[FWM] As Equestria Turns:MLP Without the Kiddy Thread X

[Kelvin360]

(Actually, only Tyrol is there, along with the other guards. Beayn went back to the guardhouse, while Lemongrass is out on sky patrol. Sorry if I missed any posts you might have related to the guards. I don't usually keep an eye out for those.

Gonna assume you meant the NPC guard standing next to him. Looks like I get to invite more semi-NPC/PC guards. At this rate, I need a list. )

Dew Blossom, the sky-blue unicorn with blonde mane, blinked as the strange unicorn approached them, glancing at Tyrol before looking back. She spoke in a slightly unfriendly tone, "Yes, there was a battle here yesterday, though I'm not sure why you're so curious about it."

Tyrol cleared his throat. "What my friend here means to say, thank you for your concern. Cold and wet are unfortunately part of our job description."

"A battle?" He seems halfway between an attitude of 'How terrible!' and an attitude of 'I can't believe I missed a fight!'. "Were there any losses?"

[Luka]

Inside the Mountain Range
Aero sighed.
He'd give chase but there's more important things happening.
Like he has to treat all three of them.
Removing his weather worn backpack, Aero takes out a army medical kit.
He'll go over to Aisis and take out the potion of numbing that was in the kit, pouring some in the wound to numb the pain.
He'll then quickly bandage her up and go to do the same for Mile.
"You two were lucky I was flying around here."

Aisis doesn't do much, just cringe, she seems pretty annoyed at taking a hit from a mook, while Mile was whimpering of fear from the wound that was.....Well, pretty huge from his perspective, but after Aero bandages it, he seems relieved, tries to stand up and looks up at the pegasus with a grateful smile, then just hugs him:

"Thank you so mu-! OW!"

obviously hugging was a bad idea for his shoulder and he walks back cringing in pain and holding his shoulder with his hoof. Aisis just stands up, apparently not caring much about her chest wound, she walks to the pegasus, seeming to be kinda rash.

"Maybe not so lucky, would have called their friends' attention"

Mile just recovers a bit from the pain and is able to speak again.

"Thank you for helping us. My name's Mile, she's my sis Aisis, we're trying to run away from he- owww!"

He rubs his shoulder, apparently it still hurts him

[Mindfreak]

Aisis doesn't do much, just cringe, she seems pretty annoyed at taking a hit from a mook, while Mile was whimpering of fear from the wound that was.....Well, pretty huge from his perspective, but after Aero bandages it, he seems relieved, tries to stand up and looks up at the pegasus with a grateful smile, then just hugs him:

"Thank you so mu-! OW!"

obviously hugging was a bad idea for his shoulder and he walks back cringing in pain and holding his shoulder with his hoof. Aisis just stands up, apparently not caring much about her chest wound, she walks to the pegasus, seeming to be kinda rash.

"Maybe not so lucky, would have called their friends' attention"

Mile just recovers a bit from the pain and is able to speak again.

"Thank you for helping us. My name's Mile, she's my sis Aisis, we're trying to run away from he- owww!"

He rubs his shoulder, apparently it still hurts him

Inside the Mountain Range
After treating himself, Aero outs away the medical kit.
"It's no problem really. I don't like watching baddies beat on good ponies."
He retrieves the metal plates and puts them back into their proper place before offering a hoof to shake to them.
"I'm Aero, Aero Wind."

[Luka]

Inside the Mountain Range
After treating himself, Aero outs away the medical kit.
"It's no problem really. I don't like watching baddies beat on good ponies."
He retrieves the metal plates and puts them back into their proper place before offering a hoof to shake to them.
"I'm Aero, Aero Wind."

Mile reaches Aero's hoof with his not-hurt one

"nice to meet you!"

though Aisis reluctantly lends her own, doesn't say much, still aware in the case another party comes.

"Let's get moving, more of them are going to come, they don't want anypony around here...." then turns to Mile "...It's hard enough having to babysit you..."

Mile just shrugs.
She takes several steps to the east, but then she feels a sharp pain on her wound, which makes her stop right there.

[Mindfreak]

Inside the Mountain Range
Seeing her stop, Aero goes to support her so they can get going.
"Come on, I'll support you. We really don't want to be stuck here if they do come back with reinforcements."

[MCerberus]

Mach's Place



Gearstride of course helped him up onto his haunches. Though, it of course would have been smarter for the two to use the blood!magic healing machine as its proven to work twice. Darn those two and their paranoid feelings of possible side effects.

Mach goes over to help bring Silverpine up. Then he finally remembers a question that he's been meaning to ask. "I've been, ah lead to believe it was a suit malfunction that caused this. What happened?"

