Sister forum[GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by O. Hinds Tue Apr 29, 2014 8:12 pm
Oh, thanks.
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Scienza Tue Apr 29, 2014 8:31 pm
Is this an issue? Blackjack's been using 12.7's for a while and she's almost always very specific about caliber.Rayndalf wrote:Looks like I two more instances of 12/12.7 mm.Chapter 65 wrote:"dozens of twelve-millimeter semiautomatic weapons tumbled out"12.7 mm rounds were surprising prevalent in this chapter...Chapter 65 wrote:"I replied as I loaded up on magazines of twelve millimeter rounds"
If only they were this common in Fallout New Vegas
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Rayndalf Tue Apr 29, 2014 8:53 pm
I was pointing out two additional points in the story were 12.7 mm rounds were referred to as 12 mm if thats what you're asking
On a side note 12.7 rounds are a real thing... used by the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union in place of 50 cal and were actually a different size than traditional 50 cal bullets.
On a side note 12.7 rounds are a real thing... used by the Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union in place of 50 cal and were actually a different size than traditional 50 cal bullets.
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Scienza Tue Apr 29, 2014 9:30 pm
I guess. It doesn't seem as much of an issue since caliber specification is more flavoring than necessary plot detail and it just seems to be abbreviation for the sake of convenience. To give a different example, every time she fires her carbine, she could list the caliber as 5.56 x 45 mm, but that seems a bit excessive.
Maybe I'm wrong on this. Whatever floats your boat.
Maybe I'm wrong on this. Whatever floats your boat.
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Rayndalf Tue Apr 29, 2014 9:49 pm
It just seemed odd to me, as in a previous line multiple calibers were all referred to by game accurate names but 12.7 mm seems to be getting the shaft recently... 
Besides, 12.7 mm is a far more awesome sounding diameter than 12 mm.
12 mm just doesn't roll off the tongue quite the same way
Besides, 12.7 mm is a far more awesome sounding diameter than 12 mm.
12 mm just doesn't roll off the tongue quite the same way
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by StoneSlinger88 Tue Apr 29, 2014 11:28 pm
Might be like the Mauser rounds. They're 7.92 millimeter but everyone calls it 8mm because it's a lot simpler to say.
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Icy Shake Wed Apr 30, 2014 12:47 am
So I started chapter forty four on Sunday afternoon, and midway through find that there'd been a new one released! Obviously, some things take priority over others. But I can't shake the feeling that there was some serendipity in the timing, as I can't think of many chapters so far apart that were so closely linked.
Anyway, I forgot to mention this over the weekend, but there's yet more to show that ponies have always been carnivores: Rarity transmuted up some shrimp for the foals to eat at the party she . . . classed up. (Take that, Velvet!)
- Chapter Forty Four Running Thoughts:
- Pride. I was a walking toxic waste dump of mental venoms that were killing me and ponies around me. No wonder I’d taxed Happyhorn’s therapy machines to their absolute limit.
Well, that and them being under capacity and operating on a whole higher level than they were really meant to thanks to the higher I/O quality.
It had to be almost a mile across and at least that high, disappearing into the clouds above and probably only visible against the dark sky due to my cybereyes. It was funny, though: the more I looked at it, the more boring it became. It was just a rock. Big and black, but a rock.
And what could be less interesting than that? You know, it seems like Black Pony Mountain is a rock that has the same effect on most ponies that everything that isn't a rock has on Maud.
Five minutes spent trying to pick my way around massive hexagonal blocks of stone that had peeled away from the sides of the mountain, and over shattered black volcanic glass, convinced me that this was a good and nasty way to die. The sharp glass edges promised a particularly bloody end at the slightest misstep. There was, though, life among the rocks, and while it mostly consisted of a low thorny brush that was practically impenetrable, there was also some amazingly green grass.
So it's a low-Enervation area, but hidden by both the Somebody Else's Problem field and the naturally poor soil quality.
Out in the Wasteland, I’d realized that they were so much more: friends, enemies... and maybe even something else some day. Oh, sure, Glory had my heart. But I didn’t want to be… reactive. Assertive: yes. Respected: would be nice. Berserk… no.
Self respect: . . . well, we can wait on that one.
Could I have a family? Should I even want to have one? I still could feel pleasure; hell, it was the last remaining thing I had that was unquestionably organic. Something to live for…
And though it's been lying low for a while due to all the other stuff going on, this was very much already established. The reminder is good given the rest of the chapter, and as an outgrowth of the luxuriating while bathing feels natural.
That curdled the buttery feelings churning in my nethers. So much for that little thought escape. And really, why was I contemplating who I’d like to slap flanks with at a time like this? Shouldn’t I be kicking myself for Boing, fearing myself for what I’d done at Yellow River, berating myself for not following Happyhorn’s advice and finding a way to sleep, or disgusted with myself for even thinking about sex after what happened on the Seahorse? Surely I should be hating myself one way or another right now?
She knows.
But seriously, being able to turn it off every now and again is important, and one of the big takeaways from "Lucidity." She needs anything but that line of thought filling her head.
I had to admit, I was astonished to find anything beautiful in the Hoof; this place seemed to thrive on ugliness and miser--
Oh. Hello…
Two yellow eyes peered out of darkness of the thorn bushes.
And that's the introduction of what? the second most hated/controversial character in the story after Goldenblood. From small beginnings . . .
Of course, that did nothing for the part of my mind that was screaming and making my nethers clench. Another little part of the crazy that was my brain wanted to get friendly then and there just to prove that what had happened to me wasn’t in control. Fortunately, I had just enough sanity left to seize both impulses and send them into opposite corners of my mind for a time out.
I love this metaphor, and would also note that personifying different parts of her mind is more than normally justifiable for Blackjack.
“Hey… um… it’s really nice to meet you! At least, I hope you’re nice! I mean, of course you’re nice. We’re all nice here, and-“
Obvious Lies.
Fortunately, he didn’t speak to the crazy cyberpony sitting with her legs pressed together and her tail so tight between them that it’d take a prybar or a little flattery to get it out.
Funny and playful. I like it. Sounds about right, too, but makes me wonder how Blackjack would respond to negging. My best guess is it wouldn't work, but the outcome could go any of three ways depending on how she was at the time: in decreasing order of probability she could go Fluttershy in the maze, get all mopey, or respond with aggression.
“Gottagohiwhatsyernamebye!” I blurted all at once, and he looked at me in surprise. I covered my face with my hooves. “Look. Thank you for not trying to kill me. Really. I really appreciate it! But I’m just a little bit of a basket case and I’ve been through a lot and you’re really cute… really… but... yeah. Sorry.”
Well, I don't think anything said here would have given the impression she wasn't a basket case.
I kissed this strange, utterly anonymous stallion back. No doubt he’d turn out to have some sort of terrible secret or dark past or traumatized soul or… something! But right now, I had to admit he was a damned good kisser. There was just one thing…
A little bit odd since he was basically engaged to his sister most of his life. Natural talent, or what?
“You can talk, but I can’t hear it?” I asked in confusion, and then he tapped his nose with a nod and smile. “But I can smell it?” He froze and then sat, waving his hooves in front of him and shaking his head. “I can’t smell it?” He stopped and looked at me now with probably as much confusion as I had.
Lesson for the day: charades is harder with not-smart ponies who have every reason to believe even the most outlandish things.
“So you were out hunting, made your kill, were flying back, spotted me and… decided to flirt?” The batpony sat up, rubbing his chin, and then grinned and nodded. “You didn’t think I was a raider or… bait? Something?”
He grabbed his slate, cleaned it, then wrote, ‘Too sexy.’
Blackjack may have just found her intellectual equal.
He suddenly looked nervous, fidgeted, and then assumed the noble pose once more and made what I assumed was supposed to be a gallant sound.
She looked at him flatly, then sighed and shook her head, taking off and soaring in an arc to land before me. Then she reached out and patted my shoulder gently.
Was that Batpony for "I'm so, so sorry"?
‘Rules.’ He made a snapping motion with his hooves, then pointed at me and shook his head. Breaking rules?
“Oh. You weren’t supposed to… ah… join me?” I asked. He smiled and tapped his nose. “Why not?” He blinked, frowned, started to move… stopped, then frowned again. He erased the board and started to write. Frowned… erased it… started again.
Blackjack missing the subtext, of course, but I doubt anyone would have guessed the full picture.
“And you want to come with me?” He grinned and bowed deeply. “Why?” He blinked and started to strike a pose, but at my flat look he froze, his grin becoming tense. He slumped, took the chalkboard slate in his hooves, erased it, and wrote slowly.
When he’d finished, he hung his head as he held the slate up between his hooves. ‘UR pretty mare.’
“Pretty?” I said as I took a step back. He nodded and sighed. “You want to come with me because I’m pretty?” He nodded again, peeking at me. I covered my face with a hoof.
Well, he isn't quite guileless, but he is bad at it.
I guessed that whatever state I’d been in at Happyhorn hadn’t counted as sleep.
Guess, be told, all the same, really.
I tried eating one of the greener leaves but found it tasted like a mouthful of tart wax. That didn’t stop me from eating it, of course, but it did get me some curious looks from Stygius.
You know, surprising, but not unpleasant. If you have unusual tastes.
As we walked along the flagstones, I was struck by the mixing of delicate and thriving life with the hard stone plinths scattered around the home. Some were obsidian, others rusty red, others white marble, others gray granite slab. There were empty spaces for nests and birdhouses that were now vacant.
Nice mix of signs of Goldenblood and Fluttershy in the scenery around the cottage.
The shimmering screech made the tiny robots in front of him crackle, spark, and drop to the ground smoking, but he had the same problem as my shotgun;
reorder that a bit and it's almost the Rice Krispies elves.
Around me, lights flickered on automatically. I looked around anxiously, shotgun out, but didn’t see anything that looked hostile. What I did see was that the house was, astonishingly, completely clean. Aside from a faint layer of dust, I might as well have been two hundred years in the past. I had to take a second look at Stygius to make sure I wasn’t seeing things... though I still might have been, of course.
You know, considering Goldenblood's respiratory problems, I wouldn't have been surprised if there were enough filters installed to minimize even the dust. 'Course, it is a faint layer.
He looked back up at me, gave a wide grin, and puckered his lips. I balked, fighting the impulse to smash his face in. So he was a little flirty… don’t kill him for that. I closed my eyes a moment, then snorted and pushed his face away. “Don’t push your luck.” Please.
One track mind, that guy. And persistent given "I can't promise you'll still have your genitals intact if you push the wrong buttons" seems like a pretty strong warning.
Copper verdigris crawled alongside ivy carvings and literally popped out off the woodwork.
Unlikely.
I noticed a checklist on a clipboard resting on top, though, and read, ‘Ministry of Morale Crime Scene Evaluation Checklist for Super Smart Smartypants Detective Ponies’.
[checkmark] 1) Know who the bad ponies are.
[checkmark] 2) Arrest bad ponies.
3) Find evidence to prove bad ponies are bad.
4) Question bad ponies to give up other bad ponies.
5) Repeat steps 1+2.
Now, I might not have known a lot about crime scene evaluation, but I found myself extremely grateful that Pinkie Pie hadn’t written the security procedures for Stable 99.
Well, isn't that basically how the overmare was operating? And wouldn't she have been left with nobody before long given her paranoia and megalomania?
Stygius appeared more concerned about me as I sat there staring at the furniture and decorations. I might find out everything I wanted to know here! If it hadn’t been removed… I simply had to search! Sleep could wait.
Bad Blackjack! Bad!
Scenery porn: Blackjack exploring the cottage.
“I likely have a month to live. Two at the most. Luna herself is helping to heal the damage to my lungs.” He smiled and gave a little shrug, his eyes distant. “She wants me to help her set up her government,” he said as they shifted, sitting and facing each other.
Come to think of it, I don't really remember seeing much about their relationship before this, apart from him being a professor at her school and his outburst at the planning meeting before the start of the war. I wonder if that's something that'll be revealed later.
“The future of Equestria might be better if I don’t survive,” he said, so quietly that I almost missed it.
“What… but…” Her horn glowed as she lifted another healing draught to his lips. He suckled on it, coughing wetly again. “But why? You said Princess Luna needs you. Don’t you want to help her?”
