[Fillydelphia]
The pegasus colt would just keep sulking into his bed.... The eventually falling asleep from tiredness of something.
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[Fillydelphia]
The pegasus colt would just keep sulking into his bed.... The eventually falling asleep from tiredness of something.
Fillydelphia - The Next Morning
And so, the three ponies drift off to sleep...
The next morning, they are awoken by the sound of knocking at their door. It's not frenzied or forceful - more like just a curious rapping. "Helloooo? Anypony awaaaake? Breakfast tiiiiime!" It's Chamber.
Fillydelphia
Finder sleeps the whole night through, but every once in a while a twitch might denote to the careful observer he's not exactly having happy dreams. The Alicorns and general feeling of helpless oppression really brings him back to bad times.
Like most dreams they immediately fade from thought when the dreamer is awake. It's not a battle his psyche is wanting to fight yet. On the plus side, it does seem the ring on his horn is keeping the screaming headache from overtaxing his magic pool at bay... a little bit.
It may not be fun, but this 'exercise' and Finder's recent harmonic steps may actually lead to him being able to use magic better in the future. The stallion gets up, takes a few steps, then looks around to see what's going on. The first pangs of head pain are already getting ready.
[Fillydelphia]
The stable coltwhose name I try not to mention much because it makes me feel like speaking in "3rd person person" language and feel somewhat weirdwould be waking up a bit slowly.... Wait a bit....
....Why is he still in the nightmare?
He kind of looks around for a sign that it is not real, trying to widen his eyes, even pinch himself on a leg and try to think about something breaking to "control" it.
He doesn't seem to have completely assimilated that it is real life.
Fillydelphia
Elestre's aching eyes, having been staring at the ceiling for most of a restless night, snapped to the door. Almost silently, he rises from his reverent position of prayer. Silent hooves make their way to the door, and the colt eases it open. He stares at Chamber for a few moments before speaking. His hoarse, almost cold statement is preceded by a fairly neutral, if raspy, laugh.
"For a defined value of 'awake', indeed."
New Appleoosa
Sparky frowned. "Sound like nasty critters. I'd fly if it weren't for the others. As it is, we'll just have to, well, wing it. D'you have any directions we could follow?"
Fillydelphia
Chamber smiles cheerfully. "Hope ya slept well. Breakfast is ready downstairs. Need anything else? Change of clothes or something?"
Fillydelphia
Finder doesn't look so cheerful this morning. The bed was nice but there's a low hum of pain in his skull. Just keep thinking, it could be worse. "Ugh... you wouldn't happen to have the clothes that were taken from us to begin with?"
It should be noted that his old outfit had a rather large number of pockets, and was very a very ramshackle assessment of cloth and material used for light armor. Not very tea-time appropriate.
[Fillydelphia]
The little colt would just be sitting still on his bed.... Then slowly be down again, seems like the stuff he though he could wake up from was real.
"The southeast road, north of the Badlands, it took me two days, though I had flight. Maybe a three-four day trip for non fliers." He then grimly looked at them. "Make sure at night, to always have the campfire going." He said ominously. If questioned about what he meant, he would only shake his head and utter., 'yellow eyes'.
Ponyville
Pineapple hasn't had nearly as much luck with her scavenging; Mostly just spent ammo, a few spare caps, and a box of of Abraxo Cleaner that miraculously survived under some rubble.
Oh, and a couple crude makeshift weapons not actually worth picking up.
When she answers Lamia's call, though, her eyes go wide.
"Wow. If you really are trying to seduce me, that's a step in the right direction."
Hahahaha wait, what?
Ponyville
What's a seduce?
Ponyville
Lamianos smiled at the sight of Pineapple and resumed looking at the bot-
Wait, what?
Lamia's eyes grew wide and he turned to look at Pineapple in a brand new light. He felt a little stupid, considering she came from Old Appleloosa this was almost a given. But it did make his job alot easier and alot more dangerous. A grin grew across his face and he began to say
"Bottoms u-"
When suddenly Eledwhen cut him off from entering the pearly gates. He spun around, looking at the young intruder, and his face twisted in a forced tense smile. "It'ssomethingnearanddeartodaddiesheartsolethimget righttothatok?" The words rushed out of his mouth as sweat poured down his brow, rushing forward he began to move Eledwhen out of the house before swiftly shutting the rotted barely functioning door behind him. Taking deep breathes in he blocks the door shut with his body and remains doing so for a couple of seconds. Slumping back down he releases a breathe he didn't know he was holding and proceeded back to the case. Plucking one of the bottles out with his mouth he hands it to Pineapple and muffles out "Bottoms up."
