By the time Uncle Bentley got me back to the hideout, we found it already overrun by the Contessa's goons. Apparently, Neyla had tracked the active Binoc-U-Com signal there, and they were already making off with the Clockwerk parts we'd collected. We did manage to get to the van undetected, though it took an entire week for Uncle Bentley to track down Mom, Dad, and Uncle Murray...a week where my rage continued to grow.
It turned out they were locked up in a new prison in Prague run by the Contessa. Though apparently it was some sort of 'criminal rehabilitation center', using 'hypnotherapy' to turn criminals into upstanding citizens. Word from within the center - from Ms. Ruby herself - was that she used hypnosis to get the ill-gotten fortunes of her inmates for her own, brainwashing them into being 'good people'. Ms. Ruby and Muggshot hadn't been slated for it as of yet, but it was only a matter of time. And Mom, Dad, and Uncle Murray were at the top of the Contessa's list.
I was not going to let that happen. And with the message from Ms. Ruby...I knew just how to do it. I hoped I lived up to her faith in my abilities...
Bentley watched nervously as Coco stepped out of the back of the van and onto the grass of park, plainly ready to act...whatever she was intending. She had traded out her normal thief attire for a very different look. Her entire body was covered in painted designs, with necklaces of beads, stones, and teeth around her neck. A loincloth hung under her tail, and her cane was decorated with skulls of birds, ferrets, and weasels filled with mummified bones that rattled in the skulls with every movement. Feathers were woven into her mane and tail, and paint covered her face in runic designs. As she stood there, ready to act, Bentley had to consciously remind himself that she was eight. "Sly and Carmelita are not going to be happy to see you done up like that," he grumbled, averting his gaze.
"If it means I've gotten them out safely, they can scold me all they want," Coco stated as she walked up to a clear spot on the ground. Digging the butt of her cane into the ground, she drew out a circle and runic designs around herself. Swinging the hook of her cane, she pulled out several vials of potion she'd prepared and scattered their contents over the ground around her. The air shimmered with the feeling of magic. "You might want to step back...and be quiet."
Swallowing convulsively, Bentley took several strides back. He didn't know what Coco was planning, but it was giving him the heebie-jeebies already.
Coco lifted her cane and shook it, making the bones rattle around. "Shtey erd folgn..." she chanted, her voice suddenly much deeper than it was normally. She repeated her chant as she proceeded to dance, an odd hopping skip that planted her hind hooves in each of the gaps the runic design she had shaped around her left. As she chanted and danced, the design began to glow as her golden magic poured off her body, mingling with the green magic all around her and seeping into the Earth. As her voice rose to a fever pitch, the ground began to shake.
Bentley staggered back against the van, his eyes popping open as he saw something he never would have believed. Stone hands erupted out of the ground all around Coco as men of stone slowly clawed their way out of the Earth, seeking the air above. One after the other they dragged themselves from the dirt as red magic began to flow out of Coco's chest to infuse the fifty - yes, fifty - stone men that stood arrayed before her, facing the prison. As the magic flared brightly, Coco shouted out three more words.
זריחת
Upon the back of each stone man, a symbol engraved itself...one Bentley recognized from math calculations as 'Aleph'.
ארץ
A second symbol was driven into the stone...and by pattern, Bentley realized it could only be 'Mem'.
צייה
A final symbol etched deep in the rock...and Bentley recognized it as 'Tav', completing the golems Coco had raised to do her bidding.
Coco slumped over her cane, struggling for breath. She'd poured all her rage, all her pain, and all her sorrow from being separated from her family into her creations...and the lion's share of her available magic to make them work. However, she knew she had done enough. Once she had her breath, she lifted her cane...and pointed at the prison.
The eyes of the golems glowed, and they began their march, five rows of ten. They tromped down the street straight for the prison. When patrol guards attempted to stop them, they were tossed off the road. If they persisted, they were backhanded away into unconsciousness. If encountered on a bridge, they were tossed into the water. If vehicles blocked the path, they were either picked up to be thrown or walked over...or through.
Unimpeded by anything they encountered, the golems continued their mindless, soulless march to carry out their objective. As the walls of the prison approached, the golems spread out and charged. Each one drove through the stone walls, leaving behind a cartoonish silhouette hole that changed shape as each one followed after. Those that charged the steel doors knocked them from their hinges before stomping right over them. As the alarms sounded, the guard towers turned their machine guns on the golems.