[Mystic Muse]

Mystic's Manor




"Not much, I have my head researchers looking into the virus itself, working out how it works in the first place down at the molecular level," He said after swallowing his bite. His eyes lingered on Mystic for a moment, studying her, watching her before he glanced at NPC!Astrid who was in her usual stoic and professional demeanor.

"Might I inquire how long ago you acquired the virus? And if you can...where? What was the time and place?"

"Couple of years ago in the Blighted Weald. I'm not sure exactly when, sometime midday. Got snatched by something, thrown into a cocoon, woke up two weeks later like this, fully aware of every member of the current swarm, and whatever had captured me was nothing but bones." she responds.

[Luka]

Inside the Mountain Range
Seeing her stop, Aero goes to support her so they can get going.
"Come on, I'll support you. We really don't want to be stuck here if they do come back with reinforcements."

Mile just rushes towards her to check if Aisis' ok, he catches a glimpse of blood around the wound, obviously it bleed when she walked.

Aisis supports on Aero, a bit grumpy for actually needing help and for not being able to just ignore the wound.

Just as they get to a pretty narrow valley 35 meters away, 2 more parties of 10 arrive at the scene and rush to help the just-beaten-down one, none of them appears to have noticed the 3 walking away yet; there's a nearby cluster of bushes and wheat-like plants where they can hide

[Mindfreak]

Inside the Mountain Range
Aero will try to push and move all three of them into those bushes.
"Come on now! Can't afford to be caught."
Once in the bushes he'll hide!

[Luka]

Inside the Mountain Range
Aero will try to push and move all three of them into those bushes.
"Come on now! Can't afford to be caught."
Once in the bushes he'll hide!

Aisis and Mile get pushed into the bushes, Mile gets his legs tangled and lands on his chest inside the bushes, while Aisis goes inside some nearby wheat-coloured plants.

Both parties seem to split up after one of them gives out a signal, 3 of them getting really near the bushes, the 3 can hear them whisper

"But did you see them? they had like a ton of small cuts, are you even sure it was somepony and not something?"
"You seen that spear on the ground, it was normal blood, and whoever it was, you know the orders, nopony survives if they're near the mountains"
"That's just stupid! We're really short-hooved back there! why not just capture them and make them work for us?"
"Because they can escape and tell out, or just screw everything up from inside, now shut up, they could be near and hear us"

The 3 pass by the side and go behind to the south-east, if Aero looks around, he could see the whole place is clear, except by 2 standing near the beaten down party.

[Benson]

Mach goes over to help bring Silverpine up. Then he finally remembers a question that he's been meaning to ask. "I've been, ah lead to believe it was a suit malfunction that caused this. What happened?"

"I'd rather not repeat the tale, out of embarrassing shame, but I can assure you, it had nothing to do with a suit malfunction, those work just fine," She said, a bit sheepishly.

"Couple of years ago in the Blighted Weald. I'm not sure exactly when, sometime midday. Got snatched by something, thrown into a cocoon, woke up two weeks later like this, fully aware of every member of the current swarm, and whatever had captured me was nothing but bones." she responds.

"The Blighted Weald eh? That's interesting..." Balboa mused donning a relaxed smirk. "That's the forest that surrounds that little town Bridle Shores, am I correct?"

[Mystic Muse]

"The Blighted Weald eh? That's interesting..." Balboa mused donning a relaxed smirk. "That's the forest that surrounds that little town Bridle Shores, am I correct?"

"You would be correct. Interesting forest." she says. She's been back there a few times to check for things that could be used for various purposes.

[Grif]

He looked a bit confused
"Freelance as a militia? what militia?"
when she mentioned "recent events".....
"What happened?"

"Well... we had an invasion on our town by one of the many rogue nobles from this side of Equestria. Led by moose even. We lost a lot of good ponies then." Her eyes seemed distant for just a moment. "Since then we've been pretty short-hooved, and the Captain has resorted to using the town militia on occasion."

Lone Star nodded. Yeah but so was everybody else back home. She and I are the closest thing to normal that the town of Texas ever produced...

"Mmm. Sounds like my kind of place. So what is she to you? A friend? A sister?" She leaned closer. "A former lover?"

"A battle?" He seems halfway between an attitude of 'How terrible!' and an attitude of 'I can't believe I missed a fight!'. "Were there any losses?"

"Three casualties, though fortunately, no fatalities," Tyrol replied, eying Taylor curiously.

"Tyrol, are we supposed to tell strangers about our town affairs?" Dew Blossom hissed.

Tyrol shrugged. "I rather he heard it from us than some gossip monger in town."

"I'd rather not repeat the tale, out of embarrassing shame, but I can assure you, it had nothing to do with a suit malfunction, those work just fine," She said, a bit sheepishly.

"Twas' a foolish mistake, nothing more," Silverpine said, thinking that Gearstride meant him. "I suggested that we go and try to navigate the forest trees in the storm."

