GreyRebl’s Comment
In the town of Griffonstone, manning a lonesome wagon stall, Gilda sighs. Aside from that one spunky filly and the old fart, there haven’t been any other customers. No surprises there, that has been the case since, well, forever. That's fine by her, because the scones will turn out better when they get cold at least, that's what the Grandpa Gruff always tells her.
"Gruuuh..." Gilda bonks the back of her head against the stall. "Doesn't make this any less boring and pathetic," she mutters. "I wish Greta hadn’t of been so mad at me, now everything’s worse. Probably should've gone with the others, because obvious fake or not, that Ahuizotl guy was the most interesting thing to happen in this lousy town..."
...Thud cruck! ...Thud cruck! ...Thud cruck!
"Huh?" Gilda lifts her head, listening. "The heck is…"
...Thud cruck! ...Thud cruck! ...Thud cruck—!
She blinks. It seems to be coming closer and closer and a sense of trepidation sends her feathers standing on end. "...That's not an earthquake is it?"
"COMING THROUUUUGGHH!"
Gilda snaps her gaze westward, toward a slight hill in the distance. Several griffons come flying with terror in their eyes, and screaming below them is Ahuizotl and a familiar filly and old changeling, who are running as fast as their limbs can carry them. And just right on all their tails, emerging from the other side of the hill...
Gilda squawks as the house-sized Arimaspi comes looming into the town. "What the buuuuuuuuu—!?"
-========-
Thud cruck!
"—uuuck!" Grandbuggy ducks his head, bits of rocks sailing over as he curses between each gasp of breath. "Buck! Buck! Buck! Today just isn't our lucky bucking day! Bucking Tartarus!"
To his side, sprinting like a cheetah on rocket fuel, Ahuizotl snaps at him.
"I told you, Quick Fix! I told you, but you didn't listen!"
"How the buck was I supposed to know?!"
"You should've known, we've worked together so many times! Curses and old artifacts go hand and hand! Daring Do’s writer mentions that all the time!”
"You expect me to remember all that voodoo jumbo you both go on about?!"
Being the good filly you are, you gallop right between them, interrupting the adults while they are still speaking and say,
"Less talking, more running!"
And with a hop, skip and a jump *thud!* you slam your earthbending hooves to the ground, launch a sizeable boulder into the air and *cruck!* with a literal earth-shattering buck, shoot it toward the Arimaspi's face!
A spectacular explosion of dust and stone, and the one-eyed skeleton reels, slowing momentarily, gasping as if it still has lungs.
“Direct hit!” you shout with a hoof pump, but then the raging glint of an ethereal eye shines through the dust, and the Arimaspi quickly rights itself with a mighty roar, clearing away the dust cloud in a single gust of wind and exposing the deep fractures on its skull.
“Oh hey, I actually hurt it,” you say proudly, but then Lady Luck rears her ugly head. Right before your eyes, the bone melts into the cracks, as if several tons of rock to the face never happened, before it swoops back in with a creeping shriek:
"Shrrraaaaaaaaaauugh!"
"Oh, come on!" you whine. "That's just unfair!" Wheezing heavily, Grandbuggy spits,
"You better dispel that curse real bucking quick, 'Zotl, else we'll be joining the party of the dead long before it'll end!"
"Very well! I’ll try, but at this point it might to be too late with the reanimation already in effect," Ahuizotl snarls. "But if I die because of another one of your stupid mistakes, I will haunt you till the end of your life!"
"Right back at you, bucko!"
"OH MY BUCKING GOD!" you shout. "Both of you shut up and help me already!"
“Calm down sweetheart, bickering is how we get stuff done,” Grandbuggy reassures.
“Indeed Chica!” Ahuizotl yells as he steps forward and holds aloft some sort of necklace trinket that begins to glow.
“RRRAAAAGGGHHH!!!” the monster screams, as nothing seemingly happens, but it doesn’t move forward.
“‘Zotl, anytime now!” Grandbuggy says nervously.
“Hold your horses, you think an exorcism is that quick?”
“Exorcism? But don’t you need a young priest and an old priest for that?” you ask.
“Ideally!” Ahuizotl yells, “But unfortunately I don’t see any around here!”
Kichi’s Comment
You then look around to the gathered griffons who are watching from a distance, hoping that Ahuizotl saves them.
“Oi! You lot!” you point at them and they look to you. “We’re trying to do an exorcism, any of you got any magic, holy or otherwise?” they all look at each other before looking back to you shaking their heads.
