"Heeheehee!" Pinkie Pie giggled, floating around Rainbow Dash like a halo of bubbles. "It's like she's putting on a bunch of frozen leaves!"
"Come one, Pinkie Pie," Rainbow Dash droned, slapping on another plate of armor over her fetlock and tightening the leather straps. "It's a lot more awesome than that." Her eyes narrowed. "Although... heh... I guess it is pretty autumnal."
"'Vernal' is more like it," Twilight Sparkle said, smiling in admiration. "The armor is green, after all."
"In any case, it is the most delightful ensemble," Rarity said, cooing. "The Emeraldinians certainly had an eye for honor and beauty."
"Plus, it looks very... safe." Fluttershy gestured with her fetlocks. "Must feel snug too. How heavy is it, Rainbow Dash?"
"Well..." Rainbow squatted awkwardly aside the hovering wagon. The rest of the Herald fumbled around her, slipping into their own armored suits. "I gotta admit—it feels a bit loose on me." She gave her flank a slight shake. The leaf-motif plates of emerald armor rattled around her features, but they didn't shift too much. "But maybe that's a good thing. I don't wanna feel suffocated."
"Something tells me you're a bit smaller than the average Emeraldinian," Twilight said.
"Duhhhh!" Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes. "She's a bit smaller than the average anypony."
"Pinkie, darling!" Rarity frowned. "Do not rub it in!"
"Heh... guess I should be feeling lucky." Rainbow Dash strapped on the last plate in her possession. Soon, she was garbed head to tail in lightweight strips of armor—all bearing flora intaglio. Narrow bands of branch-like lines swam elaborate curves across the verdant sheets of metal, matching her every joint and ligament. Princess Luna's saddlebag was worn a bit tightly under the backpiece, but Rainbow managed. Thankfully there was enough room for the bulk of her pendant to dangle freely above the collar of the chestplate. "Logan must have taken forever to come up with an outfit that could fit me."
"Can you fly with that on?"
"I dunno. Lemme see." Rainbow Took a deep breath. She flapped her wings. Sure enough, she gained lift—hovering above the wagon. After a few seconds, she touched back down.
"Well?" Pinkie Pie blinked.
"It's... manageable..." Rainbow nevertheless could be heard wheezing slightly. "Wouldn't be my first choice to wear on a long flight."
"Oh, darling, I'm sure you've worn heavier," Rarity said with a hoof-wave.
"Maybe. I... kinda feel out of practice." Rainbow coughed. "Maybe I should have flown more laps around the corridors of Darkreach. Kept my muscle mass up."
"To what end?" Fluttershy blinked. "You haven't been eating a whole lot."
"Errrrr..." Rainbow nervously looked towards the supply crates of the wagon. "...yeah."
"You've been quiet all this time, Applejack," Twilight Sparkle said, looking over. "What do you think of Rainbow's new get-up?"
"Hmmm?" Applejack looked up. "Oh! Well done, sugarcube!" She smiled awkwardly. "You sure do look... er... handsome!"
Rainbow Dash blinked. "I do?"
"Applejack!" Rarity hissed through her teeth. "You never... ever refer to a lady as handsome!"
"Well, what else can I say?" Applejack shrugged. "It's a strappin' set of sporty-lookin' armor!"
"Practical and pretty!" Fluttershy said.
"Errr... more like somewhere in between," Applejack said. "Shucks, I dunno. I wouldn't mind wearin' some if it made me all protected-like."
"Handsome... ... ..." Rainbow Dash smiled dumbly into the twilight.
"Honestly!" Rarity folded her forelimbs. "When all of this mess is done, I'm teaching you all a grand lesson in ladylike etiquette!"
"Oh, go blow your nose, Rare-Rare!" Pinkie Pie squeaked. "If a knight in shining armor was showing up to save you from a dragon, would you pause to tell him how bad his breath stinks?"
"Depends on how bad that breath is!"
Twilight Sparkle giggled.
"Stop laughing!"
Rainbow Dash smiled.
"Your friends telling a sweet joke?" Ariel's voice asked.
Rainbow looked over. "Oh... uh... it's nothing."
Ariel smiled, peering out of a narrow helmet. "You're allowed to smile at nothing."
Rainbow just cleared her throat. "So... uh... what do you think?" She struck a pose in her armor.
"Looks pretty sweet!" Ariel grinned. "How's it feel?"
"Not too bad."
