It was difficult to study. Quite by accident, Flicker had noticed something about Hennessy, and now, he couldn’t unsee it. Hennessy had… curves. The colt was almost hourglass shaped when viewed from behind while he was sitting down. His barrel was wide, his waist narrowed, and his hips widened again. The part of Flicker’s brain that suggested reason and logic for why things were the way they were made a quiet mention that the narrowing of Hennessy’s waist was for reasons of grip with the forelegs—but Flicker’s brain could not complete that thought, because that would be inappropriate. The censorship division of his brain went on high alert and announced general quarters.
But yes, Hennessy was very grippable, and his brain left it at that.
With a little food, a little exercise, and a bit of care, Hennessy would fill out a bit more and no doubt, with his sleek and slender middle, there would be good grip to be had. For Flicker, this observation was new and he couldn’t unsee it, which caused the censorship division in his brain no end of worry. Even worse, Flicker was aware that he was staring and he did nothing to stop it, he just kept ogling Hennessy without a care in the world.
Another part of his mind kicked in, the sorting aspect of his mind, which now had the task of figuring out where Hennessy fit in and where all feelings, thoughts, and observations involving Hennessy needed to be filed. As a new office formed in Flicker’s mind, the Ministry of Hennessy Related Affairs, the wheels of his brain turned just a little bit slower as this new section formed.
When Hennessy giggled, Flicker’s ears perked, and the sound was sorted away in the new ministry under “Sounds of Happiness, Volume One.”
There was a knock from the door—Flicker’s whole body tensed—for some reason it felt like he had been caught doing something wrong—and when the door opened, he saw Asterius the minotaur enter. She stood in the doorway, looking at Piper and Hennessy, and after a time, she came forward, one hand raised.
When she was close to Hennessy, she bent over a bit, extended her hand, and Flicker heard her say, “Hold still, I have to check and see if your button works.” Then, without a further ado, her pointer finger extended, she pressed the tip of said finger into the soft, fleshy pad of Hennessy’s snoot, which caused Hennessy’s eyes to become crossed.
“It works,” Asterius remarked, and she applied light pressure, poking Hennessy once more. “The three of you are needed in Wicked’s office at once. Do hurry.” Then, without warning, the minotaur grabbed Hennessy’s ear, pinched it between her thumb and forefinger, and then gave it a gentle tug, indulging herself in the soft velvetiness of it as she allowed it to slip from her grip in a slow, measured manner.
Hennessy’s hind hoof began thumping against the floor, forming a staccato tattoo of sound as it clopped against the stone tile. Flicker found the sight endearing, but he had no visible outward reaction. Flicker’s mind filed this away under “Hennessy Being Adorable, Volume One.”
Closing his book, he pulled himself out of his bunk.
When Flicker pushed open the door to Wicked’s office, he saw a flash of white, a tall figure stood against the far wall, and Flicker was hardly even inside the door when he went prostrate against the floor. There she was, beautiful and perfect. She was smiling, she looked serene, and she was… pregnant. Lifting his head just a little, he looked at the graceful swell of her belly.
He wasn’t worthy. Closing his eyes, he lay there as Piper and Hennessy stepped over him to come inside of the room. He heard a whooshy sigh from Wicked, a snort from Doctor Sterling, and then, he heard the perfect, flawless voice of the Goddess say, “Get up, faithful servant.”
Flicker was torn. On one hoof, it was proper to bow—on the other hoof, he had been given an order. The need to obey was strong so Flicker got up onto his hooves, but assumed a very servile position—he knew his place—and he kept his head and his ears down in a submissive manner.
“I seem to have a brave and devoted knight in my service,” Princess Celestia said, sounding very much amused, but not patronising in the slightest. No, she sounded sincere and warm. The big mare’s feathers fluffed out a bit and a look of discomfort crossed her face. It passed with the same suddenness as it had arrived with and she smiled once more as she drew in a deep breath through her nostrils.
“I have come here this day to reward two very brave unicorns—”
Hearing these words, Flicker felt his heart soar, he lived to serve.
