Shine. Tilting my head, I start looking around the crowd, feeling a keen sense of dread, my eyes go wide. Now I’ve got the worst feeling, Twilight and Shinning hadn’t thought this through fully. They had forgotten about this. “Oh hell…”
Blaze blinks, “What?”
“No… no no no no…. Twi-Twi you are better than this…”
“What?” The LT says, looking around.
“She just put the timer on for five minutes, we need to work fast.” I stand up, the panic I’m feeling evident on my face.
Blaze grabs my face with both hooves, looking into my eyes. “Speak up.”
“THE FOALS.” I shout. Turning, I point around, “Mentally they may be 25 but their bodies are still foals, as much as they want to help most of them won’t be able to do much.”
Sugarberry blinks, looking like she has just been hit by a ton of bricks, “Girls! Scatter, fast as you can gather the smallest and bring them back to the JTLV’s. Any that are smaller than say, Sweetie Belle over there, bring them, no questions. Any that are Sweetie Belle’s size ask them if they want to stay until the all clear. Work fast though.”
“Ah-Pee, see what blankets you can scrounge up see if you can set up a mess hall. Maybe some cocoa or such, we are going to have a ton of scared foals here to keep underhoof.”
Scattering, they run in all directions, how they could forget about foals barely strong enough to walk?
*** Whitehouse Situation Room ***
The President storms in, yawning as Admiral Volker stands with several members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Grumbling he looks around at the group, it’s nearly midnight and he wanted just one good night’s sleep this week.
“What is it now?” The President asks, looking around at the assembled men.
“Mr. President we have an issue, the ponies have amassed an army, well into the thousands.” Volker turns and gestures, several different camera views appear on various screens. They are composed of long distance shots and high angle shots of the pony crowd. “We are getting live feeds from several of the traffic and weather cameras scattered around Dubuque.”
“And what is the issue? They are returning home, or most of them are, my daughter let me know.” The President says sternly.
“And you didn’t feel it important to inform us of such a security risk?” Volker looks shocked.
The Vice President steps in, “Sir, this is a conflict of interest. The situation with your daughter has blinded you to the reality of the problem.”
“And what is that?” The President sit down in his custom made chair, leaning back.
“How do they intend on getting home?” Volker inquires.
“The portal, like in the movie, as I said my daughter informed me.”
“Sir, if this portal is real, then these ponies are marching into a war with an enemy that’s been entrenched for 25 years.” Volker states sternly.
“Are you suggesting we send forces to help them?”
“No sir, what I’m saying is, the gate works both ways, if they lose, this Discord is likely to send whatever forces he has back through the gate. It is highly doubtful our land assets will be able to contain any invading force before they disperse through the city as we have no army assets in the area at this time. It would take nearly eight hours to get an armored force there.”
“Then what do you suggest?”
“Air assets, an F-22, load it down with JDAM’s. At first sign of enemy forces coming through the gate we can blow it up.” Volker growls.
“And what about the ponies?”
“If they lose control of the gate, they are dead and it doesn’t matter. Any that are near the gate on Earth would be killed by any enemy force coming through. It’s a safety measure sir, we cannot sit by and do nothing.”
“Launch the fighter, but do no fire unless I give the order.”
Turning to the Vice President, Volker shakes his head and leans close, “His concern for his daughter makes this a direct conflict of interest, be prepared, you may need to take power.”
*** Early 1830’s ***
“Is it ready?” Francis asked, smiling at the sculptor.
“It’s been ready for two days we are just packing it up for transit now.”
Walking down, Francis looked up at the large horse statue. “No rider?”
Shaking his head no, he put his hand on the stone, “I couldn’t bring myself to put one on. It ended up representing unbridled freedom, free will.” He said.
“Not even a halter or saddle?” Francis raised an eyebrow, artists sometimes were so weird.
“I couldn’t. Something about working with this, I could just feel the freedom, I could almost feel like I was running as a horse though the gates of some great castle on the hill.”
“Not to step on your creative dreams, but why would a wild horse be running into a castle? Oh never mind, just finish packing the thing up, they want it in Dubuque for its official chartering.”
“I know, the workers are coming shortly to box it up and load it for transport.”
“Do I even want to ask what going on with the pony?” Francis blinked, looking at the thing.
“Her mare died so I’ve been raising her, hand feeding her and such, she loves sleeping curled up against the face of the statue. She seems drawn to it, I guess the horse figure reminds her of her mare.”
