[FwM] The Trotting Dead-Mlp without the Kiddy Thread XVI

[Lycan 01]

[Cirrus - Infirmary]

"Actually, it can be tangible," Lucky says with a sheepish grin. "I'm kinda, uh, banned from almost every casino in Equestria, due to my knack at winning games of chance. And winning streaks at said games of chance. So they kinda don't let me visit their fine establishments anymore. Something about being a 'walking violation of the laws of probability' and whatnot. Eheh... And, er, as for my whole life being nothing but a series of dumb, lucky escapes... uh..."

He pulls up his shirt with one hoof, revealing a myriad of scars ranging from small flesh wounds to deep, ragged injuries, while the other hoof points at his scar-accentuated muzzle. "These scars didn't just appear out of nowhere, y'know," he grins crookedly. "Bombs, bar fights, Chupacabras, a few falls off of cliffs, so on and so forth..."

[TheAmishPirate]

Gwen herself was without her chest armor, it was going to get cleaned, though she felt the smell was still lingering on her.

"Gwendolyn, bad ass merc and all around ass kicker," She proudly stated crossing her forearms/legs whatever, over her chest, puffing it out a little. "Who are you? You kinda just appeared out of thin air?"

Sandy instinctively reached to his chest, only to find empty space where his badge usually was. He shrunk another size into his clothes. "S-sandy Shores. Ship's engineer. I, uh, keep things runnin' down here an' th' Cirrus in th' air." He threw a small salute.

[Benson]

Cirrus-Infirmary

"That just makes my head hurt....I need a drink or two or three..." Gearstride gawked and then looked away, thinking about her secret stash in her room. She looked back at Lucky.

"So....you're fine right? I mean, there are no damages we gotta pay right? I dunno even know if we even have insurance for that.."

Sandy instinctively reached to his chest, only to find empty space where his badge usually was. He shrunk another size into his clothes. "S-sandy Shores. Ship's engineer. I, uh, keep things runnin' down here an' th' Cirrus in th' air." He threw a small salute.

"Kaaaaay...." Gwen clicked her beak in thought. "Anyways...go take me to wherever everyone else went, I am confused, I don't like being confused."

[MCerberus]

[Near the Gates]

The past several days for Blueshield had been split between rigorously drilling the local militia and guards and patrolling around the town. Being caught unprepared once was bad enough; she intended to make sure this didn't happen again.

It was for this reason that she was near the gates when Scoops arrived, and that she immediately pointed her crossbow in the reporter's general direction.

"Hold your position! For security purposes, I require that you verify your identity and purposes. I assure you it is a necessity born of our perilous situation."

The sandy-brown mare looks at Blueshield for a moment. For a second it's quiet. Too quiet. Like the calm before a storm. After rifling through the saddlebags for the proper papers, it's 'go time'.

"Hiya. Whadda Scoops. Here to do investigations all that. Oh and I'll need press passes? Do you do press passes? Who do I talk to. More importantly, where's coffee around this place. Running low. Only had 8 cups yesterday. Not enough. Look at me, I'm a mess without more. Need it to keep on my hooves."

Might want to interrupt this line of thought before she goes on about the specifics of her favorite kinds of stimulant.

[Grif]

[Cirrus - Infirmary]

"Actually, it can be tangible," Lucky says with a sheepish grin. "I'm kinda, uh, banned from almost every casino in Equestria, due to my knack at winning games of chance. And winning streaks at said games of chance. So they kinda don't let me visit their fine establishments anymore. Something about being a 'walking violation of the laws of probability' and whatnot. Eheh... And, er, as for my whole life being nothing but a series of dumb, lucky escapes... uh..."

He pulls up his shirt with one hoof, revealing a myriad of scars ranging from small flesh wounds to deep, ragged injuries, while the other hoof points at his scar-accentuated muzzle. "These scars didn't just appear out of nowhere, y'know," he grins crookedly. "Bombs, bar fights, Chupacabras, a few falls off of cliffs, so on and so forth..."

Silverpine shot Lucky a look that could only be described as an unholy mix between incredulous, impressed and worried.

Cirrus-Infirmary

"That just makes my head hurt....I need a drink or two or three..." Gearstride gawked and then looked away, thinking about her secret stash in her room. She looked back at Lucky.

"So....you're fine right? I mean, there are no damages we gotta pay right? I dunno even know if we even have insurance for that.."

"I... ahh... don't believe we do, Captain. Though it's probably a good idea to pick up one up in the future..." Silverpine said, still staring at Lucky. "So... ummm... can you walk? Do you need assistance to get you to town?"

[Lycan 01]

Cirrus-Infirmary

"That just makes my head hurt....I need a drink or two or three..." Gearstride gawked and then looked away, thinking about her secret stash in her room. She looked back at Lucky.

"So....you're fine right? I mean, there are no damages we gotta pay right? I dunno even know if we even have insurance for that.."

Silverpine shot Lucky a look that could only be described as an unholy mix between incredulous, impressed and worried.

"I... ahh... don't believe we do, Captain. Though it's probably a good idea to pick up one up in the future..." Silverpine said, still staring at Lucky. "So... ummm... can you walk? Do you need assistance to get you to town?"