“—two very brave unicorns who took great risks to save a friend.” The princess paused for a moment, her horn glowed with golden light, and she pulled two small boxes from the saddlebags of a nearby guard. She put these down upon Wicked’s desk and opened up the lids on both of them. “I have two medals here, Clover’s Blessing, a reward for the exceptional use of magic under the most trying of circumstances, and usually given for saving a life when your own is at risk.”
The big mare took a step forwards, then gestured at both Doctor Sterling and Piper. “Lord Sterling Shoe… Piping Hot Pie… what you did this day was perhaps one of the most difficult things to do with magic. Saving Flicker’s life”—the white alicorn’s eyes darted to glance over in Flicker’s direction—“with the use of your magic was an exceptional feat. The fact that you saved him, and did not crush him, it speaks volumes about your magical prowess and skill. I am impressed.”
Piper tried to say something, but all that came out was a squeak. She stood still, so very still as Princess Celestia lifted out a small silver four leaf clover hung from a long green silken cord. With a majestic nod of her head, Princess Celestia slipped the green silken cord over Piper’s neck and allowed the medal to fall into place around the filly’s neck.
She did the same for Doctor Sterling, and the good doctor bowed his head a little, bending his proud and noble neck for the princess as she slipped the medal over his head. Doctor Sterling, with tears in his eyes, nodded and went rigid as the medal fell into place around his neck.
“It isn’t very often that I get to give these out.” Princess Celestia held her head high and she beamed, her smile lit up the room like the sun and her perfect white teeth were visible. “They require such dangerous circumstances to even qualify for… I fear with the war and Grogar’s rising power, I will be awarding quite a few of these in the days to come.”
Again, Piper tried to speak, but all that came out was a squeak.
“As for you, my brave and devoted servant”—Princess Celestia turned her whole body to face Flicker—“you did very well this day. You have shown exceptional valour and have shown courage in trying circumstances. I commend you!” And with that, Princess Celestia reached out one wing, extending it fully, and she patted Flicker on the head.
Flicker, touched by the very object of his fanatical, overzealous devotion, went still as his brain tried to register what had just happened. Her feathers were warm like a ray of sunshine, downy soft, and perfect. In the depths of his mind, an alarm klaxon went off, blaring out “AWOOGA!” noises in his brain. All vital functions were suspended as his mind tried to comprehend that he had just been patted on the head by one of his beloved Goddesses. His eyes became glassy, almost tearful, and the most wonderful sensation of lightheadedness settled in.
When faced with such a mind-blowing revelation, Flicker did the only thing a fanatical zealot who had forgotten how to breathe could do in this situation.
He fainted.
“You fainted,” Hennessy teased as he gave Flicker a grin.
“I did not!” Flicker, feeling petulant and sulky, suffered quite a foalish reaction to everything that had just taken place. Unable to do much else and unable to muster up a murderous stare at Hennessy, he just sat there on the floor, next to the table, with his ears pinned back against his skull as he seethed.
“You did,” Hennessy retorted, and then the colt began to chuckle.
What made everything even worse was that Princess Celestia was gone. She had left while he was out. Eyes narrowing, Flicker let out a snort that sounded like a constipated locomotive flirting with a nearsighted minotaur and trying to get its attention.
“At least she left you a lovely gift,” Piper said in a voice that was far too chirpy for Flicker’s mood. “Do you mind if I have a peek into your new spellbook?”
Glowering, Flicker did not respond, but his eyes darted down to the book on the table. Dangerous Undead and how to Vapourise Them. Celestia the Burning One, Slayer, Saintfire, Bane of the Undead, She of the Righteous Fury, First Era to Present. It seemed that he was part of a prestigious club now, one that had very few living members. Doctor Fancy Fiasco… Princess Celestia… and himself.
“I’m feeling very proud of myself at the moment,” Piper announced as she lifted her head a little higher. “I don’t know if I deserve it though. Doctor Sterling did the hard catch, the catch I made pales by comparison… but I could feel that I had almost turned you into Lord Death of Murder Mountain marmalade.”
“Oh, shut up,” Flicker grumbled.
“What?” Piper, fearless, leaned over the table and gave Flicker a good stare as her ears angled forwards in an aggressive manner.