“Well she’s going to lose that too, its bought and paid for, I want it sent out today.”
“Yes Francis.”
Kneeling down he gently picked up the foal snuggling it, “Come on Tia, let’s get you home, you don’t need to see this statue go.”
*** Velvet ***
As the timer goes off I’ve gathered several dozen of the youngest as well as Sprinkle Medley, her baby is only a few days old, and not a cursed pony but a natural one, so there’s no way we were letting her go through the gate.
Watching as Twilight Sparkle steps through and vanishes I sigh, “Chaos runs, when a good mare goes to war, night will fall and drown the sun, when a good mare goes to war.”
The unicorn club had formed somewhat of a ring around the foals as well as a few other adults that chose to stay and help. We moved a few of the vehicles too to provide a mix of shelter and blocking lines so foals wouldn’t sneak off or worse, others sneak up. Watching as the line starts going through the gate I notice humans going through as well. Family and friends going to help out it seemed.
Looking over I saw the LT talking with Eric, Jay, Sanchez and Henry, perking my ears I tried to listen but couldn’t hear over the foals. Honestly it seemed like a lot of them had taken to actually being foals, maybe the change or less developed brain had an effect on the thought processes, it might even be a simple case of hormones but the foals seemed more apt to panic and fear.
Ah-Pee had sent a few humans off to the local stores, gas stations and such to gather or buy water bottles, disposable cups, cocoa, coffee, and such, and was using a camp stove to boil large pots of water for drinks and soups. It could take hours or longer before we knew what was going on in Equestria, we have three days to decide if the foals are going through.
“Cipher, think you could break out a radio, TV or something from one of the cars, give us something to watch or listen to, just to keep us distracted.”
“Sure thing,” She bounds off to scrounge up what she was asked for.
“Velvet,” the LT walks up kneeling, putting his hand to my cheek.
“LT, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, the team and I have decided, too many of these ponies are civilians, no real idea of what combat is. There are humans going through to help out, we’re going to join them.”
My ears shoot right up, “What!”
“This is volunteer, we each have our place, and yours is here with the foals, you can’t go through, but we can. At least we can gather intelligence if needed and come back.”
Eric smiled, “Equestria may not be our home, but face it, it never is our home, we just go…”
“So others don’t have to…” I nod to Eric.
“Blaze, keep her safe.” Saluting, the LT nods and heads for the gate with the squad.
“Blaze, you can…”
“Not a chance, I’m ordered to keep you safe, I am NOT leaving you.” He growls, getting a grin from me.
“…Sit down if you want. Coffee should be ready soon.” I finished, just looking at him.
“Oh.” Blaze blushes, looking down. “Sorry.”
“No need to look dejected.” I smile at him and watch the foals a little. Most of them are talking, a few are keeping themselves busy playing on their cellphones or such. They aren’t really foals mentally, but it’s too high a risk.
“It’s going to take some time to get all these ponies through the gate, hopefully they can get through undetected.” Blaze says, shaking his head and putting his wing over me.
Trotting up, Cipher looks a little worried, “Blaze, um could you get Fleetfoot and meet me at my computer.”
“Sure thing,” Blaze looks confused and heads off to get Fleetfoot, before she gets to the mirror.
“What’s up Cipher?” Standing up, I move over to her as well.
“I… Got an email, I’m trying to verify who it’s from but…”
Blaze and Fleetfoot land beside us.
“What’s going on?” Fleetfoot asks.
“I just got an email. It came from a Whitehouse account but I don’t know who sent it. F-22 loaded with JDAM’s launched, will attempt to destroy gate if ponies seem unsuccessful.” Cipher reads aloud.
Fleetfoot spreads her wings wide, “What the feather, just 1 JDAM could kill or injure everyone within 600 feet of the gate.”
“F-22’s why did it have to be F-22’s.” Blaze says, looking up and around.
“So it won’t show up on civilian radars. They don’t want civilians to know, they will blame it on us if something goes wrong.” Fleetfoot snarls.
“Not what I meant, F-22’s are fast and agile, I don’t know if I could do anything to stop it.” Blaze says, “I don’t even know if I can find it.”
“You’re going to need help,” Fleetfoot spreads her wings, “I’ll join you.”
“But what about the gate, they need you on the other side don’t they?” I ask, “You don’t want to pass up a chance to go home?”