Lucky hops off the infirmary bed, lands firmly on his hooves, and gives an idle flap of his wings. He then gives a nonchalant shrug. "Eh, I'm sore as mess, and I'll probably be bruised up pretty bad in the morning. But really, I'm fine. Compared to what most ponies would have been, at least," he grins crookedly.

He then tilts his head in confusion. "Besides, shouldn't you be less worried about me and my travel affairs, and more concerned about the pony who randomly appeared out of nowhere aboard your ship?"

[Grif]

Cirrus-Infirmary
Lucky hops off the infirmary bed, lands firmly on his hooves, and gives an idle flap of his wings. He then gives a nonchalant shrug. "Eh, I'm sore as mess, and I'll probably be bruised up pretty bad in the morning. But really, I'm fine. Compared to what most ponies would have been, at least," he grins crookedly.

He then tilts his head in confusion. "Besides, shouldn't you be less worried about me and my travel affairs, and more concerned about the pony who randomly appeared out of nowhere aboard your ship?"

Silverpine blinked. Right, in the midst of the not-emergency, he had totally forgotten about their plucky engineer. "Oh uh, yes. We should probably go and make sure Mr Shores isn't lying someplace comatose." He began trotting out of the infirmary, still looking genuinely puzzled.

[The Present - Bridle Shores]

Purpose Prose was not happy.

The last ten days had been quite a mess. Interviews, paperwork, damage control, assisting in repairs, organizing patrols, and worst of all, not enough coffee.

Still, it could be worse. His fight with the enemy officer had ended in a rather satisfactory manner. He'd suffered a few cracked ribs, but it was far from the worse injury he'd ever gotten, and it certainly wasn't going to slow him down. Dive Bomb, on the other hoof, had come out of the encounter more than a little worse for wear.

Specifically, his severed head and flayed cutie mark had been packaged up and mailed off to his superiors in Canterlot, for the sake of both verifying his death and to potentially serve as a warning to those who would rebel against Equestria and threaten the lives of its citizens. Along with the macabre package, he sent along a full report on the nature of the attack and a full debriefing on his encounter with the deranged and hard-to-kill pegasus. It was very pertinent that the Shadowbolts be aware of what sort of threats and dangers were lurking in Equestria's own backyard, and while he was "officially" retired from his position as a Shadowbolt, a little guidance from his "former" superiors wouldn't be unwelcome.

Now that that was all taken care of for the time being, though, Prose found himself with a little bit of time to relax before his next task. Specifically, a recon mission. Part of him wasn't looking forward to it. The rest of him, though, was... exhilarated. Enjoying retirement, doing a job he's good at, and protecting the citizens of Equestria all at the same time? Yeah, that's nice.

For now, though, the armor-clad batpony is simply resting on a cloud over the town itself, a cup of coffee clutched in the talons of his left wing, while the talons of his right wing clutch a pen. He idly scribbles on a piece of parchment, jotting down a little poetry while he casually surveys the town beneath him and the nearby forest for anything interesting, noteworthy, or suspicious.

(Keeping Prose company, in the meantime.)

"Ah, I thought I might find you up here," the firm voice of the Captain's flight leader and second-in-command sounded from below. The navy blue pegasus popped above the cloud level and settled into an easy hover in front of him, silver mane whipping in the wind. "Enjoying your coffee, I see?" Stormcloak asked, politely.

[Benson]

The Cirrus- Engine Room


"You go on ahead sweetie, that task doesn't require the both of us," She smiled at Silverpine watching him go. She then sat back on a seat and stared at Lucky.

"So...what?.....Is it like some kind of regeneration or somethin'?....." She narrowed her eyes. "Are you some kind of vampony?...They do that you...regenerate wound, body parts, like nothing ever happened."

[Lycan 01]

The Cirrus- Engine Room

"You go on ahead sweetie, that task doesn't require the both of us," She smiled at Silverpine watching him go. She then sat back on a seat and stared at Lucky.

"So...what?.....Is it like some kind of regeneration or somethin'?....." She narrowed her eyes. "Are you some kind of vampony?...They do that you...regenerate wound, body parts, like nothing ever happened."

Lucky gives a small snort, and sits back on the table. "Vampony? Naw. I'm tellin' ya, dumb luck. I heal up just the same as any other pony. I'm just harder to actually hurt, dependin' on the situation. I mean, if you stab me in the face or something boring like that, I'll prob'ly die. But the more outrageous, off the wall, or complex the incident, the more likely something will go wrong or something weird will happen, an' I'll emerge alive by the skin of my teeth. Don't get me wrong," he shrugs, "I've been hospitalized plenty of times. This whole engine thing, though?" He grins crookedly, revealing a distinct lack of fangs. "Just a lucky fluke~"



[Bridle Shores Skies - Present

(Keeping Prose company, in the meantime.)

"Ah, I thought I might find you up here," the firm voice of the Captain's flight leader and second-in-command sounded from below. The navy blue pegasus popped above the cloud level and settled into an easy hover in front of him, silver mane whipping in the wind. "Enjoying your coffee, I see?" Stormcloak asked, politely.

"If I were actively trying to hide, you'd have had less luck," the batpony dryly observes, before tilting his head a bit to flash a wry smile at the pegasus. "But yes, good coffee. I see helping this town was the right decision after all," he quips, wry smile morphing into a bit of a playful smirk. He takes another sip of the coffee, and scribbles a bit more on the parchment. "So, what brings you my way? I take you had other reasons to look for me besides the purpose of discussing fine coffees. Is something awry?"