[Kelvin360]

"Three casualties, though fortunately, no fatalities," Tyrol replied, eying Taylor curiously.

"Tyrol, are we supposed to tell strangers about our town affairs?" Dew Blossom hissed.

Tyrol shrugged. "I rather he heard it from us than some gossip monger in town."

"I should go to the infirmary then, and see what I can do. If you need a temporary lookout, don't hesitate to call me in." With that he heads towards the hospital-equivalent, conspicuously leaving his cloak with Tyrol.

[Luka]

"Well... we had an invasion on our town by one of the many rogue nobles from this side of Equestria. Led by moose even. We lost a lot of good ponies then." Her eyes seemed distant for just a moment. "Since then we've been pretty short-hooved, and the Captain has resorted to using the town militia on occasion."

He seems pretty shaken at first, then pretty decided.
"Well count me in for help! I'd be glad to stop anypony that tries to do that again!"

[Mindfreak]

Aisis and Mile get pushed into the bushes, Mile gets his legs tangled and lands on his chest inside the bushes, while Aisis goes inside some nearby wheat-coloured plants.

Both parties seem to split up after one of them gives out a signal, 3 of them getting really near the bushes, the 3 can hear them whisper

"But did you see them? they had like a ton of small cuts, are you even sure it was somepony and not something?"
"You seen that spear on the ground, it was normal blood, and whoever it was, you know the orders, nopony survives if they're near the mountains"
"That's just stupid! We're really short-hooved back there! why not just capture them and make them work for us?"
"Because they can escape and tell out, or just screw everything up from inside, now shut up, they could be near and hear us"

The 3 pass by the side and go behind to the south-east, if Aero looks around, he could see the whole place is clear, except by 2 standing near the beaten down party.

Inside the Mountain Range
Aero thinks and then looks at Mile.
"I'm going to need you to help your sister out of these mountains. Do you think you can do that?"

[Luka]

Inside the Mountain Range
Aero thinks and then looks at Mile.
"I'm going to need you to help your sister out of these mountains. Do you think you can do that?"

The Small brown colt looks at Aero confused
"yeah....B-but why?"

[Mindfreak]

The Small brown colt looks at Aero confused
"yeah....B-but why?"

Inside the Mountain Range
"Because I may not be coming back, kid."
And then Aero's plates disengage again.
And he sends two plates flying towards those two remaining ponies.

[HalfTangible]

"Mmm. Sounds like my kind of place. So what is she to you? A friend? A sister?" She leaned closer. "A former lover?"

Alarm bells started to ring loudly in Lone Star's head. Uh, somewhere between sister and friend. He responded slowly.

He was quiet for a moment, then added, But I spent about six years in an extremely submissive state where I basically did whatever anyone told me to do, and we met during that time while she was... uh... ok I'll just come out and say it - we've had sex but she's just my friend now.

Hay Bale at that exact moment

Hay Bale was trying on a corset, but she suddenly stopped. My awkwardness sense is tingling!

[Luka]

Inside the Mountain Range
"Because I may not be coming back, kid."
And then Aero's plates disengage again.
And he sends two plates flying towards those two remaining ponies.

The plates hit them on the head, from that distance, the only result that could be seen for sure is that they fall down to the ground and stay laying there.

Mile just looks at Aero:
"N-Not coming back? you're leaving?"

[Mindfreak]

Inside the Mountain Range
"No kiddo, I'm going to distract them if need be while you and your sister get away."
He stands, helping Aisis again.
"So let's get moving before that's necessary." he said as he began moving towards the exit of the mountain range.

[Luka]

Inside the Mountain Range
"No kiddo, I'm going to distract them if need be while you and your sister get away."
He stands, helping Aisis again.
"So let's get moving before that's necessary." he said as he began moving towards the exit of the mountain range.

r
Mile sighs, half tired-half relief, he then supports his sister and walk to the exit too, when they get to the exit they notice the other ponies coming back and rushing to help the 2 that Aeo just took down.

When they're outside of the mountains they notice they're going into some large plains with some meadows, to their left they can see a cobblestone road, 1km of distance from them, it goes into the mountain range and to the east, the east path gets lost, but the mountain path goes into a valley blocked by some large boulders, smoke can be seen behind it. Past the road there's a swamp full of trees, and it looks like there's A dragon flying above it....or 2.

for there they can see around 2 more parties walking around the meadows, 1 of them dangerously near, and some movement around the grass, not made by wind. Mile looks pretty amased, his sister doesn't really care; after a while, Mile points to the road and walks, still supporting his sister.