"Really?" Ariel's features drooped under her helmet's visor. "Because this stuff is weighing on me like a ton! I'm surprised it's not killing you."
"I... uh..." Rainbow shrugged, glancing at the various members of the Herald in their armor. "I guess I'm just lucky."
"Damn straight, you are." Heavy metallic hoofsteps preluded the arrival of Logan. The large stallion stood in even larger armor, towering over the two mares. "Mrmmffff..." He struggled just to raise his helmet's visor and peered down at them. "Took me for friggin' ever to find the right pieces that would fit you. Emeraldine was short on pipsqueaks, I think."
"Hey!" Ariel frowned.
"It's okay, girl," Rainbow Dash patted her armored shoulder with a rattling sound. "Just smile sweetly and remember that you're a groin-kick level."
"Hmmmm..." Logan's smile was bland. "Very cute."
"Mrmmfff..." Flynn stumbled towards the group. His mechanical lense peered out of his helmet's visor. "Stuffy as hell, in here."
"Suck it up, Baldy," Logan grunted. "You've got less hair. You'll sweat less."
"A shame that therre werren't any wyverrns in Emerraldine," Kepler said. His armor barely fitted him, and he was reduced to wearing loosely-strapped plates of metal across random parts of his hairy figure. "I suppose I will have to do my combat at a safe distance."
"That won't really change anything," Flynn said with a smile.
"No, I suppose not. How about you, Wildcarrd? Farre well in yourr metals?"
The griffion in question had his left arm exposed—which was fine. The prosthetic—although not matching the green leaf motifs—was sturdy enough on its own. He lifted his visor, exposed his beak, and hand-signed briskly.
"Rright." Kepler nodded. "The next orrderr of business is to deal with those pesky vines."
"Stalks," Ariel corrected.
"Same differrence. Ha-hah!"
"Yeah..." Rainbow looked at Wildcard and Logan. "Just how are we going to do that anyway?"
"Well..." Schiiiiiing! Logan sweatily heaved his axe into view. "...guess it's time for some good old fashion lawnwork."
Nnngg...I'm kind of expecting something to go a little sideways on this excursion. We know that apparently those plants can't attack anything that's already a certain distance below them (or beside them). Question is: what happens after they're cut down? If you cut a flower, it's still alive for a little bit. What'll the behavior of these things be once one of them is downed and suddenly has one of the group in range? I suppose some strategic cutting might help...
I think it goes without saying that we need some talented individual to art this.
You're killing us with the shipping signs here. I lol'ed.
Also, they're not pipsqueaks, they're petite!
AJ is teasing Dash and Dash is teasing Ariel.
and somewhere in the Goblin lands, Roarke suffered a slight malfunction for a reason she can only assume is "My marefriend is doing something sexy."
-Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
Hoping that this lawn is not some giant interwoven network of stalks that are just one entity.
Handsome. Yeaaaah
A properly forged suit of full plate mail for a human, at least, would weigh no more than thirty to perhaps fifty pounds, but would be evenly distributed across each part of the body to make the weight less a hindrance. It would also be worn over a gambeson or some other kind of padding.
Rainbow and co are in for some serious chafing and other discomfort if they don't have jackets.
8406201
I think the layers of fur and feathers will prevent chafing.
Though it might get pinched in the joints.
8406170
"I was half expecting to look down the hole and see a giant eyeball staring up at me, angry that I singed it's eyelashes or something, and then the whole facility would start shaking and I'd just... ball up and cry. Because what do you do when something that big wants to kill you?"
8406212
To some extent, of course. I admit I did not think of fur. It would still be best with extra padding.
I think there's an important and as yet unasked question here: is the creepy tentacle grass edible?
8406102
I concur with that last bit. Damn my lack of artistic ability.
Yeah, I'm gonna need to see pictures of this. If only I was good at art. I'm sure someone will do a pic or two eventually.
Whelp it's time to start cutting the grass I guess. Not sure that is going to go to well though, given what we know about it.
Logan is best Wrex
Time to go chopping down death trees. What a wonderful idea.
8406402
i.ytimg.com/vi/D2VFWBogDQE/maxresdefault.jpg
"I have had with this motherfucking stalks on this motherfucking plane! Everybody strap in! About to do some fucking gardening."
8406248 Talk about a food circle.
8406368
He is rather wrexly...
8406214
You pull a dead space ex machina and kill it.
8406201
*Or fur.
8406159
My personal headcannon is that scoot when last we saw her, set out with the other crusaders following dash in a flying machine of their own design.