[TheAmishPirate]

"Kaaaaay...." Gwen clicked her beak in thought. "Anyways...go take me to wherever everyone else went, I am confused, I don't like being confused."

"Er, th-that's gonna be a bit, w-well, where did they go, exactly?" Sandy asked sheepishly. In all the hubbub, he couldn't quite recall where he'd put his communicator.

[MCerberus]

[The Fox's Den]

Night Jewel's workshop was coming along well. She had just finished designing the door's puzzle-lock, and was making good progress on Gearstride's hoof. In fact, she was just getting the lock set up properly when she had a surprise visitor.

"Oh, hello! I wasn't expecting ponies to start dropping by so soon. What are you here for? Want a look at my trinkets?"

Since it's far too early for a certain mare to be prodding around, an outside party dropped off a message before running off. Although if it doesn't get to the right party, there's going to be hell to pay. Anyway, there's an envelope addressed to Night Jewel.

Spoiler

Show

An opportunity has arisen that your presence would be mutually beneficial. Indeterminate danger. Fair share of any applicable loot; I'm financing a gold payoff if the numbers don't come out. Working for the powers-that-be. Meet at the guardhouse for more details.

[Kelvin360]

The Hospital

While the worst of the worst have been seen to in the days since the attack, rush hour is still a troublesome time for the workers and volunteers, Dr. Sunshine at their head, wherein those previously in critical condition must be seen to and the ponies who have waited for their treatment are insistent that their injuries are more severe than the next set. In between the constant fatigue of using magic in dire circumstances, very little sleep (aside from a half-day off in the middle of the week that was virtually mandated by one of his senior assistants, Goldie), and the constant stream of concerned civilians, the good-humored, fatherly expression and demeanor that once defined the good doctor has all but disappeared. Neck-deep in his work, he speaks only when he needs a tool or a task performed, sweat lining his brow and his horn sending off harmless but alarming sparks every so often.

"Set," he announces, finishing up a bone-repair job complete with a nasty gash on the affected limb which, much to his initial displeasure, was not from the battle but from carelessness in repairing the walls. "Wheel her out."

Commander Justified Eclipse, whose unflinching nature, hardened discipline, and natural physical talents befitting an earth pony have been invaluable in recent days, rushes forward with such speed that the unfamiliar might confuse him for a pegasus. A gray blur against the background of the walls, he wheels the patient out into a separate room devoted to less severe and/or treated cases, casting an anxious glance at the corner where Coconut is resting in the process.

"Bring in the next," Sunshine barks, grabbing for a list of supplies the hospice has at its disposal, a piece of paper with numerous crossings-out and very few open spots left. He scowls deeply. "What happened to all of our spare blood treatments? If we get another amputation or cut artery..."

"You'll deal with it." A voice says from near the exit. It belongs to a unicorn clad in a full-body leather overcoat who was not present before he spoke, his eyes covered by sunglasses with no visible wings, covered on the inside in arcane sigils.

Despite now sharing the room with Moonlight, Sunshine's expression does not soften. "I suppose you stole most of it to give to your new bloodsucking extermanari friends?"

"No. I made an official request that food supplies be shifted from the hospital to the outpost for my vampire wards," Moonlight replies unflinchingly.

"You're not here to apologize, are you?"

"That would be patronizing. The brass means to send off Dawn and a few others on a scouting mission. I thought you should know."

Sunshine's shoulders fall as Eclipse rolls in the next patient. He moves off, leaving a few assistants to tend to it, and stands face-to-face with Moonlight. He no longer bears any trace of anger, only sadness and fatigue. "And what's the real reason you're here?"

Darkened lenses slip backward, revealing dark, searching eyes. "Concern. You've held it together under worse circumstances than this, but you're falling apart."

Sunshine shakes his head. "You know why."

"Enlighten me anyway."

"Those two...agents, assassins, murderers, whatever...the ones that tried to kill the POW. I had them right here, in front of me. I could have stopped them. I didn't."

"Then the ponies whom that act put in jeopardy should be casting blame, not you," Moonlight states fairly. "You'll notice none of them are here."

"It was my daughter, Rigmund." Long-repressed tears begin sliding down the doctor's cheeks. "My little Snow. What if...?"

"Hey. Hey." Moonlight raises a hoof under Sunshine's chin and lifts it up, forcing eye contact. If he notices any shocked looks or muttered comments from the assistants as their senior begins breaking down in front of them, he doesn't show it. "Snowstorm is an experienced and capable mare. So are Night Jewel and Starbeam. They knew the risks of intervening, and so on and so forth, many cliches. I don't have to tell you it's not your fault. It sounds like they might, though."

The sunglasses slip back into place. "So go and do that. And then get some sleep, for Luna's sake, you look like Dawnstrider when he's in a mood."

Sunshine's lips twitch. "I can't well leave the hospital..."

"You can and you will. I wasn't daydreaming when you covered the basics with us, and Luna's grace extends beyond the dreamscape. I'll take over here. You go and fix yourself, for once."

Sunshine pauses at that, then slowly plods out the door. Moonlight paces forward, the sigils in front of his eyes flashing. "Start stockpiling anesthetic - you won't need it while I'm here. Now, somepony get me..."

---

Heavy Metal, Inc.