“…Would that change if I said I had bits?” you venture, but unfortunately they still give the same response.
“Really? Noling can help? The overgrown cat thing needs help you overgrown cat things!” you chide.
“RRRREEEEEE!!!” the creature shrieks at you, not stepping any closer to Ahuizotl and his symbol.
"Yeah, Yeah, hang on a second you!” you chide the monster who flinches back before it snarls and tries to shout again.
“SSKKKRR-“
“I SAID SHUT THE BUCK UP! We’ll deal with you in due time so take a ticket and wait your turn to speak!" the monster seems very surprised by your tone and even tilts it’s head in confusion, but you ignore it and turn back to the crowd.
“OK, what about lime? I know from gangster movies that it dissolves bodies and bones and stuff and…What? Do I have something on my face?” you ask as the Griffons and even Grandbuggy are giving you curious glances.
"Uh... No,” says the scone griffon from earlier.
“Then what’s with the looks?” you demand.
“You’re yelling at that thing like it’s no big deal, aren’t you scared?” Gilda asks.
“A little bit, but really more for you guys. In the long run I can handle myself, but all you guys might get turned into jerk chicken.”
“What makes you so sure of that?” demands Gilda.
“Because I’m a freaking Alicorn ya price gouging strumpet!” you boast as you dramatically whip off your coat, revealing your wings, which cause several of them to gasp.
“Now, if none of you can help magically, can you at least get some torches or pitchforks or-“
“Are you Nightmare Moon?!” asks that hyperactive griffon from before, Gabby or something.
“What?” you ask taken aback.
“I asked are you Nightmare Moon?” she says, sounding kind of excited.
“NO!” you groan. “No I’m not! Why do folks keep asking that?!”
“Well, you’re a dark alicorn filly hanging around a changeling, and I’ve heard on the mail route in Equestria that there’s a changeling fugitive that has the mare in the moon in his head and-“
“Buck off with that slander to my family!” you growl shutting her up. “Now, we can either keep playing twenty questions and accusing who’s who of being their mom, but let’s handle that sack of bones first!”
“Grraagh?!” the Arimpasi lets out a questioning growl.
“Yes You!”
“Alright Chica, the distraction is good, but I could still use some help!” Ahuizotl strains with his paws shaking with the symbol.
“I’m trying!” you grunt. “Grandbuggy, do you have anything?”
“Hmm, maybe,” he says as he takes a small book from under his hat and flips through some pages.
“Ah, here we go,” he says looking at a page before turning to the griffons.
“Any of ya’ll got any spare blowfish lying around?”
The griffons look all amongst themselves, before Greta calls out,
“Will this work?” and throws a tuna at Grandbuggy’s hooves.
“…Eh, close enough,” he shrugs. “Alright, everyone repeat after me!” he then begin to chant a spell, followed by the griffons
"Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao, Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao..." you all mimic, but nothing happens.
“Gorramit. Were all you saying it right?” he accuses and they shirk away from his voice.
“Personally Grandbuggy, I don’t even think I was saying it right,” you admit.
“It’s not a spirit from Neighsan descent idiotas!” Ahuizotl grunts. “Does anyone know ancient Equestrian?”
“Uhhhh…” you all mutter and he rolls his eyes.
“Of course you don’t. This might be dangerous for just myself, but oh well!” he then starts chanting loudly in some dead language.
"Exorcizamus te,omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica..."
Unlike Grandbuggy though, the symbol he holds shines brighter and the skeleton backs away some more, but it doesn’t disintegrate or seem harmed.
“Well, it’s keeping him away from us at the very least,” Grandbuggy says.
“That’s a short term solution!” Ahuizotl grunts, sweat beads on his forehead. “We have to stop it permanently! Does no one have any depictions of powerful beings to compel this thing with?”
PuzzlingFrost’s Comment
“Powerful beings?” you ask before a lightbulb flashes above you. "Wait a minute, I do!" You reach into your saddle bag for a drawing of your mom to use against the Arimaspi ghost. However…
Human Land
*sigh* I miss my Nightshade Selena mutters sadly as Bugze sits on his library couch bed, observing the magic crystal shard.
"Ahh don't worry Selly, we'll all be back together in no time, and then you’ll be able to hug her in your own arms."
Yeah…after we track through countless hybrid descendants on this gods forsaken world… she says a bit in melancholy.
Sensing that the mood is still not lightened, Bugze thinks for a moment before slapping his human forehead.
