I glanced back towards Amber to check that she was still keeping up.
We had left the temple as the sun rose into the sky. Amber did a good job keeping up, but changelings just weren’t long distance flyers.
I had made sure we stopped twice to let her recover. We weren’t in enough of a hurry that another half an hour was going to be a problem.
Having Amber push herself hard enough to fall from the sky would be. The fact that she managed as fast as she did in the first place was absolutely amazing.
But she seemed to be keeping up.
We kept close to the trees, but not too close. None of us wanted to risk anything jumping out of the trees and snatching one of us.
But neither of us especially thought that flying too high was a good idea either just in case there was anything flying that hunted these skies.
So lowish and fast was the ticket.
“There!” Dee yelled and pointed forward, “I can see the camp!”
Finally!
We swept across the camp, looking down at the ponies below and the guards patrolling the perimeter, the breach in the wall had already been repaired but you could still see where the thing had broken through.
Apparently the airship had been it’s next object of attention when it couldn’t find any ponies to nom down on.
It had a massive rip along the side and the balloon collapsed over the superstructure, almost hiding the ship beneath the sagging, but not completely covering it, the rigidity of the supports keeping it from falling down completely.
I followed Dee, circling once around the camp before I spotted a purple pony with wings below next to a darker purple unicorn and went in for a landing.
I beat my wings hard and my hooves touched the ground with a small groan, my wings burning slightly from the long flight.
I barely managed to set down before Midnight pulled me into a tight hug.
Sighing, I hugged her back for a long moment before I let go, “Glad to see you too,” I said with a smile before I cringed and rubbed my forehead next to my horn.
Getting my heartbeat up didn’t seem to agitate it thankfully, but it still hurt all the time.
Midnight nodded and then frowned at me, “What’s wrong?”
“Think I strained it or something when I tried to cast at the rexosaurus,” I sighed, “Hurts.”
“Let me have a look,” Midnight said and moved closer.
“It’s fine,” I said and shook my head, “We have more import-”
“Sir!”
I turned my head to look at Amber in surprise and the changeling had an expression on her face that I very much recognized from Skitter.
One that said ‘behave or I’ll literally tie you down and make you’.
I swallowed and then nodded, “Okay.”
Midnight moved up and frowned at my horn, “Hurts when you cast magic?” she asked, touching my forehead with her hoof as I sat down.
“Almost knock me out at even a small spell,” I admitted, “feels like getting a glowing red iron rod through my head. That can’t be good.”
Midnight frowned and touched the tip of my horn and I instantly felt my eyes tear up as I managed to choke out,
“Midnight, Midnight! Off! Off!! Off!!!”
She quickly snatched her hoof away, “Sorry!” she said with a small cringe before her own horn lit up and she ran the light across mine.
Thankfully i couldn’t feel anything from it other than the constant pulsing from my own horn protesting the treatment so far.
Midnight finally nodded, “...It’s a… well, the layponys term is magic overstrain, but quite a severe one. I have had it before, if a much milder version. The worse it is, the longer it lasts, but I never read about one that lasts more than a month.”
“A month!?” I choked out, “It’ll hurt like this for a month!?”
She shook her head, “Likely not, the actual pain will likely fade in a few days to a week. But here’s the bad news,” she said and frowned at me in concern, “...Any magic before it’s fully healed and you’ll be right back to where you started and have to start over.”
No magic for a month.
“No magic for a month,” I sighed.
“Or until you have an actual expert look at it and make sure it’s safe,” Midnight told me seriously, “we have some pain potion in the ships sickbay, it’ll help.”
“Maybe later,” I told her, “I’ll live. We have more important things than having me zonked out right now. I was thinking during the flight back here. We should leave this place and move everypony and as much equipment as we can to the temple we found.”
Midnight looked at me like I was crazy.
Captain's log, continued after returning to camp
My...glorious airship, ruined. My men are....exhausted, the only hope we have is....to make camp in the ancient blood-drinker temple...
"Now hear me out, I'm not saying at least half of us are going to be sacrificed on that altar but the chances of none of us getting sacrificed before this is over are extremely slim. Especially you Pvt Red Shirt, you're almost certainly going to die."
*whimpering pony sounds*
"So right, everypony the temple is that way, if you don't make it by dawn I'll just assume the fauna got you."
10444079
Some of you may die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.
If the critters can damage the airship, then yeah a heavily fortified area would be better to be your base camp.
10444079
Pvt Red Shirt looked over to PFC Yellow Shirt. "Hey buddy, think we can change shirts and names?" Looks at him with big, sad puppy eyes. "By Celestia's Sun! Buck NO!! I ain't gonna be Prey Bait!"
Back to the sacrificial altar?
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But worry not, for if any of you do perish... you will be forever remembered. Immortalized! In a footnote in my autobiography.
No need to thank me.
If the problem is changeling wings don't do long distance, why doesn't she transform into a pegasus to keep up?
10444159
The problem would most likely be magical, changelings use their love energy as fuel for magic and flight would need to be mostly if not entirely magicly powered for ponies/changelings. Changing into a pegasus doesn't fix the problem of how much magic is being spent on flight, it if anything adds to it by spending energy on shapeshifting.
The implication last chapter was that she only made the flight to him in the first place because he keeps her so well feed on love energy.
10444079
That cruel...
nice one /)'(\
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Neat
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Good point but the ship itself isnt that fragil. Also they already have supplys there and a wall almost finished at the landing site. Dont forget they also have a rescure / repair crew incoming. The restoration to flight will need time and a secured place.