Although the filly of the house hasn't been working on the metalcrafting jobs, per se, she has been putting her newest talents to use. With a growl of frustration, a large piece of parchment - blue and white, in the style of prototype diagrams - is quickly crushed in a strong grip and tossed to the floor of the shop, alongside many other unfinished designs. "Seriously, it is not this hard to design a wall. A wall. It stands there and keeps standing if heavy things are thrown at it. But noooo! It's got to have weird design flaws and fancy curvy bits until those bucking motherbuckers are bucking satisfied with their bucking piece of bucking metal. And then! Then! They have the gall to tell me that resources are limited on the project? Like, hello, when did we run out of iron and steel? Did it dance off with a dish and a spoon while I wasn't looking? And rocks, even! They tell me that we're absurdly low on stone! Stone! Look down at your hooves, you idiots, plenty right there!"

It's worth noting that Stellar has been on a nigh-constant tirade since she began designing the new fortifications, but she shows no sign of slowing down and, in fact, dons the intense grin of an artist finding their muse in the rare moments when she isn't ranting.

Nearby, Arvadraa has been enjoying the relative calm after the storm much more than her counterpart. In point of fact, she's been spending a good deal of her off-hours simply tucking herself into a corner and thinking about things, though she is by no means shunning the company of her friends, and is as open as ever. She does, however, now have a secondary responsibility. When it became clear that horsepower was wearing too thin for constructions to take a comfortable amount of time, she put her druidic abilities to good use and began gathering up woodland animals and sending them on various tasks to aid in repairs or the gathering of supplies. Every once in a while, her owl Seeker or the odd ferret will find her for clarification on an order of deployment, or else inform her if an unusual situation has arisen.

"-and put Underdrought on the blocks, she's stronger." The flutter pony finishes, before pondering Blades' question. "Hmm. We...were going to go swimming and flying, weren't we? I didn't know if we'd have time with all that's going on, and-" She pauses, biting her lip. "Are...well, only, are you feeling up to it?"

[Grif]

[Bridle Shores Skies - Present

"If I were actively trying to hide, you'd have had less luck," the batpony dryly observes, before tilting his head a bit to flash a wry smile at the pegasus. "But yes, good coffee. I see helping this town was the right decision after all," he quips, wry smile morphing into a bit of a playful smirk. He takes another sip of the coffee, and scribbles a bit more on the parchment. "So, what brings you my way? I take you had other reasons to look for me besides the purpose of discussing fine coffees. Is something awry?"

"Awry? Heavens no. But I think you should hear this anyway." Stormcloak looked around carefully. Satisfied that they were quite alone, he hovered closer. "The pegasus merchant we rescued came forward with an interesting proposition. She's offering to show a way through the mountains that leads directly to the village. Oh I know it sounds crazy, but she's claiming she knows a way that even the enemy doesn't and she used it to escape. Personally I don't think it's such a good idea, but I think you should know anyway."

"Er, th-that's gonna be a bit, w-well, where did they go, exactly?" Sandy asked sheepishly. In all the hubbub, he couldn't quite recall where he'd put his communicator.

Thankfully, Silverpine saved Sandy the trouble. The lieutenant's face crinkled as the rancid smell rose up to greet him, as he peered into the stairwell below. "... Mr Shores, glad to see you're alive and well. Maybe... um, you'd like to clean up properly in the showers first?" He nodded at Gwen as well. "You're welcome to use them as well."

[Benson]

The Cirrus- Infirmary

Gearstride crookedly smiled at Lucky and worked her jaw in thought. AIDA continued to observe the scene from the corner being all quiet and only stirred a little when Gearstride looked its way and stared for a second.

"Well good...not like I have anything against vamponies I mean, more like good that you are fine and stuff even if it is totally weird." She nodded her head. "You are 100% fine right? Just to triple check."

The Cirrus- Hallway?

"Usele---" Gwen cut herself off short when Silverpine appeared. "Direct me to them asap. Blood and dirt I can live with...vomit, no."

[TheAmishPirate]

Thankfully, Silverpine saved Sandy the trouble. The lieutenant's face crinkled as the rancid smell rose up to greet him, as he peered into the stairwell below. "... Mr Shores, glad to see you're alive and well. Maybe... um, you'd like to clean up properly in the showers first?" He nodded at Gwen as well. "You're welcome to use them as well."

Sandy immediately sprang to attention; no small feat given his baggy uniform. "Yessir, Silverpine sir. I-I'll take our guest over there straightaway." He waved for Gwen to follow him and he slowly made his way up the stairs. "R-right this way, ma'am. We can send AIDA around t'clean y-your armor."

[Grif]

The Cirrus- Hallway?

"Usele---" Gwen cut herself off short when Silverpine appeared. "Direct me to them asap. Blood and dirt I can live with...vomit, no."

Sandy immediately sprang to attention; no small feat given his baggy uniform. "Yessir, Silverpine sir. I-I'll take our guest over there straightaway." He waved for Gwen to follow him and he slowly made his way up the stairs. "R-right this way, ma'am. We can send AIDA around t'clean y-your armor."

"I'll handle that personally. Please provide Miss Gwen with whatever she needs to get cleaned up." Silverpine would collect the armour carefully and bring it the nearest industrial washer.

[Benson]

Gwen


She nodded and would follow Sandy, whatever questions she had, she would ask later.