"Oh wait I forgot!" He says before pulling out his 'purse' and reaching inside to pull out a drawing Nightshade had made for her mom.
"Nightshade told me to look at this whenever we missed home." The drawing was, well, actually very well done for a filly her age. It was a drawing of all three of them together.
Ahh my sweet filly, Selena cries a bit in happiness and longing. Thank you Bugze, she says with a sniffle.
“No prob.”
Hey what about me? Sombra whines, feeling excluded.
"Oh pipe down Smokey, I’m sure she made one of you too, but she probably didn't finish it before we left and still has it with her,” Bugze says with a roll of his eyes. Sombra huffs wishing he had his own Nightshade picture to look at, but resigns himself knowing that she’ll have even more time to make it look spectacular.
Back in Horse World
"D'OH I gave it to mom and dad before they left,” you facehoof. "I guess Sombra's photo will have to do.” You then pull out Sombra’s drawing of him sitting on a crystal throne surrounded on all sides by stairs, and a big goofy smile on his face.
“Hang on Ahuizotl!” you shout as you run next to the foal book villain.
"HEY ARIPA-, APRIMA, AKKAMA, oh forget it. HEY UGLY!" You cry out tired of trying to pronounce his stupid dumb, dumby dumb dumb butthead, unpronounceable name. The Arimaspi looks down at you in confusion as you pull out the Sombra portrait.
"The power of Sombra compels you! The power of sombra compels you! THE POWER OF SOMBRA COMPELS YOU!" You shout with all your might as it causes the monster to cry out in pain. Everyone looks in awe as you begin to push it back towards the chasm with your shouts, everyone except Grandbuggy and Ahuizotl that is.
“What are you doing?!” Ahuizotl shouts in fear.
“Kid! Quit chanting!” Grandbuggy warns.
“Why? He’s actually getting hurt and-“
*BOOM*
You are interrupted as the skeleton explodes in a dark glow, which blasts everyone back, and even interrupts Ahuizotl’s own protective charm.
"Did I win?" You babble with a dizzy head, but as you shake it off, you see the smoke begin to part. Dark magic lighting crackles around the skeleton and it is now covered in zombie like flesh, but most horrifying of all, it’s sprouted WINGS!
“Wha…?” you trail off looking at the now demonic looking monster.
"I think you made it worse kiddo," Grandbuggy deadpans.
“Yes she did! What were you thinking channeling the spirit of an Umbrum?”
“How could I have known that?!” you grumble.
“Umbrum’s are the darkest of dark magic kid. Essentially, you just threw oil onto a forest fire.”
"GRAAAHHHOOOOOOHHHHAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!" cries the Arimaspi as it starts to flap it's wings and fly right at you.
"RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!" the griffons shout and run further into their town.
"DANGIT SOMBRA!!!" you yell in frustration as the now fleshy zombie monster flies towards you.
Kersey475’s Comment
Zapper frost’s Comment
WARGAMES’ Comment
“Alright, you’re not just bones anymore, so take this!” you shout as you slam your hoof into the ground, causing a pillar to shoot out and strike the thing right in the nards.
Please work, please work…you stammer in your head. The pillar makes the creature stop for sure, but only momentarily as it lifts itself off of the pillar and flies upward.
“Gorramit!” you shout.
“It’s an undead honey, any nards it had have since rotted away,” Grandbuggy tells you as he grabs your hoof and leads you further into town, with Ahuizotl following suit. After rounding a few bends in town, you all see the monster land in front of a group of griffons.
“AAHHH!!!” they squawk in fear and try to fly off, but the blue lemonade scammer from before gets knocked prone in the scatter before the monster.
“GGGRRRRAAAAGGGHHHH!!!” the Arimaspi yells at the teen as it lifts it’s claws up for a strike.
“Claws off pal!”Greta yells as she dive kicks the monster in the face, distracting it momentarily.
“Get out of here Gallus!” Greta shrieks to the teen.
“Y-Yeah!” he nods and flies off. Once he’s safe, she turns back to face the zombie monster.
“I have had enough of giant monsters and undead in my life thank you very much!” she yells in anger as she sinks her claws into one of it’s wings, putting a hole into it’s membrane and causing it to shriek.
“Whoa,” Ahuizotl says in amazement.
“Gorram, that’s one tough chick,” Grandbuggy says impressed.
“Well she did help dad fight Mangle when she was giant,” you point out.
“AAAAGGGHHH!!! *BONK* Greta lands at your feet head first after the Arimapsi flapped her off it’s wings.