He didn’t answer for such a long time that I was sure he wouldn’t. But then he said in his low, raspy voice, “I do. More than you could imagine, Psalm. But she wants a government every bit as grand and powerful as her sister’s. I can give her that. It’s possible. But I fear what will be required to create such a rule. I’m terrified, Psalm. Terrified that if I help her do what she wants, it will destroy her and Equestria.”
It's weird to think that much of what he did was to further a vision he didn't really believe in, at least not directly. Reminds me of Dealer, post revelation, come to think of it.
“I can see it now, Psalm. She will be loved… but unlike her sister, she will be feared as well. She’ll have all the power of Celestia in her hooves, but she’ll not need to use it. Misdirection… doubt… ambiguity… these will reign, and there will be none to stop them. Not for centuries, at least.” He sighed as he closed his eyes. A strange calmness seemed to spill over him, and his words became stronger. “It’s like I can look ahead the entire span of a millennium, great and terrible and bloody. There will be murder… slaughter… betrayal. History assures it, a tale wrought again and again all across the world. It will be a nightmare, Psalm. I can see it clearly… as if it’s already happened and old history. Past. Dry. Dead.”
You know, I think that the same reasons I like Dune are likely those that cause me not to have a problem with Goldenblood as a character.
“Truly, death would be a fine, if cowardly, escape from these questions churning about in my head.”
Were it not for the diction, that could have been Blackjack at many points, rather than Goldenblood.
“Professor. She’s… she’s not just Princess Luna. She’s Luna. Our Luna. The one who actually read your papers on petriculture and zebra mysticism? The one who didn’t think that a rock hunters’ club was a stupid waste of a unicorn’s time? We have to help her!”
I wonder if this counts as something of a departure from FoE, at least insofar as there was the appearance that nobody or almost nobody knew about the Zebras' fear of Nightmare Moon and Luna's relation thereto.
Granted, I always found that weird anyway.
“You have to help her, Professor. She’s Luna. She’s… we have to help,” Psalm said as she touched several strangely parallel scars on the inside of her foreleg.
Cutter or suicide? Missed that first time around.
I looked around the workshop with a sigh, then turned. In the corner of the room, right above my head, was a small hole. I’d bet my horn that there’d once been a camera of some sort there. Why? Goldenblood wasn’t the director of anything back then…
Right? And that plays back into my question about him and Luna.
I didn’t like thinking of him like that. Bastard. Manipulator. Son of a mule… sure.
You like thinking of him as extremely improbable?
Glory had been right not to tell me. If she had, I wouldn’t have let her. Better some more worthy pony like the Stable Dweller take EC-1101 and try to find out about Goldenblood and Horizons. Instead, she’d plotted with everyone behind my back to save my life! How dare she? How could she? What gave her the right?!
This section is just hilarious to me, in addition to sad. And that's before going into how the answer is "You, when you told her she could do anything but go to Sanguine."
“Professor Goldy! I got to go to the bathroom!” Rampage whined, the striped filly hopping about with her hindlegs crossed as we scrambled along the floor of the canyon.
Yeah, this dream always confused me.
“I’m sorry… I just...” I said as I shivered. “I wanted to help them.”
“Sorry?” The blue pegasus looked over his shoulder back at me with a wry smile. “Girl, you don’t got nothing to be sorry for. Young unicorn mare like yourself helpin’ refugees like that… jumpin’ in to stop the firing? Getting the whole damn school to help, regardless of what that damned nag said? Girl, I think when Princess Celestia hears about this, and word gets back to the zebras, the war will be over. Ya’ll might have just saved Equestria.” The feeling of dread lifted as we soared higher and higher into the clouds.
Saved Equestria, after, of course, the dean, whom I'll call Umbrage unless she's been named elsewhere, is executed for war crimes.
Now we live in caves and fly out at night. Hard to meet pretty mare who isnt family in caves. Very hard. Soooooooooooo hard.
Truly, a dream come true for Psychoshy. Now if only they were dead . . .
Sister think I am dumb for following you cause your pretty but you are with your shiny legs and tight flank and striped mane and your eyes glow and your…
Okay, now he was getting a little explicit.
1. That's pretty funny.
2. Good job showing she's probably right.
3. This makes it ever harder to really buy into the alterior motive fear Blackjack has going on.
He’d sketched a couple of pictures of caves, some of batponies, and one of me. At least, I thought it was me; I really doubted my horn had magic sparkles dancing around it or that I had a full moon aura surrounding me.
This one's weaker, but it is another case of someone spontaneously associating her with celestial objects.
How bizarre that the first buck I’d ever attract was some strange batpony, but honestly, given all the things that had happened to me since getting out of 99, I supposed I should have been grateful he wasn’t a cyber-ghoul-batpony with a mysterious agenda.
Well, there were also at least Splendid and Finders Keepers. But at the very least Finders wasn't very discriminating (granted, it doesn't particularly seem Stygius is, either).
“Was that your first kiss?” I asked, a touch concerned. He started to nod and then stopped and touched the side of his face... where I’d laid him flat. Oh, right. I grinned sheepishly, “I mean, the first kiss where you weren’t hit immediately afterwards?” He smiled and nodded as he swayed there. I couldn’t help myself. I gave him one more firm smooch, and that finished him off. He playfully flopped over completely and lay there as a dusky lump of goofiness.
Playing up the cute angle here, which doesn't happen much with male characters in this story. Then again, there aren't that many in the present.
“Starmetal, Hoofington.” And right beside that was a strangely glowing milky white crystal. “Moonstone, Moon.” As amazing as that was, it didn’t distract me from something else I found very curious.
The glass wall between the two had melted. I opened the door to the case and pried loose the silvery flake and the pale stone. I’d seen these two together before... only they’d been separated by a layer of Flux rather than simple glass. I looked over at Stygius. “Stand back. I think this is gonna do something.” I dropped the stone and flake from my hands into my telekinesis, closed my eyes, and carefully brought the two closer together. As I did so, the metal began to glow and the crystal to glow brighter, and instantly my PipBuck began detecting magical radiation pouring from the two. Stygius backed away with me. We stepped out onto the balcony walkway overlooking the great room and closed the door almost completely shut. I peeked through the gap at the two floating rocks.
Holding the two at the furthest distance inside the room I could manage, I forced them together.
The flash and explosion rattled the house, though clearly the building had been built from magically-reinforced materials. The detonation blasted the door right into my face, and only my hastily raised cyberlegs kept the wood from taking my head off completely. The force blasted Stygius into the air as I fell back and nearly crashed right through the balcony railing, chunks of door flying out over me and tumbling down into the room below as I lay there on my back. I had no idea that my radmeter could even click that fast, though the rate was decreasing quickly.
And we have proof of the starmetal-moonstone reaction's violence and the radiation associated with it, though of course the big problem from Folly was the Flux.
“P… princess?”
The basement door was blown open by a dark wind that scooped the mare up and carried her down the steps into the earth, dumping her in a heap behind the glorious dark princess. A work table was set up in the middle of the subterranean room. Strange and exotic zebra statues loomed on like silent mentors examining their student’s work. Hammers and tongs lay tossed aside next to a cold forge. She shaped the metal with her magic alone. “YES!?” she boomed as the silvery steel twisted in the air before her.
This alone doesn't confirm starmetal, but I do like that shaping metal with magic is a trait common between Luna and Goldenblood.
“SO! IT TAKETH HER THREE DAYS FOR TO SEEK ME. And she didn’t come herself. Surprise surprise,” the Princess said, her boom dying to a normal voice as her horn glowed, that oppressive hum filling the air.
But there we have it with the sound.
He nodded, and I carefully put the crystal away in my saddlebags. I wondered what had happened to the moonstone that’d been extracted from the Folly shell. I supposed it was somewhere in the muck at the bottom of the bay underneath the HMS Celestia. It hadn’t been among the things I’d gotten back in Tenpony.
And so moonstone is a crystal, and it's confirmed that Blackjack no longer has Folly.
Ugh, I came here for answers. Not more questions! Really, wasn’t there a quota on mysteries?
I wonder if Blackjack's reaction to the number of mysteries and threads counts as self-aware humor.
Huffing in annoyance, I moved to the second door. Knowing my luck, there’d be something horribly vague and terribly nagging that’d go completely over my head.
Okay, that definitely was.
I trotted to the bed and pushed down on the mattress. I had to give Goldenblood credit; he definitely had good taste in bedding.
Well, it's probably pretty necessary when you're covered in scars from chemical injuries.
He approached till he was right behind me, then wrote something else as he blushed profusely. ‘Virgin’, it read, and he smiled sheepishly.
Could probably be assumed from the first kiss thing, but still a fair thing for him to point out.
I doubted we’d have time for a fourth; we couldn’t stay locked up here forever rutting... Okay, for the Wasteland that actually sounded damn inviting, but still! I felt… good. It was something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Good. Not drunk. Not exhausted. Not crazy.
Okay, I felt guilty. I didn’t deserve to feel this way… but aside from that lingering urge to kick myself on general principle for what I’d done after Yellow River… and at Yellow River… and every other messed up thing I’d done… I felt damn nice to be held like this. The next time I was with Glory, I would do all I could to make her feel this way.
A nice, easy reflection on why this mattered, which built well off of the improvement from getting five hours—well, presumably—of sleep. And the end is really sweet.
The rain poured down, a heavy, persistent torrent that could only come from Hoofington’s skies. Sometimes I wondered if the sky had some vendetta against the city, doing all it could to drown it and cut off the sun and moon even before the Enclave arose. The pony I was in was a familiar unicorn stallion standing out in the rainy night and looking at a mare isolated in the yellow light of a single streetlamp. She wore a trenchcoat that covered her from head to hoof, and her long black mane hung across her shadowed face from under a dripping cap. All around us were dark trees, and in the distance I could see through the rain the towering city lights of the Core.
It's like the voiceover of a noir film. And I wouldn't be too surprised if the elements themselves did have a vendetta against the city.
And it's this scene.
“Yes!” she said as she turned away and dug a heavy-looking parcel wrapped in tape from her saddlebags. “You have no idea how hard I’ve worked to get this to you!” she said as she hugged it in her hooves like it was a precious baby. The stallion in the rain didn’t reply. “H..h…here! Take it! It’s all our notes! Everything you need. Please. I’ve worked so very hard…”
Damn it, Fluttershy.
“Why are you doing this, Fluttershy? I would have thought that after Blossomforth was exposed, you’d have given up.”
Fluttershy clenched her eyes shut and trembled, sniffling. “I have to. I have to do something. Luna won’t use the megaspells to heal ponies. She wants Twilight to turn them into weapons!”
Well, in fairness, Fluttershy was there and saw just how well that worked as a battlefield operation where it made the most sense as a healing application. Or is this before then? Now, with a tweaked plan involving causing lots of severe injuries, then arranging them so they would be immediately captured after the spell you might get somewhere workable, but even that would probably have the adverse consequence of putting ponies at greater risk of death on the battlefield.
“Will they?” Fluttershy asked in return. “Or will we just use the war as an excuse to wipe them out completely?” She gave a heartbroken little sob, then looked at him and asked, “Is the only way for this to end to have everyone die? I won’t accept that. I can’t! Treason is better than that...”
Well, you see, worst case senario, absent your treason, only all the zebras die. I don't think that enabling all of everyone to die instead was really a good call. And, of course, in this continuity she's acutely aware of this possibility.
“I promised I would never hurt you,” he whispered gently in his scarred voice as he withdrew his hoof.
“You broke your promise,” she replied, her tone quiet yet unshakably firm. “How could you do that to me? Call… call out her name...” She shivered, and somehow I doubted that it was because of the cold or the wet.
“It was an accident,” he replied, but she kept her eyes away. “I know that that didn’t make it any easier, Fluttershy. But it’s true. When I said her name… I wasn’t thinking of doing what we were doing with her.”
With the new chapter, this takes on a different context than I had originally assumed. "What we were doing" would mean having a life together, I guess? Or maybe, yes, sex, just not at that time? I had always assumed he was awake at the time, and it was said during sex, but that's now clearly not the case. On the other hand, he was very decidedly having sex with Luna, if in (young) Fluttershy's form, in the dream, and he knew it even if it wasn't really what he had wanted out of the dream. Weird situation all around, and such a strange thing to have changed so many lives.