[PurityIcekiller]

[The Rat's Den]

"Huh! No time to talk, it seems." Night Jewel gave a wave, then picked up the note.

As she read it, her eyes narrowed. She looked it up and down, making sure she understood the message.

"An opportunity has arisen that your presence would be mutually beneficial"? Sounds like something that Knight Commander would say. And coming to the guardhouse for an unexplained mission... Who would fall for such an obvious trap?

If it is a trap, it isn't very well thought out. It's well-known that I risked my life several times to help the town. Even if they could find some excuse to arrest me, it would be completely counterproductive for them, and the local ponies wouldn't stand for it.

So what are you going to do? Go along with them?

If they're being honest, then I have an opportunity to do more for the town. Otherwise, I have an opportunity to make the guards look like complete idiots. Either way, it's a win.

Night Jewel finished putting the lock in place, gave it a quick kick to randomize it, then set off for the guardhouse. Her spirits were lifting already.

The sandy-brown mare looks at Blueshield for a moment. For a second it's quiet. Too quiet. Like the calm before a storm. After rifling through the saddlebags for the proper papers, it's 'go time'.

"Hiya. Whadda Scoops. Here to do investigations all that. Oh and I'll need press passes? Do you do press passes? Who do I talk to. More importantly, where's coffee around this place. Running low. Only had 8 cups yesterday. Not enough. Look at me, I'm a mess without more. Need it to keep on my hooves."

Might want to interrupt this line of thought before she goes on about the specifics of her favorite kinds of stimulant.

Blueshield lowered her bow upon seeing the papers. "That is sufficient. I shall escort you to the individual of proper authority. First, however, it is imperative that you be informed of one thing." Her expression temporarily hardened. "I forbid you from inquiring of me as to any matters of tactical merit. I would not derive pleasure from discovering every vulnerability of our arrangements exposited to unscrupulous individuals by a meddling reporter."

With that, she led Scoops into town and sought out the guard captain.

Although the filly of the house hasn't been working on the metalcrafting jobs, per se, she has been putting her newest talents to use. With a growl of frustration, a large piece of parchment - blue and white, in the style of prototype diagrams - is quickly crushed in a strong grip and tossed to the floor of the shop, alongside many other unfinished designs. "Seriously, it is not this hard to design a wall. A wall. It stands there and keeps standing if heavy things are thrown at it. But noooo! It's got to have weird design flaws and fancy curvy bits until those bucking motherbuckers are bucking satisfied with their bucking piece of bucking metal. And then! Then! They have the gall to tell me that resources are limited on the project? Like, hello, when did we run out of iron and steel? Did it dance off with a dish and a spoon while I wasn't looking? And rocks, even! They tell me that we're absurdly low on stone! Stone! Look down at your hooves, you idiots, plenty right there!"

It's worth noting that Stellar has been on a nigh-constant tirade since she began designing the new fortifications, but she shows no sign of slowing down and, in fact, dons the intense grin of an artist finding their muse in the rare moments when she isn't ranting.

"Ah, the trials of dealing with ponies who cannot make mountains with a thought." Flare sighed in sympathy. "I suppose I shall have to dig up half the mantle for them. Then they won't complain about not having enough stone."

Nearby, Arvadraa has been enjoying the relative calm after the storm much more than her counterpart. In point of fact, she's been spending a good deal of her off-hours simply tucking herself into a corner and thinking about things, though she is by no means shunning the company of her friends, and is as open as ever. She does, however, now have a secondary responsibility. When it became clear that horsepower was wearing too thin for constructions to take a comfortable amount of time, she put her druidic abilities to good use and began gathering up woodland animals and sending them on various tasks to aid in repairs or the gathering of supplies. Every once in a while, her owl Seeker or the odd ferret will find her for clarification on an order of deployment, or else inform her if an unusual situation has arisen.

"-and put Underdrought on the blocks, she's stronger." The flutter pony finishes, before pondering Blades' question. "Hmm. We...were going to go swimming and flying, weren't we? I didn't know if we'd have time with all that's going on, and-" She pauses, biting her lip. "Are...well, only, are you feeling up to it?"

"I can manage. It's just that we've been cooped up in here for an awful long time, 'n... Well, ya kinda look out of place indoors. I think goin' outside a bit could do ya some good. It'd make ya happier, that's for sure."

[Kelvin360]

"Ah, the trials of dealing with ponies who cannot make mountains with a thought." Flare sighed in sympathy. "I suppose I shall have to dig up half the mantle for them. Then they won't complain about not having enough stone."

"That's what I told them! But they gave me some loaded excuse about fault lines, tunnels, and sinkholes. I mean, it's not like we'll be less defensible if we're fifty hooflengths underground!"

"I can manage. It's just that we've been cooped up in here for an awful long time, 'n... Well, ya kinda look out of place indoors. I think goin' outside a bit could do ya some good. It'd make ya happier, that's for sure."

"I have been losing some color, haven't I? Although, to be fair, that might just be the shadows leeching it. I think they're upset I'm not using them anymore."

[Lycan 01]

[Clouds Above Bridle Shores]

"Awry? Heavens no. But I think you should hear this anyway." Stormcloak looked around carefully. Satisfied that they were quite alone, he hovered closer. "The pegasus merchant we rescued came forward with an interesting proposition. She's offering to show a way through the mountains that leads directly to the village. Oh I know it sounds crazy, but she's claiming she knows a way that even the enemy doesn't and she used it to escape. Personally I don't think it's such a good idea, but I think you should know anyway."