A desert in the Southwestern part of Equestria
Maul Steel kept scampering forward, his momentum stopping him from evading the spear. With a great THUD he slammed into the spear, his body slamming into the upper shaft of it, and the force causing it to bend backwards. The spear ricocheted back to it's original position, easily flinging Maul Steel through the air (With said Slaver Stallion waving his hooves wildly and spinning about uncontrolled) once again showing that the laws of physics is used like a 2 cap prostitute for comedy. The Ex-slavers flight is ended abruptly as he smashes back into the dirt, eating quite a bit of it in the process as he grinds to a halt, hind raised to the sky.
Ponyville
And HERE'S where things go pear-shaped. Lamianos is, unfortunately, unaware of a number of things. First, obviously, is that she's under the impression that Lamianos was hitting on her outside. Which is actually kinda true, but not as blatantly as she was thinking. This leads to the unfortunate belief that Pineapple's statement came completely out of the blue, rather than as a response to what she heard outside, implying that those feelings are her own.
The most unfortunate thing that Lamia failed to pick up on, however, was that she was joking.
Of course, he might have been able to play it cool. Laugh it up a bit and offer a drink, and things might even have worked out without any awkwardness. Then Eledwhen had to show up. If Lamia had just gone "Nothing you need to hear about", things would have at least remained calm, even if this particular attempt were ruined.
Instead, he panicked, blocked the only entrance (and the only exit as well, a fact not lost on Pineapple), and made his intentions abundantly clear. It also doesn't exactly help that his "epiphany," based on his actions in response to it, is in all likelihood so completely in the wrong as to be laughable.
And now, to the result. Pineapple accepts the beverage, but doesn't drink. She's too busy trying to figure out how to get out of here without getting screwed, one way or another.
A deep blush of embarrassment creeps across her muzzle as she stutters out a sentence.
"Hey, uh, Lamia. You alright? You, er, seem a bit..."
She can't even bring herself to make eye contact, now.
"You realize that was a joke, right?"
Fillydelphia
Elestre looked uncomfortably sideways. "Well, perhaps I might ask for some decent clothes; I'm not exactly the most presentable pony to a civilized tea time as I am."
He looked incredibly nervous, perhaps even angry at himself to ask such a question.
New Appleoosa
Sparky hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps we should find out if the sickness is the critters' bites or something more. Thanks, Gunther."
He waited a bit to see if the griffin had further advice and, if not, headed back for Steel's house.
Fillydelphia
Chamber taps a hoof to her chin. "Well, I think Stern has the gear you hoofed over last night. I think you'll be getting it back whenever you leave the city." She then smiles at Elestre. "Alright, I'll see what we can get for you."
The unicorn turns from the door, and looks back over her shoulder. "Just come on down whenever you get hungry!"
Ponyville
Lamianos stared at Pineapple for a bit, his expression going from jubilant, to neutral, to realization somber, and ending in depressed embarrassed failure. All the while he says "Uh.... Eh..... Erh...... Bu....... Right....". He kicks the container, causing it to slide up against a wall, slowly walks over to Pineapple, and takes the bottle from her. Under his breathe he mutters "I'm going to need that." Before continuing off to the container itself. Plopping himself against the wall and next to the container he proceeds to test his hardened Chimera liver and shoves two different bottles into his mouth, letting the stream of brown burning liquid rush down his throat. As soon as they empty he tosses them to the side and goes to the next pair, and the next..... And the next.... And the next..... Splashes of it fall into his eyes, causing a burning sensation but he doesn't quite care. Raising an eye to Pineapple he slowly opens his mouth, the words seeming to be hard to even think of in the first place "You.... Should.... Get... Eledwhen.... Away.... From here..... Gonna get loud...." He cradled another bottle before sipping it and standing up with a grunt. He focuses, and a level of clarity returns to him as he says "I won the day, got away scott free, made some friends, and avoided my ******* brother again. So why shouldn't I celebrate!?!?" The statement doesn't seem to be directed to anyone, as he's currently staring at a broken pile of glass. Raising his own bottle up he shakily stands on his hindquarters, cradling the bottle in one hoof, and begins to sway back and forth as he sings. Right before that though he raises the glass, takes a sip and says "Ducard, Dad, this goes out to you. I know how much you love this song.". It starts like a mumble, but soon picks up in energy and volume;
"What will we do with a drunken ranger?
What will we do with a drunken ranger?
What will we do with a drunken ranger?
Early in the morning!
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Early in the morning!
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Shave his belly with a rusty razor,
Early in the morning!
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Early in the morning!
Put him in a jail cell till his sober,
Put him in a jail cell till his sober,
Put him in a jail cell till his sober,
Early in the morning!