“Then help me. Please. If the zebras get their hooves on megaspells, the war will have to stop. If the zebras and ponies both know that battles are pointless, they’ll have to negotiate. Right?” she said with a wide, hopeful, and horribly naïve smile.
Hmm. Maybe she didn't know. Or, perhaps more likely, before was more of a Freudian slip, letting out what she's to afraid even to consciously acknowledge the possibility of.
And they’d broken up because he’d called out some other mare’s name in bed? It seemed… silly. Who cared who he unloaded with so long as, at the end of the day, he still loved her? Back in 99, I could probably name twenty mares I’d been with offhoof. As long as you were off shift and everypony was happy with the arrangement, why not? Sure, mares could grow close --though if your fondness for each other impacted your stable duties, there’d be hell to pay-- but I couldn’t think of any mare that would want exclusive rights to another mare. The closest I could think of was the Overmare with P-21. That was just… wrong. Selfish…
Mhmm. Truly unfortunate. Kind of think that the wrongness of the overmare's thing with P-21 went quite a bit beyond selfish, though.
I reached down to my own stomach, running my mechanical fingers along my hide. What would it be like to have a filly or colt of my own? In 99 we always knew we’d have one eventually. A few lucky mares might get the opportunity for a second if a another mare died before she had a daughter or had fertility problems. I always joked that me reproducing would be a crime against Equestria.
Lying here, right now, I wasn’t laughing. I was thinking. Did I want to have a child? Here, in the Wasteland? In Hoofington? Now? Okay, maybe not here nor now. Maybe if I could scrape together a few thousand caps and set myself up in Tenpony. Have a filly or colt in nice safe medical conditions. Give them a few years and teach them how to shoot and take care of themselves.
Have a family. A real family, something more than life in 99. I did want that. Given everything that had happened to me, despite it all, I wanted a kid. Kids. Plural. When I was done with EC-1101, I could go back to Spike and do everything to get Gardens to work. Clean up Equestria. Have a kid. Or two. Or three. Hee…
I had no idea that this would pay off like it has before the plot was even over. Granted, I think it was brought up from time to time before this, but even as much as it makes sense that Blackjack might want a family—a real family like she began to be introduced to the of early on—it seems only to reinforce that the time isn't right, and how she wants them to have a better world, or at least a better part of the one she's in.
Okay. Okay. Enough. There was getting over a bad ploughing, then there was having fun, and then there was just wallowing in it. When I saw Glory next, I was going to make her hooves curl!
How would that even work? Unless she got jelly legs. But would it be worth it?
Papers had been taped to the walls, and the wastebin was overflowing with wadded-up parchment.
For some reason, ponies using parchment has tended to bother me more than the idea they may be carnivores. In FoE I guess it was partially based on the idea that that was part of what freaked ponies out about the Black Book, but now I'm not sure there was a basis for that assumption. And in PH, of course, leather was used before the bombs fell.
“I’m sorry Celestia, but as I said… Twilight’s time is invaluable. She simply does not have the time to be your special student any longer.”
“Goldenblood, you can’t let her do this. I didn’t step down so my sister and my student could do horrible things!” Celestia objected with a toss of her mane.
“Well, that’s funny. I was under the impression that that is precisely why you stepped down.” His eyes narrowed. I’d never seen a pony scowl at Princess Celestia like that before. I didn’t think it was possible. “With all due respect, Celestia, you quit. And you didn’t sue for peace. You didn’t negotiate an armistice. You didn’t even surrender with honor. You… just… quit. And in quitting, you dumped this entire war, which you started, in Princess Luna’s lap.”
Just a scathing, brutal attack there. And, of course, completely true, for what's more painful than the mistakes and wrongs you can't deny?
“And now you don’t,” Goldenblood said flatly. “You should have given Princess Luna a year, at the absolute minimum, for a transfer of power. Five years would have been better. And you should have negotiated peace before stepping down. Even if it came with penalties… we could have dealt with them. But you didn’t. You quit, and dumped this entire mess on your sister’s back. And now you don’t like what she has to do to win the war? To create her own rule? To run Equestria as she needs to run it? Tough.” He folded his hooves on the desk before him. “Princess Luna is doing what she must. Twilight Sparkle is helping her by doing what she must.”
So much talk of necessity. And through it all he never says what Luna should have done. But then, the point is that it shouldn't have been her choice in the first place, isn't it?
“Goldenblood. Do you remember that time when you told me not to attack the zebras twelve years ago?”
“Vividly,” he replied.
“Right now, I know exactly how you felt then. I hope that I may be as inspired as you were. Goodbye, Goldenblood,” Celestia said with a formal bow of her head. He rose and bowed deeply in return. But when she disappeared in a flash of golden light, Goldenblood didn’t smile or sneer. He trotted back to his desk, lifted a brass flask from one of the drawers, and took a pull before burying his face in his hooves.
I stared at him sitting there. Then he muttered to himself in a voice so low that I nearly missed it. His words, however, made my blood turn to ice. “Don’t make me kill you, Celestia.”
So much that could have been better, if only they'd had the wisdom to see what he saw at the time. And yes, the thought is chilling; but I must also wonder if it would have been a secret from Luna, or done with her approval given enough of a reason. Which, interestingly, places this as a gigantic contrast to his promise and unwavering protection of Fluttershy through her out and out treason later on.
There turned out to be at least one in every room, and Stygius was kind enough to, flapping as hard as he could, lift me up to the point where I could see more recordings
Good thing this was with the lightweight model.
Others had sound but didn’t seem terribly important. There was one in the guest room where Goldenblood waxed on about the moonstone acquisition for his collection to a vaguely-familiar-looking unicorn and pegasus close enough in appearance that they might have been siblings. They teased him about abusing his authority for a rock. Goldenblood grinned and replied, “Rocks,” and the recording ended with him telling them to take care of Pinkie Pie.
Oh, irony. And of course the Cake kids. What was up with that dream?
“Fluttershy and I were together intimately,” he said as he sat, gazing into the empty crib. “In the heat of the moment... I... called out the name of another mare.”
O...kay. Were there separate incidents? Maybe the dream happened first, and then when it later happened "in the heat of the moment" it was all the more devastating? I guess, at a stretch, a wet dream could be called the heat of the moment.
“I know. I know!” he hissed in a rush. “There isn’t one part of that stupid thing I haven’t analyzed in detail! I don’t know why I said it. But I did, and... it was at the worst possible time. She’s so terribly sensitive... She’d already had complications... the stress... the pressure... all of it was too much to bear. She left me... then six hours later I got the call...” He started to laugh, but three laughs into it they transformed into ragged sobs. “Ministry Mare Fluttershy admitted to Fluttershy Medical Center for a miscarriage...” And he buried his face in the crib. “I didn’t just lose the mare I loved, Trottenheimer. I killed my daughter with a name!”
“You’re right...” he rasped, his voice like a dying breath. “I have promises to keep... and none of them involve a wife... or a child.” He closed his eyes again. “Tell the department heads to meet tomorrow. We need to expand our operations. Take a more active role in bringing this conflict to a close in the right way and at the right time.” He pressed his forehead to the rail. “That... that will have to do. For now... please give me one more night to mourn Whisper.”
And Psychoshy's intended name is given.
- Chapter Forty Four Overall Thoughts:
- A lot going on in this one, though it doesn't move around much, mostly taking place in Goldenblood's cottage.
Starts with the spring scene with Stygius. He comes off as very pushy, and while I can understand somewhat in that Blackjack was sending very mixed signals and he couldn't talk normally—of course, he should have used the chalkboard from the get-go—but the sequence of him kissing her and then getting slugged in the face did a great job of resetting the scene from uncomfortable to a little lighter. Stygius is an odd thing in PH, especially just this early on in his run. He doesn't have much character, and not much backstory. That's not to say, of course, that he's particularly flat; he has a pretty clear personality right away, and maintains it consistently. However, the traits he shows aren't exacly the most interesting, since they're basically horniness, try-hard chivalry, and a certain almost sweet niceness. But the thing is, he's basically the package that Blackjack needed right then: beyond the sex itself and the particular baggage there, she needed his exaggerated harmlessness and fawning after "Lucidity" and her cyberization in general. And I think it was also important that this come from someone she didn't already know, who didn't already care for her, because while Glory and the rest and their love and support matter, here Blackjack made a point that she liked that he liked her as a pony. And just
some pony. And hey, that kind of confidence boost isn't always something you can get from the people you know and love, especially if you're in the mental and emotional state Blackjack's been in: you may just end up feeling like they're in some way lying to make you feel better.
Moving on, lots of Goldenblood stuff, especially with Fluttershy. There is of course the dream with all the present-characters plus Goldenblood, Psalm, and Pound and Pumpkin Cake. I never really knew what to make of that one, or at least the selection of characters. But the tragedy of Littlehorn is something that may have stayed closer to the feel that every step of the war was almost an accident, with little to no intent of malice behind it, that kind of came through in FoE. That's in contrast to the orb of Goldenblood trying to stop Fluttershy from continuing to attemt to deliver megaspell research to the zebras. In a way, she may have even known, but been in denial, of how her treason could end up killing almost everyone on both sides. She certainly seems to hope and believes—or tries to believe—that the nuclear war scenario could never happen, but may have made a Freudian slip earlier on indicating that she knew that everyone could end up dead. She knew for a fact that weaponization was a possibility—and that one-sided genocide was, too. There, Goldenblood urges her to stop, because at some point she'll get caught by someone other than him, and he won't be able to protect her, for all that he promised he would never hurt her. It's here that we learn why the two split: Goldenblood saying Luna's name either during sex, which is how it appears in this chapter, or in his dream as depicted in sixty six. Granted, both could be true, with the dream happening first and a waking event only coming later and being the final cause of Fluttershy leaving him and miscarrying. Also in this chapter is a recording of Celestia visiting Goldenblood, being told to stay out of the government, and receiving a harsh rebuke of the manner in which she abdicated and, before then, had handled the war. In the end, after she's left, Goldenblood prays that she never make him kill her. Having that dream in the same chapter as the orb with Fluttershy was a necessary choice, as otherwise the distinction between how Goldenblood was dealing with Fluttershy compared to Celestia wouldn't have been as strongly highlighted. There are some other recordings and such, mostly fleshing out the human side of Goldenblood (in a way the reverse of the chapter 66 reveal of Luna's degree of direct control of the government and blackmail and purported execution of Goldenblood), but the last thing along those lines I'd really want to highlight was the soul/memory mote of Luna's appearance as Nightmare Moon. It was a "visually" interesting scene, but one of the things that stood out was that in it she was shaping metal (starmetal) with her magic, something we saw Goldenblood do in another recording earlier in the chapter, in the scene where Psalm insists that she has to do something to help in the war effort, even though she doesn't want to kill anyone.
Little informational bits included the reveal of "Whisper" as the name Goldenblood intended for Psychoshy, confirmation of the starmetal-moonstone reaction, and showing how that reaction can lead to the release of soul/memory motes.
- Chapter Forty Four Editing:
- Hmm… if you got past that whole ‘society slavery’ thing, he was positively delicious.
Should "society" be capitalized?
There was a gap between the clouds and the mountain; enough to let a tiny crescent of white moonlight peek through.
semicolon to comma?
We’re all nice here, and-“
second hyphen for dash
really appreciate what you’re doing but really its just a bad idea
"it's"
bat-stallion who might just be sizing me up to eat or- I looked up and he was right there.
second hyphen for dash, symmetrical spacing about dash?
Oh. You’re the descendants
only one space after period
colt-high in front of him. I struggled a
three spaces after period
“Ah… well, very nice to meet you, Stygius
should have only one space after ellipsis or capitalize "well"
shocked as he landed. I heard the faintest squeaks
three spaces after period
Finally, he huffed softly and wrote ‘Cause,’ then nodded once.
comma to outside of quotation marks?
filling the air with a indescribable sweetness.
"an indescribable"
He dropped down onto the porch in a landing that was just short of a crash, and maybe not that much, his armor and hide smoking in dozens of places, and the swarm wasn’t far behind him.
This sentence seems kind of clunky to me, and the part between the first two commas redundant considering the "just." Would you consider something like:
He dropped down onto the porch in a landing that was just short of a crash, his armor and hide smoking in dozens of places and the swarm not far behind him.