"I see," Prose nods sagely, taking a small sip of his coffee. He ponders for a moment, before tilting his head a bit to study the pegasus with his good eye. "Remind me, which pegasus merchant? In all the hullabaloo, I don't quite think I've heard the full story on her. And the last 'rescued civilians' I saw were double-agents for the so-called 'Dark Army' we had to deal with, so you'll have to pardon my wariness." He takes another sip of his coffee. "I may need to have a word with her..."

Or perhaps an interrogation.



---

[The Cirrus- Infirmary]

Gearstride crookedly smiled at Lucky and worked her jaw in thought. AIDA continued to observe the scene from the corner being all quiet and only stirred a little when Gearstride looked its way and stared for a second.

"Well good...not like I have anything against vamponies I mean, more like good that you are fine and stuff even if it is totally weird." She nodded her head. "You are 100% fine right? Just to triple check."

"Never encountered a vampony, but so long as they keep their fangs off my neck, I'm fine with 'em," Lucky shrugs, before grinning crookedly. "Without my permission, I mean. I ain't opposed to a little 'harmless' biting..." he says with a playful waggle of his eyebrows, before snickering and waving a wing dismissively. "Anyhoo, yeah, I'm fine. Maybe not 100% fine, but I never am. Still got a headache from the dynamite thing earlier. Remind me to 'thank' Gwen for that later..." he grumbles with a roll of his eyes.

[Grif]

[Clouds Above Bridle Shores]
"I see," Prose nods sagely, taking a small sip of his coffee. He ponders for a moment, before tilting his head a bit to study the pegasus with his good eye. "Remind me, which pegasus merchant? In all the hullabaloo, I don't quite think I've heard the full story on her. And the last 'rescued civilians' I saw were double-agents for the so-called 'Dark Army' we had to deal with, so you'll have to pardon my wariness." He takes another sip of his coffee. "I may need to have a word with her..."

Or perhaps an interrogation.

[Above Birdle Shores]

Stormcloak nodded. "I forgot not everypony would be aware of her. She's the one the assassins tried to kill in the hospital. Name's Windy Breeze. I'm reasonably certain she isn't a spy, given that she originally had been rescued by our fellow paladins and brought back to the hospital in bad shape, a week prior to our... double agents fiasco. If the enemy was so intent on killing her, I'm thinking they believe she knows something valuable." He gave a shrug. "That's my take on it anyway. She's still in the hospital if you wish to speak to her. I'll clear the guards to allow you through."

[The Guardhouse]

In the meantime, Tyrol happened to be on desk duty today. He sighed and laid his head on the table. Today was a slow day, and there wasn't much happening...

(Poking Kelvin.)

[MCerberus]

[The Rat's Den]

"Huh! No time to talk, it seems." Night Jewel gave a wave, then picked up the note.

As she read it, her eyes narrowed. She looked it up and down, making sure she understood the message.

"An opportunity has arisen that your presence would be mutually beneficial"? Sounds like something that Knight Commander would say. And coming to the guardhouse for an unexplained mission... Who would fall for such an obvious trap?

If it is a trap, it isn't very well thought out. It's well-known that I risked my life several times to help the town. Even if they could find some excuse to arrest me, it would be completely counterproductive for them, and the local ponies wouldn't stand for it.

So what are you going to do? Go along with them?

If they're being honest, then I have an opportunity to do more for the town. Otherwise, I have an opportunity to make the guards look like complete idiots. Either way, it's a win.

Night Jewel finished putting the lock in place, gave it a quick kick to randomize it, then set off for the guardhouse. Her spirits were lifting already.

Well the mare that wrote the letter is currently enjoying not being a morning-mare by being 'fashionably late' AKA slept in a little. There's only guards at the guardhouse unless other members of the party find their way in. Staccata may be there in a few minutes.

Blueshield lowered her bow upon seeing the papers. "That is sufficient. I shall escort you to the individual of proper authority. First, however, it is imperative that you be informed of one thing." Her expression temporarily hardened. "I forbid you from inquiring of me as to any matters of tactical merit. I would not derive pleasure from discovering every vulnerability of our arrangements exposited to unscrupulous individuals by a meddling reporter."

With that, she led Scoops into town and sought out the guard captain.

Scoops, of course, follows along. She also doesn't stop to think much. Or breath. You think that she'd have to stop to take a breath at some point, talking all the way.
"Oh I always protect the sources. That's one of the first things they teach you. That and filing. Seems that everypony that goes through an internship learns to file. They say I talk a lot but I never let slip anything sensitive. Especially because that means somepony else is going to get the story or somepony gets put in a bad situation. That reminds me of the time..."

And the reporter will go on unless stopped.

[Kelvin360]

The Guardhouse

By happenstance, a happening happens to happen just as these thoughts of boredom manage to peak in the bedraggled guardspony. The door opens, an in steps the warrior many will now recognize as Dawnstrider, though not perhaps now that he's traded out his signature black armor for a rather elegant cream-colored suit that accents his dirty-blond mane. The 'civilized' effect is somewhat diminished by the fact that his distinctive claymore still lies over his back. Aside from all of that, his is a face one is unlikely to forget, for various reasons depending on the pony in question. His left ear still bears traces of a very recent scar, but oddly, his bright green eyes seem more at ease than they normally are, as though he is relieved that pretense has been cast aside in favor of open warfare, for whatever reason.

