V - Canines Of Silence
Shadow: Before we begin, I would like to announce that I make cover art for anyone that needs it, so if you want me to make you a cover art photo, PM me, but don't ask for something over the top. For example:
This is Damien.
Also, here's a picture of what Nightlock actually looks like:
Anyways, where was I? Oh, right. Storytime. ALLONS-Y, BITCHES!
Leather-Winged Oddity
V - Canines Of Silence
I vacate the Rainforest with great gusto, happy to leave behind the terrifying events that took place. With night having fallen, I decide to rest up, if I'm going to reach Canterlot soon. Perhaps one day I'll go back and see what the cat-woman was talking about when she mentioned "Dead Ones" and "Fleshy woman.'
...Wait a second.
*Loading*
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*Loading Complete: "Fleshy Woman" is another way to refer to a "human."* Brain, run Memory.EXE.
...
"...A woman, stripped of her godly powers..."
Hehehe... stripped.
But enough about my immature mind. Nut talked about a de-powered goddess, while the cat-woman told me about a fleshy woman controlling "Dead Ones", and she was on the loose with a prisoner of their tribe....
...well, shit.
After putting two and two together, I come to the conclusion that the woman who slew the tribe of cats is the same "noob-level" goddess Nut mentioned. I would've gone into the forest and went looking for her, but right now, I'm in no mood to return to the scene after what I had to do to the cat-woman, may she rest in peace. Plus, I'm tuckered out from today. It may not look it, but slaying a wild warthog, flying through a forest, having to put a dying feline out of her misery, and flying out that SAME forest at sixty-five kilometers an hour takes it out of you.
I land on the lowest branch of a lone oak tree right outside the Rainforest. I dig my talons into it and swing upside down like a boss.
Well, in a bat-like sort of way, but boss-like nevertheless. My wings wrap around my face and torso to block out any sunlight. I tighten the straps on my backpack so that it won't dangle; It's also good for holding my sword and duster jacket in place.
Ah... nothing like all the blood rushing to your head to help you get to sleep....
Forty minutes later
"AAHH! WHAT IN TARTARUS IS THAT?!" A woman - a mare, perhaps, with a slightly familiar voice - shrieks loudly.
Oh sure, scream at the top of your lungs. It's not like I was sleeping or anything... asshole.
"Ugh... that thing is bucking ugly!" Another mare says, her voice being completely foreign to me.
I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that, you shrew. I'm a sexy devil... and trust me, that isn't a misnomer. I don't unfold my wings just yet. I want to wait for whichever dumbass had woken me up so that I can scare them.
Hey, I normally don't go frightening ponies, but these ones kinda deserve it.
"Ooh! It's hangin' upside-down!" A male voice says cheerfully. I hear... what soundes like a lobster claw picking up a stick? "Maybe it's a piñata! And if that's the case... MAYBE THERE'S CANDY INSIDE!!!"
...wait, what?
*WHACK!*
"OW!!! SHIT!!!" I unfurl my wings to their full extent out of shock, wincing as I hold my stomach in pain. I try to make myself scarce by vacating the tree, yet my talons are sunk deep into the wood of the branch.
I'm stuck.
"It just talked!" The first mare shouts.
"Buck talkin', it just moved!" Another male voice says, this time bearing an accent that was a mix of British, Brazilian, and maybe even Swedish.
*THWACK!*
"AH!!! YOU FUCKER!!! KNOCK IT OFF!!!" The second strike knocks me out of my tree and into a slump on the ground.
"Not until you give me candy, darn it!"
"I'm not a Goddamn piñata, ya stupid prick!" I shout at the attacker, my volume rising with every word.
Is it me, or do I hear a sort of wheezing laughter in the background?
"Disarray, leave 'im alone!" The mare with the familiar voice tells the guy beating me. There was a few seconds' pause. Apparently, 'Disarray' lets up on the brutal assault... then--
*WHACK!*
...Nutshot. Targets acquired.
"Ooh-hoo-hoo... my tenders..." I grab myself in the attempts of dulling the pain that sears in my giblets. There is still more of that wheezing laughter.
"Crikey... tha' looked like it hurt," the stallion with the multiple accents says.
"You suck... I hate you so much...." As I slowly get up, I see the most bizarre thing in the world.