I ran from room to room and finally spotted a yellow medical case bolted to the wall in the watercloset.
some sort of workshop, a watercloset, and the kitchen
"watercloset" is, I think, two words
The desk drawers had stationary, scrolls, quills, and inks all neatly stacked in their respective places.
"stationery"
I was hoping that I might get some ans-“
second hyphen for dash
I have this, Psalm. So I must
only one space after period
I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something fundamentally wrong with me; something more than just the fatigue and the augmentations.
semicolon to comma?
clubs and joining ‘cause mom and dad said so.
Should "mom" and "dad" be capitalized?
The names vary, but it’s a very special kind of iron that is found only in meteorites; what we also call ‘falling stars’.
semicolon to comma?
he had more rags covering other injuries. He turned and addressed
Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake coming to flank me. Slowly, the mass of zebras began to move
only one space after period
“Help?” The dean gaped at me in shock.
should have second space after quotation
“No!” I screamed as I turned and looked at the zebras I’d wanted so badly to help.
should have only one space after quotation, assuming "No!" was the scream.
At the very least, I would die beside the zebras I’d foolishly lead to their deaths.
should be "led" not "lead"
It’d been so long since Tenpony, and since my last decent buck-- U-18, five months ago-- that a pony ride sounded nice.
symmetrical spacing about dashes?
Okay, now he was getting a little explicit. I didn’t see much else beneath
only one space after period
Gold nugget, Flankorage River. Purple Fluorite, Las Pegasus. Amber, Stalliongrad. Silver ore, Fancee. There were . . .
Fossil, Crescent Moon Canyon.
. . . “Starmetal, Hoofington.” And right beside that was a strangely glowing milky white crystal. “Moonstone, Moon.”
The style of the labels doesn't match, with the first five only being italicized and the last two also in quotation marks.
“Ow…. That was really stupid!”
Should have only three dots, but two spaces after ellipsis.
A strange, ominous note rose up from the basement, and she hesitated a moment at the door. “P… princess?”
a more unusual case that may depend on exactly how the line was delivered. A stutter probably works as-is, but if it's a halt-pause-full title, then "princess" might want to be capitalized.
It was as if she was drinking in that horrible humming scream all at once.
"was" should be "were"
“H..h…here! Take it! It’s all our notes! Everything you need.
third dot for first ellipsis
camp they’re making at Yellow River… and I can’t seem to do anything to stop it!”
should have only one space after ellipsis
Sure, mares could grow close --though if your fondness for each other impacted your stable duties, there’d be hell to pay-- but I couldn’t think of any mare that would want exclusive rights to another mare.
symmetrical spacing about dashes
After a nice hot shower-- Hee! Hot water! Any day with hot water pouring down on me was a good one!-- I emerged, put my armor
symmetrical spacing about dashes?
Mhmmm… still not a happy ro-- wait.
symmetrical spacing about dash?
There was absolutely no mistaking that radiant crown nor missing that softly billowing tricolor mane. Princess Celestia.
Celestia's mane is four colors.
“I wish to have a discrete word.”
this should probably be "discreet," as in private or secret, not distinct from other words
your concerns about the…” His eyes glanced back to the paper once more. “diamond dog relocation.”
ellipsis before "diamond dog"?
Goldenblood might be a sneaky bastard, but he couldn’t do that!
should this be "might have been"?
how could he– could anypony– think that?
symmetrical spacing about dashes
might have been siblings. They teased him
only one space after period
Looking over Stygius’ shoulder,
"Stygius's"
Out in the Wasteland, I’d realised that they were so much more: friends,
"realized"
Anyway, I forgot to mention this over the weekend, but there's yet more to show that ponies have always been carnivores: Rarity transmuted up some shrimp for the foals to eat at the party she . . . classed up. (Take that, Velvet!)
Icy Shake- Alicorn
- Posts : 1209
Brohoof! : 308
Join date : 2012-06-05
Age : 35
Location : Boston, MA
Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by O. Hinds Wed Apr 30, 2014 2:08 am
Ah, thank you very much as always.Icy Shake wrote:So I started chapter forty four on Sunday afternoon, and midway through find that there'd been a new one released! Obviously, some things take priority over others. But I can't shake the feeling that there was some serendipity in the timing, as I can't think of many chapters so far apart that were so closely linked.
- Chapter Forty Four Running Thoughts:
Well, that and them being under capacity and operating on a whole higher level than they were really meant to thanks to the higher I/O quality.
It had to be almost a mile across and at least that high, disappearing into the clouds above and probably only visible against the dark sky due to my cybereyes. It was funny, though: the more I looked at it, the more boring it became. It was just a rock. Big and black, but a rock.
And what could be less interesting than that? You know, it seems like Black Pony Mountain is a rock that has the same effect on most ponies that everything that isn't a rock has on Maud.
Five minutes spent trying to pick my way around massive hexagonal blocks of stone that had peeled away from the sides of the mountain, and over shattered black volcanic glass, convinced me that this was a good and nasty way to die. The sharp glass edges promised a particularly bloody end at the slightest misstep. There was, though, life among the rocks, and while it mostly consisted of a low thorny brush that was practically impenetrable, there was also some amazingly green grass.
So it's a low-Enervation area, but hidden by both the Somebody Else's Problem field and the naturally poor soil quality.
Out in the Wasteland, I’d realized that they were so much more: friends, enemies... and maybe even something else some day. Oh, sure, Glory had my heart. But I didn’t want to be… reactive. Assertive: yes. Respected: would be nice. Berserk… no.
Self respect: . . . well, we can wait on that one.
Could I have a family? Should I even want to have one? I still could feel pleasure; hell, it was the last remaining thing I had that was unquestionably organic. Something to live for…
And though it's been lying low for a while due to all the other stuff going on, this was very much already established. The reminder is good given the rest of the chapter, and as an outgrowth of the luxuriating while bathing feels natural.
That curdled the buttery feelings churning in my nethers. So much for that little thought escape. And really, why was I contemplating who I’d like to slap flanks with at a time like this? Shouldn’t I be kicking myself for Boing, fearing myself for what I’d done at Yellow River, berating myself for not following Happyhorn’s advice and finding a way to sleep, or disgusted with myself for even thinking about sex after what happened on the Seahorse? Surely I should be hating myself one way or another right now?
She knows.
But seriously, being able to turn it off every now and again is important, and one of the big takeaways from "Lucidity." She needs anything but that line of thought filling her head.
I had to admit, I was astonished to find anything beautiful in the Hoof; this place seemed to thrive on ugliness and miser--
Oh. Hello…
Two yellow eyes peered out of darkness of the thorn bushes.
And that's the introduction of what? the second most hated/controversial character in the story after Goldenblood. From small beginnings . . .
Of course, that did nothing for the part of my mind that was screaming and making my nethers clench. Another little part of the crazy that was my brain wanted to get friendly then and there just to prove that what had happened to me wasn’t in control. Fortunately, I had just enough sanity left to seize both impulses and send them into opposite corners of my mind for a time out.
I love this metaphor, and would also note that personifying different parts of her mind is more than normally justifiable for Blackjack.
“Hey… um… it’s really nice to meet you! At least, I hope you’re nice! I mean, of course you’re nice. We’re all nice here, and-“
Obvious Lies.
Fortunately, he didn’t speak to the crazy cyberpony sitting with her legs pressed together and her tail so tight between them that it’d take a prybar or a little flattery to get it out.
Funny and playful. I like it. Sounds about right, too, but makes me wonder how Blackjack would respond to negging. My best guess is it wouldn't work, but the outcome could go any of three ways depending on how she was at the time: in decreasing order of probability she could go Fluttershy in the maze, get all mopey, or respond with aggression.
“Gottagohiwhatsyernamebye!” I blurted all at once, and he looked at me in surprise. I covered my face with my hooves. “Look. Thank you for not trying to kill me. Really. I really appreciate it! But I’m just a little bit of a basket case and I’ve been through a lot and you’re really cute… really… but... yeah. Sorry.”
Well, I don't think anything said here would have given the impression she wasn't a basket case.
I kissed this strange, utterly anonymous stallion back. No doubt he’d turn out to have some sort of terrible secret or dark past or traumatized soul or… something! But right now, I had to admit he was a damned good kisser. There was just one thing…
A little bit odd since he was basically engaged to his sister most of his life. Natural talent, or what?
“You can talk, but I can’t hear it?” I asked in confusion, and then he tapped his nose with a nod and smile. “But I can smell it?” He froze and then sat, waving his hooves in front of him and shaking his head. “I can’t smell it?” He stopped and looked at me now with probably as much confusion as I had.
Lesson for the day: charades is harder with not-smart ponies who have every reason to believe even the most outlandish things.
“So you were out hunting, made your kill, were flying back, spotted me and… decided to flirt?” The batpony sat up, rubbing his chin, and then grinned and nodded. “You didn’t think I was a raider or… bait? Something?”
He grabbed his slate, cleaned it, then wrote, ‘Too sexy.’
Blackjack may have just found her intellectual equal.
He suddenly looked nervous, fidgeted, and then assumed the noble pose once more and made what I assumed was supposed to be a gallant sound.
She looked at him flatly, then sighed and shook her head, taking off and soaring in an arc to land before me. Then she reached out and patted my shoulder gently.
Was that Batpony for "I'm so, so sorry"?
‘Rules.’ He made a snapping motion with his hooves, then pointed at me and shook his head. Breaking rules?
“Oh. You weren’t supposed to… ah… join me?” I asked. He smiled and tapped his nose. “Why not?” He blinked, frowned, started to move… stopped, then frowned again. He erased the board and started to write. Frowned… erased it… started again.
Blackjack missing the subtext, of course, but I doubt anyone would have guessed the full picture.
“And you want to come with me?” He grinned and bowed deeply. “Why?” He blinked and started to strike a pose, but at my flat look he froze, his grin becoming tense. He slumped, took the chalkboard slate in his hooves, erased it, and wrote slowly.
When he’d finished, he hung his head as he held the slate up between his hooves. ‘UR pretty mare.’
“Pretty?” I said as I took a step back. He nodded and sighed. “You want to come with me because I’m pretty?” He nodded again, peeking at me. I covered my face with a hoof.
Well, he isn't quite guileless, but he is bad at it.
I guessed that whatever state I’d been in at Happyhorn hadn’t counted as sleep.
Guess, be told, all the same, really.
I tried eating one of the greener leaves but found it tasted like a mouthful of tart wax. That didn’t stop me from eating it, of course, but it did get me some curious looks from Stygius.
You know, surprising, but not unpleasant. If you have unusual tastes.
As we walked along the flagstones, I was struck by the mixing of delicate and thriving life with the hard stone plinths scattered around the home. Some were obsidian, others rusty red, others white marble, others gray granite slab. There were empty spaces for nests and birdhouses that were now vacant.
Nice mix of signs of Goldenblood and Fluttershy in the scenery around the cottage.
The shimmering screech made the tiny robots in front of him crackle, spark, and drop to the ground smoking, but he had the same problem as my shotgun;
reorder that a bit and it's almost the Rice Krispies elves.
Around me, lights flickered on automatically. I looked around anxiously, shotgun out, but didn’t see anything that looked hostile. What I did see was that the house was, astonishingly, completely clean. Aside from a faint layer of dust, I might as well have been two hundred years in the past. I had to take a second look at Stygius to make sure I wasn’t seeing things... though I still might have been, of course.
You know, considering Goldenblood's respiratory problems, I wouldn't have been surprised if there were enough filters installed to minimize even the dust. 'Course, it is a faint layer.
He looked back up at me, gave a wide grin, and puckered his lips. I balked, fighting the impulse to smash his face in. So he was a little flirty… don’t kill him for that. I closed my eyes a moment, then snorted and pushed his face away. “Don’t push your luck.” Please.
One track mind, that guy. And persistent given "I can't promise you'll still have your genitals intact if you push the wrong buttons" seems like a pretty strong warning.
Copper verdigris crawled alongside ivy carvings and literally popped out off the woodwork.
Unlikely.
I noticed a checklist on a clipboard resting on top, though, and read, ‘Ministry of Morale Crime Scene Evaluation Checklist for Super Smart Smartypants Detective Ponies’.
[checkmark] 1) Know who the bad ponies are.
[checkmark] 2) Arrest bad ponies.
3) Find evidence to prove bad ponies are bad.
4) Question bad ponies to give up other bad ponies.
5) Repeat steps 1+2.