“Don’t sell yourself short. It disgusts me. What you did was impressive and for you to think that it is somehow less impressive than what Doctor Sterling did, that’s just pathetic and stupid.” Flicker’s ears stood up and pivoted forwards. “You did what you did without the years of experience that Doctor Sterling had and all of his extensive magical schooling. So shut up.”
“Well, I… well, I hadn’t thought of it that way—”
“Spend more time thinking, less time saying stupid stuff.”
Piper did her best to try one of Flicker’s menacing, soul withering glowers, but failed. All she managed to do was look adorably angry, contentiously cute, and Hennessy began snickering. Reaching over, she gave Hennessy a light slap on the foreleg with her hoof, and then returned to trying to stare Flicker down, which wasn’t working out very well.
“Oh, you are impossible!” Piper blurted out as her ears drooped in submission. “Even worse, I find that I can’t be angry with you, because you’re right. I’m hating you just a little bit right now, just so you know.”
Flicker shrugged.
“I wonder how my Ma is doing.” Hennessy’s smile vanished and the earth pony colt’s mood made an abrupt shift. Sitting on his haunches, the colt tapped his two front hooves together while staring down at them. “I’m gonna have her cured… I think… and if she comes out and messes up, I s’pose I’ll have her put right back in.”
“You’d do that?” Piper asked, her voice a strained, tight whisper.
“I dunno… if I had to… I thought I was okay with leaving my family behind, but I ain’t.” Hennessy’s eyes became troubled. “Today got me thinking. With everything exploding and such, I thought about Flicker’s family and how they might take the news of him dying. I sorta thought that it might be right for me to be the one that tells them. And that got me thinking, I want family. Just not the one I had. But if I can save my Ma, I think I might be happy with that.”
“That… is quite a thought.” Piper’s ears perked up for a moment, then fell, then sort of half-rose. “If something was to happen to me… I’d appreciate it if it was one of you that told my parents. You both are starting to know me, to really know me, and you’d be able to talk to them about me… maybe comfort them.” After a few seconds she added, “It’s like Princess Celestia said. We’re at war and bad things happen in war.”
“While you were out, Princess Celestia told Wicked that she wants Ponyville purged. I think we’ll be taking a trip soon.” Hennessy let out a sigh and rested his front hooves on the table. “I wonder what that will be like.”
“Easier with Piper.” Flicker’s brows crinkled a bit and a few fine wrinkles appeared in the corners of his eyes as he began thinking. “There are spells for summoning rats, but those are nothing like what you are capable of, Piper. We’ll be able to draw the rats out of ponies’ houses and do full scale extermination. The guild’s cats will probably get involved. We’ll work under the cover of night and by dawn, we’ll be gone, and nopony will even know that we were there.”
“Summoning spells?” Piper asked.
“They’re not very strong… I’ve seen Doctor Sterling use them… the rats tend to resist a bit and it only affects a few at a time. Wicked’s candles are useful for drawing in rats, but the fumes have to be able to reach them. Your talent calls them out in droves. You were born to do this job.” Flicker’s confident assurance left no room for doubt in his mind.
“Just like you,” Piper whispered as she nodded in agreement.
Purging Ponyville? Sounds like Celestia's securing a fortress against Grogar and his minions. Not a bad plan. Probably one that's going to be a lot more complicated than it appears.
...Now I'm imagining Flicker and Piper with a sorcerer's boosting. Those rats should flee now.
I can sympathise with Piper's inability to perform a good death glare. All I ever manage to do is make people laugh.
7810116 Having fun with the emoticons there, friend?
the fainting part was epic
and so was the pipper one
7810147
It is undeniably true that, for reasons unknown to me, this chapter seemed to strip me of my normal eloquence, such as it is. I suppose that sometimes, a squee is just a squee.
I want to read Dangerous Undead and how to vaporize them sounds like a fun book.
7810157 One cannot argue with that, sir. Go on with your fangirl-esque reaction in peace. I understand the reaction, though.