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Early in the morning!
Stick him in a barrel with a pipe-bomb on him,
Stick him in a barrel with a pipe-bomb on him,
Stick him in a barrel with a pipe-bomb on him,
Early in the morning!
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Early in the morning!
Put him in the bed with the captains daughter,
Put him in the bed with the captains daughter,
Put him in the bed with the captains daughter,
Early in the morning!
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Early in the morning!
That’s what we do with a drunken ranger,
That’s what we do with a drunken ranger,
That’s what we do with a drunken ranger,
Early in the morning!
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Early in the morning!
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Way hay and up she rises,
Early in the morning!"
He falls back on his haunches, laughing by the end of it.
"Ow ow ow....oh gods my head... whhhhy....?" Tough Stomp winced. The hapless stallion rolled side to side clutching his head. He incidentally began to kick up dust and dirt in his flailing.
It also incidentally got into the two warriors' eyes as they grimaced and grunted and took the precious seconds to run the their eyes and try to get it out.
===========
"No problem buddy....I wish you all the luck," He gave them a salute and nod of the head.
--
As Sparky and Steel Creel exit the tavern, Steel leans in to whisper to him. "Let's not forget to get the medical and food supplies though from Miss Do before we leave town alright?"
And with that they would make it back to Steel's house where they would find Bright Eyes modelling for a drawing for Mags.
Ponyville
Pineapple can't help but watch this spectacle from her spot near the door, jaw loosed. She was already firmly seated upon her haunches, but some ephemeral weight keeps her down.
About halfway through the song, though, she simply shakes her head and turns to leave; This is too hard to watch, even for someone one doesn't like. And Pineapple... ...is somewhat undecided on the matter.
She'd made that joke thinking that he was some kind of Lady Killer, that he'd take it in stride and laugh it off. His reaction, on the other hand, was closer to that of a teenage colt who'd just been propositioned by the filly of his dreams, then crushed because she turned out to be mocking him. Yikes.
A bit too late, she starts to make the connection that none of his actions in that room made any sense with his previous bit of conversation. He'd talked about Eledwhen watching "to learn," then made an active effort to keep her out of the room. He'd been so nonchalant about it before, but the second it seemed like something might happen he became incredibly nervous. Now that she thought about it, didn't he mention something about her being a pacifist earlier?
That's when it occurred to Pineapple that she might have made a major miscalculation.
Ponyville
Oblivious to the presence of Pineapple, Lamianos continues deteriorating at a rapid pace. He stares bitterly at the wall, shakily raising a hoof accusingly at it before muttering "Huh?.... What're you looking at...." His eyes start glazing and suddenly he goes into a rant "What do you mean i'm a monster?... Come on, i'm your brother! Yah.... yah can't do this to me! I did nutin, it was them! No... no put that down. Don't make me.... hurt... urgh. Oh boohoo... little daddies soldier doesn't.... meet his goals. How sad... just... just grow a pair. Here, let me play you.... a sad song on the worlds smallest violin..." Well, that was rather... indepth. Seems as if his memories blurring and he's not sure where he is. He takes another swig of the bottle before smashing it and brandishing it as a weapon "Get back! Get back you damn Alicorn! Your not a Goddess!," He roars angrily as he jabs at the vacant air "I'LL KILL YOU ALL! TASTE MINIGUN!" He slams a hoof down and starts shaking his body, mimicing the sounds of bullets flying as best he can with his mouth. He stops abruptly, clutching his chest as he titters over and falls to the ground, his eyes shutting as he lies motionlessly.........
Did..... did he just have a heart at-?
"When I get high
I get high on speed
Top gear power armors
A drug for me
My heart, my heart
Kickstart my heart
Always got the rangers
Coming after me
Custom built barding
Killed 103
My heart, my heart
Kickstart my heart
Ooh, are you ready mares?
Ooh, are you ready now?
Ooh, yeah
Kickstart my heart
Give it a start
Ooh, yeah, baby
Ooh, yeah
Kickstart my heart
Hope it never stops
Ooh, yeah, baby
Charge forward naked
Pass by a train
Or meet a mare with a
Body from outerspace
My heart, my heart
Kickstart my heart
Say I got trouble
Trouble in my eyes
I'm just looking for
Another good time
My heart, my heart
Kickstart my heart
Yeah, are you ready mares?
Yeah, are you ready now?