Now, I might not have known a lot about crime scene evaluation, but I found myself extremely grateful that Pinkie Pie hadn’t written the security procedures for Stable 99.
Well, isn't that basically how the overmare was operating? And wouldn't she have been left with nobody before long given her paranoia and megalomania?
Stygius appeared more concerned about me as I sat there staring at the furniture and decorations. I might find out everything I wanted to know here! If it hadn’t been removed… I simply had to search! Sleep could wait.
Bad Blackjack! Bad!
Scenery porn: Blackjack exploring the cottage.
“I likely have a month to live. Two at the most. Luna herself is helping to heal the damage to my lungs.” He smiled and gave a little shrug, his eyes distant. “She wants me to help her set up her government,” he said as they shifted, sitting and facing each other.
Come to think of it, I don't really remember seeing much about their relationship before this, apart from him being a professor at her school and his outburst at the planning meeting before the start of the war. I wonder if that's something that'll be revealed later.
“The future of Equestria might be better if I don’t survive,” he said, so quietly that I almost missed it.
“What… but…” Her horn glowed as she lifted another healing draught to his lips. He suckled on it, coughing wetly again. “But why? You said Princess Luna needs you. Don’t you want to help her?”
He didn’t answer for such a long time that I was sure he wouldn’t. But then he said in his low, raspy voice, “I do. More than you could imagine, Psalm. But she wants a government every bit as grand and powerful as her sister’s. I can give her that. It’s possible. But I fear what will be required to create such a rule. I’m terrified, Psalm. Terrified that if I help her do what she wants, it will destroy her and Equestria.”
It's weird to think that much of what he did was to further a vision he didn't really believe in, at least not directly. Reminds me of Dealer, post revelation, come to think of it.
“I can see it now, Psalm. She will be loved… but unlike her sister, she will be feared as well. She’ll have all the power of Celestia in her hooves, but she’ll not need to use it. Misdirection… doubt… ambiguity… these will reign, and there will be none to stop them. Not for centuries, at least.” He sighed as he closed his eyes. A strange calmness seemed to spill over him, and his words became stronger. “It’s like I can look ahead the entire span of a millennium, great and terrible and bloody. There will be murder… slaughter… betrayal. History assures it, a tale wrought again and again all across the world. It will be a nightmare, Psalm. I can see it clearly… as if it’s already happened and old history. Past. Dry. Dead.”
You know, I think that the same reasons I like Dune are likely those that cause me not to have a problem with Goldenblood as a character.
“Truly, death would be a fine, if cowardly, escape from these questions churning about in my head.”
Were it not for the diction, that could have been Blackjack at many points, rather than Goldenblood.
“Professor. She’s… she’s not just Princess Luna. She’s Luna. Our Luna. The one who actually read your papers on petriculture and zebra mysticism? The one who didn’t think that a rock hunters’ club was a stupid waste of a unicorn’s time? We have to help her!”
I wonder if this counts as something of a departure from FoE, at least insofar as there was the appearance that nobody or almost nobody knew about the Zebras' fear of Nightmare Moon and Luna's relation thereto.
Granted, I always found that weird anyway.
“You have to help her, Professor. She’s Luna. She’s… we have to help,” Psalm said as she touched several strangely parallel scars on the inside of her foreleg.
Cutter or suicide? Missed that first time around.
I looked around the workshop with a sigh, then turned. In the corner of the room, right above my head, was a small hole. I’d bet my horn that there’d once been a camera of some sort there. Why? Goldenblood wasn’t the director of anything back then…
Right? And that plays back into my question about him and Luna.
I didn’t like thinking of him like that. Bastard. Manipulator. Son of a mule… sure.
You like thinking of him as extremely improbable?
Glory had been right not to tell me. If she had, I wouldn’t have let her. Better some more worthy pony like the Stable Dweller take EC-1101 and try to find out about Goldenblood and Horizons. Instead, she’d plotted with everyone behind my back to save my life! How dare she? How could she? What gave her the right?!
This section is just hilarious to me, in addition to sad. And that's before going into how the answer is "You, when you told her she could do anything but go to Sanguine."
“Professor Goldy! I got to go to the bathroom!” Rampage whined, the striped filly hopping about with her hindlegs crossed as we scrambled along the floor of the canyon.
Yeah, this dream always confused me.
“I’m sorry… I just...” I said as I shivered. “I wanted to help them.”
“Sorry?” The blue pegasus looked over his shoulder back at me with a wry smile. “Girl, you don’t got nothing to be sorry for. Young unicorn mare like yourself helpin’ refugees like that… jumpin’ in to stop the firing? Getting the whole damn school to help, regardless of what that damned nag said? Girl, I think when Princess Celestia hears about this, and word gets back to the zebras, the war will be over. Ya’ll might have just saved Equestria.” The feeling of dread lifted as we soared higher and higher into the clouds.
Saved Equestria, after, of course, the dean, whom I'll call Umbrage unless she's been named elsewhere, is executed for war crimes.
Now we live in caves and fly out at night. Hard to meet pretty mare who isnt family in caves. Very hard. Soooooooooooo hard.
Truly, a dream come true for Psychoshy. Now if only they were dead . . .
Sister think I am dumb for following you cause your pretty but you are with your shiny legs and tight flank and striped mane and your eyes glow and your…
Okay, now he was getting a little explicit.
1. That's pretty funny.
2. Good job showing she's probably right.
3. This makes it ever harder to really buy into the alterior motive fear Blackjack has going on.
He’d sketched a couple of pictures of caves, some of batponies, and one of me. At least, I thought it was me; I really doubted my horn had magic sparkles dancing around it or that I had a full moon aura surrounding me.
This one's weaker, but it is another case of someone spontaneously associating her with celestial objects.
How bizarre that the first buck I’d ever attract was some strange batpony, but honestly, given all the things that had happened to me since getting out of 99, I supposed I should have been grateful he wasn’t a cyber-ghoul-batpony with a mysterious agenda.
Well, there were also at least Splendid and Finders Keepers. But at the very least Finders wasn't very discriminating (granted, it doesn't particularly seem Stygius is, either).
“Was that your first kiss?” I asked, a touch concerned. He started to nod and then stopped and touched the side of his face... where I’d laid him flat. Oh, right. I grinned sheepishly, “I mean, the first kiss where you weren’t hit immediately afterwards?” He smiled and nodded as he swayed there. I couldn’t help myself. I gave him one more firm smooch, and that finished him off. He playfully flopped over completely and lay there as a dusky lump of goofiness.
Playing up the cute angle here, which doesn't happen much with male characters in this story. Then again, there aren't that many in the present.
“Starmetal, Hoofington.” And right beside that was a strangely glowing milky white crystal. “Moonstone, Moon.” As amazing as that was, it didn’t distract me from something else I found very curious.
The glass wall between the two had melted. I opened the door to the case and pried loose the silvery flake and the pale stone. I’d seen these two together before... only they’d been separated by a layer of Flux rather than simple glass. I looked over at Stygius. “Stand back. I think this is gonna do something.” I dropped the stone and flake from my hands into my telekinesis, closed my eyes, and carefully brought the two closer together. As I did so, the metal began to glow and the crystal to glow brighter, and instantly my PipBuck began detecting magical radiation pouring from the two. Stygius backed away with me. We stepped out onto the balcony walkway overlooking the great room and closed the door almost completely shut. I peeked through the gap at the two floating rocks.
Holding the two at the furthest distance inside the room I could manage, I forced them together.
The flash and explosion rattled the house, though clearly the building had been built from magically-reinforced materials. The detonation blasted the door right into my face, and only my hastily raised cyberlegs kept the wood from taking my head off completely. The force blasted Stygius into the air as I fell back and nearly crashed right through the balcony railing, chunks of door flying out over me and tumbling down into the room below as I lay there on my back. I had no idea that my radmeter could even click that fast, though the rate was decreasing quickly.
And we have proof of the starmetal-moonstone reaction's violence and the radiation associated with it, though of course the big problem from Folly was the Flux.
“P… princess?”
The basement door was blown open by a dark wind that scooped the mare up and carried her down the steps into the earth, dumping her in a heap behind the glorious dark princess. A work table was set up in the middle of the subterranean room. Strange and exotic zebra statues loomed on like silent mentors examining their student’s work. Hammers and tongs lay tossed aside next to a cold forge. She shaped the metal with her magic alone. “YES!?” she boomed as the silvery steel twisted in the air before her.
This alone doesn't confirm starmetal, but I do like that shaping metal with magic is a trait common between Luna and Goldenblood.
“SO! IT TAKETH HER THREE DAYS FOR TO SEEK ME. And she didn’t come herself. Surprise surprise,” the Princess said, her boom dying to a normal voice as her horn glowed, that oppressive hum filling the air.
But there we have it with the sound.
He nodded, and I carefully put the crystal away in my saddlebags. I wondered what had happened to the moonstone that’d been extracted from the Folly shell. I supposed it was somewhere in the muck at the bottom of the bay underneath the HMS Celestia. It hadn’t been among the things I’d gotten back in Tenpony.
And so moonstone is a crystal, and it's confirmed that Blackjack no longer has Folly.
Ugh, I came here for answers. Not more questions! Really, wasn’t there a quota on mysteries?
I wonder if Blackjack's reaction to the number of mysteries and threads counts as self-aware humor.
Huffing in annoyance, I moved to the second door. Knowing my luck, there’d be something horribly vague and terribly nagging that’d go completely over my head.
Okay, that definitely was.
I trotted to the bed and pushed down on the mattress. I had to give Goldenblood credit; he definitely had good taste in bedding.
Well, it's probably pretty necessary when you're covered in scars from chemical injuries.
He approached till he was right behind me, then wrote something else as he blushed profusely. ‘Virgin’, it read, and he smiled sheepishly.
Could probably be assumed from the first kiss thing, but still a fair thing for him to point out.
I doubted we’d have time for a fourth; we couldn’t stay locked up here forever rutting... Okay, for the Wasteland that actually sounded damn inviting, but still! I felt… good. It was something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Good. Not drunk. Not exhausted. Not crazy.
Okay, I felt guilty. I didn’t deserve to feel this way… but aside from that lingering urge to kick myself on general principle for what I’d done after Yellow River… and at Yellow River… and every other messed up thing I’d done… I felt damn nice to be held like this. The next time I was with Glory, I would do all I could to make her feel this way.
A nice, easy reflection on why this mattered, which built well off of the improvement from getting five hours—well, presumably—of sleep. And the end is really sweet.
The rain poured down, a heavy, persistent torrent that could only come from Hoofington’s skies. Sometimes I wondered if the sky had some vendetta against the city, doing all it could to drown it and cut off the sun and moon even before the Enclave arose. The pony I was in was a familiar unicorn stallion standing out in the rainy night and looking at a mare isolated in the yellow light of a single streetlamp. She wore a trenchcoat that covered her from head to hoof, and her long black mane hung across her shadowed face from under a dripping cap. All around us were dark trees, and in the distance I could see through the rain the towering city lights of the Core.
It's like the voiceover of a noir film. And I wouldn't be too surprised if the elements themselves did have a vendetta against the city.
And it's this scene.
“Yes!” she said as she turned away and dug a heavy-looking parcel wrapped in tape from her saddlebags. “You have no idea how hard I’ve worked to get this to you!” she said as she hugged it in her hooves like it was a precious baby. The stallion in the rain didn’t reply. “H..h…here! Take it! It’s all our notes! Everything you need. Please. I’ve worked so very hard…”
Damn it, Fluttershy.
“Why are you doing this, Fluttershy? I would have thought that after Blossomforth was exposed, you’d have given up.”
Fluttershy clenched her eyes shut and trembled, sniffling. “I have to. I have to do something. Luna won’t use the megaspells to heal ponies. She wants Twilight to turn them into weapons!”
Well, in fairness, Fluttershy was there and saw just how well that worked as a battlefield operation where it made the most sense as a healing application. Or is this before then? Now, with a tweaked plan involving causing lots of severe injuries, then arranging them so they would be immediately captured after the spell you might get somewhere workable, but even that would probably have the adverse consequence of putting ponies at greater risk of death on the battlefield.
“Will they?” Fluttershy asked in return. “Or will we just use the war as an excuse to wipe them out completely?” She gave a heartbroken little sob, then looked at him and asked, “Is the only way for this to end to have everyone die? I won’t accept that. I can’t! Treason is better than that...”