As some of the golems broke down from the machine gun fire, others charged the towers, taking out the foundation and causing the gunners to tumble to the ground. They were caught before they hit the ground and buried up to the neck in the solid stone of the prison grounds, while the broken golems reassembled themselves with the stone of the collapsed towers. Soon the alarms were accompanied by screams of terror...but the golems continued their march heedless of those screams, smashing their way into the prison itself.
Bentley stared in awe, and more than a touch of fear. "Uh...Coco?" he asked worriedly.
"Yes?"
"How...how are you going to erase the Aleph to make them stop?" he asked worriedly. "It's...it's driven pretty deep into the stone."
"...I'll worry about that after Mom, Dad, and Unlce Murray are safe," Coco stated bluntly. "In the meantime...there's someone I have to find..." Clutching her cane, she rushed forward in the wake of the destruction. Groaning, Bentley rushed to follow.
I honestly wasn't expecting that... wasn't there a giant fighting robot?
7905223 wats cooler a over used giant robot or a small army of stone golems that are nigh indestructible that wont kill you but will incapacitate you by any means
7905223 are you sure it isn't just a water tower?
Coco's new voodoo is gonna give some boo boo's.
Man, talk about stone cold Coco.
Let's just hope Coco's new ability isn't too earth shattering to her folks later.
Well...didn't see that coming...
-Dark
...Well that's new... Hmm... Prague+ golem's = Oooooh! I see now... good one.
Huh... That came out of leftfield
Please tell me that Coco has some delay fireballs on standby.
7905276
...mind pointing it out to me?
7905288 Prague is a city with a lot of Jewish culture, Jewish culture and religion has Golems. kinda obscure, but i see what he meant.
7905288 Well one more famuous Golem was made in Prague by Jewish rabbi in story "The Golem of Prague".
It's even in it's wiki page-> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem
7905315
7905316
I can't believe I missed the reference out of my own mythology. I feel like such a dope.
7905336 It's not really a huge reference, to be fair.
7905336
Don't worry, it happen's to everyone at some point.
7905240 bet you haven't played the game...
Huh...that works.
7905240 THE Giant Robot called, and would like to remind you that it's able to throw VERY LARGE THINGS.
Huh... well shit, Coco's delving into some dark shit now. Jeez!
Nicely done, hahaha
...huh. Not what I was expecting.
I expect the phrase, "No, you can't keep them," to come up at some point in the near future.
7905458 gonna have to stop you right there, what she perform was a runic summoning of earth golems, which in the world of magics has nothing to do with the dark art, though I will say that from what I read and Coco's rage and loneliness she poured into them.....may whatever deity that panther prays to have mercy on her soul cause Coco is gonna bury it
according to Google, that's... Sunrise, Country and Zia.
You said behind three times.
DAMN Coco! Talk about your lessons paying off!
So Coco's doing the breaking out herself.
I guess I should of expected that. Seeing the alternative involved a runaway train.
... So awesome...
7905525 Google Translate isn't completely reliable. That second word could also translate to "land" or "earth," which I think is probably what's meant here.
In the words of Johnny Test..."Didn't see that coming."
...For some reason, I imagined Coco clocking Neyla over the head with her cane whilst screaming "Who do you voodoo bitch"
7905336 All considering, the lore in Judaism about golems is NOT very open. It is so very much buried, kinda like the references in the Bible about the Djinn, and the flying serpents.
Anyway, LOVED the destruction and WAITING for the wrap of this and the swing into the next adventure.
7905506
I know that, I mean... it just seems dark to me, in a general sense...
Or something, I don't know. Coco's being an adorable badass.
7905502
Oh yes please XD
7905435
Giant Robo is neither amused, or merciful, and is suing for copyright.
That was a lot of magic I hope she doesn't for lack of a better turn end up pulling magical muscle.
This went so well with the golems' rampage!
This is the ONE thing I tend to dislike about Tat's fics; the way the way he portrays the MLP cast hogging the spotlight for excessive character development. Sure, its awesome seeing the MLP characters taking the initiative in a situation, but in this universe's case, Coco is taking the character growth moments away from Bentley. This was one of my favorite parts of the Sly series, seeing scared and brains-only Bentley stepping out of his comfort zone more and more for the sake of others. But here, a teeny Earth pony is putting Zecora to shame while leaving Bentley in the background.