“I’m needed here, Blaze needs a wingmare for this, and that’s going to be me. There isn’t another speedster here right now.” Nodding to Blaze she leaps into the air.
“I won’t fail you Twilight, that thing’s a threat to all of us here, we won’t fight it but we need to be up there to keep an eye on it. Warn it off if we need to.”
“Blaze…” I say softly to him.
Turning he looks back to me and I moved up, kissing him on the lips gently before rubbing my nose against his, “Be careful.”
Nodding, he takes to the air.
*** LT James Fisher ***
I remember when I jumped out of a C-130 at 20,000 feet, my chute only partly deployed, putting me in a highs speed tumble and spin. I was whirling on 3 different axis and had to cut my chute away before deploying my spare. I remember the terror, the g forces, being spun around at weird angles.
This is worse. Someone had lain out a carpet on the other side of the mirror for us to land on but I still feel ill. “Oh God, put a warning note on that thing, you need Gravol before going through.”
Opening my eyes doesn’t help my nausea much either, the new pony vision just doesn’t sit well with my brain.
“Clear the mirror for the next coming through, ponies to the left, if you can’t walk call for help.” Calls out a white unicorn with a deep rust-red mane and tail, she’s gathering some blank flank adults to one side.
Struggling, the best I can pull is a crawl right now, I have no idea how, Velvet and Blaze make this look so easy.
WUMM
“Can someone stop this reality from spinning?” Sanchez shouts as he just misses landing on my butt.
Sitting up, I grab him and pull him clear, looking down at the poor pegasus, I chuckle.
“LT is that you?” Sanchez says, going cross eyed a bit trying to focus his eyes. He came through the mirror as a sky blue pegasus, with navy blue mane and tail that had a single brown lock or swirl in it. Really I never took him as the blue type, always thought he’d end up pink but hey.
“Yep it’s me, I think.” Looking at my forelegs I noticed the colors for the first time, I was green, kind of, more like a turquoise like Lightning Dust, though just a shade or two darker. On the other hoof, my tail is a forest green with blue green stripes and a gray highlight. The wings though, that is strange, I figured I’d have been an earth pony, I’m a ground pounder after all.
“How do we stand up?” Sanchez starts.
WUMM
“…onimo!” The light pink unicorn with brown and purple mane and tail comes though the mirror mid jump, his forelegs landing perfectly on the carpet with grace and elegance… It would have looked so cool, except for the fact that his inertia carries him forward, with no control over his hind quarters he flips, tumbles and ends up on his back, looking googly eyed at the ceiling.
Reaching over I give him a push to roll him to the other side to clear the way before backing up. “Who are you?”
“Henry here,” He calls up lifting one hoof, “oh cool I’ve got hooves.”
“Yes you have hooves, we’re ponies here, it’s the mirror, remember?” Shaking my head, I look at Sanchez who is standing up. Sweetie Belle and the white adult are trying to explain how to walk. “Just a second, we have two more in our group, then the next batch are ponies again.”
“I’m pink. Why am I pink?” Henry says, “Oh no did the mirror turn me into a mare did it?”
“Nope, you’re still male, so roll over please. We didn’t get clothing coming through.”
“Oops, sorry. Sanchez is that you?”
WUMM
“Yep its…”
A soft sky blue pegasus, with cool grey and warm grey mane and tail hits the ground HARD, tongue hanging out, his orange eyes looking around the room a bit, he’s built slightly smaller than Sanchez and not as buff, I guess.
“Who are you supposed to be?” Henry asks, looking somewhat like Bambi, he’d got his hind quarters off the ground, but is struggling with his front half.
“Daddy, why can’t we use more C4 to blow up reality?”
I looked at the other two and we all nod at once, “Eric.”
Reaching over, Sanchez and I yank him clear of the, mirror. Well I can pull things with my front legs. That’s something isn’t it?
“Just think, we’ll have to go through that again when we’re done.” Eric says, looking up at me.
“Ugg, don’t remind me.”
“LT, if I go back through the mirror again and come back think I might get a different color than pink?”
“Henry its fine, you’re more of a peach I think, than pink. Sides, there are pink stallions in the show.”
“Where’s Jay?” Eric asks as he struggles to try and stand.
“Did he come through before…”
WUMM
“…never mind.”