Just behind him is Starbeam who, while not wearing the flowing robes, cloak and hat that herald imminent plot-kickery on her part, is relatively undisguised. At the least, her coat and mane are their natural blend of purples and violets, though her mane is tied into a tight bun, and she seems to be trying out for the 'librarian' look. She lacks the stereotypical eyeglasses, but given that her face is set into a frown that any student on the receiving end of the 'bad' kind of lecture would recognize as a result of her apparently being a great deal more peeved than Dawn is, she bears the effect well.

"Good afternoon." Dawnstrider intones politely when he reaches Tyrol's desk. His words are laced with an odd, honeyed sort of tone, most likely unnoticeable when used from behind the helmet he usually wears. "I hope I am not too early or too late...we are here regarding the...expedition?"

"Myself in a strictly advisory capacity." Starbeam adds, apparently none too pleased about that fact.

[Grif]

The Guardhouse

"Good afternoon." Dawnstrider intones politely when he reaches Tyrol's desk. His words are laced with an odd, honeyed sort of tone, most likely unnoticeable when used from behind the helmet he usually wears. "I hope I am not too early or too late...we are here regarding the...expedition?"

"Myself in a strictly advisory capacity." Starbeam adds, apparently none too pleased about that fact.

Tyrol gave Dawnstrider a curious look as he strode in. Indeed, he never seen the guy outside his suit of armour. His reverie broke when Dawnstrider addressed him.

"Expedition..." Tyrol rustled through the papers on his desk (and silently cursed Beayn for having such an obtuse filing system that half of the time he didn't even know where to start looking) for some time. Finally he found the note the Captain personally delivered earlier that morning. "Oh, right, Captain says to wait here till everyone arrived. I think there's two more?" he offered.

[Benson]

[The Cirrus- Infirmary]

"Never encountered a vampony, but so long as they keep their fangs off my neck, I'm fine with 'em," Lucky shrugs, before grinning crookedly. "Without my permission, I mean. I ain't opposed to a little 'harmless' biting..." he says with a playful waggle of his eyebrows, before snickering and waving a wing dismissively. "Anyhoo, yeah, I'm fine. Maybe not 100% fine, but I never am. Still got a headache from the dynamite thing earlier. Remind me to 'thank' Gwen for that later..." he grumbles with a roll of his eyes.

She playfully rolls her eyes and chuckles at his pervy comment. It was amusing, noting all the little ways she and Lucky were alike, poor Silverpine would be able to attest to that.

"Speaking of your friend, let's go check up on them, getting a little bored waiting in here, not that I am saying yer boring company, far from it Lucky hahah."

[TheAmishPirate]

[Cirrus - In the Past]

Sandy obligingly led Gwen to the showers, pointing out where she might find soap, towels, and everything else she'd need to get clean. The two of them quickly rid themselves of the vomit-stink, and emerged in significantly higher spirits and lesser body odor. Coincidentally, this was about the time the Lucky and Captain Gearstride arrived from the medbay, and Silverpine returned from washing Gwen's armor. Also coincidentally, this was about the time that all the Cirrus crewmembers heard their communicators go off.

Five blasts of static; the signal from the Backers to "Drop everything, get to the conference room, we need to talk."

With apologies to their guests - and many a promise to continue the tour at a later date, the crew assembled around the large conference room table. Unbeknownst to the outside world, this room not only held the state of the art in experimental soundproofing, it also held a direct line to the Backers themselves. A line that could only be in use when activated by parties on both ends, but a direct line nonetheless. As always, a room full of shadowed ponies greeted the haggard crew, false voices relaying emotionless directives. Calls from them were never pleasant, and today was no different.

The first order of business was in response to a request filed by a Mister Blazing Hooves and a Miss Hover Heart. A droning voice confirmed that, yes, in light of their dazzling service and blissful wedlock, they were going to approve their request for release to a more peaceful line of work. Thus followed a list of contractual obligations, red tape, classified material they were not to speak of, classified material they were allowed to leak under the proper circumstances, and so on and so forth. In the end, the happy couple would be able to live their lives relatively free, so long as they promised not to mortally wound any observers the Backers sent their way. "Because you'd find out about them eventually, and it's far easier from an insurance standpoint simply to tell you now," one voice explained.

The second order of business was crew replacement. The Cirrus couldn't fly with a third of its roster down, especially when one of those ponies was the pilot. Captain Gearstride was given the freedom to hire on "freelance workers with appropriately high skills and sufficiently tight lips." Captain Gearstride made a suggestive comment regarding the specific wording of the criteria, which was met with utter silence. Captain Gearstride made no further remarks after this. Until such a time as suitable replacements could be found and trained, the rest of the crew was to take on their workload. Sandy Shores was mentioned as an ideal candidate, given his advanced knowledge of the ship and its workings. He made no comment other than to nod in assent. And with that, their business was concluded. The crew was dismissed, and Rainbow Pepper was asked to stay a moment longer.

It would be the last time anypony would see her for a long, long time.