The Noble Crusader.
Picking up various pony's along the way they cut rainbows travel time Into pieces and show up with an ariel armada just in time to help rainbow after her current team have all died in the grueling race to the midnight armory when her pendant is inevitably stolen by the midnighters.
Just the headcannon I have been figuring on since about oh... Innavedr?...
Oh man, they'd be the center of attention at any dress party.
And I think this is the first time that I have read about a cyborg stallion in a simple metal armor.
Sheet em up, roll em out,
Its time to go hunting, Sunflowers.
And this is Ringworld.
Anybody else besides me getting an Avatar feeling off this? You know, theres guys with armor walking into an area filled with death plants and whatever other nasties hidden within.
Currently there are no pegasi in Emeraldine, Rainbow. You should feel lucky just for having wing holes.
The Armor seems solid, though I would have added a way to expand the wings a bit to allow for more thrust, to compensate for the heavier load. I guess that lacking many Pegasus they would not have thought of that though.
I am confused, i thought they had no way to the base of the death stalks because of a sheer cliff face all along the plane's edge?
I also thought that the stalks coukd react in any direction?
8406248
On Earth, at least, carnivorous plants are typically found in nutrient-poor environments, such as acidic swamps where other plants can't grow well. I would expect that most of the vegetation available on the dark side would be carnivorous.
Which begs the question... where does the energy come from for the dark side's life cycle? On Earth (and the light side of this plane), the sun is the source of energy that plants use to build carbohydrates, fats, and proteins from the basic chemical building blocks in soil and air. Then animals consume those high-energy chemicals and use that energy to build their own carbs/fats/proteins in their own bodies. Then fungus, insects, and other saprobic/detritivorous organisms use the energy from those chemicals to build their own chemicals. But if there's no sun, then... where does the energy come from in the first place?
When a cow eats grass, only a VERY small percentage of the chemical energy from the grass is stored in the cow. And when a person eats that cow, only a VERY small percentage of that energy gets stored in the person. And when the person dies and is consumed by (for example) mushrooms, only a VERY small percentage of that energy will get stored in the mushrooms. So the life cycle of the dark side would appear unsustainable, absent some as-yet-unknown form of energy.
Its mutuaaaaaal!
D'aaw!
8406906
Obviously, the plants use chaosynthesis. Or something.
8406655
Watch out for the blue cat-ponies!
8406906
They are secretly silicon lifeforms and are 99% efficient energy converters.
Being living semiconductors, they leech electric charge and geothermal energy from borehole-length roots.
As for their flesh diet?
They have a nasty sweet tooth.
Beware of the fallen stalks once you chop them. They could still have some bite.
I wonder how long it will be before they run into the OCs introduced in chapter 2?
We get it, East Horse is Tiny Horse.
Complimented by Applehorse, make a Will save or lose two rounds smiling and blushing like a schoolfilly.
8406906
I think the key to this question might be the mushrooms they found.
Normal mushrooms don't photosynthesise, so they need to feed on other stuff (either decomposing matter or living plants they attach to as a symbiote). But these ones seem to have been able to grow all on their own, without any obvious source of nutrients.
Maybe they absorb mana from the surrounding chaos cloud. Or the machine world. Or something.
8407430
I thought they were growing on decaying trees?
Which begs the question of where did the trees get their energy...
But I do like your explanation of mushrooms that absorb magic from the chaos. That could explain why they glow... but makes me question the health of eating them!
Hopefully that doesn't end up being a problem...
8407138
I wonder if the girl(forgot the names, its been a bit) will eventually join the Herald-and how she'll react once she realized how bad eating souls is.
8407476
The decayed tree's could be from before the sundering, where hopefully there was a life sustaining light source on both sides of the part.
We're going mowing against the plane's largest lawn of death grass. Please remember that for this mission, flamethrowers are NOT optional.
Time to suit up and go full lumberjack.
Danse liked that.
Oh man, this is exactly what I was afraid of. I don't know what else they can really do, but they need to be careful!
The Armor should actually feel pretty light while walking, as while as a whole the armor might seems heavy, it fairly evenly distributes the weight across the body. Still, it looks nice (more inspiration for Rarity), and more importantly, it should be able to protect them from most standard threats, which means they should keep it as long as they can. At least until they can get something better.
10/21/2017
16:54 UTC
Aw, yeah. Let’s get ‘er done. This should be good.
Even after all this time, the Applejack Crush continues strong.
Herald Lawn Care Service is a go!