One snow white pegasus with frost blue mane and tail falls backwards though the mirror and lands on his rump, I have no idea how he got turned around, but we grab him and pull him clear quickly.
“Why did you go through backwards?” Eric asks before falling down.
Wobbling a bit, Jay chuckles, “Cuz you went through face first and I didn’t want to end up with my muzzle up your ass. Really had this bad feeling I’d literally be pulling up the rear.”
“Ok, that’s just evil.”
“Hey, how come I didn’t get wings?” Henry says, huffing as he falls down again.
Eric laughs, “Because the mirror saw your service record, you almost washed out of wing suit training three times, if not for Blaze’s help, you’d never have passed.”
“I’m Angie, no my cutie mark doesn’t mean I’m a nurse… since you said the next batch is all ponies I can concentrate on teaching you how to walk.” Shmangie says as Sweetie Belle smiles.
It took Blaze and Velvet ten minutes to learn how to walk. I just had a bad feeling that I’m in for a lot of falls. “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.”
*** Blaze ***
I level off at 40,000 feet, beginning my sweep, Fleetfoot had stopped her climb at 25,000 feet giving us a wide search area. I scan the sky above and below me as I begin a wide circle, both of us are supercruising, our transponders are turned off.
Somewhere out in the blackness is a predator. It is hunting and can see in the dark, far better than us pegasi. So we don’t want to make it job any easier. With our transponders off, it would have to spot us on its radar or FLIR, but with our size, it would limit its ability to see us.
I search with my eyes and with my ears, and also with my weather sense. I’m feeling the air, looking for tell tail signs of its air disturbance. It is leaving a wake of high speed hot air that spreads out for miles. It is now a game of who saw whom first. If it saw us first, it could avoid us, it could pull further away and wait further off. There isn’t a lot of cloud cover to hide in, but if it decides to make a run, all it would need to do is hit its burners and drop the bomb when it gets in range.
With its bombs, GPS Guided, there is no aiming, there is no need to slow down or see the target, it doesn’t have to fly low. It’s just a push of a button and Twilight… Ah-Pee… the unicorn club… the foals… would all have seconds before they were wiped out, along with the portal.
No, I won’t let it get close enough, I am NOT going to let anything happen to Velvet.
I circle around, continuing the turn and finally I run through turbulence… a fast mover’s high speed wake. It’s out there, I know it. Turning into the wake I start following it, I have to be within a few miles of it, but without its afterburners lit, its engines are fairly dark. It’s running without nav lights of course, to make it harder to see.
It’s super cruising as well, probably doing very high sub sonic, maybe even low supersonic. If I don’t speed up it will just keep flying and I won’t see it. If I go too fast though I could overshoot it, or lose its wake.
I see Fleetfoot pass below me, silhouetted against the city lights going in the opposite direction. Damn it, if she hadn’t seen it, it must have seen her and changed course. It knows we were here. I pick up speed and find the contrail starting to climb past 46,000 feet, it’s going for altitude.
I force myself to speed up and climb, at this speed, I’m having problems following the trail, but I have to risk it. I bank to the right then look back, oh hell. He’s putting the moon directly behind him I’ll be silhouetted too.
Slowing, I look around frantically, he has to be close if he expects to see me like that. Though I can’t see or hear anything. Picking up speed again, I hit a cross trail. He’d crossed his own path in a turn messing up the contrails. Probably when he turned to see if he was being followed would be my guess. Turning I shoot along the new vector, looking down I see the river, he is heading for the gate.
*** Velvet ***
I look up at the sky, then at the gate, Cipher walks up to stand beside me on one side, and Sugarberry on the other. Both press their sides against me to give me support.
“Thanks girls. I can throw up a shield spell but, I don’t know how strong it would be, I doubt I could stop a bomb like that.” Sighing softly, I look at the foals, “This is one of those times, I want to fight, but I know I can’t. I want to act but there’s nothing I can do. All I can do is wait, and hope I don’t have to fight because I do, it means the others have failed.”
Ah-Pee smiles, handing out hot cocoa to some of the foals and the other caretakers, “it’s going to be some time before we hear anything so we should try and rest.”
Nodding slowly I back up and lay down with the foals, “you’re right as always Ah-Pee, I won’t be able to sleep but…”
“But you can rest, and have something to eat.” Berry says, and put a hot cup of cocoa in front of me.
“The storm is coming, I know it. I can feel it.” I say softly.
“We all can.” Ballad said.