Well, you see, worst case senario, absent your treason, only all the zebras die. I don't think that enabling all of everyone to die instead was really a good call. And, of course, in this continuity she's acutely aware of this possibility.
“I promised I would never hurt you,” he whispered gently in his scarred voice as he withdrew his hoof.
“You broke your promise,” she replied, her tone quiet yet unshakably firm. “How could you do that to me? Call… call out her name...” She shivered, and somehow I doubted that it was because of the cold or the wet.
“It was an accident,” he replied, but she kept her eyes away. “I know that that didn’t make it any easier, Fluttershy. But it’s true. When I said her name… I wasn’t thinking of doing what we were doing with her.”
With the new chapter, this takes on a different context than I had originally assumed. "What we were doing" would mean having a life together, I guess? Or maybe, yes, sex, just not at that time? I had always assumed he was awake at the time, and it was said during sex, but that's now clearly not the case. On the other hand, he was very decidedly having sex with Luna, if in (young) Fluttershy's form, in the dream, and he knew it even if it wasn't really what he had wanted out of the dream. Weird situation all around, and such a strange thing to have changed so many lives.
“Then help me. Please. If the zebras get their hooves on megaspells, the war will have to stop. If the zebras and ponies both know that battles are pointless, they’ll have to negotiate. Right?” she said with a wide, hopeful, and horribly naïve smile.
Hmm. Maybe she didn't know. Or, perhaps more likely, before was more of a Freudian slip, letting out what she's to afraid even to consciously acknowledge the possibility of.
And they’d broken up because he’d called out some other mare’s name in bed? It seemed… silly. Who cared who he unloaded with so long as, at the end of the day, he still loved her? Back in 99, I could probably name twenty mares I’d been with offhoof. As long as you were off shift and everypony was happy with the arrangement, why not? Sure, mares could grow close --though if your fondness for each other impacted your stable duties, there’d be hell to pay-- but I couldn’t think of any mare that would want exclusive rights to another mare. The closest I could think of was the Overmare with P-21. That was just… wrong. Selfish…
Mhmm. Truly unfortunate. Kind of think that the wrongness of the overmare's thing with P-21 went quite a bit beyond selfish, though.
I reached down to my own stomach, running my mechanical fingers along my hide. What would it be like to have a filly or colt of my own? In 99 we always knew we’d have one eventually. A few lucky mares might get the opportunity for a second if a another mare died before she had a daughter or had fertility problems. I always joked that me reproducing would be a crime against Equestria.
Lying here, right now, I wasn’t laughing. I was thinking. Did I want to have a child? Here, in the Wasteland? In Hoofington? Now? Okay, maybe not here nor now. Maybe if I could scrape together a few thousand caps and set myself up in Tenpony. Have a filly or colt in nice safe medical conditions. Give them a few years and teach them how to shoot and take care of themselves.
Have a family. A real family, something more than life in 99. I did want that. Given everything that had happened to me, despite it all, I wanted a kid. Kids. Plural. When I was done with EC-1101, I could go back to Spike and do everything to get Gardens to work. Clean up Equestria. Have a kid. Or two. Or three. Hee…
I had no idea that this would pay off like it has before the plot was even over. Granted, I think it was brought up from time to time before this, but even as much as it makes sense that Blackjack might want a family—a real family like she began to be introduced to the of early on—it seems only to reinforce that the time isn't right, and how she wants them to have a better world, or at least a better part of the one she's in.
Okay. Okay. Enough. There was getting over a bad ploughing, then there was having fun, and then there was just wallowing in it. When I saw Glory next, I was going to make her hooves curl!
How would that even work? Unless she got jelly legs. But would it be worth it?
Papers had been taped to the walls, and the wastebin was overflowing with wadded-up parchment.
For some reason, ponies using parchment has tended to bother me more than the idea they may be carnivores. In FoE I guess it was partially based on the idea that that was part of what freaked ponies out about the Black Book, but now I'm not sure there was a basis for that assumption. And in PH, of course, leather was used before the bombs fell.
“I’m sorry Celestia, but as I said… Twilight’s time is invaluable. She simply does not have the time to be your special student any longer.”
“Goldenblood, you can’t let her do this. I didn’t step down so my sister and my student could do horrible things!” Celestia objected with a toss of her mane.
“Well, that’s funny. I was under the impression that that is precisely why you stepped down.” His eyes narrowed. I’d never seen a pony scowl at Princess Celestia like that before. I didn’t think it was possible. “With all due respect, Celestia, you quit. And you didn’t sue for peace. You didn’t negotiate an armistice. You didn’t even surrender with honor. You… just… quit. And in quitting, you dumped this entire war, which you started, in Princess Luna’s lap.”
Just a scathing, brutal attack there. And, of course, completely true, for what's more painful than the mistakes and wrongs you can't deny?
“And now you don’t,” Goldenblood said flatly. “You should have given Princess Luna a year, at the absolute minimum, for a transfer of power. Five years would have been better. And you should have negotiated peace before stepping down. Even if it came with penalties… we could have dealt with them. But you didn’t. You quit, and dumped this entire mess on your sister’s back. And now you don’t like what she has to do to win the war? To create her own rule? To run Equestria as she needs to run it? Tough.” He folded his hooves on the desk before him. “Princess Luna is doing what she must. Twilight Sparkle is helping her by doing what she must.”
So much talk of necessity. And through it all he never says what Luna should have done. But then, the point is that it shouldn't have been her choice in the first place, isn't it?
“Goldenblood. Do you remember that time when you told me not to attack the zebras twelve years ago?”
“Vividly,” he replied.
“Right now, I know exactly how you felt then. I hope that I may be as inspired as you were. Goodbye, Goldenblood,” Celestia said with a formal bow of her head. He rose and bowed deeply in return. But when she disappeared in a flash of golden light, Goldenblood didn’t smile or sneer. He trotted back to his desk, lifted a brass flask from one of the drawers, and took a pull before burying his face in his hooves.
I stared at him sitting there. Then he muttered to himself in a voice so low that I nearly missed it. His words, however, made my blood turn to ice. “Don’t make me kill you, Celestia.”
So much that could have been better, if only they'd had the wisdom to see what he saw at the time. And yes, the thought is chilling; but I must also wonder if it would have been a secret from Luna, or done with her approval given enough of a reason. Which, interestingly, places this as a gigantic contrast to his promise and unwavering protection of Fluttershy through her out and out treason later on.
There turned out to be at least one in every room, and Stygius was kind enough to, flapping as hard as he could, lift me up to the point where I could see more recordings
Good thing this was with the lightweight model.
Others had sound but didn’t seem terribly important. There was one in the guest room where Goldenblood waxed on about the moonstone acquisition for his collection to a vaguely-familiar-looking unicorn and pegasus close enough in appearance that they might have been siblings. They teased him about abusing his authority for a rock. Goldenblood grinned and replied, “Rocks,” and the recording ended with him telling them to take care of Pinkie Pie.
Oh, irony. And of course the Cake kids. What was up with that dream?
“Fluttershy and I were together intimately,” he said as he sat, gazing into the empty crib. “In the heat of the moment... I... called out the name of another mare.”
O...kay. Were there separate incidents? Maybe the dream happened first, and then when it later happened "in the heat of the moment" it was all the more devastating? I guess, at a stretch, a wet dream could be called the heat of the moment.
“I know. I know!” he hissed in a rush. “There isn’t one part of that stupid thing I haven’t analyzed in detail! I don’t know why I said it. But I did, and... it was at the worst possible time. She’s so terribly sensitive... She’d already had complications... the stress... the pressure... all of it was too much to bear. She left me... then six hours later I got the call...” He started to laugh, but three laughs into it they transformed into ragged sobs. “Ministry Mare Fluttershy admitted to Fluttershy Medical Center for a miscarriage...” And he buried his face in the crib. “I didn’t just lose the mare I loved, Trottenheimer. I killed my daughter with a name!”
“You’re right...” he rasped, his voice like a dying breath. “I have promises to keep... and none of them involve a wife... or a child.” He closed his eyes again. “Tell the department heads to meet tomorrow. We need to expand our operations. Take a more active role in bringing this conflict to a close in the right way and at the right time.” He pressed his forehead to the rail. “That... that will have to do. For now... please give me one more night to mourn Whisper.”
And Psychoshy's intended name is given.
- Chapter Forty Four Overall Thoughts:
Starts with the spring scene with Stygius. He comes off as very pushy, and while I can understand somewhat in that Blackjack was sending very mixed signals and he couldn't talk normally—of course, he should have used the chalkboard from the get-go—but the sequence of him kissing her and then getting slugged in the face did a great job of resetting the scene from uncomfortable to a little lighter. Stygius is an odd thing in PH, especially just this early on in his run. He doesn't have much character, and not much backstory. That's not to say, of course, that he's particularly flat; he has a pretty clear personality right away, and maintains it consistently. However, the traits he shows aren't exacly the most interesting, since they're basically horniness, try-hard chivalry, and a certain almost sweet niceness. But the thing is, he's basically the package that Blackjack needed right then: beyond the sex itself and the particular baggage there, she needed his exaggerated harmlessness and fawning after "Lucidity" and her cyberization in general. And I think it was also important that this come from someone she didn't already know, who didn't already care for her, because while Glory and the rest and their love and support matter, here Blackjack made a point that she liked that he liked her as a pony. And just
some pony. And hey, that kind of confidence boost isn't always something you can get from the people you know and love, especially if you're in the mental and emotional state Blackjack's been in: you may just end up feeling like they're in some way lying to make you feel better.
Moving on, lots of Goldenblood stuff, especially with Fluttershy. There is of course the dream with all the present-characters plus Goldenblood, Psalm, and Pound and Pumpkin Cake. I never really knew what to make of that one, or at least the selection of characters. But the tragedy of Littlehorn is something that may have stayed closer to the feel that every step of the war was almost an accident, with little to no intent of malice behind it, that kind of came through in FoE. That's in contrast to the orb of Goldenblood trying to stop Fluttershy from continuing to attemt to deliver megaspell research to the zebras. In a way, she may have even known, but been in denial, of how her treason could end up killing almost everyone on both sides. She certainly seems to hope and believes—or tries to believe—that the nuclear war scenario could never happen, but may have made a Freudian slip earlier on indicating that she knew that everyone could end up dead. She knew for a fact that weaponization was a possibility—and that one-sided genocide was, too. There, Goldenblood urges her to stop, because at some point she'll get caught by someone other than him, and he won't be able to protect her, for all that he promised he would never hurt her. It's here that we learn why the two split: Goldenblood saying Luna's name either during sex, which is how it appears in this chapter, or in his dream as depicted in sixty six. Granted, both could be true, with the dream happening first and a waking event only coming later and being the final cause of Fluttershy leaving him and miscarrying. Also in this chapter is a recording of Celestia visiting Goldenblood, being told to stay out of the government, and receiving a harsh rebuke of the manner in which she abdicated and, before then, had handled the war. In the end, after she's left, Goldenblood prays that she never make him kill her. Having that dream in the same chapter as the orb with Fluttershy was a necessary choice, as otherwise the distinction between how Goldenblood was dealing with Fluttershy compared to Celestia wouldn't have been as strongly highlighted. There are some other recordings and such, mostly fleshing out the human side of Goldenblood (in a way the reverse of the chapter 66 reveal of Luna's degree of direct control of the government and blackmail and purported execution of Goldenblood), but the last thing along those lines I'd really want to highlight was the soul/memory mote of Luna's appearance as Nightmare Moon. It was a "visually" interesting scene, but one of the things that stood out was that in it she was shaping metal (starmetal) with her magic, something we saw Goldenblood do in another recording earlier in the chapter, in the scene where Psalm insists that she has to do something to help in the war effort, even though she doesn't want to kill anyone.
Little informational bits included the reveal of "Whisper" as the name Goldenblood intended for Psychoshy, confirmation of the starmetal-moonstone reaction, and showing how that reaction can lead to the release of soul/memory motes.
- Chapter Forty Four Editing:
Should "society" be capitalized?
There was a gap between the clouds and the mountain; enough to let a tiny crescent of white moonlight peek through.
semicolon to comma?