Despite the conference room having only one exit, nopony even saw her leave. The vents inside appeared to have no evidence of tampering, and none of the walls had been damaged. Sandy Shores swore he felt something move through his mane, followed by a light, damp pressure on his cheek, but aside from that no peculiar happenings were reported. Even though no official word was given nor a note left, the crew could guess where she was; flank-deep somewhere she wasn't supposed to be, with a crossbow trained on an individual about to be very dead.

The following days saw the airship emptying further. The vamponies were transferred to a secure facility nearer to the town, and the crew began the long, hard task of rehabilitating the poor souls, as well as bringing the bad news to the families of the fallen. When all was said and done, the ship held little more than piles of machinery, mounds of weapons, empty halls, and three little ponies.

The Cirrus had been utterly changed. To what end, the crew could only begin to guess at...

[Cirrus - Present Time]

Sandy Shores woke up.

Sandy Shores went to the gym, and worked through his exercises.

Sandy Shores ate a breakfast of bland oatmeal.

Sandy Shores told himself he wouldn't drink any wine.

Sandy Shores drank a little wine anyway.

Sandy Shores went to the engine room, and started installing the piece he'd spent the night building.

Sandy Shores had done the same thing for the last ten mornings; as long as he cared to remember.

Sandy Shores was not a happy pony.

[Merellis]

(Annnnd back to failing to post, because hey, who needs to be on time for anything anymore. )

It had been ten rather boring days since the scare in the forest. Pulp had soon been found in the fields by Bitter Herb and they swiftly made their way towards the town. It was there that the duo ran into a spot of trouble, which was dealt with in such an embarrassing way that the little bodyguard would have preferred the timberwolves, least you could solve that problem with a proper amount of hooves and throws.

Take one stuttering mess of a shy unicorn and an overly aggressive pegasus with a temper, and you get a recipe for an entire evening of questioning by some rather overzealous guards. Bake that situation for a second day and you get a raging mess of hooves to the face that somehow results in them getting let out and finally managing to book a room at the local inn, albeit with the brawling pony of destruction getting a good amount of community service for the week.

Which is where we find our heroes for the moment, one scribbling furiously over parchment and the other ensuring the scribbler of words gets proper rest and nourishment while handling her own bit of unpaid work with a grumbling acceptance.

Her last few days had been essentially helping out around town, making sure her client wasn't writing her way into an early grave, and trying to convince their new publisher to drop the invasion story and get to the damn meeting! No such luck for the moment, so Bitter Herb resigned herself to the fate of routine.

[Grif]

[Cirrus - Present Time]

Sandy Shores woke up.

Sandy Shores went to the gym, and worked through his exercises.

Sandy Shores ate a breakfast of bland oatmeal.

Sandy Shores told himself he wouldn't drink any wine.

Sandy Shores drank a little wine anyway.

Sandy Shores went to the engine room, and started installing the piece he'd spent the night building.

Sandy Shores had done the same thing for the last ten mornings; as long as he cared to remember.

Sandy Shores was not a happy pony.

Alas, Mr Shores was not to complete his daily routine, this day. Just as he reached the engine room, he'd find the doorway blocked by a pony. "Mr Shores. We need to talk," Silverpine said, leaning against the door. There wasn't a way through. At least not forward.

[Benson]

The Cirrus

"The Lieutenant is correct Mister Shores," Gearstride declared coming out of nowhere from behind, a serious expression on her usually relaxed face. Sandy would find himself trapped between the two, resistance is futile.

[Grif]

(Annnnd back to failing to post, because hey, who needs to be on time for anything anymore. )

It had been ten rather boring days since the scare in the forest. Pulp had soon been found in the fields by Bitter Herb and they swiftly made their way towards the town. It was there that the duo ran into a spot of trouble, which was dealt with in such an embarrassing way that the little bodyguard would have preferred the timberwolves, least you could solve that problem with a proper amount of hooves and throws.

Take one stuttering mess of a shy unicorn and an overly aggressive pegasus with a temper, and you get a recipe for an entire evening of questioning by some rather overzealous guards. Bake that situation for a second day and you get a raging mess of hooves to the face that somehow results in them getting let out and finally managing to book a room at the local inn, albeit with the brawling pony of destruction getting a good amount of community service for the week.

Which is where we find our heroes for the moment, one scribbling furiously over parchment and the other ensuring the scribbler of words gets proper rest and nourishment while handling her own bit of unpaid work with a grumbling acceptance.

Her last few days had been essentially helping out around town, making sure her client wasn't writing her way into an early grave, and trying to convince their new publisher to drop the invasion story and get to the damn meeting! No such luck for the moment, so Bitter Herb resigned herself to the fate of routine.

Tick. Tock.

Pulp opened her eyes blearily. She blinked at the light filtering through the curtains of their shared room. Was it day already?

Tick. Tock.

The unicorn yawned, and rubbed her eyes. What day was it?

Tick. Tock.

Her attention wandered to the empty bed next to hers. Bitter must have already gone off to report for her duties. She shook her head. She really needed to control her temper sometimes.

Tick. Tock.

Her tummy growled. How long was it since her last meal? Pulp could barely remember. Before that scene where the wolf cornered the hapless heroine... and after that her memory got hazy.

Tick. Tock.

Yeah. Breakfast sounded like a good idea right about now. Pulp slowly eased off the bed and walked unsteadily to the bathroom. Maybe after a good long bath...