Looking back at the sky I closed my eyes, “Though our hoof beats are many… our hearts shall beat as one.”
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DUN DUN DUN!
Great chapter. The scene with the Hopi was kinda sad, but I'm interested to see more of the backstory as the fic wears on.
Nice one.
One thing, though. Why do humans get blank flanks in Equestria?
5838436 Not all do... there are cases of some people who go through already so focused in what they do, that the mirror gives them a mark. Angie for example had her cutie mark from the mirror.
The problem is, it takes a person truly happy with their lives and with what they do, knowing from a young age what they wanted to do all their lives, and doing that despite adversity to have a mark.
Vast majority of people though tend to follow the shortest path, take the easiest routes, and sacrifice their dreams just to survive. How many parents have pushed their kids into being doctors, lawyers, and what not, or pushed their kids into the family business? It takes a very lucky person to actually have a job they always thought they were meant for...
5838488
Ah. Makes sense.
5838350 That kind of treatment was pretty common. It's one of those strange parts of US History, the right to bare arms was so integral to US that even criminals were given guns because it was considered "inhuman" to send them out of town without one.
Yet the Rangers and Calvary felt it necessary to ensure that native American's DIDN'T have guns. Which just seems contradictory. This lead to several battles including the Battle of Wounded Knee. Where native people were just slaughtered while the army tried to seize all of their guns.
5838497 I had already put a lot of thought into that, that's why the answer was so clear. I looked at all the cutie mark episodes and what each pony said about how they gained it... each time its through 1 perfect moment of clarity. that moment when they realize though hope, success or failure, what they were meant to do, and then fight to do it.
Its that, that earns them their mark... and few humans ever have the moment, those that do ever fight to make it come true.
Master Chef - one of the cooking competitions, when asked why they were there, one of the chef's replied. that he was there to prove to himself, and to his father that he could cook well enough to own a restaurant. He didn't want to work in his fathers grocery store, and this was his only chance to prove to himself, and to his father, that he should really be a cook. It was his clarity, his focus that astonished the judges... and he brought that out with every meal he made that day... For him, that would have been a cutie mark moment. Something few humans have :)
5838523
It doesn't seem as contradictory if you remember how much debate there was on the issue if the natives are humans at all.
5838547
I'm just being lazy in forming ideas myself today, so I made you do it.
Success!
Nice doctor who reference
5838658 This was just setting the stage. 29 and 30 is where the real fun happens.
And yeh, I add in references from dr who, spirit, hunt from red October :)
Its my little ponies so it needs pop culture references everywhere.
stress level hitting max.
this is going to get so heated.
question ware is lighting dust with rd in Equestria she is the fastest on earth right now. she code run down a f22 super easy.
the squad as pony's that is just too good. to bade they will be human when they go back threw the gate.
K C a really good chapter lost of emotion and the flash backs are really good. some how I have a felling the foal from 1830 is going to play in to all of this or some of her/his family.
Harts Fire
5838950 Yep, Blaze and Fleetfoot are slowpokes, can't hold a candle to Lightning Dust, but dusts fighting Corddis right now. Dash is fighting discord in Equestria...
So that leaves just poor Blaze and Fleetfoot. neither of them have any special tricks, special Abilities... So it's just... what they can think of... how well they can fly, and how persistent the pilot is.
5839033
but they are speedster's not as fast as dust but not slow like the normal pegasi.
5839068 Then they'll be probably capable of spitting onto the windscreen of the plane.
It's not like they can control the weather or something.
5839395
hum good point.
5838523 Oh, believe me, I know what happened in US history, and that period is NOT a pretty one. (you know, for all that the US flaunts itself, it has a pretty bad history.) I still find it depressing though; I can't help but think about the misery caused, the lives and loved ones lost, and the cultures that were decimated in the process. A few tribes were killed off entirely. Thankfully, some managed to escape to Canada, and others managed to not get wiped out completely, although even then they just got shoved onto reserves, which wasn't that great. And then, of course, the settlers just ravaged the land left behind for it's resources, through logging, trapping, mining... yeah. it was pretty bad. And that's not even mentioning the religious conversion stuff.
5839546 and the crushing of the water flask... something that wasn't even native to earth... destroyed under boot without care.
5838693
i.imgur.com/1fOM6hV.jpg?1
5839562 I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that.
it's so sad, but at the same time...