We’re all nice here, and-“
second hyphen for dash
really appreciate what you’re doing but really its just a bad idea
"it's"
bat-stallion who might just be sizing me up to eat or- I looked up and he was right there.
second hyphen for dash, symmetrical spacing about dash?
Oh. You’re the descendants
only one space after period
colt-high in front of him. I struggled a
three spaces after period
“Ah… well, very nice to meet you, Stygius
should have only one space after ellipsis or capitalize "well"
shocked as he landed. I heard the faintest squeaks
three spaces after period
Finally, he huffed softly and wrote ‘Cause,’ then nodded once.
comma to outside of quotation marks?
filling the air with a indescribable sweetness.
"an indescribable"
He dropped down onto the porch in a landing that was just short of a crash, and maybe not that much, his armor and hide smoking in dozens of places, and the swarm wasn’t far behind him.
This sentence seems kind of clunky to me, and the part between the first two commas redundant considering the "just." Would you consider something like:
He dropped down onto the porch in a landing that was just short of a crash, his armor and hide smoking in dozens of places and the swarm not far behind him.
I ran from room to room and finally spotted a yellow medical case bolted to the wall in the watercloset.
some sort of workshop, a watercloset, and the kitchen
"watercloset" is, I think, two words
The desk drawers had stationary, scrolls, quills, and inks all neatly stacked in their respective places.
"stationery"
I was hoping that I might get some ans-“
second hyphen for dash
I have this, Psalm. So I must
only one space after period
I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something fundamentally wrong with me; something more than just the fatigue and the augmentations.
semicolon to comma?
clubs and joining ‘cause mom and dad said so.
Should "mom" and "dad" be capitalized?
The names vary, but it’s a very special kind of iron that is found only in meteorites; what we also call ‘falling stars’.
semicolon to comma?
he had more rags covering other injuries. He turned and addressed
Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake coming to flank me. Slowly, the mass of zebras began to move
only one space after period
“Help?” The dean gaped at me in shock.
should have second space after quotation
“No!” I screamed as I turned and looked at the zebras I’d wanted so badly to help.
should have only one space after quotation, assuming "No!" was the scream.
At the very least, I would die beside the zebras I’d foolishly lead to their deaths.
should be "led" not "lead"
It’d been so long since Tenpony, and since my last decent buck-- U-18, five months ago-- that a pony ride sounded nice.
symmetrical spacing about dashes?
Okay, now he was getting a little explicit. I didn’t see much else beneath
only one space after period
Gold nugget, Flankorage River. Purple Fluorite, Las Pegasus. Amber, Stalliongrad. Silver ore, Fancee. There were . . .
Fossil, Crescent Moon Canyon.
. . . “Starmetal, Hoofington.” And right beside that was a strangely glowing milky white crystal. “Moonstone, Moon.”
The style of the labels doesn't match, with the first five only being italicized and the last two also in quotation marks.
“Ow…. That was really stupid!”
Should have only three dots, but two spaces after ellipsis.
A strange, ominous note rose up from the basement, and she hesitated a moment at the door. “P… princess?”
a more unusual case that may depend on exactly how the line was delivered. A stutter probably works as-is, but if it's a halt-pause-full title, then "princess" might want to be capitalized.
It was as if she was drinking in that horrible humming scream all at once.
"was" should be "were"
“H..h…here! Take it! It’s all our notes! Everything you need.
third dot for first ellipsis
camp they’re making at Yellow River… and I can’t seem to do anything to stop it!”
should have only one space after ellipsis
Sure, mares could grow close --though if your fondness for each other impacted your stable duties, there’d be hell to pay-- but I couldn’t think of any mare that would want exclusive rights to another mare.
symmetrical spacing about dashes
After a nice hot shower-- Hee! Hot water! Any day with hot water pouring down on me was a good one!-- I emerged, put my armor
symmetrical spacing about dashes?
Mhmmm… still not a happy ro-- wait.
symmetrical spacing about dash?
There was absolutely no mistaking that radiant crown nor missing that softly billowing tricolor mane. Princess Celestia.
Celestia's mane is four colors.
“I wish to have a discrete word.”
this should probably be "discreet," as in private or secret, not distinct from other words
your concerns about the…” His eyes glanced back to the paper once more. “diamond dog relocation.”
ellipsis before "diamond dog"?
Goldenblood might be a sneaky bastard, but he couldn’t do that!
should this be "might have been"?
how could he– could anypony– think that?
symmetrical spacing about dashes
might have been siblings. They teased him
only one space after period
Looking over Stygius’ shoulder,
"Stygius's"
Out in the Wasteland, I’d realised that they were so much more: friends,
"realized"
Anyway, I forgot to mention this over the weekend, but there's yet more to show that ponies have always been carnivores: Rarity transmuted up some shrimp for the foals to eat at the party she . . . classed up. (Take that, Velvet!)
I left off the symmetrical spacing since the dash ends the sentence.Icy Shake wrote:second hyphen for dash, symmetrical spacing about dash?
Hm, yes, I think that it sounds better as it is.Icy Shake wrote:a more unusual case that may depend on exactly how the line was delivered. A stutter probably works as-is, but if it's a halt-pause-full title, then "princess" might want to be capitalized.
Here, again, I think that I'll leave it as it is.Icy Shake wrote:symmetrical spacing about dash?
:)Icy Shake wrote:You know, it seems like Black Pony Mountain is a rock that has the same effect on most ponies that everything that isn't a rock has on Maud.
Actually, now that you mention it, I'm pleasantly surprised that more people haven't complained about Sytgius making a return.Icy Shake wrote:And that's the introduction of what? the second most hated/controversial character in the story after Goldenblood. From small beginnings . . .
…Hey. I just realized something. At this point, his civilization is composed only of batponies. Who don't need a chalkboard to understand him. And, since he wasn't supposed to contact any other ponies and radhogs aren't known for their literacy… he had no legitimate reason to have it with him. He planned this. Not this specifically, of course, but he set out with the intention of making contact.
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by O. Hinds Wed Apr 30, 2014 4:09 am
Oh, I must have missed that. Why would he need to use his magic to escape, though? I mean, he met Blackjack while on a legitimate hunting trip, even if he had an ulterior motive.swicked wrote:...uh, what?O. Hinds wrote:…Hey. I just realized something. At this point, his civilization is composed only of batponies. Who don't need a chalkboard to understand him. And, since he wasn't supposed to contact any other ponies and radhogs aren't known for their literacy… he had no legitimate reason to have it with him. He planned this. Not this specifically, of course, but he set out with the intention of making contact.
I mean, he used his magic to escape his people so he could find some tail that wasn't his sister's. Of course he wanted to make contact. Repeatedly.
I don't know when he would have picked up the chalkboard, to be honest. Was it at Goldenblood's house? The guy was a teacher, after all. Her didn't have it when he was first attempting to talk to Blackjack.
However, in return, he certainly did have his chalkboard with him:
That's before even meeting Tenebra.Somber wrote:He stood and trotted to his armor, then pulled out a chalkboard and a piece of chalk. He popped the latter into his mouth and wrote ‘Yes’. Just like Ditzy Doo, as I recalled. Okay, so we had communication… sort of. He erased the board with the tip of his wing and then wrote ‘Stygius’ and grinned as he tapped his chest with a hoof. “Your name?” I asked, and he nodded once.
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by WavemasterRyx Wed Apr 30, 2014 4:10 am
It certainly seems that way, doesn't it? Heh. She has been through a lot, so I suppose she's earned a little happiness... She does still deserve a trip through a wood chipper though, just one that has the blades replaced with feathers, or brushes, or something like that.O. Hinds wrote:Aye, I think Whisper is probably the only person in this chapter who's having more or less nothing but a good time.
*hugs Somber very gently one more time*
- Chapter 66 Commentary:
I guess I was just too despondent by the end of the last chapter, but I didn't realize Steel Rain had cast Blackjack's body into the pit and shot the computer, I thought he had just straight up shot Blackjack... It really didn't do much to make me more hopeful, but it's certainly a big difference.
A large part of me really was expecting the chapter to begin from Cognitum's point of view. Starting from Charm's point of view was a very interesting choice. I was expecting it to just be one of the usual lead-in type stories until she started mentioning the Society.
In a way, having Charm as narrator gives the first part of the story something of a detached feeling, especially having her referring to the other characters by their nicknames, and I think it works really well.
"She was a beautiful Princess, for everyone told her so, and the sweetest Princess, for everyone proclaimed it." - How accurate a way to describe me as well...
Well... Charm's description of being in the 'magic bottle' makes her reaction make a lot more sense when Cognitum showed Blackjack the hologram of her...
I really do regret some of the thoughts I'd had involving Charm now... like making her Rampage's magician assistant so she could be the fall-pony for their illusions...
Amadi and Steel Rain immediately discussing backstabbing Cognitum after she's gone is interesting. And I will say, I actually got a little laugh out of Amadi freaking out over Discord. Of course then it went straight to creepy-town when he started talking to the stars. Steel Rain must have put an awful lot of his level-ups into survivability.
Charm hugging Dawn and talking like Blackjack was quite a sad piece.
As overjoyed as I am that they were able to bring Blackjack back to life, I adore the scenes leading up to it just as much. Everypony banding together to help, even Sanguine (if unintentionally), is simply incredible. And incredibly tragic that they fall one-by-one in doing so...
Rather embarrassingly, I had forgotten Sweetie Bot was there, so at first I thought "the Golem" was Rampage...
"The Princess didn’t know what else to do. Only that he was being brave, and that a real princess, not a snotty nasty mean princess, would give him something before he went. So she kissed the top of his skull, then threw him up into the gap." - This was extremely touching.
It really is wonderful that Blackjack's alive... I was so worried after the end of 65...
Blackjack's fight with Steel Rain is incredible, especially coming after all the other ponies working against him to bring Blackjack back to life. It feels like everything an "end-game boss fight" should be.
"Instead, I felt a cold knot of terror where my victory had been earlier. I didn’t know how I could beat him. I didn’t even know if he could be beaten." - For such a small comment, this really hit quite hard emotionally.
"My eyes focused on his guns, and my magic reached out and began to field strip the firing pins from both of them." "'Looking for these?' I asked with a smile before tossing them out over the edge. 'Oopsie.'" - This, this was fantastic. Knowledge of guns has always been one of Blackjack's strong points, and it's great to see her being able to put it to use again.
At least one good thing about Blackjack having Horse's memories, is if she finds some empty memory orbs later she can always take them back out, hopefully.
The scene with Steel Rain holding Charm hostage is certainly much more impactful in context. And Blackjack taking him apart with the Moonstone was awesome.
I think Steel Rain's death was handled very well, and in a most satisfying way. Though if Blackjack hadn't teleported out of the Hoof, I would have expected him to come back as part of one of the scorpion-amalgamation things. I still won't rule it out entirely.
The carvings in Goldenblood's office sound very nice.
It's also really nice that her teleportation is being so useful now that she doesn't have the interference from the cybernetics. I imagine having the completely fresh body doesn't hurt either.
"[...] and gathered up the photographs in an envelope just in case. After all, I didn't have my statuettes any more." - I didn't make the connection the first time reading it, that she took the pictures of the mane 6 with her... that's really very sweet...
"Okay. That was it. My brain was officially out of order." - Yeah, I definitely wasn't expecting an orgy either. As I said, it really is nice to see Whisper and Stygius enjoying themselves.
"Yes, Blackjack, I'm saving ponies by fucking them! Two of your favorite things in one!" - I did laugh at this, it's quite sad that Blackjack couldn't, though I can't blame her...
Blackjack being trapped in the shadow world is incredibly sad... I don't feel as hopeless as last chapter, but still, it's a harsh blow, especially having to watch Glory cry and not being able to do anything about it...
I really wanted it to just be that Lacunae was there, and not Cognitum... I want to know what she told them to make Glory cry, but at the same time it fills me with dread...
Well... pretty much the only thing I successfully predicted about this chapter, Luna is a jerk... For all the show she made of coming into Blackjack's dream, she had no intention at all of actually helping...
I have no idea how Blackjack is going to find the Redoubt, unless she meant it is the place where the batponies live... and hope Blackjack can teleport back there safely...
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Scienza Wed Apr 30, 2014 7:50 am
I think Lucidity proved that Blackjack's perfectly capable of creating her own crazy.swicked wrote:Random thought: the number of voices in Blackjack's head has reduced to 1. No Dealer, no six little ponies, no Goddess, no other goddess. Not even any Lacunae.