Standing before me is a creature that was my height. It stands on two legs, the right leg being of an ostrich, the other of a lion, with a kangaroo tail trailing behind it. The green serpentine body is slender and has scales running up the front, while golden-brown feathers trail down its spine. It has two sets of arms, one set is that of a massive lobster, the other set of a polar bear. It has a lavender-colored head that resembles a Chinese dragon, horns and spines included. To add the finishing touch is a magnificent, curled mustache, streaked with green, pink, and blue.
...Now, is it me again? Or does that Rainforest air have thrice the potency of weed when inhaled?
"You alright, brah?" The draconequus named Disarray asks.
...Yep. So much better than pot.
"Uh... hello?" Disarray called, poking my chest with a sharp bear claw, snapping me out of my cannabis-induced reverie.
"Ow! That hurt!"
Wait a minute... that hurt.
I shake my head violently in the attempts to convince myself that it's all a mirage. Nope, Disarray is still there, looking at me with a hint of concern.
*Loading*
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*Loading Complete: Your ass ain't hallucinatin', bro!*
Brain? Abort BrickShitting.EXE and run CinderblockShitting.EXE.
"Oh MY GOD!!!" The draconequus and, by the sound of things, a few others are taken by surprise at my sudden exclamation. I look behind him and see four more individuals, two of them pulling a six-wheeled, wooden, monster truck-sized wagon with the words Shagwagon crudely painted on the sides.
Seriously? SHAGWAGON? Best name ever.
Focus, Damien! Find out who the hell's staring at you!
One is a Pegasus pony that I recognized as the ever-fantastic Daring Do, in all of her treasure hunting, adventuring glory, and the compass rose Cutie Mark, sandy brown coat, spiky grayscale rainbow mane and tail, magenta irises, green and tan pith helmet, and green vest all support that claim. She must be the one who had woken me up, and while I'm a little angry at her for that, I get over it, all the while suppressing the urge to fan-boy squeal. She is looking at me with curiosity in her eyes.
Another pony, the one pulling the ginormous wagon is a chocolate-brown Earth Pony stallion as muscular as Big Macintosh. He has a bright yellow short-cut mane styled like a mohawk and a medium-sized tail. His Cutie Mark is a yellow smiley-face, rolling pin, and egg whisk, styled in a skull-and-crossbones fashion. He looks at me like I was the freakiest thing on Earth... and maybe even with some pity thrown in that look, for he had probably been the one who commented on me receiving my eggs scrambled.
One more pony is a light orange unicorn mare with a slightly freckled face and a mane and tail that remind me of a blazing inferno. To back up that claim, her Cutie Mark is a small ball of fire. Around her neck are a pair of black reflective goggles that are styled in a steampunk-like fashion. Neon green eyes leered at me like I was something that needed to be eliminated. She must be the one who had called me ugly. I swallow nervously under her fiery gaze as a goofy smile gets plastered on my face. She only grits her teeth and narrows her eyes.
Aw, this can't be good.
The last one in the vicinity is a tall canine pulling the caravan with the Earth Pony. He is also about my height. After going through my knowledge of the show, I saw that he is a Diamond Dog. He has reddish-brown fur, with a light tan underbelly. He is wearing a duster jacket like me, but his is sleeveless and lacks a collar: in its place is a wide hood. A thin strip of brown cloth is around his waist over the jacket like a corsair sash, and a long, thin staff is in his hand. Tucked into the sash is a long black object shaped like a slightly curved dagger. His forearms are wrapped in a navy-blue cloth and have dark gray bracers on them. His eyes, black as the night air above me, gazes quizzically at me. Like he has no idea as to why I am here.
"Um... top o' th' evenin' to ya?" I say to them, the nervousness in my system steadily building up.
"'Ow's it goin', matey?" The chocolate-coated stallion asks happily. He gets out of the harness that tethers him to the Shagwagon and makes his way over to me. "Name's Coconut. Pleasure t' meet ya!" He sticks a hoof out so that I can shake it. I slowly accept the friendly gesture.
Note to self: Coconut has enough strength to rip off an arm if he isn't careful with his handshakes... hoofshakes... I don't care.
"Ow..." When Coconut lets go of my arm, I try shaking it to get the feeling back in it. "Pleasure t' meet'cha, too, Coconut. Name's Damien. Damien O'Connor. So who're your friends?"
"Oh! Right! That there's th' famous treasure-hunter Darin' Do." Coconut points at the Pegasus adventurer.