[Mindfreak]

Near the Mountains
Aero will let Aisis down slowly into the grass, reattatch new metal plates from his backpack, and then lets the chains disengage again.
"Let's see if I can still do this...haven't needed to do it since my army days."
He focuses, letting his inner chi to build up until...
"Shard Barrage!"
And then he flicked his wings up towards the sky.
The metal plates should fly up and then hit the nearby party of ponies in vital areas.

[Luka]

Near the Mountains
Aero will let Aisis down slowly into the grass, reattatch new metal plates from his backpack, and then lets the chains disengage again.
"Let's see if I can still do this...haven't needed to do it since my army days."
He focuses, letting his inner chi to build up until...
"Shard Barrage!"
And then he flicked his wings up towards the sky.
The metal plates should fly up and then hit the nearby party of ponies in vital areas.

Aisis just lays down, her wound stopped bleeding when she was supported, but it still hurts.

when Aero throws his plates up one of the parties see spot Aero and the others and the others, it's a party of 5; 3 of them get easily shred and go down when the plates fall down, 2 of them had shields and were able to block the plates with it, they charge into Aero with their spears, ignoring Mile, but Aisis was concealed in the grass, so she draws her greatsword with her mouth and attacks one of them from below, he freaks out from the surprise, slices her right hindleg and stabs her right foreleg with his spear, but still gets stabbed through with the greatsword and taken down.

Mile just rushes to help and stab the other one

[Benson]

"You would be correct. Interesting forest." she says. She's been back there a few times to check for things that could be used for various purposes.

"I might consider sending a field research team to go study that place, perhaps it shares similarities to the Evergreen Forest," He took a another sip of his scotch and gestured for Astrid to scribble down that thought on her little notepad.

"Twas' a foolish mistake, nothing more," Silverpine said, thinking that Gearstride meant him. "I suggested that we go and try to navigate the forest trees in the storm."

Gearstride's ears hit a shade of red. "Lieutenant, it wasn't your fault..."

[Mindfreak]

Aisis just lays down, her wound stopped bleeding when she was supported, but it still hurts.

when Aero throws his plates up one of the parties see spot Aero and the others and the others, it's a party of 5; 3 of them get easily shred and go down when the plates fall down, 2 of them had shields and were able to block the plates with it, they charge into Aero with their spears, ignoring Mile, but Aisis was concealed in the grass, so she draws her greatsword with her mouth and attacks one of them from below, he freaks out from the surprise, slices her right hindleg and stabs her right foreleg with his spear, but still gets stabbed through with the greatsword and taken down.

Mile just rushes to help and stab the other one

Near the Mountains
Aero grins as Mile tries to stab the remaining spearpony.
He helps by trying to buck the that pony in the face with his hindhooves.
He'll then reattatch new plates onto his wings from his bag and then gauge where the other party is from them and how many there are.

[MCerberus]

Gearstride's ears hit a shade of red. "Lieutenant, it wasn't your fault..."

Mach really didn't want to restart the wistful love-lorn drama, but it seems to have happened. He looks around awkwardly before stating, "That's good... I think..."

After a moment he perks up trying to change the subject. "Well I suppose you'll ah, be wanting to get back to your own med bay."

[PurityIcekiller]

[Night Jewel]

That morning, the Agrabuck guards made sure to inspect every merchant ship before it set sail. They knew that Night Jewel had been sighted by the docks recently, and that she might try to make her escape hidden in some vessel's cargo.

This was unfortunate for them, as Night Jewel had actually sneaked into an overland caravan instead.

She'd concealed herself inside a carefully chosen cart of goods. The cart's owner was a smuggler pretending to be a spice merchant, and she had rearranged his goods so the contraband was easier to find. That way, if the cart were searched, the contraband would be found first, and the searchers would think they'd found all they were looking for.

Earlier, she'd also considered making dummies that looked like her and slipping them into the other merchants' wares as a third layer of diversion, but decided it would take too long.

[Luka]

Near the Mountains
Aero grins as Mile tries to stab the remaining spearpony.
He helps by trying to buck the that pony in the face with his hindhooves.
He'll then reattatch new plates onto his wings from his bag and then gauge where the other party is from them and how many there are.

The buck did help and he gets shoven back, Mile lands his shortsword deeply on his side, making him fall down, though the wound seems like a flesh wound.

The other party is somewhat far away, around 500m straight ahead to the east, they're on a small hill and look like to be walking in the direction of Aero, Aisis and Mile; even though, there's movement in the grass, not caused by wind.

Mile goes to help Aisis up, her horn glows a golden light, which goes to her legs and heals both, though the spell doesn't look strong enough for healing her chest wound, neither Mile's shoulder one.

[Mindfreak]

Near the Mountains
Aero sighed.
"Looks like we're gonna hafta kill a few more to get out of here...any idea where you two are headed?" he asked as he helped Aisis move forward again.