In addition to perfecting Dimitri's grammar, I'd like to see Tatsurou remember not to make Coco outshine Sly and Bentley completely.
Didn't expect that to happen.
7905623 oh I see what you're getting at now and yes I can see that as being kinda dark considering she just forged her rage and pain of being alone into physical firm then let it loose on the very place keeping her away from some of her loved ones
later, in Rarity/Batmare's dimension...
tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=OIP.8ELxX7TvokQpc5uj70sp-gEsCo&w=300&h=168&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0&r=0
So, let me get this straight: Coco Pommel summoned an army of Golems to, among other things, squash a spider...
tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=OIP.YnpSJ-A1HIDnIe8uaKmtewEOEs&w=270&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0&r=0
More or less...
tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=OIP.Mc433ed5ad1b8f5494a2fe1d06f86ab1do0&w=274&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0&r=0
Heh: Spike, I think you might have some competition...
mlpforums.com/uploads/monthly_09_2013/post-19199-0-98050100-1379797137.png
img11.deviantart.net/032b/i/2013/172/5/8/nighmare_rarity_by_mysteryfanboy718-d6a2spf.png
pre10.deviantart.net/e911/th/pre/i/2015/181/9/8/twilight_sparkle___what__by_joemasterpencil-d8zdbua.png
(simultaneously) Ex-CUSE me!?!?
I was half expecting an army of the dead until the golems appeared.
Oh...okay...no no...totally not scared in any way shape or form...
7905525
7905568
'Earth Rise Obey', actually.
7905530
Fixed.
7905908
While I'd probably have to agree in this case (if I'd ever played the games), I think much of that feeling in his video game crossovers can be attributed to him skimming over parts we've already seen in the game. If you're just reading the same stuff you'd see playing the game, then it might be a good tribute to the game but it's a bad crossover.
7905276
Didn't remember that, but now that you say it... That is actually pretty cool. Also only reason I link those two things is because of the Bartimaeus books.
7905336
Aaaand it wasn't intentionally.
This means you are a real author, now, Tats! People are assigning meaning to things you didn't even intend! Soon your stories will be used in a college course to talk about the subtle racism and underlying furry tendencies inherent in society!
Or something.
Overall... I'm honestly not sure how I want this to turn out. On one hand, I dislike when characters are punished by fate just for using magic that is usually thought of as "evil", but on the other hand... fueling a spell that creates autonomous beings with nothing but rage seems... uh... "risky" is an understatement. Disregarding morality/karma's impact on the outcome, that just seems like a logically bad plan.
Not saying a little filly with powers beyond her years and high on vengeful rage wouldn't do it, just that I would assign higher than 50% probability that it would backfire in a moderately large way. Watch game 2 end right here, stopping clockwerk and Neyla, but the out-of-control golems are the reason Bentley ends up in a wheelchair. How'sat for mental and physical trauma, huh?
As a Jew, I proudly approve of this.
7905699 Eh, I think the TTGL can take him. Still loved the film, but there is a dramatic difference in scale here.
7906700
Not a question of who can take who. It's a question of who has the better lawyers.
Well... when Coco started chanting I was all, "Don't tell me she's learned Dragon Shouts from Skyrim!" and then once I saw the effects I was "Why can't Dragonborn learn that kind of Shout???"
So Coco just unleashed a Zerg Rush by giant stone golems... sweet. I do hope that if Mrs. Ruby, Mugshot, and possibly Panda King since I can't remember if he was put in the same facility as them, are there they get busted out to.
Also, going to suggest that this is the version of Cocco from Batmare Rarity's universe, it would be a good way of touching back on some of the PWNY stories that have been finished already and opens up some amusing interaction between Rarity and Coco as they play their roles in front of ponies not in the know and refer to nighttime costumed escapades in front of the muggle ponnies.
7905583 I like and approve of this plan. Add in "Don't mess with my family!"
7905435
7905699
The OG Giant Robot says: ****es please!
EDIT
Oh and His Ilegitimate descendants agree
7907222
Yes yes, all well and good, but none of them were NAMED Giant Robo, now were they? This is a battle that will be fought in the courtroom.