“…But maybe she bit off more than she could chew,” you mutter as you check her. Lifting her head, you see swirls in her eyes and a goofy grin on her face.
“I like turtles,” she says before passing out.
“Of course you do,” you sigh as you shove her into the Inventory to which Grandbuggy just gives you a curious look.
“What? I’m not going to just leave her on the ground with that thing running around,” you point out.
“I didn’t say anything kid,” he shrugs and looks to the monster. “At least she did one thing, she grounded it.
“And the wound has not healed,” Ahuizotl points out and you see the gash where Greta struck it.
“That means he’s weaker!” you put two and two together. “Quick, throw me!” you yell to Ahuizotl.
"Excuse me?!" he exclaims.
"You're right, not hard enough,” you nod. “Spin me around you a few times then throw me at it as hard as you bucking can!"
"Are you loco? Your abuelo will kill m-"
"She knows what she's doing!" Grandbuggy interrupts Ahuizotl as he takes off his bowler hat. “Wait till I distract that thing then let her rip.” Grandbuggy then rushes forth.
“Hey Ugly! You came to the wrong neighborhood motherbucker!” he then throws his hat like a frisbee, and as it flies towards him, you see metallic blades exit the sides. The sharp hat hits the Arimapsi right at the corner of it’s eye and it howls in absolute pain.
“Now!” Grandbuggy calls out.
"I hope you know what you're doing little one," Ahuizotl says before he picks you up with his tail hand and starts spinning you around him. Once he has enough momentum he hurls youat the monster with all his might.
Alright Grandbuggy, cute trick with the hat, but when it comes to tricks, I’m the cutest there is, you think as you barrel roll towards the monster at extreme speeds with midnight flames exuding from your body.
"FALCON MISSILE KICK!!!" you call out as your flaming hoof makes impact with the monster’s pelvis where you nard shotted him before. This time however, the pelvis cracks and shatters and the Arimapsi collapses, it’s mobility crippled from cracked bones. You do however hit your head against said bones in the process and your vision swims greatly.
Master of Shadows’ Comment
Darkinfinity666’s Comment
“Ooohhh, anyone, get the number of that carriage,” you warble as you hold your head.
“Great shot kid, one in a million,” Grandbuggy slaps your back, which makes you almost spill your lunch. “But we’re not done yet.”
“We’re not?!” you whine and look to the now immobile giant monster as it drags it’s way towards you.
“Just bucking stay down already! Ugh!” you groan as Grandbuggy picks you up and carries you some way out of it’s range.
“Nice throw ‘Zotl, even though I’ll have to kick your flank for it later,” Grandbuggy admits.
“But you both told me to!” he whines.
“Yeah, but it’s Grandfatherly duty either way,” he shrugs.
“I…Whatever. It’s still “alive” for lack of a better term, but it can still cause damage. Why don’t you just shift into a larger form and stomp it’s head in?” he asks Grandbuggy. Grandbuggy gives him a cross look at that.
“You want me to drop dead ya idjit? I’m too old to be expending that much magic to get that large.”
“Wait, you can grow bigger Grandbuggy?” you ask curiously.
“Not anymore,” he admits. “I used to be able to shift into a bugbear in my youth when things got hairy, but those days are behind me.”
“Wait…so can I change into giant monsters then?” you ask excitedly, but the sad look he gives you squashes that dream.
“Sorry Shade, you’ve got too much pony in your blood to pull that off, that’s why your Dad and Grandma never could.”
“Ugh!” you grunt over not being able to Saddle Rager it up before a thought comes to you.
“Wait a minute, none of us have to bulk up, we have our own little monster!” you then look into the bag of holding and pluck out Mangle who had been drawing a mustache onto Greta’s beak.
“Mangle, I need you to get a bunch of metal and Huge yourself to fight the undead thing OK?” Mangle looks at the crippled, crawling creature then at her surroundings before she gives you a confused metallic bark and a shrug.
“What? What’s wrong?” you ask before Ahuizotl taps you on the shoulder.
“There’s no large stores of metal here chica, only stone, wood and straw.”
Looking around, you remember again just how dumpy this town is.
“…Alright, you know what? Forget trying to be clever. I’m just going to pull a daddy and light this mother up!” you shout in defiance as you flap your wings and lift into the air.
WARGAMES’s Comment
All those times living in Ponyville, you remember seeing the pegasi gathering up clouds for a rainstorm, so you start doing that with the many, many clouds surrounding this mountain city.