5839546 you are right about the early expansion of the US, it was savage. But something is left out of many stories when it comes to the natives, they were kicking each other across the continent before the white man showed up. Let's just say, the native Americans knee of war long before Europe showed up.
5843209 Most people forget the reason for the whole search for alternate trade routes.
Constantinople was the key to east west trade. It was the main trade city for all goods coming from china, and a HUGE money maker.
And in 1453 it fell into the hands of the Muslims. The ottoman empire invaded it to control the money, and with that they held Spain, France, and England, cutting off trade unless the 3 empires wanted to pay the taxes. With piracy in the Med Sea and Africa, as well as Muslim Slave traders. The horn of Africa trade route was risky at best...
So an alternate route was needed. This is what encouraged Spain to look west. The America's were discovered and settled because the Empires were avoiding the East.
5843209
Natives, being savages they are, were a lot less efficient in that, their wars was more of the population control scale.
Of course, that is if you don't count Aztec, Inca and other a bit more civilized ones, those could teach even Europeans a thing or two on how to praise Huitzilopotchli.
5843804 I don't know if I would go so far as calling them savages, while their ways were different than the European sensibilities, they had their own culture and lifestyle. I wouldn't lionize them, but they were admirable in many ways.
5843936
That was a bit of sarcasm there. As history progresses, it's got more and more common to use the term "savages" on the people whose main fault was that they were less capable killers - while the term itself suggests the opposite.
Ironically, there is a lot to be proud of in being called a savage nowadays.
5844218 CHILDREN! Don't make me turn this comment section around and drive home. I will you know. And stop kicking the seat in front of you. When your daddy hears about this...
5844270
alkara.su/images/64c29a27236d5b4b3c345658f9dbf0a4.png
Well there's a small note of pride, I'm the 2nd Largest/longest story in the 5 score SU.
Dusk being the first.
(that's not counting the original which doesn't show up on that page.)
5844282 i just KNEW you had a copy of that picture so i figured, i'd give you an excuse to use it.
5844310
Sparky is only 4-5 chapters from overtaking teen version, and 2 more to mature one, and you'll need to increase yours just about 2.5 times to get there (so it's about a month by my calculations). Have a cookie, good job.
5844346
...sorry, unconditioned reflexes.
5844376
Part 33 is done.
next up is part 35.
5844404
You sure you are not missing anything?
5844426 what would i be missing?
5844454
Part 34?
5844456
34? you know 34 makes fluttershy cry 
I don't write 34
*nods firmly*
5844461
You know the rules. There must be 34.
5844462 What is it with everyone wanting me to write 34.
Really now. and who do they want 34ed with who?
5844494
Because the rules say so. No exceptions.
As to who... hmm... there were that guy without FBI cutie mark over in "Irony's Tale". And you have Cypher, the caffeine nut. I think those two should be good for it.
5844513 Mindy, Pinky, Cipher, and Party Favor.
Do you think reality could survive?
5844523
Of course not, it was already destroyed several times. They just keep rebuilding it because it's funnier that way.
5843209 While that's true, their wars weren't on the same scale or devastation that the settlers wrought. Plus, many of them were at peace, at least to some degree.
It should be kind of obvious that they had wars; after all, no civilization is perfect, there's bound to be some kind of conflict or other problem, it is merely a question of the lesser evil.
Nngh! Your Hopi history went crazy off the rails here. Hopi were definitively settled in their current lands when the Spanish invaded in the 16th century, and all evidence shows they're seriously old in the land, almost certainly the modern remnants of the Anasazi. The story might make sense if the portal was in Arizona, but Iowa has been Lakota or linguistically related tribal territorys throughout the colonial and modern eras. All non-Sioux tribes in the vicinity of Dubuque have been easterners, mostly displaced from the Great Lakes region.
And if the portal had actually been in Anasazi territory, the ugliness would have been about the time of the portal closing. There was a particularly nasty civilizational collapse in the region a couple centuries afterwards of which the puebloes are a cultural remnant.
6834469 you may want to reread the chapter's a bit closer and look at the time line a hole lot closer.
and keep reading as you do not see the hole picture as of yet give it a few more chapters it will all come to gather.
I cannot put into words how little I care about the flashback scenes. That stuff belongs in a separate story.
5839546 all countries have eras of darkness.
Henry is Donut. LOL
The pieces are getting into position. Let's hope they don't need to play hot potato...