7810138
Well any unkown ponies or nonponies that go to Ponyville for Grogar would be instantly noticed by Pinkie Pie making sending someone to spy too hard unless they are already from Ponyville, unless using Changelings, but I am sure Twilight has everything she needs in place already to spot any that are not Stinkbug, any attacks will have to deal with a veritable army of defenders, one new one which has a big shiny axe. They are removing the diseased rodent spies soon and any that aren't diseased are so loyal to Fluttershy that they won't turn on her. Hell, I'd feel sorry for Grogar trying to make Zombie Angel Bunnies to use against her if he tried going after her as one of the supposedly easiest to get at Elements.
Speaking of Ponyville and it's defenders... Is Cranky Doodle a member of the Stiff Upper Lip Society? With his past of adventuring looking for Matilda, you would think he would be.
aadorable with that little celestia part....... wonder if celestia laughed. good naturedly that is.......
ii have a bad feeling about this trip. they are going to ponyville..... and that both means haing to get past fluttershy and the possibility of what the hell an everfree rat would be like.
Celly is preggers, huh? I wonder if Gosling knows.
7810225
Flutters will be waiting for them, with instructions.
Man, something and/or someone(s), totally and deliberately tampering with cutie marks.
Flicker was kind of adorable here, and that's new as well as fun.
7810209 But Grogar is using rats, and rats get everywhere. Finding and purging all the dangerous rat populations of Ponyville would be a near impossible task at the best of times, and the rats are getting smarter, more dangerous. We've seen some of what's going on, but I've no doubt greater horrors are in reserve. That's why they're calling in the specialists. Ponyville's protectors are competent, but the enemy they're fighting is clever. It's going to be an interesting fight, and I reckon it won't be as easy as you seem to think, even with Fluttershy's help.
It wouldn't surprise me if Cranky was part of Stiff Upper Lip.
Oddly enough, when you said pregnant white pony my first thought was Fleur de Lis. Not sure why.
Considering the power and assets in Ponyville a purge makes sense.
7810225 its not the first purge of Ponyville. I believe it was mentioned in chapter where Flicker went home. they worked at night and Fluttershy had made sure a population, of rabbit, squirrels and the like were kept out of the way
7810255 me too... huh.
7809932 exactly, for such personal improvement and maturity it seems like he has been like 5 times that
7810376
He became consumed, had no social life to speak of, and all he did was train and study. He was devoured by his own purpose.
Poor flicker. He's going to have to change his sheets often...
Darn, I feel sorry for Flicker. Fainting with Celestia around, poor guy slept through his encounter with her
Better luck next time....?
7810401 Can't be worse than an nightmare fuel induced orgasm...though it'll probably be more consistent and annoying than the former. Ick.
Figures.
Awesome. Rainbow Dash approved, even, probably.
Cleansing Ponyville sounds like an excellent idea.
... So much D'awww.
7810228 would think she would be waiting there with a war-axe and a very determined expression.
why would rats be discluded from her list of creatures to car for? we have seen her take care of them before. or hell if its an issue of plague she would have cure delivered to them.
7810733
It was mentioned she helped with the last purge. She understands the diseased and sick animals could spread their diseases and sicknesses to the healthy animals which is which is why all the healthy ones are gathered up to stay with her while the rats and other animals they have gotten too are purged... Plus I am sure she knows the safety of foals is more important than the safety of the rats which have a history of killing foals.
7810733
For the same reason why we've seen her feeding live animals to other animals.
She understands life and how it works.
7810922 don' remember that part. mabye because its unliekly she ever would. something would have to be completely broken in her because they would be screaming at her to stop O.o
7811088
They've shown it in the show. She feeds her animals other animals.
7811091 we talking about fish? cause actually i don't think they count in this. animals though they are they are almost purely instinct. even more so than reptiles.
hell its said that their mental capacity is so iminmal they cannot experience the sensation of pain.
7811097
Fish are animals.