You gather and gather and clump the clouds until they start turning black above the slowly crawling monster, and despite everything, no collateral damage has been done by it thanks to all your efforts, but it still has to go.
“Eat lightning freak!” you shout and stomp on the cloud which sends a large bolt of lightning down on the monster. The Arimapsi roars in pain and shouts to the sky, a large section of undead flesh burned off.
“You’ve Been…THUNDERSTRUCK!!!” you call out maniacally as you kick the mass of clouds again and again and again, which burns more and more of it to the bone…but then things get out of hand. The storm clouds begin spewing lightning on their own accord at random, striking houses, setting fires, and destroying food carts.
storm clouds begin spewing lightning on their own accord and at random, striking random houses, setting them on fire, and destroying food carts.
“Oh! Oh No! OH BUCK!!!” you cry out in dismay as you start trying to disperse the clouds, only to get shocked yourself.
“OW!” you cry out with your hair standing on end. “Stop it! Stop being a force of nature and obey me!”
It takes some time and effort, and a lot more shocks, but you eventually do get the clouds to stop raining down death and destruction, and start spewing out just regular rain.
Flying down, you see that though the fires have been put out, somehow Griffonstone looks even worse. On the plus side, the Arimapsi no longer has flesh and is just bone again.
In front of it sit Ahuizotl and Grandbuggy who give you deadpan looks at all the chaos around you.
“Uh…my bad?” you say nervously.
Down With Chrysalis’s Comment
Grandbuggy facehooves and gives out a sigh. All around the town, you hear the squawks of displeasure from countless upset griffons.
“Kid…” Grandbuggy starts before sighing again. “I have to give you credit for effectiveness, but you and I really need to talk about tactics. You don’t burn the whole forest down to take down a bear.” You wilt your ears and look down.
“Sorry Grandbuggy,” you apologize. He sighs again and puts his hoof on your shoulder.
“Don’t beat yourself up about it too hard kid, even with a little destruction, this town isn’t that much worse for wear. Besides, you’ve only been taught by your Dad, and he always goes for the Big and Flashy route. You’ll learn.”
“Maybe we should leave amigos, before the locals come calling for repair payments,” Ahuizotl interrupts nervously looking around.
“…Good thinking,” Grandbuggy nods as he goes to the skeleton and wrenches his hat out of the corner of it’s eye socket. As he does, the Arimapsi raises it’s head and clacks it’s jaws.
“Holy Buck!” he yelps, leaping backwards. “This flankhole’s still kicking even after all that?!”
Sure enough, the thing still snaps it’s jaws, trying to fight back even after it’s beating, and even it’s leg bones are reforming.
“Oh enough already,” you say pushing forward.
“Shade, what are you do-“
You place your hoof on the things forehead and concentrate on a trick that you’ve seen Mommy do on multiple occasions.
When you open your eyes, they are pure white and your voice reverbs with power.
“Assuming Direct Control…”
The yellow glow in the Arimapsi’s socket dies as it is replaced with white to match yours.
“Alright stupid, I want you to stop fighting already. You’re dead and the golden idol isn’t yours. Give up on it.”
The creature nods under your hoof in understanding.
“Now, I want you to go back to your hole and rest in peace OK?...Actually, first I want you to fix this place up a bit first. It’s only because of you it got wrecked, so help out the catbirds a bit, maybe make them be less jerky or something.”
The creature seemingly whines at that command, but it nods it’s head.
“Good. Now, do all that and be a good boy, then you can rest with this nice replica next to your bones at the bottom of the gorge,” you say as you reach out and pull out the false idol Grandbuggy made and put it in it’s eyesocket, which seems to make it happy.
“Deal?”
The skeleton nods enthusiastically and stands up as you take your hoof off of it, and you feel drained and tired.
“It’s OK guys. He’s cool now,” you say with a yawn looking at Grandbuggy and Ahuizotl as the Arimapsi skeleton starts picking up debris in the street.
Grandbuggy and Ahuizotl look completely flabbergasted at you.
“What?” you ask swaying.
“Nightshade…what in the world did you just say to that thing?”
“Huh? What do you mean? Didn’t you hear me?” you ask confused.
“Yes we heard you speak something child…but it sounded like you were speaking in backwards speech,” Ahuizotl says astounded.
“What, really?” you ask as you yawn again.
“Huh…neat…I’ma sleep now,” you say as you flop onto the ground in exhaustion and pass out.
SOME TIME LATER
You slowly regain consciousness to the clickety clack of a rail road track and let out a big yawn and stretch.