"How's it going?" Daring asks. Due to her tone, she's a tad nervous of my appearance, but she makes up for it in kindness and a small smile.
Fuck yeah.
Coconut continues. "That's me friend, Echo th' Diamond Dog." The hoof switches over to the bipedal canine. I wave at him.
"Hey, Echo." The Diamond Dog in question waves back, flashing his sharp teeth as he grins.
Not sure if badass or scary.
"That there's Ginger Snap." The chocolate hoof points at the light orange mare that had been glaring at me this whole time.
"Hey," I greet.
"Hi...." Her gaze didn't waver when she said that in an icy tone, despite her pryo-maniacal manner.
Quit mean-muggin' me, bitch!
"And that's Disarray." Coconut's hoof transitions towards the draconequus, who smiles nervously as he meets my eyes.
"Yeah, I know," I say, a hint of spite in my voice.
And so will my currently unborn children, you bastard...
"Er...heh-heh. Sorry about earlier," Disarray apologizes, holding out a bear paw to try and make amends.
"Eh... think nothin' of it," I grumble as I shake his paw. "So where're ya all headed?"
"Er... traveling," Daring answers. "Across the world actually."
"Huh... that sounds nice." I glance over at Ginger Snap. She had been leering at me the entire time, and other than "Hi", she still hasn't said a word. "What's eatin' you?" I ask.
"What the buck are you?" Why would you answer my question with another question?
"A Devil Imp." She still doesn't let up that glare of hers.
"Devil Imp?" Coconut says. "What's that, mate?"
I give them the loosest definition of a Devil Imp without telling them of the Internet source they derive from. Fortunately, they don't ask questions to know more about it.
"Cool story, bro. Tell it again," says Disarray. I look at him, wondering how he knows about that meme. But then again, draconequi are capable of Pinkie Pie powers, allowing them to break the fourth wall at will.
And funnily enough, though, my "cool story" took about only thirty seconds.
"Blimey," says Coconut. "Must b' nice bein' a Devil Imp, eh?"
Ginger scoffs before muttering, "Sure... if you think being a freak is nice...." I don't care that she tries to mutter it so I won't hear, nor do I care for the small chuckle she throws in afterward. I let the matter go...
But it requires every fiber of my being to resist bitchslapping her into oblivion.
Echo removes the harness of his burden. He then removes the black sickle-shaped tool from his sash, gets out a piece of paper from his duster pocket, and begins to write on it with the tool, like it's a pencil. When he finishes, he gets up from off the Shagwagon's porch and walks over to me before handing me the note. My eyes begin to adjust in the night's semi-blackness as I read his...
Equestrian paw-writing?
Indeed so. Rather than any language I can understand, Echo's words are the indecipherable equine tongue of Equestrian, comprised of horns, wings, horseshoes, and other hieroglyphs instead. "Er... I can't read this," I tell him. Echo raises a brow before snatching the paper back, blowing on it to remove the writing, and placing it on a raised leg before writing again. He returns the paper, this time with English on it.
'Wait, you can't read Equestrian?'
I nod dumbly at the skilled literature. How can a Diamond Dog, of all creatures, be able to learn both Equestrian and English? For starters, these gem-eating hounds are illiterate, and they're usually the kind to take anyone big and muscular into captivity, so any chance of taking literature classes with their pony prisoners is out of the question.
Plus, I'm not even sure if Diamond Dogs know that English exists, let alone if they can learn to read it and write in it. So how did-
...
Hold on...
"...A Diamond Dog, the silent protector of the people...."
Huh... so that explains it. But if that is the case, and Echo isn't a Diamond Dog at all, why is he silent? Did he just up and choose one day that he wanted to be a mute?
After looking at the hound's neck, I see that his choice to not speak isn't a choice at all. Along the esophagus is a vague pink scar that separates the fur. A thinner, black line runs in the middle of the scar, with minuscule holes dotting it on either side. He has had his vocal chords ripped out. Who or what the culprit is is a complete mystery to me, but that can only mean one thing.
Echo can't talk.
"Echo... what happened to your throat?"
"It happened in the Rainforest a few months back," Daring answers in his place. "I was running away from Ahuitzotl's big cats when he showed up. He tried offering me help, which isn't like a Diamond Dog at all. He tried fending off the cats to keep me safe, but he got his throat ripped out in the process. He's been silent ever since."