Ooh, yeah
Kickstart my heart
Give it a start
Ooh, yeah, baby
Ooh, yeah
Kickstart my heart
Hope it never stops
Ooh, yeah, baby
Kickstart my heart
When I started this path
All I needed, needed was a laugh
Years gone by
I'd say I kicked some ass
When I'm enraged
Or hittin' the stage
Adrenaline rushing
Through my veins
And I'd say i'm still kickin' ass
Ooo, ahh
Kickstart my heart
Hope it never stops
And to think, I did it all of this to rock
Ooh, yeah
Kickstart my heart
Give it a start
Ooh, yeah, baby
Ooh, yeah
Kickstart my heart
Hope it never stops
Ooh, yeah, baby
Ooh, yeah
Kickstart my heart
Hope it never stops
Ooh, yeah, baby
Ooh, yeah
Kickstart my heart
Give it a start
Ooh, yeah"
He sprang forward as he sang this, bashing his hoofs against his chest to replicate a beat and the thudding of the heart as he begins to bang his head forward and rock out. He even went so far as to stick a bottle on his head to emulate Blackheart, the inspiration for his outburst.
Equestria, southwestern edition
Maul Steel took this moment of opportune fortune to try and grab the spear he ran into and brandish it at the distracted warriors. Hopefully he knew how to fight with that thing........
Fillydelphia
Finder waits a moment for the mare to leave. She's entirely too chipper for this time of day in the wastes... and helpful. There's something off here, maybe a false positive since he's not exactly thinking his best at this point.
Still the scavver whispers to the colts, "Don't trust any of them."
Ponyville
Eledwhen is outside, starting to get worried. Lianos is making all kinds of crazy sounds, and she's starting to get frightened.
She paces outside hesitantly, internally debating whether to go in and help.
[Fillydelphia]
What Finder said actually slightly brightened up a bit, what if they were actually putting up an act to make themselves look like this? what if they're NOT this nice and his values and him still were worth it? it would be.... slightly preferable to being a "value tree in the wasteland doomed to wither", since, at least as he knew, he would NEVER join the slavers or this "Red Eye" if he's the leader of all the slavery that's been going around.
Ponyville
Well at least Eledwhen still has an uncle... or creepy family friend or however she views Razoreye. He and whatever bandit ponies would be sitting down to start eating wolf meat by now.
Maul would find himself having to wedge it out first, stuck in ze hard earth and all, but he'd eventually loosen it just as the warriors began to recover.
Tough Stomp sprang to his hooves and flailed as he tried to run away to hide behind Maul Steel. "Waaah..I don't know what's going on but waaaah...!"
Fillydelphia
The younger colt gave a firm nod. "I'm not."
Red Eye had already gone to a lot of trouble to keep them alive when he easily could have killed them. So... would he really use all this expense to fool us, decieve us? The colt mused.
New Appleoosa
Sparky grinned at the sight of the mare's noble pose. "Hiya, Mags! Hey, Bright! We found our griffon!"
[New Appaloosa]
"Heya! Nice work there." Bright Eyes grinned and stepped down to look at Mags' picture.
"That's cute. Maybe we could get some colourful clay or the like and colour it in. The golden yellow, brown and red should be easy enough to find!"
With that, she turned back to the others. "So how did it go?"
Fillydelphia
The trio are left to themselves. From downstairs, multiple voices can be heard talking and laughing. Snatches of conversation can be heard. "...our guests..." "...breakfast..." "...last week..." "...Stern's gonna..." "...what time is..." "...do they play..." "...we could ask..."
Y'know, normal slaver chatter. Also, the three ponies can smell breakfast cooking downstairs. Smells like some old wartime snack foods, as well as something more... carnivorous. If any of the ponies have eaten meat before - doubtful - they'd recognize it as being iguana.
Mags happily beamed at Bright Eyes for her praise on her 'art piece'. "Clay?....Is that like mud?" She questioned curiously.
As for Bright Eyes question to the boys, Steel Creel lightly bobbed his head. "I guess it went well. I'll let Sparky fill ya in, gotta go get some extra things together now."
Fillydelphia
The unicorn instinctually reached out to shroud himself in an illusion and head downstairs to scout, but stopped.
Right. No magic.
He kept listening rather carefully for what he could hear.
New Appleoosa
Sparky nodded at Steel. "Thanks!"
Facing Bright Eyes, he grinned. "Well, we've got directions to our place, a possible cause for the sickness, and we know some things we need to avoid. Soo... pretty well indeed!"
He laughed lightly.
Fillydelphia
Finder just kept looking around distrustfully. Poison wouldn't suit Red Eye here, he thinks. Obviously there's some manner of curiosity that can't be sated with them dead. Still, even without magic and naked, the unicorn has the unmistakable look of a Scavver that doesn't trust where he is.
The pony just moves towards where there's non-meat food.