“Aaaahh,” you mumble as your eyes unblur and your stomach growls.
“Ah look, she finally wakes,” you hear Ahuizotl say.
“Bout time,” Grandbuggy’s voice answers.
Rubbing your eyes to clear the blurriness, you see that you are inside a train car moving towards some unknown destination, and it’s night time. You sit up at that and look around.
“Wait, where are the Griffons? Where’s Griffonstone?” you ask looking around.
“Bout 6 hours back that way,” Grandbuggy points behind himself.
“Yes, we had to get out of there right quick before any griffon knew any better,” Ahuizotl adds.
“Wait, how long was I out?”
“Nearly half the day,” Grandbuggy says ruffling your hair. That little stunt you pulled sure took a lot out of you.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve never Assumed Direct Control before…Wait, what happened to the Ara-Whatever?”
“Well kid, you tell us, because whatever you said in your backward speech made it start cleaning up the town,” Grandbuggy chuckles at that.
“The griffons were so shocked and confused by it’s actions, it gave us the perfect distraction to escape,” Ahuizotl laughs himself.
“Oh, so my plan worked then,” you say with a smile. “I told it to stop being a jerk, fix up the place, and then go back to being dead in the gorge.”
“Nice honey,” he beams with pride. “You even stuck my replica in it’s eye so the catbirds don’t know the difference. You won the day and you cleaned up the mess you made.”
“The mess YOU made Quick Fix. That thing wouldn’t have rampaged if you’d been more patient.”
“Oh blow it out your flank, it was alright in the end,” Grandbuggy hoof waves.
“Next time, we have to be more careful!”
“Well maybe if you hadn’t been trying to schmooze with all the lady birds back there, you would have been with us!”
“I did no such thing!”
You roll your eyes as they start bickering again before a sudden thought comes to you.
“So, where are we heading now?” you interrupt their bickering.
“Well, we have a few options now as far north as we are. We do have to go to the Dragonlands eventually, but between here and there there’s been talk of some new town that supposedly has an artifact of Mage Meadowbrook.”
“Really now?” asks Ahuizotl curiously.
“Yeah, but aside from her famous mask, I’m not sure what else this town could have, but it’s worth a look,” Grandbuggy says.
“Well, as long as we don’t just grab it without thinking, things should be fine.”
“Alright, alright, quit harping on it!”
And as they start bickering again, you sigh and look out the window and think about the day you’ve just had.
I totally kicked flank today, and I didn’t have Mommy or Daddy around. All those years stuck napping in the inventory seem like such a waste…wait a minute!
You open up your inventory and look inside and your eyes widen.
“I can smell them all over yer fur ya cat fanatic!”
“Of course you can, that whole town stunk of them!”
“Uh, guys?” you say interrupting them. “I, uh, I think we might have a problem.” You open up your inventory and show them what you’ve seen. The still unconscious Greta, who’s now sporting drawn on glasses, a full beard, and the word Loser on her forehead, courtesy of Mangle.
“Oh…right. Kind of forgot about her,” Grandbuggy admits scratching the back of his head.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
Greta wakes up and starts freaking out... while mangle is quietly laughing.
I took the easy option
Only one ton of skeleton? Seems like it would weigh more -- ah majik how even
As Greta was staring in abject horror after being licked by Mangle who was being the biggest troll at the moment, Nightshade came to a conclusion.
"You know this sounds like a joke. A changeling, an alicorn, and a.. an Ahuizotl are on a train. They have committed abduction by accident." She paused. "Well a bad joke."
Hmm I just remembered only Sombra gets colored text still. Weird dejavu right there.
9021218
Greta wake up suddenly with a shriek and a shout
"Gaaah!! Zombies!!!! You will never get me!! I will send you back to Kichi!" Shout scared as she began to attack them by surprise, clawing the face of Ahuizothl and Grandbuggy before Nightshade stop her
"Falcon Punch!" Shout Nightshade as she kick the griffon and make her dizzy and awakening her.
"Uhhh... Where am I?" Ask a little confused as she look at Grandbuggy and Ahuizotl.
"Wait... What happened to you two? Last time I remember is the strange monster coming and then... Nothing" Greta look around confused while Nightshade look at her Grandbuggy and Ahuizotl.