And so they inform me of their adventures, a spider's web of wonder being woven and spun by the arachnid of words. Daring saving Echo's life, him traveling with Daring to the Pyramid of Chaos, fighting Ahuitzotl in the Pyramid's crypts, finding Disarray, saving Daring's life by going to the town of Wethoof when she had contracted jungle fever, ever so slowly gaining the townsfolk's trust, discovering Tartarus, meeting a strange griffin pirate named Griffin, killing Ahuitzotl and the corrupt mayor Frost Snap, and finally ridding Wethoof of the Hydras that plagued the humble town for so long.
"Whoa..." I'm stunned by their endeavors. While they have had many problems back then, that doesn't stop them from succeeding in their mission.
"Say, ya wanna stay th' night, Damien?" Coconut asks.
I blink a couple of time in a confused response. "Uh... what?"
"You know," Disarray starts. "Sleep in the Shagwagon for tonight. Think about it as a way to make amends, eh?"
"Uh... alright, what the hell? Just for tonight, though." Everyone but Ginger smiles at the acceptance.
'Welcome aboard,' writes Echo. He walks over to the large caravan, opens the door, and motions for us to come inside.
,,,
Sweet.
Baby.
Luna.
It's bigger on the inside…
This dimensional anomaly becomes evident to me the minute I step inside. the interior blows me away from its size and cozy appearance. It's as large as a common room, longer lengthwise than width wise. There are even small rooms along the walls, three a side, more than enough for all of us. Scattered around a metal fire pit are several plush cushions. The small grating in the ceiling assures that any smoke will be well ventilated. Everything smells of freshly-cut wood and several spectacular chronicles that the five shared.
I whistle in a low tone at the incredible sight my eyes are graced with. "Whoa..."
"I take it you like our amazing vehicle?" asks Daring with a hint of pride in her voice.
"Like? Like? I love it!" So begins my extensive vocabulary and fanboy-squealing. "It's spectacular! It's riveting! It's marvelous!" Somebody, please hit me over the head with a crowbar before I go any further! "It's like those tents from the Harry Potter movies!" ...Damn it.
The three ponies only look at me like I said something weird. Disarray nods his assent, like he knows what I'm talking about; Hell, maybe he does know what I'm talking about. But Echo goes wide-eyed at my words. He pulls me to the side and starts writing furiously on another piece of paper with the black dagger.
'Do you like bananas?'
Er.
Mah.
Gerd.
He's a brony!
"That depends, Scooby-Doo." Echo flips me the bird at the dog name, but when he figures out what I'm getting at, his ears perk up, and he slowly starts to grin from ear to ear. "I don't always eat bananas, but when I do, I eat them ONNNNNN THE MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNAH! BEEYYYYAAAAATCH!" I offer a half-extended fist, requesting a brohoof that he gladly gives me, the two of us laughing at the odds of our incredible encounter. Two bronies in Equestria, their physical aliases being that of the show or otherworldly aspects? I think I finally understand what Nut said when she told me there were others "just like me".
And now that this has happened, how many more bronies are out there?
"I didn't think there'd be more of us here in Equestria!"
'I didn't think so either until I met the pirate, Griffin.' writes Echo. Wait... what? A pirate that Echo mentioned is ALSO a brony? Normally I would be appalled, but this just gotten twenty percent cooler. This only confirms that there are indeed more of them out there.
We all spend the next few hours killing time, either telling one another jokes, stories, or them telling me about themselves. I learn about how Disarray is the son of Discord and Celestia, but he was abandoned by them a few millennia back. His parents' traits let him change between his preferred draconequus form and his Alicorn form; Ginger Snap is the daughter of Wethoof's corrupt and deceased mayor, Frost Snap, who had tried to have Echo killed, along with every Diamond Dog he laid an eye on, because of the unfortunate loss of Ginger's mother in a Diamond Dog cave, when Frost battled the Greenclaw tribe alpha, Mosspaw; Coconut is Wethoof's best chef, and is one of the first few to welcome Echo with open forelegs; Echo himself doesn't really have much to say about himself, but aside from how Discord is responsible for his existence in Equestria, he informs me (through writing and charades) of what he did in Equestria, from meeting Daring to his recent travels... unfortunately, he also tells me about his wierd dreams involving him rubbing a cheeseburger on his nipples; and while I already know who Daring Do is - unbeknownst to her - she still tells me anyway about the many adventures she had and the several books she wrote that told her spectacular tales.