7811107 difference is fish would be almost impossible to communicate with. they can't even comprehend pain, its all raw actions and reaction. that is why fish can be dumb enough to swim too close to an area they had just been attack. seen it before in videos. especially ones involving Bobbit worms....... and if you are forgetting you just got a gash that almost left you entrails spilling outta you, then you do not have anything going on up stairs.
though admitably spiders are probably the same if not worse and we have seen her talk with spiders. then again spiders have a tendency to actually avoid areas they get hurt at.
regardless i am immensely struggling with the idea she would willingly help them eliminate a bunch of sick animals, regardless of which ones are actually sick or not. especially because she would know the dangeres of the rats have less to do with the rats and more with diseases they can catch, and fleas.
7811141
Flutters has talked to fish though.
7810993
Rorschach is the Question, not Batman.
7811154 the comics are beyond debatable as something reliable for a source of world building. mainly because they are not even trying with them sadly enough. just look at the latest comics. just plain lazy.
fuck the completely ruined their sombra backstory, which was an admitably very well done backstory. completely botched it.
there are good ideas but they are better picked and choosed.... fluttershy talking to fish i would probably add as one of em. mainly because she would actually have a shed no one is supposed to go into when they ask her why are they murdering them XD
7811170
Not the comics.
7811174 looking up information......... why they have legitimate conversations about if ponies eat meat? O.o
anyway. i cannot find ANY evidence of fluttershy talking to fish.
also she did not feed anything live fish. liekly something else got them for her. probably Beary.
She also fed worms to birds. and worms are even worse than fish. they are basically more like plants that move.
7811191
Under the Sparkling Sea.
roundstable.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/sparklingsea7.jpg
7811206 .......... are htose even in continuity?
also that is not a fish fish, that is a magic ass fish! things with magic ain't the same as the versions of them without :P
be like trying to eat fluttershy and saying 'oh she is just a horse'
7811220
The GM Barrow books are hard canon and she works very closely with the show's writers. Some of the books are actually rather good, if a bit simple.
Flim and Flam were agents of S.M.I.LE.
Another good chapter. I hadn't gotten to mention a few chapters back where you had Radiant Hope and Sombra Shadow. I would love fot you to do a continuing story on them. I kinda fell love those two again after reading what little you wrote about them.
7811288
Cadance's cutie mark changed too, in the show. It took on a more crystalline appearance.
7811234 oh god i hated the smile idea >_< it was stupid. i am not against the idea of there being agencies celestia made, but i far from think celestia would have them directing the mane six into unnecessary conflicts. such as a group of changelings.
so its a good idea but not very well executed.
Excellent story in an excellent universe!
I'm actually making an RPG(I'm leaning on a slightly modified Pathfinder right now) based on this story in particular right now. I absolutely love the imagery you're going after here and it has me inspired to make a game about it for my friends. No pony, though, not completely necessary, even though most of them are bronies. Any tips on nailing the Rat Catcher's Guild?
7810378 yeah, but even though that... Well I suppose that you are assuming here that ponies mature much faster than humans, right? Then it would make sense
Oh also it is great to have a new chapter to read :)
The montain faints in front the sun xD
7811685
I have no idea. What do you mean?
7809509 Here's another way of looking at it: being anti-authority is only contingently wrong. It's counterproductive - or at least mostly so - in this universe because the authorities tend to be very strongly on the side of the angels. It's a question of principle, in a sense. After all, what do you get when someone is fanatically loyal to authority and the law, but the law is dubious? You get Inspector Javert, that's what.
Indeed, Flicker could be well on his way to becoming a Javert, if not for the combination of the fact that this world is very much Lawful Good (as opposed to Lawful Neutral, at best), and the fact that he's surrounded by ponies of exceptional character.
I just realized that this story reminds me of the scaven from warhamer. a race of rat men that worship the god of rot and pestulance
7811812
Nailing the atmosphere and feel of the organization. I'd love to know the sources that inspired this story if you know what they are, so I could build my game in that direction.
7813010
Oh, I don't know. Lots of reading and studying about rat control, plague documentaries, stuff like that.
Despite the complaints of the Department of Order and Cleanliness about the recent environmental pollution caused by the DoHRA, the censorship division stood powerless before it's newest foe. The fact that the troublesome department was aided by a radical fringe group, the Association of Raging Hormones, certainly did not help matters.
7811685
question is why NOT ponies, ya using` Pathfinder right? Ever hear of PonyFinder?