I wonder if she gets lonely?
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Heart of Blades Wed Apr 30, 2014 9:17 am
Okay, so, I made an account here just to comment. First and foremost, I love this fic, it's second only to the original Fallout Equestria. That being said, I hated chapter 65! The first half was fine, but the last half was so BAD!!! But, chapter 66 made up for much of that.
The new chapter was fantastic. I'd of loved to have seen Blackjack get her cutemark again after beating Steel Rain, but oh well. It was so great finally seeing that bastard get what he deserved.
I loved the story book style of the start of the chapter and then the final switch back to BJ's return. And the talk with Luna was so revealing and knock me on the floor surprising!
The only thing I'm still not okay with is The Dealer's betrayal! It came out of left field and I'm not okay with it. Maybe I thought him better than he was....I hope not and he has some grand plan going on. But..yeah, not happy about that
Anyway, Somber, I love your story. Blackjack has been an amazing character I relate to a great deal. I have no idea how your fic is going to end, but I am along for the ride and will enjoy every minute of it.
The new chapter was fantastic. I'd of loved to have seen Blackjack get her cutemark again after beating Steel Rain, but oh well. It was so great finally seeing that bastard get what he deserved.
I loved the story book style of the start of the chapter and then the final switch back to BJ's return. And the talk with Luna was so revealing and knock me on the floor surprising!
The only thing I'm still not okay with is The Dealer's betrayal! It came out of left field and I'm not okay with it. Maybe I thought him better than he was....I hope not and he has some grand plan going on. But..yeah, not happy about that
Anyway, Somber, I love your story. Blackjack has been an amazing character I relate to a great deal. I have no idea how your fic is going to end, but I am along for the ride and will enjoy every minute of it.
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Borsuq Wed Apr 30, 2014 10:17 am
https://youtu.be/SllRPRj4cUw?t=35s - this is pretty much my reaction to whenever a new chapter comes out ;p
https://youtu.be/xk_JQuvPo-Y?t=55s - and this could be rather well said about Blackjack, don't you agree?
https://youtu.be/xk_JQuvPo-Y?t=55s - and this could be rather well said about Blackjack, don't you agree?
- Okay, now some follow up comments regarding the newest chapter::
Blackjack had told Whisper and Stygius about everything that had happened to her... then she must have told them about Rampage, rigth? I mean, I can undestand that she didn't mention the baby, but not Rampage.
I'm surprised that Whisper didn't comment on that. She knew her longer than Blackjack, even if at the beginning they weren't exactly friends. After Sanguine died, however, Rampage was the one that helped her the most, and even urged her later to go with Stygius. So... I would have imagined that she would call Rampage a bitch a few times.
Now, another matter - why Glory was crying? Well, I can think of a few reasons:
a) in case Cognitum pretends to be Blackjack:
-she told Glory that she no longer loves her (not really sure why she would do that, but whatever, it's possible)
-Cogs isn't paying her as much attention as Blackjack would have, which would make Glory think that she had changed and no longer was the mare she loves
b) where Cogs admits that she's Cogs and not Blackjack (though I am not sure why they would let Rampage hang out with them, at least P-21 would blast her away or shot her an angry look. I mean, Blackjack yes, I can see her forgiving Rampage, despite how I think she should stop considering her as a friend after just leaving when she begged her for help for both herself and her baby; but not the others, neither Glory nor P-21 are that compassionate):
- she told them Blackjack is dead
- she told them what she did to Blackjack and that if they want to see her again they would help her.
- she somehow convinced her that Blackjack no longer loved Glory.
- she (with Rampage help) convinced them that this is what Blackjack had wanted
- she told them Blackjack was evil now
I'll admit, some of those guesses I am not sure how she would pull off, but those are all possible reasons why I think Glory would have cried. As you might have noticed, I didn't mention the baby; that's because I still hold on to the hope that Somber won't let us miss Glory's and P-21 reaction to the news.
You might wonder why one of those guesses is "Blackjack is evil". Well... That's because, I have this really off feeling that the next chapter will end with Blackjack somehow catching up with them... and then, right at the end, in unbelivable plot twist, Glory will turn on her or knock her out.
Of course, I hadn't lost hope for the happy ending, so I feel that in the end everything will be alright, but... I really wouldn't like if the next chapter would end in such way. I think I speak for many when I say that we had enough drama as it was. And besides... those cliffhangers are sooo painful! Yeah, I know, suspense and such... but when you update about once a month... This time, the chapter didn't end like that (more or less, I'm still aching to know why Glory is crying!) but the previous one? Damn...
Also, when is Blackjack going to regain her cutie mark? I mean, I think she is just going to do something, which would be something pretty much how she had gained her special talent... and then her cutie mark will pop out again. And maybe some new limbs from her back... sorry, but I cannot help but compare Blackjack's current situation to the last episode of season 3, and as one of the people who had actually liked the idea of Twilight becoming an alicorn, I don't think I would have much of a problem with Blackjack, her descendant, fulfilling her destiny.
So, we pretty much had confirmed that Legate serves some dark forces... which give me a strange Lovecraftian vibe. Well, he's still more worthy of respect and more likable than Steel Rain. But anyway, those Stars... have the exact same weakness that every other pure evil like them: they underestimate mortals. So, I'll just wait for Blackjack to kick whatever they have for asses ;p
- Oh, and some newest theory I have:
What if... the U-21 that P-21 loved and that Blackjack had killed... was her father?
DA DA DAAA!
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Silver136 Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:04 am
I don't think that's a possibility. Blackjack killed her father long before she killed U-21.Borsuq wrote:
- Oh, and some newest theory I have:
What if... the U-21 that P-21 loved and that Blackjack had killed... was her father?
DA DA DAAA!
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by BaronRed Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:22 am
Borsuq wrote:
- Oh, and some newest theory I have:
What if... the U-21 that P-21 loved and that Blackjack had killed... was her father?
DA DA DAAA!
- Not recent spoiler!:
- I think we met Blackjack's father during a midstory dream / flashback / memory / period of unconsciousnes. He was the first pony she escorted to be retired after becoming security. He was described as having a striped mane and smiling gently at Blackjack (I'd imagine not the most normal reaction for males making that walk).
And really, if that was actually the standard procedure for 99 and not some Blackjack level coincidence, then I don't feel nearly so bad about how the stable played out.
Also, I'll do a real introduction later, but until then 'Hi all!' and 'Thanks Somber for the amazing ride so far!'
Edit: Aww, curse you slow phone typing abilities.
Last edited by BaronRed on Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:24 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : typo and ninjaed.)
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by OneMoreDaySK Wed Apr 30, 2014 12:55 pm
Wow, we are getting an influx of new users. Welcome one and all. Just be sure to leave your sanity by the door and keep your arms and legs inside the Crazy Train. Somber's the boss, and Hinds is the conductor. Swicked will arrive soon to check your tickets. Next stop is Dysfunction Junction. Oh and me? Well, don't worry about me too much. I'm totally not bumming a ride.
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by O. Hinds Wed Apr 30, 2014 1:13 pm
:DRyx wrote:She does still deserve a trip through a wood chipper though, just one that has the blades replaced with feathers, or brushes, or something like that.
…I don't really follow, sorry.Ryx wrote:"She was a beautiful Princess, for everyone told her so, and the sweetest Princess, for everyone proclaimed it." - How accurate a way to describe me as well...
@Heart of Blades:
Welcome to the forum!
@BaronRed:
And the same to you!
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by WavemasterRyx Wed Apr 30, 2014 2:46 pm
Well I'm glad you got a smile out of that. Maybe it'll happen, eventually.O. Hinds wrote::DRyx wrote:She does still deserve a trip through a wood chipper though, just one that has the blades replaced with feathers, or brushes, or something like that.
Ah... well basically Charm is saying how she is these things (that she clearly isn't) because everyone tells her she is... They may not say I am beautiful, but I certainly hear it about my drawings all the time...O. Hinds wrote:…I don't really follow, sorry.Ryx wrote:"She was a beautiful Princess, for everyone told her so, and the sweetest Princess, for everyone proclaimed it." - How accurate a way to describe me as well...
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by O. Hinds Wed Apr 30, 2014 3:05 pm
Ah. Somber's still under the impression that his writing is horrible, you know…Ryx wrote:Ah... well basically Charm is saying how she is these things (that she clearly isn't) because everyone tells her she is... They may not say I am beautiful, but I certainly hear it about my drawings all the time...
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by kingkodus Wed Apr 30, 2014 9:57 pm
New user roll call? Alrighty then. What's up what's up. I have been lurking for awhile so just wanted to tell Somber that he is awesome. Loved the new chapter and I'm looking forward to what's next! Also editing team, you guys are fantastic thanks for all you guys do. ^_^
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Downloaded Skill Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:14 pm
Welcome to the forum. You should check out the Steam group thread. We're always looking for more people.
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Silver136 Thu May 01, 2014 6:56 am
Is that an invitation?Downloaded Skill wrote:Welcome to the forum. You should check out the Steam group thread. We're always looking for more people.
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by OneMoreDaySK Thu May 01, 2014 8:47 am
Sure. Steam games have been in a slump lately though. Get togethers have been small. L4D2 and TF2 and Cards have been the latest viable games. Moody and Ketchup's been in Payday 2, Adder in Civ and Dead Island, Aonee in SR4, Stone in World of Tanks, and I've been Warframing.
TS has been quiet as well.
~It gets a little lonely, all these empty rooms, just watching the hours tick by.~
TS has been quiet as well.
~It gets a little lonely, all these empty rooms, just watching the hours tick by.~
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Silver136 Thu May 01, 2014 8:49 am
I'd gladly play some Warframe, and I own most of those other games as well. I also know some good free to play games that aren't too taxing on a computer.OneMoreDaySK wrote:Sure. Steam games have been in a slump lately though. Get togethers have been small. L4D2 and TF2 and Cards have been the latest viable games. Moody and Ketchup's been in Payday 2, Adder in Civ and Dead Island, Aonee in SR4, Stone in World of Tanks, and I've been Warframing.
TS has been quiet as well.
~It gets a little lonely, all these empty rooms, just watching the hours tick by.~
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by OneMoreDaySK Thu May 01, 2014 9:08 am
Well, please do so on the Steam Games Thread.
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by O. Hinds Thu May 01, 2014 12:33 pm
Welcome, and thank you. :)kingkodus wrote:New user roll call? Alrighty then. What's up what's up. I have been lurking for awhile so just wanted to tell Somber that he is awesome. Loved the new chapter and I'm looking forward to what's next! Also editing team, you guys are fantastic thanks for all you guys do. ^_^
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Sonic55514 Thu May 01, 2014 3:13 pm
Seeing as aparently a lot of people are making post and coming out of lurking... Hello I've been stalking ya'll for quite some time now but, I guess it's time to post at least something since I been able to enjoy somber's wonderful story for so long now
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by SS117 Thu May 01, 2014 3:23 pm
Joining those coming out of lurking to say something nice, I want to say that I've greatly enjoyed the story and consider it one of my top favorite stories of all time.
- Spoiler:
- If Goldenblood is still alive in Redoubt, Fluttershy is a tree and Whisper is in the Bat Pony castle, that means that there is a chance for family reunion maybe?
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by O. Hinds Thu May 01, 2014 6:18 pm
Sonic55514 wrote:Seeing as aparently a lot of people are making post and coming out of lurking... Hello I've been stalking ya'll for quite some time now but, I guess it's time to post at least something since I been able to enjoy somber's wonderful story for so long now
A welcome to both of you! We certainly do seem to be getting a lot of new faces around here.SS117 wrote:Joining those coming out of lurking to say something nice, I want to say that I've greatly enjoyed the story and consider it one of my top favorite stories of all time.
Ooh, interesting idea!SS117 wrote:
- Spoiler:
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Re: [GRIMDARK] Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons Discussion
by Scienza Thu May 01, 2014 8:51 pm
O. Hinds wrote:Ooh, interesting idea!SS117 wrote:
- Spoiler:
- Spoiler:
- Intriguing. Similarly, there could also be a quasi-reunion between Rainbow, Flutters, and Twilight (? I was never quite sure whether her soul dissipated or not).
Also, Cogs, Goldenblood, and Flutters could enter the most awkward open relationship in history.
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