"Our heroes..." Say mocking them
"Hey! I'm a gentleman, I could never hit a lady!" Say Grandbuggy
"Yeah! Yeah! Me too" Say Ahuizotl
"What are you saying if you always try something against Daring Do!" Say Grandbuggy
"Uhhh, yeah, but that is job" Answer Ahuizotl
As the both of leave began to discuss, Nightshade approach Greta
"So... Are you there?" Ask Nightshade
"Wait... You were not a dream?" Ask Greta
"Nope... If you want to get angry, it's their fault" Point to Grandbuggy and Ahuizotl.
---------
Not much, but I could not think too much this time... Maybe later
*Grandbuggy comes on to Greta, but Nightshade whacks him upside his Bowler*
"Why do you keep attacking your Abuelo?" Ahuizotl asks.
"Mommy said to hit Grandbuggy whenever he starts acting weird around mares. Says it's 'Sax-ual Harassment' but I've never seen Grandbuggy anywhere near a saxophone." you shrug.
===========
After Ahuizotl and Greta leave the carriage, you notice a couple of other foals with their parents and remember Grandbuggy mentioning you having a Grandma who was also part-pony so you ask him,
"Grandbuggy, what were Grandma and Grandpa like?"
"I'm right here." Grandbuggy jokingly responds.
"No, I mean Daddy's mommy and daddy. Every time I ask Daddy his head hurts and he gets sad." you explain.
"Bucking memory-ruining Queen..." Grandbuggy mutters with a flash of anger in his eyes then becomes forlorn, "Well your grandma was my baby girl. She was half-Earth Pony so she had Earth Pony features long red hair and actual blue eyes, not the typical plain blue like we changelings have." he explains before showing his changeling face before going back to his disguise.
"As a 'half-breed' her life wasn't easy in the Hive. She was always trying and working so hard to gain acceptance and fit in, but it was never gonna work. Hay, outside of me keeping my baby close whenever I could; her only friend was your grandpa."
"What was Grandpa like?" you interrupt.
"He's a lazy, gluttonous, good-for-nothing, dorky, wimp." Grandbuggy snaps, before he catches his breath and lets out a sad sigh, "No, not's that fair to him. He was a good bug who genuinely loved your grandma. Guess that's just my "protective daddy' instinct kicking in. Haven't felt that in a while..."
"Now I know where daddy gets it from..." you mutter.
"Anyway, my idiot son-in-law was the 'runt of his litter' and had long since given up on trying to fit in unlike your workaholic grandma. Rather than do any actual work or training, he was a wiseflank slacker who preferred to stuff his face and watch movies and serials."
"What'd he like to eat?" you ask at the mention of food.
"That bigmouth will eat anything, but for him the holy trinity was Nacos, Dagwoods, and extra-malt milkshakes, but he was always sure to bring my baby girl her favorite snack whenever he could; Candy Granny Smith apples."
"So he protected grandma from the bullies?" you say drawing on your knowledge of anime and movies, but Grandbuggy burst out laughing.
"Him protecting her? Pfft, she was far stronger than that dork and had the temper to match. Thanks to her Earth Pony strength and some tips and training from her elite badflank of a daddy," he brags proudly, "She walloped anyone in the Hive that picked on her or him."
"So what were Grandma and Grandpa like together?" you ask, your girly side getting the better of you.
"Well most bugs and ponies strike out at love several times, Hay I know I have..." he says sadly, "But they hit home runs their first time at bat; They were each other's first and only friend, first date, first kiss, first time, first and only marriage-"
"First time doing what?"
"Your parents will tell you when you're older."
"Why does everpony keep telling me that?!" you exclaim in annoyance.
"Anyway, like most Earth Pony half-breeds, your grandma couldn't fly, walk on walls, or even use disguise magic so she would be used as either a Pack Drone for the rest of the squad or an expendable front-line meat shield when stealth was no longer an option due to their increased toughness compared to normal changelings. That being said, due to her zeal to gain acceptance, her success on the field due to her elite training, and some wing-twisting by yours truly she attained the highest rank ever held by a half-breed in the Hive."
"Officer?"
"Sergeant." Grandbuggy responded flatly, "Not even one of the fancy Sergeant ranks like First Class or even Staff, just basic Sergeant."
"That's not fair!" you exclaim.
"You want not fair? Your grandpa was a runt and a slacker who never rose higher than Private First Class, but somehow he ALWAYS completed the bare minimum requirements of his missions without EVER being captured. Me and my little girl could never figure it out, although her annoyed disbelief was sometimes pretty funny to watch."
"I thought you said he was a lazy slacker?"