The wall protect probably from small and medium size Predators. Lets make a few tree sized spears and simply inpale the big ones.
A tree cant penetrante the scales? This things roar for intimidations Time to stab it in the troat. Or if that fails clog it troat with sharp things or explosive material. A small TNT charge strong enough to destroy a door should do it.
Midnight Sparkle: ...Did you suggest we move a camp of tired scared ponies to trek thru the jungles with heavy equipment to a temple? The same temple where you almost became predator food if is wasn't for Amber? The same temple that you are theorizing was a site of ritual killings?
Page: ....yes!
*Midnight Sparkle cast paralysis spell on Page*
Page: Fppmmfffmp! Fppmfffmp! Fppmfpmmmfmpmfm?! *Page tips over still as a statue*
Midnight Sparkle: I'm so sorry Page but I don't want to risk the chance of ponies here actually agreeing to your crazy plan. Amber? Once you recover enough, please cocoon Lord Page for the safety of himself and others? OH! And while you're at it, pose Page in the sexiest way possible inside the cocoon so we all have something nice to look at it while waiting for rescue?
Amber: Yes Madam...that's the best idea I heard all day.
Midnight Sparkle: Thank you!
Page: Mfffmp mfffmm pppppffmp!
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Only if the crew mares plan to sacrefice there studs seed for Pages Fertility ritual for his ascension to
Snu-Snu deity
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To be fair... A Alicorn Biografie is one hell of a way to be remembered! Who can honestly say your names and anything of you will be remembered in 1.000 + years?!
Worth dying for!
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A effective wing design makes a huge difference. I think transformation/shapeshifting is worth it... -If one is alone! Otherwise the duration of the shift might cost more than a normal flight. Plus She probably skipped wing day a few times. Almost as bad as skipping leg day, ESPECIALLY if you have 4 of them
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The rexosaurus already tore through what they had like it was tissue. Making the fence into two-ply isn’t going to slow it down much.
Hopefully, the damned thing won’t be able to munch through stone.
As for their ubberraptor buddies, those things might be a little tougher than the normal predator of that size, but with more defenders, they have better chances to fight them off, too.
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I agree that its dangerous but its only a educated guess that the tempel will be a better spot to hold out.
They have to transport supplys (food&medical stuff) and injured pony there ( unless they already become predator food ), have to reach there destination and it has to fit over 120 ponys. Dont forget DeDe guess that the traps near the entrance are mailfunction because of age. Fitting 120+ pony in a entrance area? Unlikely...
Getting traps active when 120+ pony run around? Almost guaranteed
Plus one thing noone considered:
1-5 Pony are unwelcome guest if the Tribe owning the Temple returns. 120+ that a full scale invasion
Example:
You and your familie and friends members own a Island/ forest. Now suddenly 120+ strangers come into your owned land. What do you do?
1. Expected them to be trouble? ( they are strangers after all )
2. Welcome em with open hooves. ( because there ponys )
Dont forget they never joined Equestria and get cursed by anoter tribe in the far past.
If they are not very benefishal i dont see a peaceful encounter.
If the expedition force shares food/water,stallions, medication & knownlage... Than i can see them welcome by the tribe.
Food/water is always welcome, medication is extreamly valuable and knownlage is always in demand. But most important is the Stallions. The are rare even in Equestria! What are the chances that that many Stallions trough a wink of fate land on there territory ? There seed will bring fresh blood into the tribe. New blood to keep the tribe healthy, strong and bigger numbers that can be used to all kind of tasks.
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Brohoof for a great storyline idea and friendship. Plus mares drooling about Page in a 'take me pose'
(^.^)/)*(\(^.~)
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They still have to find the rest of the expedition to get 120 ponies in there. At least while they have teams searching for the missing, DD can be spending most of her time finding and disarming the traps deeper in the temple. That’s assuming the temple isn’t still inhabited—in which case, her investigation would be quickly become a first contact situation, and she should know that right about the same moment she figures out the traps she finds AREN’T the sort of traps used for abandoned temples.
As for the bat ponies considering this an invasion, that’s the entire reason Page is there. If they’ll keep attacking once they see him, well then the crew would have had that problem no matter what.
10444580
Huh... This will be a interessting ride. Like for example:
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Too bad I can’t upvote that post more than once. That deserves a couple thousand at least!
During the night and to his horror, he discovered that now, he was the predator! Causing him to hunt, lash out, and drink the blood of his victims. But as the night wore on, some instinct guided Barn to return to the cave before sunup once again.
This time, he used his magic to remove the corpse of the bipedal predator and as much of the scavenging creatures still busily consuming it.
Once all those things were removed, Barn made himself comfortable and closed his eyes. Again, his heart ceased.
I'd think they'd be better off where they are, but then again, I'm sure having to abandon the airship and start all over again on their defenses makes perfect sense.
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*Some random background pony*
“Did you hear that guys!? Lord page suggest that we move to an ancient temple he…“
Midnight: Shut him up! Shut him up! Shut him up!
Just build a bomb.out.of shrunken down wood logs and let it be swallowed by the anti magic t-rex, it worked with Tirek.
When did Page take the Retard Stick?
If you ignore the whole "Sacrificial Site" thing it seems like a good idea but once you consider that it becomes goddamn cliche at how comically bad it is. I feel like i'm watching an 80's horror movie now.
and i'm waitin' to see who dies