However, I have a little bit of trouble believing that her pith helmet helped her in escaping a room filling with quicksand, spiked walls that were closing in on her, and venomous snakes and spiders, all the while tied down by strong rope to a stone altar.
The hours speed by, like an hourglass with a wider middle. After checking my iPhone in secrecy - for fear of having the trio of equines lose their shit at Earth's advanced technology - I discover that it was two o'clock in the morning. I announce this to the ones taking me in for the night. They go wide-eyed at how quickly the time had raced by before deciding to turn in for the night.
But when I get up to head to the third room on the right, the only vacant room on the Shagwagon, I felt someone poke my shoulder. I turn around to see Echo with another note. 'Can I ask you for a favor?'
"Alright, man. What is it?"
'You know how I'm dating Daring, right?' I nod. 'Well, it's going to be Daring's birthday tomorrow. Well, technically, it's today. And I want to do something special for her. Do you think you can help me out?'
It takes a while to figure out what I can do to ease Echo's romantic qualms. But luckily, when I give him the answer, his slightly worried look melts away. "Just leave it t' me!" I assure him. He smiles and nods his thanks, and with that, everyone on board the Shagwagon turns in for the night. I open the door to the room and walk towards the bed in the corner, taking my duster, scarf, and undershirt off and dropping them on the ground. I deposit all my possessions at the foot of it before getting in and wiggling under the covers to get comfortable. I sigh in content with how plush the mattress is and how warm the blanket is on me.
Yet, try as I might, slumber's claws fail to pull me under. Tossing and turning in the attempts to sleep, it is all for naught.
I sigh in frustration. "This's going to be a long night...."
Shadow: Congrats, Rust! (Well, I think that's what you should say to an esteemed author....) Echo, Coconut, Ginger, Daring, and Disarray are in the fic! I don't know if you will like it or not, but if you noticed anything wrong with this chapter, please let me know and I'll correct it post-haste.
Next chapter will be up soon, God willing. So sit tight and be right there.
All the best,
~S.W.
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ER! MAH! CELESTIA!
This is Awesome!!!
This was good, liked the Echo cameo that was very well-done. No significant flaws as far as I can tell, you do good work!
887032 886929
Thank you, guys!
life could be dream
Cheeseburgers on nipples action? BEST. WET-DREAM. EVAR,
887383
It's true, too. He ACTUALLY DOES tell you about his nipple-rubbing, cheeseburger action.
887397 Yeah I read Rust's story and it goes into DETAIL! Also isn't it kind of weird how Ginger Snap doesn't trust Connor or regards him as a freak because of his different appearance? Her town was saved by Echo the diamond dog so shouldn't she learn not to judge someone (somepony? IDK) by their looks?
887433
Too right. Best. Story. Ever.
Edit: While Ginger didn't like Echo at first, she warmed up to him later on. But she disregards Damien because she doesn't know much about him, or his past. So when he tries to do something nice, she might lighten up.
You never cease to amaze me.
In the words of Elvis Presley: Thank ya. Thank ya very much.
887814
In the immortal words of Gandhi, Them steaks are GOOD!
Well, I hope to see more of this, it looks pretty great so far, but I hope this isn't just a "I joined Echo's caravan!" thing.
I'd have to stop reading if that happened.
896297
No, it'll only be for the night.
897034
Thank goodness. I like Rust's work a lot, and really like the stuff that's spawned from his idea.
897038
Indeed so. I can't use Rust's OCs for the WHOLE fiction: it wouldn't work. Plus, that isn't the point of being in a Chess Game, and I have some other OCs to cameo and my OC to be cameo'd.
897049
alright.
well, I can't wait for the next installment!
897072
Well, the joke's not on you: I'm actually installing it right now!
897076
Whoo! then I can stop babbling and start reading!
This seems like a fair trade to me.
images.gamebanana.com/img/ico/sprays/4f8919feab649.png All yo stories are cool /)
908432
Thanks, bro! (\
Wait. Which Echo version is this? Rust's where he gets his claws burned off (which is what this seems like) or Griffin's version where I don't think he does?. Because, technically, your jumping dimensions here since Rust's version isn't canon anymore. You don't have to change it at this point, but I just want to point it out. Might get important at mega crossovers like the Endgame where you have to coordinate with Blackwing and one story has Echo talking and another not.
Echo cann't talk
1. Can't.