"He was. However, unlike your Daddy who watched movies and serials only as escapism, your grandpa claimed to have learned all the henchmen cliches and started applying them to his missions to the point of superstition; He'd always use his name during missions instead of his rank or number claiming it gave him 'Nominal Importance', when ordered to split up he'd ignore the order and stick-slash-hide behind the strongest squad member (usually your grandma), and whenever anyling on the squad said what he called a "Red Flag" like "Nothing can stop us now" or "What could possibly go wrong", he'd grab your grandma and bail just before some calamity happened to the whole squad. Hay, his success rate could have carried him all the way to Major, but that lazy fool would intentionally keep sabotaging his own promotions just so he wouldn't have to do extra work."
"So grandpa weaponized being a couch potato?"
"That's one way to look at it. Although it would annoy your grandma whenever he started applying cliches to their dating life like ordering chocolates, spaghetti, crepes, and malts with two straws."
"That sounds romantic." you comment, more focused on the food angle.
"That's what your grandma thought at first too... before she realized that idiot would get those for EVERY date meal." he says shaking his head in amusement, "Hay, when they had your daddy your idiot grandpa gave the little larvae a mug of Butterbeer. The bubbles gave him a tummyache and your grandma really let her moron of a husband have it. Speaking of which, your grandpa would get hit in the mommy-daddy button so many times that sometimes I think that his nards had a magnet that attracted blunt objects, Heh-heh."
He then gets a forlorn look on his face, "Some days I think your grandma and daddy were the only things keeping him attached to reality. Hay, before you came along I feared what would happen to Bugze would be the thing I thought would happen to that dork."
"And that would be..."
"Running away from the Hive, stealing/finding some treasure, and spending the rest of his days alone just stuffing his face, watching movies, and playing video games; Never wanting to have anything to do with the outside world..."
Suddenly he gives you a hug, "I'm so glad that fool has you."
"So grandpa left Daddy and Grandma?" you ask sadly.
"What? No, I didn't mean for it to come out that way. In spite of everything, he stayed with your grandma to the very end..." he says sadly.
The conversation ends when Greta and/or Ahuizotl return.
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NOTE: Bugze's mother is based on Kim Possible (Kim Possible) and Kushina Uzumaki (Naruto) while Bugze's father is based on Ron Stoppable and Henchmen 21 & 24 (Venture Bros) with hints of Grif (Red vs Blue).
Accepting name ideas for them.
Charge her 6 bits for staying in your bag, then apologise for the inconvenience that the main exit is closed then buck her out
Bugze is wasting time online while quick fix talks about how much work he’s doing and that he’s proud of him
I have an announcement! It’s my birthday! Yay! I’m 18 yay!
First off, Greta has to wake up with her face drawn on ala Jigglypuff style. This is of course because of Mangle, and no one can stop laughing at her.
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So after much discussion on what the newly adventurers should do about their accidental kidnapping, Nightsahde speaks words of true wisdom!
"Hey, why don't you come with us?"
A few seconds of silence follow her question until Grandbuggy starts mumbling about how "oh no not this again" or something like that. But he is ignored in favor of the griffon asking our adorable protagonist,
"Huh? What do you mean join you guys?"
Nightshade smiles brightly at her question before she stands on her back hooves and waves her arms out in a excited fashion as she says,
"We are on a quest of epic proportions to seek out powerful magical artifacts from across the land to use them to bring about a new body for a kind being as old as time!"
A few seconds of silence past after Nightshade's declaration before the griffon tilts her head and says,
"Huh?"
Nigthshade's eye twitches in slight annoyance that her totally cool speech went over the gamers head somehow. Sighing she says,
"We're trying to find magical artifacts. Wanna help?"
Greta gains a contemplating look, but before she can decide Nightshade decides to sweeten the deal as she says,
"Oh, and you can keep any gold or treasure we find along the way. Plus you can see this as a way to return the favor with my Daddy too!"
And like that the griffons eyes lighten up at the prospect of gaining new wealth before she says,
"Sure! Let's go clear some dungeons!"
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When we jump back on over to our favorite changeling, I think it would be when he's eating lunch at the school with a reluctant Twilight. Reluctant being because Bugze being Bugze is eating some abomination of food and he's still trying to be friendly with her. When the beings question him why in his head, he merely says she reminds him of himself and that ends the discussion.
Que someone showing up, either Twilight's bullies (with the effects of her revenge showing), Cadence cause that'll be a blast for Bugze (not), or maybe one of the Shadowbolts that we've haven't run into yet.
9026800
Weclome to the club comrade! This comment is a little late but eh, happy late birthday!